At-Home Dad: Happenings

As our due date approaches, we are trying to tie up loose ends and get things ready for baby No. 3.

We drove all the way to Charlotte to IKEA to get a crib, mattress and other things for our son. Things were great until I figured out the crib would NOT fit into our SUV. So much for that idea.

We ended up ordering it online. It will be here just in time for the baby. Here's hoping that all of the parts and pieces are included in the box. I've heard a few stories from friends who had missing parts for their IKEA purchases, though, on the whole, their experiences was positive.

We did buy a double stroller. The stroller alone weighs 38 pounds. Add two children to that and I am looking at pushing well over 60 pounds around. I always wanted to lose more weight. I didn't expect it to come in this fashion. It was a piece of cake to put together though.

If you have seen my other blog, you will find that baby No. 3 is apparently going to follow in his siblings' footsteps and be huge. At last check, the baby was seven pounds when he should have been about 4.5 pounds. The obstetrician expects about an 11- to 12-pound baby.

Needless to say, momma is miserable. It doesn't matter if she is walking, sitting, soaking in a hot bath or laying down, she just feels plain awful! They always joke that the closest a man can get to childbirth is a kidney stone. I have had two of those and there is NO way that I would trade the stones for what I have seen my wife go through the last several weeks.

Katie, our soon-to-be middle child, had another check-up and the faint heart murmur I had written about earlier still appears to be holding on. It isn't quite as pronounced as the prior visit to the pediatrician, so that is great for her. She has gotten many more teeth now and is chomping on just about anything she can find. And that includes Girl Scout cookies, which she loves!

I have noticed how Katie now wants to spend a lot of time with momma since she has been out of work. It doesn't trouble me, but makes me wonder how stressful it might be when mom goes back to work after the baby is born. I see myself with a baby in one arm and a toddler in the other. The thought makes me think of my own mom in heaven, looking down on me and smiling.

On a final note, our oldest turned 9 and is in full-fledged tween mode. It doesn't matter if it is at home or school, she has an opinion about everything. She also has started to think she knows more than her parents. It has become a struggle some days and I pray daily that it is a phase that will end sooner rather than later.

Just the other day, I signed her up for 4-H summer camp. She asked why I didn't consult with her first and how did I know she even wanted to go to camp. Then I told her about all that she'd get to do at the camp and she seemed OK with it.

As for me and the SAHD stuff, I am making it through. I recently caught the movie "Mr. Mom" on television and laughed until my sides hurt. Our oldest watched it and laughed at it too as she informed me that a lot of what Michael Keaton was doing were things she had seen me do. Heaven help me if I start to make grilled cheese sandwiches with the iron.