Sisters, can't live with them, pass the beer nuts

When I found out I was pregnant people quickly started asking me whether I wanted a boy or a girl. Since we already had Kate I didn't really care either way. I figured that J probably wanted a boy and I would've loved that for him, but I also thought it would be wonderful for Kate to have a sister.

I have a wonderful, beautiful sister who I adore. I won't say that we were always the best of friends growing up (though she will deny it, she was a little bratty at times) but as we have gotten older we have grown a lot closer. I thought it would be great for Kate to have the opportunity to have a sister despite my fears that they will hate each other for a few years around their teens.

Auntie Ti-ti (as Kate calls her), 3 month old Kate, and Me

My hopes for Kate to have a sister won and though J was a tad disappointed to not have a boy to carry on the Ryan name, I think he was a bit relieved that another girl meant significantly less pre-baby shopping needed, though I strongly believe that Lily shouldn't have to have all hand-me-downs and we have made a few Carter's runs since she was born.

Unfortunately for J, there were a few must-haves on the new baby list. Our car seat had reached its expiration date and we needed a new double stroller so off to Babies"R"Us we went. After a few trips, we picked out a beautiful new car seat and heavy, cumbersome double stroller. Yes, we have become "those" people with the mini-van and the giant stroller.

Kate needed to make sure that the new car seat was safe and comfortable for her new baby sister. Looks like it gets the Kate seal of approval.
Can you believe how big she is?

The big day came and I don't think Kate had any idea what was about to hit the Ryan household. She did really well meeting Lily for the first time, but when we first showed her the baby she said "butt" a few times and pointed to the baby. We still haven't quite decided if she was trying to say "pet" (i.e. she wanted to pet the baby) or if she was already calling her sister names. We hope she was just trying to be nice.

Kate, wearing her Big Sister shirt, at the hospital after meeting Lily .

The whole family in our first photo. Kate appears to be pretty excited.

Is that a look of terror in her eyes? Or just wonder? I imagine she is thinking something like "She is so small!" or "Is that ours?" or "What is that thing you are holding?"

So far, things have gone fairly smoothly with the girls. Kate seems relatively uninterested in the baby except for short spurts when she wants to hold her hand, kiss her, pat her, etc. She can be a bit rough with Lily especially when Lily is in her swing (Kate thinks that Lily is as much a daredevil as she is and really wants to get Lily's swing moving) or when Kate is trying to climb up on our bed. We have to remind her not to stick her fingers in Lily's eyes, and, when she isn't trying to steal Lily's pacifier, she is shoving it into her mouth whether she wants it or not.

Kate taking a peek at her new sister and plotting ways to send her flying in the swing. Though it looks like she is trying to introduce Lily to Pooh, she is really just using him as a tool for distraction.

Lately, Kate has been asking us to put Lily on her lap. It lasts about 20 seconds until Kate decides that she is "all done." It started the other day when we thought it might be a good time to try to get some pictures of the girls together. Now that Lily is a little bigger, she is more able to hold her head up and is a little less susceptible to Kate's "loving" touches.

Though the face on Kate says, "Why is she in my chair?" and "How do I get her out of here?," she was very gentle and really enjoyed sharing her prized furniture with her sister.

One of Kate's new favorite things to do with the baby is to rest her head on top of Lily's. It was really cute at first but now she wants to do it all the time, and Kate's head is really heavy. Lily hasn't complained yet so I am guessing it doesn't bother her too much.

"Alright, mom, I will kiss her. Love you baby Lily."

For the most part, things are going pretty well with the girls. Kate seems mostly happy with our new baby. I hope she continues to love her as much as we love her, though I am sure they will have their moments. I can already hear the "Mom, Lily stole my shirt" and " Mom, Kate is hogging the bathroom" arguments that is the rite of sisterhood but until then I assume they are going to be the best of friends.

And when they grow up, hopefully Kate will be as lucky as I am and will have someone in Lily who is not only the best little sister but also an amazing and adoring aunt to her children just like I have with my wonderful sister.

Auntie Ti-ti and Kate painting a banner to welcome home Lily.