I catch myself thinking, usually in the mornings, how our routines will change in (roughly) 210 days. These days, Mason usually jumps up (almost literally) at the crack of dawn (oh, when will the mornings start later) and climbs onto (usually) Audrey's waist/belly and, while chanting "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy" or "Baaaa....Nan...A!" he will rock back and forth, side to side as if riding a bronco or bull. Then he will "get bucked off" by Audrey and repeat. Usually after a time or two he is asked, "Why don't you go ride Daddy?".
After a few minutes of this, going back and forth, climbing all over us, we all get up, go get breakfast (Moos-Lee, which is Masonic for Muesli) and get ready for the day. All in all, about a 45-60 minute process (if showers are had by all the night before...including showers adds about 15 minutes). Poop explosions add another 15 minutes.
I knew, 2 years ago this time, that the arrival of (at that time) unnamed baby boy #1 was going to cause a massive upheaval in our routines and schedules, but I also knew that Audrey wasn't going back to work at the Grove Park Spa.
This time around, she will continue working, but in a less demanding position at Girls on the Run. And this time around, we won't be tag-teaming on the care and parenting of just one little bundle of joy. I will work on getting Mason ready for school while Audrey works the other one over on the changing table (God, please have Mason toilet-trained by December). I will work on getting "the other one" cleaned up and ready for bed while Audrey reads Mason "Goodnight Moon" for the 12,328nd time.
It will be a juggling act, for sure. Luckily, that neighborhood kid in Knollwood (Grand Blanc, MI) taught me how to juggle about 25 years ago. Unfortunately, I can only juggle three similarily shaped and weighted items and usually drop one after about 20 seconds. Hopefully, it won't be Mason or "The Other One".
