Cousin Caden is born!

tandem nursing at a park in Seattle

About 2 and a half weeks after Aram was born my little sister had a baby named Caden Asher. He likes his mommy a lot and likes to look at her and nurse a lot! While it was really fun being pregnant and sharing tips/morning sickness feelings/small moments together for 9 months, I was sad that I could not be there for her when she had him. She was such a HUGE help for me when my first one was born and I have great memories of her and I really bonding over funny delivery moments that we now laugh at, that I wish I could have been there for her during her first born. Nonetheless, I have enjoyed watching my little sister grow into a gentle, loving mama. She has always managed to beat me to big life challenges such as getting a career by age 20 and owning a condo by age 24 (something like this), and I barely had finished college by that point, that it has been nice that for once I am able to give her "big sister" advice about babies. I love that we call each other almost daily to ask questions, gain support and enjoy each other friendships.

Ohh sorry Ren Ren I might have gotten a little to soft there for you....back to Caden.

Aram on left, Caden on right

When I pick him up he feels heavier than my baby and is still a bit squirmy but is very interactive with big smiles. I especially like it when he smiles. He has a really big smile! But the best part is when he poops. He really gets to work at it with grunting, flared nostrils, and sweating. He sweats when he eats too. I got to give my first bottle to a baby the last time I was there, and he had my arm wet by the time he had finished the milk.

He allows me to see babies of other parents in a way that I have not been able to since we are the first of our immediate friends and family to have babies. I get to see how another parent reacts to a crying baby and learn how to sooth a baby that is not familiar to me.

The gang: Aram, Jasper, Caden, Lily

I really look forward to the group of them growing up together...I picture the parents visiting inside someday while J (being the leader of course) and the other two boys play outside making lots of noise and eventually someone getting nudged to hard and coming in with tears. Lily (my adopted sister's daughter) is one lucky girl to have all those boys to look after her when she gets older and for her to tell them what to do as most girls do. It is going to great fun to have a clan of cousins instead of just one.