Month: May 2013

  • Brothers

    Isaac’s first word was “Ca.”  It stood for Cookie Monster (his favorite toy), cracker (not his favorite food, but the easiest one to pronounce), and car (which, you know, y-chromosome).

    He started saying “Daddy” pretty soon after and “Mommy” when he was about two years old, but I don’t hold that against him.

    Do you know what Theo’s first word was?  Isaac.  (He pronounced it “Zaza.”)  “Dada” came a little later, and “Mommy” much, much later.  (I don’t hold that against him, either.)

    Do you know what Amos’s first word was?  Isaac.  (“Ahhhhhdza!”)  Happily, he did learn to say “Mama” pretty quickly after that, although Stephen alleges that “Daddeeeeee” came first.

    But, still.

    Older siblings are special.  Oldest siblings are especially special.  (Sorry.  That last dissertation push used up a good bit of my writing ability.  I’m hoping it comes back, but it may be gone for good.  Like all those brain cells I lost in pregnancies.)

    I don’t have much more than that to say.  No parenting advice on cultivating your children’s sibling relationships, no finger-wagging at grown-up siblings, no warning signs or things-not-to-do lists.  Just an observation.  One of the ways nature or Providence seems to give human society a little push in the right direction is to incline babies toward their older siblings.

    I’ve seen all three of my babies light up when I come in the room–the way babies look at their mama is special and entirely unique.

    But the way babies and toddlers look at their older siblings is special, too.  It’s an affection entirely unlike their affection for mama and daddy.

    That seems like a good thing.