The Best of Friends

My kids really love one another.

I admit that when I found out that I was pregnant with Jules I burst into tears. NOT because we did not want more children, we had always known that we wanted a relatively large family by today's standards......but because I felt as though I was "cheating" Luke. It was sooner than we had planned (or thought possible ;))and I worried that I was somehow gypping him of his "alone time" with us. I worried about what people would say. I worried about everything. In retrospect I was suffering from a dastardly combination of new/nursing mother stress and pregnancy hormones, but it was a very intensely emotional time for me as I felt elated and terrified, proud and worried, and pretty much every other emotion humans are capable of. My wonderful smart and wise husband immediately said three things to me:

1. Who said that "alone time" with us is a good thing? Maybe too much "alone time" with us would be terrible for a child. We are at least half nuts, maybe we are saving him from us! And, if "alone time" is so important, than does that mean that second, or third (or 18th, like the Duggars) children are somehow worse off for lack of a moment of parental "alone time"?

and

2. "We are giving Luke the best gift of all ~ a SIBLING!"

And then,

3. We love being parents. We wanted more children. Stop it, this is great!

I have to say that seeing him laughing and excited about the digital pregnancy test that was glaringly saying the giant word "PREGNANT" in my face made me instantly relieved.

I look back now, and laugh. My Luke loves his sister. The two of them are thick as thieves. Jules looks to Luke for her daily entertainment. I may love her and nurse her and have carried her in my body for almost 40 weeks, and Nate may love her and sing to her and provide for her, but Luke is her hero. Luke will never ever ask for a drink of water, or any type of food, without asking for some for Julia as well. And HE needs to be the one to then provide it to her. When he wakes up in the morning and comes running into our room, the first thing out of his his mouth is ALWAYS is "Hi Jul~Ja, HI baby Jous!!!!". One of my greatest hopes for my children is that they look out for one another, that they love one another, that they complete, rather than compete. I know that they are still but babies, and I know that fighting and arguing, and all of that garbage will happen.....I just hope that it happens minimally. I get immense joy out of seeing my son looking out for his sister. I get immense joy seeing my daughter laugh at every.silly.stupid.thing her big brother does. I know that closely spaced siblings are a ton of work, but I have learned that there is also a HUGE ton of joy that goes along with it.