Being Big Sister

I've had a number of people ask me how Cambrie has felt about her new little brother joining the family.

The fact is, she's been great. She is either trying to help or make him smile, or she's ignoring him completely. Those sound like two perfectly decent responses in my book. I think his screams bother Patrick and me more than her.

Here she's showing the week-or-so-old James the legos.

Of course it helps that having a little brother means a new influx of "toys" for her to make very good use of.

She not only set this up--she also took the picture. I found it on the camera later.

She was so sure those overalls would fit! Poor Cambrie, you're just not one month old anymore. The sooner you come to terms with that, the better.

For the open-minded three-year-old, you could even say little brothers are toys!

Her babies.

She loves to talk to him and is already displaying very commendable "big sister" qualities. We went on a very short walk the other day. She kept turning around and saying to James, "This is fun, isn't it, James?" and "Are you having fun, James?"

Why she wanted a long sleeve shirt in this weather is beyond me.

"Are you having fun, baby James?"

Her latest thing is, when he's crying, to come running ("I'm coming, baby James, I'm coming!"), then to implore, "Baby James, you need to be happy! Mommy wants you to be happy. Stop crying! You need to be happy!"

James absolutely adores Cambrie, and Cambrie seems to like him pretty well. She'll dance, or tumble and play, or put on any number of shows for him and me, and he'll just stare. He recognizes her voice already, and will turn to look for her when he hears it.

I'm loving this--the almost three year difference seems just about right for these two. I'm not anticipating and vicious sibling rivalry (knock on wood), but I'm hoping their relationship will develop into one where Cambrie loves to help him, teach him, and protect him, and James loves to follow, amuse, and learn.

(I'm sure a little obnoxious/bossy older sister will be thrown in there, as well as any lovely character traits James will sport that are currently unobservable.)

Seeing them interact, especially in the middle of a difficult adjustment for me, cements the fact that when Patrick and I anticipated having another child, it was the idea of another little person that we were so excited about--not the idea of a tiny, fragile infant.

I know some people adore the infant stage, but from the beginning I've seen our kids as individuals, not just helpless little babies that need our care and love. I've constantly been observing James, waiting, to see what kind of little man he'll turn out to be. What will he contribute to the family? What will each of us, Mommy, Daddy, Cambrie, and James, do to make each other's lives a bit more fun, a bit more exciting, a bit more worthwhile?

So I guess what I'm hoping, as my two cuties interact and grow, is that they'll grow to mean as much to each other as I already know they mean to Patrick and me. After all, isn't that what siblings are for?

(Love you all, Andy, Jennifer, and Kristen--my own wonderful partners-in-siblinghood!)