Right now.

Ahhhh, the plannednes (I know that isn't a word) of the repeat c-section. I chose that route, after much indecision, with my second child and for me it was the absolute best decision I've ever made. I thought I might regret not trying a VBAC. But I haven't. Not even once. Good Luck!!!! I can't wait to see the baby.

I had my second c-section 5 months ago, and my last. :) I must say it was not bad at all and so much easier than the first. I was able to get up faster and was not in that much pain. So hope it goes well for you too! She will be a beautiful little delight I hope. :)

Ali, thanks so much for your blog. Seemingly, we would not have much in common as I am a single woman 53 years old. But, each day you have something to say that touches me and makes me pause and think. You have a lot to say to women so "keep on truckin'" we love you! You are about so much more than scrapbooking.

you are going to love world without and end. Ken follet books are the best. happy baby! michelle

Congratulations to the Edwards family! My little one will turn 7 weeks on Sunday and I cannot believe how the time has flown. My only advice to you is the same I keep telling myself: enjoy it. Even the late nights, the diapers, the crying. I look back at our early photos of Avery and see just how much she's grown and changed already. They are this small for such a short while.

Oh, I remember those days . . . those few precious days before my second was born.
And I felt guilty at times. Guilty that I was changing my son's life SO much, without any warning to him. (heck, he was only 15 months old, how much can you truly prepare him)
But I remember those extra hugs I gave him. And how bittersweet I felt about those last days.
But now? The sibling relationship is SO much more than I could have ever anticipated. It's the most amazing thing I've ever had the pleasure to witness.
It's an amazing time and it sounds like you are at complete peace. Save this and re-read it when it turns to chaos. Because it will. But it will also settle back down again.
Best of luck!

Sounds like you are ready to go. So excited to share this adventure via your blog. Please have your mom or chris post to your blog so we know when the blessed event happens.
My only recommendation is don't hesitate to ask for help. So many people love you all and will be right there to help.
keeping you and your family in our prayers and give a pat to Lily too,

Yeah, the good news is that it does all come back, but so do the things like sleepless nights! As some of the others said though, enjoy all the craziness because as you well know, those days seem to go so quickly...
As my midwife told me though, don't let anyone in unless they've got food with them and they're offering to help in some way! :o)
Hope the delivery goes smoothly and you're home before you know it as a family of four!

I love your willingness to take it all in as it comes. I don't have children, but I would say "amen" to everyone's advice to just soak in the days. :)

Ali, I've followed your blog for a number of years now and I too have a son the same age as Simon. I wish you and your family all the very best for this special time you are about to embark, my only tip - savor it! I don't know you personally but you ooze such wonderful qualities through your blog and those alone will be what's so special about your new journey. Good luck Ali, I look forward to watching you enjoy it.

Ali, the second part of your post contained some tips of your own - to be gentle with yourself, ask for help, and savor the time....
One helped me the second time was to do her laundry and sometimes just leave it in a little basket unfolded!
I wish you so much peace and joy for this magical time.

The last few days of my daughter being an only child were so emotional for me. I did the same, hugged her tighter and longer, played with her more than usual and we did so many special, fun things in that time!
Everything will come back to you, you will be surprised.
I will say this... be prepared for Simon to instantly become so grown up. Having a wee one made me realize how much change my daughter had gone through. It was sweet, yet bittersweet. Savor it all, it is priceless!
Prayers for you and yours!

Ali-- I too, spent extra time pre-baby cuddling with my older one. I can't imagine that you'd need too much advice...it sounds like you have everything under control.
My advice, is not to overdo it (especially after a c-section) Stay in the hospital as long as you are able to, so that you get some bonding time just with your new little one. My husband went back to work for the few days that I was in the hospital and my son was with grandma, so I really was "alone" at the hospital with her and just got to enjoy her by myself for a while.

Ali, I am so excited for you and your family. Simon will be such a great big brother and you and Chris will be great parents - again. I think the fact that you savor the moments will be the best gift in the world to this little girl and her big brother. If only all of us could follow that advice. Enjoying the moments that make up our lives is such a wonderful way to live. Best of luck and know that you have thousands of us sending prayers up for you and yours during the birth of your new little one.

Feeling your anticipation! Good luck with everything. Can't wait to see photos of new baby Edwards. Simon will be a fantastic big brother, and you are already a fabulous Mom! Just remember that.

I think you will be amazed at the confidence you will have with your second child. I remember feeling so unsure when my first daughter was born. Was I doing things right, was she supposed to breath that way, why is she crying? Tonnes of questions. With my second (8 years later!) I was relieved at the sense of confidence I felt. I wasn't afraid to ask questions and look "dumb" and I knew that it would be "ok", she probably wasn't going to break, if it felt right, then I was doing it right and for those first few weeks, if she's crying, she's probably hungry. As a side note, I have no regrets over my choice to have a repeat c-section. It was the right move for me. The one thing I really noticed the second time around was that because my second c-section was planned I was much less tired after it all. I walked in to the OR, calm and excited, as opposed to being rushed in after 10 hours of labour. I really noticed the difference after the baby arrived. Good luck!

Sounds like you don't need much advice, but 3 little things come to mind ... Don't forget to let Chris participate as much as possible and thank him and make him know his presence and help is needed and appreciated (I think it can be a lonely, confusing, helpless time for dads if we're not careful); just in case she has colic, Gripe Water can be very helpful and it's all natural --can be found almost anywhere; don't stress about updating the blog. I/We will miss it terribly but know once you find your new groove, you'll give us all the updates and pictures we've been waiting with baited breath for. Good luck. Little girls are wonderful!!!!!

Ali, you gave yourself the best advice in the second part of your post:
-be gentle with yourself
-get help when you need it
-savor the time
You will be great. Much love to you and your family durinjg this magical time...

Like so many other commenter’s, I had a second baby this summer and was nervous about how my son, who had just turned three, would react to the baby and how we'd go from be "the three of us" to the "four of us"...all in all everything went very well.
The thing that I was the happiest that I did was I bought one of the kids digital cameras for my son as his "big brother" present. We gave it to him at the hospital the day he came to meet the baby and he loved it. He ran around the whole place taking pictures of everything (a lot of floor shots, a lot of sides of the bed, etc) as the camera helped him feel like he had a special roll with the baby. One of my thoughts, prior to the birth, had been that when babies come people are always taking pictures of them…by choosing a camera as a Big Brother present, my son didn't feel excluded from the process--- he just took pictures along with everyone else of the baby and he didn’t realize that he wasn’t the center of attention.
My son took the camera back to his grandparents with him and proceeded to document everything he did while I was in the hospital with the baby. Now, I've taken the pictures that he took (none of them are award winning photography, but they are his memories) and made them into a mini-album that documents his first days as a big brother.
I highly recommend including older siblings in this way....I can't tell you how it helped my son to adjust and how much I love having the documentation of his important transition, as viewed through his eyes.
Best of luck Ali!

My advice is enjoy, enjoy, enjoy! Good luck with the newest chapter of your life, soon to be written! Loved your words about hugging Simon that much tighter and longer, so true. I remember feeling that way about my daughter when I was about to have my second daughter. You wonder what life is going to be like and try to hold on the way it is.