I can hardly believe it, but today will be my last full day pregnant (for this baby, anyways). Tomorrow morning we are heading to the hospital to be induced, just shy of 41 weeks. Since I had my first child early at 38 weeks, I feel like I’ve been overdue for weeks now!
It’s interesting what you have time to contemplate when you know the day that you will be having your baby. When it happens on its own, you don’t give much thought to things beforehand, since you never really know or expect when it’s going to happen. But this time around, I’ve been running (more like waddling) all over the house making sure everything is ready, taking time to freak out about adding another child into the mix, contemplating just how much sleep I will soon be losing out on, and, perhaps on a more positive note, spending a lot of quality time with the Mr. and my little girl before we go from a family of 3 to a family of 4.
This time around, I think things will be a whole lot different since I’m having a boy instead of a girl. I’ve had to train myself not to look at ruffled diaper covers, bows, and dresses; it was a little innate in the beginning. But I’m slowly coming around the beauty of plaid, newsboy caps, and itty bitty man boots.
I am so excited to meet my son tomorrow; to hold him in my arms, finally see his little face, and smother him with kisses. I’ve felt a mother-son bond with him since the minute I found out he was a boy, and I can’t wait for that to materialize as he grows into a man. My energetic daughter has already groomed me for the wildness and spontaneity that will supposedly accompany a boy, but I’m pretty happy to be having a child void of hormones this time! And, as I’ve literally just had to pause to clean pee up off the floor, I’m also thrilled to be bringing home a little baby that can’t crawl, walk, or talk yet…
Anyone who tells you that you won’t love pregnancy as much the second time around (that is, of course, assuming you liked it the first time around) is absolutely CORRECT. I didn’t have much of a problem being pregnant the first time; little discomfort and few problems. In fact, it was pretty textbook. But having your second, you not only have a toddler to constantly tend to, but I think your body is a bit shot from pregnancy #1. This time I battled with sciatica pain, inability to breathe, acid reflux, pelvic pain… sounds great, right?
Before I scare you too much, I also had plenty of beautiful moments; like when I started feeling my little man move. It happened early for me this time since I already knew what it would feel like, and it was precious. I’ve also loved talking with my 2 year old about her baby brother and what is to come, and having her kiss and hug my belly. She is riddled with anticipation for “baby Lincoln” and I can’t wait for them to meet face to face! And finally, I have had little fear about taking care of an infant since I’ve been through it before, so I am able to focus on the joy of having another child and the fun of a little baby.
I also can’t believe that after today, I’ll be able to wear non-maternity clothes (well, ok, maybe not right away). As the seasons have shifted, I have longingly looked at spring and summer clothing with a ting of sadness since I couldn’t buy the gorgeous pieces I would run across. My husband and I went to the mall a couple weekends ago, and I picked up the scarf I am wearing in the photos above, because an accessory was all I could buy. Actually, I also bought a dress as a present to myself. Something loose and flowing that I’ll hopefully fit into after the baby comes; it gives me a little something to look forward to (and it’s returnable in case I hate it).
So this time tomorrow, I will be in the hospital working with my body to bring Lincoln into the world (but labor is a whole other topic to write on). It’s been a long, long 10-month journey, and I am so ready to move onto the next phase. Prepare yourself for lots of pictures of my little man, because I have a new camera lens and a growing love for photography… I apologize in advance!