"I need a plan. I have to write down everything we need to get done during each weekend leading up to M2's birth. You know WE-ONLY-HAVE-TEN-WEEKS."
I wish I could have taken a picture of my husband's face.
"Honey, don't worry. It will all get done," he reassured me, as he was slowly taking baby steps backwards, away from his deranged other half.
"I have to write it all out."
"Why don't you use that life planner? Doesn't it have a calendar in it?"
"NO!" I exclaimed defiantly. "I need to see it all mapped out on a single page. All in one spot. From now until June."
Scribble, scribble, scribble.
"Okay, honey. Whatever you need to do," was the best reply he could come up with and likely the only reply that wouldn't have garnered a sucker punch to the kidneys.
Ten weeks. Ten weeks until our lives are once again turned upside down as we welcome our second son. Ten weeks until I'm sleeping on the downstairs couch, or rather staring numbly at my husband who sleeps peacefully on the downstairs couch as I cannot stop staring lovingly at our newest addition. Thankfully, I've forgotten just how difficult and frustrating those first few newborn weeks are.
Thank God for Mom-nesia.
Ten weeks. Ten weeks to
Ten weeks. With four sessions with little joys. already on the books and the inquiries continue to stream in. I'm so thankful but equally overwhelmed. To stencil the accent wall in the master bedroom and the "skinny wall" in the downstairs powder room.
Ten weeks. To nest, to clean, to nest and to clean again. To pull up the decking floorboards and replace them so that Carter has a safe place to run around barefoot in the summer. With no worry of splinters ruining a little fun in the sun. To build up a wood chip bed around the fort that will no sooner rather than later become a play fortress to not one but two sweet little boys.
Ten weeks. Gulp.
I think it's safe to say I've had my first official Freak Out before welcoming M2.
You will do great! I am totally confident that you will accomplish all your goals.
ReplyDeleteOne of the things my sister made sure to do before the arrival of my adorable nephew, was plan a really fun Mommy/Daddy/Camryn day for my niece before things got super crazy. It went great and then once my niece had to take a small step back to her newborn brother, she took it famously.
Good luck! It will all come together...and even if it doesnt. You will have your amazing bundle of joy to stare at for hours and you will forget about all those other things.
ReplyDeleteFriend, are you really planting a garden? Because that is a LOT to add to momming a newborn this summer!
ReplyDeleteI took the easy way out and bought a share in a CSA instead ;) Organic, locally grown produce delivered by subscription - WHY DIDN'T I KNOW ABOUT THIS SOONER??? LOL!
Gah! I had that same freak out last July! Yes, thank god we forget about the rough newborn weeks.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all - breath... You are incredible and it will all come together and be amazing...because you are amazing :-) second of all... Sorry I am never here commenting. I suck at being a good reader and commenter. I love you and your blog and your family and the little baby that's almost here! I can't believe you are ten weeks out already - I remember reading when you just found out you were pregnant with Carter. Wow time flies. You will have everything together by the time the new love bug arrives and you will look around and probably not know how it all got done but it will be done. So just breathe. And smile :-)
ReplyDeleteI freaked out too in the weeks leading up to my son's birth (my daughter was 22 months). I'm a planner and having stuff not complete drove me crazy. But...it all worked out and it will for you too. #2 is definitely an adjustment, but I love having them so close together in age.
ReplyDeleteYou and your hubs will get it all done, and if you don't, that's ok too! I did the same thing before Noah, I thought I had to cram... I did and just wore myself down.
ReplyDeleteOh honey, take that list and cut it in half! You are a brave woman taking on so much in these last weeks of pregnancy. You should be more like me, and try to accomplish a bit less ;)
ReplyDeleteAww mama I'm sorry that this seems so overwhelming but the good news is that the nursery will be done soon I'm sure and then everything else will fall into place- I have positive thoughts for you and lots of hugs! Xoxo
ReplyDelete10 weeks? When did this creep up? I thought I just got that photo message text yesterday saying, "Shhh!" ;)
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, how those days will fly! But you will get all of that stuff accomplished, because you are an awesome gal like that :)
ReplyDeleteI am glad to know I'm no the only one feeling this way!
ReplyDeleteI stare at the calendar and my heart starts racing...so much to do and so little time!
If anyone can get it done, I"m betting on the two of you!
ReplyDeleteHow about me and E come and help!!!!!!!
Happy Monday Love! xoxoxo
You're a lot like me. Our poor Hubbys - LOL.
ReplyDeleteSeriously though, take it a week at a time because you and I both know that you have to take care of you and that baby and those last few weeks can be more difficult if you don't slow down.
Take it from me, the woman who moved into a new house 5 days before I had Mia and could not help with any of the move because I was on bed rest because of blood pressure concerns. I had so much going on at that time of my life and I just had to listen to my Hubs and you know what, he was absolutely right.
Hang in there! It will all come together.
I am a planner like you, AP, but I've had some changes going on in my life that are outside of my control and I've had to take a step back to seriously look at how I do things. Someone recently told me, "when you plan, life happens and throws those plans out the window sometimes." I remember all the "stuff" I was going to do in the 2 weeks I thought I had before Tommy's due date when I was officially on maternity leave. Yeah, I ended up with only 2 days instead, and didn't get anything done that I had planned on! Just remember that your plan can always be adjusted, and you need to go easy on yourself. We moms are our own worst critics and think we should be able to do everything and anything so long as we've got a plan. The last 3 months, I've started to accept that this is not always the case. I don't like it, which is okay, but I accept it. I am able to let it go a little more than I ever did. Yes, I have my freak out days too, and I'm always a tad bit disappointed when my to do list for the week and then the weekend is not completely crossed off, but I ask myself, "How important is it?" And then I smile, because I've had extra snuggle and play time with Tommy instead of updating my blog (I've been such a slacker...I would rather read others than write on mine lately), or putting all the laundry away, or cleaning out last year's vegetable garden. Yes, all this stuff still needs to get done, but I am one of those folks who really needed to take a step back and enjoy the moment more. A lot more. I have no doubt that you could probably do it all, too, but if you don't, for whatever reason, before M2 arrives, it won't be for lack of planning or trying on your part. Just remember that. Now, I will need to copy and paste this to a document for myself to read after my next freak out over something!
ReplyDeleteYou are so precious! I had a freak out like that with summer prep - but no children are arriving to turn life upside-down! You will get it all done and you will rock it! :-) Good luck sweet lady!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I'm not the only one crazy enough to be planning a new vegetable garden for a summer when I'll be so busy with bellies and babies.
ReplyDeleteWe already transitioned Emily into her big girl bed (well into the mattress), so now we just need to get our butts in gear prepping the nursery.
I know it doesn't feel like it, but 10 weeks is a lot of time go get it all done, even with lots of quality toddler time!
This is the part where I WON'T tell you that my 2nd child came at 30 weeks, 5 days :)
ReplyDeleteI can't believe you only have 10 weeks to go! Wow. With that said, I am laughing at the thought of your husband eyeing you carefully and choosing his words oh so carefully. You will get everything done, don't worry!
ReplyDeleteAwwwww I know the feeling!! Just 10 weeks ago we added our 2nd sweet addition to our family and I too was worried and freaking out. But in the beginning weeks you run on pure adrenaline and by the time that wears off everyone in the family has pretty much adjusted to the new baby and it'll be like he was a part of your family forever! Good luck and I hope you get everything done, I certainly know how it feels to make sure even the couch pillows were in the right spot each night just in case I went into labor during the night. :) you'll be great!
ReplyDeleteP.S. I made Evan pinky swear we aren't going to plant a garden this year. I just can't handle all the preserving, canning etc on top of a new babe.
ReplyDeleteI am like you...I have to write it down...it makes me feel better. I know it seems like the 2nd pregnancy is going super fast, and I am running out of time!
ReplyDeleteIt is SO much easier the second time around. Sure, the all night feedings still suck, but you know they will end. With my first, I had this sense of dread that life would NEVER be normal again. With my second, I knew that those first few newborn weeks fly by and I enjoyed them so much more :)
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