Monday, March 28, 2011

Sibling Connections

My amazing sister Saydi had her forth baby last week.  I loved hearing all about the birth story (you can read about it HERE if you want - she's into natural childbirth like me and she describes it so beautifully - it's just something that works really well for both of us - thanks for those fast-labor genes, mom).  And I loved seeing the beautiful photos she took of her sweet older kids meeting their new baby brothers HERE (Saydi's an amazing photographer).

Saydi's words and photos filled me with nostalgia.  What an amazing thing it is to grow a baby!  What a crazy beautiful painful thing it is to go through labor and childbirth!  What a thrilling thing it is to see and hold your own baby for the first time!

And what a gorgeous thing it is to see your older children meet a new sibling for the first time.  Some of my very fondest memories involve my older kids meeting their new baby sibling at the hospital.  A lot of the labor and delivery becomes a blur in my mind - the pain and the suspense and the uncertainty can make things almost too intense to remember fully.  But a few hours later when the older kids would come to the hospital to meet their new sibling, I was ready to really enjoy the moment - and capture bits of it on film.

I'll never forget how Ashton, my 18 month old who'd shown not a bit of interest in any of the babies we'd tried to show him to prepare him for his new brother, reached out his chubby little arms for Isaac and held him tight, instinctively rocking him back and forth with his cheek pressed to his newborn brother's downy head.



I'll never forget how Isaac was so bothered that the clunky cast on his arm prevented him from holding his baby sister Eliza the way he desperately wanted to or how Ashton smiled at her with the kindest, sweetest smile I've ever seen and held her like a pro (I'm not sure where my best photos are on this sibling meeting - but here's the one photo I had handy.)


I'll never forget Ashton and Isaac's wonder and joy upon meeting Oliver and Silas - or Eliza's uncertainty quickly giving way to interest and then delight.  They loved that their tiny brothers were doll-sized and were fascinated by their sameness.




I love those moments of connection - or what seems to surely be re-connection.  I love seeing the beginning of a relationship that will surely have its ups and downs but that is rooted in love, pure love.  I love giving my children one of the most precious gifts they'll ever get - a sibling.

Ashton and Isaac get to look at the photo of their first meeting quite a bit.  I've found that when a couple of these dear children of mine get into a tiff, it helps to sit them down to look at a photo of them together long ago and remind them that they always have been and always will be best friends.  The bad feelings just can't hang around very well when you're looking at a photo so full of love and connection.

5 comments:

chibbylick said...

I have 4 children, and varied issues between them at the moment. My 5 year old has a photo on her wall beside her bed of a cuddle with her older sister when the oldest was 6years, and she was 10 days old. She can see how much she was loved, and it is a comfort to her on the days her now 11 year old sister is less than loving. I'm really glad I have the picture to show a positive connection.

Pitterle Postings said...

Oh, I totally love the story and the pictures. There is nothing quite like introducing and new baby to the siblings. I love the way that everyone loves them. They might get angry later, they might fight and argue and not share, but for that one glorious moment, love wins.

Hilary said...

Haha, that's funny to show them the picture of when they first met.

Honestly, Conner wanted NOTHING to do with Spencer when he was born. But, they were huge fans of Paige...
Crazy kids!

Sees-the-day said...

Saren,

This is such a great topic to discuss. My book Lost in Learning: The Art of Discovery talks about creativity as essential part of life. Here are some more thoughts I had on that: http://lost-in-learning.blogspot.com/2010/10/renaisance-moms.html

Ti Si chudesna. Izprashtam ti mnogo tzeluvki;)

Linda said...

What treasured memories filled with nostalgia! Love seeing these pics here in Ireland. Makes me miss the kids though. They are all adorable!

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails