- 6 AM: Feeding of formula. zzzzzz.
- 8 AM: Nap.
- 10 AM: Feeding of porridge with some fruity baby food thrown in and some water or watery juice.
- 12 PM: Nap.
- 2:00 PM: Feeding of porridge with some fruity baby food and some pureed vegetable soup. The soup is an addition we've made. Also, something to drink.
- 4 PM: Nap. Theoretically.
- 6 PM: Porridge again with fruity baby food and soup. And a drink.
- 8 PM: Pre-bedtime nap. An absolute requirement. He's unconscious at 8:01.
- 10 PM: Another feeding of formula during which almost nobody is awake. Then bedtime.
Overall, Saturday went swimmingly here. Alexey was a champion. No crying. Took his naps. Slept through the night. No night terrors, which are a very real possibility for children adopted from orphanages. Laughs and giggles all 'round. It was like he was on vacation from the Baby Home.
On Sunday, there were a couple of major tantrums. Alexey kept us in sight at all times. If we disappeared from sight for more than one millisecond, he took immediate disciplinary action. He took naps reluctantly, if at all. He sobbed in despair at every meal. He cried at diaper change time too. He wouldn't drink water. And we were reviewed for our suitability as parents every few minutes. There was the dropping game, the rules consistency test, and the divide and conquer strategy. And yet, there were laughs and giggles when we were playing together.
A very interesting study in contrasts.
4 comments:
Congratulations! You're parents! Hang in there....parenting is all about changing with the needs of your child as they grow and test limits and showing them you are there no matter what. You're quite right about the contrasts. One minute you have to be firm to show you mean business, the other, you melt into a puddle of love when you sense your child's fear. Find what works for you - every child and parent is an individual and there is not one formula that fits all. It's trial and error. As long as there are smiles and giggles everyday, everything will be fine!
Natalie
I feel like I'm learning from you guys every step of the way, soaking in as much real parenting experience before our own little munchkin arrives. Thanks for sharing this!
At 11, my daughter still likes to play the game Jekyll and Hyde. The good news is that I think boys grow out of it earlier than girls.
Welcome to the emotional turbulence of parenthood....Embrace the chaos!
Cindi
Isn't it great?! Sigh, and like us, you've probably been waiting years for this! :)
Seriously though, it is amazing. Sometimes the crying is for something different, like in China, we didn't realize it at the time, but Lilah was teething. I know - I know, they don't tell you stuff like this, you just wing it!
So glad you're all together and the giggles are there. That's the part that just makes you grin!
Jill xx
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