Adjusting from being the only child

Today was River’s second day sharing his babysitter with another baby. This day went much better than the first one since everyone was a little more familiar with the situation. Still, both River and Mirena looked at each other like two cats, both curious of this similar-looking creature and defensive of their territories. They wanted to explore the stranger by touch, but smacking the face or pulling on the head wasn’t something the other enjoyed too much. So it was very much a move forward, then run back situation. At times, I thought a fistfight would break out (were they capable of it). At others, they looked like maybe one day they could be friends.

River was definitely interested in Mirena’s physical prowess. “Look at her bang on the TV,” his mind seemed to be saying. “If I could stand up I could do that too.” I think his motivation to be more on the move will increase.

Mirena, who remained absolutely silent, without a word nor a gurgle during River’s two-hour nap, became a little more talkative when she heard River’s babbling.

I hope this will be a positive experience for both of them. River will probably be motivated to develop physically, Mirena will have more verbal stimulation and both will adjust to balancing their needs with another’s. Should either of them have a sibling in the future, hopefully what they learn together will make their adjustment to a new little one easier.