Big Sister

We were so excited to see her, our girl, our Cameron Kate.  We had been soaking up our sweet little Everette, but man we missed our daughter.

When she got to the hospital, I immediately left my hospital bed and quickly went into the hallway, scooping her up in my arms.  "Did the baby come out of your tummy?!"  She asked.  "Yes!"  I said.  

"Then why is your tummy still big?"

Oh, the things that come out of a three-year-old's mouth. :)

We brought her into the room, where her little brother was lying in the bassinet, asleep.

"Do you know who that is?  That's your little brother," we said.

"Evewette?"  she asked.

"Yes, that's Everette."

She immediately opened up the gift she'd picked out for her brother, a stuffed zebra.  She excitedly put the zebra in the bassinet, right beside him.  She stared at Everette, breathing him in and curiously staring at ever inch of him.

"Do you want to hold him?"  we asked.

"Not yet."  she said.  "Maybe in a little bit."

So we left Everette in the bassinet for awhile, talking to her about what she'd been doing with her aunt and grandparents and cousin.  Then we gave her a gift from Everette - a movie, a ring pop, and her very own baby, Charlie (the name we'd picked out if Everette would've been a girl).

After the other family members had come in to say hi, they left us for a bit to explore our new dynamic as a family of four.  I asked Cameron Kate if she wanted me to get Everette out of his bassinet, to which she replied, with a little nervousness, "Yes."

I laid him on my bed and invited her to climb up there with us so she could continue to breathe him in.

She was so sweet, so nervous.  My heart ached a little for her, because I knew we were rocking her world.  I already missed her and our old life as just mama and daughter.  But I knew in my heart she was going to fall in love with him, and fall in love with him hard, just like we had.

And it wasn't long before she took that fall.

And just like that, three became four.

We spent about two hours together, just the four of us, in that hospital room.  It was a very special two hours, a beautiful two hours, two hours that I will cherish and hold in my heart forever and always... I made sure to pause and relish in the little moments, the moments that solidified that our little family was complete, and that everything was going to be okay.  That our life was going to be beautiful.

When it was time for her to go, we gave tight squeeze hugs and told her we'd be home tomorrow.  She left with a skip in her step and new shoes to fill:  big sister.

The next day, we told our little buddy to rest up, because he would never be in such a peaceful and quiet environment again.  It was time to learn how to do this family of four thing within the walls of our own home.

I nervously packed up all of our belongings, and we said goodbye to the safety net of our tiny hospital room.

We drove home, and my heart raced in anticipation of pulling up to our house... it was all about to feel so real.

The first thing she did when we got home?  Handed her little brother her most prized possession... her Ellie.  T and I looked at each other and didn't have to say a word.  We just smiled.

And without skipping a beat, our Cameron Kate dove headfirst into her new role as big sister.

It is the most genuine, most beautiful love I have ever seen.  Unconditional.  Unprompted.  Perfect.

She wants to help do anything and everything when it comes to her little brother.

And if I ask if she wants to go do something just the two of us, the answer is always no.  "I want Evewette to come, too."

But my most favorite moments are when I walk out of the room, and come back to see something like this.

Which happens all the time.  In fact, as much as she loves on him when we're in the room, I believe the sweetest moments between this big sister and little brother happen when no one else is around.

I am so proud of my girl.  She has exceeded all of my hopes and dreams of what things would be like when we brought a baby into her world.  There is no love quite like that of a sibling, and I am so honored that I get to witness it between my daughter and my son, day in and day out.

Cameron Kate, you are such an amazing big sister already.  I know this new addition to our family has completely changed our lives, but you have jumped right into your new role without looking back.  I can already tell that you would do any and everything for your little brother, and I can promise you he'll feel the same way.  The way you look at Everette brings me so much joy, and he is incredibly lucky to have you to look up to, my girl.  

My sweet CK.  My big girl, the big sister. <3

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