November 28, 2003

Congratulations Glenn!
by Liza Sabater

I have an heir! - News of the Day

First off, congrats!
Second, hope everybody is well.
Third, YOU SEXIST PIG!
An heir? Don't get me started....

That said, people say that it gets easier with each child. I don't think so. It's different with each. What's weird and wonderful with a second time around is that you have this third person, your first child, watching over the baby.

Evan loooooooooooves his kid bro, Aidan. He just could not wait for the little gremlin to come out and I am sure that Mr Gremlin himself could not wait either. Every time Evan would talk to him through my belly, he would kick. Never did it for his Pa.

There were many ups and downs with the new guy, as I imagine with each new child but the one thing we noticed the most was that Evan was not 'the one' anymore. I had to make a huge effort not to do things that would make him feel excluded.

So for example, changing diapers became a 'group effort'. He'd get the diaper and wipes, I'd shovel the poop --that was until he could not handle the stench anymore. Since I nursed Aidan for a year and a half, feeding did not come for a while but sometimes I would find scraps of bread in the periphery of Thing 2, especially if he was crying. Dealing with the crying became Evan's expertise.

Aidan has always been a great audience. As a baby he did not giggle, he would laugh out loud, drool and tears streaking down his face. It was a weird day when we realized that he was not just laughing with us but AT US. This had happened when he was about 4 months old. He's on the bed, I stubbed my toe and swore up and down. Well, the little gremlin just laughed out loud. He thought is was funny as hell.

Once we all realized that Aidan was in with us in conversations and exchanges, anything was fair play and Evan took the lead on that one. He would dance, sing, pirouette, smack himself, pretend he'd fallen, in short, do anything to make his brother laugh. Slapstick is de riguer humor in our family. Slapstick is de riguer humor in our family. If Aidan cries, Evan is there to make his brother laugh. If Aidan laughs, Evan is there to make him laugh more.

Aidan has been sick as a dog for a week with the flu. We've never seen him this sick. Yesterday he had a really bad Ipec. episode, with a lot of coughing, gagging and throwing up. It seemed out of control. So did Evan do? Take out his guitar (which he started learning this September) and play for his bro "Twinkle Twinkly Little Star" until his little bro calmed down.

It's those moments that make you realize that no matter how much more work it is, it's sooo worth it.

BTW: Pictures? Go here blogundanga. They're on the banner.

Posted by Liza Sabater in Parenting
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