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Just kidding. We never opened them. We read other books about siblings, but not these. (Actually, to my dismay, his favorite book seemed to be Julius, the Baby of the World until I had the forethought to hide it about 3 days before the baby came.)
But even without opening the books, Joseph seems to have picked up on the important points outlined in each book. For example:
Practicing Positive Leadership: "I'm the big brother!" is the phrase commonly heard around the house these days. He knows that it is his job to teach the baby how to lift his head,
play dress up,
and pose for the camera.
He also likes to help Matthew learn how to sing.
The Peacegiver: Joseph has done pretty well keeping things peaceful (well, as peaceful as they were before Matthew came . . . we still have the same conflicts we had before the baby came, but I think that's normal). But more than being a peacegiver, Joseph has been a really good piece-of-advice-giver.
(When he saw that one of us was about to swaddle Matthew with a blanket) "We don't put toys in the baby's crib. Or blankets."
(When Matthew cries) "Matthew cries because he doesn't know how to talk yet like me."
(When I'm nursing) "Matthew isn't supposed to eat food. Just milk."
(Changing a diaper) "You need to put another one on him."
He also likes to know my sources. I once explained to him that Matthew drinks milk, and then later he needs diaper changes. Joseph said, "Oh . . . where did you learn that?"
The Gathering Storm: Even though he understands why Matthew cries, he sure doesn't approve of it. (We could have maybe prepped with this book a bit better.) (But Matthew really doesn't cry that much, at least not yet.)
Shadow of the Giant: Suddenly, Joseph gained 20 pounds.
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| "He's so little!" |
Overall, the transition has been fairly smooth. Starting from day one, Joseph has been a big fan (albeit a cautious one) of his little brother.
It'll be fun to see them interact more and more as they get older.
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