Before Bryan andBrandi Redmondmade the decision to adopt their infant sonBruin Charles, they made sure daughters Brinkley, 6, and Brooklyn, 9, were okay with the idea of being big sisters.
“We wanted them to be part of the process and the decision,” Brandi tells PEOPLE for this week’s issue, sharing exclusive photos of her adorable new family of five.
So Brandi and Bryan came up with a unique way to make sure Brooklyn and Brinkley’s wants and feelings were considered.
While Brandi expected there to be some objections, she was shocked to see “there were no hesitations from anyone” about it. “They were just like, ‘Yay, we’re going to haveanother boy in the family!’ Brandi recalls. “Everything was positive. And after my husband read them all, I just started bawling.”
“I’m getting emotional just thinking about it and talking about it,” she adds, choking up with tears. “But yeah, it was beautiful.”
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Since bringing Bruin home, Brandi says Brooklyn and Brinkley have been excellent big sisters.
“They are so excited,” she says. “Bruin was in the NICU because hewas born prematurely, andwe FaceTimed them from the hospital so they could see him.”
As Brandi explains, “We were planning on bringing them to meet him after that and they were like, ‘Just bring him home, Mommy!’ ”
Fans will get to see Brooklyn and Brinkley’s reaction to Bruin’s adoption on the next season ofRHOD, the cameras following the emotional journey from the start. But now that Bruin’s here, Brandi is hoping things slow down a bit.
“It’s been really fun but with my first two kids, I don’t think I took time to really appreciate each moment,” Brandi says. “You’re like, ‘Okay, when are they going to crawl? When are they going to walk?’ You’re kind oflooking for the next stepalways.”
“With him, I’m just taking each day and soaking up this little life and everything he has to give our family,” she adds. “And I’mnot taking it for granted. I’m like, ‘No, don’t get bigger.’ Because it all happens so fast!”
For more onBrandi Redmond’s new family of five, pick up the latest issue ofPEOPLE, on newsstands Friday.
source: people.com
