Twenty-Six Weeks Down...!

I've just passed the twenty-six week mark. The third trimester is approaching "fast and furious," just like that movie, "Gone in 60 Seconds." I'm still wrapping my head around the fact that I'm going to be a mother of two. The fact that this little boy in my belly is hosting his own dance party helps with the realization of what's going on, but it's still surreal. Andy is my baby. And now I'm going to have Andy- plus ANOTHER baby? For serious??

I'm doing pretty good so far. I'm less of a fat slob with this pregnancy than I was with Andy. For the most part, I'm still wearing normal jeans and dress pants for work. The fact that they are unbuttoned and held in place with a tummy band is neither here nor there. Long before this point with Andy, I had abandoned all semblances of normal pants and had converted my wardrobe into a rotating cycle of sweat pants and yoga pants- even for work. I think I did that around thirteen weeks- I threw in the towel pretty quickly. Now, that's not to say that this pregnancy wardrobe is all cute and perfect, because it's not, not by a long shot. With this unseasonably warm weather we've had, I've found myself ill-prepared and have basically been taking Andy outside while dressed like a knocked up bag lady. I just don't have a lot of (any) summer clothes that fit. You'd think I would, considering Andy was born in July. You'd think I'd have tons of summer clothes from my first pregnancy. Well, I don't. I dressed like a mentally ill bag lady confused on what season it was that time, and this time is shaping up to be no better. If only I weren't so damn cheap. I just hate the thought of buying clothes that I'm only going to wear for a small stretch of time. At this point, though, I don't seem to have much of a choice, although if I continue to wear my bag lady preggo clothes and just keep an open guitar case around, there's a pretty good shot that I could make a few bucks from other people's pity/ disgust for me.

I have a couple things that I want to focus on in the third trimester. At the top of that list is Andy. It's so funny how different your second pregnancy is from your first. When you're pregnant with your second, your top concern is still your first. That first born child gets a starring role in BOTH pregnancies- or at least that's how it's been with mine. I want to enjoy the time I have left with Andy as an only child. I want to prepare him the best I can for life with a baby. And I'm still pretty concerned about what's going to happen to Andy when I go into labor. Where's he going to go? Who's going to take him? How is all this going to go down? What if I go into labor suddenly and there's just no time to get Andy set up with someone else? What if I have to give birth to the new baby while holding Andy and trying to explain to him that I don't have any juice boxes handy right now, so he's just going to have a wait a few minutes while I push out his brother?

This is a real, true fear. I should probably write myself a note to include "Andy's juice boxes" in my hospital go bag.

The other things that I need to focus on in this final chunk of time is just getting all the paperwork set (pre-registering for the hospital and filling out my maternity leave forms) and buying the few new items we'll need for the little guy. That's kind of it. I just need about an hour and I'll be all ready for my new baby. So different than Andy. With Andy, it was like preparing for a seventeen course dinner party for twenty while starting out with nothing- no food, tables, napkins, invitations, anything. This time around, it's more akin to having a couple friends drop by when my kitchen is pretty much stocked with wine and cheese. All I need to do is run out for the crackers and wash a few wine glasses. And pick up some of those gigantic maxi-pads, too.

You know, for after... the party.

I am getting excited about having this baby and meeting him. In what surprising ways will new baby be different from Andy? It's all too much to fathom, and I know that I will be truly blown away by this new, wonderful (I assume) little boy and all his unique and individual attributes- which are now too mysterious for me to imagine.

Soon to be a big brother.

There was a long period of time in my life when I couldn't imagine having kids. When I didn't really care for them or particularly want them. I can honestly say, though, that becoming a mother was the single most amazing and greatest thing to ever happen to me. Not a day goes by that I don't look down at Andy and feel like the luckiest person in the entire world. I love that boy with every fiber of my being and with a fierceness that I didn't know was possible. And to think that I get to do that again, with another baby- that my heart will grow even bigger to tightly cradle both of my sons- well, it's the best feeling in the world. I'm not one for being sappy, and it's much easier for me to make a joke out of things or to find something to be bitter or to complain about. But, in this instance, there is no joke, no bitterness. Everyone should become a parent. It's awesome.

Well, maybe not everyone. I have a running list in my head of people who should have their tubes tied or their junk snipped. But, for the most part, if there's any part of you that wants a baby- I hope that you are blessed enough to have one.