I don't know if I'm just overly hormonal and sensitive or right to be annoyed and pissed off - or both!
My son is turning 5 next month and I'm expecting our second child a few weeks later. He is moving bedrooms into his big boy room, finishing full-time nursery, starting school and gaining a sibling all in the space of 2 months. I'm eager to make this transition as smooth and positive as possible.
I'm someone who puts a lot of time and thought into choosing presents and get so much happiness and satisfaction from giving gifts.
For his birthday we agreed his new room would be a kind of present (it has cost a fair amount with a new bed, wardrobe and furnishings) but it's a necessity as much as anything and I don't think it's really a present in a kids eyes - it's certainly not a surprise as all the furniture has to be put together in advance. The new bike would be his main gift and we would get a few additional small bits (a book/small Lego set). I measured, chose and ordered all the room stuff and small gifts. We've started building the furniture so we don't have to live surrounded by a million IKEA boxes.
I was meeting a friend this morning and DH said he'd take him down to the second hand cycle shop this morning to get him measured up for a bike. I said to let me know if he saw anything suitable and I could go down later and pay/collect it so it would be ready for his birthday while keeping it a surprise.
I came home to find my son eagerly awaiting his first bike ride on his new bike that they'd bought and brought home.
I feel gutted I didn't get any input into his main gift, that he's gotten it a month early and will only have little things to open on his birthday unless I buy more (which, staring down the barrel of Stat. maternity pay I can't really afford).
Must husband is a minimalist and not especially sentimental. He doesn't care about gifts and doesn't see the issue.
I worry about my son being disappointed only having a couple of small things to open on his birthday - something that feels important to him and he's been talking about for ages.
I don't feel like I'll have as much time to spend with him after the baby is born or be able to do as much for him and I want him to feel special and loved on his birthday. I am super pregnant, hormonal and physically struggling to do the fun, active things he wants to do at the moment so I already feel like a shit mum not being able to give as much to him in terms of time and effort as I usually am and knowing this will continue after a c section and new baby through a big period of transition for him.
Is it unreasonable of me to be mad and disappointed about this?
Any ideas about how I can still make this super special for him without spending a fortune? I'm still planning to make a cake and special meal for him and do something nice (but affordable) together on his birthday day.