Pages

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Preparing for Baby

Anticipating Avery's arrival in October of 2004 was a totally different scenario than the preparations that are taking place for Baby #4 in March of 2009.


By early September 2004 this is what you found at The White House:

~Nursery painted and decorated with lovely new linens in the crib, customized wall decor and a handmade changing table built with love (not yet painted).
~Lots of pink clothes washed in Dreft, rinsed twice, folded neatly and arranged perfectly in drawers, according to their size and function.
~Spotless, disinfected house, baby proofed, just in case she came out crawling.
~Bag packed for the hospital- Avery's baby book so all of our visitors could sign, footprints and stats logged and sweet memories captured with a periwinkle fountain pen; outfit for Avery's first picture; and long list of phone numbers to inform the hundreds that were surely as excited as we were about this precious babe.
~Freezer full of homemade meals that I had prepared ahead of time, plus a list of 20 sweet families from our church that volunteered to bring us meals every other night.
~A worn out copy of What to Expect When You're Expecting sitting on the nightstand.
~Brand-spankin' new carseat, properly installed in car and checked by local fire dept.
~Mother mentally prepared for Natural Childbirth using only breathing techniques to overcome labor and delivery.

Today I look at Audrey, my baby, just turned one year, and can hardly believe that she is going to be a big sister in a couple months. But I know the Lord is preparing her...


He is preparing all of us for baby #4, it just looks different than it did four years ago.

January 2008 in the White House
~A mini crib that has been set up in our room since Audrey was born, with dirty sheets, and full of my clean clothes that never made it into our dresser because I was back in maternity clothes before I could fit into my normal clothes.
~A handmade changing table that was built with love, has endured three children's thousands of dirty diapers, and still isn't painted.
~Two Rubbermaid tubs of newborn clothes, some pink, some blue, whatever. If I can't scrape off the spit-up from the previous child, I will just give a wild look when asked why I dress my son in pink, or my daughter in blue.
~A filthy house, markers on the walls, dishes in the sink, laundry in the washer, cheerios in the corners, laughter and joy spilling out of every room.
~No need to pack for the hospital, I will just grab my toothbrush, digital camera and some granny panties on the way out the door.
~Freezer full of fish sticks, frozen peas and waffles- surely that can sustain a family of six until mom can make it to the grocery store on her way to her 6 week postpartum visit.
~A worn out copy of my Bible on the nightstand and a copy of the latest In Style Magazine (a girl can dream of fashion, right?)
~Disgusting car seat, full of cheerios, goldfish crumbs and Mariposa Butterfly Fairy Barbie buckled in, sitting on the garage floor. Close enough to the car to trip over during the late stages of labor on my way to the hospital to get my freaking epidural.

26 comments:

LeeAnn said...

You make me laugh so hard!! I love this post because I was there to watch with Avery and, while I am still just as excited to hear about when Quatro arrives, it is fun to see the evolution of your family and the difference between 1 then 2 then 3 and now 4. I love you my friend!!!

Erin said...

Ok, really you are great Tyne! You make me laugh SO hard. I appreciate your blog and how real you are.

Erin said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
vickypad said...

too funny

Anonymous said...

Tyne,
I found your blog either from a comment you left on Bring the Rain or My Charming Kids that sparked my interest. (Probably something along the lines of being a little freaked about having a fourth kiddo as I am also having MY fourth and I can relate!)

I loved this post because it is SO TRUE! I was just thinking that the other day when I was placing my baby's ultrasound photos in the pile of various papers to be "dealt with" instead of taping them lovingly into a baby book. With my other three, I think I already had a book purchased and partially filled out before my ultrasound! Wow!

Anyway, I like popping in here from time to time. I don't blog myself or anything (b/c I also work part-time outside the home and think any added responsibility would send me over the edge) but I love reading other people's stories!

Can't wait to see what "Quatro" is..we're having a boy and I'm due late April/early May. Our older ones are 2 boys and a girl, so I'm a little freaked out about haing 3 boys! (My grocery bill is gonna increase exponentially I am told!)

Love in Christ,
Angela

Angela said...

Very, very cute! This is especially funny since my husband and I are hoping to have a baby in the next year or so...and I am sure that we will be exactly like what you described in the first scene.

By the way -- you have an award over at my blog!

The Griffin Family said...

O My! You are so funny!

Vashey Fam said...

You're just going to have to keep calling him/her Quatro even after birth! Wyatt and I will be down soon after to cook you meals, clean your house and play with your kids....Wyatt will be sure and eat all of the stray cheerios no worries!

Erica said...

This cracks me up!

Elyse said...

You make me LAUGH so hard...baby quatro will be in a home of laughter and love...what a dream!
~Elyse~

Jen said...

too funny and too true!

CC said...

Ha ha! I think I was like this and I only have 2! :) :) :)

Susan said...

Hilarious! I was just thinking the other day how different it has been with number 2. I can only imagine by number four. The funny thing is that they are all just fine, regardless. I guess that must be the love and care we do take the time to give :)

Anti-Supermom said...

This is so funny, Tyne. We are laughing together though, right. You know that the baby will not need any of those things but you and your family.

And fish sticks will totally keep them happy :)

Unknown said...

Uh yeah... with the 4th child it's just a little different, isn't it? HA! You made me laugh w/ your two lists! HA HA HA!

Baby will be here soon, right?

McKay said...

Hilarious! And I'm sure Quattro is loved just as much as the first. Beautiful! This post made me laugh out loud too much for Rob to concentrate! He also liked the one where Caleb put out the corn bomb. :-)

Patois42 said...

You are so dang funny.

Super Hungry said...

Hilarious! You guys are crazy.
It was fun havin' y'all in the CS. We'll see ya soon.

Anonymous said...

That made me laugh incredibly hard because I probably could have written it.

This is so great!

By the way, how are you feeling, mama? Wish I lived closer, I'd come bring you dinner and watch the little ones for you so you could take a bubble bath...or a nap!

Mrs4444 said...

That is so awesome! Don't forget, this blog post is a preparation for the new baby, too; she'll love it one day!!

P.S. I'm sorry for the confusion about Mr.LInky. You can find the place to link to your FF post on the bottom of my FF posts at www.halfpastkissintime.com Thanks for letting me know you couldn't find it!

artfuldelight said...

LOL! I had baby number 3 in July 08...baby number 2 was July 07. I was well prepared for baby 2 (baby 1 is no longer baby, about to turn 12) but for baby 3, I can completely relate. Congrats on baby 4. :-)

Bethany said...

I Love it. I Live it. My changing table/dresser with #1 should have been painted, now 3 years later, 3 babies later.... no paint...and lost a knob to boot! :) But seriously, granny panties? What kind of ghetto hospital are you going to? My hospital provides those bad-boys free of charge! Something you didn't mention- with #4 I have already gotten a pedicure b/c after looking at my nasty feet while I was in labor for 25 hrs. with #1 I learned how vitally important this is. :) Love the post!

jen said...

Your blog rocks Tyne!! You are a genius!

ARJ said...

Tyne - I had so much fun today! Thanks for teaching us all your tricks of the trade. I definitely need you to give me a blog makeover.
And I wish you had another brother, too - I would love to be related to you!

Colette S said...

This makes me laugh so much. I was thinking today how different it was with baby # 2.

It remains to be seen what # 3's entrance will be like.

So while you are having quatro, I'll be celebrating dos birthday :)

Lauren said...

Hilarious!