you might what to get a Snuggle Puppy, its a stuff animal that has a heart beat and warms up, the breeder we are looking at to get a puppy from recommends them if they are missing their siblings.
My FI and I plan to get a puppy soon as well. Here are two good website I have found that help with preparing for a puppy: Southern Cal Kennels and Puppy Supplies - The Basics You Need to Buy | Dog Topics. the first one has a lot of great info on crate training.