Big Brother

With all the fuss over the new arrival, we musn't forget our big Jed. And he is a BIG BROTHER NOW, as he has consistently reminded me since baby arrived. "Jed, are you a baby giraffe?" "No, Mom, I'm BIG JED!" Awwwwwww, darn. I miss my baby elephant (though I notice the baby animals have been reappearing the last few days... ooo, I hope! I love my darling baby animal!)

The Saturday after my due date, two days before baby arrived, Jed conveniently fell down the stairs and cracked his collarbone. He spent the next few days mostly being babysat and hardly seeing his mom at all. By the time he came home, he was one sad and tired kidlet. I am everlastingly grateful to Michael's parents, who took the injured older brother for days and loved him up, to my parents arrived a few days later with a bag full of presents JUST for him, and willing baby-holders who took Zoe for a bit ever day so Jed could have some much needed Mom Snuggle Time. His shoulder seems to be healing fine, he has become extremely cautious around all stair type objects, and the retraction of trampoline privileges has caused great pain and suffering, I'm sure he'll need years of counseling after the trauma of Mom enforcing the NO JUMPING rule.

Jed loves loves loves Baby Z. He coos and oooos and aahhhs every time she is near, rubbing his face against her, giving her belly kisses, proudly showing her off to friends, and whispering tidbits of nonsense in her ear. He holds her in his lap a dozen times a day, giggling when she poops and telling me how happy she is to lay there.

I'm amazed to find that welcoming Zoe into our family has just made me love my little big boy a hundredfold more. I love tiny Z, but she's still the little stranger we are just getting to know. Then I look over at my Jed, and remember the ten thousand happy memories we've shared in the last two and a half years, and realize that he's twined into every fiber of my mother heart. I love my little boy. How could anyone resist that sweet happy face?!