Adjustments

AJ is going through some adjustment pains as he gets used to being a big brother. In general, he is very sweet with David and gives him kisses, brings him his pacifier, etc., but there are moments when it is clear that AJ is having a hard time sharing attention with the new guy. He often says to me "baby seat!" or "baby down!", as in put the baby in his bouncy seat or put the baby down somewhere, anywhere and pick me up. He asks to be picked up much more often and has regressed to refusing to go up or down the stairs unless he is carried. Lately he has also started to be purposefully naughty as soon as I start to feed his brother because he knows that I will put the baby down to put him in time out. As the old saying goes, negative attention is still attention. I am telling myself that these are all just adjustment pains that are temporary and will go away, but as the person whose day-to-day life currently revolves around these two kids, it is sometimes hard to have perspective. Joe helps me by doing his dismissive hand wave and telling me that "the kid's fine." He doesn't agonize over things like adjustment issues, and sometimes that is helpful for me to see.