Build A Bear for Baby Bethany

Last Saturday, we took a family field trip to Build A Bear Workshop. I had read an article in a parenting magazine on ways to help older children adjust to a new baby, and one of the things the article had suggested was having the older sibling be involved in picking out and giving the baby a special present. I thought this was a great idea, and decided, what better gift than a special teddy bear that Grace helped make herself? So, to Build A Bear we went!
First we picked out a soft bear similar to the one Grace has, then brought it over to the different "building" stations.
Here Grace is pushing the pedal on the machine that puts the stuffing in the bear:




Picking out a heart to put inside the bear (Grace picked out 2 checkered ones):


The "workshop helper" told Grace to touch the hearts to different parts of her body, like her brain and heart, to help the bear be smart and loving, etc. Grace diligently did as she was told. ;)


And then she stuffed the hearts inside the now stuffed bear:


Checking out the machine before we moved on:


The next step was to give the bear a bath and brush it. Grace loved brushing the bear, and used several brushes to do so. ;)


And finally, we made a birth certificate for the bear and packed it in a box to take home.


It was a fun experience, and something that I hope will be a special thing for both of the girls, not only at the hospital (when Grace presents it to Bethany), but in years to come too (Bethany knowing that her older sister made a special gift for her, and Grace remembering that she did so too).