Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Moving to the Middle

There is nothing like being the baby of the family.  I was for 2 1/2 years, not that I remember any of it except in stories that have taken on a life of their own over the years.  From what I've heard, I was pretty good at the youngest child thing - getting my two elder brother in trouble when they hit back.  I cried like the perfect, innocent little girl I was.  To this day, I'm sure I was framed!  Besides, older brother are supposed to be tough, and I was just doing them a favor.

All too soon my sister arrived, displacing me from my coveted position, and a couple of years after that my baby brother made his appearance, moving me to absolute middle - where I have remained to this day.  It's not such a bad spot, I guess. Everyone gets a shot at being the baby once in their life - the eldest gets both the top and bottom simultaneously.  No fun!  What is the purpose of being the baby if there is no one older to get into trouble?  But only the very special get center stage/place for the rest of their lives!

See that little angel playing with the pinwheel?  Is he so cute or what!  In subsequent pictures, he attempted to eat the pinwheel, which was not nearly as photogenic.  Elijah will turn one this week.  And what a year it has been!  He has learned the joy of both eating and wearing food.  He can moved liked greased lightening when you put him down, and is thrilled to pig pile on his brothers when they are wrestling on the floor.  (Why is the pile of children in the middle of the floor no longer called a "pig pile"?  Or was that just an Iowa phrase?  Or did the swine object and we acquiesced to piggy political correctness?)

As with all babies, it has been a year of firsts - smiles and giggles, bumps and bruises, teeth and words.  And at least one notable last - at the ripe old age of 326 days, Elijah spent his few final hours as baby of the family.  He then moved to the absolute middle of five with the birth of his sisters.

Happy birthday, big brother!  Go easy on your little sisters, but make sure your brothers know you are now one of the big boys!  I love you, Eli!

4 comments:

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    1. Well, it is descriptive, nonetheless. And it has a nice ring to it...

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  2. Pig pile, piggy pile. I can picture those little boys and their giggles!

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    1. Oh, thank you! I was hoping it wasn't just my family that used that term!

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