Our family is growing. In April, we will officially become a party of 5! This will make Avery our "middle child". She will be just about two years old. She is already full of sass, so a few months from now we expect that strong personality to be in full bloom along with a burgeoning vocabulary (hopefully a little more than "no,no,no"!). She won't be the baby anymore, and not as big as her big sister Ella. Jason is a middle child, so we already joke that they will be able to relate on a special level. The new baby may make our family complete, but we will be nothing without the meat in the middle of the sandwich. Our Avery is the super yummy filling that makes the whole thing jive!
 |
| The girls practicing being big sisters! |
I have spent a lot of time thinking about Avery's place in the family. I am the oldest of two children, so this is a whole new adventure for me. Maybe it's hormones or just over-thinking things, but there is a small part of me that worries. I worry that my independent, strong-willed, imaginative and stubborn little girl will feel lost in the shuffle. My concerns compounded (as silly as it may seem), by the fact that I have always worried that Avery will feel overshadowed, over-protective, or jealous of Ella. I already can see how easily things come to Avery...every day things that Ella took a little longer to master. I never want Avery to feel burdened by the fact that she has a sister that has some special needs. I have said many times that we celebrate every milestone from both the girls with equal excitement and enthusiasm. That won't change when #3 arrives, but I still wonder what Avery will grow up to think. I always want her to know that her place in this family is so important.
I truly believe in life we are never given more than we can handle. Of course, I have found myself questioning this, but at the end of the day it is ultimately true. Avery is our middle child for a reason. She will never have to be the rule follower, type-A, good girl persona that traditionally comes with being the oldest. She will be the only one that gets to be the big sister and the little sister. She can take the chances Ella wouldn't take, teach her younger sibling a lesson or two on what or what not to do. She gets the chance to make her own path. She will make your own way, despite her place in the middle, or perhaps because of it.
