Thoughts on Becoming a Family of Five

The Pregnancy Diaries

It’s official!  I’m now rounding the last two weeks (or shorter!) of my third pregnancy and everyone in my family is on “baby watch.” The final countdown has begun, and soon my tight-knit little family of four will expand.  Today, as I write my last “pregnancy diaries” blog, I’d like to share my thoughts on becoming a family of five.

First of all, let me tell you how crazy it is to think about welcoming a new little angel baby into our home and family in just a few short weeks.  We’ve talked and talked and talked about a third baby, been through the longest pregnancy in the history of pregnancies (okay, not the longest…but it certainly feels that way with as sick as I’ve been!), and the kids have been counting down the days since we told them they were going to be a new big sister and big brother (which has been since Christmas).  And that time is now.  It’s HERE.

I wonder what it will be like holding a new baby girl…because we’ve been such a close little family of four for years now.  We have our routines, our roles, our family jobs…and everything has evolved to be a (fairly) well-oiled machine.  We’ve been sleeping for years.  It’s wonderfully exciting (and a little scary!) to think about what dynamic Miss Emma will bring to our family.

The picture I chose for this blog is our annual Taughannock Falls waterfall picture that is taken every year during our family trip to Upstate New York – posed in the same spot since our oldest was a baby. This particular photo was taken just this year, and I was about 7 1/2 months pregnant.  And next year, one of us will be holding our new princess – wow.

I wonder what she will look like – who she will look like. I imagine her a happy baby, with a big slobbery toothless grin.  How could she not be happy???  She is such a little dancer in the womb, and I imagine she will be an active, happy, energetic baby (and kiddo) who is constantly trying to keep up with her big brother and big sister.  I imagine she’ll want to do everything that they do…and more.

I imagine what it will be like to see my two big kids hold their baby sister for the first time.  To see the wonder and excitement in their eyes.  That mom’s big belly really did, in fact, grow them a baby sister. To see them giggle when she grabs their finger for the first time.  And to see how they react and adjust to sharing mom and dad (and their home, their car, their space, their toys, their dog, their time…with their new sister…please God, let this part go well).

What will it be like not to sleep again?  What will it be like to move through my days like a zombie again…but this time with two big kids that need my time, love, attention, and help?  Not to mention carpool chauffeur and homework checker and soccer mom. Hmmmm.

The baby’s nursery is done, and I often find myself sitting in her room, rocking in the big glider (that we saved from the last two kids), and day-dreaming about her arrival.  It’s surreal, looking at all of the tiny clothes again, all of the baby supplies, the endless diapers, the teethers, the tiny socks and hair bows and bibs and binkies…

I catch myself telling people about “the girls,” or “our girls,” and can’t stop smiling.  Because now my husband and I have the responsibility of raising two little girls, and we can’t wait.  No, they will probably never wear matching clothing in pictures or share the same toys, or even the same interests, at times, because they will be almost eight years apart.  But I know that they will share a sisterly bond that only they will understand.

And I know that our son, our newly promoted middle child, will have the experience of having two sisters.  And he’s told me that he can’t wait for his baby sister because it’s his job to protect her (please let him remember this when she is chewing on his toys or throwing a toddler tantrum in front of his friends).

It feels like Baby Emma has been with our family forever, and she’s still tucked safely in my belly. You mamas know what I mean – it’s amazing we feel this way about our babies, isn’t it? My whole family can’t wait to meet her…and as my son says, “finally kiss her big chubby baby cheeks!”  Thank you all for your sweet wishes, thoughts and support during this crazy pregnancy journey – I can’t wait to share updates and pictures once she makes her big arrival!