Big Brother, Little Sister

Today Oliver gave Lucy a true stamp of approval. He was sitting on the sofa watching Barney with his sister beside him propped up on a big pillow. He leaned over to her and asked "Lucy watching Barney too?". Cute.

The little guy showed more signs of feeling insecure yesterday. He went happily to playgroup with Debbie, but within a few minutes she had rung to say Oliver was upset. Hayley could hear him screaming in the background. Debbie agreed to bring him straight home (as Lucy had just got baby poop all up her back and badly needed cleaning up!). When he came home he was OK, but throughout the day the arrival of any adult without a playmate for him caused him to start heading for Hayley saying "Mummy, Mummy..." as if he thought he was going to be taken away!

So we've abandoned any other plans for playdates without Hayley (or me) present. Similarly when he starts going to nursery next month for one or two mornings a week, we are prepared to stay with him until he's really settled. Even if that goes on for several weeks. And if he doesn't settle we'll wait til he's ready.

Although I don't feel we passed Oliver round any more than we had to when Hayley was in hospital, I can only imagine it was that disruption or Lucy's arrival itself which has unsettled him. So we are determined to give him the reassurance he needs until his confidence comes back.

Tonight Oliver and I played on the "big bed" (i.e. Mummy and Daddy's bed) as we usually do when getting him undressed for his bath. He throws himself around onto the pillows and pretends to try to get away as I try valiantly to get him undressed for his bath in time for the start of The Archers. (His bath lasts for at least the duration of The Archers... and a bit longer when he says "Two more minutes" in his oh-so-cute way). Tonight we competed to lie on my pillow (a rather nice Dunlopillow, so it's worth a bit of competition). It involved us both lying with our heads on my pillow laughing our heads off at each other from a distance of about 2 inches. Looking into his laughing face like that is about the best feeling imaginable. It's a sight of pure joy.

As we trotted off to the bath, he told me "I big brother. Lucy sister". So he seems happy enough about it all. I think we just have to keep an eye on him and not take it for granted.