First borns are coddled, fussed over, given constant, undivided attention (unless you happen to be a first born twin). Second borns, not so lucky. Second borns have to be much more independent from the start (read: left to cry on occasion). Dexter has been bopped in the head several times already by his (well-meaning) sister trying to hand him a book or toy. Those nice, quiet nursing sessions I enjoyed with Frankie are now noisy sessions of book reading, singing (with motions), and on occasion, interrupted by the need to get up and discipline his older sister.
Fortunately Dexter is rollin' with the punches. He's a happy guy, unless he's got that gas (which has dropped to about 20% of his day spent screaming in pain). He's usually content to sit and hang out watching all the commotion in his bouncer seat. He giggles at his big sister when she tickles his toes, and stares pensively at the books she shows him.
The second borns, chillin in their chairs:
Kate Murry!
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Discovering his hand:
Second born!
5 comments:
I just googled second born children and read that:
The second born competes with the first born for parental attention. When the second born discovers how to put crayons to paper the first born displays a completed picture to mother. The second born senses the inadequacy of what she (or he) has created. The second born decides that to get love she must do something perfectly.
The article then goes on to talk about the second born's need for perfection and orderliness...wow, watch out Frankie, you may have some competition organizing things around the house!
Love the pics, Jenny! Dex reminds me so much of Frankie with his hand-studying expression.
Fortunately for Dex and Kate, they're close enough in age to their older siblings that Frankie and Hannah will not be making very advanced "completed pictures" when they start putting a crayon to paper. :)
I'm curious to ask my brother (2nd, though a middle child) what he thinks of this. I was the first and always thought I had to do things perfectly to be loved...
who me? a need for orderliness? naaaaaaaw. (um, yeah.) But, speaking as a second born, I'll say I don't think I'm a perfectionist as much as my first born husband is (if I am even at all) and I also do not think I was competitive with my older brother hardly at all (different genders seem to help this, in my opinion. So, Dex should be in the clear. He'll be busy socializing while Frankie plays with her label-maker.
And Dex looks more like Frankie than in any other photo in the hand studying shot. (But back to looking like you in the crying one...not because he's crying, just because.)
*mcfadden family blog readership, please insert a ')' after the n in the word opinion.
hmmmm, should I also make a point to take back that comment about not being a perfectionist?
So that thoughtful face of Dex's really reminds me of Frankie! I didn't see tons of resemblance until he started concentrating. Such cute photos!
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