Yesterday, as I was getting ready for church, I took a look at myself in the mirror and thought, "Hey, I don't look as pregnant as I thought!" and then I turned sideways... I definitely look pregnant and that realization has spun me into a whole new stream of thought and worries. As my due date gets closer, what can I do to help prepare Noah for the changes a baby will bring to our family? I just now feel like I'm becoming a more patient Mom with Noah, am I going to be able to keep my attitude and reactions to stress under control once I have 2 kids, or am I going to be learning patience all over again? Is it possible to give this next kiddo some of the same attention and 1-on-1 time Noah has received over the past 3 years? How will I be able to continue giving Noah some individual attention while caring for a newborn? Should I start babysitting children younger than Noah just to give Noah a little taste of what it'll be like to have a baby around?
Anyway, the questions and worries go on and on. I feel like I have a lot more concerns and questions this time around than I did the first time. Why is that? I know I sort of went into motherhood (the first time) with the attitude of "expect the unexpected" and with the idea that I could read every book, talk to every mother I knew, take as many classes as I wanted at the hospital, and spend as many nights as I could talking to Nate about how we were going to deal with this and that, and I still could never be fully prepared for being a parent. Those ideas were basically right, you're never fully prepared, but I did have confidence that I could do it. This time I think I'm more worried because the changes affect Noah too, not just Nate and I. Noah is a great kid, there's no questioning that. He's easy going, fun, and oh so smart and I know he's going to be a great big brother, but I still worry about him adapting to all the changes and I guess just helping him along in the best possible way. I did read one thing about this and a parent suggested giving the older sibling a gift from the baby when he comes to see the baby for the first time at the hospital, I think we could do that. I'm also thinking about starting to move things from Noah's bedroom that the baby will use, like the changing table which Noah currently uses to store his stuffed animals in, out now, before it's the "baby's fault". Any other suggestions?
2 comments:
i feel bad for graham i just dont worry as much. maybe that is a good thing too. i loved the halloween costumes.
I was so scared to become a mother of two also! You'll just take each day one at a time and you'll do great! You will have to realize that you won't be able to give each kid the attention that they want at the exact moment they want it all the time. They will have to learn to share you, and learn patience. Sometimes they will be unhappy about this and others they will handle it gracefully. One day you will hear Noah say in his bedtime prayers "I'm thankful for my brother/sister." Congratulations and good luck with everything!
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