Friday, May 31, 2013

What to Do When Preparing for Baby #2


Big Brother To Be! 

When we found out we were expecting our second baby we were elated. It was especially exciting to tell our little boy, but given that he was 1 at the time, we might as well have told him we just purchased a new blender. That didn't, however, stop me from purchasing every "Big Brother" t-shirt I could find. In fact, that is how we announced our pregnancy to the world.  Doesn't he look excited?

From day one, it was very important to us that we include our oldest son in the pregnancy. After all, the arrival of his little brother would have a significant impact on his life. Beyond the obvious changes of moving into a big boy bed, in a big boy room, he would have to adjust to sharing our attention, dealing with two exhausted parents who had been up all night with a newborn, etc. etc. So, we made it our goal to make our little man part of the process and I will tell you, it really paid off.

One of the most touching days I have had as a mother was the day we took my then 18-month-old with us to our 3-D ultrasound. We were reading him books about new babies, and talking to him about the baby in Mama's belly, but watching his face light up when he saw images of his little brother was nothing short of amazing. He would point at the ultrasound screen and say "baby!" and then point to my belly and say "baby!" It was such a special day.

www.heatherlaufferphotography.com
Even if you think your toddler is too young to understand what is going on, chances are he or she can at least sense that there are major changes in the air. You can talk with older children, ages 5 to10, about what exactly is happening and what they should expect when the baby arrives. For a little one under 4, you have to get creative, and believe me, a little prep work goes a LONG way.


Until next time,
aka Chick#1

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