This week, I have just started to think that I should prepare for the new baby. I haven't done anything, seriously. Its real and I need to get with it. I don't want to fit the stereotype I have heard so often about how the last or in our case, third child, is allowed to do whatever and is all but neglected.
I understand where this stereotype comes from. With practice makes perfect, or makes one more relaxed and confident and for us at least, by the time the third child arrives, I think (I hope) we will know what to expect, minus his little personality quirks. So what's the need for all the fuss and stress?
With Nyah, I was thrown numerous baby showers where I received beyond the amount of gifts one human deserves, from overly generous family and friends, picked from a mega baby store using a small hand held scanner. I had everything for her, wipe warmer, special pillows for nursing, special medical kits, special blankets, you name it.
When Elsa came along, I had luckily saved everything from Nyah and was able to reused it. I obviously didn't ship the big stuff, like obnoxious swing, exersaucer, etc but that was fine. I didn't miss any of it and realized I didn't need any of it. The purpose of all the stuff seems to be just to make one small moment in the mothers life and small stage in the child's life easier and then to take up a lot of space.
Elsa, from birth, has lived a contraption free life, minus a swaddling blanket. She has always been left to her imagination and allowed to lie, roll, sit, scoot, crawl and walk to her hearts delight without being confined to a piece of plastic. Our major investment with her were some mega padding puzzle like pieces for the hard tile floor which we are still using in the girls play area. We child proofed the house and set her free. She walked early and is extremely independent, has killer concentration for her age and enjoys playing alone, preferably looking at books. So this is the route we will take with the little guy, a plastic contraption free life.
I have a carrier, swaddling blankets, co sleeper (in fact, haven't even put it away), the girls bedding is cobalt blue, everything is gender neutral so other than clothes, which my generous friends have totally hooked me up with, we might be set. I think. I hope. Bottles? Nope, breastfeed and try not to leave baby much. Cloth diapers? I just might go there this time, oh yeah, we got a washer and dryer. Booyah. Yup, it's the little things in life.
What I have been doing most of all to prepare little dudes arrival is reading. Lots. I totally engulfed myself with reading when I was pregnant with Ny. I wanted to know all there was to know about natural child birth and breastfeeding. None of the woman in my family knew much about these topics, in fact, I think my poor grandmother was knocked out for her "births". So since I really had no one to bestow this important womanly wisdom on me, I hit the books, naturally. My all time favorite book and the one I credit with teaching me the most was, Spiritual Midwifery, written by the badass midwife, Ina May Gaskin in 1976.
If you are pregnant and have any interest in the beauty of child birth, you gotta read this book.
A little crunchy and hippyish (some of the woman have harry arm pits) but it tells the birth stories of hundreds of women written by the mother herself, father, friend, or midwife who attended the birth. The numerous stories of how the mommas repeatedly had uncomplicated, untraumatic birthing experiences was so enlightening and get this, the majority of them did it on a farm. No hospital. They all did it, without drugs, without C sections. And they survived. The statistics are amazing, at times unbelievable.
It's empowering and I credit this book with giving me the confidence to relax, trust my body and embrace the life changing labor and delivery experience I had with Nyah. The woman's stories in the book helped me realize that delivering a baby is normal and something I am perfectly capable of doing and in fact was born to do. It is a nice way to counter the horror stories so common in our culture today.
Couldn't resist including a picture of the little beauty who changed my life in more ways than I can count.
Love it, so far. Haven't finished it yet but enjoying more inspirational stories along with more technical info of how to get 'er done in the delivery room.
And there you have it, the most important item I have purchased thus far in preparation for baby boys arrival. Also, now accepting, in advance all good vibes anyone wants to send this way for a quick and peaceful delivery of a healthy baby. By far the best gift we could receive as we prepare ourselves and our lives for the newest addition.
I understand where this stereotype comes from. With practice makes perfect, or makes one more relaxed and confident and for us at least, by the time the third child arrives, I think (I hope) we will know what to expect, minus his little personality quirks. So what's the need for all the fuss and stress?
With Nyah, I was thrown numerous baby showers where I received beyond the amount of gifts one human deserves, from overly generous family and friends, picked from a mega baby store using a small hand held scanner. I had everything for her, wipe warmer, special pillows for nursing, special medical kits, special blankets, you name it.
When Elsa came along, I had luckily saved everything from Nyah and was able to reused it. I obviously didn't ship the big stuff, like obnoxious swing, exersaucer, etc but that was fine. I didn't miss any of it and realized I didn't need any of it. The purpose of all the stuff seems to be just to make one small moment in the mothers life and small stage in the child's life easier and then to take up a lot of space.
Elsa, from birth, has lived a contraption free life, minus a swaddling blanket. She has always been left to her imagination and allowed to lie, roll, sit, scoot, crawl and walk to her hearts delight without being confined to a piece of plastic. Our major investment with her were some mega padding puzzle like pieces for the hard tile floor which we are still using in the girls play area. We child proofed the house and set her free. She walked early and is extremely independent, has killer concentration for her age and enjoys playing alone, preferably looking at books. So this is the route we will take with the little guy, a plastic contraption free life.
I have a carrier, swaddling blankets, co sleeper (in fact, haven't even put it away), the girls bedding is cobalt blue, everything is gender neutral so other than clothes, which my generous friends have totally hooked me up with, we might be set. I think. I hope. Bottles? Nope, breastfeed and try not to leave baby much. Cloth diapers? I just might go there this time, oh yeah, we got a washer and dryer. Booyah. Yup, it's the little things in life.
What I have been doing most of all to prepare little dudes arrival is reading. Lots. I totally engulfed myself with reading when I was pregnant with Ny. I wanted to know all there was to know about natural child birth and breastfeeding. None of the woman in my family knew much about these topics, in fact, I think my poor grandmother was knocked out for her "births". So since I really had no one to bestow this important womanly wisdom on me, I hit the books, naturally. My all time favorite book and the one I credit with teaching me the most was, Spiritual Midwifery, written by the badass midwife, Ina May Gaskin in 1976.
It's empowering and I credit this book with giving me the confidence to relax, trust my body and embrace the life changing labor and delivery experience I had with Nyah. The woman's stories in the book helped me realize that delivering a baby is normal and something I am perfectly capable of doing and in fact was born to do. It is a nice way to counter the horror stories so common in our culture today.
Couldn't resist including a picture of the little beauty who changed my life in more ways than I can count.
 |
| So, I have picked up my treehugging tendencies again and ordered Ina's newest book, Ina May's Guide to Childbirth. |
And there you have it, the most important item I have purchased thus far in preparation for baby boys arrival. Also, now accepting, in advance all good vibes anyone wants to send this way for a quick and peaceful delivery of a healthy baby. By far the best gift we could receive as we prepare ourselves and our lives for the newest addition.
And how could I forget a photo of the precious Elsa Christiana who brings joy and light to our lives daily.
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