Downshifting

Can I get a high five? Maternity leave started at about 4pm on Friday, and over the last few days, I've fully embraced my new, mellower lifestyle. Who knows how long this calm before the storm will last?

Diaper cake and cards from my colleagues

Monday, Edie went to daycare to celebrate Circus Day. They did facepainting, rode bikes on "high wires" and jumped through "rings of fire". I love the imaginative play her school organizes. I also love when she knows games or songs that we didn't teach her. Last week, she belted out "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" after their school-wide Baseball Day. Hearing her sing about Cracker Jacks made my morning.

While she was at daycare, I did some spring cleaning, then went to mid-day yoga with my mom, followed by lunch. When I picked up Edie in my yoga pants she said, "You're not wearing your work clothes!" I said, "Well, I didn't go to work, I was home." Her eyes got real big: "You were...home?" I felt totally caught out by my whip-smart girl. We're planning to keep her in daycare, if not full-time, for a while. We want to maintain some level of normalcy and routine once the baby arrives. I already feel the mom-guilt settling in, but I suspect it'll be the best strategy for all parties involved.

Edie and I visited our local farm

Edie and I have had the last couple of days together, living up our girl time. We meet up with friends in the morning, go out for ice cream treats, play, and indulge in afternoon naps. Needless to say, I'm totally downshifting my pace. I have a to-do list, but my daily goal is to nap; so far I'm excelling. Yesterday we baked an Atlantic Beach Pie, courtesy of a recipe on NPR, and brought it to my parents' house for after-dinner. It was off the hook.

A springtime recipe to hold onto: Atlantic Beach Pie

Being pregnant the second time is different all around. For example, when pregnant with Edie, I had butterflies every day thinking: "THIS MIGHT BE THE DAY!!" Now I'm highly doubtful our baby will arrive early, plus I'm not as anxious about labor/delivery/parenthood in general. Furthermore, I realize how elusive a good night's sleep will soon be, and that's why my current strategy is sleep.

Of course I don't know how this labor and delivery will go down, or what kind of temperament our new girl will have, but here are some things I'm pretty confident about:

1. The human body figures out childbirth, recovers, and forgets the physical pain of labor. (And, there are epidurals for a reason). 
2. No one really stops to review your precious birth plan, so there's no point in creating one. 
3. Once she arrives, the first couple weeks will be a fog. It's better if there is some good late-night programming to dive into (Shark Week during Edie's first few days meant captivating TV at ungodly hours of the night).
4. Family and friends will offer to help, and we'll accept offers big and small. So it's ok that I don't have a freezer stocked with casseroles and lasagnas like books recommend. Trader Joe's makes some awesome frozen dinners, and they ain't going anywhere. Besides, isn't it hot dog season?
5. Edie will probably have a tough time adjusting to a sister competing for our time and attention. She'll eventually adjust, and so will we. 
6. Newborns cry a lot and need to be fed, oh, every 8 minutes. But they are so darn cute and cuddly. And they have that dreamy newborn smell.

I have some random home projects to do, but primarily I'm going to enjoy a slower pace and time with my friends and family.  Life will be chaotic soon enough.

Enjoying an ice cream date with my girl