Just A Small Dose Of The Birds And Bees

As slow as the countdown clock seemed to be ticking up to this point, it has now found another gear and is spinning ahead with dizzying speed. Little Ian will be crawling out of those miraculous ultrasound pictures in less than three weeks to join a family that anxiously awaits him. For Katie, and I guess most expectant mothers at this point in the pregnancy, the joyous anticipation is really twofold, for unlike me, who simply waits for Ian to arrive, mothers I suppose see it as more of a relocation where their child moves from one dwelling to another, a move that must be like moving from a studio apartment to a Hollywood mansion. And I would think that is a move far more comfortable for all involved.

We have been working very hard to help Elliott understand as best he can that a brother is on the way. And to introduce him to a bit of the birds and the bees, the tiny ones that don't sting and can barely fly, we've let him know that Ian is living in mama's belly. "Where's Ian?", we'd ask, and he'd point at Katie's belly. I was confident that when Ian arrives, Elliott may not throw a welcoming party, but at least he'd know where the invader came from. I'm no longer sure of that. We asked him at breakfast this morning "Where's Ian?", and as confidently as he has always answered, he lifted up his own shirt and pointed at his own belly. Katie's first thought was to have Elliott go to the hospital November 3rd to deliver the baby, but I think she soon enough figured that wasn't going to work for many reasons.

Bringing a sibling into the world is surprisingly different, harder in some ways actually, than bringing a child into the world. I guess I find it too easy to enter into the mind of a 22 month old child and understand that as much as having another child will bring additional change to our lives, a brother will alter Elliott's life far more I think. So instead of being completely focused on preparation checklists for the arrival of a baby, equal time is spent preparing Elliott, which is predominantly prayer.

As much as I do worry, I continue to believe that in the end, sometime between Ian's birth and his eighteenth birthday, Elliott will take to the idea of being a big brother. His endless energy and loving spirit suit him well for the role. I know that someday Elliott will clearly understand that we loved so much about him, we couldn't resist sharing his God given gifts with a brother, as well as a few other tricks I'm sure.