Beau

Lily has been calling Luke “beau” for quite a few months. At first we figured it was a minimalist version of brother, but at this point I think it is just her name for Luke. I have wondered whether it will stick or not. I mean I like the name and think it fits and for sure Lily has no sign of letting up on calling him Beau.

This is part of the inner conversation that mommy and me have been having about the completely age appropriate worship of the old sibling.

Lily lives and breathes “Beau”, she references him all day long when he is at school, she points to his car seat, she sleeps in his bed, Yesterday when she woke from her nap, her first word was “Beau?”

When they are together she will do anything to be with him, sit next to him, have whatever he has, do whatever he does. She eats when he eats, the list goes on and on.

The other day in RIE class a parent added to this common scenario, “And then it will stop in a breath”, Lily will get to a place where “Beau” is not the pinnacle of everything that she knows. Its just the way it goes.

Right now much of my day when the kids are together, especially at home where there “things” are in play, The constant battle between Lily wanted everything Beau and Luke kinda not really wanting any of it if it gets in the way of his free play or if it takes away from Daddy time. This is a hard and ongoing situation and though I love and cherish Lily’s current state of Beau-ness, there is a part of me that can’t wait for it to be over. But, then of course there will be another intensely complicated and challenging developmental issue to deal with, because that is what parenting is all about. Love, support, interest, understanding and presence, presence, presence.