A Letter to My Children as the Baby Fever Spreads

Dear Patrick,

If you could maybe just hold still once in a while and let your sisters hold you, Mommy would really, really appreciate it.  I know, I know, you're a big boy, busy with big boy things to do like scooting from one side of the living room to the other and squealing if you think one of your sisters has so much as glanced at whatever toy it is that you're playing with at the moment, but the girls seem to think that you aren't filling your role as "baby" any longer with all these "big boy" plans.

I don't know if you've noticed but they've launched a campaign to replace the roll you're attempting to abdicate.  At first it was more subtle, with the two year old coming up to pat my tummy and kiss it hopefully, but last night the four year old, who seems to believe she speaks for you and the two year old (she'd already told me "Mommy, Maggie is really sad that you're taking her boots off to go to bed!") sat me down for a little talk about your feelings on the matter.

She explained that you're "sad being the only boy" and that "you'd really like a brother named James" or something like that.  She assured me that you have signed on to this plot for another baby and I believe there was something about you "not being too far apart."

I reflected that this must mean that the campaign has been ratcheted up a few levels, since she'd even accept a baby boy at this point, and let's face it... she loves you, but she's all about raising the number of sisters in this house.  I heard her pretending out loud the other day that she had "1005 sisters" with "another one on the way," so I know what she's plotting inside that pretty little golden head of hers.

Then, to assure me that we're in an election year and November is just around the corner (that's how it feels in this house at least) she waited until I said "Kiss your baby brother goodnight" before sprinting over and kissing my tummy and then frolicking back across the room grinning from ear to ear.

Oh children.  I appreciate your enthusiasm, but this is a bit extreme.  I know he's the size of a small two year old (slight exaggeration... those pants I made him three weeks ago no longer fit... and I think we're going to have to go shopping for 24 month outfits this weekend, because he's outgrowing the 18 month sleepers that I bought him roughly 15 minutes ago...), but he is still a baby!  Our baby!  Even if he doesn't stay where you put him and isn't the biggest fan of sitting on anyone's lap at the moment, unless he's really, really hungry.

So put down your banners.  Stop making posters demanding another sibling Right Now.  Let Mommy's tummy rest for a little bit longer since 3 c-sections in 52 months calls for a little bit of rest before #4, per the doctor's orders.  It's in God's hands, so if you want to pester someone, you can start there.

And Patrick, if you could take a break from your non-stop attempts to see just how mobile you can be, to let your sisters pretend that you're "a tiny baby" that would be great.  Let's use our imaginations kids!  He's only seven months old!

XOXO,

Mommy