Sad

Little hands on a big belly.

She will be here soon, I say.

I will beep her, Baby says. I will beep my sister.

Todder giggles. You mean burp! You will burp her! I will feed the baby a bottle.

I smile.

This is happening. In a matter of weeks, we will bring our third daughter home. Into our new home. Into our good life. We will walk her around and say it.

Welcome.

We will introduce her to her sisters. The big girls. And I hope they will smile and hug her and kiss her. I hope they will be okay. I know they will.

But I worry. I do. Because I remember. That day in October two years ago. Husband and I brought Baby home. We left her sleeping in her little car seat. Toddler skipped around, stopping every now and then to peer at the tiny creature. Her little sister. She rocked that little car seat. So gently.

That afternoon, Husband and I, so happy to be home, so happy to be back, placed Toddler in her crib for her nap. And Toddler curled up with her little giraffe like she did every day.

Happy nappy, we said. We love you.

We left her room. We plopped ourselves on the couch. In our new reality. And then we heard it.

Toddler's sobs.

And we raced in. She was red faced, inconsolable. Husband lifted her out. We all sat together.

What's wrong? I asked.

I'm sad, she said.

Sad. It was the very first time she'd ever said this word. This lonely little word. This tiny fleck of human truth. I didn't even know she knew about sadness.

Husband and I heard this word from our tiny creature and tears pooled in our eyes. And we stayed in there and rocked her back to sleep.

Sad.

A heartbreaking moment. One I've not shaken. She was sad.

Another big day looms. We will bring home another tiny creature. In the very same little car seat. And they will be there, waiting. My babies. My big girls. And I don't know what they will think, or say. I'm not sure I'm prepared. But I must be. Because they might be sad. Again. Too.

But time will pass. And Baby will beep her. And Toddler will give her a bottle. The sadness, if it comes, will fade. And love and laughter will take its place.

I hope they will be okay. I know they will.

How did you react to the arrival of your little sibling(s)? How did your older sib(s) react to your arrival? How did your older kid(s) react to the arrival of their little sib(s)? Do you remember the first time you felt sad or one of your kids expressed sadness?