Big Brother in Training

This is Marlin! 

This was Chris' cabbage patch doll when he was little. 

Ryken has just recently really taken to Marlin.

He calls him Mar. 

Ryken is so sweet with him. I just can't help but smile and document the sweet moments. He shows great potential as a big brother. We pray he will be as sweet or sweeter and caring with his little sister as he is with Marlin…although he won't have as much freedom of carrying his sister around as he does Marlin! :)

 I have captured a few of the things that he does with Marlin. 

Ryken was jumping on the bubble wrap the other morning, having a blast, and then left and brought back Marlin and made him jump on the bubble wrap. He didn't want to have all the fun by himself!

Ryken asked to give Marlin a drink. So I found a small bottle and told Ryken this was Marlin's bottle and he sat down and gave him a drink. When he see's the bottle around the house, he knows that it belongs to Marlin. Ryken enjoyed chewing on it as well! 

 One day, Ryken was going to take a nap and he picked up Marlin and asked to take him up to his nap too. So I tucked him in close and as you can tell, he was thrilled! I watched him on the monitor after I left the room, and he was rearranging Marlin to what he thought was the perfect spot for him. 

 We went bye bye and you guessed it, Ryken asked if Marlin could come as well! 

I sat him in the seat next to him. When we were in the store, he would bring up Marlin a few times. I reassured him that he was in the car and we would see him soon!

 Ryken had been wearing dad's beanie around the house and then he put it on Marlin. Dad put him up by Ryken to snuggle on the couch! 

 And lastly, Ryken asked to give Marlin a snack. That wasn't enough, he had to have a bib too. So Ryken put Marlin in his chair, I put the bib on and then Ryken gave him a cracker. 

He gives Marlin hugs.

He gives Marlin kisses.

He reviews Marlin's facial features: Eyes, noes, mouth, ear, hair

He reads books to Marlin.

Brushes Marlin's hair.

He talks about Marlin all throughout the day!

As cute as it is, we don't want him so attached to him that he wants him around all the time and if he isn't he can't handle it. So we say no to things as well that he asks to do! :) 

Like tonight, Ryken was on his way up to take a bath and he asked if Mar could come too. I said no. He also wanted him to go night night with him. No again. He accepts it well!