Party of Four

Last night, Evie curled up on the couch with me to fall asleep. We watched a little bit of a PBS special and then she turned toward me and put her sweet head on my ever-growing belly. She closed her eyes. Oh, Evie was just beautiful in the flickering light! She was still for so long that I thought she fell asleep.

And then the baby started kicking in my tummy. This little guy is strong! Evie sat up and looked at me. She said "I love this baby. I love Ethan."

My heart melted. She's so young, but so very sweet. I know she doesn't understand the changes Ethan will bring to our lives, but she understands her baby brother is growing inside me, and she loves him.

She put her head back on my belly, and Ethan kept kicking. Evie said "He is kicking a LOT!" She placed her tiny hand on my tummy, right next to her cheek. "I want to feel he." We sat like that, feeling our baby kick, until she drifted off to sleep.

I am soaking up these last few weeks with Evie, but I can't wait until Ethan is born. I have little glimpses of our life with him. Evie is ready to have him in the seat next to her in the mini-van. She always points and says "Ethan can sit here, and Ooga can sit in the back." And I can imagine her back there, chattering away to this tiny baby. We had a beautiful day at the park yesterday, and I thought about Chris and I, side by side, each pushing a child on the swings. We'll have to ask for a table of four at our favorite sushi restaurant. Evie will show Ethan how to gobble edamame and miso soup. I see us all cheering on the Spartans this fall, Chris and Evie yelling at the TV, while Ethan and I give them puzzled looks. Such good things are in store for our family...

For now, though, I'm just cherishing watching my first miracle baby in the flickering light.