First post--I have no idea what I'm doing, so bear with me. I figured I'd start with some of the many quotes I have written on scraps of paper that led up to us getting to where we are now.
Unfortunately, my oldest daughter (C), while as talkative as a 20 month old can be (she was quite chatty, but it was more a running commentary of her immediate needs, which were plentiful), did not have too much input on the arrival of her baby sister (P). Perhaps she would have had more input had she acknowledged the fact that she had a baby sister. I am pretty sure the first mention of her sister came about a year in, when she was trying to negotiate a trade with one of the other toddlers in her sister's daycare group.
By the time Mr. Blue Caboose arrived, my oldest daughter had been talking nonstop for the last two years, and, as a result, had quite a bit to say about his pending arrival. My younger daughter, not even 2 1/2 when he arrived, has always been more of a visual artist--conveying her thoughts in the wardrobe choices of the minute or through some rather amusing facial expressions, rather than verbalizing everything.
So, here goes. Some quotes from the girls about their siblings:
Nearing C's third birthday:
C:
"I have a birthday coming up."
Me: "Yes, you do. Do you know what
presents you want?"
C: "Um, a giraffe. A big one. That walks. A pair of
shoes like hers (point to P's). A new baby--a green one. A thing to ...play music like you have. CD's like Daddy has. Oh, and I like P as a sister, but I want a brother.
A week after her third birthday:
C: "So my birthday is over?"
Me: "Yes, it
is."
C: "I wanted a brother for my birthday."
Me: "You cant just get
brothers like that."
C: "But I want a brother."
Me: "I am sorry, but you
may not get one."
C: "What if we give them P, and we take Nathan (a
boy in P's class)?"
Me: "We cannot take Nathan. Nathan's parents
might get upset."
C: "But we are giving them P."
Age 3 and a few months:
C: "I turned the volume down because my brother is sleeping."
Me: "You dont have a brother, you have a sister."
C: "I should."
Age 3 and a few months, talking to Santa. I was not pregnant at the time:
C: "I would like something from toy story and I want two brothers. I am going to name them Raymond and Bus."
Shortly before I had B. C had just turned 4, P was not quite 2 1/2:
C: "Why is mommy tired?"
Daddy: "Because she's about to have a baby."
P: "Again?"
And about a month later, our family of four became a family of five. As a side note, C gets along better with P now--not quite as much hostility. I think she realized P is a pretty useful playmate. They squabble, but overall we're doing pretty well now. It helps that P has a strong personality and will stand up for herself.
