Adventures of a first time mom-to-be

Posted by Isabo Kelly, 06/04/08 09:00 AM

Some of you may know, I’m pregnant with my first baby. I’m about five weeks away from my due date. And I’m both excited and terrified. Truth be told, it’s easier to take care of this new life while it’s still inside me. I’m a little nervous about what comes after. As for labor, well I’m not thinking about that at all! I mean at this point, baby is coming out no matter what so it’s easier not to fret about the impending birth.

What I am fretting about is preparing my apartment so it’s not a baby death trap! And learning how to balance my new life.

I’m in that whole nesting phase at the moment. And when I look around my overly crowded one bedroom apartment, all I see are dangers to baby! I’m assured this will all be sorted before the baby is born or at least before baby starts pulling on things, but my nesting instincts are still in a snit.

Fortunately, I’ve officially finished with my day job so I do have time to prepare. But that leads me to my other preoccupation—balancing my new life. I’m actually having trouble getting my head around the fact that I’m not going back to work for years. It’s all very weird.

Most writers who have to have day jobs LIVE for the day when we can quit that day job and be full time writers. Except now that I no longer have the job to go to, I’m floundering a little. I don’t have a baby to take care of yet, so I do have time to write. And I fully intended to write as much as possible before baby so I felt comfortable taking some time off afterward to just learn how to be a mommy. I do realize when baby is born, I’ll be back to splitting my time between two jobs—my main job, being a mom, and my writing. But at the moment, I have some time.

And what have I done with my last two days. Well, I haven’t written. Not a word outside of emails and this blog. Why? I have a lot of good excuses. It’s hot. I’m tired and need a nap. There’s a lot of house stuff to do to prepare for baby. I had a bunch of email to catch up on.

The truth is, I don’t have a schedule yet, so I’m just not turning on the laptop and getting to the page. So this is my goal—to figure out a schedule, a flexible one, but a schedule of some kind, so that I can actually get as much writing done as possible before baby. I’m open to suggestions. LOL.

At any rate, this is a very strange and interesting new phase in my life. It’s all one great adventure, maybe the biggest adventure I’ve ever embarked on (and I’m a travel junkie!). To all those mothers out there, and fathers for that matter, I’m always open to advice. Thanks! In the meantime, wish me luck! I think I’m gonna need it.

Category: , | 06/04/08 09:00 AM
|

Comments: [6]

  1. 1 Cathy in AK

    Congratulations! Motherhood, to steal a phrase, is the toughest job you’ll ever love : )

    As for balancing writing and being a parent, don’t worry about it for the first weeks or even months after the baby is born. It’s probably not going to happen : ) Sooner or later, you and the baby will get into a routine that will afford you some time to write. Well, hopefully.

    Stealing ten or fifteen minute while the baby napped or we waited at the pediatrician became my m.o. I stashed a notebook and pen in the diaper bag and had random sheets of paper piled on my desk. It’s amazing what you can write in a few minutes. OK, sometimes it’s poo, but at least it’s something to work with.

    And don’t be afraid to ask friends or family for a break once in a while. A little “me” time makes for a happier mommy.

    Best of luck to you!

    Comment by Cathy in AK · Jun 4, 12:05 PM
  2. 2 Isabo Kelly

    Thanks for both the congratulations and the advice, Cathy! It’s always good to hear from fellow writer moms. I love the idea of keeping the pen and notebook in the diaper bag. I’m definitely going to do that.

    And I do intend to ask for a break occasionally, especially from hubby. Since he has to live with me, he’ll recognize the benefits of making sure I’m a happy mom :)

    Thanks!

    Comment by Isabo Kelly · Jun 4, 07:53 PM
  3. 3 Holly

    Congratulations! I absolutely hated being pregnant. but I love being a mom.

    I had a lot of complications when she was born – nothing that will happen to you, it was one of those one-in-a-couple-hundred-thousand things – but I was really tired for the first few months. So when a set of grandparents offered to take the baby overnight when she was only a few weeks old, we said – Here! Thank you! Have fun, but please bring her back! I think we left her to go to Mexico when she was three months old. And she’s been spending the night with family ever since.

    I know women who have kids five, six, seven years old and the kids have never spent a night away from mom and dad. I don’t think that’s good for the parents or for the kids.

    Anyway. That’s the only advice I ever give new moms. Do not be afraid to let go of the baby overnight (it makes the hubby happy, too, which is important).

    Comment by Holly · Jun 5, 09:30 AM
  4. 4 Isabo Kelly

    Thanks Holly! And thanks for the advice. I’ve had a lot of people say they have trouble leaving their kids overnight. I’m not sure I’ll be able for it early on, but I’ll try to get over the aversion—I’m sure both sets of grandparents will be more than willing to babysit overnight whenever they get the chance! :)

    Comment by Isabo Kelly · Jun 5, 04:54 PM
  5. 5 Fedora

    Just wanted to say congratulations!! I didn’t mind being pregnant but I confess that those first few weeks and months afterwards were rough—just sleep whenever you can and put off the rest. Enjoy cuddling and being with your new little one and YES, accept help whereever it might come from :) Plus, don’t hesitate to ask for help—some days, it truly does take a village ;)

    Comment by Fedora · Jun 12, 04:58 PM
  6. 6 Isabo Kelly

    Thanks for the congratulations, Fedora! And for the advice. Everyone keeps telling me to sleep as often as I can and I’m thinking I’ll take that advice seriously. Most everything else can wait for a few months. ANd while I’ve always hesitated to ask for help, I think I’ll be taking that advice too—I’m gonna need it! :)

    Comment by Isabo Kelly · Jun 12, 10:02 PM

Comments are closed for the article