This week has been nice, but a bit of a challenge. And P has been so sweet through it all. He's snagged a couple days of longer sleep (Zia awoke SO early a few days that we were able to get back to bed for a nap before the clock even hit 7 and P noticed our absence) and that seems to have helped his heightened sense of need. That, and he's starting to kick this cold to the curb.
But that only makes one of us. I'm having a hard time rebounding - I think just from lack of sleep/rest. So our days have been especially mellow. Which is typically fun mid-winter... but it's gorgeous and sunny outside and it kills me to be in! So we tromp into the back to kick the soccer ball and find bugs... and I'm sure I'm not doing myself any favors ;).
So rather than rocking' out while Z sleeps in my arms this week, I've tended towards simple swaying, leaving P to be very independent. Of course, crazy projects erupt :). There was the flour and water project (sent out of doors and still necessitating a nice scrub for the front porch...), the empty-aquarium-made-ocean project, the herb picking project (yes, I surrendered the garden to his interests - it was so quiet inside ;), the playdough project (ditto the front porch's problem...), the Lego day and yesterday's paint project (painted racing tracks, still drying on the back porch...) I LOVE that he is always inspired to do something. This week I've just had to love how much mess goes along with this indie excitement ;)
So, it hit me yesterday just how independent he has grown since Zia joined us. I mean, he's going through a bit of a nervous phase (he says he's worried we'll abandon him!!! That's why he drags his tired butt outta bed if we're not there!! On the off chance we've hit the road. And no, he can't explain why he worries. He just can't ignore that idea creeping around his head. Poor kid!). At any rate, this sudden onslaught of separation anxiety had overshadowed his growth in my mind. Which I realized when I walked into the dining room (craft room, really. We've eaten in there, like, 4 times. All in our first week here ;) and he was scaling the closet door frame to reach his paints :). I was busy with Zia and he'd set up a workspace on the floor (a previous project taking up all of the table space:) and was mixing colors with glee.
I also noticed his growth with Zia. He wants to hold her a lot more. He lives to wiggle her while she's "standing" and make her dance to his songs. And he'll repeat an action to infinity if it makes her laugh. But most noticeable is the fact that when she protests life this week, he no longer bemoans her moaning. He soothes. And he seems to take her comfort as a priority over his. I was helping him the other day and Z was less than thrilled. Typically I stop and adjust the situation for her, but P's need only needed a little more of me and Z, safe in my arms, could handle it. But P looked at me aghast! "Mama! Zia needs you! She's not happy!".
From this child, this surprises me. I mean, I'm still surprised each time Zia needs a clean nappy or to be bounced to sleep and P doesn't protest her interrupting our plans. Shocking, since this is the same kid who complained every time I had to stop our play in order to pee for... about 7 years...
Below, P holds Zia for a little puppet show I was doing. He'd brought his finger puppets in to perform for her when she wasn't feeling well with her cold (he made them sing songs about how great of a baby she is - something he repeats All. Day. Long. :). She LOVED it. My puppet show had a bit more gore, which P loved ;)
Zia is so happy to watch P play. Lucky second born ;) We must have been soooo boring to P as a babe...
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