Hug-A-Mole

Quite often, as I'm changing Nathan's diaper, Nicholas will come up behind me and throw his arms around my neck in an affectionate sort of piggy-back hug. What he doesn't know is that he is actually squeezing my windpipe when he does this, and it's a little bit painful and I can't breathe. But I can't work up the courage to tell him this. I know he's a little bit jealous of the attention I am giving his brother, and that he might take any negative reaction as a rejection. I know I need to come up with an alternative, it's just that, until I do, I'm thankful he's not sticking his fingers into his brother's eyes.

Today, after I completed Nate's diaper change using half my usual oxygen supply and supporting and extra 27 pounds around my neck, Nicholas began patting my back. "Mole? Mole?" he asked, pointing to a specific location on my back. "Yes," I said. "It's a mole."

"Hug a mole?" Nick asked, and then proceeded to place his head on it to give it a hug. He's hugging my moles. He loves me so much, he loves my moles. How great is that?