The Clock is Ticking...

The countdown has begun, in earnest, for our newest addition to arrive. With only two weeks to go, I'm doing my best to recall the highlights and challenges of Radha coming home with us. In the meantime, Reese and I will continue to prepare Radha for what the arrival of her baby brother means for her. In order to comfort her about the whole ordeal, we've been explaining that we will be staying at the hospital for a few nights but that I will still make it home every night to help put her to bed. She appears to be at ease with the whole process. I just hope that remains the case.

As for hands-on preparation, a few weeks ago, Radha attended a "Big Sisters Class" being taught at the hospital that Reese will be delivering at. Radha was there with a three-year-old girl, Abby, who will also be welcoming a baby brother about the same time that she does. A woman named Becky, who works in the hospital's L&D ward, taught the class. The girls watched a video about welcoming a new sibling home and then practiced changing the diaper of and dressing a doll. I'm not sure how much of the info Radha soaked in, but it was comforting to see her interested in the prospect of welcoming a sibling. Near the end of the class she decorated a t-shirt for her new brother with her own illustrations and the message "Baby Brother...Welcome Home!"

As for me, I still need to refresh my memory on what a dad should know about a new baby. Just because I've been through it before doesn't mean that I remember every little detail. Thankfully, Reese still has all of the literature we received prior to Radha's birth. I imagine that these next two weeks will go by in the blink of an eye. I better get ready.