December is finally over.
In 4 short weeks we’ve been through my wife’s graduation, a week at Disney World, a long in-law visit, our car (2005 MINI cooper) engine dying out of nowhere, 2 more family members losing their homes, and then sudden passing of one of my oldest and closest friends’ grandmother.
It’s been a very tough month.
Thankfully 2009 ended on something to be cheerful about, we had our first ultrasound last week and we’re having a BOY! Everything seems to be there, in working order and he’s growing just fine and is on target for spring. We couldn’t be more thrilled to have a girl and a boy. Although it would have been a little nice to have a boy first when we were younger to catch up to him, but hey I’m not complaining.
Ultrasound visits are always surreal. There’s just no way to even explain that ecstatic feeling of seeing your baby for the first time - even though he’s in black and white and looks like on some 1950’s submarine radar screen – just getting that glimpse is amazing. And then they switch to that 4D mode and then you’d swear that you’re living in the future (like in 2001), seeing things so clearly that we could count his fingers and toes.
On the way home with our daughter in the back talking about all of things she’s going to share with her baby brother and how nice she’s going to be to him forever (yes, I should have recorded it) the wife and I talked about how it’s been nearly 5 years since we went through all of this new baby stuff and how much we’ve forgotten in that short amount of time. Just the thought of diapers, night feedings, taking the stroller everywhere, getting kicked in the groin by the Baby Bjorn rider, diaper bag being dragged all over the place, and my ultimate fear: potty training – that alone just scares me all over again.
But then again this time around I have real world experience with child #1. I have my parenting skills down unlike before where everything was by trial and error. Lots of errors but trying my best and I think she's turning out just fine.
And unlike child #1, this will work on #2…
"Every time you poop in your pants, Elmo cries.
Don't make Elmo Cry!"
A Very Very Happy New Year 2010 To You :-)
ReplyDeleteYes, our daughter said the same things about her pending brother throughout his gestation and most of his early months of life ex-utero.
ReplyDeleteOn a completely unrelated note, yesterday she walked up to him while playing outside and snow-plowed him (shoved handfuls of snow in his face) so forcefully that he started gagging and my wife had to flip him upside down to get the snow off.
Congrats on your new addition..
ReplyDeleteMy 4YO daughter just got her 3rd little sibling. She's been the most excited about her. Possibly because she's old enough to understand.
But the hardest thing about the new baby is changing the diapers. It's no where near the same as it is when they get older. nothing cooperates
Congrats again.
congrats on the new addition and happy 2010!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the BOY.
ReplyDeleteSee...the Mini died because it will not be near enough room for TWO kids, the stroller, the diaper bag, and Princess sunshine etc..'s princess gear. So you see, life is divinely guided. (really sorry about that, actually) A BOY?!?!?!?! WOW! Awesome news!!! :) I would like to hear the list of names from your daughter now that we know for sure.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations!!!
Congrats on the boy! He will definitely keep you running.
ReplyDeleteYou think you can use the experience from the first child? I'm wondering about that myself. I know that with the first one, as soon as he turned 2-months-old and someone asked me a question about 1-month-old babies, I was unable to answer. And it continued like that (and it still does now, when he's two). It's such a learning curve, that as soon as I had to learn something new, I forgot what I didn't need to know anymore. To make room, I supposed.
ReplyDeleteI think now with the girl on the way, I'll need a nurse to teach me to swaddle again. And burp. Thankfully, I'm still changing diapers, so I don't need to re-learn that one. Although apparently girls are different.
Congratulations. (and sorry about the tough month.)
Hooray for boys! Potty training is a breeze...it's this new phase where I have to remind mine - who are quite old enough not to require the helpful tips, btw - that they actually need to do it directly into the toilet and not everywhere but when they go that is wearing me out!
ReplyDeletegreat potty training advice!! i wonder if i can reshape it to make my 6yo do things or it will make icarly cry... would that work?
ReplyDeleteOh my word, you should have recorded that promise! And congrats on your great new year news! I hope you guys have a great year. And catch up on sleep eventually.
ReplyDeleteCongrats! Hopefully for you all that new baby stuff is like riding a bike.
ReplyDeleteHere's hoping that 2010 is already better.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the boy!
Eric (Juggling Eric)-- I know what you mean about diapers. It's really nice not having to worry about where to throw it away, if you have enough, or if it's "a spiller"...
ReplyDeleteKelly -- I know! I know! I guess it's not a family car for 4.
for a different kind of girl -- I remember that. That's what shower curtains are for though.
Wendy -- Wouldn't a 6-year old want to make iCarly cry...?
Sounds like you guys are on the same type family plan as us. We plan on trying again when our daughter is around 4 and hope we have a boy.
ReplyDeleteWe're just at the tip of the iceberg with potty training and your post rather scares me! I'm hoping she won't be THAT difficult. But... she loves Elmo with a passion... so your little Elmo cartoon there at the end of your post just might work!
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ReplyDeleteThat has been a few weeks with about a year's worth of action!Congratulations on securing a healthy boy in the womb!!!! My children are just shy of 5 years apart...it's a good range. I just posted a photo of my kids and mentioned that minutes later they were aggravating each other...still! I hope your wife and son continue to do very well, as well as your vehicles! it will come back to you, like riding a bicycle, but it will be a whole different bike, like a unicycle....wear a helmut!
ReplyDeleteHi Creative-Type Dad! I actually found you while Googling for an image of the Evil Witch. You see (or maybe not) it is Fictional Character week at Facebook, and, if you don't mind, I'd love to use your Witch pumpkin stencil as my avatar.
ReplyDeleteYour blog is a delight to read, so I will be back.
Congratulations on your baby boy.