More Benjamin

With Rachel down for the count, it was Miriam's turn to get to know Benjamin. In a way this sickness was a blessing because the girls were quiet and calm for much of Benjamin's first week here and there wasn't any bickering over who got to hold him when because the rule was that if you were puking you weren't allowed to hold Benjamin, no ifs, ands, or buts.

Once Miriam was lucid enough to fully realize that Benjamin was home she was pretty excited to spend some time with him.

July 12

Both of the girls are wonderful helpers. They like to help get clean diapers and take care of the dirty diapers. They will bring me bottles when I need them. They help choose his outfits and make sure that his cannula stays in his nose. Rachel likes to watch Benjamin on the bed to make sure he doesn't fall off. Miriam likes to give Benjamin hats and blankets and soothers.

July 14

Miriam will also translate Benjamin's speech for us. She tells us what he wants and what he doesn't want. She gives us a play-by-play of everything he does. "Oh! He moved!" she'll squeal, or, "Oh! He did open his eyes!" And my favourite: "Oh! He noised!" which she'll say whenever he so much as sighs or squeaks.

Miriam is always hanging out with me and Benjamin when we're nursing. One of the nurses at the hospital said it's because children still pick up on the pheromones in mother's milk until they're around three years old. Rachel can ignore my pheromones (though she often hangs out when we're nursing, too) but Miriam can't. Whenever I try to feed Benjamin she is drawn to me like flies to honey. She says that Benjamin and I both smell the same. Apparently we smell "so good like ice cream." When we asked her what Daddy smells like she said, "Ummm, hot dogs?"

The other day I was nursing in the living room and because that's a public space I covered up. Rachel asked me why so I told her it was because not everyone wanted to look at my body. "Well," she snorted, "Not everyone wants to look at a blanket, either!" Rachel's preference would be for me to cover up my body while leaving Benjamin's body uncovered. It wasn't fair that she only got to look at his feet!

We're all still in awe of this sweet little boy and it's not unusual to enter a room and stumble on a scene such as this: 

July 14

We just can't get enough Benjamin!