Ernie
We’ve been MIA for awhile, haven’t we? It seems that you get to certain stage in pregnancy where eating, sleeping, and nesting are the only real activities of your life. I have been decorating and redecorating and organizing and cleaning. Addison’s nursery still isn’t done, but we are very close.
As we’ve begun to prepare for this big change, we’ve attempted to transition Isaiah the best we know how. He is very fond of my belly and loves to say ‘good morning’ to it. He also loves to rub lotion on it and talk with Addison (who he has randomly started calling “Ernie”). We like the nickname Ernie… we are gonna call her that. I digress. As we’ve attempted to explain that this room is where she will live, these diapers are what she will wear, etc, he has seemed to understand. He knows babies grow in bellies and that they come out one day. I have this underlying fear that although he seems to understand he will completely freak out when she arrives. THEN I will have that mommy guilt moment where I cry and wonder why I chose to destroy my little boy’s life…. weird, I know.
So I am reading and researching and attempting to figure out how to make this the easiest transition possible.
We had a gift for the big brother from the new little brother. He loved it and totally bought into it. He still says it is the toy that Zachary got him when they were at the hospital. I also recommend to not be holding the baby when Isaiah comes into the room for the first time. Have the baby in the bassinet and let him look at her there.
The nickname is a good start seems like he can’t wait for his sister.
I love that he gave her a nickname! I think actually using it will really make him feel like he’s a meaningful part of her life.
When we were expecting #2, I was terrified of everything: what if I didn’t love my second as much as I loved my first? What if I ruined Zachary’s life by bringing another baby home? What if this fragile existence we had created, daddy and mommy and baby, just fell apart with the pressure of a new baby?
And it was an adjustment, probably more than adjusting to being a parent at all. Learning to balance time and attention and resources with two kids. But Zachary isn’t scarred, though there may be days when he’ll tell you otherwise. We now have three, and though it’s been a change each time, it’s never been as bad as I feared. Maybe that’s because I tend to completely overblow my fears, but I like to think it’s because kids handle becoming siblings better than we think they will.
Oh don’t even get me started. I am so worried that my other creature is going to cause an explosion at my house. I’m concerned about our little Shiva.
Having been there before, I absolutely understand your concerns about the transition. My son was excited and remained so after my daughter was born. He seemed a little mad at me for being in the hospital and messing up his routine, but I assure you that it lasted for all of the two days I was in the hospital. (Alternatively, you could always stay home to avoid that one, if it so floats your boat.
I could share some info on it if you’d like.)
My favorite first few days memory: For whatever reason, my son had referred to his “part” as a “neck.” We have our theories as to why he called it a “neck.” Anyhow, I was changing my daughter’s diaper, and my son looked bewildered when he saw his sister had different parts there. “Mommy, where’s her neck?” he asked me. I had a good laugh while explaining that little girls don’t have “necks.”
awww congrats!!!!!!
weird i had a dream i had given birth to a baby girl just last night. woke up next to my ptr and told him so, he said “was she healthy?” so that was a good sign lol
Are you absolutely sure he knows it comes out? It seems he has accustomed to Ernie the belly living baby. I sense some major post natal confusion. Good luck with that
Haha! Good point Loon… maybe I should let him watch her crown… that might convince him they come OUT