The Joy of Grace

Here's what I'm hoping May 07

Here is what happened in our afternoon this day: after a busy morning of running a couple of errands, walking and swinging in the park, and lunch with a friend, I figured Savannah would jump into her bed for her nap. And, here is why her naptime today was so important to me: I wanted a nap too and had not afforded myself that luxury during the week in a very long time. Needless to say, she did not fall asleep and I just kept on hearing her little voice from her room. I tried to ignore it and was just about asleep when I heard a very loud thud followed by a very loud scream. I could not ignore that so I went in there...she was fine. I think she had just hit her head on the rails of her bed. All that to say, my attitude towards the whole no nap scenario: "Oh well....there will be another day for a nap for me..."

I've thankfully learned to roll with the punches more since becoming a mom and now I'm thinking that I want to write down a few things I learned during Savannah's first year that will hopefully help me with this new little one~who by the way is due SIX weeks from today! I cannot believe it...I also cannot believe I'm being so laid back about finishing her room. So much to be done, so little time. My new-found attitude says..."Oh well, I'm sure it will get done. And if it does not, oh well..." Anyways, here's what I'm hoping for the upcoming newborn"ness" season that is quickly approaching for us...

• I'm hoping that we do not give in to a pushy nurse at the hospital that tells us it is quite neccessary to go to that new parents class offered the day after I give birth~I learned nothing and, quite frankly, was too tired to comprehend anything they were telling us.
• I'm hoping I will not be dumb enough to bring my straightner and jewelry (I'm talking some BIG earrings and I may have even thrown some bangles into my suitcase) to the hospital. Really, who feels like looking cute after giving birth?
• I'm hoping I realize that yes, it will be hard to walk for the first week after delivery and so I need not push myself.
• I'm hoping that I take the help of my husband and our moms more and sleep when I can when they are here to watch the baby.
  
• On that same note, I'm hoping that I will be more willing to accept others' generous and offered help instead of telling them that I'm fine.
• I'm hoping that I still get teary eyed when I look into that precious baby's face, in awe of a marvelous Creator...and overwhelmed at His provision.
• I'm hoping that I breathe easy when I still look pregnant upon coming home from the hospital...and am still wearing maternity clothes several weeks afterwards. Truly, that weight will come off and that baby is worth every pound gained.
• I'm hoping I also take a deep breath and say: "This too shall pass" when she is crying at 2 a.m. and still again at 4:30 a.m.
  
• I'm hoping that I realize that so much shall pass so quickly: the sleepless nights, the rocking chair rocking, the newborn spit-up. And really, may I not take for granted those things even when I'm too tired to see straight.
• I'm hoping that I won't look at Aaron this time around when we cannot get the baby to sleep and say: "I just cannot live life like this anymore!".
• I'm hoping that if I do utter those words, he will look at me like he did last time and just smile and say: "Yes, Laurin, we can."
• I'm hoping that I realize that breastfeeding most likely will work and so I need to get all my supplies before-hand so that I'm not running around the city trying to gather them so I can use the pump. Seriously, I did not even know that the hosptial which I gave birth at and which I went to about 25 times before giving birth to go to doctor's appointments had a store that I could buy all that stuff. When I finally realized it, I had gone to Target, Methodist Germantown (which had so conveniently closed down their store) and to my friend's house out in Arlington in efforts to get the supplies.
  
• I'm hoping that BabyWise works as well with this one as it did with Savannah, BUT I'm hoping that if it does not that I will be okay with that, knowing that each baby is different...each baby has different needs...and each baby is a unique creation.
• I'm hoping that I will not wake up the baby when she is very soundly sleeping during the day (I don't agree with BabyWise on some things...). I'm just going to let her sleep so I can play with S and maybe even sleep myself.
• And, finally, I'm hoping that I won't cry too much when the three of us (me, Savannah, and Baby Sister) have had a really bad day with no end in sight...and that if I do cry, I realize that Aaron is only a phone call away and MamaBoe is only a 10 minute drive away.

Yes, Savannah finally did fall asleep this afternoon, but, of course, I decided to get on the computer versus taking a nap. I'm hoping I won't do that when the new baby comes, especially if she is asleep too. May that mean naptime for Mommy and not blog-time.

Just to explain why this picture...this was taken a couple of weeks after Savannh was born, in which we were at the peak of the newborn"ness" stage.