My Brother Bob

When I was pregnant Lucy watched my belly grow and grow and grow....I mean really grow, I was HUGE! We told her there was a baby inside and she seemed to really understand. Well, as much as an almost two-year-old can understand. She'd hug my belly, give my belly big kisses and we'd talk about what babies did. I told her that babies cried a lot. We asked her what we'd name the baby and she thought for a second and then said, "Bob." Ahhhh yes, Bob, as in Bob the Builder the TV show.

Eventually we told her that her baby brother was going to be named Josh. She preferred Bob. When people would ask the name, she'd tell them Bob and we'd explain who she wanted to name baby brother after and everyone would laugh. Since we had found out that the guy was a guy Michael and I had decided to keep mum on the name. At least there would be a little element of surprise. Every now and then Lucy would leak the real name, but nobody could understand what she was saying so we were in the clear. I thought and worried a great deal about how Lucy would handle the reality of a new baby brother. I tried to prep her as much as I could. I was in knots about leaving Lucy while I was in the hospital. As the time came closer I worried more and then eventually the night before I was induced I put Lucy to bed and sang her lullabies with tears streaming down my face. Her world was totally going to be rocked and she had no idea. I was scared. Labor and birth would be easy, folding the new guy into the life of Lucy is what I was worried about.

So the day arrived, at 6:00 a.m. over bagels and Lucky Charms we told Lucy that I was going to the doctor and the doctor was going to take baby brother out of my tummy. Lucy looked right at me and then grunted as she pretended to pull baby Bob out of my stomach. I knew we'd be okay.

Josh's birth was like having a spa pedicure compared to my labor with Lucy. Despite the fact that he weighed in at nine and a half pounds I was able to really enjoy his coming into the world. Man oh man that epidural really is a medical miracle. We welcomed the little guy into the world and by evening Michael was able to get home in time to read Lucy her bedtime story and put her to bed. When she came into the hospital to visit I thought she'd be all about Mom, but I was wrong. She was so into baby brother, looking at him and gently tickling saying, "tickle, tickle" in a high-pitched baby friendly voice. It was like that old Life Cereal commercial, "she likes it, she likes it!"

The first month or so was tough. For a bit Josh liked to cry whenever he was awake and I had flashbacks to Lucy's colicky days and was terrified. But eventually he settled down and now at three and a half months is a pretty happy-go-lucky guy. He hangs with the girls, goes to the playground and watches his sister with complete adoration. Lucy for the most part has gotten used to having him around and likes it when I tell her he smiled at her or is talking to her when he is cooing. She likes to touch his soft hair and sit next to him on the couch. They flop around together in his or her crib after waking up from a nap. It is really just amazing to see the connection forming already between them. She has many nicknames for him. Sometimes he's "the guy," and other times Josh is "my buddy." She really loves him and it is amazing to see her with him. Now I'm not going to pretend there are not moments of her being less than nice to baby brother, but for the most part those moments are short-lived and she usually self-destructs and bursts into tears on her own when she is not nice to Josh. She loves hims and peppers him with random kisses and it is just the sweetest thing.

I forsee a future with Josh attending many tea parties and most likely getting make up slathered all over him by his big sister. The other day at the playground I saw a big sister and her little brother playing. The little girl had a pretend blow dryer and was giving baby brother a blowout and he sat happily letting her have at it just seeming to enjoy the fact that she was playing with him. I saw a little glimpse into Josh and Lucy's future and smiled to myself.