Oh man. It’s kind of like my kids are unique people. That’s totally weird. Shanna is still far more cuddly at 2.75 years than Calli is at 4.5 months. Calli often doesn’t really want to be touched. She’ll fuss and squirm and arch her back to get away from me but if I put her in the swing or on the floor (on a blanket) she will smile and laugh and be thrilled to play with me. I thought that babies had no sense of personal space but I was wrong. Shanna would be thrilled to be allowed to nurse pretty much all day long (I’ve put up some serious limits at this point) and Calli is on long enough to fill her belly and then she is pissed off if she is still lying on my lap. TIME TO GET UP!!! Unstrangely, Calli is significantly skinnier than Shanna was at this age. She has slightly chunky legs but the rest of her has very little fat. It’s kind of sad. I was so proud of my little butter ball. I almost feel like it’s a sign my milk has become defective. I know that isn’t true. Not all babies are super chubby and it’s totally ok and healthy. Calli also dislikes carriers. All carriers. I’ve tried many styles and many positions within those styles. She’s just not into it. She’s not into strollers either. Oy.
So! Things that are a big change that are WONDERFUL include oh man is it handy that she likes to sleep by herself. Shanna still sleeps less well than Calli and always had. Shanna needs to be next to a person in a way that Calli doesn’t. I can nurse Calli to sleep in 10-15 minutes (we do have occasional nights where it is more like 30 minutes but that’s only once a week or less) and she normally needs a top up in about an hour then another when I come to bed. Then she sleeps till 5 or 6. Not bad! And there are nights when she only nurses once after I put her to bed. Sweet. Shanna wakes up more often than that. 🙂
(disclaimer before running off: Calli is a much better fit for my current life than Shanna-as-an-infant. not complaining!)
Ok out of time for writing.
i recall a mom telling me “oh, you’ll have both hands full carrying those kids around.”
well..*neither* of my two wanted to be held
– unless they weren’t feeling well.
daughter would yell and scream until you put her down.
son would wriggle and squirm until you put him down.
Rosco was my “don’t hold me” kid. Em is perfectly content to snuggle. Unless she sees a cell phone. In that case she’ll try to leap off my lap to get it.
Rosco was also completely out of strollers by around 18 months. He was never really into being strapped in in the first place, but that was the point where we gave up. That was HARD because that kid is heavy. So far Em is content with being pushed around. She likes watching things, whereas her brother liked touching things.