My New Nephew

Wrapped in a blue blanket with a white tuque on his perfectly shaped head, my nephew looks like a glow worm laying in the glass bassinette.  His lips are full, his nose is wide, his eyes are shut and  his ears are red.  His head is covered with light brown hair, but it is light at the edges; his eyebrows are so fair I can barely see them.  Every so often he makes a noise that only a newborn could make:  a sigh, a coo or a gurgle.  His face is the vision of peace as he sleeps.  When he wakes up, he reluctantly opens his eyelids, as if to say that he isn't yet ready for the outside world.  He drinks a few drops from his bottle, gives an inaudible burp and goes right back to sleep. 

All of a sudden the silence is broken by a toddler's voice calling "Mommy".  As Mommy slips into the washroom, she recognizes her son's voice.  A toddler enters the room with two balloons in his hand.  "Where's Mommy?" he asks.  Mommy reappears and hugs her older son.  She points out her new infant in the bassinette.  "You're a big brother now."  He puts a finger to his lips and whispers "Shhh", looking proud as a peacock.  His mother  lifts up the baby as his older brother leans up to give him a hug and a gentle peck on the cheek.  The nurse arrives with a sandwich for Mom and a bottle for baby.   Big brother asks if he can feed the baby and he proceeds to put the bottle nipple into his brother's mouth.  After no more than a minute, he declares that he is finished and returns to playing with his balloons. 

At one point he crawls under the chair and becomes silent.  A strange smell fills the air and we think it is the newborn passing gas.  However, it is his older brother filling his pants.  His aunt attempts to change him as he hops on the couch, so excited that he can't sit still.  Finally he's clean and it's time to say goodbye.  The toddler kisses Mommy and his baby brother.  He toddles down the hall, his balloon swaying to and fro, accidentally knocking a few passersby who greet him with a smile. 

Welcome to the world, nephew!



Photo courtesy http://www.istockphoto.com/