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Our mantra is "Gentle"

We knew that introducing a small, dependent creature to our house might turn our toddler daughter's world upside down so it was an all-out effort to prepare her for the Invasion.

We got a couple of Big Sister books - always a very effective way of getting our hidden agendas on Jolie's radar - and one of her Christmas presents was a baby boy doll. The baby boy doll was an instant hit. She loved how his eyes would close when you laid him down and open when he was lifted up. She carried him around nonstop for awhile, calling him her "baby boy." We were only mildly concerned when she would throw him off her bed after deciding that he wouldn't be sharing her sleep quarters.

Jolie first met baby JL while we were still in the hospital (remarkable given we were in the hospital for less than 36 hours) and she was intensely interested, at least for a short while. We kept chanting, "Gentle, gentle..", afraid of her brute ways.

Since then, I think she's adjusting well. She tries to comfort him if he cries, gives hugs and kisses (albeit a little roughly), and sometimes just likes to watch him sleep. (Occasionally, she will attempt to wake him up via the Wake-Up-Jeff method as seen on The Wiggles. Thankfully, this is rare.)

I try not to be so wrapped up in his care and make a concerted effort to make her feel attended to- I pass him off to my parents who are staying with us  after feeding him and still help give her her bath and read her bedtime stories. I'm generous with my terms of affection with her, calling her My Favorite Girl often.

Maybe she's been a little bit whinier - hard to say - I can't tell if it's a direct consequence of The Baby or The Late Two's. Maybe a little bit more rebellious - probably attention-seeking.

It's hard sharing Mommy and Daddy. We just have to remember that.