Counting Down

Saying "cheese" with Daddy's sunglasses

Won't be a family of three for long!

Getting a kiss from her main squeeze.

Sharing.

Aaand, her other main squeeze.

We're getting close...so very close to the arrival of baby #2. I am 33 weeks along, and believe me, I wish I were at 40 weeks! We are so ready to meet this new little girl, and I am feeling as ready as I'll ever be to tackle life with two. Right now I'm just watching my belly grow and trying to prepare mentally and physically for giving birth. I'm grateful that this pregnancy has been uneventful - much like my pregnancy with MCM. Everything has been basically normal except for a great deal of tiredness due to an energetic little girl in our midst ;). Generally speaking, I've had a MUCH lower sense of anxiety this go around, which is nice. With my first pregnancy, I remember worrying quite a bit about becoming a parent, giving birth, and all the unknowns about how life was going to change. There were a lot of sleepless nights, especially toward the end of my pregnancy. It's nice that most of those thoughts are irrelevant this time, except that life is indeed about to change.

It's hard to imagine being busier, having less time to get things done or being more tired than I am now, but I know with every new baby there is a little less "me" time available. I know what I'm about to face is another big challenge to my selfishness, lots of which has been chipped away in the past two years, but let's face it, mountains and mountains of selfishness remain. I'm not Mother Theresa, here! One welcome surprise for me in this parenting journey is that it's actually been a relief to care for others and think a little bit less about myself. I tend to be a person with an inward focus and used to spend lots of time contemplating things (who knows what, just things!), but with little ones to care for I simply have less time to sit and think about me, what do I want, what makes me happy, etc. I have also found that caring for my husband and children actually does make me happy. Crazy, huh?

So, I'm trying to mentally take myself back to that place where you must surrender your wants/needs to a helpless infant who is entirely dependent on you. It's hard...oh, it is so very hard, but it's also very good for the soul. I know my soul could use a little more of that, so I'm thankful for what is ahead.

For the next 7-8 weeks I just hope to enjoy every moment with MCM. She is such a joy to be around - so full of life and so full of love. She is her own little person in every way, and I love getting to know her. It's a little sad to know that the dynamics of our relationship are about to change, but I know that it's a good thing and there will be plenty of love to go around. So, for now, we just wait...