Saige is now 9 weeks old. I can't wait for the 3rd and 4th month to go by quickly, cos that's when the little one will (hopefully) be more settled into her routine and life gets a bit easier for everyone with an older baby.
Unfortunately, the nights haven't been great for this week since Saige started sniffling and sneezing over the weekend. Finally, what we have been dreading for the longest time has happened. Saige is down with a stuffed nose.
Since Saige was discharged from the hospital, Faith has been sick virtually every single week - I've been told by many the tendency to fall sick on a frequent basis for the first six months of school. In all the excitement of having a new sister that she can finally see and hold, Faith's been clamouring to kiss, hug, touch and play with Saige. We tried our best to let Faith do some of these when she wasn't too sick. We didn't want her to resent the baby after all.
I had to bring Saige in to the PD and for a young infant, there's really not much medication that she can be given, except for some nasal drops, to be used sparingly. And so, Saige has been a little fussy, especially at night. Just at the time when I thought that she was settling down nicely into a routine of only waking up once a night for feeds. Now, we are back to her stirring or nursing at least 2-3 times. Oh well....
As for Faith, she's been a great little sister to Saige. She loves her sister so much. She would talk to her a lot, try to play with her and elicit the social smiles since Saige was capable of giving at since she turned 6 weeks old. Of course, she has her moments of temper throwing, seeing that she's still a 3-year old who has been depraved of what has been heretofore been the sole focus of Louis and my attentions.
Louis copes a lot better with her and she's almost her normal self when Louis is at home on the weekends. At least then, she gets all the attention from him, while I am gratefully able to spent whatever amount of time needed to nurse Saige, change her and put her to sleep without feeling guilty. It is on weekdays and days when Faith is sick and at home that proves to be bit of a challenge.
On her sick days, the tempers come flaring easily. She insists on having things or doing things her way or purely, wanting me to spend time with her playing, feeding, sleeping, reading, regardless that I have to put Saige to sleep or nurse her.
To Faith's credit, she has never once transferred any of her frustrations or temper at not gaining my attention onto Saige. There's no worry that she would hurt Saige by hitting or pinching her. She still plays, coos and talks to her sister lovingly.
It is a period of adjustment for Faith and everyone at home too and there are many moments of ups and downs for me, having to spread my time and attention with 2 kids. While my mom is thankfully around to help on weekdays, especially with the chores, it is still very much my attention that she wants, rather than that of my mom.
I am sure with a little bit more time, Faith would adjust and cope much better, knowing that I can never give her that same amount of attention I did, pre-Saige. I only hope that as Saige gets older and can respond better to her sister, they would be great companions and playmates to each other.
And finally at 9 weeks, I've managed to capture a single picture of Saige smiling on camera. Here's another picture of the sisters together. Faith is pretending to read while Saige is all comfy in her swaddle sleepsack.
