Being an older brother

Eli is having a bit of trouble adjusting to being one of two children instead of an only child.

He has been giving his Nanna a hard time when she tries to interact with him. He is only sweet with his Mama and Dadda. And he is doing things that he knows he can't do -- throw washcloths in the toilet, for example. The second washcloth he threw in the toilet almost got flushed away too.

But with all of the difficulties, there have been some really sweet moments too. Like when he wants to give the baby high-five. Or when he said "Good night" to the baby and then put one of his very precious blankies in Ewan's bassinet. Or when he runs to get a diaper so I can change the baby. Or how he asks "Why is the baby crying?" when Ewan is screaming.

Today, Mama made a point to have Mama-Eli time: We went to the carousel together. We were only gone for about 45 minutes but it was perfect. Eli loved the carousel -- we rode it 3 times. And afterwards, he said to me, "That was FUN Mama!!!"

Blankies

Eli loves his blankie. It is a small square with a silky side and a soft, fuzzy side and then silky tabs all around it. For awhile he used it mostly to fall asleep, but now he carries it almost everywhere. He wants to sit next to it to eat dinner, have it in his playroom when he plays, and rub it on his face if he gets frustrated or hurt. And he HAS to have it for nap and bedtime.

SO, obviously I can't have only one blankie. I started with 5. I was down to 2 and then ordered 3 more online so I don't have to worry about losing them. The thing is: Eli wants them all at once. When he gets 2 blankies together, he says they are friends and they kiss each other. The other night, blankie was singing 'Twinkle twinkle" to us and the other blankie. I'm having a hard time convincing him that he should only carry one blankie at a time. When I tell him I want to keep blankies clean, he looks at me like I'm crazy. "Why do blankies need to be clean? They are best when they are stinky, Mama!" he seems to be saying.