Colin's road to being a big brother

We always knew that we wanted to have our kids close together. We wanted to get the diapers/strollers/sleepless nights/ and pregnancies over with as close together as we could. When we found out I was pregnant we realized Colin would be 19 months old when Audrey was born. We had 9 months to prepare a 19 month old for being a big brother. We had no idea how a 19 month old would handle being a big brother or what he would think of having a baby around.

At first Colin didn't think much more of my belly other than it being a nice pillow.



We started talking to him about babies and showing him babies and telling him there was a baby in my belly. He really liked my belly button, it becomes quite the outy when I am pregnant. He would come over to me, lift my shirt, and say baby. However, he would do that to himself and Paul sometimes also. We bought books that were about bringing home a baby and bought a baby doll so he would have a baby of his own.

This is one of our last days playing before Audrey came.



The day I went into labor my dad came over and watched Colin while we all went to the hospital. My mom stayed with him for the nights while Paul and I stayed in the hospital. She brought Colin to visit the morning after she was born.

This is Colin meeting Audrey for the first time.



He didn't know what to think at first. He kept saying "baby" and wanted to see her or know where she was, but he didn't want to get too close. You can see in the family picture at the top that he wanted out of the picture....it was too close!

Here is Colin welcoming Audrey home, a little shy at first....



...then got more curious.



He and Grandma made a card to give to Audrey to welcome her home.


After she got home he wasn't too sure what to think. He still wanted to know where she was and would ask about her. He would ask "baby" first thing after getting up from his nap. He was still a little anxious about getting too close. This video is the first time he voluntarily "touched" her.





He is showing some jealousy. If he is playing with Paul or I he doesn't want us to have anything to do with the baby. He gets upset sometimes when I am feeding her.

This pic was when Paul was playing with him and then she woke from her nap and Paul went to get her up. Colin was willing to let Paul hold both of them because he didn't want Paul to put him down.




Sure enough over the past 2 1/2 weeks Colin is really starting to warm up to her. He will bring her toys. She was in the swing one day and he went in her room and got her seahorse and took it out and put it in the swing with her. We bought an Elmo video. In the video Elmo always asks the baby questions and gives them kisses. I think he notices how much Elmo likes the babies and it has helped. He still sometimes will say "baby swing" if I am holding her and he wants me to put her in the swing. Here he is at the park, wanting to see what she is doing.



And now, there has actually been a couple different occasions where he has asked to hold her.




He may not be too sure yet but I know he's going to be a great big brother!!!