Good Morning Sunshine!

My children are very close in age.  While their relationship seems to change daily, at the moment, the toddler tends to ignore the baby, while the baby, of course, chases after the toddler and desperately wants to do and have everything the same.  Any scrap of attention the toddler deigns to give the baby is soaked up like a drop of rain after a drought.

Most of the time, the attention tends to be negative.  Toys get yanked, hair is pulled, shoves are delivered.  Though I try to keep things gentle and polite between them, given that they are both babies, neither one of them really has the comprehension required to take the high road when their doll is getting grabbed away.

Then there are the times when their bond is magical.  The toddler is fiercely protective of the baby.  If the baby leaves the room, she jumps up and follows after her to "check" on her.  If the toddler is fed first, she will carefully select the best pieces from her plate and deliver them to the baby.  Every time we get out of the car, she reminds me not to forget the baby.  Then of course, the baby lights up from toe to hair when she sees her big sister.  She smiles with her whole body.  And the giggles.  Oh my heart, the giggles.  When the two of them play peekaboo together, the giggles are contagious.

I suspect that this is how their relationship will be.  Intense.  Intensely loving, and intensely loathing.  Intensely supportive, and intensely jealous.  Hopefully the giggles will always remain a part of their life.

Right now, there is a moment of every day that lets me know that I didn't screw up too badly by having them so close in age.  Every morning, I get the toddler out of bed, and the first words out of her mouth are "My baby, she need me!"

We go into the baby's room, and the toddler bends down, rubs the baby's head, and says "Good morning Sunshine!"

As if that weren't heart melting enough, as we walk down the stairs, the toddler wraps her arms around the baby and hugs her saying "Oh, you are so soft.  I carry you," while the baby gazes at her big sister  with what can only be described as worship.

By the time we get to the bottom of the stairs, it is every kid for herself as they race into the playroom to grab their favorite toys, but they will always have that moment of Sunshine.