Big Brother and Big Sister

Ever since Emma came into our lives, I can tell that in a way, it has brought Ethan and Hannah closer together.  It’s not like they weren’t playing together before, but I kind of feel like they look happier together now.  It’s as if they now have something special in common, i.e. a little sister they can call their own.

It’s truly a blessing Ethan and Hannah have each other because it sort of distracts Hannah (especially) from jealousy and inevitable sibling rivalry.  On the contrary, both Ethan and Hannah adore their little sister Emma.  They witnessed her being born and that in itself is the most precious thing in the world.

Hannah, especially is very fond of stroking Emma’s hair and head and has, on many occasions, asked to hold and carry Emma (under adult supervision, of course).

When Emma cries, Ethan and Hannah will ask that I check on the baby immediately to see if she’s all right.  Hannah will sometimes say, “Mommy, I think Emma wants breast milk!”

So I think this sibling relationship between the three have gotten off to a good start. 🙂

Of course, we did give it a push in the right direction by doing a couple of things on our part too.  When I had Hannah, I brought along a photo of Ethan with me to the hospital, and similarly, this time, I had with me photos of Ethan and Hannah.

They were certainly happy to see it when they visited me. 🙂

(The purple bag beside the picture frame is a gift bag from the hospital.  It contains a lavender spray, a few bars of lavender oatmeal soap and some lavender cream.  Heavenly!!)

We also did the gift gesture from Emma to Ethan and Hannah when we got home.

Hannah asked, “But Mommy, how did Emma buy the presents for us?”

And Ethan answered, “Of COURSE she didn’t!  Mommy and Daddy bought them!”

They were happy with the gifts all the same though. 🙂

When I had to stay in hospital for 2 nights, Pete had to single-handedly manage both kids, and I was primarily concerned about Hannah.  Ethan is quite independent and matured enough to understand most things, but Hannah would be away from me for the first time ever, so I expected a certain amount of insecurity.  Pete said it was harder dropping her off at school (and still is, sometimes), so I really hope Hannah will overcome her insecurity soon.  That being said, Pete did an excellent job in caring for them both in my absence, and for that I am truly thankful. 🙂

So yeah, both Ethan and Hannah adore little Emma and they can’t wait for her to grow up so they can play with her, especially Hannah, I think.  Ethan’s gonna be a terrific big brother and Hannah’s gonna be an awesome big sister. 🙂

Hannah says, “Mommy, now there are THREE girls in our family!”

And Ethan continued, “Yes, and now there are also THREE kids!”

The girls outnumber the boys BUT now the KIDS outnumber the grown-ups.   This is gonna be interesting. 😛