"Big Sister Mackenzy"

When Caleb was born, Hannah was 4 and Mackenzy was 2. Both the girls had been rather unpleasant babies. (Sorry, girls, but it's the truth.) Hannah screamed for the first 7 months of life--no it wasn't colic, she was just very stubborn. Mackenzy slept for the first 3 weeks of life and I was lulled into a false sense of tranquility. At 3 1/2 weeks, she woke up and made up for lost time. She needed stitches three times before she turned 2 years old and I still carry butterfly bandages in my wallet in her honor--just in case! But that is a story for another day.

I explain all that to preface this: when we found out we were expecting Mr. Caleb, I made a request of the Lord. "Lord, I don't care if this is a boy or a girl. Please help it to be healthy. And can this one PLEASE be calm??"

Caleb was indeed a contended, happy little feller. He just smiled and ate and slept. He was rather round and his head was the size of a bowling ball. Okay, that may be a slight exaggeration. It was more like a cassava melon. Anyway, he was just as cute as he could be and we really enjoyed him being such a good baby. Having lived through the first few years with the girls, our gratitude for his good nature was sincere.

Hannah and Mackenzy were very attentive big sisters. They loved to help take care of their new brother. We realized quickly that their judgment needed some guidance. We caught Mackenzy trying to carry Caleb around when he was just a few months old. He wasn't sitting up yet and so she just grabbed him under the arms and picked him up. She was only two and so his feet were almost dragging on the ground. I told her that she could not pick him up, she would have to let me do that.

One day as I was holding him I noticed a large sore at the back of his head. I was shocked! I couldn't figure out how on earth he could have hurt himself! It looked horrible. By the next day it had formed a nasty looking scab. I was completely clueless. How could this have happened without me knowing about it??

The mystery was solved the next day. I had put him on a blanket in the den where I could watch him while I worked in the kitchen. I was working on the dishes when I glanced up and noticed that Mackenzy had come in to play with him. She didn't know I was watching her, although I doubt it would have mattered. She reached down and grabbed his little ankles and started pulling him across the carpet! I ran in the den and asked her what she was doing. 

She said, "I want him to come play in my room and you told me not to pick him up."
The poor little guy had a giant carpet burn on the back of his head!!!  OUCH!!