Getting down to it

By Published On: March 14th, 2016

We’re roughly seven weeks from becoming a family of five. […]

0309161603We’re roughly seven weeks from becoming a family of five. Seven week from no longer fitting at a square table for four at a restaurant (if we find time to go out to eat as a family). Seven weeks from no longer fitting our family in a two-row vehicle (though we’ll go three-wide in the back if need be). Seven weeks from no more personal bedrooms for the kids (N and G will share a room). Seven weeks until L and I are on the penalty kill. Seven weeks until sleeping through the night is a distant memory.

I am terrified yet confident, a confidence that was reinforced when a good friend of mine reminded me that we’d done great with the first two. A friend who also assured me that just because N is sometimes very aggressive and mean to G, it’s just a phase. I’m hopeful these actions will cease once No. 3 arrives because both boys seem to be pretty jovial when discussing the new addition/pointing at L’s belly.

N seems to think things are gonna be great, and most of me thinks he’ll be great with the baby … but there’s part of me that knows he’ll be a little jealous at times. Personal time for all, time specifically allotted for each kid, so none feel slighted will be scarce.

G points to L and says, “baby,” one of the few words he knows how to say. Problem with that is that when N sits with her on the couch and G wants to get in, he’ll push N away, which in turn infuriates him. So he’s a wildcard as well.

SavedImage_0307161611_04Both boys, however, love our dog Nate. Well, love in that the dog is like a cat and rarely barks and basically sleeps all day. Occasionally he’ll mosey over to one of them—mostly G—when he’s on the floor playing and begin licking his face. G used to reciprocate, which is kinda gross, but he’s since begun to laugh when he’s getting Nate’s sandpapery dog kisses.

For L, she’s increasingly more and more tired, as has been a recurring theme. But that’s really the worst of it—and me working nights, thus leaving her to the two boys who don’t always get along.

I try talking to N every day about being a good brother, trying to prepare him for a new brother that’ll be more or less a blob for a few months, how we need him to be a big boy and help us by being a good listener. It’s not like we’re asking him to vacuum the house, just listen. For the most part he does a good job of it and maintains eye-contact, just so we know he’s really getting what we’re saying.

Pregnancy-wise, I mentioned she’s getting tired earlier in the evening and is often in bed—85 percent of the time asleep—when I get home from work. Once the baby comes, I’ll take some time off from both jobs to ease the burden and probably work one less night during the week, so I can help out more.

Once it’s time for L to get back to work around August 1, I’ll be home as a stay-at-home dad once again. There was a point where we weren’t certain what the future would bring, but it’s becoming more clear what I’m going to be doing—despite it being L’s dream job, we’re playing the cards we’ve been dealt. Soon, it’ll be a full house. Three Jacks and two aces.