Thou shall wonder

It is 4 a.m. and I have been up for 3 hours.  During this wonderful bout of pregnancy insomnia the baby has had the hiccups, done what feels like some serious dancing in my belly and I have had a handful of contractions.  I am 34 weeks pregnant and I have had pretty good luck with sleep, save for a handful of nights like this one.  So while I toss and turn, after I have read a book, and had a snack and let the dog out, my mind wanders to this baby as he or she wiggles around and gets comfortable.  Not knowing the gender is making these last weeks really fun.  We keep referring to him or her as something different all the time. Everyone has an opinion, and is so certain their guess is right.  I sit and wonder, will it be another little boy, who looks just like the two other boys I live with? Will it be a little red headed girl? Maybe she will have my hair, and Jeff's eyes.  Maybe he will be a great sleeper like Luke was.  When will I get to meet this little person I have already spent so much time with? How will I fit more toys in this house that is already full of pirate ships?

Luke is really excited about being a big brother.  He talks about the baby all the time.  He asks questions about what it will be like with the baby around.  I assure him that he still will be able to watch cartoons with me in my bed when the baby is here.  He also has taken a new interest in baby toys, most of which were his, but he did not care about before. He is taking on some chores, like clearing the table and collecting the garbage and he is learning to buckle himself in his car seat. He is such a sweet and loving child.  I know the new addition will be an adjustment for him, but if his behavior around other babies is any indication, my biggest concern will be keeping him from smothering the baby with affection.

Being awake all night also makes me think of how I got here.  How am I 30 and about to have my second kid?  How have I been married for 7 years to a wonderful man and I am able to work in a field that I enjoy?  Maybe it is the baby coming that makes everything seem better.  Maybe I am delirious because I have been up for so long and in a few hours my son will be up and our morning routine will start and I will work a full day on little sleep.  Whatever the reason, it doesn't matter. My excitement grows daily as we prepare for our impending surprise baby. I can't wait to meet this tiny person I love so much already.

Thou shall listen

  Three is such a fun age.  Thanks to my speech pathologist BFF, Luke has an amazing vocabulary. He talks ALL the time, we were in the car for a half hour yesterday and he chattered on the entire ride. His chatting continued throughout his cousins entire dance recital, which I am sure the people in front of us loved. My favorite part of his vocabulary is the normal childhood errors.  I love that he pronounces animal "aminal".  I told him something the other day and he looked right at me and said "I already knowed that". He is absolutely hysterical.  Yesterday, I was talking to him and his cousins about getting along, and he raised his hand for me to call on him for his turn to speak (the first time he has ever done that), and when I did he said "What does clouds mean?". He started talking to the baby in my belly too. In addition to all his chatting, he likes to sing.  He makes up songs all the time, he also likes to sing Mickey Mouse songs. He has the sweetest voice too. He is without a doubt my little noisemaker.

   He was cranky yesterday so I had him take a nap, I laid with him for a little bit and he wouldn't stop talking to me, around the seventh time I told him to be quiet, he said it was "Teddy talking"  His teddy bear was apparently the one talking, and he needed to be separated from the other stuffed animals. So, Teddy was placed in my room so he wouldn't distract Luke, or the other animals from their nap.  Luke turns 4 in a few weeks, while I am sure 4 will be as fun and funny as 3, I wish I could remember all of  the funny things he says and does on a daily basis. 

Thou Shall have Another

Jeff and I are expecting baby #2 this fall.  Due October 2nd, although I expect a September appearance. We are very blessed and excited.  Some kids don't react well to the news of a sibling, but not my Lucas.  After I found out I was pregnant, but before we told Luke he whined to me that two of his friends "get a baby and I have nothing" with a pout and crossed his arms.  I love the timing of this conversation. I consoled him and about a month later we showed him the ultrasound.  He was instantly excited and declared we should name the baby "Captain Hook".

Now in my fifth month of pregnancy I feel my little invader dancing around all the time, Jeff was able to feel it once so far as well. Its amazing to feel, often when I am having a tough time at work or stressing out about something simple I feel a little nudge and I am reminded what is really important. It reminds me of my pregnancy with Luke, which was very similar and pretty normal - according to the books. Through the journey of deciding when to start trying to have another baby I learned the important lesson that there is never a perfect time, we went back and forth about timing, due to my job change and our financial goals and eventually we decided the conditions were never going to be perfect, but we wanted a bigger family. You would think we remembered this lesson from the first time, but I guess we are slow learners. As it turns out the timing is wonderful, because such a blessing is wonderful regardless of the delivery date.  Luke will be going into 4 year preschool and can't wait to have a baby around.

I have noticed slight changes in Luke since he found out about the baby.  They may be completely unrelated to the news, but he is clinging to stuffed animals which is a new behavior for him.  Luke has a puppy, a "batman kitty" and a teddy bear that he rotates having by his side. He also told me that he would only like a baby brother, because the only girls he likes are his cousins.  He comes up with other hysterical anecdotes almost daily.  I am so excited to see him as a big brother.