Well, we are on the homestretch, folks. 8 weeks until this baby comes and boy do I have a lot to do.
This pregnancy feels very similar to my 1st pregnancy. My mom says I only say that because those are the only 2 I can remember, as #2 and #3 happened so quickly that they are just a big blur. And that may be true.
Here are the top 10 things that are different about a 4th pregnancy versus a 1st:
1. Maternity pants have been called off. Yes, my friends. With my 1st preg. I was all excited about maternity clothes and all that jazz and started wearing them earlier. 32 weeks now and I am still wearing my low rise post partum jeans, my totally cute green pants (which were free, I might add) and of course the all important yoga pants and scrubs. I have not even tried on my selection of maternity pant, and really am hoping to hold out until at least week 36.
2. Instead of my list consisting of "fold cute little clothes and rearrange them weekly", "wash all the baby stuff in Dreft", "take a nap", "pack hospital bag", "put linens in crib"- it now consists of "Take all the boys to Y daily to avoid wall climbing at home", "repaint and organize main floor", "cut out 1/4 of each boy's wardrobe to make room for baby stuff", "get baby stuff down from rafters in about 7 1/2 weeks" and "try to convince 2 year old that he doesn't need his bed any more so that we can turn it back into a crib." Or we might just forget that last one and buy a new pack and play to stick the baby in.
3. I no longer am taking the time to look for names on the internet. Instead I am scanning the names on the rosters for my kid's classes and reviewing the names of kids who submit things to the magazines my kids get. Oh, and listening to suggestions from my own kids, who are convinced that the baby should be named "Dark Vader" or "Princess Leia".
4. We aren't doing prenatal classes. Instead I got to spend a significant time today explaining to Deacon how the baby comes out and why it is not appropriate for him to see the birth canal.
5. Not spending much time daydreaming about the baby or about how labor will go. Most of my thinking is being directed toward wondering how I am going to keep this baby safe?!?!
6. With Deacon I bought a boppy and cute outfits etc. Things I am thinking of buying now? A running wheel for the burley and a new sort of carrier for the baby so I can "wear the baby" while I do other things. (Wouldn't it be an awesome workout to have the baby and Lincoln in the burley and the other 2 on bikes so that I could get runs and inline skating in that way this summer!?).
7. Focusing on how I am going to feed my family those first blurry eyed weeks. Starting to plan my big cooking days and menus so that the boys in the house will still have food. I didn't really think too much about that with Deacon. It was just Noah and I and we can both fend for ourselves.
8. Instead of taking as many on calls at work as I can, I am trying to pick up as many shifts as I can before the baby comes.
9. Wondering not so much how we will adjust to a new baby, but rather how the baby will fit into our already established family (which makes me even MORE curious as to the gender of this baby than I even was with the 1st)
10. Spacing my MD appointments out as long as possible in homes of skipping one. With my 1st
I loved going to my appointments. Really, what else did I have to do? (besides work). Now it is SUCH an inconvenience. They still want me to come though, and since I am a compliant person I do- I just stretch it out as long as possible.
5 comments:
As for the sleeping situation for baby, we bought the Graco Stages Travel Lite "crib" (not sure of exact name, too lazy to go check). It's smaller than a regular pack and play and has more of a bassinet feel to it, except that it has different stages (levels), so you can use it up through 18 months (or weight limit). Obviously we haven't used it yet, so I'm only assuming we'll like it, but it looks good anyway.
Fun post - it is interesting how your views change. Many of mine have changed for the opposite due to all the monitoring and b/c of Felicity.
THanks for the suggestion Rachel! I looked it up...I may get that. We have a regular pack n' play but after 2 out of the 3 kids sleeping in it for about 18 months each it is really not in good shape. The smaller one would fit in our room better and since we do have a crib to transition the baby into at any point, it may be a great solution!
How about adding that with the 1st baby you are so ready to have it and so uncomfortable, you just want that baby to be born...but with the 4th (or 3rd for me) a few more days of waiting is okay because you know it is SO much easier taking care of the baby when it is inside than when it is outside!(in most cases!)
True, true.
This is great. I felt a lot of the same things with #3 that you are feeling with #4. And I had no idea you were due so soon! I thought you had, like 4-5 months to go or something but I guess I wasn't paying attention. :)
Anyway, I can't wait to hear what you end up having (boy/girl) and how it goes with having four!
(When I was due with #3 and was thinking I'd never be able to go out in public again, you assured me that I would definitely get out and also become a pro at it. I didn't believe you at first, but your words proved true. I take the kids out all the time and live to tell about it! (mostly) ;-))
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