It’s been 2 weeks since Anthony got here. That seems like such a long time, and yet it really feels like these last 2 weeks have passed in such a blur– I have not yet reached that place where it feels like Anthony has “been with us forever”.
So far, the transition’s been something like this:
Gregory is definitely processing some strong emotions. I figured that this would be the case, as we’ve noted time and time again that he seems to “feel” things deeply, even if it’s just a quiet reprimand. He feels conflicted about having a new brother– on the one hand, he adores having “Wee” around to hug and “pick up”, but on the other hand, he knows that this little person is the reason his schedule is all turned around. Instead of Mommy getting up to feed him his morning milk, it’s Grandma, which is nice but still different. Instead of Mommy putting him down for his nap, Mommy and Wee are usually taking their own nap. Instead of Daddy playing energetically at all hours of the day like he did during Easter Break, he goes to work! When he gets home, he’s tired and falling asleep mid-baseball game on the couch! Gregory is very in tune with his surroundings, and knows that something big is amiss.
Funny enough, he is kind, sweet and super cute to everyone…except for Jesse and I. He’s been happy as a clam with my mom, and the moment I wake up and interact with him, he has meltdown after meltdown. My mom says that it is night and day behavior, as though he is testing me to see if I still love him. He simultaneously wants hugs while pushing me away (you’d think this was figurative, but it’s oddly very literal, which isn’t very practical for anyone). Jesse and I have seen some of the worst temper tantrums from G this past week– meltdowns over us giving him exactly what he wants!
Scene: Dinner Time
Gregory: “Juice!”
Me: “Okay, let me get you some juice!” <I put G down and get up>
Gregory: “NOOOOO!!!! WAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!” <dissolves into shrieking>
Me: ??????
The worst is when I go to nurse Anthony (which, since he’s a newborn, is sometimes every hour). G becomes extremely clingy and tries to climb all over me. Sometimes, he’s curious and points to say, “Num-nums?”, but most of the time this is when he acts out towards me, hitting or whining. Convenient, since this is when I have no ability to discipline him!
That’s the Gregory scoop. As far as raising Anthony goes, thus far? He’s an easy baby, for right now, at least. I know that many babies “turn a corner” after those first 3 weeks, so I’m not counting any chickens. But it’s safe to say that if I wasn’t dealing with my own postpartum recovery issues, I would think that this newborn thing wasn’t so bad. Ever since that very first time in the hospital, he’s nursed like a pro, without any problem latching whatsoever (he’s semi-tongue-tied, so I was afraid the pediatrician and the la leche league would advise “cutting”, but so far, so good). He’s gaining tons of weight, almost growing out of his NB sleepers, so I know he’s definitely getting enough. The soreness isn’t even close to what it was with Gregory, which is also how I know that we’re doing something right. I’ve been using Medela’s Hydrogel pads, and they’ve been absolutely wonderful. I will probably buy them for every new mom I encounter from now on!
When Anthony cries and he’s not hungry or wet, he falls right back asleep in anyone’s arms. Once I cut out soda and chocolate, his tummy has settled and he’s been sleeping a few 2-3 hour stretches at night– not GREAT sleep for me, but for a newborn, that’s pretty good. He loves being swaddled and will sit in his bouncy chair for quite a while, allowing me to take a shower, play with Gregory, etc. (eventually, I’ll be “wearing” him most of the time, but I’m still trying to take it easy and recover).
Anthony’s so low maintenance, in fact, that we sometimes forget to change his diaper, long after we “hear” him dirty it. This has resulted in some nasty diaper rash, which I feel bad about since I know it’s our fault. He just doesn’t complain, and, especially at 4am, I just nurse him and set him back in his bassinet, all without leaving my comfy covers. Gregory was the complete opposite– he would SCREAM SCREAM SCREAM the moment he dirtied a diaper, even slightly. We were changing 10-12 diapers a day with G. Anthony goes through 8, mayyyybe. We are about to switch back over to cloth, since we already have to use a cloth insert in his disposables to keep him from peeing out the top (why do my boys struggle so much with this?).
Anthony does spit up once or twice a day, and it’s pretty projectile-like. I’m always very stunned and annoyed when it happens because G never spat up. We’re finally making use of all those burp rags we’ve had sitting unused for 2 years 🙂
Long in short…life with two is hard, but it’s made possible by all of my help (my mom, mother in law, and niece Rachel). Since I still can’t lift G, probably for another week, they’ve done a good job of making sure I’m never alone when he needs to get into his crib or out of the car.
The real test will be when we move out and I have both kids all day by myself….ah! Then again, that will most likely occur right when Jesse and I begin our 3 months of Summer Break! Most likely, Anthony will be 5 months old before I’m left by myself with the two of them.
Anyways….one day at a time?