It's a little hard to believe that I'm soon going to be the mommy of TWO kids, and our little family of three will expand to a family of four. I'm not sure how that will work, but I think with the help of a loving Heavenly Father, we can manage it.
Is this kid cute or what? I love being his mommy.
I haven't done as much (like, anything) to document this pregnancy, which may have to do with a number of factors, including feeling too sick for the first trimester, moving while pregnant (AGAIN), and chasing a happy, active little two year old. So, in a nutshell, here are some of the things that have happened this time around:
When did you find out?
It was a Sunday morning, and I had an inkling that something was off, so I took a test and could hardly hold in my excitement when I saw it was positive.
Who was the first person you told and how did they react?
Well, I suppose it would be Ollie, because as soon as I found out, I went in his room to get him ready for church while Michael hopped in the shower. I found a hand-me-down Big Brother shirt from his cousins and put it on him and made him a sign that said, "As of October 2015." He had just turned two, so I explained that he needed to walk in and go show daddy the sign mommy made. He walked into the bathroom as Michael was then shaving, and it took a minute before Michael realized what he was saying and wearing. Michael turned to me with the most hopeful, excited expression on his face and said, "Really? Are you pregnant?!" I said yes, and there was much hugging and happiness that followed.
How are things similar to or different from being pregnant the first time?
Well, for starters I expected things to be not so fun, like morning sickness, whereas last time I thought it was all going to be sunshine and roses and was in for a huge surprise. So when I was nauseated, it was uncomfortable and inconvenient, but not shocking. I'd heard that each pregnancy is different, often harder, so that was what I expected. Luckily for me, in a lot of ways it wasn't as bad. I couldn't stand the smell of anything, didn't cook hardly ever, and could not stomach the sight or smell of vegetables. I'm not sure what my boys ate for the first three months! But having a toddler meant that I couldn't wallow in self pity or spend all day laying on the bathroom floor crying and not puking. So we went on walks to Daddy's office on campus (living a ten minute walk from work is such a huge blessing), and we went to the duck pond, and played at home. Playing often involved me laying on the couch or floor while Ollie brought me toys and played trains, but we made do. We read a lot of books from the library. I had a lot of times that I felt fine, too, and that was a lovely surprise.
I didn't take as many pictures. I don't know if I got lazy or what, but there a revert few pictures from life in general this pregnancy. I didn't take weekly bump pictures or read every book and blog on pregnancy I could find like I did the first time. I like that I've been less worried. With the first, everything is new and everything is a little scary, and all I could do was arm myself with information. This time I didn't have as many questions or worries, and I didn't have a lot of time to worry; I had a toddler who needed his mommy, and everything he goes through is the first time for both of us.
The second trimester got crazy. We talked about the possibility of buying a house. So we went to the bank. And then we had a real estate agent and we were REALLY looking at houses. And then I went to visit my in-laws with Ollie and Michael stayed home and then WE BOUGHT A HOUSE. That I'd seen pictures of and kind of saw on FaceTime when it wasn't too fuzzy. While I was two states and a time zone away! Crazy. But more on that later. So last time we moved across the country towards the end of my very sick first trimester, and this time we bought a house and moved up the valley while pregnant and exhausted. I am done moving while pregnant. DONE. We painted and moved in and eventually found our living room under all of the boxes of life that got stacked there. We love our house and feel so, so blessed. I'll have to write about it separately.
Oh yes, and since Michael bought a house while I was out of town, the next time I went out of town without him, I bought a car. I have got to stop traveling without him, clearly.
There's the bump! See, a little photographic evidence.
The third trimester came up fast, and has lasted an absolute eternity. I think that's true for most pregnancies, but for this one it had been especially long because after hosting my family and playing staycation for a week, I went into preterm labor at 32 weeks. It was scary and unexpected, and surprisingly difficult to go home from the hospital without a baby in our arms. Even though we knew she needed more time to grow, and even though we knew going home with a baby still inside was a blessing that meant not having a baby in the NICU, it was emotionally draining. And I slept for a solid two days afterward. It gave me a better perspective on why new moms are so exhausted. As if pregnancy and a newborn sleep schedule aren't enough , your body does a TON of physical work (that's why they call it labor? Got it...), and you need a chance to physically recuperate.
It was a rough night for all. Thank goodness for the amazing D family, who came in the middle of the night to sleep with Ollie, and then watched him all Sunday so we could rest.
So I've been trying to take it easy since then, because stress in particular but also too much activity bring on a lot of contractions. The hardest part of this trimester has been the wait, and with Ollir I think the hardest part was just physical discomfort. I wasn't sure what to expect about labor and delivery and bringing home a baby, so I didn't anticipate it as much. This time I have an idea of what to look forward to, and I can't wait to hold this little girl!! I keep expecting her to show up early, so with each thing that I complete that should be done before her arrival I think, "Ok, NOW you can come. Like today. Anytime. now. Now would be good." And nothing. I'm trying to just relax and let her come when she's ready.
So for now...I guess we wait.
