From 3/13/12

I've had a day to let it sink in. This is really happening.

The first time around, when I was pregnant with Josie, I prayed and hoped with all of my heart that I would love being pregnant. I so wished that I would look cute and not swell up when I was really showing. I wanted to be bubbly and fun and full of life so that people wouldn't just tip toe around me in order to not disturb the pregnant lady. Unfortunately, all of these not so great things describes my pregnancy 100%. I couldn't have been more uncomfortable (okay, I probably could have been, but it didn't feel that way then).

I was so swollen I could hardly walk after a day of working. Mind you, I was standing all day and wasn't able to walk around enough to get my blood moving so it just pooled in my feet and hands. I was uncomfortable so I ate sugary foods and enjoyed my comfort beverage of choice, diet coke. The combination of these two things just made me more swollen and uncomfortable. Hindsight is 20/20.

It was hard for me to imagine getting pregnant again. The delivery didn't scare me; it was the nine months (ten months, who are we kidding) that made me break out in a sweat.

Eight months have passed and a lot of those awful memories have faded away. I still remember the bad things, but I am going to work my hardest to prevent what is in my power. Things have changed since then. Some for the good, and some for the bad.

Let's start with the bad, just to get it over with. For starters, I didn't quite get back to my prepregnancy weight which wasn't an ideal weight to start with anyways. I'm already at a disadvantage. I also won't have the luxury of sitting down with my feet up for hours at night because of a certain baby living in my house that is just learning how to really get around.

But the good. The good does truly outweigh the bad. That baby living in my house? Every single moment with her is better than the moments without her. I forget how tired I am or how much there is to do. I love every minute I get with her giggles and games. The first time around, time went so slow. It felt like I was pregnant forever, but now I can already see how fast November is going to arrive. I feel frazzled and I'm only six weeks or so along!

Other good things: I now understand how important it is to work out right away from the beginning. The first time around, I had been working out steadily before getting pregnant, but the morning sickness knocked me off my feet and I didn't now how to jump back in it once it passed. I was also afraid of doing something that would cause me to miscarriage. Well now that I've been through it, I realize that there is so much more my body is able to do. Who am I to say that exercise could hurt the baby? Looking back, that could have made things so much easier and better.

And those sweets. The salty pop. The chips. All of you are gone. I have already started a solid pregnancy "diet". Don't worry, I'm not aiming to lose a ton of weight while pregnant. I know how stupid that is. But I do know something that is crucial this time around. With me being the weight I already am, I really don't need to gain anything. Not a single pound. I have plenty of fat/nutrients to share with this little baby and as long as I keep refilling myself with healthy fruits, veggies, healthy fat, and minimal (but necessary) carbs, I will have more energy, less swelling (please Lord please) and an easier time after. It's possible, but remind me of that again when I am dragging my feet while staring at a bag of Doritos, k?

So you see? Things will be so different. But the excitement, it's still there. I can't believe that next year at this time, I will be a mom to two. Josie will be a big sister.

I googled today what is essential to have for a family with two under two. The horror stories and nightmare scenarios popped up, but I calmly skipped them and looked for the good stuff. Double stroller (anyone have one they'd like to sell me?), another bed for either Josie or the baby since she will probably still be in a crib for a while after the baby is born (yes we can hope the new babe loves the bassinet!), a new dresser to make storage more efficient in that little room that is so close to us and not downstairs miles away.

So much to plan, so much to think about. And there is more, so much more. Some things I can't share yet but am practically dying inside to tell you. Soon, I hope.

More details

So I make this big announcement and then I just leave you hanging! For days no less.


Things to know:
1. I'm 15 weeks along today which means I am in the 2nd trimester.
2. I was quite sick but hid it pretty well, hence the reason you all assumed I had an easy peasy 1st trimester. I was sick more in the evenings, so I could get through most of the day with a little nausea here and there, but by the time 7:00 rolled around you could count me out of all activities. Usually you'd find me on the couch downstairs clutching my stomach with a pillow to my chest while hubby was upstairs doing the whole bedtime/middle of the night routine by himself. I'm glad our marriage is strong because yikes that could have made things tough on that poor hard working man!
3. I found a different doctor and am much happier already. She's sweet, cares about how I'm doing and who I am, and promised me that she wouldn't let me go two weeks overdue again. I don't want to be induced, but I also don't want to push out another 9 1/2 lb baby. Sorry if that was a bit too much to picture.
4. We decided that I was going to stay at home before finding out we were expecting again. There were some hurdles to overcome, like insurance and a much tighter budget, but we really believe this is what the Lord wants and are willing to make sacrifices to make it work. I will get a part time job (barista maybe?) if need be when or if things get too tight.
5. Josie and Baby #2 will be 16 months apart. We know that is close together and no it wasn't planned, but once we get past the craziness stage of them both being babies, we think it's going to be great for them. Both of us have 4 years in between us and our siblings, so it'll be different than how we grew up, but hey we always joke that Josie didn't have any playmates in her life so we just decided to give her one ourselves!
6. As you probably got from point #5, this pregnancy was not necessarily planned but we weren't doing everything we could to avoid it. We're so excited to keep our family growing and know that this is God's plan for us.
7. I've been eating a lot healthier and have been more active this time around and I can feel the difference already. I am praying for a great pregnancy with the hopes of enjoying it even (crazy, right?). Circumstances are so different this time around, so there is a possibility this could happen.
8. For now the babes will be sharing the room upstairs until we're more comfortable with Josie being alone downstairs or until we "have to" put her downstairs because of another sibling (couple of years from now of course).
9. We also plan on rummage sale shopping a bunch for what we need and clothes if it is a boy since we don't have any of that... its part of the reason we want to find out what we are having. Now is the time for deals!


What did I miss? I am sure there are more questions! You know I am an open book so ask away if you think of something!


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New Faces

One of the things I was really excited about when looking forward to staying home was connecting with other SAHM's. I had no idea how to start the "connecting" but I knew I wanted to do it!


Right away after my grand Facebook announcement, I was told about a Mom's group through our church, the church we are still relatively new at. The fact alone that I was told by about 3-4 different people impressed me and I started to get pretty excited about it.


It meets two times a month and alternates between two mom's homes. Can I just take a moment to praise God for this group? Seriously, it is such a blessing! We've had a hard time connecting with other families at our church because of Josie's nap time conflict and the general busyness of a growing church. On top of that, a lot of the families are split between the two services so you only get to meet some of them. 


I'm so excited for the opportunity to connect with other moms (most of whom stay home) and get that adult interaction. Plus look at all the new friends I'll have that are in the same place as I am in my life. That has been a bit of a struggle for me up to this point because we were the first to have a baby in our group of friends. I love my friends and never ever want to lose touch with them, but when my kid needs to be in bed by 7:30 and they want to hang out til 11, it just doesn't work.


It's so hard to bridge that gap when we're at different places at our lives. I can no longer commit to afternoons or full evenings with friends because Josie can only do something for a couple of hours at a time. I can't justify getting a babysitter every time a friend wants to double date because me staying at home has us on a tighter budget. I do have friends that just don't grasp this and it's been hard on our relationships. 


Since so many of my friends are still working full time, I have prayed (not enough, but God still heard me) that I would find ways to interact so my busy mind wouldn't be bored (I feel guilty even typing this) with Josie when she's napping or doing something that doesn't need me involved.


So far though, every single second has been great. Seriously, on the days coming up that aren't so good, I need to remember how the first couple of weeks were and focus on how good things really can be.

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Growing

Our family is growing!

Baby number two will be here around November 8th.

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