The door opened slowly and my little Harlo came wandering in, already half-dressed for school.  The birth tub had been packed up and moved out, the room was completely clean, not a single thing looked different from when she had gone to bed the night before.  “Harlo,” I said as a few tears slipped down my cheeks, “I have a surprise for you.” She stopped at the foot of my bed.  “What, mom?” I pulled down my blanket to reveal this tiny sleeping baby in my arms.

“Is that baby Grae?” she asked accusingly.  “Yep, Harlo.  It’s Baby Grae.  She came out of my belly!” I could tell she was trying to conceal her excitement.  My girl, always playing it cool.  I asked if she wanted to hold her, but she was just a little bit timid and peeked at her from the side of my bed.  She suddenly had a lot on her mind. “Mom, did she just come out while you were sleeping?” “Mom, can we get her a tiny Elsa dress for Halloween?” “Mom, look at her ears.” “Mom, can she sleep in my bed sometimes?” and with each answer she got a little more comfortable, until she had climbed up and sat right beside us, reaching ever so gently to touch her new baby sister. “Mom, is she going to wake up soon?”  “Mom, look at her fingers.” “Mom, can we surprise Stella?”

I had such a sweet moment with my first born child meeting my newborn baby.  I thought of a time just not so long ago when she was the tiny one swaddled in my arms and I don’t think I had ever considered her being this old.  Being a big sister of now two little sisters made her seem so grown.  We talked quietly while Brady slept beside us, I answered all of her questions and she just kept them coming with tiny giggles in between every time Grae would so much as flinch.  After a good half hour, we heard more foot steps coming down the hall.

Harlo gasped, “Stella!” and jumped off my bed to greet her at the door.  “Stel! Mom has a surprise for you!” she squealed as Stella entered the room.  “What mom? What surprise you got for me?” “Come here, Stelly.” I said as I tilted Grae up for her to see. “Baby Grae?!” she shrieked with wide eyes as she hurried to climb up on my bed.  She crawled right over to us and held out her arms, “I want to hold her.”  Stella stared at this tiny girl in her arms in complete awe.  “How does it feel to be a big sister, Stel?” I asked, a smile spread across her face as she nodded, without ever taking her eyes away from her new little sister.

We spent the rest of the morning snuggling in bed, taking turns holding the newest addition to our family.  Baby Grae was finally here and we couldn’t have been more thrilled.  Watching my girls fall in love with their new sister was even more magical than I could have dreamed of.