The anticipation had been building for months as Brandon, until now our only child, waited patiently to meet his little brother. He told me the first thing he wanted to do was give a kiss to “Sweet Pea,” our nickname for the baby, and then hold him to say “hello.”
After Sweet Pea (since named Adam) was born, Brandon knew mommy and his baby brother were just down the street from us at the hospital. He couldn’t wait to say hello, so we decided Brandon would visit the next morning before school.
That night, the two of us spent time at home having dinner together, taking a bath and talking about the importance of being a big brother and how Brandon was the only one that Adam would ever have. Brandon was thrilled and told me he had to get to bed quickly so he’d wake up sooner for the next day. After story time, he climbed into bed and told me to turn out the lights so he could get to sleep – a sweet surprise for a child who is an expert at stalling before bed every other night.
Brandon woke up early the next morning, ready to get dressed in his special, new big-brother shirt and ready to wear his big-brother button. He didn’t even want breakfast at home like we normally would because, “Sweet Pea would be hungry too and we should bring our food to the hospital.” I had waited months for this moment, eagerly anticipating seeing my son as a big brother and picturing what that first moment would look like.
The short drive over to the hospital elicited numerous variations of “Are we there yet daddy?” With a grin from ear to ear, Brandon smiled proudly as we walked through the halls at the hospital telling everyone we saw that we were on our way to meet his little brother. He waved at the nurses and hurried down the hall. As we reached mommy’s room, Brandon turned back to me and said, “Can I go meet my little brother?” My heart melted before they even saw each other. Pulling on the door handle to open, he slowly walked into the room and pulled back the curtain to see his mommy sitting on her bed, which brought a big, calming smile to his face. As he walked around the side of the bed, he asked if he could climb up on the couch and catch his first glimpse of his little brother in the bassinet.
We moved his brother closer to him and Brandon leaned down and gave Adam a kiss on his belly. When I asked him how it felt to be a big brother, Brandon smiled and pointed to the “Big Brother” button on his shirt. And then, as only toddlers can do, he turned his attention back to his mommy – realizing that since Adam was out there in the room with us, it meant he wasn’t in her belly anymore. He pointed to her lap and said “Mommy, now you have more room for me.”
After a whirlwind of a week, I’m thankful everyone is now at home and healthy as we learn to get used to our new normal. Brandon is adjusting well to life as a big brother. He always wants to find Adam and is always looking to help, whether it’s feeding or changing – at least for now. I jokingly call him the “guard brother” because he wants to know where his little brother is at all times, and that he’s okay.
It just seems he doesn’t want to have to wait for things when Adam gets fussy. I was getting breakfast ready the other day, and Adam was crying because he wanted a bottle. Brandon turned to me with a straight face and said, “Daddy, do I have to cry to get my food faster too?”
Thanks kid, I love you too.
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