By: Caroline Kambrich
Baby number two is on the way! When I found out that I was pregnant, I couldn’t wait to tell everyone. You usually have to wait till you hit a certain threshold of the pregnancy to tell people (around 12-14 weeks), but honestly, I have no patience for that, so I came out with it pretty early to friends and family. Joe and I are very excited to give Colton a little sister.
They will be 4 years apart, and we are very much looking forward to the bond that will be created between them. Especially being a boy and a girl. I am getting him excited with all the new things he will be able to teach her and show her how to do. I can tell he knows what’s going on. He is always kissing my belly and asking when the baby will be here. I am hoping that when she gets here, he will take on the big brother role with full force and not get too jealous. We will all have to find that right balance of attention (and patience). He often says to me that he, too, has a baby in his belly, and that I need to be quiet so the baby can sleep. “Mommy, I need an extra snack; the baby is hungry”. Okay…
Joe and I are constantly talking about the kind of personality she will have – will she be like her brother? Adventurously cautious? Boldly sensitive? Sweet and spicy? Our little princess? Or our little tomboy? I have a feeling she will be the best of Joe. Dark hair with a bright spirit. This is an exciting topic of discussion at our dinner table. The one thing we do know about her already is that she is impressively strong, just based on the way she kicks me.
I also can’t wait to see Joe become a girl dad. There will be abrupt transitions from playing UFC on the couch to having tea parties in the dining room. From tutus to Tonka trucks, it’s going to be fun to see how we adapt to all of it. Who knows, she might be into trucks too! It will bring out a softness in him – a gentle side of Joe that was always there, just dominated by wrestling, sports, and monster truck rallies. I will laugh looking back at this newsletter if she ends up liking the same things. Which, honestly, would be just as fun knowing that she and her brother share the same interests.
This pregnancy has been significantly different than my first one, a lot more sickness and a lot fewer naps. The energy I need to keep up with Colton is astounding. I have been told that being pregnant with a toddler is a lot harder than having a baby and a toddler, but only time will tell. We are getting her nursery ready, and as I go through all of Colton’s old baby items, it makes me reminisce on how far we have come as a family and how much he has grown. A few tears have been shed looking at his old baby toys and clothes, and putting back the chair that was used to rock him to sleep every night. It’s a new chapter mixing with an old one, and it makes my heart ache with joy.
In all my preparation, reading books, watching videos of moms with 2 or more kids, I think it will all come down to just taking it one day at a time. Marinating in the small precious moments, and taking the small (and big) things as they come. I know there will be tough days, as with my first baby, I had no small toddler to take care of. But with the solid teamwork that Joe and I have established as parents, and with a village of loving grandparents and family members behind us, I think there will be lots of happiness and joy that fill our days ahead. We can’t wait to meet our baby girl – see you in October, little one!
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