Susanne Remic is a primary school teacher, freelance writer and parenting blogger. She writes at Ghostwritermummy and Maternity Matters and in between all of that she regularly wins mummy of the year awards for running around after her two children, aged six and 19 months. This is her pregnancy blog: an online diary of her third pregnancy as she strives to overcome two difficult births, one angel child and one awkward toddler. Join Susanne as she shares every step of her journey from bump to baby!
Are you ready for this?
By Susanne Remic on 20 Jan 2012
This week has been all about getting ready. For the baby, I mean. And it’s not just me. Although, I have to say that I am mightily proud of the sheer volume of washing I have got through. That, and the scrupulous way we have, over the years since we became parents, saved every single piece of good quality clothing we have ever purchased or been given for the kids.
The new baby has enough boy and girl outfits to last at least three weeks. That’s not bad. And they’re all washed, dried and put away. They’re not ironed - I do have a life, you know...
So the clothes are ready. What’s next? The bedrooms. This is where it all got tricky. The toddler is giving up the nursery for the toy room. Or, we are attempting to find somewhere else to cram all the toys so that the toddler has a decent sized bedroom and the baby has somewhere to call his/ her own too. I just don’t know if I’m ready for it at all
My amazingly talented sister decorated the nursery three summers ago, when I was pregnant with the toddler. She painted huge vibrant animals on the wall - an elephant, a parrot, a monkey and a giraffe. The toddler loves this room. Most of the animals were inspired by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s Monkey Puzzle.
The elephant is straight from Lucy Cousins’ Maisy Mouse books. Its a room he’s familiar with. It’s a room he has always known as his. It’s his space. Only it’s not anymore. And yes, I feel suitably guilty.
Last night I stood outside his door as he morosely called my name over and over. I half expected him to add a bit of my room, my room! into the mix, but he didn’t. He didn’t need to, because I’d seen his face when he realised he was not being put to bed in ‘his room’. He doesn’t want a big boy bedroom anymore. He doesn’t want to be a big boy. And you know what? I’m not ready for him to be a big boy, either.
I know he will always be my baby. But in a month’s time, he will no longer actually be my baby. I’m not ready for that.
The big one, meanwhile, is more than ready. She can’t wait to be a ‘double big sister’. She has ordered a boy, because then that means she is the only girl and therefore the most special. I wonder if there are any tried and tested ways of making sure the toddler is able to take this all in his stride too?
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