Wow, I can't believe it's been 2 months since I've posted anything about the pregnancy! Time has really been flying by! I really can't believe that, in just 68 days, we'll have a another little baby. If 7 months has flown by this quickly, then 68 days will seem like next week!
I've had a few OB appointments since my last post and everything is still just as it should be. This has been just a routine, normal, healthy pregnancy so far so I guess that helps explain the lack of posts. I would just be reporting the same thing each time :) The baby is super active and seems like she is constantly doing somersaults in there! I'm visiting the doctor every 2 weeks now (next one is this Thursday) and we are still set to deliver on Aug 28th.
Since my last post, I've been super busy every week mainly just doing things with Ellie. I realize that this is really my last carefree time with her and I want to enjoy the spring/summer with her as much as possible. Our days have been filled with the Zoo, Children's Museum, different parks, our neighborhood pool etc. I also set up a sand table and water table outside and my Dad put together a cute little playhouse so we really have been enjoying the outside as much as possible.
When we're home, I've been trying to get things done around the house. Ellie's "big girl" room is finally done and even so is the nursery (except for paint). We kept Ellie's new room a surprise from her until it was completely done and I thought she would absolute love it...but it really wasn't such a hit! I think it was just too much all at once to spring on her. She loved the doll house but wanted nothing to do with her new bed. We couldn't even get her to sit on it! I tried for about a week to get her to sleep in there and she did lay down long enough for me to read her her nightly story but then she was right back up again. We we're making the mistake of calling her new bed the "big girl bed" and the crib "baby sister's crib". I realized one night when she woke up screaming in the middle of the night and then refused to lay back in the crib because it was "baby sister's crib" that we were doing it all wrong. I felt terrible for making her feel bad about choosing to sleep in the only bed she's ever known and decided to completely stop pushing for her to leave the crib. It wasn't even a week later that she actually asked to sleep in her new bed! Now, I spent most of the night on the floor next to her (not easy while big and pregnant!) because she still tried to get up several times...but she did make it through a whole night! Since then, I give her a choice every night and she mostly still chooses the crib but has spent maybe 4 or 5 complete nights in her bed. Ellie spent the first 7 months in a co-sleeper in our room and I'm sure we'll do the same for this baby so there really needn't be any rush.
So, that's one of first lessons I've learned about having another child. It doesn't automatically make the first one grow up any faster. It doesn't make her any more ready for things that she is not ready for (ie POTTY TRAINING) and the urgency that I feel for her to do these things is lost on her. It only caused unnecessary anxiety for her and incredible GUILT for me. From now on, I will not push Ellie to grow up too fast and will do my best to let her set her own pace. Her world is going to be turned upside down in a couple of months and I need to do everything I can to make it as less traumatic as possible for her. How to do that? I'm not sure... :) I already feel bad when I'm doing things just to prepare for the baby (setting up the nursery, going through clothes, putting equipment back together) and Ellie wants my attention. I can't imagine how Ellie will feel when the new baby is in need of almost all of my attention. I'm sure it will good for her in the long run to not always have my full attention but it is sure going to be an adjustment for her. When I look at the overall picture, though, I feel really blessed that that is my biggest worry. I'm NOT worried about how we are going to afford this new baby, whether we have the room for her or not, who is going to take care of her, or if my husband in is in this for the long haul... It's a reality that some women have those worries and I'm forever grateful that I don't have to have them on top of worrying how I could possibly have enough time and love to go all around.
I truly am blessed. Only 2 months to go!!!
4 comments:
So, that's one of first lessons I've learned about having another child. It doesn't automatically make the first one grow up any faster.
Yep! So right there with you. I could have written that word for word! I think your Ellie and my Dacey are almost the exact same age (Dace's bday is January 28, 2005), and we are facing similiar quandries. And moving on top of all that!
I am so glad to hear everything is healthy and well with little sister! It's a good kind of boring, for sure.
Sounds like ya'll have been busy, busy! Keep us updated when you have time!
Megan,
We ARE in similar situations! Ellie's b-day is Dec 28th, 2004 so they are just a month apart. And our new girls are due just a day apart (although we're delivering mine 2 weeks early if she is big enough).
I couldn't imagine moving this close to the baby being here. We just moved into this house 8 months ago and that was hard enough on Ellie. Good luck with all the unpacking...it will be a lot of fun to put together a new room/rooms for the girls, though!
So here are my questions for you being that our girls are so close in age...
1) Have you already started potty training Dacey?
Ellie is just now showing signs of readiness but I'm afraid of all that regression you hear about after a new baby is born...makes me wonder if I should just wait until afterwards...
2) Are you buying a double stroller?
I can't decide on this one. Ellie still uses a stroller (or wagon) mostly just for the Zoo and other places that require a lot of walking. I mostly used a sling the first 3 months with Ellie so I'm wondering if I can just get by with little sister in the sling and Ellie still in her stroller...
3) Are you going to try and take the paci from Dacey before the new baby?
I don't think it will work for Ellie being that she still takes the same paci I will be giving the new baby. How will I explain to her that she can't have it anymore but little sis can?
4) Are you considering preschool for Dacey yet?
Ellie has a spot being held for her to start 2 weeks before the baby will be here but I still haven't decided if I'm actually going to send her or not. I'm hoping both of us will enjoy the little break from each other (just 2 1/2 hours a day, 2 days a week). :)
5) Doesn't it stink, just a little, that the girls will be born in almost opposite seasons??? :)
I have so many cute 0-3 months WINTER clothes that I'm afraid just won't work for a baby born at the end of Summer. I'm trying to hold off on buying hardly any new yet, though, in hopes that at least some of the clothes will work.
That's all for now although I'm sure more will come to me soon. It will be nice to have someone to compare big sis/little sis stories with after they are here too!
Paige
Oh, I am glad I came back to check this! :) First of all, I came over to ask if you could post some of your favorite kid-friendly vegetarian recipes. D is a natural vegetarian and she takes it very seriously. LOL. But really, I worry about her protein intake and would love to hear what Ellie likes to eat!
Okay, here goes!
1) D has NO interest in the potty yet, and honestly, I am not going to invest time and energy into "training" her at this point. We have too much going on with the move and then the baby. What I plan to do is put a potty out in her bathroom and just let things progress naturally. We aren't doing preschool or anything where she needs to be out of diapers by three, so I am not going to mess with it. Yet.
2. No plans for a double stroller yet. I plan to wear Little Sister in SOME kind of sling most of the time. Now, I say that, but D still loves, loves, loves to be carried, so I may HAVE to invest in a double stroller. Or wear D and put the baby in the stroller - and I am not kidding about that.
3. I share your philosophy on the paci thing right now. My dad is a dentist and my parents let us all keep our pacis until we were at least three (my brother until he was four!). Granted, we all had to have braces, but that is NOT a battle I am up for while I am pregnant. And like you said, it will be hard to explain when Little Sissy has one and D can't have one. Ay yi yi!
4. Oh! Your preschool situation sounds ideal! If we had a similiar set-up available, I would jump on it! The only ones in our town are at the minimum 6 hours a day and I know D isn't ready for that. But 2 1/2 hours a day twice a week? Oh yeah, mama. Go for it!
5. It does totally stink that the girls will be opposite seasons. I am holding off on buying any clothes for Little Sis, too. D lived in those newborn gowns for the first few months and I plan on using those as long as I can!! My main concern is buying enough cloth diapers for now. Hee hee hee.
Hey - anytime you want to chat, you can reach me at sortacrunchy@gmail.com! As you can see, I love to talk it up!
Hi Megan,
Thanks so much for all of your answers!
Sorry it took so long for me to get back to you on the question of what Ellie eats for protein.
We do use some of the "meat lookalikes" such as veggie corn dogs (Morningstar), veggie chick nuggets (Morningstar), and her favorite- veggie bologna (Smart Deli brand). We also eat a lot of regular meals with just the meat source substituted with things like Morningstar Veggie Crumbles ( for ground hamburger) or something called Quorn Chick (for cut up chicken breasts). However, if D is opposed to the whole look and texture of meat then she probably wouldn't like these either! :) Ellie's other main sources of protein come from her soy milk, all kinds of cheeses, peanut butter, edamame (steamed soybeans) and we cook up tofu lots of different ways too. She also loves to snack on hummus and another chick pea snack called Boondi (found at our local Indian grocer) and also all kinds of tree nuts. Hmmm...I guess another big protein source for us are the "Barrilla Plus" pastas which are really yummy and full of protein and other great nutrients.
As far as recipes, I really don't have anything special to offer! We cook pretty much everyday normal foods, just without the meat or with meat substitutes in it's place. There is a book I have called "Better Than Peanut Butter & Jelly- Quick Vegetarian Meals Your Kids Will Love!" (Marty Mattare, Wendy Muldawer) that has a lot of simple recipes and also lots of nutritional information for vegetarian kids.
Sorry I don't have any more to offer! Ellie has always been a fantastic eater so I've never really had to put too much creative effort into finding things she will eat. Hopefully we will be as lucky with little sister too! :)
Good luck and let me know if I can be any more help!
Paige
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