I think this is what's stressing him out, especially since he's never even had to share his parents with each other; it's been a lifetime of half a week one-on-one with dad, half a week one-on-one with mom. He stressed out a couple of years ago just coping with the wedding and all the sharing Dad/loyalty to Mom issues that entailed, and now this is another big huge lump of crap he's not quite emotionally equipped to articulate yet.

I keep wanting to try to say or do things to make it better, but of course I can't really fix anything since I'm part of the problem. It's a tricksy balancing act, and likely to get tricksier.

Jacqueline, the very fact that you "get" this and don't write him off as being "selfish" and "wanting his dad all to himself" or being a "brat" goes a long way toward the fixing. Your patience and affection aren't just how you survive it, its how you work through it and past it.

the nice thing is - Emmet is old enough to get it. and as long as he gets some one on one dad time he will do just fine.

and triple yay's for erika. good on you!

and While all buffistas are foamy,beej and her boys are up there.

I , OTOH, am a fool. 36 hours with no allergy meds. Guess who has a nice rash on her neck. and really, it is all my own fault. At least I am breathing reasonably well.

the nice thing is - Emmet is old enough to get it. and as long as he gets someone on one dad time he will do just fine.

That is, until Halloweenie dubs Emmett "Schmacky the man-pony". Then all bets are off.

I remember when my sis was pregnant with child #2. My nephew was 4 and had gotten quite used to being an only child AND grandchild. Now, here comes another encroaching on his turf.

My sister asked him if he was excited about the new baby. His response?

"No. I'm going to act ugly to the new baby because I don't want it."

He was true to his word, too. Now they're fine (they're 11 and 15), but the first year was tough.

I am delighted to report that the Halloweenie has a heart, containing four chambers consisting of a pair each of atria and ventricles, along with an aorta that both ascends and descends as it ought and also has an aortic arch that arches properly, and a fully functioning mitral valve that... err... mitres, I guess. Anyhow, no parts are missing and everything seems to be in good working order.

Also, the tech took a picture of the Halloweenie's ass, and he and the doctor have both scrutinized said ass at length and have come to the joint conclusion that it is very likely the ass of a girl.

Beej -- (1) the makeup looks GREAT, and more importantly (2) you are a GORGEOUS woman! I hope that Fella (who is also a looker) knows he's got himself one smoking hot babe.

::choking a little on the piece of sandwich inhaled while reading this lovely compliment::

Thanks so much Steph. The makeup was really fun to do. Every time my hand bobbled, I just made the mistake a new branch. Fella's is much less than I wanted to do, (Greenman leaves on a vine) but we ran wicked late, so...

I wish we had a good picture of his outfit, (leather doublet, pantaloons and custom-made lace-up boots that make me all swoony) but it's all in black and difficult to photograph.

Beth, I can't wait to tell Fella friends on the interbunny say he's foamy! I'm not sure he believes me when I tell him how fine he is (and, honestly, the pics don't do him justice by half!)

Thus to be known as Halloweenie Asstastic Zmayhem.

Or, Haz for short.

I think the best predictor for how Emmett will behave with the new baby is Emmett. In general, I think that it's all to the good that Emmett is old enough to reason out some of what he's feeling, and even more to the good that JZ and Hec are able to reason out the rest of Emmett's behavior.

In the long run, I'm guessing he'll be a great older brother in part because he's had such a long stable run of basking in his parents' love.

Thus to be known as Halloweenie Asstastic Zmayhem.

I suggested Halloweenie Asscaps Zmayhem in email to Hec after several rounds of emails consisting of nothing but SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!EEEE!!! (at least on my end. He had actual information.) -- I think we're onto a something here.

Skipping in to the end to say...

YAY!!

Congratulations, Hec and JZ!! Halloweenie is a most excellent in utero name.