Two weeks in and we are still adjusting

I figured the first post I would right post baby would be about the baby and the birth story.  I was surprised when Pat told me that he had written a post already and when I read it, it filled me with so much happiness that I cried.  Pat, like many men, isn’t big into sharing his feelings constantly and it can sometimes be hard to tell what is going through his head.  To read his account of the day our son was born was truly a special thing for me.  I have re-read the post several times since then and each time, the happiness and joy of that day is brought back to me.  As I said, I figured my first post after baby would be about Mitchell’s birth, but it’s not. I still plan on writing my account of the day, but for now, I’ll just keep re-reading Pat’s.  No, my first post is mostly about my first born, Evie. 

Life has changed a little bit in the past two weeks.  Mitchell is home and is already filling our lives with joy. But as anyone who has ever had a newborn knows, the first weeks at home are an adjustment.  They are filled with spit-up and diapers, 2 am (and 3, 4 ,5 am) wake up calls, laundry and crying - and I’m not just talking about the baby.  In between the chaos, there is also an abundance of cuddles, kisses, and precious moments.  Our first few days at home were filled with family.  My mom stayed with Evie on Wednesday and Thursday (we came home Thursday afternoon) and my dad and Shannon drove up on Friday.  Pat parents stopped by to visit as well.  It was a time filled with laughter and fun with both of our kids.  And we totally appreciated all of the help!! While I was in the hospital, Pat told me that Evie had been acting out a little bit with him.  Nothing too out of the ordinary, but a little more often than normal.  When I got home from the hospital, I definitely noticed how…strong willed she was being.  Evelyn is a stubborn, willful child 90% of the time, but she was definitely more defiant than normal.  We all knew that there would be some major adjustments following the new baby and that it would most likely be hard for awhile.  For a few days, everything seemed fine.  This can definitely be attributed to the fact that there were plenty of people around to shower Evie with attention while Mama and Daddy were busy with the baby.  The seemingly inevitable crash back to reality happened after everyone had gone home.  Evie cried when Kiki and Pops left, and has been even badly behaved.  While she’s not always great with me, most of her frustration has unfortunately been taken out on Pat.   Phrases like “Get away from me” and “Leave me alone” are common from Evie and when she doesn’t get her way, she has taken to hitting and even biting on occasion.  While we are trying to be patient and understanding with her, these behaviors are obviously something that we do not condone and will not tolerate.  She gets an immediate time-out and we’ve been having frequents talks about how hands are not for hitting and teeth are not for biting.  It’s been a frustrating and exhausting time for us, but I guess they don’t call them the terrible twos for nothing.  But it’s not all bad.  In between the arguments and tantrums, we have has some really good moments with Evie too.  She loves her little brother and kisses him all the time.  She likes to turn on the mobile and the music on his swing and help with diaper changes.  She even shared her blankie and a butterfly sticker with him.  Pat and I have enjoyed sweet snuggles with both of our kids. We’re finding out how to balance the attention for both kids.  Mitchell is a pretty mellow little guy, something that we both hope continues since Evie is currently being so demanding.  One thing is for sure… life is rarely boring around here!