GodotDeuce

Tyler started asking for a sibling soon after our little friend Izzy was born. He didn't ask us, directly. But he told enough adults in his life, that it became clear it was on his mind in a variety of settings. I think our friend Brooke was the first one to tell us, that he was asking for a little sister. Izzy is her kid, so I could see how that conversation might happen. Then Ms. Teresa, Tyler's preschool teacher, the young, hip, artistic one informed me that he told HER he wanted a little sister. I can't recall who told us next, but we decided to ask Tyson periodically if he wanted a little brother or sister (as in, did he want a sibling). The answer was yes.  Sometimes he wanted a little brother, sometimes a little sister. But he never answered with a no, always yes.

So in May, we got Tyler a new book and read it together - "I'm a Big Brother Now." After we finished it, we told him he would be a big brother, after Halloween and before Thanksgiving. We went over the months of the year and the holidays before his younger brother or sister will arrive. Tyler became very quiet and very serious. He walked over to the entryway table and picked up the framed photo of him when he was five months old. He brought it back to the couch, laid down, staring at it, and wouldn't speak to us for a while.

I'd envisioned having him call the relatives to tell them the news. Instead of making it about having "a new baby", I wanted him to be excited about "becoming a big brother." But Tyler didn't go for that idea. For a couple of weeks, he didn't talk about it at all, though he did keep asking to read the Big Brother book. One night, after school, I sat on the wall while he played with a friend and the friend's baby brother. He made a game of blocking the little boy from walking more than a few steps, as he was very concerned for the little boy's safety. The three boys wandered out of site. The boys' dad went to check on them, and returned, tentatively asking, "So, Tyler said he's going to be a big brother?"

So far, this pregnancy has been much easier than the first. I was already taking Vitamin B6 before I got pregnant, so though I had plenty of nausea, I was able to keep everything down. Last time, I had to take B6  plus Unisom, this time I was able to get by with just the B6. I fell asleep too early too often, and couldn't stand to be touched other than on my extremities, so it's been hard on Tyler, but by 17 weeks I was feeling much better. Even though I weigh much less than I did when I got pregnant with Tyler, I switched to maternity pants at 17 weeks, much earlier than last time. But then, last time, I was mad at myself when I realized how much more comfortable I could have been, had I just switched earlier! I dug my maternity clothes out of the storage unit, proud of myself for saving them all these years, the money we'll save!, and put them all in the washer without even looking at them, they were so dusty. When I pulled them out of the washer and hung them to dry , I called Tyson - "Dude - was the year I was pregnant with Tyler the coldest year in the history of Tucson???" It's already triple digits here, so to realize that all of my work maternity clothes were sweaters. SWEATERS! Tyler was born at the end of March. How on earth was I wearing sweaters at the end of March? GodotDeuce is due around November 6th - not yet sweater season in Tucson!

If you're having a hard time deciding how to pronounce GodotDeuce, think Apple Juice. I was calling him or her Tippecanoe, but it seems Tyson felt that was setting the bar too low. GodotDeuce it is. We're not yet half-way through the pregnancy. And so we wait..