Pregnancy 2.0

Perhaps the biggest news since I stopped blogging in May: we're expecting again! We're due in April 2013 with a beautiful baby girl. Here are all the details on pregnancy 2.0, including finding out, the first trimester, the gender reveal, and more.

Finding Out

I had been at a conference in Louisville for four days and just didn't feel "right". I was really tired and not feeling that hot, which I attributed to traveling.

After I got home I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off, and over breakfast I said to Ben: "I bet you I'm pregnant." On my way to work that morning I had to pull over to dry heave, which pretty much confirmed my suspicions. Sure enough, a home pregnancy test later that evening was positive!

Oh, hello there!

To be honest, I was excited, but a bit freaked. I was thrilled we were having another baby, but getting pregnant wasn't supposed to happen until after I graduated in December. I still had my last semester of graduate school ahead of me, not to mention two demanding part-time jobs. Another lesson in having to go the flow... it turns out I can't plan everything!

The First Trimester

After my easy-breezy pregnancy with Will, I was shocked by how awful I felt this time around. I was exhausted and nauseous 24/7. I remember being tired with Will, but not like this. There were many days I would shut Will and I in his room and take a nap on the floor while he played. I physically couldn't keep my eyes open!

Then there was the morning sickness. Or all-day sickness as Ben liked to call it. I realize now how fortunate I was in my pregnancy with Will. It's still amazing to me how I managed to function. I very rarely vomited, but I was nauseous constantly. From the moment I woke up to the moment I went to bed. I pretty much existed on saltine crackers and water, as I couldn't stomach anything else. But just as quickly as it came, the sickness subsided seemingly overnight around week 13. Since then, I've been feeling great!

The Gender Reveal

Ben and I debated not finding out the gender this time around, but ultimately we wanted to help Will prepare for a brother or a sister. Right or wrong, we felt that being able to share the gender with him might help with explaining the pregnancy and the big changes that would be coming to our family.

We both suspected it was a girl early on, since my pregnancy had been so different. As a result, we started calling baby "BG" and "Beej" (short for Baby Girl) in my first trimester. I was eager to find out out the gender, but I was much more anxious about the ultrasound this time around. When I was pregnant with Will, I didn't fully realize all they were really looking at in the ultrasound (heart, brain, spine, overall development). I was just excited to go in for a peek at my baby! The second time around, your child feels so much more "real" than the first. You've done the parenting gig, and know first-hand just how precious and amazing their little lives are. Fortunately, she's perfectly healthy (and totally adorable)...

BG - 20 Weeks

The 20 week ultrasound was right before our six year wedding anniversary, so we decided to have the ultrasound tech write the gender in an envelope for us to open at our anniversary dinner. But instead of just opening the envelope at the table, we asked the chef to make us a pink or blue dessert to reveal the baby's gender. It was a really fun evening, and we were over the moon when a little pink cannoli arrived at our table...

It's a girl!

The Third Trimester and Beyond

I start my third trimester soon, which is just crazy. I can't believe how quickly things are going. As is the life of a second child though... they will never be your sole focus!

We've started throwing around ideas for girl names... Emma, Olivia, Norah and Charlotte currently top our list. The middle name will be either Frances or Louise, after my mom.

I hope to start on the nursery at the end of the month... we've been putting it off because we will no longer have a guest bedroom. We're going with a yellow and gray theme, which has been a lot of fun to pull pieces for. I find myself being drawn to a lot of bird decor (like this piece and this piece), so it will be interesting to see how it all comes together.

We've also been reading up on ways to prepare Will for BG's arrival. We got some books on being a big brother, and I've been reviewing ways to "introduce" siblings in the hospital. If you've done this before and have any tips, I'd greatly appreciate them.