I’m thankful for…..
tiny siblings
Hayden was pretty skeptical of Reid at first. It was an adjustment for sure, for all of us. But she soon found her soft spot for him. She quickly became his sweet big sister.
She cuddles and snuggles him. Sings him softly to sleep. Original Hayden songs. “Goooo to sleep, in your eyes. Gooo to sleep, in your eyes.”
Teaches him which little piggies went to market. Turns out, it’s not always the little one.
Entertains him with dance parties while I shower and get ready for the day.
Shares her race car skills with him.
She gently tucks him in next to her and explains the story behind Tinkerbell. “Uh, so it’s not the Pirate Fairies, Reid. But that’s alright, this movie is fine too.”
We still have to work on not yelling in his face, and doing our best to not dance directly on him. He’s a trooper and still gives her smiles all day, even when she steals his blanket from under him.
I am the youngest of my siblings and there is 8 and 10 years difference between my brother, sister and I. It’s a whole new experience to see the love between my children. Hayden is protective and loving of her baby. That’s right, her baby. She’s sure to correct you if you say otherwise. And Reid smiles and coos at her every move. From the day we brought him home, he’s been smitten with her. She can yell in his face, steal his toys, roll over him, smash him on the bed, and he just smiles and is content. It’s a bond I love and cherish and can only hope it only grows from here.
the arctic panda 
Matthew had a somewhat different response to having a baby sister. He was a rather quiet child and when she came along with her not so quiet demeanor, it frankly freaked him out and totally annoyed him. They have 2 1/2 years between them and there is 1 year between Lauren and Michael. When Michael came along, the noise level grew and Matt (who was 5) preferred to hang out at our neighbor’s house. He would just ask if he could play at Stacee’s, so I thought, “Wow, they are great friends and how cute.” But then, Stacee’s mom Linda (who is a dear friend of mine) told me what was really going on. Half the time Stacee wasn’t even home and Matt told her that he preferred her house to ours because it was quiet. The irony is that Stacee (an only child) was jealous of Matt’s home and loved to hang out with us even if he wasn’t home.
In our house when they were younger, there would be arguing, toy stealing and sometimes tears. However, there were also moments of sharing, kindness, and laughter. You honestly can’t predict how the relationships between your children will pan out. However, there is always the hope I think, that your kids will be close and stay close. No one knows the family vacation stories, the memories of family pets, mom or dad’s silly quirks, or the feeling of joy when the other one got in trouble for something you did, like a sibling does. Now when they get together they often reflect on those things and say, “Remember that time when…” and the laughter begins and the comradery between them over these shared moments is evident. That is the noise that goes on in my house now and it is music to my ears. 🙂
P.S. It’s always good to have these cute pictures around for when they do start arguing over something silly, you can totally embarrass them into submission to agree to disagree. 🙂