The Big Sister and Her Hobbies

“Do you like being a big sister?” 

“Does Audrey cry a lot?”

“Is she loud?”

AaMaggie has been fielding the same questions from well-wishers since Audrey showed up and she’s pretty much done answering any questions about her little sister. People are met with blank stares and a non-answer when asking Maggie anything Audrey related. But if you want to talk to Maggie about her latest hobbies (boating, cutting, sewing, taping, and playing RunTickle) she’s happy to talk your ear off….and then some. 

About a week before Audrey was born a colleague at work sent home a mini lawn chair for maggie and it was love at first sight. It took about two shakes for Mags to set up a “boat” and ride around the house with New Baby and Ruff-Ruff the Pug. The boat has evolved into the lawn chair on top of a sheet, a broom for a fishing pole, dust pan for a paddle and scraps of paper for tickets. New Baby and Ruff Ruff are always passengers on the boat, we’ve given up suggesting that they get left behind in any capacity. 

Maggie’s other favorite thing to do around the house is work at her Art Table (or really any table, but we try to keep it contained at the Art Table when we can…obviously didn’t work in these photos) cutting up pieces of paper. There really isn’t a plan with all the pieces of paper, she just likes to cut. Lately she has worked her way through a few rolls of scotch tape and taped her ‘projects’ on walls, windows and any other available surface.  During the day I find myself fighting the uphill battle of sweeping scraps up, pulling tape off of myself from random places, but at night, after Maggie has gone to sleep, I adore looking at all her work stations. So much of her work goes unnoticed or unappreciated these days with my attention on Audrey and breastfeeding. 

There is almost always a running-commentary coming from Maggie’s mouth about what is going on around her, often in a sing-song voice. I hear my own phrases getting sung back to me and sometimes I’m grateful for my word choice, other times I realize I could adjust a word here or there. There have been many songs about diaper changes, etc. 

Maggie does love being a big sister and when her attention is turned to Audrey it is full of love. Lots of  “Oh, Baby. It’s alright. We’re all here.  I’m here. It’s okay” and “Don’t worry” types of things. The biggest challenge? Keeping Maggie’s hands off Audrey’s head. She just wants to pat that sweet little head and I totally get it, so we’re working on it. I’m trying really hard to make individual time for Maggie when Audrey is with Barry or snoozing . It’s hard, but also really important.