It's true that second children get the shaft. They get the hand-me-downs, the leftovers, and the gently used. They are doomed to always share mommy and daddy's affection and attention. They will always stand in big brother or sister's shadow-- aiming to do better, or struggling to keep up.
I've vowed that I would do everything just as well for my second as I did for my first, but as shocking as it is-- second borns are different. Mommy is busy chasing a toddler, disciplining a toddler, distracting a toddler... so Little Man hardly ever gets me all to himself.
Tonight, as I was giving him his bedtime bottle, cuddling his freshly-washed babyness, and whispering sweet nothings to him, I realized something greatly amazing (and overlooked) about second borns...
I know how fast he'll become a bouncing little boy. I know our cuddles and kisses will get shorter and fewer as he explores his world more independently. So, I cherish these moments we share. I don't want him to learn to walk any faster than he should-- because then he's growing up. And it already happens way too quickly. So I keep cuddling and smelling and kissing, soaking up these minutes with my second born. One thing I learned from the first-- don't take his babyhood for granted or let it pass too fast...
No comments:
Post a Comment