This is the first entry in the Paxton family baby blog, in which we hope to share with our family and friends who are far away, our experiences and adventures in baby-raising. We are Adam and Gretchen Paxton, both 32 years old and expecting our first child, a boy, in mid-June.
Five weeks from today will be my last day at work before my maternity leave. I’m very excited to have three months off, although I know it will be more work than going to the office, and also a little scared because I don’t feel totally prepared yet. I don’t know if any first-time parents ever are really prepared. We have most of the gear, except a “travel system” (stroller/car seat combo) and a playpen/bassinet, both of which have been ordered and are on their way from Campeche, about 6 hours from where we live in Cancun. We’ve gotten a ton of hand-me-downs from my sisters in Chicago, both of whom have children, and plenty of gifts from friends and family, for which we are very grateful. Both sets of parents have also been very generous in helping us out.
We’ve bought about ten books on pregnancy and baby care, and are making our way through them. I had never heard the term “infant management” before getting pregnant, but apparently it’s a real thing. I’ve also discovered that all baby-raising philosophies are subject to extreme emotions on both sides: attachment parenting vs. cry-it-out, breast vs. bottle, go back to work vs. stay home, cloth vs. disposable, etc. Adam however seems more interested in talking in his “Dr. Harvey Karp” voice (which is a combination of Professor Frink from the Simpsons and Tom Brokaw), than actually reading Dr. Karp’s book, but we’re getting there.
The countdown is on for getting everything done before baby arrives, and not just baby-related things but also general life things that need to get done before putting life on hold for the next few months: car repair, eye doctor appointments, dental work, etc. Just last week we got word that when the lease on our house ends on May 31, that it will not be renewed. So we have started house-hunting as well. And of course, fitting in all the things that we’re told we’ll never do again for the next 18 years, such as sleep in until 11:00am on the weekends, go to adult movies, and eat out.