preparing siblings for a new baby {links}

I think we've put a finger on what's been making the crazy around here lately. I mean, crazy.

Clue #1: I can only pick up the girls so many times in one day before my back is killing me.
Clue #2: My growing belly is slowly, surely pushing them off my lap
Clue #3: "Mommy REALLY needs a rest time."
Clue #4: Patience is thin and feelings are fragile. And that's just me.
Clue #5: A few new items are making their way out of boxes or we're picking them up off Craigslist...but they aren't for the girls to enjoy. Unfair!

Guessed it?

Our transition to having a new family member to compete for attentions and resources is becoming a stark reality in these girls' little lives. I didn't realize it until my midwife suggested it as I sat on her couch crying yesterday. I could not figure out why I felt so powerless, and I'm assuming that the girls feel the same way I do, only they can't express this and it comes out as an epic tantrum that leaves me drained and in tears. I try to remain unruffled but it's awfully hard these days.

So although the photo above suggests a "how to" to get everyone ready to welcome a new family member, that's the opposite. I need help! I went to my favorite parenting resources and did some reading so I could make a good amount of space in my head and heart for making the transition as seamless as possible. Painless, no. I know it will be difficult. But I know there are things that we can do as their parents to help guide them through it.

So far, these have been the most helpful:

Helping Kids Adjust to Life with a New Baby from Janet Lansbury

How to Prepare Your Child for the New Baby from Dr. Laura Markham

25 Tips to Prepare Children for a New Sibling from L.R. Knost (Little Hearts Books)

and this one:

10 Ways to Play with Your Child when Play is the Last Thing on Your Mind

All About Books - You're Going to Be a Big Sister! from That Mama Gretchen

Welcoming a New Baby from Natural Parents Network

Any suggestions are welcome, too!