Preparing

Ready or not, it suddenly hit us recently that there's a baby coming.

In, like, 2 months.

And we've done, like, not much to get ready.

When these sorts of thoughts hit (and they seem to hit harder and later with each pregnancy, probably because the days seem to go by faster and with less time to think ahead with each passing year!), I remember that we will do what we can do and also that, really, a baby slips into a home without needing a whole lot besides... well... me. And, honestly, what a privilege that is!

Still, there are some things that really need to be attended to in preparation for a baby, and even just for the sake of the whole family as we adjust to a new member.

I am no poster-child for baby preparation. Pottery Barn Kids will not be calling me to take pictures of our nursery (which is non-existent) and Parenting magazine will not be asking me to write an article on the Top 10 Ways To Get Ready For Baby. But despite what may look like less-than-American methods of preparing, we have begun preparing in our own way and making lists of things to prioritize in the coming weeks.

 

#1 Preparation: Get Prenatal Care & A Delivery Plan

I realized about 4 weeks ago that the perfect delivery plan probably wasn't going to fall into my lap out of nowhere and that I was going to find myself delivering in my living room and by myself by default if I didn't figure something out. I will confess that for a few days I very seriously entertained the idea of an unassisted childbirth, but I realized (with the help of my husband and some good friends) that having someone with some medical knowledge on hand (which both Daniel and I completely lack) was probably wise in my situation.

So, to make a long story filled with many phone calls and much frustration short:

I think I've found a doctor who is willing to give me a VBAC, and she's only an hour away! She does have a higher cesarean section rate than I would prefer, but she said the magic words that are really what I've been wanting to hear: "Of course I'll let you VBAC. As far as I'm concerned, now that you've had one successful VBAC, you don't even need special treatment. I also don't care if you swing from the chandeliers while laboring if that's what helps you, and I certainly would never make you deliver in the OR."

And she says willing to let me bring a doula of my choosing to help manage the birth, which was one of the significant losses (in my opinion) of delivering in the OR: not being able to have anyone but Daniel there to encourage me and share in the day. My mom hasn't been with me since the birth of Jackson, and I'm looking forward to having her with me again, to say the least.

I'll see this doctor again in a little less than 2 weeks and hopefully continue to find that she's as great as she initially seems.

 

#2 Preparation: Do Whatever It Takes To Increase My Iron

My 28-week bloodwork came back confirming my fears about my iron levels: my hemoglobin is down to 8.3 (yikes, for sure). For those who don't know numbers on these things, let's just say that that's lower than what many women have after they give birth. No wonder I've been SO tired!

I've made floradix my best friend these past months, so now it's just a matter of making sure that just about every calorie I take in is super high in iron and/or protein. While I don't relish the thought of eating blackstrap molasses by the tablespoon, I prefer that idea to one of postpartum hemorrhaging or even just a longer-than-usual recovery. I think I'll also have to learn how to cook liver, which is something I've never actually eaten, let alone prepared, before. Recipes involving high-iron foods are welcomed, but please remember that I'm super exhausted-- so they have to be easy!

 

 

#3 Preparation: Take Ground With Home Renovations

We are not "nursery people." My babies sleep in a sweet basket right in my room for the first while and that is how we like it. (Easy enough.) But, we still need a place to keep clothes and diapers and things like that, and our small bedroom simply doesn't have an inch to spare for such things.

Not a problem, since the guest room upstairs will double as the "baby's room" (aka "baby's storage") for a while, right?

Right.

Except that the room kinda needs some TLC.

 

Actually, considering the fact that it didn't even exist 6 months ago, it looks amazing. And truth be told, it looks even better right now than this picture (which is about a week old) shows, since it's now primed and the ceiling is painted, thanks to the Lafaver men and their speedy paint sprayer.

All I need to do is muster up enough energy to get the walls painted and then, regardless of no flooring and no trim and no closet doors, I will put the baby's dresser right in that little nook and then!-- then I will have a place to put the things I have recently begun collecting for the baby, which will mean that the basket-bed will no longer be a storage place and may actually be available for the baby to sleep in!

 

#4 Preparation: Choose Baby Names

I have to admit, we really haven't gotten very far with this one. I have a few names I kind of like, but I'm not sure I love any of them. Daniel hasn't really given much input yet. He has pretty good excuses these days, seeing as he's been using every spare minute to do things that will restore greater peace and functionality to our home-- things like running plumbing (alongside Megan, who is awesome and got the job done so fast!) in the future upstairs bathroom.

 

I'm beyond glad we have plumbing, but I also realize that if this child is nameless for the entirety of his/her life, he/she won't care a bit about our thoroughness with the upstairs bathroom remodel, so the goal is to make some progress in this department sooner rather than later.

Seeing as how it takes me longer than 2 months to pick out what kind of light fixture I want for the upstairs landing, I better get thinking on that, huh?

 

#5 Preparation: Enjoy This Season

Between exhaustion and on-going projects, it can be easy to lose sight of how special each and every day is, which is why I am so very thankful for the Holy Spirit's clear reminders of late to treasure each moment. This day is unique and never to be repeated. Wow! I don't want to get so antsy in my own "nesting" urges, or so caught up in what needs to be done, or so anxious to just plain old feel better, that I lose sight of the most important thing I can be doing: loving where He's put me and who He's put me with.