How are you babying your baby?

[GreenMommy]

I have a 3.5 year old and am trying to soak up this time with him before baby comes. Lots of crafts, lap time and stories. Is anyone doing anything extra special with their little ones now?

Alicia

[MyBaby'sSmile]

I haven't done anything "special" but I make sure to give him lots of extra love and attention. I'd love to hear any ideas that anyone has though.

[ehsclt]

I am trying to do as many fun outings as we can, knowing we'll be homebound for a while. Children's Museum, playgrounds that aren't close to us, etc.

[Sweeney]

After reading the thread title I was all prepared to wander in here and ask if drinking a large amount of hot chocolate counts as 'babying my unborn baby'?

We've been spending alot of time outside and doing fun excursions too (zoo, museum, aquarium) before we're hit with the triple whammy of winter, brand new baby, and exhausted mama.

I've been worried about suddenly lavishing too much attention on my son (he's 2 yrs) as well. I think the transition between having Mama's every waking moment devoted to you and having Mama spend all her time on the couch or bed nursing your new sibling would be really hard. But maybe I'm just thinking too much on what everyone says to do with your pets

Does anyone have any thoughts on sibling gifts?

[MamaTaraX]

I havner't eally done antyhing terribly special. My oldest is in school all day, so I get the whole day with my 2-yr-old every day. We play. We read. He cooks with me. He watches me play Nintendo Nothing too extra-ordinary. We talk a lot about the baby in my belly and how the birth will go too because I want that to be a very normal thing when it happens.

Siblinggifts? It's crossed my mind. Gosh...what on earth did we do last time? The baby gave my big boy some books and a shirt, I think. IN turn my big boy gave his brand new brother some clothes and a wooden shakey toy thing. This time? I'm not sure. It's somewhere on my "list of things to do before the baby gets here".

Namaste, Tara
mama to Doodle (7), Butterfly (2), and Rythm (due at home 1/06)

[sunnylady303]

I think I am going to get my 2 year old a nice Waldorf type doll and make some diapers for her and a sling and get a few outfits so she can do all the things mama does with her new sister with this new baby. At least that's the theory.

[gsmom]

My son is 5 and I think is more excited about this baby than we are! I am not doing anything really different other than just talking and reading about what will happen when baby comes. I found a several great "annoying baby" children's books at the library and they start some great conversations. He gets a chuckle out of them. We are just trying to talk with him a lot about what will change and that he needs to let us know if he needs more attention (he's excellent at that). I am sure it will be a big change and we are just trying to prepare him for that. I am lucky that he is old enough to talk through things. We never could have done that when he was 2. In fact, I swore off additional children in our family until he was 4 1/2!

gsmom mom to DS 10/16/2000, new arrival 1/16/2006 (or thereabouts)

[MamaTaraX]

Bringing a new baby with a 5-yr-old is great! My oldest was 4.5, turned 5 a month after his brother was born. He was SO HELPFUL. He even helped latch the baby on! He was big enough tot alk about his feelings and needs andbig enough to understand to wait a minute if need be. And he really appreciated when I'd give him special Mama and Doodle time. I tried every day to give him15 solid minutes, just him and me and he was big enough to not only appreciate it but tellme that he did He adores his little brother. NOw I get to see what it's like with one slightly more clingy and less verbal

Namaste, Tara
mama to Doodle (7), Butterfly (2),and Rythm (due at home 1/06)

[AAK]

Originally Posted by Sweeney

Does anyone have any thoughts on sibling gifts?

Last time my mom got dd a new baby doll on their way to visit us in the hospital. I had gotten her a book of fairy tales for us to read while I was nursing. This may sound silly but dd was so into the new baby I wish we would have waited to give her her stuff until a couple days later. That is when she was tired of the baby getting all the presents and not her. This time I will have some new art stuff to give randomly as I think it will help. Either when they are feeling left out of the present thing or maybe when I need to nurse the baby yet again. . .

Kayla is getting a new doll for xmas. It is bathable so I hope to let her give her baby a bath too. I hope to whip up a few cloth dipes for her too.

Amy

[Persephone]

I was 7 when my brother was born. My mom gave me an anatomically correct life size infant doll. I mothered that thing to death! (Well, actually not to death, as she's still here with us.. in fact, she's helping us learn how to diaper right now! )

I also got books on the new baby... I'd be careful about those "annoying baby" books, because it might backfire. I only remember reading once book about the new baby coming, and it was about an older sister who was jealous of her new brother... and I think it set a bad example for me of what a sibling relationship was... I wish I had read a book about how wonderful and happy it was that a new baby was coming, rather than how jealous you're supposed to be. I really felt like that, and other comments I recieved from people hurt my relationship with my brother. Just something to watch for.

I really like AAK's ideas for sibling preparation. I'll have to remember them for when I have my second.