The Sisters

The most popular question I get every time I run into someone I haven't seen since having Otis is: "How do the girls like him" (followed by how are you adjusting to having a boy...more on that later).

The girls.

The girls love him. And so far have been great with him (minus the admitted drive-by biting/hitting incident that cannot be verified by anyone but Bea and since she doesn't have all of her words yet--only Otis really knows).

The each have their own style with him.

Matilda is Mother Hen. 

Less interested in holding, cuddling, nurturing and more interested and telling him what is what and offering words of encouragement.

"Otis, don't you cry. You don't need to cry right now"

"Otis, Mama will feed you soon"

"Odie, I love you!"

Bea, on the other hand, wants to hold him. Touch him.

Change his diaper.

ALWAYS suggesting to us that we change his pants. If Bea had it her way Otis would go through about 37 diapers a day.

She also has moments of jealousy. Where she will say "move" and start to shove Otis off of whoever's lap he is currently residing (did we mention that Bea is DEFINITELY an Alpha?)

Or climbing up right onto the pillow while Otis is nursing and just saying: "sit". Like..."hey! I deserve to sit here too, buddy".

She has also started to want to hold him by herself (shocking no one that knows this independent soul)....motioning for me to get my hands outta there when she is trying to hold him. Which usually ends up with Otis crying, and Bea saying "shh, shh, shh" to him.

We have been the lucky recipients of a non-stop cold and flu virus extravaganzaa the last month that has landed up with 16 visits to Ready Care in 35 days, 2 stays in the hospital for Beatrice and a whole lot of vomiting for Matilda.

With this, came very limited access to Otis, as I didn't care to see any of their plague sicknesses manifest in a newborn.

So it will be very fun to see how their bond continues to grow stronger with him when they aren't relinquished just looking from afar and 'head kisses'.

And Toddler toes. Because I love these two girls so much that even their toes make me smile.

Welcome Otis Reid!

When we found out we were pregnant with our third, I told Nate that I would think about this baby after Christmas because I knew how fast this pregnancy would go. And it did....right up until the end. Where instead of ending, kept going.

Now, I couldn't complain. I was feeling great, not uncomfortable, and enjoying each additional night as a family of four (knowing the chaos that would soon ensue). But the 'delay' did NOT help my denial. Which I think I was in right up until we drove to the hospital, even telling Nate at about 12:30PM that I bet we didn't leave for the hopsital until 8PM.

Well fast forward about 40 minutes and we were leaving for the hospital.

And it wasn't much longer after that, that we welcomed this little guy into our lives and family:

Otis Reid Hanson

January 26th, 8:10PM

8 pounds 5.5 ounces

21.5 inches long

Nate had a feeling the entire time that this one was a boy. And admittedly, I think deep down I really did think it was another girl. Poor Otis is still getting called 'she' and 'her' and referred to with "the girls" but we are trying really hard to get used to all the new boyness.

As we move into the legit baby stage for the third and final time, I can only hope that Otis' personality emulates the birth---predictable and easy. :) He has a sweet personality and has been very patient with many kisses, pokes, prods and bumps from the big sisters. Matilda is obsessed with holding him, and Bea is just downright obsessed....unless one of us is holding him. Then she wants us to put him down and hold her.

We thought it would be such a great idea to do Otis' first bath in the hospital once the girls came to visit. WRONG. Otis screamed the whole time and both girls cowered in my parents' lap and were very concerned with what was going on. Bea still points to Otis' belly button and says "owie". We brought cupcakes to celebrate the arrival of 'baby cupcake' and sang to him.

We changed our boy name about 1 week before we delivered. We landed on Otis Reid. There is no family significance for Otis, but we really liked the name and thought it fit perfect with Matilda and Beatrice. And we were really excited to share my Dad's name with Otis (his middle name). The one thing that Otis didn't fit in terms of 'requirements of Nate' was a good nickname. That was his qualification for the first two. Ironically, upon meeting Otis Matilda had a nickname for him in the first two minute: Odie.  And for Bea, he is still just 'baby'.

We are adjusting our pronouns from she to he and from 'girls' to 'kids'. And learning how to do parenting to a sweet little boy. Otis has blended right into the family and so far has been quite the sport through many pokes to the eye, drive-by paci stealings and a little-to-tight hugs. We are so excited that he is finally here and that our family is finally complete.