Babe #2 ideologies

I've been thinking lately about this second Bundle of Joy we are about to bring into the world {well, in 25 weeks actually}. Of course the new babe is always on my mind, but my thoughts have been centered around the actions and ideas I have had regarding this baby in comparison to the ones I had surrounding Carter's pregnancy/infant-hood. 

There I am 7 months pregnant with my cousin

My baby at 2 months old

It's so funny how much a mommy's outlook can change from one pregnancy to the next. Of course, with your first babe you're walking on egg-shells, unsure of just what exactly the limits are. But with Babe #2, I feel like I've thrown those inhibitions to the wind. A large small part of me feels incredibly guilty for doing so, as if I just don't care this time around, but I think it's because I'm determined to do this pregnancy/infant-hood on my own terms.

No more freaking out because I ate a tiny piece of lunch meat - that's ridiculous! If I accidentally roll onto my back in the middle of the night, the pregnancy police are not going to find their way into my bedroom and arrest me! Drinking a cup of coffee is certainly not cause for me to wear a scarlet letter signifying "bad mom!" Women have had babies for thousands of years without an ounce of prenatal care, and here we are freaking out if we consume a single stick of string cheese!

I'm not saying that I'm particularly proud of my new attitude, but in thinking back to Carter's pregnancy and his first year, I was spreading myself too thin. I was attempting to take advantage of every single piece of advice thrown my way. In the end, I felt overworked and overly guilty if I let one small piece of the advice-puzzle slip, and I refuse to think that way this time. In hindsight, it actually made me feel unsure of myself a lot of the time because I hadn't truly developed my routine on my own. Every mother has their own instincts to guide them, and although listening to that instinct may be scary the first time around, it's really what God has given us to get through the hard times of child-rearin'. 

So this next Babe is going to be a product of whatever methods Chad and I choose, and if that means that I won't be putting this one to bed until - dare I even say it? - 10:00 pm, then that's just what's going to happen {although, that will hopefully never happen because I love night-time-with-the-husband-TV-marathons}, but you get the idea!

{Ugh, in rereading this post, I can't help but to feel guilty! I sound so selfish! Ahh, the never-ending feeling of guilt......But a good guilt, if that makes sense....}

:)