He Ain't Heavy

I don't know exactly why, but I always feel compelled to defend the Little Guy. Maybe it's because he's the second child and second children always seem to get short shrift. Maybe it's because people are always extolling the virtues of the Boy, saying how well-mannered and fun he is, and yet don't have much of anything to say about the baby. Maybe it's because some people keep expecting the Little Guy to somehow be more advanced, and I feel the need to say "He's just a baby! He's going to cry and fuss, but that doesn't mean he's going to be that way forever. He's teething! He's got separation anxiety! He's a baby! Lighten up!"

But what really gets my already over-sensitive and ready-to-rumble goat? The near constant references to his size. He's just shy of 11 months and weighs about 23 pounds. He's also not that much shorter than his brother (if he could stand, that is). He's wearing his brother's discarded onesies in size 18-24 months, and while they are too big, he's definitely not swimming in them.
He's a big baby. I get it. I'm the one holding him most of the day after all. What I don't need to hear over and over again is:

"He's a monster!"
"He's huge!"
"That's a BIG baby!"
"He sure doesn't miss a meal, does he??"

I can't imagine that the comments are meant to be offensive. He's a baby. A baby with a healthy appetite is a good, good thing. And he is the healthiest eater in our family, by a long shot. I'm pretty sure he eats more vegetables than the three of us combined. That's not what irks me. It's referencing his size as if it's his defining factor. As if that's the thing that makes him special.

You know what makes him special? His smile that could light up a room. His readiness to laugh. His tendency to find anything his brother does highly amusing and entertaining. In fact, all the Boy has to do is walk into the room, and he just beams. His random and plentiful hugs, and the way he's happy just to be near you. His unshakeable curiosity. His ability to move across an entire room without knowing how to walk or crawl, yet never actually moving while you're watching him.

And it bugs me, it really bugs me, when people don't even bother to take the time to see these things. Because they are so very special. As is he.

I see you, Little Guy.