Adjusting

I wasn't sure how the boys would react to a new baby. They love her. Sometimes a little too much. Ethan is handling it all really well. He's told me several times, "I love my new baby sister so much I feel like I can't stand it." Sweet. Although we were talking right after she was born about why she eats all the time and how she's trying to get bigger really fast. Ethan said, "That's good, because I really want a little sister." I replied that Madeline is his sister, and he responded, "Well, you know, like one I can play with and stuff." Apparently a "little sister" is more fun than a "baby sister."

Colin comes up to me several times a day with his hands outstretched and says, "Baby, peeese? Peeese??" He always wants to know where she is, and tilts his head to the side and says, "Ohhhhh," in this really cute voice when he sees her, and is constantly trying to jam her paci in her mouth (which she usually doesn't want) or pick her up.

He gives her lots of hugs.

And kisses.

I think he basically thinks of her as a new pet. He loves all animals, stuffed or live, and he's been equally enthusiastic/affectionate about the baby. Although he has had about half a dozen epic meltdowns since her birth, which we weren't experiencing before. I'm not sure if that's because of the new baby, because his second birthday is rapidly approaching, or both.

Madeline has basically done nothing but sleep and eat since her birth. A week ago I was alone with all 3 of them for an hour while Jason went biking. We were watching TV, and I had Colin plastered to my left side, Maddie in my lap, and Ethan plastered to my right side. They were all being really good, but I looked down at the 3 of them and felt overwhelmed at the thought that they were all my kids and my responsibility. Then I thought about the fact that my mom had 6 kids, and I tried to mentally picture looking down at twice as many kids. Crazy! I guess that's why you add them one at a time (usually). I've since adjusted mentally to the thought of 3...although the practical application of taking care of 3 will take some time. On our first outing as a family to Target, we managed to lose Colin while we were checking out. We found him one lane over browsing for candy, but it was a bit of a reality check that we managed to let him get out of our sight without our knowledge for a minute or two. Scary.

Ethan wants the world to know that he is big enough to carry her all by himself. (I think this makes my mom nervous...sorry, Mom.)

And he also requested that I document his new Transformers shirt.