Sibling Love

Ainsley is such a good big sister. She loves to hold Sam. She will ask to hold him multiple times everyday. I will hand him to her and she will hold him for about a minute and then she will inform me that she is done, jump down and be on her way. She also loves to help me with Sam. Whenever he cries, she is the first to notice. She will run over to him and try to put his binky in. She will come tell me when he is hungry or needs to be changed. She loves to stand next to me when I change his diaper and hand me the wipes and new diaper. At naptime, she likes Sam to lay with us on the bed while we listen to music.

For the most part, I think she genuinely loves having a new brother around. But like any three year old, she does have a few jealousy issues. These mostly occur around Sam's feeding times. When I am about to feed him, Ainsley will suddenly need my help with something. Usually it is something that typically she doesn't need help with or doesn't want to do in the first place. For example, the other day as I was beginning to feed him she immediately demanded that she needed help "cleaning her room." Another time it was help "stirring her cereal so they don't stick" or "feeding her the baby carrots on her plate." But most often it is helping her go to the bathroom (which is something she has done by herself for months now). When I can't help her with these things, a meltdown often occurs. So we have to give hugs and let her know she is still loved but Sam needs my attention. Afterwards she will sit with me and cuddle while I feed him. I figure these are typical of first child syndrome and will just be something she will have to learn to deal with. So besides the occasional tantrum, I think she really enjoys being a big sister.

Reading books to Sam

This is what I found when I got out of the shower yesterday-she had put Puppy and the penguin toy she and daddy picked out for Sam when he was born in the crib with him. I thought it was the ultimate display of her love because she let him hold her beloved puppy. Before he was born we used to joke with her that she would have to share Puppy with the new baby, she always said she would share all of her toys with her new sibling, but NOT her puppy!
Helping Sam drink a cup of tea during her tea party