Right now.

Ali, from what I know about you from the blogs you are:
1. creativity
2. caring, thoughtful, cheerful, the best
3. down to earth
Therefore, I'm sure you will be a GREAT mom
to your baby girl and Simon. Enjoy, be happy and always ask for help :-).
p.s if i find my Dear Abby advice for children I'll post.

oh, I remember trying to savor those last sweet moments with my son before the arrival of our second. I remembered being a bit scared of what was to come... how my relationship with him would change or evolve... how on earth I'd have enough love, hugs, time and attention for two kiddos. Wondering how the new baby would affect my oldest.
The good news? It is better than I could have imagined! I get to see my oldest in a new role... big brother... and to see him love our youngest with such an open heart and such delicateness... it's opened a whole new part of him for me to love!
I was NOT ready for how much time two would consume in my life. We are just now settling into a routine and in "recovery" mode around our house, and our youngest is almost six months old now. I was always behind on housework, behind on laundry, running late to everywhere... and I'm so type A that it drove me crazy. I finally feed in control again. Ahhh.
Best of luck as you welcome your little miss into the world! She couldn't be coming to a sweeter or more loving family!

Ali,
Did you see that Kal Barteski had her baby?! She has posted pics of her new baby Penn, and they both look great. Didn't you both have the same due date? I'm so excited for you and Kal with new baby girls to add to your families. Nothing sweeter than that. Mac

Ali- I would suggest reading the book The Best Baby On The Block, lots of great tips. Best wishes for your family as it grows. Tanya

All the best for the arrival of baby A and for you and your family. Best tip other than the sleep when they sleep which you will be able to do often with Simon being at school already.....I would say just enjoy her being a baby and apart of your family becasue before you know it she too will be off to school with a blink of an eye. I feel that the baby days are so tiring and you want them to rush past to the days where they sleep 8 hours a night(although i have an 8year old who still doesnt sleep that long)but i say enjoy those night time feeds where you get to bond with her and enjoy the new addition to your family.
Alison from NZ

Knowing you, and having spent time with you, you will be the most laid back easy going new Mom to baby A. It will all come back. I ams o excited for the three of you and can't wait to hear stories of Simon & his baby sister :)

Pray every morning before your head leaves your pillow (even at those ungodly hours in the morning) and everything will be put into perspective!

Ali, you summed up every emotion that I had when I was in your should 7 short months ago..
my daughter is 6 and she was over the moon about the new baby..but things will change..
in good ways..
Calm and peaceful are great ways to surround yourself with good vibes.. my repeat c-section brought me the same piece...
babies are wonderful newness.. enjoy the new..
Monique

Ali - so very excited for all of you. I, too, had a repeat c-section with my second daughter, and it was a breeze. A lot less stressful than the first. Enjoy your new one - I love that newborn time, it's unlike anything else. Being a Mommy of two is definitely different, but you are such a positive person, and a wonderful Mother already, I am sure that you will be awesome. Can't wait to see her!

You will be wonderful...it will all come back to you!
Simon will look GIGANTIC when you see him with the baby. It will seem as if he's grown overnight.
Remember to take pictures...I took so many of the first, and fewer (but the quality is significantly better) with the second. That doesn't matter to baby #2...he wants the same number of photos. Be careful here...the tit for tat just continues! ;D
Enjoy it! Can't wait to "meet" her!

Ali, our son and daughter are almost exactly eight years apart. I know I felt more confident the second time around, even with the gap in between.
I found that with our son in school I was able to rest again after he left in the morning and to have enough time to get cleaned up before he came home for lunch.
We also used a Snugli and then a back carrier much more than a stroller since it left our hands free to hold hands, etc. with our big boy. I found the carriers much easier to use the second time around because I started using it from the beginning and built up my strength as the baby grew.
I agree with Sue about having meals in the freezer. I'd go so far as to freeze other food items and stock up on your pantry staples too since it was the grocery shopping that was such a hassle.
You might want to have some “surprises” ready for Simon when you need to distract him for a short period of time while you tend to the baby. I still have a little wind-up penguin – it eventually became a “restaurant” toy.
All the best to the Edwards family at this special time.

Sounds like an exciting and wonderful time. Best wishes to your family.
So glad your mom can be there.
My mom's presence was such a wonderful blessing to me after my baby was born (x2).

My two boys have 5 yrs. between them, and I remember so clearly the alternating feelings of excitement about the new baby who would soon join us, and the sadness over saying goodbye to the 'family of three' that we had been for 5 years. When I left in the middle of the night to go to the hospital, I went in to kiss my little guy as he slept and I cried to think about how much his life was about to change when he woke up. Of course, most of those changes are all good, and having a sibling is so wonderful, but still...
One thing that helped the oldest was making a fancy sign with his photo on it to put on the baby's hospital bassinet. It said "Riley is my big brother", so all the nurses knew when he arrived at the hospital and made a fuss over him a bit, too. Having a "big brother" gift waiting at the hospital was a help as well.
All the best to you and your family as you welcome your new little bundle, Ali!

very excited for you and your family. Enjoy every moment.

hi Ali,
My fav advice to mommys is a book by Harvey Karp entitled "Happiest Baby on the Block". His tips worked like a charm on my 3rd baby. Only wish I had had it for the first 2. Congrats!!

Hi Ali,
Enjoy these last few days as a mommy and daddy of one child. It gets SO much busier, sometimes you feel stretched in so many directions. Put your priorities in order. First..you. Get as much rest as you can. Stay in bed for as long as you need in the morning. (Babies sleep very well from 6am-12n) Second: Baby/Simon Third: Everything else. Have books nearby to read to Simon while you are feeding baby. Have healthy snacks that Simon can help himself to in little Ziploc bags...and ones that he can get for you too :) Having 2 expands everything..so much more love envelopes everyone it is amazing. Of course it expands laundry too.;)
Congrats. I went back and forth between having a VBAC and a repeat C/S with my 2nd. Ended up with a VBAC which I was so very happy with, but I know that either choice, as long as I made it, would have been the right one. My first C/S was a beautiful birth, too. It's all about having the power to make choices. Hugs.

I agree with the others in that you don't need much advice. Just listen to your baby and your own mommy voice and everything will be fine. My sons are 8 years apart and even though they had different personalities as newborns, the age appropriate behaviors were just the same. It was like revisiting a long lost friend for the first time in 7 years. You remember the connection you had with that friend and you pick up right where you left off. Blessings to you and your family on your new adventure together.

Just visiting a friend with a new baby today and she reminded me of swaddling the baby when they are fussy and ready to sleep. It did wonders for me when my babies were in their first few months. Don't be afraid to keep swaddling (if your baby girl likes it) even past six weeks - sometimes it can do wonders to get them to fall asleep.
And diaper changes are remarkably easier the second time around. I remember after our second child was born wondering how on earth my husband and I used up so many wipes with our first child during the first week of his life. What used to take us up to ten wipes per changing was only taking us one! It all comes back!
Best wishes to you! Peace & blessings!

I have seven years between my kids too and I have to say, there is so much you forget from the first time around. It took me a couple of days to remember that you burped after breastfeeding too and not just bottle-feeding! But it does come back. . . All the best.

Just a note to say that I read your blog every day. Your blog posts, your books and your products have brought me such happiness. You've made a positive and deep impact on me and my family. I pray that these blessings will return to you and your family ten-fold.
Best wishes as you begin this next chapter. My only advice is to assign a family member to keep visits short. And to write, write, write. Take pictures, yes. But write the beautiful and hard parts, the mundane parts. Write.