Perhaps the question we hear most these days (besides how much sleep are we getting) is, "How is Jack doing?" A thoughtful question and well, overall he's doing just fine. Adjusting to sharing Mommy, yes, but handling so much change with as much understanding as one could expect from a three-year-old!
Of course, Jack has a plan anytime he wants Mommy's attention, "Daddy (or Grandma) hold Baby Chloe and Mommy hold Jack?!"
Jack helps burp Chloe, sets out the diaper and wipes during changes, holds her hand and sings while she screams in the car, and reads her his favorite books while I nurse her. Jack is fascinated by tummy-time (no pictures—this needs close supervision!), and says during her nap time, "I go get Baby Chloe, I'll be right back," many times a day! He loves having her around and feels tremendously special when he gets to hold her. Sadly, she was crying in both pictures (before Jack started to hold her, not his fault!).
Recently, while driving in the car and Chloe was crying, I thought Jack was trying to tell us something. Between the noise of her screaming and not quite understanding what Jack was saying I asked him to repeat it again several times. Finally, I caught the word, "Salvador," and realized he was singing to Chloe one of the lullabies I sing to him at night in Spanish, "Jesus Me Ama." Sweet.
Chloe does not mind Jack in the least. Matt pointed out that next to my voice, Jack's is most likely the voice she recognizes most! She patiently 'endures' his kisses, love 'pats' and gentle squeezes. We have to remind Jack that she is not a stuffed animal! :)
Last Friday, I took Chloe to her one-month check-up in the morning. My mom came to watch Jack and they had the most marvelous time as always—happy, happy boy. However, I will never forget the look on Jack's face as I drove away. We were blowing kisses to each other, but his face was crestfallen—Mommy is taking Chloe in the car again and I'm left behind. Later that afternoon, Matt was going to take Jack on an errand run and Jack refused to put on his jacket and shoes. Matt and I exchanged one of those parenting looks and Matt wisely said, "Jack, do you want to go with Mommy?" Instant change. Ecstatic boy. Ah, Jack and I had the most wonderful time, singing our favorite worship song together in the car (Chris Tomlin's Glory in the Highest), skipping into Sam's Club and down the aisles, talking about the sky and the Christmas trees already up for sale and about all sorts of little things, and holding hands and just being together. It mattered not what we did. It was truly glorious. He was positively angelic and I don't think either of us wanted our time to end! I realized that I both LOVE having two children AND I miss being able to dedicate my full attention to one. We're all adjusting.
So Jack, we'll go out again on a date this Friday night...a real date—no errands this time!!
Jack is fortunate to have a wise Mommy and Daddy. I remember it taking me a lot longer to figure out that Timothy's (and then Lucas') extra outbursts at times were simply because he needed dedicated one-on-one time, out of the house, with me. Hope you had a blessed Christmas :)
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