'I've got the kids'

We were finally discharged from the hospital. The nurse led us to believe it'd be happening around noon, so I had the room and car packed. It didn't really happen until 3 p.m., though. So there was a lot of sitting around and waiting.

When we finally did leave Lawrence Memorial Hospital, we only had a few things to take with us. A vase full of flowers from Adrianne's grandma. A diaper bag. A cell phone charger.

And, for the first time, two kids.

With one hand I lifted the car seat carrier. With the other, I held Evey's hand.

"Ready?" I asked Adro as she was escorted out in a wheelchair (a formality). "Ready," she replied.

Then I said something I had never said before.

"OK... I've got the kids."


Ahh, the kids. How cool.

It was a real family before, sure. But now we're a two-kid family. A girl and a boy. It just thrills me.

I know it's such a simple thing to so many families out there. But it's new to us. And it's really, really cool. Evey is a sister. I can't ask "the girls" if they're ready anymore... I need to use a different term now when addressing the family. Me and Adrianne have to be sensitive to the needs of two kids now.

Two different personalities.

Two different people.

Evelyn is handling it well so far. She really loves her brother, even declared she was going to marry him the other day (we had to straighten her out on that one.)

But she also is a little more sensitive to criticism, it seems. She gets deflated quickly. A lot more things are a "big deal" to her now.

I'm sure there's an adjustment period for her, for all of us. We're doing our best to make Evey feel as important as she is.

She's not just one of the kids. She's my favorite little girl in the world.