Silas

As we get nearer to meeting the newest member of our family, I've gotten more and more concerned and curious as to how Silas will react. When I was pregnant and had Silas, Ethan was old enough to understand quite a lot about babies and their needs, etc.

Silas just isn't at that point. He's certainly "king" around these parts, and I don't think will take kindly to someone usurping his throne. He has also taken to friends' babies very unenthusiastically in the past. :/

But we talk about the baby all.the.time. He knows where it is (points to my lower belly), although he will also say the baby is shopping, or at the library. ;) I talk about how we will share with the baby and the baby will share with him (specifically Mommy's milk, because that's the last place I want Silas to feel he's being kicked away from). And I've been very deliberate when interacting with friends' babies, to talk with him about them, and how we're gentle with babies, and oh, isn't the baby cute, etc.

And maybe, just maybe, my little king is coming around. Last week, at playgroup, Silas was playing near a baby, about 9 or 10 months old. The baby scooted over to Silas and was really getting in his face and trying to play with the same toy. I sat, on the edge of my seat, ready to intervene, waiting for my child to shove or slug the little guy. Silas does NOT like people in his face while he's trying to do something! But he didn't shove, or slug, or even whine about it. He kept very close tabs on the baby, watched him closely, but let him play. I was amazed.

This morning, he took "Toot", a little stuffed pig we have, of the "Toot and Puddle" children's book fame, wrapped him up in a tea towel, and carried him all over the house, saying, "Baby sitter" (sister), "Baby brudder", and sometimes, "Baby Toot", and patting Toot and kissing him, and saying, over and over, "Gentle, gentle baby." It was SO sweet.

Later, at the library, he would point at a child a year old or younger and say, "Gentle that baby, gentle that baby," pointing at another.

Something's getting through. Another 4 months of reinforcement and maturing, on his part, and maybe I won't be QUITE so worried anymore.