Big Gap in Kids’ Age

Shelby • 27💍👧🏼2/25/12 👶🏻5/25/19 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

I am asking for advice from mom’s with school aged + kids! My daughter will be 7 this month. She has begged and begged for a sibling forever and now she is finally getting one! But as this pregnancy goes on I’m finding that she is not as excited as I would’ve thought. She will often change the subject if my husband and I are talking about it and seems almost jealous already at times. My husband is not her father so her and I have been through a lot together and have a VERY strong bond. (She adores my husband as well but is definitely a mama’s girl). I know she is sad my husband and I and the baby will all have the same last name and hers will be different. We are in the process of trying to get her name hyphenated if he biological father will cooperate. In a few weeks I am taking her on a long weekend trip just her and I before the baby comes. I am due at the end of May so my 12 week maternity leave will be the whole time she is off school for the summer. She has said she still wants to go to a babysitter. I explained that she may go sometimes but if Mommy is home she will mostly stay with me. Any advice on how to make her continue to feel special? She has been my only child and my world for so long and I’m so scared of how this adjustment will be for her. I plan to get her a gift from the baby when he is born saying he is so excited to meet her. I also plan to tell her when people come to visit they are coming to see how great of a big sister she is. Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks mamas! ♥️