It really is no surprise that Miles is such a wonderful big brother, though. After all, this isn't exactly a new role for him. He first became a big brother when he was just shy of 17 months old. Looking back it still shocks me to realize just how little he was when Ellie was born. He was just a baby himself. Despite how young he was and how our life turned completely upside down, he just took it all in stride and was the sweetest big brother to Ellie. I cherish the memories I have of Miles interacting with Ellie. I took comfort knowing that Miles would always be Ellie's protector. When we lost Ellie Miles was bumped back to being the baby of the family. A role that, at the time, we thought he would likely possess for the rest of his life.
I could list 1000 reasons why I believe Heavenly Father sent each of our children to our family in the order and at the time he did. One of those reasons is that I truly believe Miles was meant to be a big brother. It is a responsibility he takes seriously and he does an exceptional job fulfilling. The love he has for his little sister and brother brings out the very best in him. His experience of loving and loosing Ellie has only made him love Ryan more fiercely than ever. He never passes up an opportunity to give Ryan a hug and a kiss or to simply stop and give him his undivided attention. He still often makes tender comments like, "I hope Ryan doesn't die. I want him to stay with us forever." which is a fear I hope lessens for all of us as time goes on. One thing is for sure, Miles makes every moment with Ryan count.
I can't wait to watch Miles and Ryan's relationship continue to grow as they get older and become each other's playmate and friend.
