Hello! Can I join you?!

[midwestmeg]

Hi MDC mamas! I started my 'computer friends' experience with MDC years ago when my first was a baby. Time flies and now I am pregnant with #4! My due date is April 15th.

Over the last couple years, I've become more active on TBW (thebabywearer) than MDC but our April ddc is very small, so I'm joining this group also, simply for more conversation! : I'm bored and chatty.

I have had very natural pregnancies and births, no nuthin' ever, other than basic bloodwork and the doppler occasionally. Hoping/planning for that this time around too. I've certainly had my share of quirky things that have popped up, but I've dealt with them by doing my research and trusting my body.

I'm a low stress/no stress mama.

I am nervous about this baby.... #4 is coming right on the heels of #3; only 19/20 months!! EEEEEEK. I figured my husband working in Kansas City was pretty good birth control (we live in MN) but I guess not! : I think I'll be doing good if #3 is nightweaned and sleeping in a toddler bed. Would love to have her potty trained and weaned.... but I am sure that is way to ambitious!

Right now I am entertaining myself at work by shopping for a maternity wardrobe. In fact, I am ignoring a pile of paperwork right now to chat with you! The good thing about an April baby is that my work is seasonal, part time... and April is the start of our rush season. No way I can swing that with a newborn, so I'll take the summer off. First time I'll be unemployed since I was 12!!!!!

See?! I told you I was chatty.

How is your pregnancy going, what number and what's on your mind today?!! :

[othersomethings]

Wow! Nice to meet you (I assume) Meg!

I get the chatty thing. I don't talk about being pregnant much with anyone in my life, not even DH...so it's nice to come here and just let it out. Even if no one else reads it, lol...

That is a bit close together...I thought I'd be in a similar boat with my last pregnancy which didn't make it...my DD would have been pretty young still. She'll be past 3 in april though. I had mixed feelings about that...she'll be old enough to understand and even be a mommy's helper, but too old to really bond with the next one on a friends level. I have a lot of siblings and I've seen the age gaps playing a HUGE role in that. The ones that were "closer" together grew up to have awesome playmates and into adulthood even be best friends. it's hard the first two years of it for mom and dad, but the next 20 years can be great.

[bleumoose]

Welcome! and congrats on #4

This is #3 for me. I am thrilled, and so surprised at how different it is from the others already. I always thought I wanted my kids close together but it hasn't worked out that way, completely by choice. #1 was a high needs baby (remains very HN) and we waited an extra year so he was almost 3 when #2 was born. He'll be 7 and #2 will be 4.25 when this one arrives.

My sister and I are 21 months apart. I can't speak about how it was for my mom, but it was great having a sib so close in age as we grew up. We were best of friends and worst enemies, but I wouldn't have had it any other way, and now we're really close. It'll all work out just FINE for you

[StarCat]

welcome, welcome!!!

My 1st 2 are 17 months apart. It was CRAZY for the 1st 2 years (as pp mentioned) but now they play together a lot (and fight a lot, too) They will be 5 and 6 when this one is born. sometimes I feel kinda bad that this one won't have a built in playmate like the big sisters. They will be interested in baby for a while but I'm sure will get sick of him/her after a bit.

anyway....its nice to have you here. we seem to have a really great and supportive group of April mama's here. And we do seem to be pretty active/chatty most of the time!

[Julieee]

Hello!!! Welcome!!!

Just had a quick question, where are you from in MN? I'm from there, but moved to Colorado in 2005. I grew up in Prior Lake/Savage then lived in Columbia Heights for the last 4 years before I moved!

Just curious! I'm sad my family is all still there and I'm here in what I think is the most beautiful place... but life goes on!

[midwestmeg]

Originally Posted by bleumoose

Welcome! and congrats on #4

This is #3 for me. I am thrilled, and so surprised at how different it is from the others already. I always thought I wanted my kids close together but it hasn't worked out that way, completely by choice. #1 was a high needs baby (remains very HN) and we waited an extra year so he was almost 3 when #2 was born. He'll be 7 and #2 will be 4.25 when this one arrives.

My sister and I are 21 months apart. I can't speak about how it was for my mom, but it was great having a sib so close in age as we grew up. We were best of friends and worst enemies, but I wouldn't have had it any other way, and now we're really close. It'll all work out just FINE for you

THANKS!! My #2 was a needier baby... so I did manage to wait until he was 2 years old before getting pg. This baby is easy.... which is why I had the time and fertility to make another, lol!

I am THRILLED to have two kids close (well, in the abstract), my bro and I are 4 years apart... we didn't really do that much together as buddies growing up.

Originally Posted by StarCat

welcome, welcome!!!

My 1st 2 are 17 months apart. It was CRAZY for the 1st 2 years (as pp mentioned) but now they play together a lot (and fight a lot, too) They will be 5 and 6 when this one is born. sometimes I feel kinda bad that this one won't have a built in playmate like the big sisters. They will be interested in baby for a while but I'm sure will get sick of him/her after a bit.

anyway....its nice to have you here. we seem to have a really great and supportive group of April mama's here. And we do seem to be pretty active/chatty most of the time!

Yippie for chatty and always so happy to hear that others survived a 17-18-19 mo age split.... I just worry about nursing, ya know?!! I guess I'll reluctantly tandem but ugh, somehow not looking forward to it?!

Originally Posted by Julieee

Hello!!! Welcome!!!

Just had a quick question, where are you from in MN? I'm from there, but moved to Colorado in 2005. I grew up in Prior Lake/Savage then lived in Columbia Heights for the last 4 years before I moved!

Just curious! I'm sad my family is all still there and I'm here in what I think is the most beautiful place... but life goes on!

TRADE YOU! Colorado is beautiful! We're outside of St. Cloud, by St. Johns university. Having family near is what makes it all worth it.

[Queen of my Castle]

Hi! I'm also pregnant with #4, it's pretty soon (to me) after #3, who was Feb/09. My kids will all be approx 2 yr apart. Yikes.
I also have very low-key pregnancies, in fact, today was my first appt with my mw, and the first time I heard the heartbeat, confirming the pregnancy. Nice to 'meet' you!

[midwestmeg]

Originally Posted by Queen of my Castle

Hi! I'm also pregnant with #4, it's pretty soon (to me) after #3, who was Feb/09. My kids will all be approx 2 yr apart. Yikes.
I also have very low-key pregnancies, in fact, today was my first appt with my mw, and the first time I heard the heartbeat, confirming the pregnancy. Nice to 'meet' you!

Hey mama, my mw missed #3 too.... in fact I sent everyone away so only my husband I were present for Vivian's birth.

[Queen of my Castle]

Originally Posted by midwestmeg

Hey mama, my mw missed #3 too.... in fact I sent everyone away so only my husband I were present for Vivian's birth.

You're kidding! lol, we have a lot in common! It was just my husband too, I didn't give anyone else enough warning, and my husband....well, he's pretty crappy with birth. Too funny, is your birth story on here?
This is my #3 baby with my wonderful midwife.

[CookAMH]

Welcome!!

[krizzanne]

woah, you are pg with #4, your husband spends time away, you are working, and shopping and chatting... you have to be one organized mama!

Welcome!

I grew up in Duluth - I miss the beauty of Minnesota, sigh, I wish my kids were growing up there swimming in the lakes in summer and ice skating on them in the winter (but that is all nostalgia on my part, with global warming, they'd more likely be swimming in winter - ha ha)

Krissie

[midwestmeg]

Originally Posted by krizzanne

woah, you are pg with #4, your husband spends time away, you are working, and shopping and chatting... you have to be one organized mama!

Welcome!

I grew up in Duluth - I miss the beauty of Minnesota, sigh, I wish my kids were growing up there swimming in the lakes in summer and ice skating on them in the winter (but that is all nostalgia on my part, with global warming, they'd more likely be swimming in winter - ha ha)

Krissie

Another mama with #4!! A 'whoops' or a totally planned babe, can I ask?! Mine's a whoops but I'm pretty happy about it.... although dh is 48 and his friends kids are all finishing high school or even college. Eh, what can I say?! I'm only 33.

MN is beautiful.... we had a GREAT summer this year and did get a lot of lake swimming in.

I chat at work.... often it's just me in the office and I'm bored. My boss is going to be in for a big surprise when we find a replacement for me and they get things done 100% faster than I did....

And my other little secret is that my mom lives with us. She stays with the kids, and I work next door. Plus I put aside my homeschool dream and sent dd to kindy this year. *I* do not like school but she seems to love it.

I am chronically behind around here though... CAN'T get my buns off the couch! So amazing, the exhaustion in early pregnancy.

[ryleeee]

welcome!!!

[krizzanne]

How fabulous and fun is your set-up!! That is so great that you work so close and your mom is there, and your DD loves school, and you have a relaxed job! I love hearing how people have set up their lives, it seems some of us make it harder than it needs to be.

btw, I bet you are so efficient at work you have time for the chatting (well, at least you can say that).

Yes, this was a 'whoops' 4th child for me, and let me tell you, as a very independant person, for the first 2 months of this pregnancy I was crying to myself: 'I want my mommy!' LOL

I am home schooling, and I was so ready to move on and get involved in bigger projects for older kids...not have more babies to concentrate on...it has been a big mind-shift for me. We are hoping to move back to the USA (from the UK) within a year, so breathe a sigh of relief, I will have help from family.

I am with you on the exhaustion - the 4th is taking it's toll!