Awaiting the arrival of Alma E

I sit here at about 37 weeks awaiting the arrival of my daughter. My daughter. Just the sound of it makes me both nervous and excited all at once. So many things are already different--like the fact that the baby closet if FULL of clothes. I've bought 20 baby hangers several times in the last months, and there are still not enough. Everything is pink or purple. So many little cute 'girlie' things. Throughout this pregnancy, I've become uber-aware of how my ideas of child-rearing may change with a girl. Of how certain things that I find 'acceptable' for my boy somehow won't be for my girl. This has been a soul-searching period for me in that I can all of a sudden see how differently I think about the genders. Something I never thought I did!? So, since the bloggy thing has pretty much ended with Facebook and the like, I've decided to use this blog for my own processes as I begin my journey of raising two children.

As I await Alma's grand entrance, I can't stop thinking how different it feels to be having a second child. All those nerves about bringing home a baby are gone. I am actually counting days to getting beyond the hospital stay and being home with my family. When Guillermo was born, I was terrified to be left alone with him! I don't even feel all that nervous about having two children or dealing with G's regressions and issues of learning to cope with a new bundle around. It's nice not to have those nerves.

Alma at 37 weeks

On the other hand, without those nerves to help me through the last days of pregnancy, I can only focus on how tired, huge and seriously impatient I am to get this baby born. I am not enjoying the little pregnancy moments as much or even noticing some of them (probably due to play bad guys and super heroes all day!). SO, in the last days, I've decided to focus my time enjoying the not so little kicks that I'm feeling. Of chuckling when getting up every 30 minutes in the night. Of noticing the little growing girl inside my belly...

The closet with about a third missing due to laundering