On my last visit to Jenny's we sat around the kitchen table one morning eating and chatting. I looked over at Savannah and realized that she was watching me intently and copying my posture, with her elbow on the table and her chin in her hand. I switched positions and she followed me. We played the mirror game for several minutes before she started giggling, and it was all I could do not to run over there and scoop her up and kiss her all over her honey-smeared face.
Baby Ethan has become a cutie little flirt as well. When I lean toward him and say "Give me kisses" his response is to grab both sides of my head, pull me forward, and go to town on me. I wish there was some trick to getting grown-up boys to do that. I think this technique will serve him well later in life as long as he is dealing with consensual participants. I mean, seriously. Look how precious he is! Who wouldn't want some of that!
Things weren't always this blissful. Shortly after Jenny and Ed got engaged I had this phone conversation with my Mom.
Me: I'm trying to have a good attitude and not let this get to me.
Mom: Let what get to you?
Me: Um, the whole "my younger sister is getting married before me and I just broke up with the guy I thought I was going to marry and now I'm going to die alone and pitied" thing. I'm trying to not let that bother me.
Mom: Tsk. Well your father and I never thought that you were going to get married first. So that's just silly.
Me: Wow. Thanks for that.
Mom: That's not what I mean! I mean that we never thought there was some predetermined order for who was going to get married first.
Me: Well, I did though, because I'm used to always being first. So this is different for me.
Mom: Now that you mention it, wasn't there some kind of Church commercial about this? I think I saw one once.
[She is referring to the public-service commercials the LDS Church produces about the importance of family. In one such commercial from the 1980s a blushing young bride is being fussed over by her female relatives as she tries on her wedding veil. Her older sister (who looks about 21) can't take it and silently retreats to her bedroom in tears. Dad follows her up and tells her she's pretty and wonderful. And tells her to think about serving a mission since she's old and shriveled now. Only maybe I made that last bit up.]
Me: Yes, exactly! There was a commercial about it because it's a real thing!
Mom (dismissively) : You know, I think people in Utah just look for things to get worked up over.
Me: [inarticulate choking sounds]
So yes. Having younger siblings get married before you sucks. But it turns out that having nieces and nephews is the most fun ever--possibly better than having children of my own, because I can give them back when I want to be selfish again. It's also better than being a grandparent, because I get to be young and cool and the equivalent of a rock star. So to the girls out there who worry about this, take heart. All will be well.
Just find some way to mess with the happy couple's birth control if at all possible.
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