Chasing Contentment

Tuesday, September 5

Mama Mandy - September

Sept. 4, 2006
Hi, Mandy.
I'm missing you. Today, when I got in the van to go to the store, I noticed that the new renter neighbors have a big, ceramic elephant in their front yard. My first thought was that had to tell you.

And tonight, Eliza looked through the Packers catalog that came in the mail (since I ordered your charm), and she kept insisting that she was going to find a picture of you and Josh in the catalog. It breaks my heart to hear her talk like that, like you're still just next door, but it's exactly the way I want her to talk about you.

I want my kids to always love you and Josh and to always think of you as being close. And I want little Olivia to think that way of us, even though she won't have had the feeling of having us next door.

Can you believe you're more than half-way through with this pregnancy?! I'm so proud of how you're doing with all of this. I always thought pregnancy sucked, so I'm always very impressed with women who handle it well. I know you have wanted this baby for so long, and that's part of why you're so super about accepting the icky parts of carrying her. But still. You're doing great.

I know Josh probably already has the nursery completed finished, and he's probably made lists of how you're going to get Olivia to and from daycare. Good plans to have, by the way. Get Linda to be your in-case-of-emergency person. She's fabulous with babies and won't mind at all.

And know that Sandra at the daycare rocked both of my babies, and she's going to love Olivia just like she loves them. The Linda who works with Sandra is good and will take excellent care of Olivia, but she's also going to be sure she knows how to rear her better than you do. Listen to Sandra, ignore Linda.

I cut out coupons for Pullups today, and I remembered that I needed to tell you to go ahead and start cutting coupons for diapers. Lots of them don't expire for quite a while, and you'll want diaper coupons. With Olivia being the third baby in your family in less than two years, you can't count on family mailing you coupons, but I will. Promise. And by about mid-October, you will want to go ahead and buy a few packs and some wipes. Plan ahead, you know.

Here's my one piece of advice for this month... talk with Josh and begin thinking of who you will name as Olivia's guardians. And get an attorney if you don't already have one. As soon as you can after she's born, you need to go ahead and have a will drawn up to protect her in case... well, things Mike doesn't like me to talk about. You need a will. Not to be morbid but to be a good mama. Protect Olivia.

I can hardly wait to see you. Just think... in less than two weeks, I'll be sleeping in your guest room. We're going to have such fun. Be warned... I'm gonna put my hands on that baby tummy and talk to Olivia. She needs to know my voice. I'll talk the whole time I'm there, but then, I'd have done that anyway, wouldn't I?

I love you.
Chel

[  posted by Chel on Tuesday, September 05, 2006  ]
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