Prelude III

My wife, to get ready for the baby currently making footprints on her inside abdominal wall, has called in all the infant clothes that she loaned out after Declan outgrew them.

She had, like, three girlfriends give birth to boys within a six month span of our own.  Sleepers went thither, diaper shirts went yon, and a myriad of miscellany was seemingly dispersed at random unto the winds.

It has now all come back to us; the inhale retrieved what the exhale dispersed.  I'm amazed.  And it's come back washed and folded.  And Amy has to wash and refold it.  A LOT of it.  Because, she asserts, it wasn't washed in the BABY detergent; and it's so much softer that way, Si.

I bought new hangers for the freshly re-laundered clothes to hang in the nursery.  Upon seeing these, Amy descried them to be a perfect colour match for Declan's room and thus swapped everything out and re-hanged them.

I said nothing.  (Something I'm doing more frequently these last weeks.)

Mine is not to question why; mine is but to do.

Declan, showcasing his altruistic nature, insisted on helping his mom fold some of the laundry.  Unfortunately for her, this meant little more than trying to put on old clothes that looked mysteriously familiar yet seemed to have shrunk.  Still, the effort was made.

We've been talking a lot lately, Amy and I, about what sort of big brother Dex will turn into.  Some folks have said that the first child is always the good one and the second is the hell-raiser.  (My own past can attest to that, being the older of two boys.)  Others don't buy into that theory quite as much.  (My wife was the younger of two sisters and, well, they were both slightly less than angelic in their youth, but it might be safe to say that dear, sweet Amy was the lesser of weevils, as it were.)

Dex seems, on the surface, like he has an awareness of what's coming.  He regularly points at his mom's belly and announces, "Baby!"

When he and Amy are flipping through the Bible together (What to Expect When You're Expecting), he will readily point out various pictures of babies as well as the associated "mom" with each.  His preternatural image association is reassuring both for the mere ability to do so as well as the anticipatory tone of voice that always accompanies his announcements.  If he were instead pointing accusingly at his mothers midriff, baring his teeth, slavering and emitting a barely audible guttural noise more reminiscent of quadruped ancestors than the Sapien species of which he strongly evinces some of the more laudable traits, we would be more concerned than we are.

He's associated well with all the other young 'uns he's had the opportunity to meet.  That bodes well.

I'm already planning to take him on outings, away from the house, during the two weeks I'll be home just after Amy gives birth.  Some dad and son time so he knows that although there's somebody else monopolising Mom and Dad's time, it's not ALL the time.  Heck, even now he enjoys coming grocery shopping with me in the evenings or to rent a movie on the weekends.

Amy and I are also strongly aware that since we've heaped so much praise and sickly viscous accolades on our first-born son, pretty much from day one, an unflagging effort at equal treatment must be in the offing.  Pari passu praise, to assuage my occasional need for alliteration.

It's hard to imagine now, caring so unconditionally for another little thing so very much as we do our boy.  A very common fear among parents expecting their second, I know.  And against which we've been reassured numerous times.

Oh hell, what are we worrying for anyway??

We'll be fantastic parents, Dex will be a super-duper big brother, and the little one certainly won't succumb to the stereotype of embittered second child, not with the love his big brother will show him.

What could possibly go wrong?!

Comments

[Linda]

Yeah, and so if it doesn't work out, I've already tole you I'll take Declan in a second! Dibs!
Seriously though, Si, you're going to make an excellent new Daddy and are already one to Dex, I can tell. You got that "Love" thing mastered. I can tell that too. Amy's right aboot the re-laundering thing, just play along. I feel bad aboot the hangers though...
Love this close-up of the Big Bro' To-Be.

[Tasha]

Sounds like nesting has begun. Should be any time now. Just think, you get to fix with the second anything you got wrong the first time! How great will that be!

[marian]

Everything will be fine. Declan's totally adorable and all will be well.

My own nesting period found me outside the house washing the front steps. Boy howdy, do I wish I had some of that cleaning hormone nowadays!

[Mark]

Ha! Great pic and your words echo some of my own concerns about having a second kidderoo. We're leaning that way (and after two years of trying to conceive Ben, we've had to lean all sorts of ways).