The Middle Child.
So, my daughter is adjusting well. Several have asked if there’s any jealousy issues, and I say there’s no way because she just adores him too much. And she’s not regressing or anything (yet?) wanting to be more like a baby. However, she is demanding a lot more attention by crying over Every. Little. Tragedy. That. Invades. Her. Life. Like running out of milk. Or a Dora episode ending.
But other than that? She’s actually doing waaaay better than I expected. She seems okay with the fact that I can’t carry her around like I used to do, although it is breaking my heart not to be able to. She asks 100 times a day to hold “Baby AndyZ” and would hold him all day, even while he’s crying, if we’d let her. She’s constantly trying to tell us how to parent him: Take him outside, Daddy. That will make him feel better. And she loves providing commentary to guests about his eating habits: He drinks the milk out of Mommy’s boobies. My boobies don’t have milk.
She has also developed a few other adorable habits not related to her new brother. She is using the word “Actually” constantly. She uses it correctly, although a little too liberally. It is so cute because she over-pronounces it so it sounds very much like an over-educated adult trying to snob it out for her elite friends.
She seems to have inherited our love of Geography and an intense spatial awareness as she asks where everything is as we’re going there. She’s looking for statements like, “It’s by Target.” Or, “It’s on the other side of town, near Daddy’s work.” She must understand where each destination is in relation to other places she frequents. She even sometimes points out where we would go if we were heading someplace else. “Target is that way.” Or, “Scout lives over there.”
She also just seems SO big now. So grown up and mature and no longer my baby. I guess it’s because I have a real baby now, but it’s very weird seeing her appear giant-like next to her new brother. She always seemed so tiny to me before. Now she’s my big girl. Helping Momma take care of the baby. Doing things like cleaning off his pacifier by dipping it in her cereal milk. I’d be lost without her.
Yay NikkiZ! I knew you would be an awesome big sister! My oldest (23 months) is a GREAT big brother to his little sister (11 weeks). He is not at all jealous of her, nor does he ever try to act out against her (he constantly wants to tickle her feet, hug her, hold her, etc. and is CRAZY about the fact that she now looks around and smiles at HIM). There are times he wants me to “put the baby in the swing and hold me”, which I completely understand. I too feel the horrible guilt at not being able to devote all my time to him, and I too get the horrible meltdowns when things aren’t going his way. But seeing how much he loves his sister and is gentle with her now (and how he is OBSESSED with the breast pump) gives me hope for their long term relationship. Congratulations Zoot!
She sounds like a better navigator than my 64-year-old mother.
So glad things are going well and that you’re healing relatively quickly. More baby pics, please!
‘cleaning off his pacifier by dipping it in her cereal milk’ Ha ha ha ha!
My Scout was happy to help Daddy with his parenting skills. Daddy was not so trusting of his ability. Seriously, dude, you should listen to the little guy, he knows what he’s talking about!
My Lil’bug is going through a directional phase now, too. ‘We go that way, Mommy?’ ‘Where’s my house?’ And she gets mad if we don’t go the way she thinks we should! Um, yeah, like I’d turn left where there’s a sign that says no left turn.
I’m glad she’s adjusting so well. Know, though, that it might take a while for the novelty to wear off and she decides that this new little intruder is no longer welcome on her turf. Scout prayed for months for a little brother or sister and doted on her constantly when she finally arrived but eventually we did get the ‘why does she get all the …’.
Awww. She cleans the pacifier in her milk? That’s so sweet.
she’s such a sweet girl. she had an awesome big brother to teach her how it’s done
Oh goodness. The comment about which boobies have the milk slays me.
I’m hoping my toddler is this kind when his little bro arrives.
Sounds like you with your brother. You were such a great help. At least when he was new.
Sounds like Little Bear may be pushing his way into her Dora time. Noticed the same thing with Pud at right about this age when the “ah man”s declined and the “actually”s took over.
Awww! Thanks for reminding me of the “act-you-al-leee” days. I remember them well now.
Glad she’s adjusting — think that has a lot to do with being part of a loving, involved family.
They should prepare you for how enormous your toddler will look after you have another baby. My son was 3.5 when I had my daughter and I swear when I went into the hospital he was just a baby and when I had her, he was all of the sudden a gargantuan beast.
Crazy that in one day she went from the youngest to middle kid.
I am really impressed by NikkiZ’s spatial abilities! I STILL have no grasp on where things are in relation to each other. And I’m a bit older than NikkiZ.
The thought of her saying “actually” is incredibly adorable. I do hope we’ll see a video of that eventually!
Well that’s adorable
Way to go Nikki 
dude. i love nikkiz. she rules.
she sounds like the perfect big sister!!
How sweet she sounds. My 2 yo completely tried to ignore his baby brother. Her spatial skills sound awesome.
What a sweet big sister. I loved watching my daughter “mother” my son. She too, told us how to care for him and wanted to hold and feed him (bottles) nonstop!
And my daughter went through the ‘actually’ stage followed by the ‘seriously’ faze . It’s so cool hearing them use big words in context. It takes awhile to get old, unlike some stages
She sounds so great… and I absolutely love, love, love when kids start using ‘Actually’, it’s so freaking cute!
adorably lovely post, actually!
Oh, my God, I am so glad my child isn’t the only one with the “AKSHULLY” habit. It’s nice that you find it adorable, I think it’s obnoxious!
“Is it cold outside?”
“No, baby, it’s summer now.”
“Well, AKSHUALLY, it’s not, momma.”
Drives me nuts!
Hahaha, she is so precious!
Sounds like she is going to be just the perfect big sister! I remember our eldest (now 10) coming to visit in the hospital after we had our second (8) and crying because he was such a big boy now! Of course, he may have looked like a big boy, but he completely ignored his sister in favor of her new ba-ba which was sitting in the clear bassinet
Theres a little girl at church who has just gained a lil sister and you can tell she’s not getting as many cuddles and stuff as before because she arrives as church on a Sunday and then works her way round through the service so spends 10 minutes with The Murf and then moves on to Mrs C – the pastors Wife then I might get a hug by which point its time to go to creche – this then carries on after church as well!
(New baby is very cute!)
I’m so glad to hear that she is doing well. Fingers crossed that she never regresses.
Heeee….I had to laugh at this because the same thing happened to my eldest when I brought her sister home. She GREW!!!
Isn’t it amazing how our perceptions change like that? I’m so glad that she is adjusting well. She is a wonderful big sister.
OHMYGOD, the word “actually” made my hair stand on end. We went through the “actually” phase with Jack, and I thought I was going to push his eyeballs into his skull with my thumbs. Nothing we ever said was right. It was always retorted with “ACT-CHU-A-LEE, (insert some inane four year old comment here)”.
I’m glad it’s cute when she does it, though. We’re now in the “literally” phase. Everything is “literal”ly, even if it’s not even close.