A sister's response

Of course, Brian and I could not let the day pass (8/12) without telling Meg our big news. She sat on my lap with Papa (Brian) right next to us. Now, I wasn't expecting cheers. I knew that she had changed her mind about a brother or sister and was very content with our family the way it was.

I also wasn't expecting the tears, the sobs. "I don't want a baby brother or sister" and "if mommy is going to have another baby, I don't want her to be my mommy any more." Poor thing. The pregnancy was a real shock. I could hear the fear in her voice.

For once, we did the right thing. Instead of fighting her or telling her to suck it up or getting angry, we asked her why.

She was concerned that the baby would take her toys, that she would have to give them up. We allayed that fear pretty easily.

She started to calm down and told me that she would visit me in the hospital every day.

Ah, here's the truth. Meg still remembers my pregnancy with Jake. She wasn't even 18 moths old when I was in the hospital for a total of four weeks and on bedrest at home for six, but she remembers. Yes, she remembers.