23 Weeks: Remix Week

Where did this past week go?! 23 weeks already. Time is really starting to fly by and I'll be honest, I have mixed emotions about it. On one hand I wish that I could go to sleep, wake up, and have our sweet little Caroline here {sleeping thru labor, of course}. Buuuuut on the other hand I am a nervous freaking ball of emotions WRECK. I feel like I have a gazillion and one things running through my head pertaining to her arrival. Aside from the obvious things to freak out over: perfectly decorated nursery, everything packed in bags, getting all the "baby gear" {on that note- who knew such a tiny little thing could require so many gadgets!!} I find myself more and more having a momentary "Wait... WHAT?!" moment in the middle of the day when I think about the fact that I am going to be a Mommy. Me? A Mommy? No No No, there's no way. Mommies have super powers that give them the answers to every question, the remedy for every sickness, the cure to every heartache.... I don't have all of that! Please oh please please SOMEONE tell me where to purchase the Mommy super powers and FAST.

{Sweet Caroline is growing fast!!}

Ok, REMIX....it's the husband/daddy/Bennett here. I have officially gained new power in the maternity process and been entrusted with the highest honor of speaking to all of Lauren's faithful readers. Let me start by saying, I can't believe that we are only about 4 months away from being real life, bottle filling, diaper changing/up at 3AM parents. It's funny how your perspective changes as you go through lifes "rights of passage." Things like going to college, graduating from college, getting your first real job, getting married and having a baby all gradually give you new insights into the secret world of wisdom only your parents had access too. Now, I find myself wondering about things like which local schools are the safest and have the best teachers. Questions like, exactly how much is dance class? I wonder if I could actually find a way to buy her a pony? You know every kid asks....Worse still, my forward thinking mind projects to the day Caroline is 13 and begins crushing on little Tommy. I am literally petrified. I think about all the hearts that I broke as a teenager (had mine broke a couple times too) and wonder, just how exactly the father of those girls didn't kill me..because I can't make that promise to the future little Tommy. It's funny, better yet, just how God intended it as he designed the process of growing closer to a human being that's yours, but you can't actually interact with via most of our 5 senses. I can't really touch Caroline, can't really hear her, can only see the bump in Laurens tummy, and feeling her, well I guess I can do that...but it's not like we are holding hands just yet. Regardless, I find myself falling more in love and attached to this baby. Wanting to protect, provide, and coddle a tiny little baby girl that hasn't even made her official debut yet. I have a new found respect for the way my dad interacts with my sister. I have often wondered, how does she get away with that? How can he just always say "yes"? Well, I am beginning to understand. I see a cute outfit at the store and it's like she asked me for it, but obviously she didn't and I already can't say no....future prediction, Caroline is driving a brand new 5 series BMW and I am driving Pinto, all because she looked at me and said, "Daddy....".  I will soon be surrounded by two beautiful girls, both Lauren and Caroline and words can't express how nervous, excited and ready I am!

{Love practicing her little monogram}

{Getting plenty of practice putting things together}