Something happened...

My very first "bumpie"! I slapped myself
for using that term, so you don't have to.

The Atkinson Enterprise is expanding!  Baby #2 is due March 24, 2015!

Minus the 2 months of expected nausea and distaste for all things delicious, it's been smooth sailing!  We did have a twist to the plot, when the results of our first trimester scan prompted my midwife to order a MaterniT21 advanced screening to verify our true risk for Down Syndrome.  Processing the idea of potentially having a baby with special needs was quite a rollercoaster, but one that left me feeling empowered.  I felt like if we were being trusted with such a great challenge, we could do it. And though it would be hard/really hard/really freaking hard, isn't that what makes a life story so great? Science is so incredibly sophisticated these days that we would also learn the gender of our baby through this advanced screening, a whole 6 weeks early!  So, I focused on that during the week it took to get our results.

This baby, my friends, is a sweet little boy, and we are 99.4% sure his chromosomes are a-ok.  I say this like it guarantees him clemency from a childhood of bumps and bruises and broken bones (what I really want to say is cancer/car accident but I feel like that is too scary so I'll put the scary words in parentheses). I guess what I continue to learn is that we can never be free from tragedy so, (cue camp song) Trust in the Lord and he will direct your path!

Through my incessant blog reading, I'm well aware that second pregnancies are much different than the first (no doy!) For instance, at this time in my pregnancy with Max, I hadn't told my co-workers, and was interviewing for jobs while wearing very dark, loose clothes.  This time around, I can't even zip one of the skirts I would wear for job interviews and co-workers are already helping us brainstorm potential names.

I'm also already experiencing some ligament pain and if I try to roll out of bed the wrong way, I'll get what can only be described as a charlie horse in my stomach.  It's much too early for this kind of nonsense!!

But on the flipside, I hear recovery from 2nd birth is a breeze(ish) compared to the 1st time around. Please oh please let that be true.  If I'm dealing with a newborn, a mischievous toddler, AND the aftermath of a forcep birth all at once, I will have a real bone to pick with God.

Much to my dismay, I am not one of those people who is good at being pregnant. I feel good right now, but I know my good days are numbered.  I get side cramps from leisurely walks with Max, so I can't understand those gals who are doing Tae Bo the day before they deliver!!  I did buy a Groupon for prenatal yoga, in hopes that it will help keep my body loose and limber and turn me into a glowing goddess by week 40.  Stay tuned!

But, no matter how itchy my skin gets, and how hard it is for me to get in and out of bed, I know what's waiting for us come March.  A new laugh to add to the mix as we chase each other around the house. A best buddy and karaoke partner for Max.

18 weeks and counting!
xo

If only we knew then what we know now

This week I've been enjoying a great group text with some mom friends about our latest parenting woes. We all have little ones around the same age and we're all working moms (working moms unite!!!) Thank goodness we have each other to vent to, because most days I can go to work without incident, but on the days when I am angry and sad that I spend my weekdays in an office, I take comfort in knowing I'm not the only one.  (My misery loves company - so sue me!) It's hard to watch our sweet children cry when they have to leave their dear babysitters.  It's hard to know that someone else is getting their "good" hours, while we are getting their "cranky, it's-almost-bedtime" hours. It's hard, it's hard, it's hard.

As you go through life, you hear people say that parenting is hard, and you believe them - no doubt.  But you don't quite know the specifics until you're crying at work about someone else raising your child, or you're wondering if you should wake them up to brush their teeth because how many missed brushings equals a cavity?  It's kind of like childbirth.  Sure, it's going to hurt - but specifically, HOW will it hurt?

One of the funniest things to realize is that what troubles us now will be a scalp massage compared to the riff-raff that lies ahead in the tween years.  Yes, it's been hard to teach Maxwell to not throw his food at me.  But I assume it will be harder to teach him that life isn't fair and sometimes the kid who promises to install new pop machines will win the job of Student Body President (true story).

But one of the saddest things to realize is that it takes way too long to understand how much your own parents love you.  Maybe that's not the case for everyone, but I think its safe to assume that many new parents have a guilty stomachache every now and then when they think about how many "thank yous" and "i love yous" they owe their parents.  My entire Christmas gift to my dad last year was a letter about how thankful I was for his sacrifices and I totally get it now but still, I AM JUST NOW GETTING IT.  Luckily my dad is an emotional fella so I don't think he felt all that jipped that his present was just a piece of paper.

If only we knew THEN what we know NOW!