Big Sister

Actually Little M is doing much better than I had expected. So far, I haven't detected hardly any jealousy and on the contrary, she has been trying to be the best big sister ever. She wanted to hold Baby A from the first time she saw her, and is always very gentle in her touches and kisses. She fetches diapers and wipes for me, and tries to calm the baby when she's fussing. (She's decided that all she has to do is call Baby A "Sweetheart" and that will make everything better.)



This afternoon I laid down for a nap while Baby A was sleeping and later awoke to her starting to get fussy. I came downstairs prepared to nurse, to find that Little M had attached the toys to her bouncer chair and was attempting to feed Baby A from the bottle that Alex had warmed for her a few hours ago. And she was just getting her to calm down when I showed up. It warmed my heart to see her trying to comfort her sister, rather than just coming to get me to do it.


Another funny thing that happened today. M had helped me bathe Baby A and I was getting her dressed again, when I turned to find Little M had stripped her clothes and hopped into the baby tub, not wanting to miss out on the fun.




We have been struggling a bit with the obedience lately though. Maybe related to having a new baby, maybe it's just part of being almost 3. As a result, M has been spending a bit more time than usual in time out. Yesterday, I was chewing a piece of gum while nursing and M decided she wanted one too. For several reasons, I had expressly told her "no" and as I could see she was on her way to my room to get it anyway, I informed her that if she came back with gum in her mouth that she would be sent to time out. She quietly slipped away. When I finished nursing and was about to go check on her, I heard the time out timer ring in her room and she shortly came back. She had nothing in her mouth but she informed me that she had eaten gum and thrown it in the trash. I went upstairs and sure enough the last piece of gum was gone from my dresser and thrown away, chewed in M's trash can. I expressed my sorrow at her disobedience and said she'd have to go to time out. Then she informs me that she already went to time out. She had apparently climbed my dresser, gotten the gum, and gone straight to her room and put herself in time out, setting the timer, and then happily chewed her gum in her room during "time out." I guess she decided that time out was worth a piece of gum. She was so proud of herself for having beat the system. I almost felt bad putting her in a real time out. Is that double jeopardy? Maybe it is, but it didn't seem to me that the first time should count. Although M certainly felt it did. Poor girl. Alex and I couldn't stop laughing later on when I told him about it.