And it’s a boy for Katherine Heigl and Josh Kelley! The gorgeous 38-year-old became a biological mum for the first time! Katherine and Josh have two absolutely adorable daughters, and both were adopted.
Surprisingly for a celeb couple, they well-maintained the secret as they just announced the arrival of Joshua Bishop, although he was born on December 20, 2016, as per this report. Some feat that is, eh?
Already proud parents to two adopted little girls, Nancy Leigh (Naleigh), 8, and Adelaide Marie Hope, 4, they are over the moon about having baby Joshua around. What’s heartwarming is that, according to this report, the two sisters are absolutely thrilled about this new addition to their family.
Apparently, even before the new baby was here, and the girls had just figured out that their mummy was expecting a baby boy, they were mighty thrilled. The former Grey’s Anatomy star, Katherine Heigl said, “The Kelley clan is thrilled to announce that we are expecting a third addition to our family. Naleigh and Adelaide could not be more excited to welcome their new sibling into the fold and Josh and I are overflowing with joy and gratitude.”
Check out this gorgeous pic from Katherine Heigl’s Instagram page:
A photo posted by Katherine Heigl (@katherineheigl) on
Sounds just right, doesn’t it? Well, not all children take too well to the idea of sharing their parents with a new baby. So how do you prepare your tots for the arrival of a new sibling?
- How soon is too soon? A lot depends on the age and maturity of your child. If you tell a toddler that he is soon to become a big brother, he may expect you to ‘get the new baby’ NOW. Be prepared to be inundated with questions or give them a tangible date. “By the end of fall” or “Just after your birthday” works.
- Nurture a bond between the siblings: Talk to your child about how you were with your siblings, the fun you had, how you took care of each other, the mischiefs you indulged in. Make the new addition look like a potential ‘partner-in-crime’. The more fun (AND realistic) the picture, the better.
- Visit to the doctor: Let him understand the changes you are going through. Of course, it ought to be age appropriate, however, it’s vital for the child to understand what the mother is experiencing, the kicks, the uneasiness, for him to be cooperative with you. Take him with you when you visit the doctor, so that he sees other ‘mummies with babies in their tummy’ and realises that it’s normal, and okay for you to grow.
- Make that move: If co-sleeping with your child, perhaps it’s time for you to make that move. Either shift his bed in the same room, or move him to the children’s room. This transition must happen way before the new baby arrives. The last thing you want your child to feel is insecurity at the arrival of the new sibling.
- You are safe: Make him feel like he is not losing out on any love or attention. In fact, there is one more person to love and be loved by. This is absolutely vital and no amount of ‘talking’ helps. The child has to experience that.
- Speak to friends and family: This is perhaps the often ignored aspect of preparing your child for a new sibling. Often, well-meaning family members and friends tease the child about how he will not have his mumma to himself, or how he will have to stop fooling around now that he is a big brother. It is not funny for a child to feel that he has just lost some privilege because of his sibling. Politely have a word with them on how you feel about this and how it may stress out your child.
Sometimes, it’s the parents who are hyperventilating about the acceptance factor. Sometimes the children are just so understanding, that they just embrace this new littler human with all the love they are capable of. Either ways, it’s okay. Things usually fall in place with time.
Be sure to check out theAsianparent Community for more insightful stories, questions, and answers from parents and experts alike. If you have any insights, questions or comments regarding the topic, please share them in our Comment box below. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Google+ to stay up-to-date on the latest from sg.theAsianparent.com.