How I've Been Dealing with Baby Fever

Pray.  A lot.

Prepare for the next pregnancy now.  There are certain things I can do now to prepare for a future pregnancy no matter how far it is in the future.  Eating right, exercising, researching pregnancy supplements and childbirth options that I was too overwhelmed to look into (or even know about) the first time.  Paying attention to my charting and cycles to notice anything that might make it difficult to get pregnant again (for example, I'm paying attention to my luteal phase which has been a little too short for comfort).  It's nice to know that when the day comes that we'll be able to expand our family, I'll already be ready for it in every way possible. 

Prepare for the next baby now.  When I go to consignment sales or see incredible baby deals at stores, I think about the things we'll need for #2 and get them if they are the right price.  Especially baby boy clothes, and the few things we realized that Lucia didn't have enough of, didn't last, or would have been nice to have in retrospect.  

Cherish Lucia.  I recently read this post in which a mama talked about how she knew she was ready for baby #2:  

"You don't want to disrupt this good thing. You don't want to share the love that you have for your first. You just don't want to.

But then, one day you wake up and decide... but I do."

I can't say I EVER felt that way.  I remember turning to David within an hour of Lucia's birth and saying, "I can't wait to do this again."  And I was serious.  I've been thinking about baby #2 since before Lucia was born.  (It seems like I'm pretty unique in this, I definitely get where you were coming from if you gave birth and said, "I never, ever want to do this again.  Like, ever.")  I've also never worried about my relationship with my daughter changing when a new baby comes.  Of course it will change, but it will change anyway just by nature of her growing up and going through different life stages.  However, that post did get me thinking...do I take this awesome one-on-one time with my daughter for granted?  And the answer is probably yes.  So, I'm working on really cherishing these moments, consciously reminding myself how blessed I am to have this time with her.  And I am, I am so blessed.

Build our marriage.  I wouldn't say we've had any marriage difficulties caused by pregnancy or parenthood but there definitely isn't as much romantic together time with a newborn.  Since we currently live with my parents and they are more than happy to kick us out the door to get alone time with their granddaughter, I've been making a conscious attempt to utilize this blessing and spend time with David.  Those "memory building" moments are huge because we'll be able to look back on them during the zombie newborn nights when neither of us looks that attractive to each other and remember the things that we love about each other.

Offer up my suffering for others.  For other women who want a baby, whether their first or their eighth, and who have obstacles that prevent them from being able to have a new one now (or ever).  Especially for couples experiencing infertility.  For single men and women who long for a family.  Every time I am having a particularly hard time of it, I pray for those men and women I knew personally who struggle in these ways or for these groups in general.  It helps bring perspective and meaning to our struggles right now.