Spring Fever? Nope. That’s not what I’ve got. It already feels like full Summer around here, with several days of 85+ degree weather in Maryland (please, Utah friends: Don’t throw any rotten bananas or tomatoes at me for saying that. Remember that I did my time this Winter being stuck under several feet of snow!)
There are other kinds of fevers going around right now. Like the fever that has kept AJ down for the last few days (and which appears to be gone and moving on to Reese).
Baby fever also seems to be in the air. I need two whole hands to count the number of pregnant people I know.
A week and a half ago, I photographed this gorgeous pregnant mama:
And I admit, that I had a few moments of Baby Fever as I snapped pictures of her baby bump and saw her baby preparations. Honestly, though, I don’t feel an ounce of desire for another baby. Sometimes I wish, though, that I could do my first year or two as a mother over again with the knowledge that I have now, 13 years later. Here are a few things I’d do differently:
* I would take more naps.
* I would go out with my husband more often (I thought it was hard to get out for a date night when I had one child. If only I had known then what it would be like with five!).
* I would wear all of my babies in homemade baby wraps, like I did with my last. Oh, what a difference they made!!
* I’d record more of the milestones, even though I swore I would never forget. I did.
* I’d get out of the house more often.
* I’d buy all generic baby diapers and wipes and food. It all seemed to work the same in the end.
* I would have blogged my journey into motherhood. I would love to have more of my early days as a mom recorded like I’ve got our comings and goings recorded now.
The fact is, there’s not a whole lot I would change. As I look back on my 13 1/2 years as a mother, the 45 months of being pregnant, the 87 months of nursing, and the countless sleepless nights, walks up and down the hall, rides to and from activities, etc….I am pretty happy with the way it has gone. I’ve been abundantly blessed. Blessed with good kids, good friends, and a supportive family. When it comes down to it, I probably wouldn’t change much. But I would try to appreciate the time a little more than I did.
There are plenty of things I wish I would have known as a new mom, but most of those things are only learned the good, hard, old-fashioned way: Through experience. The sweat, the tears (and, yes, the blood). It’s all worth the outcome.
© 2010, Food Fun Family. All rights reserved.
I mean carrier, my bad.
I like the first baby carries looks kind of interesting to me :)_
Isn’t that the truth. It is so much harder to find a babysitter when you have 5 kids. Luckily I have friends that will swap otherwise we are paying more for the sitter than we are for the date!!
And I used to think it was hard to take 2 kids to the store with me. Now I am just glad when I only have 3. Perspective…
Glad you were so blessed and offer such good suggestions. I especially think using the generic stuff is a good tip for new moms.
Visiting from Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop. I used the fear prompt.
.-= Karen, author of “My Funny Dad, Harry”´s last blog ..Fear—Legitimate or Ridiculous? (Writer’s Workshop) =-.
I carried my last in a sling a friend of mine made for me. She also made a baby doll sized one for my oldest. I loved carrying her around with and feeling her warmth as she dozed off. I would definitely wear another one, if I had another – which I’m not, so I’ll just be glad i wore one of them.
Loved your recap of the years and months spent doing babies.
.-= Amy´s last blog ..Static Hair and Upside Down girls – GMYBS/PSF =-.
You get to get all the cool tips before having your babies. When I was pregnant with my first in 1996, it was a very different world!
You’re right–a wrap would have been a huge help with twins. My friend still uses hers for her twins who will be 2 this month.
Like you, I would like to have started blogging a lot earlier. There are so many things that I missed.
Love the baby wraps.
.-= Jen´s last blog ..Fear =-.
Linda, I totally noticed that last night when I was writing the post and wondered if anybody else would pick up on it. You win the prize! :)
Isn’t it crazy to think of how much of our lives we dedicate to baby making? ;) I’m glad I could do it.
Heaven help me! No, not me. ;)
I don’t know about me expressing myself better than you….but I do agree that we are similar in a lot of ways! Yay for the sun! We’re switching to cold temps for tomorrow!
Yes, it’s true that baby wearing makes passing baby around harder…but it practically eliminates the need to. I wore AJ everywhere and still had energy. :)
I love this post! Love it! And I can’t wait to baby-wear. There are so many great home-made sling options, and the idea is so appealing to me. Glad I heard of it before having kids :-)
.-= Eileen @ Giving Her All She’s Got´s last blog ..Silver Linings and Grey Clouds =-.
“I’d record more of the milestones, even though I swore I would never forget. I did.”
So very, very true!
.-= Gilliauna´s last blog ..Fondling the Soul – Emotive Artwork and Photography =-.
OMNGOSH! I LOVE those wraps! FANTASTIC! I totally needed something like that for my needy twins!
I agree with you! I wish I had recorded more of our lives from earlier like I have been doing now. It’s so great for my youngest 3, but I SO wish i had it for the oldest 6 too.
.-= debi9kids´s last blog ..Mama’s Baby Birds =-.
You made a funny…talkiing about diapers, saying it was all the same in the end….the end…get it?
Sorry I did not get enough sleep last night. Looking forward to meeting you at CBC!
I still get baby fever!
Your photos are great!
I loved babywearing too and wish I had a chance to do it again, it really makes the exeperience so special!
Mindy
.-= mindy´s last blog ..Blogtrotting to Cumberland, Maryland =-.
I was thinking the same thing about your maternity pictures. In fact, I already came up with a great deal! Just fly me out to CA and I’ll take your pictures for FREE. Plus, you’d get to see ME. Pretty good deal, huh?
I ADORE this post. So many of your points about things you would have done over really struck home with me. Knowing that this is most definitely our last baby (did I tell you that?) has really changed my perspective on things. Some of my to do’s are much more important, while others are less so.
Now, let’s talk about other important things like when will you fly to CA to take my pregnant belly pictures? I am salivating over here! Especially the picture with the blocks. You have so much talent, my friend.
.-= Francesca´s last blog ..Jessica Bern Has the Power to Predict the Sex of Your Baby. And So Do I. =-.
The best thing I liked about this is the lighting.
.-= Joe Zachs´s last blog ..Candid =-.
Ugh, that sounds like such a long time when you put it into months!!! I absolutely loved being pregnant and miss is so much. I would have loved to do it another 2 times. I guess I’ll have to settle with the three that I got :)
Great pregnancy pictures. I would love to take some, but I dont know a single person thats pregnant!
Hope everyone is feeling better soon and pass some of that weather our way would ya?!
.-= Nicole´s last blog ..A Mothers Sacrifice, part 2 =-.
i LOVE that first shot! (at first i thought you were going to say that was you!)
.-= tara´s last blog ..first steps =-.
So sweet
We are so much a like. You express yourself better but we feel the same! haha And I won’t throw anything at you. The sun is out today so I am hopeful!!
.-= Brandie´s last blog ..Bloggography Week 7~The Rule of Thirds =-.
I think this was such excellent advice. Treasure the ordinary moments more. I am so glad you have had such a positive experience. My sister needs to make some of those wearing wraps because we have been lugging that heavy carrier around lately and it is driving me insane!
The only thing I don’t like about someone wearing the baby is that it is harder for other people to hold it. You are a pretty mommy!
.-= Life with Kaishon´s last blog ..my little actor =-.
I’m totally baby wearing with my next child. I wish I had known about it with my first.
I have many, many pregnant friends too. And I’ll admit, I have baby fever too, just not a baby yet.
Ohh how cute is that new mommy…
The fever is going around I have a few friends
that are also pregnant right now.
Sometimes I do wish I could have another baby but then again
I think about all the stress I go through now with 3 boys
Never mind having 5 hahahaha God Bless ya.
I did many things differently between my first and my last, but I think I was so stuck in the baby stage that I never fully appreciated it until I was out of it and looking back.
The baby wrap is the one thing that ALMOST makes me want to have another. But not really. Luckily for me, I get to wear my friend’s babies when we got out together sometimes (she’s got twins). It satisfies that craving. LOL!
I’m so sorry Ness got it, too! AJ still has the cough but hasn’t had a fever for over 24 hours. Reese just got her first fever early last night and had a rough night sleep last night. She slept in til 9:00 this morning but seems relatively fine now. I hate it when kids get sick!
Such a cute post, I love reading your advice, and love the wrap pics. And good luck with Reese, Ness has had a fever too since yesterday….but she’s just like AJ was and seems totally fine (except for feeling so hot to the touch and having a cold).
.-= Andrea´s last blog ..Amaya – Child Portrait Session =-.
I love what you’ve said… I suppose I am lucky that I have a 6 year gap between my two gems. Things I couldn’t do, was afraid to do, or couldn’t afford to do the first time around I know to do now. I carry my camera everywhere. I take pictures of the mundane to most (but extraordinary to me) events daily. And I delight in the mess ups (mine and the kids) that become teachable moments. Simply amazing, this motherhood project is.
.-= Rachelle´s last blog ..Hurling =-.
I really like this post. I’m in awe of anyone with 5 children. Well done! I’m also intrigued by the homemade baby wrap. I want one. And I don’t even have a baby.
.-= Paige´s last blog ..torture of a (stuffed) bunny =-.