Big Brother's Poem

Big brother is watching

Each day as you grow

He's patiently waiting

And wanting to know

What color your eyes

And hair will soon be:

"Will you look like Momma,

Or Daddy, or me?"

Big brother is anxious

To hold you so tight

To love you and hug you

And kiss you goodnight;

While you're in my belly

And when you're out here

You'll have a Big Brother

Who'll always be near.

Rocking

The slow rhythm calms. Back and forth, back and forth. Soft music plays in the background as his head sinks heavily into my shoulder. Back and forth. His legs wrap around my ever-expanding belly, perching himself atop his brother. Breath sounds grow slow and heavy as little hands reach up to hold my face. The scent of clean baby wafts up to me, and I lean in for a stronger sniff. Back and forth. I close my eyes and memorize this moment - this small boy held tight, in his last days alone. Soon my time will be shared between two, both in need of love - and rocking. But for now, I treasure these moments with my firstborn. Back and forth.

Big Boy Bed

It's official - my baby now sleeps in a Big Boy Bed, his crib sitting empty in wait of his little brother. I won't say the transition was seamless (we may have had one bad night, complete with puke-inducing sobs), but we persevered. On the third night, he discovered how to get out of bed on his own and has since needed some reminding that bed time is sleeping time, but a few minutes in the rocking chair are usually all that's required. We awaken to the sounds of tiny knocks on his bedroom door, letting us know that he's ready for a new day - even if we're not. And while naps are alluding us at the moment, we're optimistic that his sleep schedule will even itself out in the near future and we'll have a well-adjusted toddler just in time to introduce a tiny new person to the family dynamic.

Date Night

Husby and I took full advantage of Grandma & Grandpa's visit this weekend to squeeze in a Dinner-and-a-Movie Date tonight - a glorious 4+ hours of uninterrupted non-parenting. Celebrating our forth anniversary, we enjoyed a relaxing evening of Harry Potter and restaurant dining and returned to find a sleeping toddler and a clean home. It's evenings such as this when I wish we lived closer to family ... and am grateful for the ease with which my parents can travel to visit us.

Four Years

Birth Plans

In preparations for Baby Boy's impending arrival, Husby and I have been taking classes and reading up on all things natural. Both startling and surprising are the facts that surround that way babies are born, especially in our 'educated' nation. Arming ourselves with a knowledgeable, experienced birth team, and taking the time to research all possibilities and options, we're confident that this birth will be quite different (and safer for both Momma and Baby) than our first. While RJ's birth seemed perfectly normal at the time (and, in deed, it was 'normal' by American standards), we've since learned much more about how childbirth is supposed to happen - naturally - and are hopeful that we'll be able to put that knowledge to work for us in the coming weeks. We've found a wonderfully supportive doctor and hospital, have hired a Doula to assist us in labor, and wrote out our birth plan to help guide us to the birth experience we desire. And while we know that things can change as we go along - even up to the last few moments of pregnancy - we pray that we'll be able to follow through with our plans and deliver a healthy baby boy in the end.