Littlest brother

How exciting it was to introduce the girls and James to their littlest brother! I wondered how they would do with a new baby in the house, how they would adjust, and if they would be jealous.  I had tried to prepare them and include them in lots of conversations about the new baby.  The girls got it.  Well, kind of.  I'm sure James did not.  He's still a baby himself!  

The girls knew that it was time for the "baby to come out of mommy's belly" and they knew they were going to stay at grandmommy and granddaddy's house while mommy was in the hospital and that they would come see me and the new baby at the hospital.  We decided to bring the girls to the hospital the morning of the delivery.  Here they are waiting with their Jaboo for baby brother's arrival.

I could not wait to see their reaction.  Unfortunately, I wasn't in the room to see it, but here it was ... 

  

Yes, apparently they were a little underwhelmed.  Without me really being there, I wondered if they were just thinking "ok, it's a baby in a bed, so what?"  They went on to school that day before I saw them, but were able to come back to next two days to visit.  They got a little more enthusiastic about baby brother each time.  They liked to hold him and help me with him.  They also liked climbing in my bed and all over me, and pushing all the buttons on the equipment, so the visits were pretty short.  ha.

Big brother did not make it to the hospital.  I thought it would be too hard on him (and me) to see me for a few minutes, but me not be able to hold him, and then someone take him away again.  That was a hard few days without seeing my other baby boy!

Then it was time to get Elliot all ready to leave the comfort and care of the nurses at the hospital and head home to the chaos that we call home.  How sweet is he?

We are home!  Elliot, here is your new room ... and the rocking chair where I'm sure we will spend a lot of time.

And here is your big brother.  James, meet Elliot.

James was way more interested in Elliot upon his first meeting than the girls were.  He kept saying "baby, baby, baby" which I had never heard him say before.  It made me get teary eyed ... like James had grown up so much in the 4 days that I had not seen him.  Of course his first reaction was to give little brother a big poke in the eye!  But he just wanted to touch him and love on him.  

They all seem to really like their new little brother.  Annabel loves to hold him and is probably the most interested in him.  She saw him swaddled and said he looked like a hot dog, so now she calls him her hot dog baby.  Madeline seems intrigued and likes to talk to him and pat on him, too.  James just wants to put his hands ALL over him, so he has definitely been our challenge.  But it is all good.  This is a house FULL of love and laughter ... more so than we ever dreamed possible.  We are very blessed ... VERY tired, but very blessed.