comparing pregnancies

Well, when you have already had kids and you're pregnant again, it's hard not to compare the pregnancies.  This little guy is SO active!  Morning, noon and night.  During the ultrasound, he moved so much until towards the end when he was trying to sleep (at least that's what we think).  And I hadn't even had breakfast, only water so I'd have a full bladder.  He's moving as I type this!  It's pretty amazing how much love a mother's heart can hold.

Besides his activity, my pregnancies have been almost exactly the same!  No morning sickness.  Fatigue in the first trimester.  More so this time because I've got an already very active boy in Kaden.  Big appetite in the second trimester.  Back pain in the third.  Well, I can't say for sure yet, but I'm betting I will.  My doctor told me that a big percentage of back pain in pregnancy is due to picking up your other children.  Well, I did already know that...but it's unavoidable.  Kaden can't climb out of his crib yet (which is actually a big blessing) so when he wakes up in the morning or when he goes down and gets up from his nap, it falls on me to pick him up.  Especially now that Loren is in school.

We're going to be setting up bunk beds for Theona soon!  And when we do that, we're going to try to transition Kaden into a big boy bed.  I foresee a lot of crying at bed time in the future.  He goes down SO easily now, but I'm afraid when he gets that freedom, he'll use it.  We're going to put him in Theona's room to begin with.  And put a gate in front of her door.  So he won't be able to get out, but he'll have her there to keep him company.  And she'll be able to come get me in the morning.  The next step will be potty training.  We have started VERY slowly.  He does get the concept.  He just doesn't care a ton about not wearing a diaper.  Theona was so ready to get into big girl panties. 

It sometimes blows my mind how much our family is changing, and going to change in the next 5 months.  It's funny.  It was a HUGE adjustment going from 0 to 1.  Especially since Theona had colic.  That was a challenge for both of us.  Then Loren was gone 5 days after Kaden was born.  But it wasn't so bad.  I had Theona to help and she did it so willingly and was never jealous.  She just loves her brother!  I was a "single mom" of two for 7 months.  But it was never really bad. 

Now, we'll have 3 kids, and Loren has full time school.  Even in the summer he'll be doing at least some school.  I'm scared.  Nervous.  Worried.  But oh so excited!!  I'm already so in love with this little baby boy.  He's just so precious!!  I can't wait to meet him and discover his personality!

Now, hopefully the labor experience will be more like mine with Theona, rather than with Kaden!!  Epidural, no pain, easy pushing...