Having a Little Brother...By Leah and Autum

What it's Like to Have a Little Brother...

From the perspective of Leah... 

I like helping Daddy and Mommy by playing with my little brother and sister.

    I love chasing after all the toys Blake throws, especially his ball.  For some reason he throws everything!  After he throws something he sticks his tongue out and spits (Daddy showed him this), then he bends down and hides his face with his hands and giggles. He will do this over and over again.  He is really loud too, he is always banging mommy's metal pans against the tile floor in the kitchen.  I don't like it very much because I can't hear what my mommy's telling me.  But mommy keeps telling me he is a boy and that is how boys play.  Then he takes out all the plastic cups and plates from the bottom drawer in the kitchen cabinets and throws them across the kitchen floor and then laughs. I don't know why he thinks that is so funny. But he will empty out the entire drawer.  Then he will crawl around and pick it up and put it back in the drawer and then throw it all out again.  He also loves the trash can.  I think he realized that all the yucky food goes in there, so he is always pushing it around the kitchen floor.  He tries to crawl up and open the lid but it falls over and mommy usually comes running to set it back up before he puts anything in his mouth.  Yuck! 

In the mornings when he wakes up, he stinks really bad.  I don't like to give him hugs and kisses until mommy changes his diaper.  Mommy tells me that boys are just stinky in the morning!  Then she sits him down and gets Autum out of her crib, my job is to entertain him while Mommy gets Autum changed so he doesn't cry.  He is a lot more patient than Autum, she just cries all the time.  

Blake eats his food so fast.  He doesn't leave any food on his tray, he will wipe it down with his hand and lick his hands until every last crumb disappears.  Then when Mommy takes his food away he cries and cries, he will kick his feet and rock his highchair back when he throws a fit.  Mommy says he thinks he isn't going to get to eat again, that he has to learn that we will always have food for him.  That's why I have to eat my snacks in my room when he is around, so he can't see me.  

He loves to be silly at dinner time!  And he makes a big mess!

I love to watch he and Autum take baths.  They both fight over who gets to sit under the faucet when the water is coming out.  Autum pulls his hair and tries to pinch him and he pushes her back.  Mommy and Daddy just laugh and let them work it out on their own. Blake likes to splash Autum with the water and Autum cries.  She will throw her bath toys at him and then he cries.  It is more fun to watch them than TV.  It makes me laugh.  After that, I have to lie on the couch and watch TV while Mommy and Daddy get Blake and Autum ready for bed. Autum likes to scream a lot at bedtime, so she always goes to bed first.  When she is out, then Daddy takes Blake in to the room and puts him to sleep.  He goes to sleep a lot easier than Autum.  I finally get time by myself with Mommy and Daddy then.  I sometimes don't like having to share my time with them, I get angry and act naughty so they will pay attention to me.  Mommy keeps telling me we all have to adjust to having Blake around and that it will get easier.  I hope so!  I like it when they watch me do my gymnastics and cheerleading moves and I can only do those when the baby's aren't around.  So I always get excited when they are sleeping so I can practice.  Plus Daddy and I can finally wrestle then too.  Blake likes to wrestle with Daddy too, so I have to share that time as well.  Sometimes it makes me sad.  

Autum and Blake ride in the stroller when we walk to and from school everyday.

But I always like it when friends come over and I can show them my new brother.  I showed my Kindergarten class the news coverage of when Blake came home.  I love watching myself in it!  Mommy took Blake to my daycare class the other day too and everyone was playing with him and smiling.  It makes me proud!

Leah at Gymnastics Class

From the Perspective of Autum...

I don't know who this little person is...but I'm bigger than him (even if I am younger) and I can scream louder!  I will only smile at him from Mommy's lap.  That's it.  I just hold my arms up and she picks me up, that is the best place for me.  I do not want her to leave again any time soon.  Especially if she brings back another one of these noisy little people. And I will not pretend to like sharing my room with him.  Or my toys, my bath time, or my Mommy and Daddy.  And if he even thinks about stealing my snacks I will pinch him. I already have once!  I don't like having to wait on him to get dressed, he takes forever!  And I will pull his hair again if he tries to sit on my special seat on the living room.  That is my spot, I had it first!  I can walk and he can't, so I like to run past him and pick up the toys I know he is crawling to get..hehehe.  Then I will wave it in his face as I walk by.  That makes him cry!  Then Mommy gives me this 'look'...but I pretend to cry too and say "mamamama"...that usually works, and she smiles again.  I sure hope he doesn't stick around long...if this is my Christmas present for this year, I'm writing Santa a complaint.  This is not fair.