Preparing Leo for Littlest

A question I've often been asked during this pregnancy is how have we prepared Leo for the new arrival, if at all. To be honest, it hadn't been something we'd given much thought to other than saying on occasion, "Hey Leo, there's a baby in Mummy's tummy," all the while pointing to and rubbing my belly. Leo never seemed particularly interested which was expected.

As we've drawn closer to Littlest's due date I've upped our game a little and have done a few things to help prepare Leo for the months to come.

Firstly, I had Leo 'help' me set up the bassinet. I then chose his softest and most baby-size soft toy, Sheepie, to play baby, with the hope that a little role play would help explain the concept. Leo didn't take at all to my swaddling Sheepie and calling him baby but was fine when I called him Sheepie. Go figure. Now if I ask Leo where Sheepie is he'll run straight to the bassinet in Joel and my room. If I suggest that Sheepie needs a rest, Leo knows where to take him. And because we've sung The Wheels on the Bus so many times, Leo knows that Mummies often say 'ssh, ssh, ssh,' and that that means we need to be really quiet.

Besides talking to Leo about the new baby and always referring to my tummy, we've also been telling Leo how good a big brother he's going to be and including him as much as we can in our excitement. Friends who have recently had their second child have said that their days have been smoother the more they include their eldest, even if it's just having them pass a fresh nappy. That's my plan too but I'll admit, the intention is just as much about instilling helpfulness than making for a smooth transition to a family of four.

I've been showing Leo baby photos of himself and we /think/ he's learnt the word baby as there's a definite 'beebe' sound he makes when he sees a baby picture of himself or notices another baby when we're out and about. A second car seat was installed last week and Leo will now point to it and say, 'beebe' when we buckle him into his seat.

In my hospital bag I have a present for Leo (a small toy car) and Littlest (a board book) that is from the other and when I first see Leo after giving birth, I want my arms to be baby-free so that I can cuddle him before the big moment. Other than that, I don't really think there's much we can do. I'm anticipating some reluctance on Leo's part but whether that happens immediately or further down the track, we'll just have to wait and see. Joel and I have spoken about our need to be extra patient with Leo in the coming weeks and months as he learns how to be a gentle and caring big brother. I think this will prove to be more crucial than what we've been doing this side of the birth.

I am really so excited about seeing Leo become a big brother. It makes smile to think that with each milestone Leo reached in his first year, he only had Joel and I cheering him on but this new little babe is going to have Leo too. And oh my goodness, if Leo is cheering you on, the enthusiasm, excitement and love just overflows! How blessed this little person will be to have Leo as their big brother.