Part 1

"Tommy… come here…"

Tommy smiled softly. His friends and their mommies and daddies had kept him company the last two days while his mommy and daddy had been gone. He'd missed them terribly but he also knew that they needed to go because they were getting his new little baby brother or sister. And now his grandpa was handing him off to his daddy, who cuddled him close before bringing him over to where his mommy was laying, a small bundle in her arms.

"Tommy," his mommy said, "this is your brother Dylan. Dil… this is Tommy."

"Baby…" Tommy whispered as he stared down at his little brother.

Dil blinked, looking about in confusion. He'd thought when he'd left that weird place where he was all floaty that he'd be back with the blond man and his grandma and the lady with red hair. But instead there was a different red haired woman who he remembered was his going to be his mommy… and there was his daddy…

…and there was the baby that the blond guy liked to mess with!

Dil decided, even though the blond creator had warned him not to, that he wanted to mess with Tommy too! He had a funny nose and Dil wanted nothing more than to grab it. But when he tried to reach for it he found that he was swaddled up in blankies and couldn't move anything but his head. He struggled for a bit before letting out a scream, hoping his mommy understood he wanted to be let out.

Tommy reared back at the loud sound and began to whimper only for his daddy to gather him up. What had he done wrong? Why was his brother crying?

"Aw, its okay champ. Dil is just really little so he gets cranky easy."

Tommy considered that. Dil was really small… and Tommy had grown SO much since become a big kid! And he didn't cry that much himself so… that actually made a lot of sense! Dil was a 'dinky little baby' who did 'dinky baby things!' So he cried and whined! That made sense… Tommy would have to show him how to be a big kid!

"Its okay Dil!" Tommy said. "I'm gonna teach you to be a big baby!"

Dil didn't want to be a big baby! He wanted to grab Tommy's nose! It was his! He wanted it! He didn't care if the blond creator said to be nice! He wouldn't be nice at all and there was nothing he could do stop him!

"Okay, Mr. and Mrs. Pickles," the nurse said, entering the room. "Time for us to circumcise your son."

And that's when Dil learned the Blond Creator could be HORRIBLE.

Part 2

"Thanks for meeting with me," Lucy Carmichael said with a smile. Didi was currently holding Tommy, who was playing with a Reptar doll, while Stu held a sleeping Dil. "I wanted to go over some things with you… I looked over Tommy's medical records and realized that because of his birth you might not know what to do with Dil."

"I guess you have a point," Didi admitted. "Tommy didn't get to come home with us till he was 3 months old."

Lucy nodded. Not only had Tommy been born a month early but he'd had several complications; it still amazed her that he'd managed to be such an active and healthy baby after how difficult his first few months had been.

As for Tommy he wondered why Dil didn't have to sleep in a fish tank; perhaps he had already done so?

"Right. And even after that the doctors were pretty strict with Tommy until just before he turned one. So he was a very unusual newborn. Dil is going to present a lot of differences."

"Well, what can we expect and what should we do?" Stu asked.

"First of you're going to need to carefully monitor what you're feed both of them. Tommy is on solid foods?"

"And a sippy cup," Didi said. "He's actually weaned himself."

"That happens," Lucy confirmed. "He sees his friends not using bottles and he decides to do the same thing. That will make things easier. Dil is going to need newborn formula… don't think of giving him what you give Tommy."

"Why not?" Stu asked, confused.

"Newborns and little guys like Tommy-" Tommy beamed at not being called a baby, "-have different dietary needs. If you give Dil whole milk like you give Tommy he's going to develop colic." She looked at them both. "intense shrill crying, red face, trouble sleeping… and oh boy, the smelliest diapers EVER!"

Stu and Didi shuddered at that. "Okay, newborn formula, got it. What else?"

"What are the sleeping arrangements?" Lucy asked.

Stu answered, "Well, we are thinking in a year or two to build an addition, maybe over the garage, so that my dad can have his own apartment. Then Tommy can have his room. Till then we'll keep them both in the nursery-"

Lucy held up her hand. "I'd advise against that." Seeing their confusion she said, "Tommy wakes up about once a night?"

"That's about right," Didi said.

"And Dil will be up 3 times, roughly. You know how hard that is on you guys but it will really affect Tommy if he is constantly awoken by Dil. I recommend you keep Dil in your bedroom for the first 3 to 5 months."

"That makes sense," Stu said.

"Finally, and this is the most important thing, you MUST know when to ask for help." Lucy smiled. "We're there for you. Betty and Howard. Chas. Drew and Charlotte. We're all going to help because its going to be crazy. Don't try having all the kids over for at least the first six months… send Tommy to their house. But also don't neglect him… you don't realize it but babies remember. Tommy won't be happy if you abandon him."

"Never," Didi said, kissing the top of his head.

Part 3

Dil strained in his the stretchy chair he was in.

Things had been odd ever since he'd come home (now that he understood what 'home' was). He got a lot of bottles and everyone would cuddle him… but he was also aware that there was a lot he DIDN'T get. Like Tommy got to drink from a really pretty looking thing but when Dil tried to grab it someone would give it back to Tommy. Or Tommy got to wear all sorts of different clothes but he wore the same purple jammies; if he spit up on them (which was a lot) he just got another pair. And he was always taken away to nap while Tommy got to play!

It wasn't fair!

And now Tommy was playing with a teddy and Dil DESPERATELY wanted the furry toy. It looked so wonderful to gum and suck!

"Mine!" Dil screeched, reaching for the bear.

But Tommy was well away from him, playing with his friends. "No Dil," Tommy said, shaking his head. "This is my toy." His mommy and daddy had been rather good about making sure that Tommy got his toys and Dil got his. "Play with MooMoo."

Dil looked at the stuffed cow and glowered. MooMoo wasn't fun! He wanted the Teddy!

Looking about… he suddenly came up with an idea.

It took a bunch of wiggling but finally Dil grabbed MooMoo and with a flung sent it flying in the air. It landed between him and Tommy and Dil was careful to whimper JUST enough that Tommy would notice but not his mommy.

"Oh, one moment guys," Tommy said, getting up. "I have to get Dilly his toy." Tommy grabbed MooMoo and brought it over. "Here you go Dil!"

Dil, seizing his chance, grabbed onto the bear.

But Tommy held on, frowning. "No Dil…"

"MINE!" The baby screamed.

"Its my bear."

"MINE!" Dil shouted before grabbing his favorite rattle and slamming it as hard as he could against Tommy's head. His brother let go, teetering and stumbling, and Dil laughed. He should hit him more-

"TOMMY!" Didi cried out, running over to him. "Tommy, sweetie?" She gathered him up as Tommy whimpered. "No no, Dil!" she said and TOOK HIS RATTLE AWAY!

Dil threw back his head and screamed.

But Didi looked over and Betty and said, "Can you take Dil upstairs? I think he needs his nap."

"Sure thing, Deed," Betty said, getting Dil out of the baby seat. "Come on little guy… if you are gonna hit people then you need a time out."

"Hmmm," Didi said, rubbing Tommy's head as he whimpered in pain. "I thought Dil was old enough for rattles and the like but I guess its just not safe. We'll have to stick with just the soft toys."

Dil's eyes went wide as he realized that trying to get the bear had just cost him MORE toys.

He screamed and cried all the way to his basinet.