Nesting, nesting...

Well, the "nesting" phase is kicking in. At almost 30 weeks pregnant, I am having intense feelings of wanting to be ready for little Peanut. I have a lot of organizing to do and I'm nowhere near where I wanted to be with Christian's checklist (Potty trained, into a toddler bed and sleeping without a binky.) And, it's okay. I had a great talk with one of my closest friends the other day about potty training. Her experience was that they didn't push the potty training onto their daughter, didn't do a potty training boot camp, and thus she was using the potty a little bit later than some, but it was a non-issue when it was finally time. The last thing I want to do right now is go on an all out potty training boot camp where I'm stressed and wanting to pull my hair out, only to have Christian regress as soon as the baby comes home from the hospital (which is MANY people's experience, as I've learned.) Christian is successfully sleep trained in his new big boy bed and I will take away the binky sometime very soon (I'm thinking of taking the plunge this weekend.) But, other than that, I'm laying down the list of "should's" for now. Our household has been REALLY stressed out the last couple of weeks and I really think that Christian has been affected by it (See my last post for the new curse words gracing the lips of our toddler.)

In an attempt to begin organizing, I pulled out all of Christian's old clothes, and sorted them by age and also made a bag for Goodwill. It was a fun trip down memory lane and even though I still need to get some sort of major closet organizers to make the boys' room a livable one, I feel a little better that I'm making progress. I'm also making plans for upcoming pre-baby gatherings. At first, I really didn't think it was a good idea to have a baby shower for a second baby (especially a same-sex second baby), but after a little insisting from my Mom, I've succumbed to the idea and am actually getting really excited. I do like the idea of knowing that I got a chance to celebrate Peanut's arrival and the act of having a shower seems to really show the love and support that is surrounding him even before he makes his debut into this world!

On another note...I've been in contact with a woman who has a newborn (now 14 weeks old?) that I've met through the DS online network. We've spoken on the phone once, chatted via email, and now she's coming to Encino on Thursday morning. We're planning to meet up in person. I'll also get to meet her little baby boy, William, and I am really looking forward to it! There is an interesting dynamic amongst the parents of children with DS- it's almost as though I've been initiated into a very special, elite club. Maybe it sounds strange to say it that way, but it was a similar feeling when I first became a Mom. Once you're a Mom, you are immediately accepted into the "Mom Club". A club where perfect strangers will give you the benefit of the doubt, lend a helping hand and smile, even when they don't know you. There is other stuff too, though... I call this "The Mommy comparisons": where the babies social skills, motor skills,and language skills, as well as the Do-it-all-Barbie-Mommy skills get compared. This is where I feel like the new "special needs" club seems different...so far. It seems to be just like the regular Mommy club, but without comparisons and with less judgement toward the children and parents. ...And considering that DS accounts for only 1 in 755 live births, it is an exclusive club also. I'm beginning to think this "club" mentality is a really necessary one. Yesterday on the DS online network, a parent posted a warning about a Facebook page where children with Down Syndrome are ridiculed by a person who "steals" photos of other people's children with DS and uses them for evil. A link was included, but I didn't look at it. Some things are better not to be researched. There are truly sick people out there, and it's possible that having a child with special needs might bring me closer to those kind of oddities. So, I have my new "club" to lean on.

All in all, I've been feeling great, physically, and after a tough couple of weeks, am feeling more optimistic about our finances and our future too. I'm not always able to access my faith that everything will be alright, but today I feel that everything really will be alright. And after a night of sorting baby clothes, I'm really looking forward to some of those sweet newborn moments where you're memorizing every inch of their face, and they fall asleep right in your arms. Those moments in the middle of a sleepless night, where you are their only source of comfort. These moments are so fleeting. Everyone warned me about how quickly the time flies, and it's hard to believe before you have a baby, but it is very, very true...:)