You're going to be a big brother!

Dear Chicken Nugget,

The more active and talkative you've become, the less I feel the need to write to you. I can now talk to you and, for the most part, it seems your understand. Thought sometimes you prefer to show me a cool dance move instead of listening to papi's serious attempt at conversation.

Still, this is pretty important.

You're going to be a big brother!

Photo courtesy of Anthony M Trujillo photography

Our family of three will be a family of four this November. And, while your mami and I can't wait to meet the new baby, we also are cherishing every minute we have with you as our baby.

In a few months you will experience something I never did, having to share the attention of your family. It's going to be hard and, to be honest, mami and I have our concerns but we also know that you will grow into it and that you're going to be a pretty great big brother.

In the morning when you wake up, you've been rolling over to mami and kissing her belly, saying hello to the baby. And, you've been saying things like, "When the baby come out I will teach it about papi's school." Overall, it seems, you're getting as excited as we are.

There's much work to be done. There's lots of one-on-one time to be spent and some cleaning and rearranging that I'm sure mami wants to get done. But, it will.

For now, we wait patiently and enjoy our first baby as much as we can. Even when we call you a big boy and even when you act like one, you will always be our baby and we will always love you as much as we did when we first met you.

Te quiero siempre,

Papi

sharing

Dear Nugget,

A few years ago I went to dinner at an Indian restaurant with a friend of mine. We each ordered our own dish and when the food arrived, as the waiter placed the dishes in the middle of the table, I reached out to bring my plate closer.

The waiter gently pulled the plate back to the middle and said, "Sir, we share here."

We all laughed. My friend laughed especially hard because she knew that I don't like to share my food.

I don't know what it is, I never went without food, I didn't have siblings to fight over food with. I simply like to eat my own food and not give it away. I also don't need to taste someone else's dish. We each have our own and that's that.

Your mom likes to share and surely she's managed to sneak a bite or two of my food. She usually uses lines like, "Hey, you wanna try some of mine?" Which forces me to be nice and reciprocate. Or she'll say, "Your food looks goooood. You always order better than me." Sigh.

So, now there's three of us and you are communicating and that means... being forced to share. Sometimes I'll go grab a snack and, suddenly, there you are giving me the food sign. Depending on how hungry you are or how tasty my snack is we share anything from one bite to 50% of a dish.

You're also really good at making sure others get to taste something. Yesterday your mom washed some strawberries and sat down on the floor to share with you (she's good at sharing) and you took one for yourself and brought another one to me, unprompted, it's just what you do. You definitely got that from your mom, the sharing gene.

Even at bedtime, when your mom says to give me a kiss good night, you'll give me a kiss and then you'll point back to her and say, "mama papa" - meaning, now mami kisses papi.

I'm definitely becoming better at sharing. Between you and your mom, my two loves are forcing me to think of others and, whether I actually want to or not, at least ask if they'd like to try some of whatever I'm having.

I'm also getting really good at sneaking in snacks when you're not looking.


Loving you always,

Tu papa