The Overwhelming Realization

This is going to be another post about the baby. Just be prepared in case you're tired of reading posts about my children...but really, what else do I have to write about right now?

Let me start by saying that I am totally excited about the pending arrival of our newest son at the end of April. He now has a name that I adore and his room is starting to take shape. I am loving walking in there even though it is still far from finished. Just seeing the crib and the bedding all set up for him makes me happy. I run my hand over the sweet little turtle crib sheet and imagine how it will be to lay him in there all swaddled like a burrito. There is nothing sweeter than a swaddled sleeping newborn :-)

Anyway, I am also 100% overwhelmed about the thought of this little man joining us so soon - his arrival is now less than 4 months away. That is NOT a lot of time! I have so much I need to get done in that time. Plus, my first son, D, still has some maturing to do, haha.

Though the babies room is starting to look like a baby's room, I still need to:

-paint the walls

-hang the cute wall appliques

-find a new lampshade (the current one is from D's room and it is red - this isn't going to fly in my sea of blues and greens)

-find a new changing table pad cover (again, the old one is red)

-organize the entire nursery

-organize the closet most importantly (his closet is currently being used as storage/overflow for the rest of the house)

-buy a few packs of disposable diapers and wipes (because I KNOW I will still be using some of them on occasion)

-buy a new thermometer (every baby deserves his own rectal thermometer...nobody should share that!)

-buy a few packs of pacifiers....this is VERY IMPORTANT!

Then there are the things that I really don't need but would really love to acquire as well:

-a new diaper pail liner (they come in such adorable prints and colors...it may make diapering just a little more fun!)

-D needs a new toddler bed mattress. His weighs about 50 lbs and is slowly becoming my nemesis - it came with the toddler bed from the garage sale...ewwwww.

-a small trash can in which to throw the disposable wipes that I know I will most likely be using.

This is why I am overwhelmed that the baby is coming in less than 4 months. That list seems long to me -not just to go to the store and get, but to be able to afford, haha! I am a great shopper, but I still have to come up with the funds first. All of this coupled with the fact that I will be bringing home a new baby into my already crazy home just sends me about over the edge.

How am I going to keep up with the laundry when I have a 10 day old at home?

How am I going to survive those first 3 weeks of nursing my adorable little piranha (those of you that have nursed before know what I mean) with a 2 year old under foot?

How am I going to stay up until 11pm waiting for that last feeding only to get up again between 2-3am and then again around 5-6am...and then stay up because by them D will be waking up?

How do moms of three young children survive?

I need wisdom. And a lot of help. I am praying that my husband gets to take the leave he's hoping to take from work. I am also praying that the timing of this little one's arrival works out so that someone either from my family or my husband's family will be up here with us to help with the other two kids.

It takes a village to raise a child...only up here, its just me and my husband - and we will have 3 kids! Ahh!

Breathe in, breathe out....

Okay, I realize that I will survive this. But I will still be stressed about it. I appreciate any words of wisdom and/or encouragement from those of you with more than 2 children. How does it work?