twosmallcones

I am 35 weeks pregnant and I am feeling tip-top. At the end of the day, especially after chasing around Little Man, it feels good to sit down, but overall, I feel lucky and fortunate to have yet another enjoyable pregnancy.

With winter in full swing, it has been difficult to find a regular rhythm with exercise. When we take Arco skiing, I usually try to get out for a cross-country ski with Chossy. The ski is usually slow, but pleasant, as I feel more and more pressure in my pelvis each time I go out. I also try and stretch and as mentioned in a previous post, complete a weight circuit twice each week. Lastly, and if nothing else, I aim to get out for a walk each day – fresh air, sunshine and that cool winter breeze does wonders!

As far as baby preparation goes, I think we are ready, mostly. Of course, there are things I’d like to check off of my list before baby arrives – deep clean and mop, scrub, scrub, scrub the bathtub, finish paint touchups, organize the pantry, renovate the garage and so on, but I’m focusing on those more important to-do items first: meal preparation, washing baby’s clothes, making baby’s bed (the crib is setup) and cleaning Arco and Sprout’s room, packing our hospital bag, another date night with E, making arrangements for Arco while we are in the hospital, and getting the carseat installed. What items were on your to-do list at this stage in pregnancy? Any advice to share?

As we charge ahead and prepare for Sprout’s arrival, I also can’t help but think about my limited solo time left with my Little Man, Arco Bear, Arco Boy. I’m mourning the idea, just a little bit. When I told him a few days ago that Grandma would stay with him while Papa and I were at the hospital, tears welled up in his eyes. I had to hold my own tears back, as the thought of being without him for even a day seems strange; poignant.

I’ve also been searching for books, blog posts and other insights that might help us in transitioning from one child to two, specifically, how to treat and interact with Arco after Sprout is here. Arco made me a Mama and I am so thankful that he is our boy. Even after Sprout is here, I want to continue to treat Arco as a whole being, respect and empower him, and learn from him. He, like all children, are to be treasured. He is our star baby, our first gift, our beautiful boy – the happiest burst of light in our lives.

Sappy reflections aside, we are beyond tickled to welcome Sprout, Baby #2, into our lives. We can’t wait to meet him/her and I know we all, Arco included, will adore him/her to bits. Chossy’s level of love, on the other hand, may be questionable.

So, will Sprout be a boy or a girl? Over the last several weeks, we’ve had multiple people share their thoughts on what our lucky charm baby will be. How about you? Any strong feelings about one gender over another?