Meet Abhay's sister!

Our second bundle of joy arrived a couple of weeks ago and our little family now seems complete with the arrival of a baby girl!   In a way .. all babies look alike... and for now Abhay's sister looks exactly like a miniature Abhay when he was just born!  Though the whole experience felt like "dejavu" .....the initial few days post delivery are just as perplexing as they were the first time around. More so.... when everyone including yourself expects to understand why something is happening ... as if having had a baby before makes you an expert on babies! Invariably you can't help comparing and complaining that "this was not the case the first time.... or "this didn't happen with my first born"!  Abhay too seems to be curious to know if he was doing the same things as his sister seem to be doing... and any reported difference is taken as a compliment! :-) Anyway, despite the initial disappointment at his unfulfilled wish for a brother, Abhay now can't keep his hands off his baby sister.... wanting to hold her, hug her... and kiss her in what he terms as an affectionate  way... the prospect of which can be annoying at times! Abhay is comfortable being addressed as the big brother and is in a way relieved to find out that his baby sister is hardly a threat he'd reckon she'll be.... as all she does is ( in his words) "crying...nursing...sleeping...":-)

On the occasion of arrival of his baby sister, we had Abhay read "Neha, my sister" a NBT publication by Madhu B Joshi and illustration by Partha Sengupta. Preethy wakes up to learn that her mother is in hospital and it is her father who helps her get ready for school. In school, she worries about her mother's health when her teacher, Suman Ma'am assures her that her mother is alright and is in the hospital as she is due to deliver a baby. In fact her friend Salil joins in and confirms that his mother too came home from the hospital with a baby brother at which Minu complained that the same thing did not happen when her granny was admitted in the hospital! As she is picked up by her father from school... she is overjoyed to know that her mother has given birth to a baby girl and she can't wait to see her baby sister. As they visit the hospital in the evening, Pretty is smitten by her baby sister's small pink face, tiny black face and her toothless smile! So do her friends when they meet her a week later as Preethy's mom and sister are brought home. As days pass, Preethy beautifully takes over the role of a 'didi' (elder sister) and helps out her mother in taking care of her baby sister Neha. As her didi swings her in her cradle, accompanied with a soft lullabye....baby Neha is seen slowly falling asleep with a serene smile on her face! Though a little basic in terms of text and illustrations, this book makes an ideal read for welcoming a new baby in the household. Of course... I only wish that in reality... things are as hunky-dory as they appear in the book!:-)