He's my brother!!
Welcome to Friday, rainy Rochester style. I won't pretend to do a TGIF post because...well....I would forget it's Friday if someone didn't remind me. But, to be fair, if it wasn't light out, I would have no clue what time of day it was either! Ahh, maternity leave. It'll be 4 weeks tomorrow that I'm a mom of two and a 12 week SAHM, and it's been amazing, fun, interesting, and challenging as all get out. All at once. I'm really grateful for the time at home with my two amazing kiddos (save for the 3 days Rob goes to daycare), and it makes me sad that it has to end, so I am enjoying it while I can! (Not everyone shares my sentiment....good to know I am missed at work by more than just one person :-D).
So, in the last few weeks, I have certainly NOT become the expert at siblings, but I've figured a few things out. Let me say first of all that there's NO DOUBT that Rob adores his sister - Biz a Biz, as he....um...and everyone now! calls her. When he gets home, he goes and looks for her first. He kisses her hello, goodbye, goodnight, and just cause. He runs to her when she cries. Ad he drives his cars on her head (hey, I heard that was a symbol of love in some country, lol).
As parents, we tried to prep Rob for the new bebe. No, I didn't swallow a second child manual (seriously, who has time for that??) but just applied some common sense and a few pinterest tricks :-)
We talked about the baby. We bought new baby books, set up the crib, brought out my cabbage patch doll circa 1985 (poor Katrina Marie) for rob to see what a baby was. We practiced holding her (sometimes by the pacifier, oops). I held her and encouraged Rob to sit next to me. And we talked about the baby and Mommy's tummy and what it meant. (He probably understood about 10% of that!)
We made him feel special. We bought him a present from Biz. And a present to her from him (A
Stache onesie, natch). And the ever so important BIG BROTHER kit that was a homemade stash of about a dozen gifts designed to help with the baby....the tee, the camera, some candy, etc. Rob opened a gift a day for the first two weeks and used it to help him be a big bro or help mom and dad or even just to have fun with. We also signed him up for soccer - a fall mini mites league that was JUST his, not the baby's. I think it helped - and he had a blast!
Of course, it hasn't all been sunshine and rainbows. One kids screams, the other screams louder. Poor Rob, the star of the show until now, feels left out, especially by Mom, who is permanently attached to the baby. Sometimes, Rob forgets that Biz might not want a matchbox run up and down her head while eating (that isn't entertainment? cmon!). Or that "gentle" in the baby bouncer might result in a angry birds slingshot baby. And eve though Greg and I have 68 years on them collectively, they can reduce us to a white flagged red cat surrender.
But Overall? Our family is awesome. And I wouldn't trade it in for anything. In 20 years, when Greg and I sleep through the night, go out for a drink and dancing, or actually sit through a movie (yeah right)....it will be weird. And admittedly wonderful, but wonderful circa 2035. We are so loving the here and now and know that the grass is always green....where you water it :-)
Welcome to Friday, rainy Rochester style. I won't pretend to do a TGIF post because...well....I would forget it's Friday if someone didn't remind me. But, to be fair, if it wasn't light out, I would have no clue what time of day it was either! Ahh, maternity leave. It'll be 4 weeks tomorrow that I'm a mom of two and a 12 week SAHM, and it's been amazing, fun, interesting, and challenging as all get out. All at once. I'm really grateful for the time at home with my two amazing kiddos (save for the 3 days Rob goes to daycare), and it makes me sad that it has to end, so I am enjoying it while I can! (Not everyone shares my sentiment....good to know I am missed at work by more than just one person :-D).
So, in the last few weeks, I have certainly NOT become the expert at siblings, but I've figured a few things out. Let me say first of all that there's NO DOUBT that Rob adores his sister - Biz a Biz, as he....um...and everyone now! calls her. When he gets home, he goes and looks for her first. He kisses her hello, goodbye, goodnight, and just cause. He runs to her when she cries. Ad he drives his cars on her head (hey, I heard that was a symbol of love in some country, lol).
As parents, we tried to prep Rob for the new bebe. No, I didn't swallow a second child manual (seriously, who has time for that??) but just applied some common sense and a few pinterest tricks :-)
We talked about the baby. We bought new baby books, set up the crib, brought out my cabbage patch doll circa 1985 (poor Katrina Marie) for rob to see what a baby was. We practiced holding her (sometimes by the pacifier, oops). I held her and encouraged Rob to sit next to me. And we talked about the baby and Mommy's tummy and what it meant. (He probably understood about 10% of that!)
We made him feel special. We bought him a present from Biz. And a present to her from him (A
Stache onesie, natch). And the ever so important BIG BROTHER kit that was a homemade stash of about a dozen gifts designed to help with the baby....the tee, the camera, some candy, etc. Rob opened a gift a day for the first two weeks and used it to help him be a big bro or help mom and dad or even just to have fun with. We also signed him up for soccer - a fall mini mites league that was JUST his, not the baby's. I think it helped - and he had a blast!
Of course, it hasn't all been sunshine and rainbows. One kids screams, the other screams louder. Poor Rob, the star of the show until now, feels left out, especially by Mom, who is permanently attached to the baby. Sometimes, Rob forgets that Biz might not want a matchbox run up and down her head while eating (that isn't entertainment? cmon!). Or that "gentle" in the baby bouncer might result in a angry birds slingshot baby. And eve though Greg and I have 68 years on them collectively, they can reduce us to a white flagged red cat surrender.
But Overall? Our family is awesome. And I wouldn't trade it in for anything. In 20 years, when Greg and I sleep through the night, go out for a drink and dancing, or actually sit through a movie (yeah right)....it will be weird. And admittedly wonderful, but wonderful circa 2035. We are so loving the here and now and know that the grass is always green....where you water it :-)
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