James Smith: Big Brother

He sat at the table, looking sleepy and dipping his carrot sticks into a dish of hummus.

"James," I asked him "are you so excited for Mommy to have a new baby?"

He scowled and shook his head, then put an elbow on the table and leaned his head towards his plate.

"We're going to find out in one week whether it's a boy or a girl. Do you think Mommy should have a baby girl, or a baby boy."

He waits a moment, then mutters "Baby boy."

"A baby boy like Silas?"

"Yeah."

"Do you love baby Silas?"

"Yeah."

"Would you like it if a little baby boy like Silas came to our house to live with us?"

<shakes head "no">

"Do you think the baby is going to sleep in your room?"

<shakes head "no">

"Do you think the baby is going to sleep in Mommy and Daddy's room?"

<shakes head "no">

"Well, where should the new baby sleep?"

"Aunt Kyee's house."

"What kind of friends do you think the new baby will have? Do you think his friends will be an owl or a dog?"

"Okay."

"Would you share any of your friends?"

<shakes head "no">

"Sometimes you share Steven when you see a baby who is crying. If new baby was crying, would you let him hold Steven Bear?"

<shakes head "no">

"Would you help make the new baby feel better if it was crying?"

<shakes head "no">

"New baby will probably cry a lot at first. But you can show the new baby how to be a big boy. Will you show him how you go on the potty?"

<shakes head "no">

"Maybe you could show new baby how to play with trains or make a carwash?"

"I want trains. I wanna hold trains."

"Should Daddy hold you?"

"Okay."