Every moment of this pregnancy has been like experience the arrival of the other two all over again. The first two shared a due date. And they both arrived during the week of Christmas. This third baby is due December 29. So, it has been a very similar timeline the entire way.
I've been busy trying to wrap up all of our holiday preparation so that we are ready when she arrives and so that the next month can just be enjoyed as a family of four. As much as I didn't want to have another "Christmas Baby", with all of the chaos that goes with it. I have a feeling that she will fit right in with our crew and the craziness that the month of December is around our household.
Just as my body is slowing me down, the Wisconsin weather gets cool and the daylight hours get short. I find myself sitting on the couch much more and enjoying Dateline NBC, guessing puzzles on Wheel of Fortune and renting DVDs with the family. I'm also reading a lot more. Like with the other two, the last couple of months have been spent relaxing indoors in my sweatpants and my hair in a messy bun. During the warmer months, I opt to spend every free moment outside or being active. And the change in weather seems to come at the perfect time of my pregnancy, when my body is telling me to slow down.
I was 23 years old when I had Little Diva and pretty much clueless. I was sifting through photos of my first pregnancy and of Little Diva's birth. I was so young. Mature, but young. I was also a completely differently person than I am right now. I know that motherhood changes you tremendously - that is a given. But I also wasn't very social at the time, didn't hang out with friends and didn't have any special activities to call me own.
When I had Little Dude, I was 27 and a little wiser. I was in full-force "mommy mode" and loved every minute of it. I had discovered running a couple of years prior and had run a lot of 5Ks and one half marathon. I was discovering myself and who I wanted to be. I was meeting a lot of new people through running and I was reconnecting with old friends via Facebook.
With number three, another eight years has passed. I am now 35 and a completely different person. I've struggled through difficult times, found love, become an entrepreneur, gained leadership skills through coaching, ran dozens of half marathons and ten full marathons. I've learned how to push myself and how to push others. This can only help me through childbirth, right? I've met so many people in my community through running and through my children. Having to move a few times over the past five years, I've also experienced new neighborhoods and met new families and it has only further expanded my circle. As a mother, I've learned to set limits and boundaries. The kids thrive on that. Having them part-time, it's hard not to try to always be their "best friend" when they are with me. I'm really learning to find a balance as a part-time parent. I've also found balance in my professional life and family life and it feels amazing. I made a leap of faith two years, then stepped back a bit and then eventually found some balance in all areas of my life. And I honestly am the happiest I have been regarding my balance of time and energy in a really long time. I learned a lot about myself and what I want and what I need through all of that.
So, as another busy December approaches and the countdown continues to delivery day .... I'm so thankful to add this little girl to my lineup of December babies. After many discussions last year, I am grateful that we chose to add her to our family and embrace even further changes, growth and love that should surround us. As a family of five.
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