As I write this, I am 39 weeks pregnant, 1cm dilated and 50% effaced. For most people who haven’t been there, basically I will have a baby soon, but not yet!? So, I wait. I’ve done this before, so I’m an expert, right? Here are a couple of things that I’ve done to prepare for the arrival of my second son, Baby Bobby Boo (as my toddler has affectionately named him).
First, the tangible things. Having another boy makes this part much easier, as we have pretty much everything we need in a corner of the basement. I made a point to have my older son help me prepare the nursery and I love to decorate and every little detail to be considered, so my collection of our items, new and repurposed, are all set and ready to welcome Baby Bobby Boo.
You’ll notice a bed in the room, that is for me to sleep in. As with my toddler, I’ll sleep in the room with baby for the first few weeks. This makes for easy access for around-the-clock nursing while allowing my husband to sleep through the night. This arrangement is not for everyone, but this worked well for us last time. He will be responsible for taking care of me, our toddler and the household during the day. One of us has to remain sane, nothing good comes from two sleep deprived parents.
Don’t laugh, but I take quite a bit of baby care advice from a celebrity nanny. The first time around, I stumbled upon a book called, “Eat, Play, Sleep” by Luiza de Sousa – she was Cindy Crawford’s nanny. For me, it is the most approachable, realistic guide to taking care of baby in the first three months. It addresses challenges that working moms may face and has practical advice for managing the transition back to work. It also encourages the importance of establishing routines, all while keeping the relationship between mom and baby at the center of all decision making. I am re-reading it now and recommend to all new moms!
I decided to try another book, “the Nanny Connie Way.” I read it cover to cover in a couple of days, but I did not relate to it as well. It seemed more like a recall of her experiences with celebrity clients (George Clooney, Justin Timberlake, Jessica Alba), than an actual detailed guide of how to take care of a baby. The redeeming quality of the book is some good advice for breastfeeding moms, which include drinking a lot of water, a daily beer (can’t wait!) and eating clean and yet, hearty food to establish and maintain a steady milk supply.
Since all of the practical preparation is falling into place, finally, at this point, I’m just excited to meet Baby Bobby Boo. All of the uncertainty about being able to handle two kids, them getting along, paying for 2x daycare, etc. is starting to fade. I am looking forward to having so much more love in our household. I am excited to see what his personality will be like, if he will favor me in likeness and how he will change my older son.
For the last nine months, its been really easy to dwell all of the difficulties of raising my first son; breastfeeding and pumping, losing myself in parenting while managing a full-time job. In the last few weeks, with the help from some amazing mom-friends and family, they’re reminding me of all the good that comes from having two, so I’m starting to feel more optimistic, as I did the first time around. I know that there will be difficult moments, but in the big picture of life, we will be fine, really. Now, someone please remind me of this in about six weeks?!
UPDATE: Jennedy delivered a healthy, beautiful baby boy at the end of June! Mom and baby are doing well. Congratulations to she and her sweet family!
