Siblings

Aileen

Somewhere in the fog of recovering from delivery, nursing, getting up several times at night, cleaning up spit-up and diapers, balancing time and energy with two kids and making the many transitions bringing home a new baby – I fear forgetting to enjoy the moment rather than living in hope that it will eventually get easier.  Here are some of the good moments that I’ve reflected on.

Aileen’s long dark hair which seems to have blonde highlights on the tips.  She was born with so much that we could comb it, and how it puffs up after it’s been shampooed.

Her super soft skin

The way her voice already sounds like a little girl’s

Watching how she brings out a gentle and protective side of Clint

How the nurses joked about her long toes adding an extra inch to her length

The size of her tiny delicate fingers have fingernails the size of sesame seeds

The sound of her smacking her lips after eating

Times when we catch her mouth twitching into grins and smiles

Touched about how vulnerable and innocent she is, and feeling a heavy burden of responsibility about meeting her needs throughout her life.

How I felt an instant bond with her even before she was born.  When you’re a mom, you realize that you have a commitment to your kids for the rest of your life, even though how that may look has seasons that change.  Avery and Aileen will always be in my thoughts and prayers.

Avery Helping with the Baby

Avery seems to have welcomed his new responsibility as a big brother well.  He enjoys his “big boy” status and sometimes jokes in his play about “wearing diapers” or being “a baby”.

When Aileen starts to cry, sometimes he will try to talk soothing to her saying “Aw, it’s OK Aween”, or he will turn on the music to her bouncy chair.  At times, if he notices her feet not covered up with a blanket, he will get off his chair to do so.  Since he is also very vocal, he is helpful in singing to her, telling her “Aww, she’s so cute.  The little baby.”, and keeping her awake with constant chatter and activity during waketime.  Avery likes to touch her “wittle fingers” and sometimes asks to hold her “all by myself”.

However, learning to share time and attention has not always been easy.  He has a craft table with scrap paper, tape, crayons, etc… he retreats to and occupies himself when mom can’t attend to him at the moment.  That seems to frustrate him, although it appears he does understand to some degree.  He has also had to learn not to run in the house and to tone down his voice a bit when his sister is napping.  Self-control and delayed gratification in these areas for an active little guy is challenging, but hopefully the benefits will pay off in the long run – especially in school.  We are still very proud of him.

Always Making Something

1.) Here is Avery's wind chime made out of blue crayons.
2.) I carry around a CMH cup of water, so Avery decided to "help" by making me a water bottle and putting it in the fridge so it would stay cold.
3.) Avery constructed an antennae for Aileen's chair (much like the antennae for the car's radio).  Her chair plays music, so he though an antennae would help.

An Active Imagination that Never Stops

1.) drawing a mustache on himself in the mirror
2.) name decoration
3.) Avery noticed that his stuffed mickey didn't have the lines on his gloves like the Mickey on TV.  These are the lines he made and taped to his stuffed Mickey's gloves.
4.) monster feet!

Harmless Mischief and Mayhem

drew a mustache and beard on a Minnie the Mouse coloring book page

tried to microwave an orange

puts teeth marks on Candyland playing cards

currently learning how to win and lose gracefully (he hates to lose)

going through a phase where he loves superheroes - his favorite TV show is the 80’s version of “Spiderman and His Amazing Friends”

Many parents bathe their kids as part of a bedtime routine to help calm them down for sleep.  Not Avery.  Bath time winds him up.  He loves to sprint around the house in his robe leaving wet footprints and ask if his freshly combed hair “looks cute?”.

While spotting a turkey hunter arcade game in Pizza Hut, Avery loudly announces, “WE SHOOT ANIMALS SO WE CAN EAT THE MEAT!”

If Avery goes anywhere in the house, he prefers to run.  Lately, he has been making a rocket noise sound effect before he launches into his run.  After Aileen was born, we’ve had to make a new rule about no running in the house for fear of him running over the baby.

I love how Avery sometimes cheerfully greets me with a freshly picked dandelion when I pick him up from BUM Kids.

The memory of our preschooler sometimes surprises me.  He has told me about things that happened when he had not yet learned to speak.  At times, his memory is better than mine.

There is a Mickey video in which Minnie Mouse kisses Mickey and leaves heart shapes on his face.  Avery kissed me and asked, “Did I leave heart shapes on you?”

I love how sometimes his playfulness catches me off guard and makes me stop everything else I’m thinking about and smile.

While following me around the house, Avery exclaimed, “Mommy! Don’t escape!” (as if he notices that I’m actually trying to…)

“That looks silly like an old codfish!” – not sure where Avery heard this one…

“Avery, don’t put tape on Aileen.”

“Avery, don’t cut grandma’s hair with the scissors.”