There was a time before Livie was born that I was worried about her being like Hannah. And by that I mean, since I worked full time with Hannah as well, I was always (and still am) 3rd on her list of favorites. It’s always been this way and it’s something I’ve accepted. She loves me very much but she loves Hubs’ mom and  Hubs’ more. Or maybe differently. I don’t know. Either way, when it comes to her feelings and who she wants to spend time with or who she wants to take care of her if she’s sick…all of that…it’s Hub’s mom and then Hubs. Then me. It’s been like this for 7 years so it’s something that at first I had a VERY hard time with and now it’s life and the norm and I’m ok with it. What I wasn’t ok with was having another child be the same way. I wanted at least one of my children to want me first. To prefer me over anyone else. I am, after all, their mother. It SHOULD be that way. But since Hannah spent her days with Hubs and his mom while I worked I understood why it wasn’t like that. It wasn’t anyone’s fault. It just was.

Well, I’m happy to say that such is not the case with Livie. I don’t know what’s different. I definitely think I’m a more attentive mother this time around. I’m older and more settled and wiser. I also think that since she’s with Hub’s mom (and some days his cousin) who have other kids they’re taking care of too- she’s used to not getting one and one attention all day. Hannah was the 1st grandkid and our 1st kid. She got all the attention. Livie does not. It’s ok that she doesn’t but I think that that contributes to why she’s not as attached to Hubs’ mom as Hannah was. Or, it might just be that she really does just prefer me over anyone else. I don’t know. Either way, Livie is attached to my hip most of the time that I’m with her. Every now and then she’ll let someone else hold her. It’s even gotten to the point that if Hubs is holding her and I walk by, she whines and raises her arms to me. Sometimes I get a bit impatient because it makes it very hard for me to do anything around the house…or anywhere, because I have her attached to my hip at all times. But honestly, even if I do complain sometimes- this is exactly what I wanted. My baby who wants me more than anyone else. My baby who can’t be totally at rest unless her mother is by her side.

Hubs and Hannah have this connection that Hannah and I don’t have. I used to be jealous but as the years went on I got over it. Now I know what it’s like to have that. I have that with Livie. It sort of works out well because when we all go somewhere, Hubs has Hannah and I have Livie. Both the girls prefer it this way and we’re all happy campers. Hannah sometimes will go to an extreme and say “I’m daddy’s and Livie is yours” and then we correct her and tell her we love both of them the same and she has to love both of us and Livie the same. She gets it. But like I said before- she doesn’t say that to be mean or pick sides. She just prefers her daddy most of the time while Livie prefers me most of the time. It’s in the quiet nights when Hubs isn’t home and Hannah whispers to me that she loves me the most too that I smile and know that he may be her favorite to hang with, but I’m her mother. No one else can be that to her.

I took this craptastic quality picture the other night on my cell phone. I’m sharing it because I don’t care how gross it looks…her big smile means everything to me. She was so happy to just be in my lap. My little Nimmie. I love her.