Ev and James meet...

I've been promising to post this for a while and I don't want to forget the feeling I had during this moment.

After I was brought into the postpartum room, I received an examination and the second bag of antibiotics finished. The nurse (who was a trainee from the local community college, my grade for her: C+) freed my right hand of the IV. Finally!

During this time, Ed slept on the little couch with James on his chest. Ed seriously LOVES tummy time. Sadly, we haven't done it as much with James since we have had visitor after visitor with very little alone time. Tummy time requires no shirts, guests require shirts. I feel like we've missed out on something by not doing it and may be part of my anxiety about having so many visitors so often. Anyways, my main nurse walked in and warned us we may get in trouble for having Ed sleep with James passed out on his chest. I didn't worry about it.

Eventually Ed woke up, I was cleared and it was time to introduce the big sister to the little brother. I had been thinking about this moment for so long. If I had unlimited money...or maybe even 1 friend in Bloomington (sadly, I'm not kidding)...I would have asked them to come and take pictures during the meeting so we could all be in one big family picture. Unfortunately, Ed wound up taking the pictures so he wasn't in any of them.

At first EV was very nervous to come in the room. My parents had taken her out to breakfast and apparently she stuffed herself with pancakes, bacon, french toast...and everything else on the table. She stood out in the hall and had to be carried in.

Grandma was able to brush her hair.

Grandma trying to get her excited...EV not excited.

I was holding James at this point and since I didn't know they were coming at this very moment, I didn't have a chance to place him in the bassinet before EV was in the room. I wanted to have my hands free when she entered since I was very conscious how she may feel seeing me in a hospital bed holding a baby. Whether it affected her or not, she said hi to her Daddy and they propped her up in bed with me.

I'll let the pictures tell the story but essentially: she wasn't sure at first; we started identifying body parts on James and she chimed in; he made a noise; she identified him as a baby; she saw she got attention for being nice to the baby and when there is attention involved, she's golden. Everything has been great since!

Really unsure...

Still not sure...

What is that?

She wanted me to hug the baby

Identifying body parts

More random, unedited pictures:

James yawned and she saw his tongue.

This is his stern face. He looks much cuter now...let newborn-y

To see Ev with her brother brings tears to my eyes. In my family I am the oldest and I have a brother, 3 years younger. So in my head, this is what a family looks like. She wants to hold her brother, gives him kisses, tells him "Okay baby Okay" when he cries. When he is crying she will come get me because she knows I feed him. When I have to pump she likes to attach the bottles and press the on button for me. She gets diapers for him when it's time for a change. When he poops she gets big eyes and says "Baby Poop!" and laughs. She says "Bye Bye James" when her and Ed go on errands and she kisses him good night and gives him a hug on the way to her room for bedtime. We've had family movie night with me holding James and Ev sitting between me and Ed. I love how looking at my family will bring tears to our eyes. We are so happy as a family of four. I don't feel the need to run out of the house because I'm suffocating. I want to be with my family. Through having James I realize more and more how special and full of life EV is. She's our little Shirley Temple!