A tale of two brothers

Once upon a time, there were two brothers named Zach and Charlie. Zach, the older brother, handled the arrival of his new sibling extremely well, considering he was the center of his parents' world for his 3 years and 3 months of life up to that point. He never showed any jealousy when his mom was constantly busy with the new baby, and while he struggled a little bit when his dad (and hero) tried to spend one-on-one time with Charlie, he never showed any aggression or ill will toward the little person who had changed his world. In fact, he seemed to delight in his baby brother's newborn and infant antics as much as his parents did. And Charlie was downright fascinated with Zach.

iNow Charlie is almost a year old, and extremely mobile. The brothers' mom, despite the warnings of wise friends who had gone before her, was completely unprepared for the change this mobility would bring to her world. Not the new level of vigilance required to ensure Charlie was safe, but rather the end of any sort of peaceful existence in her home. Just a few short weeks earlier she had been able to make dinner while her boys occupied themselves in the living room; Zach involved in his usual pursuits, Charlie happily playing with whatever toys were within reach. And usually only good things resulted when Zach decided to play with his brother. Now, when both boys are awake and in the same room, the typical result is a cacophony of yelling, whining, crying, and screaming. CHARLIEEEEE!!!! MOHHHHHMMM!!!!!! WAAAAAHHHH!!!!!!!

This story is not a unique one, I know. Many of you reading this story are likely laughing, remembering your own experiences attempting to adjust to and learn to manage sibling spats. I'm sure in time, I too will be a bit more immune to the constant bickering, or at least able to handle it better. I've already learned that Charlie's wail doesn't necessarily mean that Zach has done something to him; it often means Charlie is just p.o.'d that Zach won't let him have whatever it is he wants. Other times it means Zach has intentionally knocked him down, has done so unintentionally while attempting to protect his toys, or just gotten a little rough when trying to hug/wrestle Charlie.

I've also learned to appreciate even more the times that they play well together, with the resulting belly laughs that only Zach can evoke from Charlie. I just wish those times outnumbered the other kind.

I really thought I had more time before all this began.

(As you can probably see, the pictures are from some good times. I thought I had a picture of the two of them in the tub together - a place where they always have a good time. But I can't find it... I'll have to take one soon!)