Right now.

I hope Chris will let us know when baby A arrives!

My two little pieces of mommy advice...
1. If you are planning to breastfeed and if you don't mind the "family bed" thing, learn to do it lying down! Once the baby gets a little bigger and knows what she is doing and is a bit "sturdier", you can doze in the night while she nurses!
2. Don't forget that you CAN get pregnant even if you are nursing...and even if you haven't had a period. (I learned this from personal experience...my first two children are 13 months apart. Yikes! Ok, in truth, my boys are currently 5 & 4 and I wouldn't change a thing...but those first six months were overwhelmingly difficult. I was muuuuuch calmer when baby #3 was born 10 months ago.)
I love love love your blog and your art and your views on life. You awe and inspire me. As a full-time special ed teacher, I also enjoy reading about Simon's progress. You and your husband seem like awesome parents.
God bless!

I can really feel the anticipation in your writing. I think you have everything planned and ready that you can at this point. Ready or not, a baby is initially just a really disruptive (but wonderful) force in a household Thanks for sharing all along the way.

If you don't have it, or one like it, purchase this swing
http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Papasan-Cradle-Swing-Natures/dp/B0001IU5HY/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1233979695&sr=8-1
It's the Fisher Price Side to Side Swing and it's AWESOME. It's the only reason I have more than one child (and I have three).
The side to side motion comforts the baby and allows you a little freedom from holding the little darling all the time. Love it! Couldn't live without it.
Break-a-Leg! (I'm superstitious and used to be in theatre...)

Ali,
You will be amazed at how much more you are able to love! You will love Simon and Chris MORE because of their new roles, and how great they will be. And you will all be so in love with baby girl! It will be seriously triple the love at your house! I was so worried about dividing up the love, but it's not like that at all!
As for the repeat C-section, you will probably find it to be much easier this time around.
As for the baby, just soak it in! It will all come flooding back!
Best of luck!
Janna Davis

Good luck man. You are going to be an awesome "mother of two." :)

Ali,
Enjoy the times even though they will be hard in the beginning. First three months are probably the most difficult. Take lots of photos, get sleep when you can. I just got a carrier recently that I wish I had earlier on it's called a beco butterfly carrier and it's really nice. carries front and on your back, much better than a Bjorn. Something that would be great to have and you might still be able to get some work done while she is tucked snug inside next her momma. Best wishes for a safe delivery for you and your baby!

The best thing we did with our babies was have them share our bed. Easy for me to feed them in the middle of the night & for my honey to change any wet diapers! We all slept great together too, no worries! My oldest was content in her room when her baby sister came along, so she wasn't disturbed at night since the baby was with us. (no jealousy about that either, but might have been 'cause the oldest spent her first 3 1/2 years in our room, seeing how we had just a one bedroom place then!) You're going to remember everything once you hold that little bundle in your arms! P.S. if you need a sitter, my 20 yr. old daughter goes to UO!

What helped me a lot with babies and even kids is the perspective...that whatever it is that is happening and stressful is that it will change. Always it will change. That is comforting to me when everyone is screaming and I am feeling at the end of my rope. Congrats on the new little one, enjoy!

As others have noted, I doubt you need advice, but I will add: forget about housework and just order takeout! Continue this for as long as you can get away with it. My son is almost four months old now and we're still eating lots of takeout. I wish you and your family all the best and I will look forward to reading about all the wonderful ways that I'm sure Baby A will inspire you!

I think the best thing I learned was to cherish the late night / early morning feedings. The house was quiet and rather than feeling the burden of being awaken, i took the time to pray for Sami, to hold her just a minute longer, to talk to her and to embrace the miracle of motherhood. A is one lucky little girl. J.

one of the best pieces of advice I got was to eat well during those first few days. It is so common to pick and eat junky things that people bring by, ie, cookies, cakes, etc. you will do awesome and know that you have raised Simon so well and look how well he is doing, your baby girl is blessed to be born into such a loving and warm home. God bless@!

Good luck Ali! I totally miss those "when is it all going to start" feelings! My Ethan will be 2 years old on the 17th. yay! =)

Don't let anyone tell you that "The Family Bed" is bad for the baby, or you. If it is something that works for you then, by all means, let her sleep with you. Our family bed started in Japan when our futons were all on the floor together, and we continued the tradition through three of four kids. Our youngest never had a crib, and transitioned easily to her own single bed later. If you nurse the baby, it works great - at least it did for us. Also, you will be amazed at how big and capable Simon suddenly seems. Remember to baby him some, too, after your new one arrives. He's still just a little guy, after all. Best of luck, Ali. Enjoy every minute.

My little guy turned one last Saturday and his big sister will be 8 in a couple weeks. So I totally understand how it is to feel a bit sad about going from 3 to 4.
As far as a tip...I kept hearing from everyone how different the 2nd child would be from the first. I didn't really listen though and I was thrown for a loop when the little guy cried all the time at first. So that's something to think about. I'm a huge planner and all through his birth I kept saying, "this isn't what I planned." And I haven't stopped saying it since!
Good Luck with everything! I wish you a peaceful birth and an even more peaceful little girl!

Hi Ali, thinking of you everyday at this special time, there is much magic ahead of you. You have inspired me with a title for my next layout - Savour & Celebrate - love that, Tiff :o)

Just so I don't look like an illiterate, we spell it with a u here in oz xx.

Hi Ali
the one thing that made my life a little easier in the first few weeks was, stock the frezer with prepared meals. I found a company that made home cooked meals that deliveried to your door. It was so great not to have to worry about what i was going to cook. All the best and ENJOY your new buddle of joy.

Oh Ali, goodluck. I keep checking your blog, waiting for a "She's Here" post. It's such a precious time and hopefully even more fulfilling than the last as you will have a proud Simon doting over the little one too.

Best wishes Ali! You're a fabulous mother already and your baby girl is so lucky that YOU will be her mom. Only tip is to SAVOR EACH MOMENT. They go by so quickly. But I think you already know that. So excited for you and your family!
Linda B