Yup, I am pregnant! With baby Mork #2. The expected due date is April 14th. Coranelle and her little sibling will be about 23 months apart. This time, I knew a week before the pregnancy test came back positive that I was pregnant. I remembered the "off" feeling I had felt with Coranelle. So, by my birthday, I was sure there was another one on the way. We knew before Stefan and Rachael's wedding and tried (horribly unsuccessfully) to keep things quiet so that we didn't steal any of their "thunder". But, they found out immediately and were wonderfully excited and supportive.
We are thrilled and thankful that it has been a healthy pregnancy thus far. I am almost 11 weeks along and we got to hear a strong, healthy heartbeat at 8 weeks. It was reassuring to have everything checked out and I am thankful and relieved that so far, all is well. I have to be honest, when we found out I was pregnant, I was equally as nervous as I was excited (even though it was planned). You see, having an infant with a two year old (and not just ANY two year old), seems a bit daunting. When I have rough days with Coranelle and I just feel like she consumes all my time and energy, I cannot help but wonder how I will handle nursing, being sleep deprived, soothing a fussy baby and keeping up with Coranelle. But, what good is worrying going to do? I am sure that God will give us the grace and strength to get through it.
Coranelle clearly doesn't fully understand what is coming, but we talk about it here and there. Now, when I say the word, "baby", she comes and points to my tummy. I am going to try to find some books on little siblings and possibly get her a doll to help her get used to the idea. I am totally up for other suggestions to help a sensitive child adjust to a new baby. I think she will be a good helper and an incredibly sweet sister (once she adjusts). She is always helping me at home now. When I sing her clean up song, she always happily helps put all of her blocks and legos away. If I need her to bring me something, she does it cheerfully. Another way she has helped me out hugely in the past few months is her willingness to be watched by others. Two days a week, I take her to the rec center day care for an hour (you cannot beat good $2/hour childcare). She has done pretty well and only cries until I walk out the door. I always return to a smiling child, thrilled with all the new toys and kids to play with. She has also finally adjusted the child care at church and every weekend, Ryan and I get a one hour chance to sit together quietly and really listen and be recharged, challenged, encouraged, etc. Coranelle loves the volunteers and they love her and I always pick up a kid who has been running around and playing so hard that her little cheeks are flushed and her sweet head is sweaty. These periodic breaks will be great for a little extra time with baby two. And it ensures that Coranelle will do okay spending time with other people who love her when I cannot focus all my time on her.
Before you make your judgments about the space between my two kids (or lack thereof), let me explain. Stefan and I are just 21 months apart, and although the first year was really tough on mom, things worked out. Of course, Stefan and I fought as kids. But, we were also friends and a good support team as we grew up. Now, I feel like we are very close for siblings and I like the age difference. I don't think waiting another year or two would make the first year that much easier or make kids fight less. Secondly, had I waited a bit longer to get pregnant, baby two might have been born just a day or two before Coranelle's birthday and I thought that might be nice to avoid so each kid could have their special day. (Petty, I know, but somehow important in the planning). I also did not want to be 8 months pregnant in the hot summer. So, April it is and that seems perfect. Plus, after April 15th, my mom is done with tax season and more available to help. And, after the beginning of June, Grams (Heidi) is done with school and she can help out over the summer. Finally, I'd like to get back to teaching before I completely forget what I am doing and so having kids closer together just worked for us.
This is Stefan adjusting to having a little sister (me).I am thrilled to meet the new little one and see what their personality is like. I think the grandparents are really happy to be looking forward to another grandchild. I am excited to see Ryan with another baby, as he has proven to be a better father than I ever could have imagined possible. He's currently taking great care of all of us. When I don't feel well, he eats ramen with me. I get a back rub every night! He's always making sure I'm getting snacks and drinking and taking my prenatals. He rearranges his schedule so he can watch Coranelle and I can take a nap or rest. He's truly been awesome. But, that's no surprise to those of you who know him.
That's all for now, as my lack of energy has affected my ability to string coherent thoughts together at this very late hour of ... 9:39pm. Any suggestions for Coranelle or me or us are always welcome!
PS The addition to the family is why we upgraded to a bigger vehicle with more cargo space. :-)
Stefan and me- a mere 21 months apart.
1 comment:
i am so thrilled for you guys, i smile every time i think of you :) i have to say, josh and his younger sister are only 21 months apart as well, and my mom in law says the same thing, it was a crazy first year, but then it was wonderful because they became so close.
as far as advice for coranelle, i think having a baby doll is a great idea. once it gets closer to your due date, you could show her how to change the doll's diaper and put the doll down for naps and you could even pretend to nurse the baby doll so that she has an idea of what to expect. showing her video clips of her as a newborn may give her a heads up on what a newborn looks like and how they sound. one thing that was great preparation for tristan was spending the night at his gran and grandpas house a few times before the big event. that got him used to the idea of being there overnight, so it wasn't so tramautic for him to be there for a couple of nights after i gave birth.
praying that your energy will return within the next week or so and that you can begin truly enjoying this miracle happening inside of you!
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