This post is dedicated to my big sister, the FishHead herself. I love you- Tiny Dancer.
Last Monday, Lily became a big sister.
Before Dolly arrived, Lily grew to know and like the term “Big Sister. It sounded like something exciting. She got the idea of a “big sister” from the ‘New Big Sister’ book we had read over and over and OVER with her in the previous weeks. She knew something was up lately, her mom was bigger and she became aware that there was something going on with the furniture in the house. A big girl bed had been ordered for her, she recently received a new white dresser that blew her mind, and her old furniture was being crammed into Daddy’s office. Other than that life was continuing as normal.
I had Lily from Sunday night until Wednesday morning last week; allowing for Mommy and Daddy to stay at the hospital with out worry. On Monday they text messaged me that it was a girl! (They waited until birth to find out the gender of the baby. I don’t know how they could handle waiting for such information. I had a really difficult time.) I had taken Lily out to lunch with my boyfriend and literally screamed as I said “Lily! You have a baby sister!! Her name is Dolly!” She looked at me and said “Oh nay (yes). Baby Holly! Maybe icy cone?” The only thing that sounded remotely exciting to her was the prospects of the ice cream store next door. I decided what the heck, lets celebrate.
The next day her parents had asked me to bring her to the hospital. My mom, and older sister, told me that the important thing was making this feel special for Lily. I took her to Target to pick out some newborn gifts for baby Dolly. She chose a “Little Sister” onsie, a singing toy, and two “big balloons” one of Thomas the Train and one of a baby chick. Saying things like “Oh nay! This is a great one!” or “For baby Holly?!” as we perused the isles of her new favorite place. I got her a cupcake shirt to wear the day they came home and wrapped everything up. I let Lily dress herself for the hospital. She wore a pink ‘Big Sister’ t-shirt, a pink tutu from her Halloween costume, ruffled socks, and black party shoes. She felt glorious and was a major hit.
The car ride was riveting. She saw airplanes and water fountains. And sang Jingle Bells for the entire hour-long ride. (Yay for LA traffic!) When we finally got to the hospital, her dad met us in the lobby where she feasted her eyes on a picture of a rainbow. The rest of the trip became completely unnecessary and I am positive she will look back at the day and only think of that lobby and possibly a bagel. We went up stairs and greeted her mom with the “Thomas and chicky” balloons, after a hug Lily walked into the hospital room. We all waited to see if she would notice the tiny plastic box in the middle of the room holding her baby sister. Lucy walked over and said “Oh! New Baby.” She paused and looked at the blue-bulb-nose-plunger-thing (yes, that’s the official term for it) and said “Oh! New Baby’s toy!” she turned and walked to the make shift bed on the window seat and said “Oh! Big girl bed!” climbed on to it and proceeded to tell her mom that there was a rainbow downstairs. (I was just thrilled the crib wasn’t knocked down in order for Lily to get a better look at the baby, like it had taken place in my dream the night before.) She refused to take a picture with the baby and only set her mind on the rainbow downstairs and how her mom needed to see it. Life would not be complete otherwise. Of course, Katherine can’t leave the hospital room and that was an impossible. So we feed Lily tiny pieces of candy cane every 3-5 minutes in order to distract her and had her continually deliver small lotion bottles from one person to another. We also let her show Dolly how to play the blue-bulb-nose-plunger-thing like a trumpet. We stayed for a while and, of course, visited the rainbow before heading home.
Here I was, a little sister myself, expecting this monumental occasion to take place. Here is a new sister! What is cooler than that?? Here is your new sidekick in life. The person that will go through everything with you, whether you get along at the moment or not. You’ll be her biggest fan and she will be your cheerleader and best friend. And yet Dolly might as well be a turkey on the table. Worthy enough to acknowledge but surely nothing compared to Disneyworld or Santa Claus or the rainbow picture in the lobby downstairs.
It took me a while to figure out exactly why I have wanted to tell this story, even before it existed. The reason is the simple acknowledgment of the things we take for granted. Family. Siblings in particular. If only I could explain to Lily how amazing that day truly was. How honored I felt to experience it. How I felt like I was watching my sister meet me for the first time. Hopefully, one day, she’ll understand. But it may take until she stands in the shoes I was in last Monday.
Before Dolly arrived, Lily grew to know and like the term “Big Sister. It sounded like something exciting. She got the idea of a “big sister” from the ‘New Big Sister’ book we had read over and over and OVER with her in the previous weeks. She knew something was up lately, her mom was bigger and she became aware that there was something going on with the furniture in the house. A big girl bed had been ordered for her, she recently received a new white dresser that blew her mind, and her old furniture was being crammed into Daddy’s office. Other than that life was continuing as normal.
I had Lily from Sunday night until Wednesday morning last week; allowing for Mommy and Daddy to stay at the hospital with out worry. On Monday they text messaged me that it was a girl! (They waited until birth to find out the gender of the baby. I don’t know how they could handle waiting for such information. I had a really difficult time.) I had taken Lily out to lunch with my boyfriend and literally screamed as I said “Lily! You have a baby sister!! Her name is Dolly!” She looked at me and said “Oh nay (yes). Baby Holly! Maybe icy cone?” The only thing that sounded remotely exciting to her was the prospects of the ice cream store next door. I decided what the heck, lets celebrate.
The next day her parents had asked me to bring her to the hospital. My mom, and older sister, told me that the important thing was making this feel special for Lily. I took her to Target to pick out some newborn gifts for baby Dolly. She chose a “Little Sister” onsie, a singing toy, and two “big balloons” one of Thomas the Train and one of a baby chick. Saying things like “Oh nay! This is a great one!” or “For baby Holly?!” as we perused the isles of her new favorite place. I got her a cupcake shirt to wear the day they came home and wrapped everything up. I let Lily dress herself for the hospital. She wore a pink ‘Big Sister’ t-shirt, a pink tutu from her Halloween costume, ruffled socks, and black party shoes. She felt glorious and was a major hit.
The car ride was riveting. She saw airplanes and water fountains. And sang Jingle Bells for the entire hour-long ride. (Yay for LA traffic!) When we finally got to the hospital, her dad met us in the lobby where she feasted her eyes on a picture of a rainbow. The rest of the trip became completely unnecessary and I am positive she will look back at the day and only think of that lobby and possibly a bagel. We went up stairs and greeted her mom with the “Thomas and chicky” balloons, after a hug Lily walked into the hospital room. We all waited to see if she would notice the tiny plastic box in the middle of the room holding her baby sister. Lucy walked over and said “Oh! New Baby.” She paused and looked at the blue-bulb-nose-plunger-thing (yes, that’s the official term for it) and said “Oh! New Baby’s toy!” she turned and walked to the make shift bed on the window seat and said “Oh! Big girl bed!” climbed on to it and proceeded to tell her mom that there was a rainbow downstairs. (I was just thrilled the crib wasn’t knocked down in order for Lily to get a better look at the baby, like it had taken place in my dream the night before.) She refused to take a picture with the baby and only set her mind on the rainbow downstairs and how her mom needed to see it. Life would not be complete otherwise. Of course, Katherine can’t leave the hospital room and that was an impossible. So we feed Lily tiny pieces of candy cane every 3-5 minutes in order to distract her and had her continually deliver small lotion bottles from one person to another. We also let her show Dolly how to play the blue-bulb-nose-plunger-thing like a trumpet. We stayed for a while and, of course, visited the rainbow before heading home.
Here I was, a little sister myself, expecting this monumental occasion to take place. Here is a new sister! What is cooler than that?? Here is your new sidekick in life. The person that will go through everything with you, whether you get along at the moment or not. You’ll be her biggest fan and she will be your cheerleader and best friend. And yet Dolly might as well be a turkey on the table. Worthy enough to acknowledge but surely nothing compared to Disneyworld or Santa Claus or the rainbow picture in the lobby downstairs.
It took me a while to figure out exactly why I have wanted to tell this story, even before it existed. The reason is the simple acknowledgment of the things we take for granted. Family. Siblings in particular. If only I could explain to Lily how amazing that day truly was. How honored I felt to experience it. How I felt like I was watching my sister meet me for the first time. Hopefully, one day, she’ll understand. But it may take until she stands in the shoes I was in last Monday.
(*Lily has continued to call the new baby Holly and doesn’t seem to like the idea of calling the baby anything else. Could be worse.)
I love reading these! Keep 'em coming :)
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