Sibling Bonding

Watching a sibling relationship develop is a fascinating experience.  I love seeing Lydia and Shepherd's interest in each other grow with each passing day.  So far, here is what the relationship between a two-year-old brother and three-month-old sister looks like:

-Shepherd regularly yells, "Tickoos," (toddler for tickles) and pokes, prods, and harasses Lydia.  While it looks unpleasant to me, she thinks this is great and rewards hims with big, open-mouthed smiles.

-Shepherd is always running around being noisy.  Lydia quietly sits on my lap or lays on the floor following him with intense interest.  I suppose she is learning a lot while watching.  I also suppose that should worry me.  One day soon, I'm going to have two toddlers running around being noisy.

-Shepherd is really into coloring right now.  When he is inside, he colors with crayons, and outside he colors with sidewalk chalk.  While I try to keep his coloring to coloring books and sidewalks, Lydia is often times his canvas.  Many of her clothes now have miniature artworks on them.

-Shepherd loves to identify all of Lydia's features (eyes, nose, ears, etc.).  His favorite is her mouth.  When he says, "Mouth," he immediately sticks his finger in her mouth.  This makes Lydia smile until he sticks it too far in, and then it makes her gag. 

I could list several other things, but suffice it to say, their little sibling relationship is truly budding.  As someone who has always been close to my own brother, I love watching it.  Siblings our such a blessing.  There is know one else who witnesses one's life quite like a sibling.  Siblings are there from the beginning (or almost the beginning), and they are typically with you through all of life's ups and downs.  I am glad to see that even in the earliest moments, Shepherd and Lydia are building a foundation to what I pray will be a blessed, life-long relationship.