Geerthana Uthayakumar I am happy to announce that my husband and I are expecting our third baby this June! Our daughter and son have both been impatiently counting down the months for the arrival of their newest sibling ever since we surprised them with the news on Valentine’s Day. We all couldn’t be happier and are eagerly awaiting on the pending arrival to complete our family.
Due to complications in the pregnancy, my husband and I decided to keep this pregnancy to ourselves and those closest to us. We made our announcement via a Valentine’s Day card and treats delivered by the kids. Yana Smith of Three Treasures Photography took some beautiful Valentine’s Day themed photos of my two kids which I used to create and print cards through the Staples Copy and Print Centre website. Below are some of my favourite pictures (Thanks Yana!).
Angela Nushis of Angie’s Sweet Little Kitchen made the lovely baby blue and white macaroons with tiny red hearts pictured below. They were a simple yet perfect way to reveal the gender of the baby to the grandparents while sticking to the Valentine’s Day theme.
Three Kids
A lot of people have been curious as to why my husband and I chose to have a third when we have already been blessed with a girl and boy and to be honest it’s because I like the idea of having a somewhat big family. My two eldest, 16 months apart, were quite a handful because my daughter at the time wasn’t sleeping through the night and was a horrible eater. Juggling a busy toddler and a newborn on just a few hours of sleep was more than exhausting but my daughter is now 5 and my son just turned 4. Both of them will be in school by September so I am hoping that I can cope a little bit better this time. The bigger age gap between the first two kids and the last, although unplanned, certainly works to an advantage even though my husband is dreading the thought of having to change diapers all over again.
Pregnancy
This pregnancy has been difficult in comparison to my other two due to not only complications but with having to take care of the two kids that I already have at home. With cooking, cleaning, school runs, extra-curricular activities, homework, and chores, my day is as expected – pretty exhausting with no to very little downtime. Even so I love my life in all its hectic glory because I am surrounded by so much love and happiness. My children although just 5 and 4 are becoming a lot more responsible and helpful around the home. I feel blessed and truly lucky to have such compassionate children.
Preparing for Baby
When I started my 3-year treatment plan for Lupus just after my son was born, the thought of having a third child never even crossed our minds as we had way too much on our plate as was. My husband and I donated all of our children’s gently used toys, clothing, gear, and crib bedding as the children outgrew them, not really expecting to use them again. Preparing for baby has been expensive, time-consuming. and a little bit frustrating as well because we are re-buying the same things we had previously given away without a second thought. My children however, are having a fantastic time picking out clothes, plush animals, and blankets and whatever else catches their eye for their baby brother.
This time around preparing for baby also means preparing for the rest of the family for when I will be in the hospital. — This means stocking up on juices, healthy snacks, cereals and other non-perishables as well as preparing freezer meals for my husband and children. I usually do not freeze meals but I do occasionally freeze certain items to make life just a little bit easier. In addition to packing my hospital bags, I will also be packing my daughter and son an overnight bag of their own as they will be staying with my parents for the duration of my hospital stay.
This pregnancy has forced me to clear our clutter and organize my home to be more spacious and efficient but as my husband often reminds me (when he comes home to me organizing a closest or cabinet), there will inevitably be little surprises that I cannot possibly be prepared for and he is absolutely right. The biggest challenge I suppose has been finding the time and energy to prepare the baby’s space, which my husband and I will be completing while the kids are having a sleepover at my parents’ this long weekend.
With just under five weeks left, panic has finally set in and reality has hit. Our already busy household will become busier with the addition of a newborn but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t secretly looking forward to the added chaos that will soon follow. In the midst of the chaos, I hope to have some time to keep you all updated and even write some baby-related posts. If you have any post ideas, I would love to hear them!
Wishing my fellow Canadians a very happy long weekend,
–Modern Day Brown Mom
