Brotherly Bonding

When I found out I was having twins, one of my concerns was Wyatt accepting them. 22 months as an only child and suddenly not one but two babies were going to hijack HIS mommy?

So, we all prayed about it, gave him twin dolls to care for, and did everything else I read or thought about to help with the transition. Amazingly, from their birth, he's done quite well with them, even calling them "my babies." (I know...it's a "God thing.")

Lately, though, I've been seeing more conflict among the three of them rather than acceptance. All I seem to hear is "Noooo 'Melia!! That MY toy!!" or "Ahhhh!!!!! Emerson took my milk!!" Lots of screaming, fussing, and crying from both the gimme-grabbit babies and the I-not-want-to-share 2 year old.

But breaking news: my concern is not needed. Even amidst the fussing, they've already started creating alliances behind closed doors that oppose mommy's directives:

After a rigorous morning shopping the clearance racks, I put everyone down for the normal 2-hour afternoon nap. And then I, too, crashed. When I woke up an hour later, I knew instantly that something was wrong--that mommy radar again. As I lay there trying to figure out which child was awake, a few abnormal quiet noises emanated from Wyatt and Emerson's room.

When I opened the door, the light was on, and Wyatt was squatting in the crib playing with Emerson. And he'd brought toys! The turtle drum, several stuffed animals, and a Strawberry Shortcake plastic doll were crowded together behind bars with my two boys.

Emerson was so tired he was rubbing his eyes. When I asked Wyatt if he had napped, he said "No." And from the looks of the toys strewn across the floor, I believed him: obviously, the two of them had been quietly playing for the duration of my nap.

I fussed at Wyatt pretty good, and asked him why he was up? His reply was simple: "I was playing with Emerson."

I could have caved right then, but I'm not about to give up nap time this easily, so I told him he couldn't go to Opa's since he disobeyed and didn't take his nap. His reply? "I want to go nap." And so he and Emerson did--for the remaining hour. They were tired after all.

I'm sure I'll continue to wonder several times a week if they will ever grow up enough to desire a lifelong, loving relationship with each other. But for now, I know that despite the fussing, God has put a spark of love in their hearts for each other. Hopefully, I can provide a balanced enough home environment that will make that spark catch fire and burn.