little mothers

These girls of ours are so excited for a little brother. 

It seems so strange that we'll have a little boy in the house.  Tractors and trucks and all of those other things Courtney has never bought- things that are so much a part of him.  Courtney's mom tells of when he was a little boy, and would proudly tell everyone how his dad had lots of "quiptment" (Grandpa Lloyd started the construction company Courtney and his brother now own).  I have a feeling Christmas shopping is going to be a lot more exciting for him now.  I can just see the two of them sprawled out on the floor with all their "quiptment".   And me?  It seems almost like I'm having my first baby again.  Everything seems so new and different.  No more pink, ruffles, and ribbons- so strange. 

August seems a long way off.  I can't wait to meet him, and either can his sisters.  Almost daily, I am engaged in an "How far away is August?" conversation.  I explain that the baby will come at the end of summer, after Emmy and Claire's birthdays and before the fair.  Then I try to pep them up, saying "It will be here before we know it!"  I don't know who I'm trying hardest to convince, me or them. 

A friend of ours told me a funny story the other day.  He was driving his daughter and Kate home from gymnastics and she was telling him all about having a little brother.  He jokingly told her, "Now Kate, I don't ever want to see this little boy running around in a tutu."  It was then that she informed him that she and her sisters already had it all planned out and they were going to dress the poor little guy up in dresses and make him stand out in the front yard and dance for the passersby.  

I hadn't heard that one.

I thought about how Aunt Jodi and I used to curl Uncle Shawn's hair, dress him in our frilly slips and church dresses and call him "Shawna".  We were so convincing that he once won a primary Halloween costume contest due to our efforts.  I guess he survived inspite of us and even turned out to be a pretty good guy.  How does that saying go- what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger, eh?  Maybe there is hope for little brother, after all.

I mean, seriously.  How can he not turn out?  He's going to have not one, but five mothers. 

Lucky, lucky little boy.