I remember when Fay was around Portia’s age, I was still in school and I had a huge research paper due. My awesome sister-in-law, Crystal, agreed to watch Fay while I worked on my paper in her basement. Somewhere in the midst of working on my paper, I came upstairs to find Fay surrounded by three adoring cousins who were each making silly noises and faces in an effort to get her to laugh. It was working really well! She was giggling up a storm! That was the first time I uttered the words “I have a testimony of siblings.”  And now that we actually have some of our sibling action going on around the house I feel it even more!

The other day, the sweetest thing ever occurred. Carter wanted to feed Portia her baby food, and I let him. It’s so cute to hear his little baby voice, because he already has a baby voice all the time, but he accentuates it for Portia! Fay does the same thing, and it is also pretty cute!

Fay loves snuggling with Portia and loving on her! She talks to her so sweetly sometimes, and I’m just so happy that Portia gets love from so many sources at home! Fay also loves trying to carry Portia. The other day she declared that she had “big muscles” and could therefore carry Portia up the stairs unaided. Her muscles were apparently not quite as big as she had thought, and it was a very good thing that I was spotting the endeavor. But, even though I do intermittently fear for Portia’s life, it is fun to see the sisters love each other so much!

But Portia isn’t the only one who benefits from siblings. Fay and Carter have been buds forever, and they are each other’s very best friend. Sometimes they fight–we are trying really hard to encourage other methods of negotiation–but most of the time they just enjoy each other’s company and love trying the things that the other loves. Here’s a little taste of how they play together.

I just love them all so much!