Curie January 2014. Curie learns to have a sister. It is remarkable to see Curie as a little girl – up until when Elia was born, Curie was our baby. More than one parent has described this phenomena to us, where all of the sudden Curie seems so big.
At two and a half, she loves her trains with three different sets (thank you to Suephy and Ed, Shaun and Chris, and Cy and Librada for the trains), knows all the names of Thomas and Friends, and loves to play “ramper” which is making a long ramp jump from train tracks and running cars and trains down through a hoop. She has sings a wide range of songs now including “Eidel-bise,” and is always asking what you are singing when she doesn’t know it. We said goodbye to Brenda, had Suephy and Taylor visit, and spent time with the Hoaglands and Tamanahas.
It has been an interesting month for us; with Elia coming home, Curie has been overjoyed, achingly caring, and a little needing of attention. Normally, when she is tired she wants Mommy and when she is rested she wants Daddy, but in the past month she has wanted both of us at the same time, when Albert gets up, she says “Daddy, lay down!”
The flashes of jealousy manifest with things like the boppies being hers again, asking to put Elia down, or asking to pick her up instead of Elia. No eating newspaper like Suephy did when Albert was born. We try to make the extra effort to hold her and play with her and make her feel special still. It is hard sometimes to balance giving her attention and giving in.
On the other hand, Curie can be gentle when she asks to hold Elia, and is terribly proud when Elia stops crying when she holds her or sings lullabies to her. Curie loves her sister and is quick to show you what Elia is doing. It hasn’t been easy having two kids, to all of you parents out there who have already done it, more power to you. With the lack of sleep, the divided attention, and the adjustment of having another member of the family, we are simultaneously overwhelmed and in awe that we are finally together.
When it is late at night, and the two girls are asleep, when you are too exhausted to clean, too overwhelmed to work, and too tired to sleep; you check to see if the baby is breathing, you put your hand on your two year old’s back and let her snuggle up against you, and in the deafening quiet of the night, before the baby wakes up again, you take it all in, give yourself a moment, and are grateful for everything.