I’m pretty sure that Dex has sussed out that he has a new brother or sister coming. Strangely, I think he’s also worked out he or she is in my tummy. And here was me thinking that under 5′s are usually told that their mums and dads bought a new baby from a hospital shop, or had a secret meeting with the baby-fairy!
All the signs are pointing to the fact he knows. He’s recently become obsessed with flicking through mother & baby magazines and pointing to pictures of babies. He’ll kiss the pages, rip them out and bring them to us with the proudest look on his face.
Over the last few months, our living room has also become a student obstetrician’s paradise with tons of pregnancy books scattered around. I’m pretty obsessed with learning about the new baby and like to follow my pregnancy week by week. One of these books is heavily pictorial and has become a firm favourite with my little man. He’ll stare for hours at pictures of pregnant women (…obviously we’ve got our fingers crossed this isn’t the start of a lifelong fetish!).
Although he can’t talk yet, Dexter is able to understand basic commands. “Where’s Daddy?” will see him searching out Craig, and “Up the wooden hill for Bedfordshire” (a.k.a up the stairs to bed) will result in him hiding behind the sofa. Now, when we say “Where’s the baby?” he’ll lift up his shirt and rub his belly! Whenever my own belly is out he’ll bend over and kiss it too. The only explanation I can think of is that his choice of reading matter has prompted the connection between my bump and a baby. At just 18 months, I’m now thinking I have an utter genius on my hands.
Finally, he’s become very loving over the past few months. Previously you’d have to pin him down for a cuddle and he’d wriggle free in minutes. He’d kiss you occasionally but he wouldn’t seek it out - it would always be as a result of us bending down at an opportune moment. Now he’ll run into our arms, climb onto our laps and bat books and mobile phones out of our hands to plant a kiss on our lips. It’s an amazing and very welcome transition but I can’t help but link it to the new baby. It’s as though he knows his days as an only child (with exclusive access to us) are numbered.
Has anyone else had two babies in short amount of time, and experienced anything similar with their eldest? I’d love to hear your stories.
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