My ladybug

Gosh, since I can remember bringing her home, I've always called A "my ladybug." I'm not sure why I started doing this, but usually when I pick her up from preschool, I will give her a huge hug and say "how was my little ladybug today?" or even in the house I will just call her that.

As I mentioned before, she is having a rough time lately with me being on bedrest. Especially on Tuesdays and Thursdays when she doesn't have preschool. Unfortunately, the school is booked solid on those days, and we can't get her in. In the long run though, I do enjoy the time with her, even if it is just sitting on the bed or couch watching movies, doing nails, or just "chatting."

She is very excited about her new sister. She tells everyone she meets that she is going to be a big sister. She kisses my belly. It is just so dang sweet.

However, she made the comment the other night when she was in one of her clingy moods that she was mad at her sister. When I asked her why, she said because her "baby sister" gets to sleep with me at night and she doesn't. (We don't let her sleep in our bed overnight unless there is a good reason like thunder or something scary). Totally took me by surprise because that is just a comment I would have never expected. I tried to explain to her that the baby has to sleep with me because she is in my tummy.

So it made me think of what happens after we bring this baby home. Our plan was to keep her in our room in a pack'n'play/bassinette for a couple of months before moving her into her own room with the crib. I wonder how A is going to react to the baby sleeping with us every night?

I KNOW she is going to have a tough time when I have to spend the night in the hospital for however many nights. I've already tried talking to her about it, but it just ends up in a lot of pouting and tears. She wants to sleep with me there. DH and I agreed that during those nights I'm not at home, he'll let her fall asleep in bed with him and move her over to her room later.

She made the comment tonight at dinner (with her pouty face) that she was sad because I don't call her ladybug that much anymore. Honestly, I still think I do it just as much, but it made me realize how much she really likes it when I do it. For quite a few months up until I got put on bedrest, she didn't want me calling her ladybug anymore, but instead she wanted me to call her "pumpkin," which is my mom's nickname for her.

I told DH tonight that I want to get A a stuffed ladybug that I can give her before I go into the hospital. Just something from me to her that is special to both of us. He loved the idea, and now he, of course, has the job of adding that to his overloaded responsibilities. Even though she has dozens of stuffed animals, I think maybe just one special one might help bridge that gap somehow.