Little Miracles

Kids are little miracles, aren't they? I guess the closer I get to meeting our little girl, the more in awe of our little boy I am. Chris and Mitchell were "playing wrestling" (obviously I've opted out of this activity for awhile now) and I was just blown away watching them. I'm feeling my belly and all these little baby feet and kicks and movements and watching someone who started out there and is now doing flying leaps onto his daddy's belly for fun. Crazy.

I think that's the biggest difference between my last pregnancy and this one. Last time I was running around (okay, maybe not RUNNING) like a chicken with my head cut off right up until like 4 days before going into labor. I was trying to get ready for a half year (ended up being year and a half, but same idea) maternity leave at a really bad time to do that in the schools. It was conference time, which for me meant 4 nights of parent-teacher conferences to prepare for and attend since I had 2 schools. PLUS, I was trying to train the woman who was taking my position and trying to get testing/reports done through like spring break. (Even though it was the end of November.) I remember my last day was supposed to be the Friday before Thanksgiving and I ended up coming in on Monday and Tuesday anyway to finish testing and write reports. All I would do is get up early, get ready, go to work, gut it out, come home, make and eat dinner and then fall asleep on the couch until Chris woke me up to go upstairs to bed. That was my life. That was it.

This time...um, a bit different. No full time job to go to...my job is here at home. Some days, if I don't want to get out of my jammies until noon (or ever), I don't have to. I haven't worn half of my maternity wardrobe...namely the dresses, jumpers, dress pants, skirts and dressy blouses. Save for a couple of dinners out, parties and things like that, I mostly wear jeans and sweats. Sad, but true. I mean, I'm coloring, painting, doing playdough, playing blocks, giving baths, going to the grocery store, etc. It's not like anyone but Mitchell sees me half the time anyway. The thing that goes along with being more comfortable and a slower pace (thank GOD for that -- literally-- by the way) is that I have had more time to contemplate this pregnancy. I feel like I have more time to think about everything associated with it...especially now at the end.

In addition to more time, I now also have experience on my side and under my belt which makes thinking about labor and delivery, bringing her home, and the whole newborn thing very different than when I thought about these with Mitchell. I feel like I know more, but at the same time, there's so much I don't know with this one...it's a GIRL. We know boys. :) Besides, now we have Mitchell to contend with and worry about in addition to Georgia. Being able to handle that aspect of things (and get out the door when I need to) is probably what has me the most nervous. I've heard people say that it's REALLY hard to go from 1 to 2 kids...much easier to go from 2 to 3, which doesn't make much sense to me until I think *duh*...it's this transition. It's probably similar to the difficulty in adjusting from being single to being married, I imagine...just OBVIOUSLY on a much bigger scale.

I'm looking forward to everything for sure. I've been a little nostalgic this week. I wanted to show Mitchell some of his birth video so he could see us at the hospital and what a teeny tiny baby he was. He loved it but couldn't figure out where Ryan was when he saw his Aunt Jen and Uncle Tim...Ryan is 4 months younger! :) He was intrigued and I was misty eyed. Could that really be HIM on the screen? Was he EVER that tiny? Hearing his little newborn cry brought back feelings and memories I didn't expect...very strange. I had the same nostalgic feelings when I was going through his baby clothes, too. I washed them up for my sister in law who is on bedrest and due 2 weeks after me (but will probably have her baby first, I bet) and was just in a pool of tears looking at and remembering all of those precious clothes. I remembered going places and doing things with him in those outfits. The outfit he wore home from the hospital, his first shoes, the outfit he wore to the hospital when Ryan was born, the little jean jacket he wore when we took him to meet my mom's friends at bowling, etc. It was all just flooding back.

I can't wait to meet her and see what she looks like and feel her cute little baby bootie all snuggled up in the palm of my hand and smell that wonderful baby smell. I can't wait for Mitchell to meet her and I already cry thinking about that moment. He's been SO excited about everything...picked out a special toy to take to the hospital for her...it's the turtle from Baby Neptune. He's named it "Turtle the Turtis" by the way. I just am excited to see another little person start this big adventure called life and can't belive how fast it all goes.