Baby Showers and Birthday Parties

This month we celebrated my son’s second birthday, as well as the soon-to-be new addition to our family.

We took advantage of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend and celebrated both occasions the same day. Though they were both early celebrations, it’s tiring being eight months pregnant and traveling, along with planning a birthday party, while also getting ready for another newborn.

I didn’t have much of a baby shower for my firstborn. My husband was in Korea, and I was a good 2,000 miles from our family since I wasn’t traveling during my pregnancy.

That being said, a friend of mine did have a very small party, but it wasn’t the same. It was fun to experience one and share it with our family members.

We received some generous and wonderful gifts for the new baby and got to share some time with our family, which is always appreciated. My parents, sisters, and in-laws were a tremendous help with the whole thing.

The birthday party was nice, though as I watched my son excitedly rip open gifts, I couldn’t help but also be a little emotional, thinking how fast he’s growing up. He still has many milestones to reach like all small children, but it amazes me how much he has changed in such a short amount of time.

I’m excited to see who our second son will look like and to learn his personality, though I’m feeling a little anxious about the change we’ll be going through once he enters the world.

I know it’ll be an adjustment to divide my time, especially in the beginning. I think our oldest son will be a great big brother. He’s interested in babies when he’s around them, so I hope there isn’t a lot of jealousy and that the adjustment won’t be too difficult for anyone.

But, I also have a real fear of going through postpartum depression again. I’m aware of my emotions and can recognize when I need help to manage them, but I know this time around will be different as the anxiety of my husband being halfway across the world isn’t a factor.

That alone is a huge relief, though he may be changing jobs very soon and that create some uncertainty since I don’t know how his schedule will change. I feel more at peace knowing he’ll help me as much as he can, especially when I’m feeling exhausted. I usually had to push through that as much as possible with our oldest son while I was solo parenting, so it’s nice to know I’ll have that extra support.

Being closer to our family gives me some relief as well. Though it’s still a significant distance to travel, I know it’s much easier in general to go home for a visit if I need some respite or to have a parent, in-law, or sibling come visit.

Despite my fears, I know that soon we’ll be celebrating a new and exciting chapter in our lives. Having the many experiences I’ve had in life, I know that I’ll be resilient and that we’ll get through the challenges this change will bring. I know I’m not the first and I won’t be the last to make an adjustment to a new baby. Wish us luck!

What are some things you celebrated this month? How did your family adjust to an additional child? Sound off in the comments below!