With Enzo fully initiated into our loving family, Tony was able to meet his little brother the morning following his birth. Nicole and I were a little worried at first because you never know how a two-year-old will react to the idea of sharing anything, let alone his parents, with someone else. Well, let’s just say we were more than thrilled with his reaction.
Tony welcomed Enzo with open arms the minute he walked into the mother-baby room at the hospital. He gave him kisses, a hug and even a couple of presents. Enzo reciprocated and the two began to form their brotherly bond that I am so lucky to have with my brother, Chris.
Chris and I are two years and four months apart in age. Tony and Enzo are two years and four months apart in age. It was just meant to be.
Tony enjoyed spending time at the hospital with mommy, daddy, Enzo, Grandmom, Poppi, Nonna, Gia, Aunt Meme and Aunt Carol. He played with his new fire truck, a gift from Enzo, and spent time coloring in a new coloring book. He made sure to say goodbye to Enzo prior to leaving, even climbing into bed with mommy and baby to give hugs and kisses.
After Tony and I spent a couple of hours together for daddy-Tony time, he stayed at home with Grandmom and Poppi for the night. I returned to the hospital to spend another night with Nicole and Enzo. The phone rang shortly before 9pm and it was Poppi requesting a facetime chat.
Tony wanted to call and speak with Enzo. But, instead of speaking, he wanted to sing his new little brother a song prior to bedtime. Little did I know, that each night when I put Tony to bed, he was listening intently to the song I would sing him. It is a tune written by Poppi for myself and Chris when we were babies.
Each night I sang the song to Tony he listened intently and memorized the words. Without being provoked, he began to sing the song while on the phone with us. He said, “I want to see Enzo.” So, we held the phone in front of Enzo’s face and Tony belted out the tune, soothing Enzo’s tears and quieting him into a slumber.
Siblings will undoubtedly fight at different stages of their relationship, but day one of this bond proved to be one of the most memorable moments of my life. It is something that will stick with me forever. It is a story that I will tell Tony and Enzo time after time as they grow-up together over the years, especially when they run into a rough patch with each other.
I guess the point of my story here is that when you let them, children will never fail to make you smile, no matter the situation. New experiences can be difficult even for adults, but children seem to block everything out and see the best in what is in front of them. Maybe all of us could take a page out of their book and see things this way too.
