How can two weeks feel like such a long time? Today Mason is two weeks old and in many ways it feels like he’s been here a lot longer. We’ve been home from Children’s Hospital less than a week. He weighs 7 lbs 8 oz and is doing well. He still has the darkest blue eyes I’ve ever seen, and loves to be held like this.
A nurse came to check him over yesterday and she was surprised to see all my children. I think the abundance of little ones is what surprised her the most. I was thinking about it and depending on how you want to say it you can describe my family as having:
- three children under age 3 (2, 1, and newborn) plus four more siblings
- four children age four and under (4, 2, 1, newborn) plus three more siblings
- six children under age 8 (7, 6, 4, 2, 1, newborn) plus a 10yo
- seven children under age 11 (10, 7, 6, 4, 2, 1, newborn)
How is everyone adjusting to the new baby?
Caleb is still not happy with his new place in the world. He doesn’t mind Mason himself. His problem is that Mommy’s arms are occupied by Mason. He likes to climb on my lap to remind everyone it’s his spot.
Oliver really doesn’t mind Mason but he is also not interested in him. He’s too busy being Oliver.
Daniel is having a bit of an adjustment and it shows. He’s trying to see what he can get away with, grabbing things he’s not supposed to play with (like my camera), and closing his eyes and walking away like he can’t hear you when you tell him to do something. The little turkey!
Emma seems fine, though she’s not comfortable with Mason. She avoids him when he’s crying, asks to hold him and changes her mind before you hand him over, and just seems a bit uneasy with the whole baby thing. She’s also frequently saying “That’s boring” when you offer activity ideas at her request.
Joseph enjoys Mason. He likes to hold him and talk to him. He also is happy to go play with his Legos and leave the baby alone.
Makayla is the little mommy. She wants to hold Mason, helps when he’s getting a diaper or needs cathed, and is asking to feed him a bottle. She’s a big help with Mason and with the other younger children. I’m trying not to take too much advantage of that, letting her help some and then sending her off to play, read, or relax.
Well, my children are all up for the day so I’m off to enjoy them!
Advice for Emma: at my house the words boring & bored are outlawed & if used Mom (or Dad if around) assigns something that must be done, usually a chore, sometimes something academic. It helped with my oldest boys to occupy themselves and not rely on mom. Especially if I knew I was providing them with the attention and structure they needed.
ReplyDeleteI started making a comment on your previous post, left for a moment and had a child x it out. I wanted to say that you may want to find out what the babysitting age laws are in your state. If there isn't a law or if it is like 10 or 11, you may want to consider leaving your 6, 2, and 4 year olds at home with MaKayla. Then you could take Joseph with you to help with your 1 year old. I know it may sound hard on Makayla, but I know that with my older kids, they would rather stay home with a couple of the younger kids then trail around with me on a bunch of errands. It is also easier on the little ones and often enough motivation to behave well enough to stay home. We didn't start our oldest babysitting until she was 11. But, now I have my 10 year old son stay home with a couple of the easier kids. If possible, you could maybe start by having Makayla watch a couple of kids while you are on a nearby appointment, and see how she feels about it. We also allow our children to watch a movie while they babysit to make it easier. Since we don't watch much TV (and I think you watch less), it ends up being a kind of a treat. Anyway, this is just a suggestion. To me, it sounds like you are going to need help. I had 7 kids in 11 years. I haven't had a special needs child, so I cannot understand everything you are going through, but in some ways, I have been there.
ReplyDeleteThat is my husband's specialty and in her state you must be 12 years old to babysit.
DeleteIn the south...Caleb would be called your knee-baby. I just love that term and he seems to fit it. When you have your 8th child, Mason would then become your knee-baby. My 3-year-old is like Daniel...as soon as he knows I'm occupied, he is either emptying my desk drawer or pouring out any lotion/soap container he can find!
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