A Big Sister with Heart

It is precious to see how much Karamea is already looking out for her little brother, even though he isn't here yet. As we were making a paper chain to count down the days until his due date*, she got a very pensive look on her face and asked, in a very concerned voice, "Um, Mom, how will my brother** eat his birthday cake on his birthday?"

I couldn't help but smile and I told her that even though the day he is born will be his birthday, that he doesn't get cake until he is one year old because babies can't eat regular food. That was enough to satisfy her and we moved on to talking about other things. I can't help but hold on to the precious memory of seeing how much she already cares about her brother and how concerned she is about the important things in life. Like birthday cake. :) But really, I had no idea that three and a half year olds were capable of moments of such concern and empathy.

We've been talking about babies a lot around here lately, with the hope that it will help her mentally prepare for having a new sibling around. She was only 20 months old when Kaylee was born, so it is doubtful that she remembers it. One thing we have been doing is looking at pictures from when she and Kaylee were newborns. We happened to watch a brief video clip of her crying shortly after she was born, and she winced a little, until I explained that it is healthy and normal for babies to cry when they are born. Later that evening, she told me that she would rub her brother's belly when he is crying to make him feel better. So sweet.

*The official due date is February 25th, but we now have a scheduled induction for February 20th if he isn't here yet. Everything is going wonderfully, but our doctor wants to be cautious and induce a little early since I had preeclampsia after Kaylee was born on her due date.

**Baby #3 does have a name, and we have been sharing it and using it regularly at home, but I am waiting until he is here to share it on the internet.