Siblings

One of my favorite parts of not just adoption but of parenting in general is watching the relationships between our children grow and develop.

Nick has always been very affectionate and outgoing. Noah, on the other hand, is a very sweet little boy but he is also very reserved with his affection. When my friend Kristen visited recently she was proud that she got a hug before she left, after four days! However, I am very happy that Noah has wholeheartedly accepted Aliyah as his sister. She's made it into his inner circle, so to speak :) One night at dinner recently Noah was naming his best friends and basically it was mom, dad, Nick and Aliyah. Accepting his sister means that he hugs and kisses her, plays with her and fights with her just as if she's always been a part of our family.

Aliyah tends to see Nick as almost a third caretaker. If she needs/wants something and mom and dad are unavailable then she'll go ask Nick to help her whereas Noah is more of a playmate. Aliyah and I usually pick up Noah from preschool around 12:30 and usually starting around 11, Aliyah starts asking "Noah soon?" Apparently mom isn't entertaining enough and she's anxious to get her playmate home.