Ok...I have found that I am quite an affectionate mom. Especially to my little ones....although my older girls get their snuggles in as well (THAT is a different story). Bella is a major snuggle bug and I love it. Sometimes she wakes up and sits on my lap and says, "Ma ma, this is a snuggle day"! I love snuggle days.
Since Josie was born and able to express her wishes a little, it has become apparent that we have a tiny bit of a problem. Bella love, love, loves to snuggle Josie. Josie for the most part hate, hate, hates for Bella to snuggle her. Josie will be 2 years old in the middle of June. From early on when Bella would snuggle her Josie would scream at her, hit her, pinch her, and now bite her. You would think that Bella would be hesitant to want to snuggle her Josie...but she just keeps getting on that bike. Short memory? Resilient? Compassionate? I'm voting those...it couldn't be that she enjoys pain or that she is lacking in common sense. It really couldn't. She is one of the most sensitive caring little kidlets I've ever met!
Here is the main problem: Bella is constantly touching Josie's face. She doesn't just touch Josie's face...she holds Josie's face. Which is not so good because Josie's face has a mouth...and there are sharp little teeth in there. These are daily things said in my home, "Bella, stop touching Josie's face!" "Bella, really stop touching Josie's face!" "You CAN touch her feet...or her back or an arm!" "Bella, STOP....oh, sweetie...I know it hurts." And just to be fair there is a lot of this too: "Josie, no no!" "Josie, that is an owie...we do not bite!" "Josie, that is not ok!" You get the idea, right?
One day as I was consoling Bella and trying to explain to her how when she's feeling lovey and snuggly that she needs to not touch Josie's face...do you know what I realized I was doing? Horror! I was touching Bella's face. Then like one of those weird crazy mind things that happen I realized that since Bella was born I touch her face. When I pass her in the hall, I reach out and cup her cheek...just a quick little "love you" touch. I touch her head. It was such a blessing to finally get her and she was healthy and wonderful that I used to reach out and touch her just to make sure she was real. As a matter of fact, when I reach my hand out to touch her she will lay her cheek in my hand. The difference between her and me is that my touch is a quick little "love you" touch. Bella has not learned the art of "quick" yet. She just wants to love Josie with a "love you" touch that can end in a "love you squish your face to death" touch.
So, while I console myself that she will eventually learn how to make quick "love you" touches, stop touching Josie's face, learn to move lickedy split fast, or Josie will give up and let Bella love and squish her face all she wants, I feel the guilt of knowing I made this situation. I created Josie a real live biting toy. Wasn't that nice of me?
A side note here: As Josie has gotten older she has allowed Bella to hug her. She will even seek out a hug from time to time. Those times melt my heart! She runs through the house saying "Berrla" and "Where are you?" (in baby words!) It's just those darn face touches that get Belle into trouble! Some day I can just hear Bella thanking me for being so affectionate...when she's trying to apply makeup over the bite scars!
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