Big Sister

Wallace Noble Miller joined our family at home a week ago yesterday and I'm so impressed with how Linden Bloom has stepped into the roll of Big Sister.

When we brought Wallace home, Linden had spent the previous three nights at our house with Laine's parents. She's never been away from us for that many nights, so I knew there would be some adjustment to us coming home, especially since we were bringing a baby with us.

Linden got ready for bed like usual, but right when I was about to leave her room she popped out of bed and declared she was ready to play. Wallace was crying out a floor below, so the odds were stacked against her.

Surprise! Big Sister shirt with
backpack accessory

We talked through what it would be like to have a baby at home and how he might be noisy at times. Linden listened, and understood. She eventually went to bed and fell asleep a couple hours later while Wallace was making noise.

I took it as a very good sign that she'd accepted his presence in our home so quickly. Maybe she can give me some tips. :-)

Uncle Graeme & Aunt Nina

Laine's brother Graeme and wife Nina came to visit Linden and Wallace this past weekend. They've always been some of Linden's biggest fans, so we're glad they were able to find time to come down for a visit. And we always appreciate the Monical's pizza that they bring. :-)

They accompanied Wallace to his very first trip to Fell Park which was more of a milestone for us, getting our family of 4 out of the house, than it was for Wallace who slept through the entire trip. 

Linden couldn't get enough of Graeme and Nina swinging alongside her though. They know how to make her laugh.

Visit with cousin Van

The Thursday after Wallace arrived, my sister Alison and her family just happened to be in town from San Francisco. Alison and her husband Eric both attended Northwestern and were back for their 15th Homecoming reunion with their two-year-old, Van Orion.

We knew that the timing meant they would either see Laine super pregnant or meet their newest nephew. I'm glad it worked out that they had a chance to meet Wallace.

Van and Linden are a year apart but nearly the same height. (Fun fact: Van's birth weight was roughly the same as Linden and Wallace combined.)

They had fun playing together, especially at the park where they took turns climbing up and sliding down a tunnel.

This was also Grandma and Granddad Miller's first opportunity to meet their second grandson. He gave them just what they were looking for, sleeping soundly in their arms throughout the majority of their visit.

Linden meets Wallace

Walking through St. Francis

Linden has been talking for months about how she's going to be a big sister. "But not yet!" she'd remind people. "He's still in Mommy's tummy," she'd inform them, before then often embarrassing the person by asking if s/he had a baby in her/his tummy too.

So we knew that Linden meeting Wallace for the first time was going to be a big deal. For us if not for Linden.

Laine's parents were kind enough to stay at our house with Linden for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night, so they brought Linden with them to the hospital late Sunday morning when they all came to meet Wallace. I took Linden up to the room ahead of Grandma and Bampa so that we could have a family moment together.

I broke the news that baby brother had arrived as I carried Linden through the hospital. She was excited to meet him, but equally excited to see a "car" transporting people through the long hallways, and oh so many doctors.

When we arrived at the room, Linden was very excited to see Mom and then meet baby brother. "His name is Wallace," we told her. "Wawrus?" she repeated back. Yes, it could be considered cruel to name her brother Wallace knowing full well that she has not yet mastered the L sound. I couldn't say L until I was five either, so I understand.

Naturally, she wanted to hold him and she was absolutely shaking with excitement. After a few minutes, her attention turned to equally exciting developments, like the extra bed in the room "That's my bed. Can I sleep there?" and the TV on the wall, "Can we watch a show" etc.

It was a special moment, one that I'll always remember.

Wallace Noble Miller

We are thrilled to announce the arrival of our son, Wallace Noble Miller, born Saturday, October 15, 2016 at 6:57 p.m. at St. Francis Hospital in Peoria, IL, weighing 6 pounds 11 ounces and measuring 19.5 inches.

Laine was a champ throughout the delivery. It was a long day but things progressed as they were supposed to and Laine's determination and focus served her well.

Nurses often commented about how well Wallace was tolerating labor as well. He was monitored the entire time and his heart rate fluctuated just when it was supposed to. Even though he arrived two weeks early, he was ready for us.

Laine, Wallace and I had the delivery room to ourselves for an hour after his arrival. They call this the 'golden hour' before nurses return to weigh him and prepare to move us to a postpartum room.

Still today, Laine and I can't believe how well everything went. We are thrilled to welcome Wallace Noble to our family and thankful that both he and Laine are healthy.

It's not going to be easy...

Our last dinner as a family of three

Thursday night, we were enjoying our last night at home. We would be going to Peoria in the morning, knowing that we'd likely be there until Baby Miller arrived.

When I got home from work, Laine and Linden were sitting at the dining room table. Linden was eating a fortune cookie. She loves fortune cookies, so I save them for her. She calls them "daddy cookies." She typically pulls out the fortune and tosses the paper on the floor. (We're working on correcting this shameless littering.)

Family selfie

But that night she tried something new. Laine told me that when she opened the cookie and pulled out the fortune, she read it aloud. "It says, 'This isn't going to be easy.'" Just said that out of nowhere. This seemed a bit clairvoyant since Linden had no idea what was planned for tomorrow. 

Now that I was home, Linden asked me for the other fortune cookie sitting out on the counter. When she pulled out the fortune, she read it as, "It's not going to be any fun either."

Our daughter just might possess psychic powers.

She's ready

March in Video

I take quite a few short videos of Linden each week but don't often post them. So here are a handful of videos from the month of March to give you an idea of what gets Linden excited.

Nostalgia tour through our previous home

Helping Bumpa rake -- "No problem"