With my first delivery I likened the experience greatly to what I’d experienced only 10 months earlier, something I’d called the beginning of a new chapter in life–or even a new book. Marriage, leaving home for the first time and living with someone I really was just getting aquainted with. Anticipating and giving birth had, and still does for me have so many likenesses thru and thru as I imagine the process of drawing near to death will.
Before I write out that list for myself–has anyone else seen this parallel in their experience? Begin with feeling weak in the knees, obsessing over how you look and telling the story to whoever will hear it (and maybe those who would rather not!). A few ideas there just to jump start your memory in the instance that it may have been a while.
And for Dads, the “Just tell me when and where I should stand.”
Me: “When do you think Abegayle’s going to come, Car?”
Carly: “I don’t know, Mommy. But I’ll ask God.
God, when is my Baby Sister going to come to Mommy?”
C (in deeper voice): “In four weeks, Dear One.”
Then to me, Carly said, “Mommy, God says you have to wait for a while.”
I asked her if she talks to God a lot like that and she replied that, “Yes, because He fixed me.”
The faith that a 3-year-old can have in things unseen, while adults struggle to find that something deeper and bigger than themselves. Carly just accepts and believes in a way that fascinates me.
And when was it that I told her there were four weeks left on her sisters gestation? Anyway, she’s right. I do (Lord willing) have a while to wait yet for that second daughter.
But, in case Abe’s early–the bags are packed, and I’m a ready to go. Right now Darren and I are just asking for a healthy baby and a safe delivery like the others. Carly says she has faith in God because he’s taken care of her–I have faith too, he does care for his dear ones.
So who stayed up until midnight to ring in 2012?? The kids and I did. (: Until 1am actually. Thankful that Monday isn’t back to school for us yet, we needed the sleeping in until 10:30 that we got this Monday morning. Any new Year Resolutions? If so, please share. I’d love to hear your ambitions! :) I’m first of all thankful for 2011 and all the growing emotionally and spiritually that it held, I couldn’t even have imagined the changes that occured–mainly stories left to others to tell, things that indirectly effects my household which will hopefully bring my extended family closer and stronger in our spiritual journey. (I know I’ll rethink a million times how to say that)
I guess the even Darren and I along with our three kiddos are looking forward to at this point is the arrival of our little girl within the next few weeks. Her name is Abegayle Joy.
Right now the baby’s name is Abby Joy. But for me it’s so simple, a little too simple. So I still spend time with my nose in the baby name book.
Aanor
Kharmen
Kerstyn
Lenya
Maitilde
Renae
Dailen
Phoebe
Jocelle
Abbe, Abby, Abbie, Abigail
Joy, Joille, Jocelyn
Some couples enjoy keeping the name a secret until after their baby is born at which point others are left with saying nothing worse than, “Hmm, that’s interesting.” I, on the other hand, seem to have the need for opinions ahead of time. So. What do you think? It has to be german origin.
A video and a couple pictures for you at the end of my very tiring day at which I have extra little to show for my ever so extensive measures to maintain peace and sanity. The answer, tonight, as with many others is simply stay up late and clean what didn’t get cleaned and straighten where the wrinkles relentlessly appeared so that tomorrow can be a fresh start at the same game.
This week we found out we’re having a baby girl, Abby Joy (so far) and brought home a young green cheek conure. When I bought the bird I really didn’t know how much this would be doing for Koen on practicing sharing Mommy for when his little sister arrives. He’s been excited to touch, hold and kiss the new arrival and finds him self so annoyed by needing supervision and having his turn to hold the baby end. Much to my delight Emeria enjoys sitting in my hair and even finds her way into my sweatshirt pocket when she wants to take a snooze, this seems to give Koen quite a fit of jealousy since these are things he really can’t do.
Video:
Photos:
Carly has yet to sit still enough for a picture with Emria.
I’m not including the gender image–kind of a do unto others type thing. :)
We’re so excited to be welcoming another baby girl into our family. Don’t tell Darren I said so, but I’m almost positive I saw him cry when Diederick gave the news of the baby’s gender. Hurray for happy Daddy, and for his new little princess! There’s hardly more that makes me smile inside than seeing him enjoy our children.
So names…
I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned on here my son Diederick’s made up name that he’s had his heart set on for a baby sister since the very beginning–possibly since before I was pregnant with this one. It’s Emria. That’s the best I can get for spelling and I can say quite truthfully that I’m not sure where this came from. But of course I have to find the closest name possible to that. Tonight I found on a german baby names site Emera which means Industrious Leader and Emelyn which is listed with the same meaning.
Darren likes the name Isabelle, but there’s that song…that I hope no one who has used that name is familiar with!! I could grow to like the name, and just never let my kids know about the song.
Our baby’s middle name so far is to be Joy after my mom, Joyce.
Anyway, so at the end of this Wednesday I’m all happiness and thankfulness for all that God’s blessed me with. I’m so honored to get to be a part of another wonderful child’s life. It’s a Girl!
So far we’re calling her Abby. It just sort of came out that way. “It’s a girl, hon, and I think I want to call her Abby.” Not short for Abigail, just Abby.
Tomorrow we find out if we’re having a boy or a girl. The excitement is running high–my kids and I are really into looking at names as we talk about what we’re having. Darren on the other side of things absolutely refuses to hear any of our ideas until after we really know the baby’s gender. In my annoyance with that, I told him I’m inclined to not let him know what we’re having at all! Of course I can’t do that. :P Really, I’m just craving he share in the fun of picking out a name and I do want him to know.
Anyway, I thought that today I’d like to check out how close Koen’s ready to being potty trained. Around here, that’s the true mark of being a big kid. It would be perfectly fitting for the family baby to be a big kid by the time a new baby comes around, right?
So as soon as I had Carly back from Preschool I took off Koen’s diaper and gave him sippy cup after sippy cup of juice, water, milk whatever he’d take and waited. It was a great day for this experment–sun and warm, keep the diaperless baby outdoors where damage will be minimal. He did pee in the potty once, but the poopy went everywhere! In all, my 22 month old soiled three pairs of training pants and one outfit. After dinner he got a nice long tubby time and was quite pleased to see that he was getting the diaper back, along with his favorite monster truck jammies.
I love my baby Koen William and imagine that it’s quite possible he’ll be yet walking around with his big cloth diaper when his little brother or sister joins our family.
So boy or girl for this next one? Maybe the technician wont be able to tell, or perhaps they’ll find some terrible unexpected problem with the baby that will really change our lives.
I couldn’t believe I was leaving Carly! And she was fine. Infact, she had so much fun that she just can hardly wait for her next day at Preschool!
Diederick’s getting ready too, practicing writing his teacher’s name. His first day of school will be tomorrow.
It really was like this was the first day she’s a big girl, I guess in the same way that she seemed so grown up when I brought her baby brother home from the hospital or when she wasa really officially potty trained. So I mark this Thursday as a day that she grew up, just a little more than she was the day before.
PS: I have no idea what the password is here. Or how that was set up!
Today is my 20wk visit at the Obstetrician. I should be able to get an ultrasound and find out my baby’s gender too. And in going with my tradition here on the blog, I’ll let you all know as soon as I do. I also see my neurologist, which is good. The children are looking forward to going to McD’s at the end of it all. :)
