Mary is David's #1 fan. She is mesmerized by and obsessed with him; consequently, she is bored and grumpy when he's not around.
Most days I am able to get them both down for a nap at the same time (phew!), but Mary inevitably wakes up first and wonders where her brother is. She is reluctant to play by herself. Instead, she wants to be carried around the house, searching for the object of her affection. She whimpers, whines, cries, and squawks until David emerges from his room. Then she's happy again.
Sunday evening Greg took David with him to go visit with a family from church. I was hoping for some quiet time at home. But Mary whined and cried for an hour and a half until David walked back through the door. Then her face lit up, and she transformed into her cheerful self.
When I take David to speech therapy, I watch his sessions through the mirrored window in the observation room. I do this partly to observe David's progress, but also for Mary's benefit. She becomes anxious when her brother is out of sight, and once she spots him through the window, she follows his every move.
Having such an ardent admirer has its benefits for David. She is always readily (and happily) available to be poked, hugged, dragged, rolled, and covered with a blanket. Just recently Mary has begun to join David in the tub. This is a dream come true for Mary, whose favorite past time since age 1 month has been watching her brother in the bath. Never have I seen more delight than on the day Mary first joined him in the bath. But it's also a happy time for David, who doesn't miss a chance to pour water on his baby sister, put soap in her hair, or smother her with a washcloth. (The double bath is definitely a two parent job--it's an intense three minutes while they're in there together!)
Mary's infatuation isn't all fun for David though. Just as the paparazzi is a bit of an intrusion and annoyance in the life of a celebrity, so Mary is in the life of David. There she is, watching his every move. But even worse, there she is, trying to participate in his every move! Mary may be David's #1 fan, but she's also already the quintessential annoying little sister who wants to do everything her big brother does.
Mary uses her new found mobility to get what she wants. If David is looking at a book, then Mary scoots over to look at the book too. If David just built a truck out of legos, then Mary wants to play with that truck. (Something Mom built with legos just won't do--unless, of course David chooses to play with it, then it's exactly what she wants). If David and Dad are building a train track, then Mary wants in on the action. Mary is too determined to be sidetracked by Mom and Dad's clever distractions. Big box of toys? Tickle-fest with Dad? Snack time with Mom? Nothing compares to hanging out with David. Needless to say, we hear a lot of "No, Mar! No, Mar!"s around here.
I hope that the intensity of Mary's obsession will wane a bit. (She was kind of a pain at church. Keeping David quiet and occupied is hard enough without a baby sister trying to snatch his toys and slobber on his stickers.) But I expect that what is emerging is a new family dynamic. David might as well get used to having his #1 fan at his heels.
