The Last Days of Four
Yesterday afternoon, it was 70 degrees.
Once the girls were up from their naps and quiet time, and dinner was cooking away in the crockpot, we went for a little walk as a family.
As the girls pushed their strollers along, and Bart and I marveled at the beautiful weather, it hit me that our days of being a family of four are almost over.
Making the jump from two to three kids doesn’t seem as big to me as one to two did (although, I may be singing a different tune in a week or two).
Before Ani’s birth, I remember rocking Ella extra-long every night before bed for the last few weeks, wondering if it was her last night being an only child and feeling so sad that her days of being my baby were numbered. I kept hoping we weren’t ruining everything by adding another child.
This time, I know that we’ll love another baby just as much as the first two.
Both of my girls are used to having a sibling, and Ani has never known being an only child, so I don’t think it will rock her world (frankly, Ella made the transition very smoothly, so all the worries I had were in my head and didn’t play out in real life).
But with my due date this week (not that I expect to actually have this baby this week, but. . . stranger things have happened), I can’t help but devote at least a few minutes to thinking about the end of this era.
We’ve had a good run as a family of four. We moved from Texas to North Carolina and found a new, wonderful life here in Durham. We traveled around Europe and lived abroad. We’ve moved from an apartment into a house.
The girls are at such fun ages, too, with lots of talking, playing together (and the occasional tears over sharing toys) and
I don’t want to miss this last week of snuggling them on the couch together, being more easily able to had out on adventures, and generally just enjoying the two of them, even though it’s so tempting to squeeze in one (or ten) last house projects or work-related things before I’m nursing around the clock and getting up in the night.
And then we’ll be off on a whole new adventure as a family of five. I can hardly even believe it.
Plus, I won’t pretend I’m not very very excited to sleep on my stomach again. And not have a baby sitting on my sciatic nerve every moment of the day.
Thinking of you – and your family of four, almost five. And fingers crossed for the 20th! xx
No matter how hard the newborn days (and nights) are, I am always profoundly grateful not to be pregnant anymore.
I had an epiphany towards the end of my third pregnancy when I was fretting about my older two kids getting less of my attention: They might get fractionally less of me, but they get a whole other person to love them and support them (and vice versa) for the rest of their lives. Adding a family member is never a dimishment.
Fingers crossed for a good delivery and happy kids all around.
Wow! I can't believe it's been 70 degrees there! Such lovely spring pictures!
Enjoy your last days as a family of four. Looking forward to seeing the new member of the family soon.
This was such a short, beautiful post on many of the same things I am feeling as we are 10 days from being a family of five as well.
But, nothing rang truer than, "Plus, I won't pretend I'm not very very excited to sleep on my stomach again. And not have a baby sitting on my sciatic nerve every moment of the day."
So exciting the new baby is almost here! Our whole family (maybe even especially our older kids) is so smitten with our youngest I hope she doesn't turn into the most spoiled kid ever 🙂 A family of five is great!
I'm jealous. I feel like we were never a family of four! Isn't that weird? You moved around the world as a family of four and I feel like all I did while we were a family store was drive to the dollar store to get a test to find out we were soon to be a family of five ha ha 😉 Not that I would trade it now or anything, but what a sweet time of life for you. Can't wait for the arrival!
Dumb autocorrect. A family of four, not a family store 🙂
We are going from 3 to 4 in just a week or two…whenever this baba decides to come out. I've been sitting here thinking many of the same thoughts you reference from your 2nd pregnancy…how much is going to change, will my first adapt well to not being the only, are we upsetting the dynamic of the family? It's reassuring to know that your experience was a good one and I'm hopeful that ours will be too! Good luck with the next delivery!! 🙂
I had to get induced with #2 so I knew when that last night with Atticus was and as I rocked him before bed I cried and cried. It feels so strange now, but like you said, I knew he wouldn't be my baby anymore just the two of us. I'm so afraid of 3, everyone always says it was their hardest!
We're going from a family of 3 to a family of 4 on Friday, and I have so many mixed emotions about it. My daughter is 5, and has been our whole world. Now her world is about to get rocked with a baby brother. I'm excited, sad, scared, and nervous at the same time. I'm having a c-section this time around, so that makes me the most scared and nervous. I'm sure once I meet him all of my fears will melt away. I found out last week that my daughter isn't allowed at the hospital, and it was seriously the most devastating news for me. I haven't told her yet. I thought I'd wait until Thursday night because I don't want to deal with how sad she'll be. (I'll let my Mom and husband deal with that!)
Good luck to you and your new little babe!
I am so excited for you guys. I hope that the transition to 3 kid goes smoothly and easily for you. The transition to 2 was easy for me too. Most people I have talked to say that the third one is where the wheels fall off (not that you want to hear that…). It doesn't stop me from someday hoping to add more kids. I wish you a week full of sleep and rest before this little girl comes. I can't wait to e-meet her.
I thought that the transition from 2 to 3 kids was by far the hardest (4th baby? no problem). But that's probably due to the ages my kids were then (0, 1, and 2). Good luck I'm sure you'll be great!
I'm so excited for you! I can't believe you are so close to the new baby's arrival. Also, I really like your dress in that picture, can you tell me where it is from please?
So excited for you all!! Can't wait to see this sweet new girl!