Charlie hit the one week mark at 11:04pm last night. It's been a super week and we're adjusting quite well. Sleep is interesting as Raf and Rich have been sleeping in our bed while baby Charlie and I are in the spare room. Charlie is sleeping really quite well. He wakes up every few hours, has something to eat, and then goes back to sleep! He's sometimes a bit gassy so I have him up on my chest until it settles, but he invariably returns to sleep with not much fuss.
In the morning I've been trying to switch places with Rich before the boys wake up so that Rafi can wake up with me next to him. This morning we were all up incredibly early and ended up in Raf's room, in the bunk beds, watching Rafi play with his trains followed by snuggles in bed.
Charlie looks a lot like Raf, and while Raf was a pretty easy going baby, Charlie is different in lots of ways. The biggest difference - for me, at least - is that Charlie basically eats when he's hungry and then just stops. Raf would nurse and nurse and nurse for HOURS, literally hours, and was cluster feeder extraordinaire. Of course this could all change but we're really enjoying a pretty serene, laid-back baby.
Rafi has been doing so well. He's sort of losing interest in his brother, though there are plenty of kisses and hugs. He seems to be adjusting quite well. That said, a few things have come up... namely some back-tracking in potty training - which I understand is really common - and some behaviour issues at preschool. Nothing terrible, but saying 'no' a lot when he's asked to do something. His teachers said that he's a little bit susceptible when it comes to following his friends' bad examples and they've been trying to encourage him to not join in the antics of other three year old boys! It's difficult to know whether this is just normal developmental stuff or a reaction to a new member of the family. A couple of weeks ago Rafi also started to chew on his sleeve, and his teachers have noticed it, too. I'd rather not over react but we're wondering if it's a stress/anxiety response.
Rafi is no doubt more contrary than ever (getting him changed always involves a lesson in patience) but he remains his sweet and loving self... just a more feisty version!
I often wonder how we survive our siblings. It's such a complex relationship. I often put myself in the older sibling's view since I am the eldest and essentially you've been usurped, even though that doesn't sound to be the case for you guys since you are so attuned and considerate of how baby Charlie's arrival may be for raf.
ReplyDeleteI think it's probably rational that outside the home, raf might just be letting out some of his confused feelings (he loves his new brother but it means things have changed) at pre-school. Also he is at the 'no!' stage regardlesss of the new arrival in your family. I wouldn't worry too much, al, you are so loving and thoughtful of your boys that rafi will adjust and he has had a secure, loving base from the get-go which cannot be erased. Rafi sounds like he's done so well coping but his feelings might change at times (don't we all love and hate our siblings when we are young?!).
You're an ace mummy. It's good that you know about these things but just keep doing what you're doing and give it a few weeks
Happy 1 week bday Charlie !!!