Five More Mommies

Raise your hand if you ever wanted a real live baby in your house when you were a little girl.

Yeah, me too!

I should never have worried about how the girls would adjust to having a baby brother. They are the absolute perfect ages to want and love this new addition, and I couldn't ask for five better little mommies to help me out. Their abilities with him run the gamut, but they all love him equally. At one end of the spectrum, Megan is completely capable of holding him, walking around with him and could probably change his diapers if I wanted to give up all claim to him. She is the official baby holder in pictures of all six, and offers help even when she's reading :)

Meanwhile, down at the other end of the spectrum, Mary wants to do everything she sees her sisters doing, but gets upset when we put limits on what she can do. She's constantly saying "ground" so she can play with him on the floor, and she is always all over his car seat if he's in there.  I mean, she may as well be buckled up with him for how close she wants to be. It takes every ounce of self control to stay patient with her as she mommies him, as she is super sensitive when we dare act like she's being too rough with him.

Little Miss Bridget is always in the wings. If Megan gets to hold Luke, then she must have a turn too. She is already mastering different ways of holding him, and insists on "holding him like Mommy."

Wherever Luke is, these little mommies want to be. During his first week home, he attended soccer games and doctor appointments, and the girls wanted to be right by his side in the car. Being the one to replace his pacifier is pretty exciting stuff around here!

I can't forget Tessa and Annie. They love Luke, but they prefer to call him Bucky. They also quickly correct anyone who simply calls him Luke. He is "Luke Patrick Bucky Stecher." Yes, Bucky, as in the pirate ship in their favorite cartoon, Jake and the Neverland Pirates. Why not name him after a cartoon ship? Sounds reasonable to all of the four-year-olds in our house! 

(a real live baby to bathe! incidentally, this was Luke's first bath, at 2 weeks old)

I have to say that the most special motherly attention Luke receives is from big sister Tessa. She is as funny and jolly as they come, but she is also our most sensitive and cuddly kid. She is especially in tune to little Luke when he's upset, and insists on singing to him. Her songs are usually some variation of this:

"If my little brother Luke starts to cry, I'll get a star from the sky. If I fall down, I'll call Wonder Woman and get a star for my little brother Luke for a night light."

Imagine a croaky, out-of-tune voice singing this run-on song ;)

She's also been known to whisper to him while she thinks no one else is listening. Never have I been more thankful for my stellar hearing :)

"Luke, do you know what? Someday when you grow up, you're going to be a daddy!"