A New Big Brother

Jonah has been a big brother for just over 24 hours. So far, this doesn't seem to have effected him much. He has only seen his sister twice, and he was excited both times. She and mom come home tomorrow, and I suspect that is when the real adjustment will begin.

I'm ambivalent about this. On one hand, I am very excited to have the baby home. I'm also excited about the opportunity this creates for my son. I'm a big brother, too, and although I didn't appreciate it at the time I now know that my sister -- or just having a sibling -- had a lot of impact on my personality. I learned to be a protector and a teacher, and I attribute most of this to my relationship with my younger sister. I look forward to his sister, Aliza, softening Jonah a bit and helping him develop empathy.

At the same time, I already mourn for my son's loss of being the center of attention. I can't imagine how difficult this will be for him.

I am already calculating how I can be the right parent for Jonah through this, while at the same time giving my daughter what she needs AND building both of the relationships. I imagine I will focus on being the friend for Jonah that I've already tried to be. Do guy stuff with him, teach him everything I can, challenge him, and continue to love him more and more every day. I guess I'm as anxious for me as I am for him.