Dear maybebaby,
You are two lines on a stick. You are two lines on two sticks. You are not a blood test, not an ultrasound, not a warm milk-smelling weight in my arms. No doctor has told me you exist, but I don’t need one: the pain in my belly, the ache in my head, the midnight yogurt are all your messengers. The two lines, the four lines. They all tell me you are coming. They tell me you are here, waiting for us. As we have been waiting for you for so long.
Just wait a little while longer, sweet one. Soon enough you will be big and strong enough to come out and meet us face to face. Your big sister is already preparing for your arrival. She has big plans for what she is going to do with you: change your diaper, undress you, hold you gently, THROW! you up in the air. As you can imagine, we still have some distance to travel regarding appropriate handling of babies. You might consider it a good thing you’re tucked away safe inside for now. A few months ago, talking about the possibility of getting a baby sister or brother someday, she instantly jumped to her feet and said, “Yes! Let’s go!!” So you see she has been ready for you for a while already. She will love you so, so much, sweet baby, and you are going to adore her. Her blend of maternal and bossy will drive you crazy and make you feel safe, making her the perfect older sister. I should know, since I was an older sister, too.
Grow, sweet baby. Be healthy. Be strong. Come home to us – not too soon, not too late. We’re preparing a place for you.
Love,
Mama
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(written a few days ago, before yesterday's doctor visit. aka my second 'flu' of 2011 that wasn't really the flu...)
Congratulations! So pleased for you, I think it's fantastic having more than one child. My biggest parenting joy at the moment is seeing the ecstatic look on my six-month old baby's face when her brother and sister (aged 3 and 4) talk to her, bring her toys, whisper in her ear (usually faecal obscenities), blow raspberries at her - and seeing how much the older two enjoy playing with their baby sister. Sure it's hard work, yes, they do all scream at once sometimes, but it's worth it because they have each other.
ReplyDeleteJen
Congratulations! I had been wondering if your lack of posts was due to early pregnancy lack of energy, and became more suspicious when you were talking about your "non flu". So happy for you! Having more that one is challenging, but more rewarding that I ever expected it would be.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations again!
Congratulations, you must be soooo happy!
ReplyDeleteHaving 2 under 4 yrs old is a lot of fun (on the good days anyway), though our daughter, 2 years when baby brother arrived, kept wanting to give him away until he was about 5 months old and started becoming more fun. She kept saying that he was boring and asked, every time we drove by the hospital, to give him back :)
Aww, this is so precious! I just love it! I am so excited to have one more beautiful kiddo to love. :) Katka is going to be SUCH a good sister! So excited about it all. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks all :) I am very, very glad that if all goes well K will have a sibling. I wanted to have siblings closer together in age, actually, but almost four years isn't too big a gap in the scheme of things, I suppose. I'm so looking forward to observing and encouraging that sibling relationship that will be with them all through life! Though my current focus is just keeping at least one meal down...proof already that this pregnancy is different from the last. :)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations!! Your letter to baby is so cute! Grow baby grow!
ReplyDeleteLovely letter. Congratulations and best wishes! I'm glad to hear that Katka is already on board.
ReplyDeleteNow that my three-year-old Griffin knows that I'm expecting, he talks about the baby in my tummy and the baby in his belly button (!), and occasionally sticks his stuffed bear under his shirt to nurse it. I figure those are good signs (for his attitude, if not his understanding of anatomy).