NOTE: this is a pre-Blog post from Saturday, March 5th 2005
We are all feeling lousy today. There is this nasty head/sinus cold stalking its’ innocent victims and hitting them like a ton of bricks. Last night it sucker-punched Steve while he was putting Liam to bed and it snuck up on me as we were leaving Sam's 4th birthday party today. The kids have had it a couple of days already and now I finally understand the misery they have been inflicting on us since the faucet noses began 48 hours ago. Sigh.
This afternoon Zoe was feeling pretty rotten after her nap and in desperate need of some quiet time with her mommy - or at least her nummies. Cranky and stuffed up, she was trying to find a way to nurse without airflow in her nasal passages. She had just settled into it when Liam came into the room, talking away. She started to cry, sat up and shrieked, and pointed at him. It was like she was saying 'GO AWAY! You're not welcome here! It's my time with mommy - I'm having nummies and he's going to mess it all up!!!'
This behaviour is rather new for Zoe. Maybe a month ago she started pushing Liam away when she was in my lap, or my arms, or attached to my leg. I never thought she'd give up the hero-worship of her older brother but sometimes she will even drop her toys and start crying and complaining from across the room when I give Liam a hug or sit next to him.
I guess when you have more than one child it is inevitable that you will be dealing with Jealousy in all its ugly faces at one time or another.
For months Liam used to do just about ANYTHING that would get him in trouble in order to have my full attention - angry or otherwise - focused on him. But a few weeks before Zoe found her new possessive feelings towards me, Liam sat down beside Zoe-and-I (the nursing unit) one afternoon and said "I need some mommy time" and ever since then he asks for mommy-time instead of making us all miserable. He still pushes Zoe around, especially when I'm on the phone, but we're making progress in figuring out how to live together with all the ugly feelings as well as the good ones.
Tonight at bedtime Liam gave me my usual hug and kiss and, instead of a jealous tantrum, Zoe demanded a hug from Liam, and then she hugged him back, and then she hugged and kissed him, and then she tackle hugged him, and then she hugged him again and then "MOMMY, SHE WON'T STOP HUGGING ME!" and after a few more hugs, Zoe and I left the room blowing kisses, Zoe sending her final kiss with her signature nose-pick...
