Adjustment or Just Being Two?

So...when I reported that Nathan has made the adjustment to being a big brother smoothly, I wasn't entirely truthful. He has done, under the circumstances (me being in the hospital, a little brother to take our attention, company, no power, schedule a little askew) remarkably well. The ONE thing that has happened, though, is that he has become even more attached to me than he was before. He has always been a "mamma's boy"...however, now it is very extreme. He is having extreme separation anxiety. EXTREME!

The places (i.e. Nan and Pap's, school, church, bedtime) that he used to excitedly and willingly go, have now become places of extreme anxiety. He has gotten more used to school and church the last week or so...meaning, he only whimpers when I leave him. However, going to Nan and Pap's house he has huge emotional meltdowns. He is fine if I am there and around (but he has to know where I am at at all times)...but seems to completely lose it when I go to leave, or they come and pick him up. It is heart wrenching for me to hear (what sounds like) his heart breaking and begging to "just stay with Momma". He does this a tiny bit when I leave, and Jonathon is with him, though not as bad. And when I am around, like I said, he has to know where I am at all times...and often follows me everywhere I go.

Now, within 5 minutes of me being out of sight, he normally calms down as if nothing happened...so he can't be that heart broken, can he?

My question to all you "pros" out there is: What is this? Is this being two? Is this having a little brother and adjusting? Is it all of the above? Am I doing emotional and psychological damage to him by leaving him once and a while? Is he just playing me? Am I the worst mother in the world for leaving him when he is begging for me to stay or begging to stay with me? HELP!

Gah...this mothering thing! I am trying SO hard not to screw up my kids! Is it even avoidable?

Brotherly Love

As I am sure I expressed on many occasions, one of my biggest fears in having another child was how Nathan would react and behave towards the new little one (and to me). Well, now that Samuel has been here a few weeks (already???), I have something to report!

Nathan has done extremely well. My apprehension and fear of the unknown is, so far, proving to be just that...fear of the unknown. Nathan LOVES his little brother, and takes the opportunity to tell everyone that, many times a day. He doesn't seem too bothered by a new addition...though he has grown completely attached to me (which I hear is normal). After all, his world has been completely turned upside down with a new baby, not to mention the Ice Storm that kicked us out of our house for a few days. Along with all that, I have found it a little difficult to be super strict on Nathan's schedule (not that I was the Nazi-scheduler before Samuel arrived, but he did have a definite nap time and bedtime...for the most part. Both of which have gotten later and later since Sam has arrived.). As a result I think Nathan does feel a little displaced and insecure about all the changes. Time is the only remedy as we all try to figure out our new normal.

Brotherly love at its finest...here is Nathan "petting" Samuel, as he does many times a day. VERY gently though.

And of course, the photo you all have been waiting for:

Brotherly Kisses.

Not Again...

So...for the second time in less than 6 months, we have no electricity! We were hit with an ice storm on Tuesday evening...which proceeded to accumulate on tree limbs, which then began to break and fall...and well, knock out the power around the entire city (you may have heard...). Anyways. We are one of the lucky ones that won't have power for 7-10 days (that is the current estimate). We are so SUPER lucky! (can you read the sarcasm???)

Remember last September when we didn't have power for 8 days (is that correct, Jonathon? ;)), and we all said "at least it is warm out, and you don't have an infant to care for..." . Well, look here...it is FREEEEEEZING, we have an infant and a toddler...AND no electricity! I am not sure how much I can handle of this, emotionally... apparently we did'nt learn what we needed to learn (patience?) the first time.

Luckily, we have amazing family! The first night Uncle Rob and Aunt Yvette opened their very clean, kid free, home to us. They made us dinner and gave us nice comfy beds to sleep in! Then yesterday, Nan and Paps opened their door to us as well...and we have taken full advantage and moved in! We even kicked them out of their bedroom! ;) So...on the very positive side, we are warm, fed and with loving family. We couldn't ask for anything more (except electricity).

Thank you to everyone who has offered your homes, food, blankets, clothes...etc. We really appreciate it and hope you all know that the offer is reciprocal.

I will keep you updated...

First Life Lesson

Last night, Nathan and I went to the grocery, to, you know...get groceries. ;) Nathan really likes to ride in the carts with the cars in the front ("the blue one mama!"), which I am not a huge fan of because the car makes the cart so large, and I am not at all experienced in driving a semi! Anyways, it was later in the evening, around 7pm or so. Nathan hadn't eaten dinner yet (bad mother, I know), I hadn't eaten dinner yet (again, bad mother of child in womb, I know), so I was tired, hungry and just not really wanting to be at the Grocery right then. Regardless, we got through it (Nathan was a very good boy, until he started screaming because he wanted Cheetos and I told him he had to eat some dinner first). We checked out, and were getting in the car, when I noticed that Nathan had grabbed a bag of Skittles from the checkout isle while I was paying for the groceries.

Now, I am pretty sure that the only candy that Nathan really knows the packaging of are Reece's P-butter cups (and MAYBE M&Ms), the mini ones. I really try to stay away from commercial TV so that he doesn't learn a whole lot about packaging and get sucked in to the marketing of it all (call me crazy, I know...he will learn it all through other kids, I am sure). SO, for him to pick up the Skittles bag, was him just being curious as to what this shiney red bag was all about (and I am sure he wondered what must be in it). I know he really didn't KNOW they were Skittles/candy...he is pretty innocent about the checkout isle and that there is candy at all of them (and I would like to keep it that way). BUT, he did take the Skittles...

SO...being tired and hungry, I was faced with a very simple decision: Do I take the time to take the candy back into the store and return it because we didn't pay for it? It was a bag of Skittles...they would never miss it. He didn't INTENTIONALLY mean to "steal" it, he has no idea what that means. We are tired, hungry, and going back in the store, means unloading all the groceries and walking back in...or pushing the semi of a cart all the way back into the store, through the crowds of people...blah, blah, blah...OR do we just go home, with the bag of Skittles?

As tired and as hungry as we both were, I decided that this could be Nathan's first lesson in integrity and honesty (two very BIG human qualities that I deem as very important in a personality). So, we unloaded the groceries into the car, put the car cart away, and went back into the store. I told Nathan he needed to give the Skittles back to the store because we don't just take things without paying for them, regardless of how small they are. He carried the bag, and handed it over to the cashier. (No, I did not get angry at him, nor yell at him, nor even seem flustered...so don't worry that I freaked out and scarred him for life. That isn't my style!)

The cashier looked a little baffled and even started to ring them up, but I told her that we actually didn't even want them. She looked even more baffled.

On the way out Nathan hugged me and said:
Nathan: Have to pay for things, right Mama?
Me: That's right Natey, we don't just take stuff without paying for them.
Nathan: I sorry Mama...

It was THE sweetest moment, and as simple as it was, and as young as he is...he got it!