I’m always a little blue after the holidays. There is so much to look forward to in November and December, and that steady flow of excitement gives me such a boost during those months. And then January comes, the holidays are done, it’s freezing outside and everything feels a little blah.

However, this year, I’ve felt that slightly less as the anticipation of baby #2 is strong in our house! Chloe is talking about “baby sister” a lot these days and we’ve started to do some (mental) prep as we get closer to April.

I can’t wait to see Chloe as a big sister. She is so gentle and loving with babies, and though I know it will be a big adjustment for her, I know that she is going to take to the role with excitement. We’ve been fortunate to have some friends who have had their seconds recently, and Chloe is all about holding the babies and helping with them.

We snapped this cute photo of Chloe with Kerrie & Doug’s baby Ava (who will be 1 soon!) and birthday boy Leo (who was not interested in the photo opp, haha). Ava is now a little too big for Chloe to actually hold her, but Chloe insisted on sitting next to her and getting a picture. Ava was a good sport, hahaha!

Part of prepping for baby #2 has been setting up a proper playroom for Chloe. We turned part of our basement into a play area for her, complete with a tent, her kitchen, an easel, a small couch, and plenty of storage for toys. We, of course, needed to clear out some space in her room for a second crib and various other baby stuff, but I also want her to have a dedicated space that is only for her (for now). I can imagine that, despite her excitement for baby sister, having another child in the house that takes up space and attention will be difficult. So knowing that she has this space that is all for her will (I hope) ease the transition and help her feel like the changes aren’t all bad.

So far, she is obsessed with her playroom and asks to “go to my tent” every day after she gets home from school. Once we get the TV mounted in there and she realizes she can watch Ms. Rachel and Blippi, she may never leave!

Outside of getting ready for baby, we have just been soaking up quality time together as a family of 3. Some funny things that Chloe has been doing lately:

• – Making funny faces
• – Saying, “I don’t believe it” when you tell her something. Not in a sassy way, but in genuine shock. For example, I’ll tell her that she has a present waiting at home and she’ll say, “I don’t believe it!”
• – Seeing bears. This one is strange but every once in a while, she will yell, “Mommy, there’s the bear!” as if she just saw one. She does this at home, in the car…pretty much anywhere! It cracks me up, and I always have to assure her that the bear won’t get her because she seems a little scared of it. Then we talk about how the bear will give her hugs and kisses, and that usually does the trick, haha!

An example of one of her “funny faces”.

With all the frigid temperatures in January, we’ve also been trying to see friends for play dates. The other night, we went to go visit Alice who recently had her second (baby Griffin!) and to bring Bryn a cupcake for her birthday, which unfortunately got overshadowed by baby brother’s big entrance.

I, of course, made sure Chloe got a cupcake as well, and she insisted on having her own candle. The girls had such a good time playing together and are finally at an age where they interact more and seem to genuinely enjoy each other’s company. When we left, they stood at the glass door and kept waving at each other and saying, “bye-bye!” My heart exploded 🙂

So, instead of the usual January slump, we are feeling very grateful this month for good friends, a string of good health (knock on wood), and this cute kiddo who makes us laugh and keeps us on our toes!