What Burl Thinks of Fern

A question that we get asked a lot now is "how is Burl doing with Fern?"  I love that question.  I ask that of my friends who have more than one.  I love to know how sibling relationships develop.  

Now, let the eyes roll and the thoughts say "yeah right," but I'll tell you it's true.  I remember when my mom brought Joseph home.  I was 20 months old-the same age Burl is.  I was home with Grandma Polly and she told me that the baby was there.  I remember running for the door, down that hall to the outside.  She tried to get a jacket on me, but I remember thinking "I have to see him.  I have to see his whole body and make sure he's real."  It was mid-March and I ran out there.  My mom was holding him.  I pulled her down, she showed him to me, all wrapped in blankets.  I pulled them off and saw him.  My baby.  I mean, my mom's baby.  I was so excited.

That's not how it went with Burl and Fern, but it was close.  We were in the hospital room with just him.  The nurse wheeled in the baby and he went nuts.  Arms out.  Grunting.  He wanted to hold her.  He sat his granola bar down-which is saying a lot because brotha' likes his food.

He held her.  He cooed.  He kissed her and hugged her and might have squeezed her a bit too hard.  Then, he went back to the granola bar.  John and I traded glances and thought, "oh, that's Burl.  Loves his food."  Then, he did something we've never seen him do, he offered his food to Fern.  He tried to feed her a granola bar and we knew then that he was going to do well with her.

That picture up there-my favorite from the hospital.

He loves her.  One of the first things he does when he wakes up is check on her.  Where is she-what is she doing.  At least twice a day, he asks to hold her.  He sneaks kisses.  Goes for hugs.  Bounces her bouncy seat.  And by all means, does not like when she cries.  If I don't get up right away, he's pulling me and pointing towards Fern in a way that says, "Woman, she is crying.  You need to help her.  She's pitiful."

And I eat up with a spoon.  I don't want to jinx myself, but I couldn't imagine things going better.