Highs
…I had the pleasure of visiting with several friends this week. It was good for my soul to get out of the house! Thank you Suzie, Lucy, Julie, Stephanie and Kristen for good company, encouragement and conversation this week.
…We settled on a date for Faith’s baptism, as well as a date for a trip back “home” to Louisiana to visit family and friends. I can’t wait!
…Colin gave Gabriel a little Drew Brees Saints jersey, and we taught Gabriel how to say, “Who dat!?” He was super cute!
…I’ve been enjoying my little daughter so much! Her littleness, her sweet temperament–even nursing her! She is such a darling little blessing. 🙂
…Gabriel has started being sweet to his sister. What a special moment!
Lows
…Gabriel has been a challenge for us this week. I really floundered a few times over the past few days, all during times I was handling both babies by myself and he was behaving badly. By “flounder,” I mean I really lost my composure with Gabriel several times, yelling and/or spanking him and/or simultaneously bursting into tears.
…Gabriel has been especially difficult for Michael and me at bedtime and during the night, refusing to go to bed, waking up hysterical during the night and refusing to go back to sleep. We need some prayers!
…Gabriel has been especially difficult for Michael and me at bedtime and during the night, refusing to go to bed, waking up hysterical during the night and refusing to go back to sleep. We need some prayers!
I've felt like this too lately. Our daughter, Ella, who's about to be 18 months, can sometimes be very much a handful when I give a lot of attention to our baby son. She's getting better as each day passes but definitely still has outbursts that drive me crazy! It's during those times that I really (and I mean REALLY) have to try to keep my calm and remember that while she does know what she's doing, she also doesn't. I've been praying to Mother Mary at times lately, especially when I feel like I"m about to lose it.
I'm sure it will get better. Just takes a little time.
You're in my prayers, and I would ask that you pray for me too!
Dearest Erin,
I want you to know that I can honestly attest to the fact that what you've experienced with getting upset with Gabriel is so normal. Especially when children are so close together in age, the older child expresses in the worst ways their unhappiness with the changes in their lives. Children are great experiencers of life, but terrible interpreters. He's no longer numero uno. In addition, he already has in him the desire to push the limits. I saw it when I was with him. They all do that so that the boundaries will be firmly established to make them feel safe. It takes a good amount of energy and resolve to calmly keep those firm boundaries–energy you don't have much of right now. In addition, the fact that your time and attention is now being shared with another, more needy child causes his normal pushing the limits to go into overdrive. So what he's doing is normal, and what you're doing is normal,too. Please give yourself grace and know that when you lose your temper with Gabriel, he won't be permanently damaged. Look at you and your siblings :)!