Lara has taken surprisingly well to becoming an older sister. Until the week before Holly's birth, I was a little unsure that Lara really understood that there was a baby on the way - the concept was a bit too abstract for her. In the last week that changed; maybe my hormones gave something away? or maybe she managed to chat about babies with her friends at nursery? Who knows. But, that morning when we tiptoed into Lara's bedroom with her new baby sister, Lara seemed happy and completely unfazed.
Since then Lara has coped well with the diversion of our attentions and with the slight changes to her normal routine. She has cuddled and kissed her baby sister without being too in-your-face. I think Lara still has some lessons to learn about what behaviour is, or isn't acceptable around a baby.. but we're getting there.
The only change I have noticed in Lara's behaviour is an increased independence. About 10 days before Holly arrived, Lara made the decision to give up her bedtime nappy. This hasn't been wholly successful (we get about a 60% success rate at present) but it's nice to know she feels she is ready. Since Holly was born, Lara has had a tummy upset which would have been a whole lot easier to deal with if she had been wearing pull-ups but Lara simply outright refused and there was no way she was going to be swayed.
At the dinner table, Lara has taken to refusing her booster seat and instead requesting to kneel up on a grown-up's seat next to me. She has also refused to wear her bib - stating that she is a big girl now so doesn't make a mess (with her mother's genes, I find this unlikely).
When Lara goes to the toilet she now insists that she do it all by herself and rushes off at speed shouting "I don't neeeeeeed any heeeeeelp".
At one point this week Lara told her Daddy that if she grows and grows and grows she will become a grown-up. I'm so proud that Lara has felt she can become more independent but I've told her not to wish to be a grown-up quite yet, there's plenty of time for that in the future.
