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| 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.
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| 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.
Check out my June Carolina Parent Blog for the Top 5 Prepping for Baby #2 Tips from Pregnancy Tips for the Clueless Chick.
Until next time,
aka Chick#1
