Growth

I draw the line at plumber’s crack.

It was okay if Ane’s jeans were a smidgen short at the ankles. When she started having to be told constantly – through no fault of her own – to keep hitching up her jeans, I knew it was time to go clothes shopping.

As part of my continuing to prepare for Rerun’s arrival – and even though the Webmaster plans to be at home for a couple of weeks following his arrival – I’ve been making sure that Ane and Tad have all sorts of miscellaneous items that only a mom would be capable of keeping track of.

New tennis shoes for each kid? Check.

Easter outfits for each of them? Check.

A couple of months’ supply of vitamins, especially Tad’s? Check.

Shampoo and conditioner? Check.

Ane’s mouthwash? Check.

New jeans for Ane? Check (she’s now wearing a 6X – she started the school year in size 6).

Change out Tad’s size 3 hoodies for his size 4 hoodies? Check (his limbs have been growing some, too).

Just because my world is going to stop for a little bit to give birth doesn’t mean that theirs does, too. They will both still be in school (though Tad will have a week off at the end of March for conferences), and they will still have Cubbies and Sparks and Sunday school and all of their regular activities. This isn’t like it used to be. When Tad was born, Ane was only 19 1/2 months old and could be bought off an hour at a time with Sesame Street. Now, I have two kids in school – schools with very regular schedules (Tad 4 days a week, Ane 5 days a week) – and very structured activities.

Gone are the days of bribing with TV for just an extra hour of sleep in the morning. Now there are buses to catch, homework to do, snacks to take to school, and bedtimes to keep.

And in the midst of all of this, a newborn is going to come in and need a schedule of his very own. Feeding times. Doctor’s appointments every few months. Quiet for naps. More feeding times.

I just hope that between my planner in my purse, the family calendar on the refrigerator, and my own brain, I can keep everything straight and not end up completely fried in the first month or two.

One can hope, anyway.

Because we’re growing as a family, and nothing’s going to stop that now.

This entry was posted on Friday, February 26th, 2010 at 1:38 am and is filed under Children, Mommyhood.
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