As if the sight of one boy playing the piano, didn’t melt my heart enough…

2 boys just turns me to mush

As Scott and I worked to put together the scrapbook and video collage for our son’s 1st birthday, we looked at lots and lots of pictures and video clips. 

As we did, one reoccurring theme, was brought to mind.

This boy is adored by his siblings.

He really has been from day 1.  And by day 1, I mean, the day Scott and I told them about the baby in my belly.  But as we watched videos and looked at pictures of him at the hospital, coming home from the hospital, getting his first bath, changing his diapers, eating his first solid foods, drinking from a sippy cup, eating finger foods, crawling, standing… at each milestone, each new phase for him… you see 3 cheerleaders by his side.  Smiling and clapping, exclamations of “he did it!” ring over and over. 

As we celebrated his birthday, that love shone brightly though again.   They’re there, in his face , by his side, excitedly watching him open his gifts, eating his first bite of cake, watching his video that Daddy made.  They are excited.   They are involved.    The girls decided, on their own, to wear their big sister outfits… the same ones they wore when they met him at the hospital.  And they each made him thoughtful cards for his birthdayMy heart was so full as I looked at that love. Overflowingly full. I love the way they love him.   And my hearts desire, is that that love will only grow.  That they will be lifelong friends forever. 

By the way, if your friends with me on face book, you can see the video by clicking on my wall. 

As I watch my kids play together, I can’t help but think how my son has no idea how good he has it.  Growing up, it was just me and my little brother and we’d often play together.  I vividly recall playing GI Joe with him.  It pretty much went the same way every time.  I had the Princess Lea action figure and she would be married to either Shipwreck or Sgt Slaughter.  I’d let him go off on the side and fight his battles or whatever while Princess Lea would clean house and make dinner.  Then she’d call him home from war to sit at the table and eat his dinner.

Yea, I pretty much turned Joes into Ken and Barbie.

Lately, my oldest two have been playing GI Joe and it is a totally different game.  My daughter is Lady Jaye and she throws grenades across the toy room at the Cobra’s. 

I couldn’t help but chuckle when she came looking for a sack to wear on her back for her grenades to go in.  Yea… my son totally struck gold in the sister department.  Sorry bro!

There are many familiar and epic battles out there.  At the circus, I am often subject to reading, watching, and even role playing in such battles over good and evil.

Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker fighting for the future of the galaxy.

Spiderman and Doctor Octopus dueling over the city of New York.

Optimus Prime and the autobots verses Megatron and the decepticons in their fierce battle over the fate of earth. 

But none come close to the battle currently being fought at the circus. 

One one side we have my son who as a baby was comforted by his pacifier and wants his little brother to find comfort in the same place. 

His littlest sister weighs in in the other corner.  She’s found great solace in sucking her fingers and takes delight in finding her baby brother doing the same. 

On more than one occasion I have seen them trying to convince their brother that their way is the best way.  (Yes, that’s right my son will pull the fingers out of a content baby’s mouth in order to stick in the pacifier). 

Who will win for the heart and soul of the youngest circus member?  Will it be the pacifier or his fingers?

Right now, he’s a bit confused and scared over the choice at hand.

One of my favorite things about parenting, is watching my children interact with each other (when they aren’t fighting that is).  It’s fascinating to me to see the differences in their bonds and relationships.  One relationship which I have observed recently growing is that between my two girls.   

With only 17 mths, and a few inches and pounds between them, they are in so many ways peers.  They share much in common, and yet are so very different.  It’s been my prayer since the beginning that as they grow, their bond of friendship grows only stronger. 

A loyal sister is worth a thousand friends. 

~Marian Eigerman

What were my kids doing on the quilt in that picture yesterday?  Were they tracking an escaped ant from their ant farm? Were they studying the quilt pattern in preparation for making one of their own?  Were they praying over their baby brother?

Not quite

Believe it or not, underneath that pile of circus cast members was our youngest child…

You kinda get a little glimpse of him here…

We were attempting some tummy time, but I don’t think the poor guy had any room to lift his little head with all the smothering encouragement from his older siblings. 

So instead he laid his precious little head down on the quilt and fell asleep.

  Sweet dreams little man

I think I’ve mentioned before that my oldest three all share a room.  This week the kids have started taking turns sleeping with the baby. 

Sunday night the boys got to sleep together.  My oldest was so excited about sharing a room with his little brother.  I couldn’t help but snap a picture as I peeked in on them before going to bed.

When I went to look in on the girls I found them both cuddled up together on the floor… it appears they decided to have a sleep over of their own!

The next night my oldest daughter wanted to sleep with the baby.  As she was getting ready for bed she told me to make sure when I put him to sleep that I put his pacifier where she could reach in the crib so that she could help him if he woke up.  She told me she’d take care of him and I wouldn’t have to get up.  One of the times when I went in to feed him, I found her by his crib giving him his pacifier and talking sweetly to him.  In the morning I found she had moved off of the bed and onto the floor so she could be closer to him. I wonder how long it’ll be before all four of them are sleeping in the same room?!

Those of you with more than one kiddo know how insanely difficult it is to get a good picture of all your children together….if you don’t know what I am talking about, check out this post or this one, and you will get an idea of what I am referring to.  You have aspirations of all three children sitting still, smiling, and looking at the camera.  After about 30 clicks of the camera and at least 20 begs and pleas to “look at mommy” and “please sit down” you suddenly set your sights a bit lower and just hope for all of them smiling… who cares where they look and how they sit….

After an almost 3 year quest for that perfect picture of our children together, we finally got it.  (we got really close this Easter with our “best group shot yet” picture)

On our way to the hospital to have our fourth child, Scott decided to quick snap a picture of the kids as we dropped them off with Great Grandpa.  He told the kids to smile really nice b/c this was the last picture we’d have of our children, when it was just three of them. 

Apparently, that was all it took b/c they totally turned on the charm and Scott clicked away.

Of course we get that sought after picture of our kids together only to have it become completely outdated a mere 5 hrs later!

And if the secret to getting a good picture of all of my children together  requires me to be in labor for their next sibling, then I am pretty much guaranteed, to never have a good picture of the 4 of them together.

Oh well… it was good while it lasted!!

They say newborns don’t do much other than sleeping, eating, pooping, and crying.  While that may be true, I gotta tell you the circus crew has not yet tired of watching their baby brother do these things. 

It’s been a week since we brought our little man home from the hospital.  And every-single-time we have to change his diaper, one can hear a stampede of feet as the three of them race for a spot by the changing table to watch.  They even brought a stool in there so they can better see.  Need a paper towel moistened to wipe his bottom?  No problem, there are 3 eager volunteers to help with that.    My youngest daughter will eagerly grab a diaper from the basket and open up the tabs for me. 

  Bath time was a huge hit at the circus household.  The kids were so eager to watch as I gave him his first sponge bath.  One could hear a rousing rendition of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star being belted out over the sounds of his cries of protest. 

Their favorite thing to do with their baby brother is to hold him.  Nothing lights up their face more than the opportunity to hold him in their arms.  You can hear my son tell his brother all the things he wants to teach him when he grows up… how to read and write his name, how to throw a baseball, how to climb a tree…. he can’t wait for him to get bigger so they can play together.  Meanwhile the girls want him to stay a baby forever.  They love to hold his hand and snuggle up next to his face.  Every time he makes a peep, they peek in to check on him in his bassinet or crib.  When my 4 yr old returned from an outing with Daddy the other day, she quickly ran to check on her baby brother.  She came out and lamented, “Momma, I think he got bigger while I was gone!”   

I love how this picture captures my younger daughter’s enthusiasm for holding her brother… I gotta tell you she looks like this every time it is her turn to hold him… Arms wide open with an eager look of anticipation on her face.

I love the way they love their brother.  They loved him before he was even born and their love has only grown since he arrived.