So, this morning I experienced some interesting and sort of sweet regression on Kat's part. To preface I would like to share that we've started reading our little library of AWESOME books about babies being made and born and what it's like to become a big brother/sister. I really feel like this library helped Ria a LOT and we were able to refer to things she learned from those books AFTER the baby was born. We also continued to read the books about being a big sister and that helped her deal with her new role even more.
I think it's been about a week and a half now since the girls and I sat down and read all of the books in our little library except one (the title of THAT one is When The Baby Comes, I'm Moving Out, and I think Kat is a little too young to handle that one well). Kat is not THE sit-still-reader at almost 19 months old that Ria was from about 9 months old and on. However, I can happily say Kitty Kat is starting to bring me books really frequently AND sit very still for the enjoyment of them. However, the fact that she sat VERY still and paid VERY VERY close attention to ALL the stories we read that Sunday about a week and a half ago is something else! I think one story, in particular, has had a really big impact on Kat. It's called I USED TO BE THE BABY. It's a really GREAT representation about the new things the "big sibling" has to do differently and how s/he has to take into consideration the needs of the littlest one. In the end, though, the big brother does say something like, "But sometimes I like to be the baby, too." If that's not the direct quote, it's something really close to that! (I've read it often lately, can you tell?)
So, preface done... this morning Kitty Kat brought me one of the receiving blankets that she and Ria usually use as slings for their babydolls. But she didn't have a babydoll and she wasn't gesturing for me to make it into something for her use. I finally figured out (when she wrapped it around herself and made little mewing sort of noises!) that she wanted me to hold her like a baby! So, I did. She TOTALLY loved it. Now, this might not seem terribly strange given that she IS pretty young still and all, but I have to inform you that Kat is NOT a cuddle bug! I mean, she has cuddle-bug moments, of course. But generally she does not want to be grabbed and hugged, she is VERY independent, she is off on her own and, a "don't bother me" sort of girl. So, when she was acting SO cuddly and even acting a bit baby-like it finally clicked (remembering the book). And I asked her if she was pretending to be a baby because she still wanted to be a baby sometimes after the NEW baby is born. And she vigorously nodded her head (so that he whole body wiggles) the way she does when someone GETS what she's communicating. So... interesting.
She did it again this evening after our long walk. She wouldn't even let me stretch. And I totally needed to because I didn't yesterday and it hurt my belly later! So I had to fend her off, with her little receiving blanket (same one as this morning, by the way) until I was sufficiently limber.
Ria still likes to be the baby sometimes, too. But she made that very clear when I was preggie with Kathryn. And she lets us know in a very "big girl" sort of way when she needs some cuddles, which she almost always wants to happen in the hold one usually reserves for a newborn. :) My funny girls.
So, we've started the sex-ed/baby prep course again through the reading I've mentioned. ;) One of the AMAZING books we have in our LITTLE collection goes into the REAL details of how the baby gets IN the belly in a very gentle and super easy-for-Mama-to-read way. Kat definitely has a clear and complete understanding of what her little parts are called and, since the lessons, can easily identify in cartoon and photo the little boy parts shown in the books we have. (I'm ever-so-slowly getting to the bit about pictures!)
Well, my Mom was able to take a good number of pictures of Kathryn's birth. One thing I regretted about our preparation of Ria for the homebirth of Kathryn was that she hadn't seen any graphic representations of birth. So she really didn't have a clue what to expect except for the baby coming out of Mama from a general area.
Ria was totally UNfazed by my labor noises. She sat entranced, as it were, when the head was crowning and even when the head was out. She lost it, though, when the rest of the baby came out quickly and ran from the livingroom to her room screaming, "Baby GO BACK, baby GO BACK, make the baby GO BACK!" I was completely lost in labor land, but Jessie was aware and, in the AWESOME Daddy way he has, brought her gently back to actually MEET Kitty Kat. Well, I have some pretty graphic pictures from Kat's birth, thanks to my Mom. The girls and I sat down to look at them this afternoon. Ria was, once again, mezmerized and Kat was just tickled pink to see pictures of "her," though when she said anything it was "BABY!" She's very excited about babies!!!
We went through all the pictures. When we were finished and they were back in order I had to get dinner together. Kat was not having ANY of it. She wanted to look through the pictures AGAIN... and RIGHT NOW!!! Ria had the same desire, but she was letting Kat throw the fit tonight. I was, eventually, able to get away and put the pictures up and move on to dinner, but Kat didn't calm down about the injustice of it all for at least 5 minutes! So, I think both of the girls will be QUITE okay with this birth. :)
Ria even made sure to tell me while I was talking to my Mom that she is NOT going to tell the baby to go back this time! heeheehee ^_^
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