No one said it would be easy looking after a newborn and a toddler but I AM TIRED! The Bean is definitely having more tantrums than usual and it's a battle to get her to do anything. I basically have to bargain with her to do the simplest thing; if you put your shoes on we can go to the park, or, if you have a nap now like a good girl, we'll go and have a babychino in Starbucks (yes -tragically this is one of my bargainning tools!) I know the terrible twos have coincided with the birth of my second daughter so most of The Bean's behaviour is probably because my attention is elsewhere at the moment. The problem is i'm breastfeeding Pops on demand, so The Bean is left up to her own naughty devices while this happens. This morning we were at a mother and toddler group and whilst I was feeding Pops I saw The Bean twist another little boys EAR because he was trying to take her pretend croissant out of the pretend cooker. Part of me wanted to laugh (male/female power struggle in the kitchen?) , but instead I dashed across the room with Pops still attached to me and told The Bean off - yep comical!
On the plus side, The Bean keeps telling me that she loves me which is possibly the sweetest thing your child can ever say - whether they understand the meaning or not. Pops is still a really content newborn and we are approaching three weeks old this week. Time seems to be flying by already and Pops has lost that 'newborn' look. She has small pink spots similar to acne on her face, which I remember The Bean having. Her skin is also peeling which the midwife says is because her skin was submerged in water when she was inside me so is reacting to the world outside! I'm giving her massages with olive oil to help. Pops practically sleeps all day, but sadly not all night. Last night she decided she was hungry every two hours, but she went straight to sleep after each feed so I still don't feel as shattered as I did with The Bean where I was pacing the bedroom trying to get her to fall asleep again. The health visitor reminded me that because we live in London, Pops has to have her BCG injection soon... it just seems so cruel!
The Bean is SO ready to be potty trained. She tells me each time she needs a wee or poo, but because I also have a three week old baby i'm burying my head about it. Think how much i'd have to pack in my already bulging Cath Kidston bag if I had to take a few changes of clothes for The Bean too... I will have to start soon though as The Bean starts nursery in September and I would really like her to be potty trained before then. Plus she HATES nappies!
And as for me... i'm pretty low down on the priority list once i've got the girls sorted and fed and washed, but i've finished the pain killers the hospital prescribed when I was discharged so i'm surviving on Paracetamol. It's still painful to get up and down from the sofa as anyone who has had third degree tears will agree, but each day is better. I'm sure i'd be in more pain if i'd had a c-section? I'm just re-reading Jools Oliver's book, Minus nine to one, as it's interesting to see how she coped with a toddler and a newborn. It is lovely and rewarding and I feel very lucky, but i'm also exhausted and have NO time to myself anymore. To top it off this week Desperate Housewives finishes and so does The Apprentice - the only thing on TV seems to be football matches for Euro 2008 which seems unfair - when is there a month of TV for the ladies?
posted on
Monday, June 09, 2008 2:36 PM