June 5, 2011

Two blue lines and my thoughts on the future...

- I'm glad we're moving to an apartment with more space.

- I'm extremely grateful our new place will have an elevator.  (I think this every day as I haul the ever growing toddler and the yet unborn up 5 flights of stairs)

- I realize our timing means that December will ALWAYS be a crazy month in our home.

- I'm trying to be over-the-moon excited, but honestly, it's just not as romantic as the first time around:
maybe when the sickness and exhaustion leave
maybe when my bump looks like more than a large lunch
certainly when I hold that sweet tiny infant in my arms

Yes, we're having a baby.  I feel grateful and humble, and hopeful that the excitement will come soon.  Shortly after learning there would be an addition to our family, I found myself wandering in the Met and I saw two paintings that depict my conflicting hopes and fears for the future.

My hope is that the entrance of our second child will be something like this
I, the serene mother, lovingly hold my tender babe.
I feel the presence of angels ushering me through the haze of the newborn days.
But I worry that being the mother of multiple children will feel more like this
Dear Lord, please don't let it be like this.
Because I would not be handling as calmly as the woman pictured.

24 comments:

  1. Congratulations! I'll have to come back to NYC in a year or two to meet the new one. You are quite the woman, I'm sure you'll do a pretty good job as mom of two :).

    ReplyDelete
  2. very very thrilled for your family. congratulations xx

    ReplyDelete
  3. congrats!! how exciting! best of luck with the pregnancy and the toddler!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Congratulations on the baby and the elevator! That's so exciting! But I feel you on the December craziness.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Yea! More cute babies! I'm so excited for you! Now maybe I can convince John that coming to NY would be worth the money. You will do great with both! I'm sad you're leaving your cute apartment, but happy that you'll have an elevator!

    ReplyDelete
  6. We're so excited for you guys :) Please let me know if I can do something and I'll be back up there in a few hours!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Congratulations! Sorry you won't be next door anymore. :(

    ReplyDelete
  8. Good luck Whit! I'm excited for you and a little jealous I didn't have my babies closer together.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Congratulations. Two kids is just more to love!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oh congrats Whitney! I must admit the second picture made me laugh out loud and whisper a worried "oh dear" all at once. I wouldn't know, put I bet having more than one child gives you both types of moments (the "wow" and the "oh dear"). You will be nothing short of amazing though. There is a lot of love and some great notions in that small frame of yours and your children will be (and are) blessed for it. I love you!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Well said, well said. You'll do great, my friend!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Yea! I totally guessed it- I told Chris last week that I thought you were pregnant :) Having two is pretty much a mix of both of those pictures. There are some great, wonderful moments and some that are definitely way, too close to that second picture- good thing they're worth it! And I'm so glad you have an elevator in your new place- I don't know how you've managed for so long, you're better woman than I am!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Congratulations!! I am so excited for you guys :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thanks for all the comments, friends. I feel more excited, just knowing you're excited for us.

    Rachel - you definitely MUST come out. 2 babies + New York City, what more can I offer?

    Thanks for the kind words, Katie - you always know what to say.

    Sarah - You know I love the honesty. When I saw that second painting I thought, "maybe a woman painted this."

    ReplyDelete
  15. Love it. Some of my thoughts exactly. I hope you start feeling better soon. I still have my moments, but it is getting better.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Congratulations! Paul and I are going in to have our 2nd on Thursday. I am a little nervous about having 2 now to take care of but i am sure it will be fine. Good luck! I am sure you will do great!
    So I heard you guys were in the same ward as Abby and Logan Corbett? Logan is my cousin. Small world!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hooray! How very exciting! You'll be a great mother of two. All I can say about the second picture is at least you won't be nursing them both at the same time! Enjoy your elevator!

    ReplyDelete
  18. YAY! Congrats. And hey ... in the second pic she's got three, so you've got her beat on the arm-to-kid ratio. You'll do great!! You've got some lucky kiddos to have you has their momma!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Judging by the color of her skin, and by the look of non-resistance (fatigue?) on her face, I'd say that the second woman is dealing with iron-deficiency anemia, a common affliction in women of child-bearing age.

    So just make sure you're not anemic, and you should have a lot more wows, and a lot fewer oh dears. Congratulations! I'm hoping for a little Joeski.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Whitney!!!! Congratulations! Yay!! So happy for the 3 of you. :)

    ReplyDelete
  21. yay for babies!! Do you want Olive to predict HER name?? Since she obviously KNOWS HER!! hehe:) So glad we got to see you guys before we left. LOVE yA!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Congrats Whitney! We're excited for you guys! I think it is going to be completely insane to have two. We'll let you know in a month or two.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Congratulations! I am contemplating all the same thoughts as I wonder whether or not to try again.

    ReplyDelete