Isaac talked to his Opa and Oma on the phone this evening. The very first thing he said to them was "We have a new baby." My parents, who have known this for a while, pretended to be surprised, and Isaac went right on to say, "He's a girl."
We don't actually have the new baby girl yet, but she is indeed on her way. I am just over 12 weeks pregnant, due in mid-January.
Today was the first time Isaac was told about it, officially speaking. But we've been talking about it behind his back for three months now, sometimes not so subtly, and I think he might have figured it out on his own. In fact, Craig and I were just getting ready to tell Isaac this afternoon when he brought it up himself. He said, "We could have a new baby at our house." He has often said things like, "We could give the bouncy seat to a new baby," but he usually means someone else's baby. This was the first time he has mentioned that the baby might actually be one that lives here with us.
We saw a window of opportunity, and Craig told him that yes, our family will have a new baby coming to live with us sometime after Christmas. Then Craig asked if we could give the baby Isaac's old crib. Isaac immediately said, "Yeah. And we can put it right here, next to Isaac's new bed!" We told him the baby would be a girl, his little sister. Then he wanted to continue reading books.
Based on his reaction I assumed that Isaac wasn't that impressed by what was, after all, fairly abstract news about a distant event. (Even I find it a little hard to imagine!) He obviously wasn't upset, but mostly he didn't seem to care. But after he so readily announced it to my parents, I've reconsidered that position. It's definitely on his mind.
I guess the next few days (and weeks and months and years) will give us all the opportunity to gauge his emotional reaction to gaining a sibling. Although, based on my own experience of having siblings, I imagine Isaac will have several reactions, probably opposing, and perhaps simultaneously.
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