I remember feeling nervous about this moment for a while. I was about to tell my 8-year-old that she was going to be a big sister. It was a moment I had thought about for ages – I always wanted her to have siblings. But, life circumstances being what they were, this was my first chance.
Maria and I have a unique bedtime ritual and have since she was a baby. Being my only child for eight years, she was and still is spoiled. Not just with lots of toys, but with a lot of love. Perhaps too much sometimes, if that is a thing. Each night, I lay with her for anywhere from 20 minutes to hours (if I fall asleep). We talk about the highs and lows of the day, laugh and snuggle. Knowing this is one of most happy of spots, I chose this as the place where I would give her the big news.
After lots of our usual chats and giggles, I blurted out, “Maria, guess what?” She looked at me with a weird look and said, “What?”
No sooner had the words come out of my mouth, “You’re going to be a big sister,” that tears welled up in her big brown eyes. I should have better prepared myself for this type of reaction, but I sat there waiting for her to make the next move. She dove into her pillow and screamed. It was a lovely moment! I sat there in shock at a level of drama even I didn’t anticipate. After the scream, she sat up and balled her eyes out for what felt like an hour but was probably about three minutes. After that she asked me about 100 questions in rapid fire:
– When is the baby coming?
– Is it a boy or girl?
– When will you know if it’s a boy or girl?
– Why do you want another kid?
– Where will it sleep?
– Will you throw up a lot like Sophia’s mom did?
– What are you naming it?
– Can I pick the name?
After the questions, she wiped her tears and smiled. We talked about name ideas and how fun it will be to have a best buddy like I did (my little brother Jack is 9 years younger than me and we’re best friends). She popped open her unicorn sparkly journal and jotted down name ideas she liked for boys and girls.
We went through every emotion together in 45 minutes. And when I kissed her goodnight, she was full of joy. God, I love that little girl.
**Brooke Kathleen Knobel was born at 6:24 a.m. on October 6, 2017, and big sister Maria was the first person to hold her (other than mom and dad)**
