Christmas, New Year… it’s one of my favorite times of the year at the moment. I love to reflect on everything that has happened during the last months and to look forward to the new year to come. I love to spend this time of the year with my little family. It makes me realize how absolutely lucky we are to have each other. I know it sounds silly (and it might be the pregnancy hormones to some extend) but I have rarely felt as grateful as during the last two weeks. Just to see little L giggle with excitement when I switch on the lights of the Christmas tree makes me feel so absolutely happy… (that’s also why I don’t want to remove the tree haha).  It’s the last day of 2015 today. Time to wish you all a very happy New Year 2016 with loads of laughter, friends and new challenges to take on. No long post today, just some reflections about how I see 2016 (as a future mum of two ;-) ). Enjoy!

The symptoms I am supposed to have in weeks 22 and 23 (and how I am really feeling)

• Sensitive belly button: Hmm, no, not really. But in general, the lower part of my belly is itching more than usual.
• Nice and fresh looking skin, shine hair: I wish! Well, it is maybe true that the hair is getting a bit nicer than usual but I wouldn’t say that my skin is “nice and fresh looking”. I rather have more spots than usual… Hope that this will go away soon… It might also be due to the chocolate and sugar overkill during the last days?!
• Pregnancy brain and clumsiness: Ok, so, that’s my husband’s favorite symptom for sure! He would definitely underline that I am constantly forgetting things at the moment and that I am always bumping into things… And he’s probably right… I am forgetting an awful lot these days. Everything needs to be written down… Apparently, this is the result of hormonal changes. The good news is that this forgetfulness is only temporary. The bad news is that it can last until your baby’s first birthday (which means that I might actually be having “pregnancy brain” since over two years since I got pregnant when little L was one year old…!)
• Baby’s movements: I’ve read that the baby’s movements are now really easy to recognize – and that’s definitely true. I can feel Miss M every day a bit more – and she’s definitely not one of the quiet babies ;-)

 

Little Miss M
Little L now weighs as much as a large mango. She’s really getting big now! We won’t see her for a while as the next scan has been scheduled for February only. But I can feel her – and that’s the most important thing ;-) During the last days, Miss M’s inner ear mechanism has apparently fully formed, which means that she can now really hear what I am hearing. Over the next weeks, she will be able to get used to certain sounds and recognize them – and even respond to them by moving around. I am singing quite a lot for Luca but maybe I should put more music when we are home. Will work on that :-)

What I find quite interesting is that once Miss M’s sense of hearing evolves, she will also be able to learn and remember things. For example, she might be startled by a certain noise at first (her brother’s screaming when I try to convince him to change his nappy…?!) but, if she is hearing this noise over and over again, she actually adapts to it and finally, ignores it. Crazy how early our brain starts to work!

This week’s topic

Bring on 2016!
Today is December 31. The last day of an amazing year, full of emotions, new challenges and happy moments. Tomorrow, we will all start a new year, a new chapter. Funny thing how we suddenly all think that, from one day to the next, everything will change. It’s as if we were crossing some kind of border during the night from December 31st to January 1st. As if we were waking up “on the other side”. In a new land where everything is possible and new. With loads of new opportunities, challenges and surprises. As if we left all bad things behind and started writing on a new blank page.

And obviously, no “border crossing”, no start into a new year, no new blank page without resolutions… I have always found the idea of setting unrealistic goals for the New Year (most of which are things you hate to do) quite, let’s say, un-motivating. Like discussing about planning to lose 5kg in the New Year while you’re eating turkey, raclette and Christmas cake…?! In order to change things, I usually need to start directly when I think about them. I need to want to change something so badly that I can’t put it off. The simple idea of starting to change something in some weeks only tells me that I will never do it…

 

Having said that, this doesn’t mean that I am not thinking about 2016 and about how it will be as a mum of two. Of course, there are many things I want to work on. There will be new challenges that will need to be tackled. We will need to find a new balance as a family of four. Guess if I’d take only one New Year’s resolution it would be “Don’t go completely crazy next year. Keep cool. Others have done it as well (and survived somehow haha)”. No, seriously, no New Year’s resolutions for me. But here’s some stuff I want to work on (or keep up):

1. Get some help. Or should I say: accept that I will most probably need some kind of help with two kids, no family around and a travelling hubby. Our granny went back to Germany one day before Christmas. Long story. But to make it short: I still absolutely love the concept of getting a granny. It was just not the right solution for us at this very moment. I think a granny is probably better when you’re a working mum and when you’re not around all day. Our granny was great (little L loved her!) – just not the kind of help we needed right now. So, 2016’s challenge will be to find out what kind of help we want – and to make compromises, I am sure.

2. Keep up blogging. Somehow. And I seriously don’t know how I will do this with two kids (especially if Miss M will need to be nursed every few hours for nearly an hour as it was the case for Luca). But I want to make it happen. And hey, sleep is over-rated anyways, right? It’s the constant struggle between sleeping or doing something for yourself. But I will try to keep up the writing… let’s see how it goes.

3. Go out with my hubby more often before Miss M arrives – cause we will most probably not go out for some months after that…

4. Learn how to use our TV. Or better, get some channels that are worth watching. No, seriously. We have about a thousand channels, three remote controls and a) no channel is worth watching really b) this TV works once in a while. I am not saying that I will have a lot of time to watch TV but who knows… maybe once in a while haha

5. Have a glass of champagne. And if it’s only on December 31, 2016. I have not had a glass of champagne (or any alcohol really) since I was pregnant with little L (November 2013!). First pregnant, then nursing, then pregnant again… I can only imagine that I will need a glass of champagne (or wine or vodka???) with two kids ;-)

6. Keep up the healthy cooking for our little family. Again: no clue how I will do that with a toddler running around and a newborn in my arms. But bring on the new challenges :-)

7. I’ve heard that, when you have a newborn and a toddler at home, you should actually spend more time with the toddler and get more help with the newborn as your older child might feel more “left out” than the newborn. Easy to say, hard to do. But I definitely get the point and will keep that in mind.

8. Get a double-stroller that allows you to walk on the Marina / JBR sidewalks… Better we start looking now, I guess…

9. Try to keep up seeing friends – even with two kids. Even with a small baby. Ok, that’s a tough one. But I’m sure it’s doable somehow. And I guess it’ll be necessary for my survival.

10. Accept that our apartment will sometimes look like a play area / bachelor apartment / professional laundry. Arggggg…

11. Accept that I will cry. A lot. Because I want to escape. Because I am so happy. Because I have the feeling not to spend enough time with little L alone. Because I have the feeling not to spend as much time with Miss M as I did with Luca when he was a baby.

12. Wear more shoes than just my favorite pair of ballerinas every day. Seriously – why is that?!

13. Talk more and think less. I guess it’s time to start saying some things straight away and not to lose time keeping them for myself and feeling bad. Everyone’s better off with a honest discussion.

14. Put everything into perspective. As simple as that. Cause at the end of the day, I can be so happy to have such a great family, some amazing friends and the chance to be able to do what I want to do at this very moment.

 

Must haves for Miss M:
Let’s keep it simple for this last post in 2015: Just the happy family we are at this very moment. That’s all.

Happy New Year again and see you “on the other side” ;-)

xxx
Tani