Thoughts On Babies of the Family

You know we have a set of twins. You probably don't know that we also have a set of triplets. Samantha came with two pals, her pacifiers.

I don't like the things. I never allowed Lincoln & Rachel to have them as babies, not once. I took plenty of psychology classes in college. I understand the risks of becoming fixated in the oral stage. It is not good to get in the habit of having something in your mouth. Imagine the issues that a person could develop! No pacifiers, I said. Absolutely not.

Have you ever noticed how the baby of the family has a way of wearing down the parents of the family?

For example, when I turned 16 I took my driver's test in a big, blue station wagon. Yes it even had the added feature of rear facing seats so passengers in the back would have a nice view. I drove it around town and was grateful (I said grateful, not proud) to drive it. Hey, it could hold up to seven of us!

Fast forward twelve years. Mark and I are spending a quiet Saturday together when the phone rings. My dad excitedly tells us to meet him at a car dealership that afternoon.

When we arrived, all of my sisters and their families were there too. Mom and Dad could hardly contain their excitement. Guess what the big news was? We were all there to surprise baby sister, Angelica with the car of her choice. After all, she had just turned 16 and needed transportation! "My children will all be treated equally" I muttered to myself as I had a flashback of my wheels.

Nine years separates Sami from the twins. Things change in nine years. The sad fact is that Samantha is barely five months old and I have already become guilty of the same crime. Samantha loves her pacies. What Samantha wants, Samantha gets.

We have gone so far as to name and give gender assignments to the little guys. Pinky (aka Pinky Pie) and Greeny (aka Greeny Guy). They are treated like important members of the family.

We do not leave the house without them. Before we go anywhere the four of us check in with each other. "Do you have Pinky?" "Where is Greeny" "Someone go find him!" Oh the panic if one gets misplaced! We keep them clean and even pamper them with occasional warm water massages.

So here I am, turning into a big pushover, just like my parents did. Mark's parents went down the same route. It must be a natural occurrence. Babies in the family get special treatment. It is unavoidable. Today it's pacifiers, tomorrow who knows? I better start saving up.