Hands-On Sibling Experience

Joy gets to experience big sisterhood a few months earlier than you might expect. We're watching three-month-old Taylor for a few days while her mom Lisa goes back to work part-time for a little while. We invited Taylor into our home partly to help our friend, but also because I wanted to get a feel for what two-child parenting will be like before I have to do it full time. I also wanted Joy to get a little experience having a baby in the house.

I won't deny things have been a bit crazy sometimes, but by and large this has been a good experience for our family. Joy has taken her temporary "sibling" in stride, and even tries to help out on occasion. As for Phillip and me, this has provided a good reminder what a newborn's needs and routine are like. It's also offered welcome reassurance that I really can handle two children with very different needs and schedules.

Of course, things will be a little tougher in February when we add sleep deprivation and postpartum hormones to the equation, but we'll just cross those bridges when we come to them.