I hope this doesn't sound trite, but I feel the urge to share it in case it helps anyone.
Being honest, I have really struggled to bond with ds1. I don't know why - many causes and circumstances I suppose. I just have never 'got' him, despite trying all the tricks and so on - pretending till I was blue in the face, seeing all his good piints and still feeling numb
Ds2 came along 2 years ago and I realised what it was to love a child immediately. That made it even sadder but now I can see it may have given me hope. Though I had almost resigned myself to never loving ds1 as intensely and feeling instead desperately sorry for him.
But it's happened. He was 6 yesterday and we went out with his friend, without ds2. I don't know what happened, I really don't, but by the time we got home I felt differently and by bedtime I was deeply in love with ds1
Am slightly in shock about it, and also afraid because he finally feels like he is MINE
but Oh the relief
and the intensity
I wanted you all to know that if you've felt like I did, even for 6 years, it can still happen. Never give up