Buddies

Nothing warms your heart quite like seeing your kids play and laugh together.

Lately Noah and Clara have been really enjoying each other. When Clara was sick, she wasn't much fun, so I was a little worried about their relationship. But now that she's feeling better (I'll give an update on that soon), they've become good buddies. There's still the teasing and the moments of not being such good buddies, but it seems like more and more I hear them in another room laughing or see Clara run toward me squealing because her brother is chasing her. It's so fun to see.

They're also getting more affectionate. They'll spontaneously give each other hugs or kisses (Noah always says "Ew!" at her kisses because they're quite slobbery- I love them!), and sometimes I even hear Noah say, "I love you." He also calls her "sweetie," "sweetheart," "mookie" (her nickname), and other cute pet names and does so in a high pitched loving voice. It's very sweet.

Noah is also very protective of her, like a big brother should be. If another kid takes a toy or something, Noah is right there to rectify the situation. Like tonight, their cousin that just turned two took Clara's banana seat at Grandma's. When Clara voiced her frustration, Noah rushed over and helped her get on. He loves helping her do things too and has gotten good at picking her up, even though she's not much shorter than him. My favorite thing is to watch them walk together hand in hand. It's very good for my heart.

Noah also feels for her when she gets hurt. I remember when she was younger and just learning to eat solids. She choked on something, and it wasn't the regular gagging that kids usually do. She was really choking. My mom instincts kicked into gear, and I very calmly grabbed her, tipped her upside down, gave her back a whack, and the food came right out. She was fine, and I was fine. But Noah was a little shaken. Some tears came to his eyes because he was scared for his little baby sister. That taught me a lot about his heart.

Clara loves Noah too. She's always very excited to see him if he's been away. When he stayed a couple days at Grandma Svedin's house and she finally got to see him, she said happily, "There he is!" and ran and gave him a big hug and kiss. She loves her big brother.

I'm so glad they seem to like each other most of the time. I hope that continues. I know that especially during the teenage years they'll have their rough times, but I hope for the most part they'll be best friends.