the siblings

i had anticipated my first two children being unsure and inquisitive about their new baby sister, but have been pleasantly surprised at how much they LIKE her. they really LIKE her. actually, they are smitten with her and totally and completely in love with her. i am certain the day will come when the new has worn off and eleanor is slobbering on jack's trains and she will become less enchanting; but for now its about the cutest, most heart warming thing in the world.

they have become excellent hand washers and use "hanitizer" frequently, before fighting over who gets to hold her. they each have their own boppy and they love to snuggle with her on the bed. 

i have to give credit to tasha young, who has the cutest, hippest bog ever for the brilliant idea i am about to rip off! she uses "isms" in her blog, "husbandism" and "toddlerisms"-- and i thought it would be appropriate to have our own set of "isms," as there have been a plenitude of hilarious things happening around here. there are things you don't really think about when introducing a new sibling. . . like how does it eat? where did it come from? jack is too quick to ask these questions, so i have had to be light on my feet and decided to just answer him as honestly and vaguely as possible. 

like these jackisms. . .

"how did that baby come out?" well, there is one bonus of the c-section. they cut my stomach open and pulled her out. ta-da! simple enough answer. and he bought it, with no follow up questions about HOW it got in my stomach in the first place. 

"why is she chewing on your nipples?"--- um. well. you know how cows make milk for people and baby cows to drink, well, mommy makes milk for eleanor to drink. "yea, like those big, huge pink thing that hang down?" right, jack, exactly. they are called udders. "i didn't know you had udders, mommy."

the nipple thing has been a real matter of fact deal around here. he is totally down with knowing that is how eleanor eats, but he wants to talk about it. a lot. and to everyone. like my 88 year old grandpa. yesterday at lunch, i took the baby upstairs to feed her and jack informed grandpa verne that "your nipples don't work grandpa." it might be the first time in my entire life i have seen my grandfather that quiet. i don't think he even responded but i was just certain that i was going to pop a stitch in laughter. 

vivian's speech and comprehension isn't quite what her older brother's is but she is fascinated with her new baby. she is puzzled that this new baby doesn't talk and gets closer and closer to eleanor's face with a "hi baby. hi baby. baby. . . hi?" vivian also gets so super excited around her that her speech speeds up and she ends up calling the baby "ner ner" instead of "eleanor." its hilarious and i hope it doesn't stick. 

ner ner roth just doesn't have the ring to it i was looking for. 

its complete chaos around here all the time, but eleanor seems to be the most content in the midst of it. she rouses when its too quiet. her little eyes flutter open when she hears jack's voice and she turns her head to find him. he sings to her when she gets fussy and she calms down to listen to him. its my greatest hope that they all adore each other like they do right now. thing one and thing two simply beam when they look at her and she is the most happy around them. what more could a parent ask for? 

"A sister is a gift to the heart, a friend to the spirit, a golden thread to the meaning of life." 

  Isadora James