We were very mindful of the fact that Millie and Katie would also experience quite a big adjustment with the arrival of Ethan. They have handled it very well.

When Ethan and I came home from the hospital we walked into the living room and put the car capsule with Ethan still strapped into it on the floor for Millie and Katie to smell.

Millie came up to the capsule first and the next thing she did took us by surprise.

She ran away from the capsule and stood near the door and looked at Andrew and I with this surprised expression. We could tell Millie knew this baby was ours. How? I assume the smell of Ethan was the same as ours. She looked at us as if saying “when did this happen!?!” Katie was curious and just happy we were all back home.

It was important to us that Millie and Katie knew that this new baby did not mean they were no longer part of the family. We ensured we gave both Beagles lots of attention and affection without them thinking they were above Ethan in the family hierarchy.

Andrew had a month off work and so had time to take the Beagles out for regular walks and free runs along nature trails. Their pure joy and happiness on these walks was captured by Andrew and shown at the end of this posting.

As I have mentioned in the previous posting we had to put Ethan on 3 hourly feeds for the first week at home. This resulted in getting up a couple of times in the night. For the first few weeks this getting up was all new to Millie and Katie and as so they would get up with us and stay with us while we were feeding Ethan. During the day they looked knackered given their interrupted night and would in their beds sleeping. Once Millie and Katie knew the routine they started to stop getting up with us for feeds and stayed in their nice cosy beds.

In the first couple of weeks Katie would whine when she heard Ethan cry. Both Millie and Katie would go find him and check on him. Katie no longer whines when Ethan cries and I have noticed they seem to recognise his different cries. When Ethan cries because he has discomfort they seem to be more attentive however, if Ethan is crying for someone to come pick him up they do not seem to worry about it.

Millie and Katie are “interested” in some of his soft toys. I will find a toy lying in the middle of the living room but nothing destroyed (yet!). Ethan has a play gym with mobiles above and Millie and Katie know not to step onto the play gym. Quite often I would find one of them sitting next to the gym watching Ethan or sleeping.

When Ethan and I arrive back home after an outing, Millie and Katie run to see Ethan first. So cute!

It is lovely in the mornings when all 5 of us are on our bed. I am feeding Ethan, Andrew is still in bed and the two beagle girls are snoozing on our bed with happy content tummies.

I love my little family!