Impending #2

It’s funny, but one thing I have learned in preparing for #2 is how much our life circles around Emry. The day is based on her schedule: waking up, eating meals, playing, baths, naps. I tend to wash clothes because she’s out of diapers (or pants on days when potty training isn’t going so well). Except for a Sock Monkey sleeper we found, every purchase made for #2 has been for Emry: car seat, bed rail, double stroller (well, I guess they’re sharing that). And my biggest concern has been making sure Emry is cared for while we’re at the hospital, writing notes for whoever watches her and making sure everything is easy to find when they’re here. Meanwhile, the baby’s clothes remain in boxes in the basement…

You don’t mean for it to happen, but #2 really does fall through the cracks!

People often ask if Emry is ready for the baby to arrive. It’s hard to know exactly. She knows what babies are, having a few in her Sunday School. We talk about the baby, asking her if it’s a boy or girl. (“Girl!” she exclaims happily 99% of the time.) We try to teach her the names we’ve chosen. But I doubt she understands how much her life is about to change…how different it’s going to be when Mama and Papa aren’t focused solely on her!

The funniest thing I’ve noticed is how familiar she now is with my routine doctor’s appointments. (Hence the word “routine”, I guess.) When I tell her we’re going to the doctor, she happily exclaims, “Baby!”. She knows she can push the buttons in the elevator. We get to the office and once I’m signed in, she toddles off to the little table they have that is just her size. She tries out all three chairs: the elephant, the lion and the giraffe. Sometimes we have time to color before my name is called. Then we follow the nurse to the scale to get weighed, drop off our coats in the room and she wanders out singing, “Tinkle potty!” as we head to the bathroom to leave a urine sample. Back in the room, we always have to sit on the doctor’s little stool that spins. (She doesn’t care for spinning, but a couple of slow turns are fun.) And we love to play with the measuring tape, first measuring my belly and then her own before pushing the button that winds it back in. She finds her snacks (fruit snacks I carry to the doctor – they’re a special treat I took to bringing when she was going through her shy stage so she wouldn’t cry when the doctor was checking me) in her bag and sits in the chair when the doctor comes in. When she hears the baby’s heartbeat, her face lights up and she happily states, “Baby!” The best part is probably as we leave, waving good-bye to all the nurses who think she is adorable. At the desk where I make my next appointment, the receptionist brings out the basket of little toys. We’ve collected quite a few rubber ducks of all variety, several differently colored little stuffed monkeys and a few odd rubber animals. The difficult part, of course, is taking only one duck or monkey instead of loading up on as many as we can carry!

Yes, #2 will arrive soon. Life will change. And it will be both fun and challenging to watch Emry as a big sister – hopefully more fun and challenging!