Wouldn't You Love Somebody to Love

February, 604
Simdale Valley
Narrated by Declan McElveen.  Declan is 40 years old.

Last Update/Next Update

Laney told me a couple weeks after Thanksgiving, she thought we might be pregnant.  We've both been wanting a second child for a couple of years.  We're forty this year, and we would really like three children, so time is of the essence.

The only reason we didn't go ahead when Charlotte was one, was Charlotte was not ready to be a big sister.  She has a really high need to be around people, and really hasn't shown any interest in playing by herself.  It just didn't seem fair to her to push her out of being the baby of the family, so quickly, if it wasn't necessary.

Now that she is going to be a big sister, Laney and I are working hard to get her ready.  Laney has gotten several books about having a brother or sister, to read to Charlotte, and of course, Charlotte absolutely loves being read to, because of the attention.  Really, at 3 1/2, I've been amazed how much Charlotte listens to us and soaks up everything we say.  

My mom said that Charlotte told her about what Laney's been teaching her.   Mom said that Charlotte told her that her little brother or sister is going to nurse with mommy, and if you babysit, grandma, you can't feed the baby pizza!"  Charlotte is very verbal these days and it is fun to find out what's going on in that little head.

Even though we want another baby, this pregnancy has me pretty worried, because of the higher risk of miscarriage at Laney's age.  She's been feeling sick but probably not more than with Charlotte, but I am determined to do everything I can to make sure it goes well.

Laney wants to have the baby here at the clinic if she can, and we've talked about that we've got to be mentally prepared to go to the hospital in Port Prominence if necessary.  I hope we don't have to, because we'd probably end up having to stay in Port Prominence for a while before the baby is born if that happens, since we'd have to depend on the ferry to get there.  When we visited Dr. Ono for the last prenatal appointment, I asked her what she thinks, with Laney's pregnancy being a higher risk.

Dr. Ono said we'll monitor the pregnancy carefully, and she's glad we are not locked in to the idea of one kind of birth or another.  Since Laney is in great shape, and all her bloodwork came back very good, she said she's confident about the pregnancy going well.

I don't think she can appreciate though, how much Laney and I like to have things planned out in advance.  I guess this experience is just going to push our limits of being able to manage anxiety.

Dr. Ono's a great all-around doctor though, she went ahead and started having us practice breathing and deep relaxation, so that is another tool to help keep the stress down.

All I know is, Laney and Charlotte, and this little one, are the most important treasures in the world, and I want to treasure them every day that we have.