Moments That Mattered 2013.

2013 was filled to the brim with big moments. From finding out I was pregnant with our second baby in March, to finally welcoming baby David after a pretty rough pregnancy in November. John turned 1 in January, I turned 23 in July and we celebrated our first Christmas as a family of four in December. Out of all that though, there's one moment that sticks out as the best, the one that mattered the most.

According to my Mum: At around 4.30am on Wednesday the 13th of November 2013, John woke from his sleep shouting "Mummy". Whilst, just 3 miles away, I was meeting his little brother for the very first time.

4.29am on the 13th of November 2013 - the moment John became a big brother.

The first meeting - feat. Lightening McQueen.

Right up until the moment David was born, the thought of John becoming a big brother filled me with some degree of anxiety. At times I couldn't wait to see him side-by-side with his baby sibling. And at other times I worried for how he'd adapt to having a new baby in his home & life. I always knew a smaller age gap would be easier on John as he'd not yet fully understand the concept of jealousy but I still worried that he'd find it difficult to share his life with another little person, given that he was (& still is) so young himself. I did all the usual things to prepare him for our impending new arrival - talking about the baby in Mummy's tummy, reading various books on babies, pointing out babies everywhere we went & telling him he'd have his own soon... But I still knew he couldn't really understand.

So when David arrived earthside, I thought my anxiety would continue at the thought of him & John first meeting. But in fact, I couldn't have been more excited. Perhaps it was because I hadn't seen my biggest boy since putting him to bed the night before, but when John toddled onto the hospital ward with his Granny & Papa the afternoon after David's debute, I knew things were going to be just perfect. Of course he was really more interested in his Lightening McQueen car that David had for him but he wasn't at all phased by the squishy little person who'd arrived to join his wee family.

Once we got home & started our life as a family of 4, John blew everyone away with how well he accepted David into our lives. Straight away it was apparent that this wee boy was made to be a big brother. He'd wake up in the morning asking for "Dayday", he'd bring David his toys to share and he'd always be the first one there with a dummy whenever David cried. My biggest boy surprised even me with how loving, caring & accepting he could be with such a big change to his little world. Having to share Mummy's milk, lots of new baby equipment into his home, the buggy now being occupied by a chubby wee fella - he took it all in his stride.

Playing "Dayday" a wee song.

And throughout the past 2 months, he's continued to surprise me with how good a big brother he is. David adores him, saving his biggest smiles for his brother, his eyes following him wherever he goes. It used to be "Mummy" that John would shout, running towards me with open arms, when I collected him from nursery, now it's "Dayday". And when he wakes up from a nap & David's not there (usually napping himself) gone searches the house high & low until he finds him.

My moment that mattered in 2013? The moment my baby became a big brother.

(This post is entered into the Moments That Mattered 2013 competition in association with Oh So Amelia & Lloyds Bank.)