In the interest of "full disclosure" this post contains some serious truths!
....Just anxiously awaiting his arrival. Dreaming of holding him for the first time. Enjoying every kick and movement. Wincing through every Braxton Hicks contraction. Spoiling our daughter with her last four weeks of our complete, undivided attention.
HA! While all that is true we still have a to-do list as long as my arm. At this point we've done so much the past two weekends I'm now at a point where I think we could be "ok" if he were to arrive this very second. We went through all of Rowan's old clothes, bottles, blankets and pulled out all that could be repurposed for a boy (thankfully we had a good amount of gender-neutral items!). The bottles are all organized and washed, clothes, hats, bibs, blankets and pacifiers washed and put away, pack n plays up and ready to go, baby swing washed and ready, both car seats installed, both kids' memory books and boxes up-to-date, hospital bags packed, Rowan's care plan (for while I'm recovering) typed, vehicles cleaned, 2 boxes of diapers purchased, closets organized, post pregnancy meals planned (and ready to be made and frozen for quick suppers) and shopping lists made, baby books out for a quick "refresher", pre baby pedicure booked, preregistered at the birthing center, read over infant CPR class notes from last time, etc etc etc.
If you can believe it, that was only half of our to-do list so we still have plenty to do. But we got most of the absolute necessities out of the way.
Last time at this point we had two GIANT baby registries, two baby showers, a diaper party, 2 classes at the hospital, 5 books between the two of us to try to prepare as best we could to be first time parents. She was our first- it was just us three, alone, all the way in VA and we had to figure out how to care for her together; it was a huge challenge but looking back it was such a sweet, sweet, time and I'm thankful we could be our own little family :)
This time we have one small little registry on Amazon because he IS the first boy, ya know! :) and we had a virtual "baby sprinkle" that my sister arranged but for the most part the last third of this pregnancy has (thankfully) been smooth sailing while I try to figure out how to manage a growing toddler and third trimester fatigue.
This time we have one small little registry on Amazon because he IS the first boy, ya know! :) and we had a virtual "baby sprinkle" that my sister arranged but for the most part the last third of this pregnancy has (thankfully) been smooth sailing while I try to figure out how to manage a growing toddler and third trimester fatigue.
This pregnancy has been easier and more difficult than the first in so many ways. With his initial health scare for pretty much the entire second trimester, I was really pushed to my spiritual and emotional limits; Rob and I were so. incredibly. scared. We feared the worst, of course. But since he has been cleared from MFM he has been the easiest little babe to carry around. I am definitely not as big, uncomfortable or tired as I was with Rowan. But, with Rowan I definitely had more time to relax because I obviously didn't already have a child at home to take care of. However I was working up until the day after her due date so it's not like I was just at home eating Bon-bons.... Not that there is anything wrong with that! I wish that's what I was doing.
Maybe I'm just used to being pregnant. After all, I've been pregnant 19 of the 26 months we've married and that accounts for over half of Rowan's life so maybe pregnant is my new normal.
& I'm okay with it. It's a real honor and privilege. And it's pretty easy for me, against the odds, thank the Lord!
While we do kind of feel like old "pros" at parenting and thought this time around we would feel more "been there, done that" but we have a whole new list of worries. The reality of the challenge of two babies under 2 (more like 2 babies under 18 months-- ok ok actually more like 2 babies under 16
months) is becoming more and more daunting by the day. Especially because I explicitly remember
thinking "how do people do this with other children?" when Ro was about 3 weeks old. I guess we're about to find out! 2 separate meal, nap, play, sleep schedules on top of recovering AND being a day's drive away from our families (ie no assistance) is a little scary. BUT the excitement, joy, and blessing of children born close together outweighs the worries- and that's the honest truth!
So any mommies of two under two or just more than one child in general please feel free to share any and all advice!
Xo
Riley
While we do kind of feel like old "pros" at parenting and thought this time around we would feel more "been there, done that" but we have a whole new list of worries. The reality of the challenge of two babies under 2 (more like 2 babies under 18 months-- ok ok actually more like 2 babies under 16
months) is becoming more and more daunting by the day. Especially because I explicitly remember
thinking "how do people do this with other children?" when Ro was about 3 weeks old. I guess we're about to find out! 2 separate meal, nap, play, sleep schedules on top of recovering AND being a day's drive away from our families (ie no assistance) is a little scary. BUT the excitement, joy, and blessing of children born close together outweighs the worries- and that's the honest truth!
So any mommies of two under two or just more than one child in general please feel free to share any and all advice!
Xo
Riley
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