It’s hard to believe that Kevin and I are just a few short weeks away from becoming parents. It feels MORE real when I look at our calendar over the next couple of months and realize a major theme: baby. Between going to our Bradley Method birth class weekly, going on a hospital tour, attending a two-session breastfeeding class, baby showers, meeting with potential babysitters, and more, we are most definitely in the home stretch.
The whole thing feels exciting. I suppose there are some anxious feelings there, too, but more than anything I’m just giddy. I can’t wait to meet her. To see Kevin as a dad. To start this next chapter of our lives.
But I do want to assign a few goals to these last weeks, to help me be a little more intentional about recognizing that this stage of my life is coming to an end, to an extent. So here goes — my third trimester goals. (Appropriately, there are three.):
- Being present. I was at dinner with my family last weekend (this Thai place we love in the Atlanta area) and was suddenly struck by the realization that I need to start really being aware of how nice it is to go to a restaurant and not be tending to a child or rushing to get back home to relieve a sitter. Over these next weeks, I’m going to be very aware of how freeing it feels to enjoy meals out, to have full nights of sleep, to have quiet time with Kevin, to have the ability to quickly jump into my car and just GO somewhere — no accessories or nap times to take into account. Very soon, all of those things will change.
- Being connected. I want to be a part of the world around me, plugged into current events and cultural goings-on and the lives of my friends and family members. This is something I aim to prioritize after becoming a mom as well, but right now it’s so much easier to keep top of mind. I’m going to soak it all in!
- Taking in information. I had a friend advise that I learn as much about parenting as possible before the baby comes, because after she’s here it will be hard to have time to read books, etc. She said she felt very prepared for her first child’s birth, but then realized her newborn care/parenting skills were lacking. I’m going to try to absorb as much information as I can over the next little bit, trying to create a database of things I can (at least vaguely) refer back to as needed during the first weeks and months of Baby Girl’s life.
Other parents out there: What do you wish you’d known/done in the last few weeks before your first child arrived? I’m definitely open to add to my list!
Oh, Anna, you are going to be an amazing parent! I couldn’t be more thrilled for you.
The thing I wish I would’ve known before I had my first son was to keep an open mind about everything (pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, healing, etc.)! I think I was so adamant about everything happening just the way I planned, that literally nothing went as planned! It made the whole experience really dark for me and I am regretful now because I didn’t enjoy it as much as I could/should have. Babies rock your world — in good and not so good ways, but what better way to experience that then to just roll with the punches, so to speak? Remember to always trust your mama-gut and intuition, it is 150% correct! Just do what is best for you and for baby and you’ll absolutely rock this mama thing!
You are beautiful, inside and out and I can’t wait for you to become an amazing mother! Thinking of you often, first friend!
Something I did a lot better with my second child than my first was to be prepared to ask for help. Big help, little help, all kinds of help. It was really hard to go from Ben & I being totally self sufficient to needing friends/family to get by. Whether it’s help with an errand, watching the baby so you can get a nap, or just someone to listen, it really is the village that gets you through — but you have to ask for it. It might feel like a big deal to you to ask but know that people will be happy to hear what they can do.