The First Trimester, for the Second Time

First, thank you all so much for the response to our announcement last week. We are very excited to share this next adventure with all of you!

Now onto the details.

The News. We knew in January that we were ready for our little family to grow, and we started to make a deliberate effort to do so in February. The next two months passed with no news. We were disappointed, but not discouraged. The day before Sam and I left for our Alabama trip, I took a pregnancy test. But it was negative. And so I had a glass of wine with my in-laws. But as the week progressed, I suspected that test may have been wrong. And so less than 12 hours after returning home, I picked up another test at the local pharmacy. Sure enough — two lines appeared almost instantly! Sam and I danced around the kitchen and pumped our fists in the air, and then we called Daddy. He could hardly get home fast enough to join the celebration.

The Due Date. We reached the 12-week mark last Wednesday, which makes our due date January 8th. However, little bean measured a week later during our first ultrasound (which completely fascinated Sam, by the way). Following in big brother’s first steps already! See, the doctor had set Sam’s due date for September 17th, but he measured small on all three ultrasounds. So, it should have come as no surprise, that he arrived “eight days late” on September 25th. I suspect little sibling may join our family closer to mid-Janaury.

The Same. This pregnancy has progressed almost identical to our first. I’ve experienced very similar symptoms so far — fatigue and headaches topping the list. Which means I have heartburn and leg cramps and lower back pain to look forward to!

But Different. Of course, this time around feels much different. Instead of commuting almost two hours to and from work every day and spending the majority of eight hours sitting at a desk behind a computer screen, I’m chasing our toddler around the playground and following him down the sliding board. I’m playing fetch in the yard with our puppy and pulling weeds from the garden. And I’m trying so very hard to keep a clean house and prepare a balanced meal for my family every night. Needless to say, my plate is full! It’s more difficult this time to remember to take my vitamins and to take a break for a glass of water. Also different this time? My belly by week 8! I’m barely through the first trimester, and I’m almost exclusively wearing maternity clothes.

Moving Forward. We are all very excited for Nick to have an 8-week break from school. He deserves it! And I can’t wait to have his helping hands around the house. Also, we leave for Destin, FL in less than two weeks, and oh boy, are we ready for a change of scenery. I must admit, it’s much more enjoyable to have a small summer belly this time around. Of course, that means I’ll have to invest in some new maternity clothes come winter.

I anticipate the documentation of this pregnancy will be much less frequent than our last, but I plan to take belly shots at least every two weeks. Perhaps I can even convince Nick to do an occasional post from “his perspective” because we all enjoyed those so much last time! And how about Sam’s perspective, too? Because he is currently obsessed with all things baby. This kiddo is going to be one heck of a big brother.

Thanks again for all the love!