Labor? Not Now Honey, I'm Too Tired

Last night I was certain my water had broken and that I felt contractions. It was close to 10 p.m. Clayton's response: 

Clayton: Do you think it's labor? 

Me: Not sure. 

Clayton: Do you want to go to bed?

Me: Yeah okay. 

We both figured that if labor did come on, we would eventually get out of bed but we were too tired to drive to the hospital to see. Pathetic.

This made me realize that no matter when Baby #2 comes, I'm going to be too tired for labor. I wish I could schedule this delivery like I schedule a facial - when I am showered, and good and ready for some rest and relaxation. 

So how do moms of toddlers manage to deliver a second baby? The logistics alone are making me crazy. I have emergency babysitters, and backup emergency babysitters for Mo, as well as a long list of instructions for caring for him while I'm away. But how do I get myself ready? I'm too damn tired! 

If Baby were to come tonight, I would be far too exhausted and sore to go to the hospital. It isn't like labor with my first. I was well rested and well groomed. If my water broke tonight, the coversation would go something like this: 

Me: So my water broke.

Clayton: Really? So what does that mean? Do we have to go to the hospital tonight?

Me: Yeah, the baby can't go more than 24 hours without fluid in there. 

Clayton: So we have about 23 hours then. Wanna go to bed? 

Me: Yeah okay. 

Sprinkle Sprinkle Little Star

Early in this pregnancy, I mused about having a shower for second babies. Wow, there are a lot of opinions about this! One friend was candid enough to say, "You're not supposed to because it means you're greedy."

Well perceptions be damned! I went ahead and had a shower for this baby but we didn't call it a Shower. We called it a Sprinkle... as in the mommy is given a "sprinkling" of gifts that the baby might need.

In my family, we always threw showers for every baby, first or fourth. So naturally I wanted one too but I was also nervous what people might think of me. In hindsight, I could care less. My new baby deserves the same "ooohing" and "aaaahing" that my oldest had. So we Sprinkled!

Some suggested that I not register. Well, that seemed a bit silly and semantical to me too. Why split hairs? If we are doing a gift-giving event, can't I choose a few things that I want for this baby the same way I did for the first? Nathalee has gone the more PC route and created an Amazon Wishlist, which is the same concept. Her new baby needs things. Shouldn't she be able to choose the right ones?

When we sent out invitations, I wondered if our guests would understand the name of the event. They figured it out. Most people brought small items like burp cloths and toys, which are much appreciated, and told me that they understood the concept. 

We had games and prizes and food, much like my first shower. We also had activities for the kids because there were a lot more toddlers present this time around - including all the BabyBetas!

I printed some blank onesies and bought crayons and stickers for the kids to decorate and that was a hit. An even bigger hit were Annie's Cheddar Bunnies. The BabyBetas couldn't get enough of these! My mom called them the star of the party!

My sister and I had found these really cute favors on Pinterest that inspired us to make bags of popcorn that said, "Ready to pop." My sister made homemade kettle corn and we handed them out to guests as they left. 

My stepmother made a punch with rubber ducks floating in it - another Pinterest find! And we ordered Mexican food and a red velvet cake at my request - one of the main reasons I wanted a party in the first place!! After all, what is the fun of being pregnant, if you can't have some cake to celebrate??

So second (or third, fourth, fifth) time mommies, reject the convention that says you can't have a party for subsequent pregnancies. Of course you can! Anyone who finds that offensive is not your friend! You have a new person coming into this world and that new person deserves celebration in the same spirit that your first child was celebrated. So I hereby say: "Let them have cake!"

Podcast #47: Leave Jessica Alone!

This week we defend Jessica Simpson and her pregnancy weight gain, as well as talk about our own pregnancy weight gain. We also talk A LOT about potty training. Natali's resources are these Trickle Free Trainers and and this book. 

We also discuss whether to change diapers in airplane seats and what to do for 2nd birthday party ideas. 

Listen to the podcast here.

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Notes on a Second Pregnancy

When I first found out that I was pregnant with my second baby, I started taking notes on how it was different from the first time around.  Here are some of my observations: 

• I could feel the pregnancy before I even had a positive pregnancy test.  The day before I got a positive pee test (4.5 weeks), I was already feeling round ligament pain. 
• With my first pregnancy, my first hint that I was knocked up was that my chest looked like a road map—completely covered in blue veins.  That didn’t happen this time around, and my boobs didn’t even start to get bigger until the beginning of my second trimester.  (And they still aren’t back to their former glory.)
• I can already feel movement!  I was about 19 weeks pregnant before I felt Nic move, and feeling him wiggle around in me was one of my favorite parts of pregnancy.  I even missed it after he was born.  So, I’m very excited that this baby made his or her presence known at around 15 weeks!  I wasn’t sure if it was baby at first, but the other night I went to see The Vow and distinctively felt a summersault.  Maybe it’s a girl because it likes sappy movies?
• Everyone says you get bigger faster with the second pregnancy.  I’ve found this only to be partly true.  I found myself unbuttoning my pants much earlier with this one, but if you compare the 16 week bump picture my husband took this morning, with the one from my pregnancy with Nic, they are strikingly similar. (See picture above.) 

What about you?  We're your pregnancies very different from one another?

Yup, I’m Pregnant.

That’s right! In case you missed it on our podcast this week, there is another BabyBeta on the way.  Shaun, Nic and I are expecting to welcome a new baby in early August.

I’m about 13.5 weeks pregnant and finally starting to feel like myself again. I don’t know if it was chasing after a toddler, but this time has seemed a lot harder than my first pregnancy. Feeling hungover for two months straight when you can’t even have a glass of champagne just sucks. I know that I’ve been fortunate compared to a lot of women (I’ve never actually puked from “morning sickness”), but I’m glad that part of pregnancy is over. Now I just have to brush off this exhaustion.Nic thinks it's a girl!

One of my favorite moments from this pregnancy so far was when we told Nic about the baby and showed him the ultrasound pictures. Mostly, it was the look on his face when he was holding that photo—I hope that joy foreshadows all of the good times he will have with his little brother or sister.

I’m excited to share the next six months or so with you—I have posts planned about VBACs, sibling rivalry and the ins and outs of a second pregnancy. Then, it will be back to square one with a new baby and I’ll be asking for a ton of advice!