The Adjustment

Each child is adjusting and adapting very well to a new baby in the family, but each one is dealing with it differently.

Sorin: She has been so head over heels in love with Amelie that she has asked to be her mommy! When she wakes up in the mornings she always asks how Amelie is, where she is, etc. When she holds her it is with a gentle level of deep nurturing I have never seen in her. She told Daniel last evening that she adores Amelie more than anything in this world. She showers her baby sister with love constantly, and I have had to make sure Amelie knows who her mommy is by stepping in and making sure I do most or all of the feeding and care giving. We don't want a confused attachment.

Liam: Liam is adorable. He is all accepting, and has always been one to go with the flow and accept changes well. As long as his routine is in tact, anything else happening is fine with him. I noticed at first he would just walk up and stare at Amelie with curiosity. Today when I walked into his room and he saw Amelie in my arms he waved at her and smiled! He never waves at family members in the house, so it was very special....his way of saying "Hello, Amelie!"

Prasad: With Prasad it's a bit more complicated than it is with our other children. Prasad was the "latest" addition to our family, the newest member. Now he isn't. And seeing a baby every day getting babied and loved the way she does makes him sad for himself and the nurturing he thinks he didn't receive as an infant. He has stated that he wishes he could be a baby and get carried around and loved like that. We have been proud of his honesty and openness about his feelings, and we value them. We reassure him that he is our baby, no matter how old he gets, and that he is loved every bit as much as Amelie. Today was the first day in which he didn't feel shy with Amelie, and he started playing with her. She lights up at his antics because he's so animated and goofy. She's fascinated by him and he is so touched by that. He was SO PROUD of her in is classroom today, so he's starting to accept the change well.

Sky: What can I say? Sky is a "Baby Lovin' Fool" and therefore has become a serious Amelie FANATIC. He laughs at everything she does, enjoys watching me dress her, always comments on her outfits and how cute she is, wants to hold her, and seems completely obsessed with her every move. When I babysat Cecilia I used to wonder if his baby fascination would be the same if it were a family member who he sees 24/7. Well, he's completely smitten with Amelie and can't seem to get enough. He isn't going through the serious issues we see with Prasad because Sky has already experienced the addition of a child. He isn't feeling replaced or lost about what his role in our family is. Instead he feels a great deal of responsibility now. I overheard him telling Prasad "We have a VERY important job with Amelie. We will be teaching her so many things in life, and she will look up to us. It is a big responsibility to live up to, Prasad." Our little Mayan Shaman is so right.