AdventureDad

We've only got a few more weeks to go before the official due date of our second child.   Daniel was born twenty eight months ago but I must say it I can't believe I've been a father that long.  It feels like time just flew by.  Even though time has passed quickly and we are having our second child I don't actually remember much of what we were doing the first six months.  My memory during that time is kind of foggy.  It's not that I was sleep deprived or didn't spend time with Daniel, I just don't remember many details from that period.  But a baby does little else than poop, eat, and sleep during that time so I guess we were busy with that.  And also trying not to screw up too much. Being a fist time parent was much easier than expected.  We were both confident and ready when Daniel came along and I can't remember a time when we were really uncertain in a serious situation.  Except during some occasional fall or other emergency.   We had lots of questions about little things but those were always solved fairly easily.   We have discussed what we will do differently with our second child and have concluded that we will try to do almost everything the same way.  Having raised Daniel successfully during  gives confidence but we are also aware that we can't possibly be that lucky again.

We really hit the jackpot with Daniel. He's got this outstanding immune system and has barely been sick.  He's also a great traveler and logged twenty five flights by two years of age.  He's also extremely kind with other kids and can share anything without complaints.  I went for walk around the neighborhood on Saturday, right after we had been to the store and picked out Daniel's favorite Lördagsgodis, and we stopped briefly outside a café where a kid was playing.  I asked Daniel if he wanted to offer the kid some candy and he nodded and walked straight up to the kid and offered him his favorite candy.  Not once, but twice.  That's just how Daniel is.  During the past year I can't remember him waking up once without a huge smile on his face.  Stuff like this makes it a lot easier to be a good parent. 

Since we only have a few weeks to go and like to be prepared (read boring) we've got pretty much everything in place.  Hospital bag is packed.  We've got a spot booked at the best place in the world to give birth and they already have instructions over what we prefer and expect. Clothing is taken care of, pretty much all the way up until 18 months.  Pretty scary but Sandra does have a PHD in shopping so I'm not surprised.  We do have lots of nice clothes from Daniel but don't forget that we're having a girl.  There is apparently some unwritten, or is it actually a law (?), which says that a baby girl must have a million PINK outfits.  It's pretty incredible.  It would be unthinkable to leave the hospital without having your two day old baby girl, who few will see the first couple of weeks because of the infection risk, dressed in the cutest pink outfit ever made.  It doesn't really bother me, I actually find it fascinating.   Sandra is dying to dress her little girl and it's so  nice to see the love in her eyes for our unborn child.

Super safe child-seat is already installed in the car and we're set with a brand new carriage as well.  It looks kind of silly but we've got two Mountain Buggy's in the house.  The one year old single and a new double.  Both are of course red, Sandra's favorite color.  The Mountain Buggy is just incredibly good.  The double is just three inches wider than the single which means it fits through all normal doorways.  It's also light but very strong.  It folds almost flat and takes little room in the car.  And if extra room is needed, the wheels can be removed in a couple of seconds with the quick-lock handle.   The single carriage is incredibly easy to maneuver and so is the double.  Jogging, walking on gravel, a stroll in  deep sand on the beach, wading though ten inches of snow,  or walking though the airport with the carriage and a couple of suitcases is a piece of cake with a Mountain Buggy.  No, I don't get paid to write this stuff.  The carriage really is this great.  It makes the Bugaboo look like a joke. The only downside here in Sweden is the ridiculous price.  A new double with a carry-cot and a rain cover will run you a cool 1500 bucks.  It cost's half of that in US so of course we got it there during one of our vacations trips to NYC.  We even took it for a two day test drive in NYC during our last trip and it was a breeze to maneuver through Manhattan's nice stores and restaurants.

This pregnancy has been pretty rough. Sandra felt nauseous during the first trimester and then we had the large bleeding that hit us right around Christmas.  Sandra was not allowed to  lift anything or move faster than a turtle for the next three months which was difficult for both of us.  It was tough to always be in charge of Daniel and we also did a long trip to NYC and Mexico during this time.  But after the month of March we were told that the bleeding had disappeared and that was a relief.  Sandra started to work out at the gym and also swam few times a week.  That really lifted her spirits and her body felt great with some light exercise.  This last period is difficult because of all the extra weight Sandra has to carry.  She's gained 35 lbs. so far but it's mostly in the stomach area since her diet has been good.  She's tired of being pregnant, like many other women in this stage, and just want the damn baby to come out. 

I feel really great about being a parent again and just hope that everything will go well for mother and child.  I'm aware that something could go wrong but keep my fingers crossed for a healthy baby and an easer delivery than Daniel's 38 hours (!).

Categories: Daniel, Family, Kid stuff, Sandra, Tanditas
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