In case you haven't noticed....May is just around the corner. This simple fact means that Josh and I are going to be parents- an exciting and daunting occasion all wrapped up in one, possibly two, days of hard work. I'm sure that every couple goes through the stage of getting ready to bring the baby home differently, but I can't help but think that there are some similarities across the board.
1) First off there is the learning phase as each partner learns about the intricacies, joys and discomforts of pregnancy. Boys learn to sleep in a bed with various "sleeping support" pillows that encroach on "their" side of the bed as their poor wife tries to get comfortable. Girls learn that the pregnancy glow doesn't come until about half way through your pregnancy and that their body will go through more changes than they thought humanly possible.
Within this learning phase falls the category of Labor and Birth Classes. I personally think every couple should go through this not onaly because it helps you to feel prepared but also because it's probably the only time you will ever laugh about labor. Josh and I just finished our two-Saturday seminar last week with my fabulous mother as our teacher. On the one hand, I think it helped us both get a better grasp of the challenge before us. But more importantly, it gave my ever-so-funny husband a chance to crack all those jokes stored up in his brain about breathing and labor positions before we get to the actual day which I think will preserve him from loss of life and limb.
2) I think most mothers must go through an irrational dream phase. I have heard multiple women tell me that they have the craziest and most vivid dreams during pregnancy. Two dreams in particular stand out to me. The first was in regards to naming our child. We have decided, much to Josh's chagrine at times, to keep the name a secret. I had one dream where our baby was born and we named him "Tyson" (which just so happens to be the name of my best friends 1 year old). However, even as I introduced people to my newborn son I would tell them that this was not in fact his real name, it was just one we were using for the time being. Apparently, my subconscious was bothered at the time that we had not chosen a name for baby King.
The second dream I have is re-occuring. The dream itself is not usually that eventful, except for one minor detail...I forget to feed the baby! Usually this dream is just a day in the life of the Kings. I go through the whole day toting my infant along through the various activities of the day and at some point I stop and realize that I have only fed him once or twice! The only thing that reassures me that I'm not a total failure as a mother is that baby King is a little angel, he does not cry or fuss even though his horrid mother has neglected him of sustanance! Apparently I'm a little worried about the whole breast-feeding thing.
3) Finally, I think every couple probably freaks out for a moment now and then that they will not be ready for the baby to come. I experienced that this week. Despite my best efforts to maintain the mentality that I will be prepared to be over-due, I somehow find myself surrounded by people who are sure I will not make it to my due date. At this point, 35 weeks is still too early for this little man to come. But, for a moment yesterday afternoon I got a tish-bit panicky that he might come early and that I wouldn't be ready because I had left all my preparation time till my maternity leave in two weeks. So, I promptly ran to Target and bought a package of diapers, a nursing-tank top, and some new born sized pants (the one thing missing in his tiny little wardrobe). My irrational fear appeased, I expressed to Josh what had just happened and decided that we will now be fine if he decides to come early...although in all reality we would have been just fine before those purchases.
Me and Baby King at 35 Weeks
Sock Monkey (made by Jude and Levi's Grandma)
Fuzzy Friends
Little Man's crib awaits him!
