Baby Fever...?

I have been experiences waves of baby fever.

A lot of my friends are pregnant, and I mean about-to-pop pregnant. One of my friends just had a beautiful baby boy, Gideon. (Gosh, I love that name.) It always sparks a twinge of "Oooooh, babies!" in my head. I do have an almost 17-month old, it's not unrealistic for me to be thinking about #2...I mean, people have been asking me when she'll have a sibling since her first birthday. I remember being kind of shocked that people were already expecting me to be expecting.

Though we all know if my response to "When are you having another baby?" was "Right now!"; they would all awkwardly smile and then go back to whisper to someone with a look of judgement one could spot from across the room.

Though, with these rushes of baby fever, come slaps of reality.

About once a week Lorelai will have a pretty awful day. It's nothing too major, but after a couple hours of her falling on the floor crying over something as ridiculous as "there is a crumb on my foot", you start to rethink that whole let's-add-another-one-to-the-mix idea.

Lorelai is still plenty to handle right now. We are really pushing the idea of, you know, talking. For some reason this kid has been perfectly content ending her vocabulary skills with the use of only: bubble, ball, bye, pup-up (puppy), and da (everything she doesn't know the word for).
She does sign for "more" and occasionally for "all done" (though lately that is easily replaced with the act of pushing away any food with reach instead). She has actually come a long way in the last week. She regularly says "mom" now when she wants help...though she'll say it pretty much anyone. She has also been saying "h-lo" when she sees someone or pretends to be on the phone. Cookie is just "Ccccc" sound, actually it's rather weird...I don't know why she won't add the "key" noise after it. Please is also coming along slowly, but surely; "Eees" is probably only understandable to those around her all the time, but I still count it. ;)

Lorelai also just got her first pair of sneakers...with laces. "Oooooh", I know; but she looks so adorable walking around in her "big kid" shoes. She looks like a full fledged kid lately.

That's when that "baby feeling" creeps up on me again.

My baby is not a baby, she is a toddler, and she wants you to know it. She has refused highchairs for weeks, booster-seats off and on; and if we are at home, she wants to play musical chairs around the kitchen table, getting up and down in each chair all by herself.

She likes to carry around one of my old purses filled with her toys and play-jewelry. She rests the bag on her elbow and holds her hand in the air like a little socialite.
She wants to eat yogurt by herself with her own spoon, she wants her own "big" pieces of food and dislikes them if they are bite-sized; she is even phasing out "milk time" with her bottle-like cups and rather just sip it throughout the day in a little glass and straw. 

She hates her big stroller, and after a week of hunting, I ordered a small umbrella stroller hoping I can still squeeze in a few months of "wheely" time...letting her walk during grocery shopping is not an option unless I want to spend 3 hours at it; and don't even think about carrying her for longer than 2 mins.

So not a baby.

Until...she wants something I can't decode, she is tired, she wants a paci, she wants to play with a toy she doesn't understand, and about 100 other little things. She then cries and cries, very reminiscent of her 6-month old self. 

So, baby #2? Or no?

Who wouldn't want another one of these?! Awwwwww♥

Let's do some math for a second.

Lorelai is practically 17-months old. If I get pregnant within the next couple months, that means Lorelai will be around 26/27-months old. By then she will be able to talk in small sentences (God willing) and we will be about to begin the wonders of potty training, sleeping in a big bed (no crib), and homeschool preschool.
Not the best timing. Not terrible, but not great. If life works out that way, we'll all be fine...but a little tired. ;) This also means perspective #2 will be born in January/February...not bad, cold and snugly, my favorite.
So, let's do the numbers for when Lorelai is a little older.
Fast-forward to Lorelai at...oh, 20-months. Add the 9 months for the little #2 to come and Lorelai will be almost 30-months (normal-people speak: 2.5 years old). Pretty much the same situation as the first scenario, but maybe a bit more stable in most transitions.
#2 would be born around May/June...eh, Spring. I have horrible spring allergies and will probably be a complete mess from March to July. I'm not liking that idea.
Alright, 3rd scenario.
Let's wait until Lorelai is 2 (24-months) and then the 9 months for #2...so Lorelai is a few months away from turning 3. (That's a crazy thought.) I think she would be more self-efficient, independent, and more understanding of what having another baby around would mean. She might even be fully potty-trained! Sounds more like my style...though baby #2 would be born in August/September. Oh, kill me now. That sounds like hell...and August in Texas literally feels like it. Not going to happen if I have a say...which I obviously do.
So ok, wait a few months? Wait and try starting in January/February when Lorelai is a couple months in her 2 year. Plus 9 months and Lorelai will still be self-efficient, independent, and understanding (almost 3!)...and baby #2 will wait a be born in October? Still pretty pregnant during the hellish summer, but...I like the idea of another fall baby.
Hmmm...lots to think about. I might even like the idea of waiting longer.

I guess the bottom-line is: I absolutely want a #2, but it is most likely too early right now. What's the hurry, you know? I mean, if it happens, we'll be thrilled and everything will work out...but if you can try to plan it to your ideal timeline, why not go with a plan?

Until then, I will slowly catch baby fever more often, and probably more intensely...but that is a good thing, right? Then when #2 decides to be, we won't be able to wait any longer anyway. :P

So that is what has been rolling around in my head lately, I give it 2 weeks before I hear "When are you going to have another?" again and I start thinking about numbers and months once more. ;)



M.LEWIS