Two Boys

Dedicated to my sister-in-law Jennifer, who is expecting her second son.

What I love about having two boys...

(1) My boys were born in the same season, so I haven't had to buy any clothes for Ethan. Also, all of the blue stuff (blankets, pacifiers, bibs, crib bedding, etc.), didn't have to be replaced.

(2) Caleb and Ethan have all the stereotypical gender preferences in toys, so there will also be no new toys needed (dolls, kitchens, tea sets, etc). Just like Caleb, Ethan thinks that any kind of ball is the coolest thing in the world.

(3) They think that the same things are funny. Squealing, banging, and all the weird noises Marcus can make all make Caleb and Ethan laugh hysterically.

(4) Even at 2 1/2 and 6 months, the boys LOVE interacting with each other. Ethan idolizes Caleb, but I think that would be true regardless of gender. The special thing is that Caleb also adores Ethan. Nothing pulls Caleb out of a funk like Ethan's huge smile. Lots of times, Caleb tells me to go "Dat way, meez" and leave him and Ethan to play together. (At first, I thought he did that so he could be mischevious, but after several times of pretending to leave and watching from a distance, I know that he just really wants some one-on-one time making his baby laugh.)

(5) As they get older, the boys similar preference for "boy play" will keep them entertained and deepen their relationship. Running together, throwing balls, exploring, wrestling...I see all of these things on the horizon in a year or two. I'm sure there will also be competition and arguments and rivalry as well, but I'll gladly take on the task of helping them through all that for the fun they will have together.

(6) Because we both definitely want more children, we like the idea of two close-in-age big brothers for our later children, especially if we have girls later on.