YET ANOTHER 42 Days.

Oh wow. It's 2023. And it's happening again. 

 

For those of you keeping track at home, the Carmichael family is expecting baby #4 (Girl #3). 

For babies #2 and #3, my work was kind enough to give me 6 weeks / 42 days paternity leave. This time I've managed to scrape together 7 weeks. Approximately 49 days. Probably pushing 52 or 53 with holiday schedules. 

My goal this time? To blog every day. Does anyone blog? Has anyone blogged in the past 12 years? I don't know. I've found this a helpful memory tool (those first weeks go by SO FAST) as well as something fun to show the kids when they're older.

So, here we go again. I'm scared, excited, and all sorts of everything this time.

Let's start with a family update:

photo by Julie Black

Edgar, our oldest is now 14. Edgar is doing online school from home most of the day, with one elective class per day at the local middle school. Edgar enjoys video games, dungeons and dragons, and bending like a pretzel. Edgar likes The Decemberists and tolerates other music Dad listens to. I hope to be able to spend some time playing video games and helping Edgar with homework this break.

Sabrina, subject of the first 42 days, is now 12. Sabrina plays the cello in middle school orchestra, and enjoys friends and art. Sabrina is daddy's girl, and loves snuggling and spending time with me. I hope to be able to do some dad and Sabrina adventuring this break.

Betty is now 6. Betty loves her mom and spending time with mom above all else. It's going to be tough for her to give up her place next to mom. Betty is in kindergarten and plays soccer and is learning to swim. I hope to be able to take Betty to some parks and teach her how to ride her bike.

Jen is now... older. First 3 births were all hippie midwife waterbirths (and we loved every minute of it). This time, Jen is high risk, with age and diabetes, this will be a traditional hospital birth, and I'm still getting used to all the doctors. Although Jen doesn't play much music anymore, Jen has discovered art, and is a talented illustrator and painter. Jen has lots of anxiety going into this, so one of my main jobs is to distract her / talk her down from general and specific worries.

I am... also older. Lots of grey (soon to be some other color) of hair. I am taking up a part-time job during my break (to try to pay for baby), so this will be much less restful and amazing, but should still be OK. I have lots of plans to make lots of music, write and record songs, rebuild the computer, feed and entertain the kids, keep the house clean, laundry and dishes, yardwork, fix up my car, spend time with all four (!) of my kids, and reconnect with my wife. Experience tells me none of that is actually going to happen, and I'm going to be lucky if I survive the next 7 weeks, let alone live to write about them.