Reflections on a Third Child's First Bandaid

 

Everyone knows that children born later in a family have a much different experience from those born earlier. One small illustration of this, which my sisters and I often noted while growing up, was that while we had about a thousand baby pictures of the firstborn (who happened to be me!), we had only a couple pictures of baby number four (and even they were not taken until she was about six months old!). Observing families in general, it is clear that things just seem to change as more children come along.

Even though I am aware of this, and have made extensive efforts to demonstrate total equality in the ways I've treated each of my children as babies, our family seems to be falling into this apparently universal pattern.

Sometimes this is a good thing. For example, I cannot count how many times we rushed Benjamin to the hospital emergency room--one time simply because he had been crying for 10 minutes. No other symptoms--just crying! Janae went to emergency only a handful of times as a baby (every time with croupe), and Alaina has NEVER been to emergency . . . even though she is almost a year old!

We are definitely much more relaxed with number three.

Unfortunately, though, this sometimes means that #3 gets less recognition for accomplishments (we've seen it all before!), less attention when upset (we can tune out so much more!), and--just generally--less fuss for any reason at all.

There is no question that things have deteriorated in the record-keeping department as well. When Benjamin said his first word, I rushed to the baby book and documented it in full detail (where we were, why he said what he did, what he was wearing . . .). When Janae spoke, I made a note on the calendar. When Alaina spoke, I made a mental note . . . and my mental notes not being what they used to be, all I can remember is that the word was "kitty." I have no idea when it was--was she ten months? Nine months? The information is simply lost.

Anyway, I do feel a little guilty about this and keep encouraging myself (mentally, of course) to make more of an effort.

This explains why when Alaina fell down on the pavement a couple of days ago, and I was upstairs putting a bandaid on her bleeding knee, the thought crossed my mind, "This is Alaina's first time having a bandaid . . . as far as I can remember!"

 

So I did what any guilt-driven blogging mother of three would do--I got out the camera and took pictures of it for the rest of the day!

 

Seriously, though, Alaina is such a sweetheart and I am so happy to have a #3. I think she gets the most hugs and kisses (with a brother and sister to love her, too), and she is--without question--our happiest, even though thus far least-documented, baby :)