Two and a half years ago, my husband and I could hardly contain the giddy sense of anticipation we felt as the birth of our first child drew near. Sure, the late third-trimester aches and pains were starting to wear on me, and from time to time we let out wistful sighs as we realized that soon enough, our days of grabbing an impromptu movie or drink after work would be over. All in all, though, we knew we were ready to embrace the tectonic shift that was about to take place in our lives. We were ready for parenthood.
And our daughter was ready to join us. After my last day of work, we celebrated the first moments of my maternity leave over dinner with a few friends – and I silently started timing my contractions before we had paid the bill. We were off to the hospital within the hour and taking turns cradling sweet baby Sylvia before noon the next day.
Now our little Pookey is getting used to her “very own big bed” and explains that the crib on the other side of her room is where her baby brother will sleep when he gets here. As we prepare for our second new arrival, we haven’t experienced the same sort of giddiness that overcame us during my first pregnancy. It’s not that we aren’t excited about our little guy. It’s that we know so much better what we’re getting into this time. We remember how those first several sleep-starved weeks blur days into nights, nights into days – how there doesn’t seem to be time for anything but non-stop feedings and diaper changes. We know the laundry and dishes will pile up, we’ll get tired of microwaved meals, and we’ll lose track of when we took that last shower.
Yet somehow, we know we’ll get by. At the same time, we can’t help but ask ourselves how on Earth we’re going to take care of our newborn son and give his big sister the attention she deserves. About a month after Sylvia was born, I sat in on a drop-in PEPS meeting, where a mom with a newborn and toddler talked about how no matter what she did, she felt she was failing one of her children. I could tell it wasn’t true – the fact that she was reaching out for guidance convinced me that she would figure things out somehow.
Whether we lean on relatives, friends, colleagues, neighbors, community support groups or all of the above, we do whatever it takes to provide our children with the love and patience they need from us. This month, in our A New Arrival section, you’ll find a list of local resources and organizations we think all new and expectant parents in our region should know about – from PEPS and First Weeks to a family help line with parenting coaches who offer encouragement to new moms and dads, from the area’s best public nursing spots to theaters with cry rooms. We could fill many more pages naming countless other people and places that are worthy of praise for the good work they do. We’re fortunate to live in an area where new parents have so many places they can turn to for help.
The jitters my husband and I are feeling heading into this second phase of parenthood have surprised us. We may get over them before our baby boy arrives. We may not. Either way, it’s no small comfort knowing we’ll be able to lean not only on our family and friends, but also on this amazingly supportive community we’re lucky to call home.
