Little Moments, Big Memories

Little moments that quickly go, but never wish to be forgotten:

On the day we brought Emerson home we are all sitting as a family together for the first time. Jackson and I are sitting on the couch while Matt is sitting in the little chair holding Emerson. J, sitting to my right, turns on the couch and puts his hand on my now very different belly. You can tell he is unsure. He pats it and inquisitively looks up at me. I say "Baby sister is not in there any more." He repeats what I said, I reply, "no, she's not." He pauses to think for a brief moment before asking "I can jump on you now??"

The second day we were all home together I was holding Emerson in the loft and Jackson was playing with Matt right there too. He decided he wanted to throw his toy hammer at me. I told him he can't throw it by baby sister. He paused while in thought and then very matter of fact said "Give Emerson to Daddy." I smiled before doing just that so I could catch a thrown toy hammer. 

My husband and I were talking to J in the family room and said he could go play in the garage. He asked if I was coming, I told him yes with baby sister. He then said all our names and said very proudly, "our whole family!"

Out of the blue at dinner on the third day Emerson was home Jackson said "I'm glad baby sister is here." He said it again so calmly and matter of fact.  He even said it with a little smile, one that showed he was warming up to the whole idea, even genuinely happy about it. 

J and I were upstairs playing when I needed to change Emerson's diaper. 
Me: "I'm going to change baby sister." 

J: "No, don't. She will cry."

He follows me into their room. 

She starts crying loud as I change her. J comes over, concerned. He almost immediately picks up her pacifier and puts it in her mouth without prompting from me. She grips, sucks and calms right down. 

Jackson and I went to the park just the two of us. There was another mom their with her boys and two girls that she watches. The one girl was just Jackson's age wearing a real pretty summer dress. Jackson saw her and asked me if he could play with her. I told him yes and he ran up to her. The two went up and down slides. As I was talking to the mom a few minutes later, with GREAT excitement, Jackson came running over..."Mommy, mommy, she said hi!!" He had a huge smile on his face. I caught him as he ran into me with a hug and asked if he said hi back. He paused and still smiling turned around and ran off back to her. I heard a hi as I watched with a big smile of my own.