Different Anxieties

My husband and I are just 3 short weeks (really, maybe a little sooner than that) away from the birth of our second child. My doctor is anticipating end of August/first of September for this little guy to make his debut, so we are in serious "nesting and get as organized as you can" mode.

We were talking this past weekend about what we were anxious about. As a stay-at-home mom who is fairly type "A", there was the assumption that my anxieties would be different than his - the working dad who is much more laid back. Maybe you can relate.

As I began to share, I first confessed that some of the things I am axious about are incredibly silly and not important, and I KNOW that - but it doesn't mean I don't still think about it. When the labor process actually begins and it's time to go to the hospital: is my laundry done, the dishes cleaned, the house picked up, the furniture dusted (or at least not super dusty)? Are my toilets cleaned, the beds made that day, etc etc. SILLY. Out of my control. And these things Do. Not. Matter.

And yet, I think about them quite a bit.

More significant and actually worth thinking about - Who will actually be taking care of our daughter while we're in the hospital? What is life going to be like with two? Why is my toddler who JUST TURNED TWO at the end of June NOT taking naps anymore, especially on the heels of another little one coming? What does a grocery run in the store look like now? How will I help my daughter transition and adjust to someone else getting attention?

And my husband's main source of anxiousness: me.

Let me clarify: He's thinking about how my days at home will be - will I be stressed (probably a little), how will I handle being exhausted from nursing in the night and having a toddler to chase around during the day (time will tell), and how can he best support me (pray, listen, and pray some more!). There will be much transition going on for everyone (even our dog!), and we will really need to be patient with one another.

What anxieties did you have before going from 1 to 2 kids? What helped to ease this for you? We are finding that as our family grows, we become more and more aware of our own inability to handle things on our own, and our dependence on the Lord grows in turn. This is a GOOD place for us to be - dependent on the One who can carry it all.