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HelpRe: Gabby's Congrats R2
in reply to a message by gabriellagrace
UN: Davidica
LN: Corbin
DH (28): Jonathan (Federal Environmental Inspector, Straight Dark Brown Hair & Hazel Eyes)
DW (26): Natalie (Teacher, Curly Auburn & Blue Eyes)
DS (1½): Donovan Joseph Hugh (Straight Light Brown Hair & Green Eyes)
DS (3 months): Alexander Sterling Lee (Straight Light Brown Hair & Green Eyes)
Twist:
When your oldest was only 7 months old you found out you were pregnant. How did you feel?
Overwhelmed. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” I breathed after the doctor told me the “good” news. I was following up from a previous GYN appointment for a bladder infection. I was on birth control and antibiotics and Jon and I thought we were being careful. Wrong. “You weren’t planning for this?” the doctor asked. “Not at all,” as I shook my head.
I drove home in a daze. Two in diapers, I thought. As silly as that sounds, that’s all I could think, Two in diapers. When I got home, I tried to think of the game plan on how to tell my husband. Donnie was staying with my in-laws and at this point I was wishing I had his distraction. I guess I lost track of time while cleaning every nook and cranny in the house because I heard Jon’s card door shut outside. Crap. I forgot to pick up Donnie.
“Hey, sweetie,” he greeted me with a kiss on the porch holding our little baby. “I think you forgot something,” he grinned.
I took Donnie in my arms and looked at Jon. “I’m sorry. I got busy with cleaning and everything and I guess my phone was on silent…”
“It’s ok. Mom called me to make sure you were ok when you didn’t answer your phone. I told her you probably had it off or something. You ok?”
“We need to talk,” I said walking into the house. Jon followed but remained silent. “I spoke with the doctor today and she said that I’m, umm, pregnant …?” The statement trailed off into a question.
How did your husband feel?
He just looked at me. I can imagine his face looked exactly like mine did earlier today – bug eyed. “Wow,” he said. “Wow. Well, uh, ok then. Ok then.” He began to smile and hugged Donnie and me. This pregnancy, like the first, was here too soon. He handled it a better than I did. I was a zombie those first few hours after finding out and that night I couldn’t get him to shut up about it so that I could sleep. He was thrilled.
What did the family think?
We told our family after the first official OB appointment. My brother, Chris, laughed and hugged my neck but then made a jesting comment asking if Jon and I couldn’t wait just a few more months after Donnie was born. “You are such a pervert, Chris!” I laughed and punched his arm. Everyone was shocked but then, like Jon, began to talk incessantly about this baby. “I hope it’s a little girl,” my mother-in-law sighed.
During your pregnancy your oldest senses something is wrong. They become more fussy. How do you handle this?
To put it bluntly, Donnie was a brat during the last trimester. In the beginning, everything was normal with him and then BAM! Here came the attitude. Cranky and crying all the time. Jon and I, especially, did what we could to console him. Towards the end of the pregnancy, Donnie spent more time with Jon’s parents. He seemed happier there and it broke my heart. “Don’t worry, baby, he still loves you,” Jon would say to me. I’m sure my baby did but my hormones wanted me to irrationally believe otherwise.
You also decide to quit your job (if you haven’t already). Why?
Before Alex arrived, Jon and I decided that I would stay home with the kids for a couple of years. It would be easier and cheaper for me stay at home so as to avoid daycare costs. I didn’t want to leave my students and I made Jon promise me that I could go back in two years time. This would give the family enough time to be a family while our sons were young and by the time Alex was 2 and Donnie 3 ½ they would be ready for day care/preschool.
How do you think your kids are going to get along?
I hope they get along very well. My brothers and I got along pretty good though Chris and Eric always got into some sort of scuffle growing up (and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think Donnie and Alex aren’t going to do the same). I think when Donnie and Alex grow up with their uncles and father they will see the comradery and will mimmick that.
When the baby comes, it is the same gender as your oldest. Were you happy or disappointed?
Not at all. I grew up with boys and that’s all I could think about when I was younger – having little, rambunctious, roll-around-in-the-dirt boys. Plus, I can relate to them, being a tomboy myself many moons ago. Jon was extremely happy and Chris and Eric were glad that the “men” once again out number the “girls.” Alyssa, Jon’s sister, says that she will have revenge once she starts having kids. “Nine of them. All. Girls,” she teases.
Did the family try to help you (when you came home)?
I was always very close to my mother-in-law and she lived closer than my own mother. She came over everyday to help with Donnie and some of the laundry. There’s a ton more laundry with the four of us now and I hate folding clothes. Jon, once again, was extremely helpful though I did more nights than he did with Donnie because I didn’t have to make it to work the next day. When he came home he usually cooked dinner and picked up where I or his mother left off. We ate hotdogs for at least 3 days a week for a while and I only have 3 pairs of socks, 2 onesies and 4 towels that were laundered pink by an errant red sock. Thankfully his mother either made casseroles for us or showed Jon what and how to cook. And he’s learned how to better sort the laundry.
Does your oldest like the baby?
Donnie was still a little too young to fathom the idea of a baby brother. When he did see Alex, he just gazed at him in wonder and kept pointing. “Alex,” I would tell him. “Your baby brother.”
Also they end up sharing a room. Does this make your oldest mad?
This was one of our concerns when we found out I was pregnant with Alex. Our house was already small and we had planned to build in the future (this is one of the reasons why we wanted to wait to have children – so they’d have room). Thankfully all two rooms of our tiny home were big enough to support two cribs. Jon and I discussed possibly having to buy in the near future and hopefully be able to find, instead of build, the house of our dreams. One of the many sacrifices we were willing to make.
Donnie hasn’t really expressed any concerns about sharing a room with Alex. He seems content just to have his own personal space (his crib).
Also if your first baby was fussy this one is calm/if the first was calm this one is fussy. Is that surprising?
Alex isn’t as colicky as Donnie was. An amazing relief and yet a little surprising. We’ve slept through more nights than not. Donnie is the mischievous one but Alex is a lot more laid back; he’s more like his father. But I have noticed that Alex does have a bit of a temper on him. Donnie never got angry so quickly.
Your oldest does something unexpected to/with the baby. What does he/she do?
I’ve read in all the expecting and child development books that children don’t normally begin to speak words until about 14-20 months of age. But a few days after Donnie’s first birthday he said his first word. He was playing in the floor away from Alex. Donnie got up, toddled over to Alex and placed the building block he was playing with next to Alex and then said “Allie.”
Now that you’re a SAHM what is your schedule like?
Busy, busy, busy! There’s always a load of laundry to wash, dry and/or fold, a mouth to feed, a diaper to change, a cry to console but I get lots and lots of playtime and snuggles.
1. What were/are the names of your real life pets? Kaitie, Samantha, Serge/Sergio
2. What are your favorite names?
David, Aaron, Austin, Artemis, Lee, Cornell, Brogan, Evander, Leander, Vaughan, Vincent, Evert, Colm, Orion, Eoin, Davin, Daveth, Abel, Mason, Elijah, Korbininian, Elias, Callum, Brennan, Flannery, Ezekiel, Zeke, Mathias, Grady, Conall, Matthieu, Morrigan, Thompson, Boyce, Conor, Shane, Einri, George, Guy, Daniel, Bradly, Dathan, Zephyr, Rosaire, Theron, Roland, Cornell, Laurent, Roch, Emeric/Emmerich, Blaine, Blaire, Emory, Avery,
Austine, Raya, Adeline, Blythe, Kallisto/Callisto, Kalliope, Calypso, Leona, Rachel, Lee, Aurora, Gaia, Abigail, Terese, Jane, Katherine, Morgan, Lilian, Rory, Annora, Elaine, Eowyn, Georgia, Rhea, Alannah, Alanis, Maia, Lucine, Lucasta, Celeste, Elyse, Rosalie, Noella, Natalie, Natalia, Brogan, Ione, Isolde, Vivienne, Orianna, Orianne, Talia, Thalia, Esme, Signe, Ashling, Devnet, Jourdanna, Amelie, Amelia, Claire, Aurelia
LN: Corbin
DH (28): Jonathan (Federal Environmental Inspector, Straight Dark Brown Hair & Hazel Eyes)
DW (26): Natalie (Teacher, Curly Auburn & Blue Eyes)
DS (1½): Donovan Joseph Hugh (Straight Light Brown Hair & Green Eyes)
DS (3 months): Alexander Sterling Lee (Straight Light Brown Hair & Green Eyes)
Twist:
When your oldest was only 7 months old you found out you were pregnant. How did you feel?
Overwhelmed. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” I breathed after the doctor told me the “good” news. I was following up from a previous GYN appointment for a bladder infection. I was on birth control and antibiotics and Jon and I thought we were being careful. Wrong. “You weren’t planning for this?” the doctor asked. “Not at all,” as I shook my head.
I drove home in a daze. Two in diapers, I thought. As silly as that sounds, that’s all I could think, Two in diapers. When I got home, I tried to think of the game plan on how to tell my husband. Donnie was staying with my in-laws and at this point I was wishing I had his distraction. I guess I lost track of time while cleaning every nook and cranny in the house because I heard Jon’s card door shut outside. Crap. I forgot to pick up Donnie.
“Hey, sweetie,” he greeted me with a kiss on the porch holding our little baby. “I think you forgot something,” he grinned.
I took Donnie in my arms and looked at Jon. “I’m sorry. I got busy with cleaning and everything and I guess my phone was on silent…”
“It’s ok. Mom called me to make sure you were ok when you didn’t answer your phone. I told her you probably had it off or something. You ok?”
“We need to talk,” I said walking into the house. Jon followed but remained silent. “I spoke with the doctor today and she said that I’m, umm, pregnant …?” The statement trailed off into a question.
How did your husband feel?
He just looked at me. I can imagine his face looked exactly like mine did earlier today – bug eyed. “Wow,” he said. “Wow. Well, uh, ok then. Ok then.” He began to smile and hugged Donnie and me. This pregnancy, like the first, was here too soon. He handled it a better than I did. I was a zombie those first few hours after finding out and that night I couldn’t get him to shut up about it so that I could sleep. He was thrilled.
What did the family think?
We told our family after the first official OB appointment. My brother, Chris, laughed and hugged my neck but then made a jesting comment asking if Jon and I couldn’t wait just a few more months after Donnie was born. “You are such a pervert, Chris!” I laughed and punched his arm. Everyone was shocked but then, like Jon, began to talk incessantly about this baby. “I hope it’s a little girl,” my mother-in-law sighed.
During your pregnancy your oldest senses something is wrong. They become more fussy. How do you handle this?
To put it bluntly, Donnie was a brat during the last trimester. In the beginning, everything was normal with him and then BAM! Here came the attitude. Cranky and crying all the time. Jon and I, especially, did what we could to console him. Towards the end of the pregnancy, Donnie spent more time with Jon’s parents. He seemed happier there and it broke my heart. “Don’t worry, baby, he still loves you,” Jon would say to me. I’m sure my baby did but my hormones wanted me to irrationally believe otherwise.
You also decide to quit your job (if you haven’t already). Why?
Before Alex arrived, Jon and I decided that I would stay home with the kids for a couple of years. It would be easier and cheaper for me stay at home so as to avoid daycare costs. I didn’t want to leave my students and I made Jon promise me that I could go back in two years time. This would give the family enough time to be a family while our sons were young and by the time Alex was 2 and Donnie 3 ½ they would be ready for day care/preschool.
How do you think your kids are going to get along?
I hope they get along very well. My brothers and I got along pretty good though Chris and Eric always got into some sort of scuffle growing up (and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think Donnie and Alex aren’t going to do the same). I think when Donnie and Alex grow up with their uncles and father they will see the comradery and will mimmick that.
When the baby comes, it is the same gender as your oldest. Were you happy or disappointed?
Not at all. I grew up with boys and that’s all I could think about when I was younger – having little, rambunctious, roll-around-in-the-dirt boys. Plus, I can relate to them, being a tomboy myself many moons ago. Jon was extremely happy and Chris and Eric were glad that the “men” once again out number the “girls.” Alyssa, Jon’s sister, says that she will have revenge once she starts having kids. “Nine of them. All. Girls,” she teases.
Did the family try to help you (when you came home)?
I was always very close to my mother-in-law and she lived closer than my own mother. She came over everyday to help with Donnie and some of the laundry. There’s a ton more laundry with the four of us now and I hate folding clothes. Jon, once again, was extremely helpful though I did more nights than he did with Donnie because I didn’t have to make it to work the next day. When he came home he usually cooked dinner and picked up where I or his mother left off. We ate hotdogs for at least 3 days a week for a while and I only have 3 pairs of socks, 2 onesies and 4 towels that were laundered pink by an errant red sock. Thankfully his mother either made casseroles for us or showed Jon what and how to cook. And he’s learned how to better sort the laundry.
Does your oldest like the baby?
Donnie was still a little too young to fathom the idea of a baby brother. When he did see Alex, he just gazed at him in wonder and kept pointing. “Alex,” I would tell him. “Your baby brother.”
Also they end up sharing a room. Does this make your oldest mad?
This was one of our concerns when we found out I was pregnant with Alex. Our house was already small and we had planned to build in the future (this is one of the reasons why we wanted to wait to have children – so they’d have room). Thankfully all two rooms of our tiny home were big enough to support two cribs. Jon and I discussed possibly having to buy in the near future and hopefully be able to find, instead of build, the house of our dreams. One of the many sacrifices we were willing to make.
Donnie hasn’t really expressed any concerns about sharing a room with Alex. He seems content just to have his own personal space (his crib).
Also if your first baby was fussy this one is calm/if the first was calm this one is fussy. Is that surprising?
Alex isn’t as colicky as Donnie was. An amazing relief and yet a little surprising. We’ve slept through more nights than not. Donnie is the mischievous one but Alex is a lot more laid back; he’s more like his father. But I have noticed that Alex does have a bit of a temper on him. Donnie never got angry so quickly.
Your oldest does something unexpected to/with the baby. What does he/she do?
I’ve read in all the expecting and child development books that children don’t normally begin to speak words until about 14-20 months of age. But a few days after Donnie’s first birthday he said his first word. He was playing in the floor away from Alex. Donnie got up, toddled over to Alex and placed the building block he was playing with next to Alex and then said “Allie.”
Now that you’re a SAHM what is your schedule like?
Busy, busy, busy! There’s always a load of laundry to wash, dry and/or fold, a mouth to feed, a diaper to change, a cry to console but I get lots and lots of playtime and snuggles.
1. What were/are the names of your real life pets? Kaitie, Samantha, Serge/Sergio
2. What are your favorite names?
David, Aaron, Austin, Artemis, Lee, Cornell, Brogan, Evander, Leander, Vaughan, Vincent, Evert, Colm, Orion, Eoin, Davin, Daveth, Abel, Mason, Elijah, Korbininian, Elias, Callum, Brennan, Flannery, Ezekiel, Zeke, Mathias, Grady, Conall, Matthieu, Morrigan, Thompson, Boyce, Conor, Shane, Einri, George, Guy, Daniel, Bradly, Dathan, Zephyr, Rosaire, Theron, Roland, Cornell, Laurent, Roch, Emeric/Emmerich, Blaine, Blaire, Emory, Avery,
Austine, Raya, Adeline, Blythe, Kallisto/Callisto, Kalliope, Calypso, Leona, Rachel, Lee, Aurora, Gaia, Abigail, Terese, Jane, Katherine, Morgan, Lilian, Rory, Annora, Elaine, Eowyn, Georgia, Rhea, Alannah, Alanis, Maia, Lucine, Lucasta, Celeste, Elyse, Rosalie, Noella, Natalie, Natalia, Brogan, Ione, Isolde, Vivienne, Orianna, Orianne, Talia, Thalia, Esme, Signe, Ashling, Devnet, Jourdanna, Amelie, Amelia, Claire, Aurelia
This message was edited 6/25/2009, 12:08 PM
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