If you follow me on Instagram, you know that a few weeks ago I announced that we were expecting our second child in August. And, like I did last time, I'm going to tackle a few of your (second) baby questions, concerns, and comments!
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If you follow me on Instagram, you know that a few weeks ago I announced that we were expecting our second child in August. And, like I did last time, I'm going to tackle a few of your (second) baby questions, concerns, and comments!
How far along are you?
As of today, I am 17 weeks (in the second trimester).
How’d you tell The Boy? Was he excited?
I texted him a photo of the positive pregnancy test (this isn’t as weird as it sounds; we’ve done something similar for other big life-changing moments and for the first time around). He was excited but also cautious. We had a couple of miscarriages between Melanie and this pregnancy and it was just too hard to be so hopeful (and then ultimately feel crushing disappointment) so he kinda held off on the fireworks. After a few more weeks, he allowed himself to start getting excited.
You’re boobs are going to be HUGE.
Well, since they already are AND I'm still breastfeeding Melanie – yes. And it only gets more blimptastic from here.
How’d you know you were pregnant?
Unlike last time, this pregnancy was definitely planned so there was no real "aha" moment. I was super emotional, exhausted, and a few days late when I took the pregnancy test. I got a positive answer within a few minutes.
How are you feeling?
Better than my first pregnancy by like, a MILLION TIMES. I was so completely miserable with Melanie that I had nearly convinced myself to never have another baby. I had such debilitating nausea that I had a hard time even sitting up. With this pregnancy, I have nausea but it's more like a really sore stomach and I throw up a few times a week. And that? Feels like a freaking VACATION compared to last time.
Are you showing?
Yep. Of course, I'm about 50 pounds overweight so a lot of it is fat but, yes, I'm definitely showing already.
How is Melanie handling all this?
She doesn't appear to have much of a grasp on the situation. She does love listening to the baby's heartbeat at my prenatal appointments and was utterly fascinated by my pelvic exam during the first appointment (you don't see THAT on "Doc McStuffins"!). She has laid her head on my belly once and said "baby" but, otherwise, she's not quiiiite getting it. She'll turn three before the baby is born so I'm thinking she'll figure out more of it as she gets older.
Are you going to find out the gender of the baby? What are you hoping for?
Yep. We did last time and we'll be doing it again. And all we are really hoping for is a healthy baby. But, for fun, we've been joking that since Melanie is a hardcore Daddy's girl – this time, he wants another girl to follow that tradition and I want a boy so someone will love me best!
Will you nurse or breastfeed? Disposable or cloth? Doctor or midwife? Sleep train or co-sleep?
I’m hoping to breastfeed again (fingers crossed it will be MUCH easier this time) and I'll be delivering at SAMMC again (purely because of our insurance). We'll bust out the cloth diapers again (and supplement with disposables from The Honest Company). And I loved it so much last time that we're hoping to co-sleep again (I picked up one of these to try out).
We have an old (fill-in-the-blank), do you want it?
We’re hoping to use a lot of Melanie's hand-me-downs for this baby. I'll also be hitting up some garage sales in the next few months to supplement the holes in our inventory. One thing that we are definitely doing is getting a new stroller/car seat system. We loved our Baby Trend but are going to need a slimmer stroller (to fit in our car's trunk) and possibly one with a second seat and/or stand option for Melanie.
We're cool though – no need to send us your stuff!
Are you still planning to blog? What about after the baby's born?
Well, since you're reading this, it would appear that I'm still blogging! But, yes, I have cut back on my self-imposed 5 times a week posting schedule and switch to only 3 times. I've been playing with it to see if my numbers go down and will make a formal decision soon. I do plan on taking a 2 month "maternity leave" (starting right before the baby is due) and will supplement the blog with guest posts from fellow bloggers, sponsored content, and pre-written posts.
The ultimate goal though is to become a Work From Home Mom (like my mom was) and The Boy and I will always be working toward making that goal happen.
How did you tell your family?
We just called or texted this time.
OMG! YOU'RE SO HUGE!
Yes, I KNOW. I'm very, very fat. Thank you SO much for pointing it out. It TOTALLY slipped past me. How would I have ever known if you hadn't told me?
So, are you miserable yet?
Well hello, Negative Nelly. What a strange and very rude comment to make to me right off the bat. Most people lead with "Hello" or "How are your feeling?" but you? Oh no, you go right for the negative.
P.S. I'm feeling fine… but I'd recommend that you look at yourself a little closer and see if YOU are feeling fine these days.
Do you have a name yet? So what is it?
Yes, we do have the names (we already had a boy's name from last time and picked out a girl's name pretty easily this time around); however, we're keeping it secret until the baby is born.
No really, what's the name? You can tell me.
No really. We're not telling you. We're not even telling our families. We really are keeping the name secret until she's born. It's just something special we decided to do. And I'll hear no crap from you about it thankyouverymuch.
Can I see the baby's nursery?
Sure! It's the old guest room and it's currently Melanie's room/storage. Before the baby is born, we're hoping to FINALLY get it remodeled (new windows, closet, drywall, lighting, etc.) and maybe even decorated. But, seriously, at first – the baby will just sleep with us or in the crib (which will be in our room for the first however many months).
Will you be doing Hypnobirthing again?
Yep. Hoping to. I feel like I had a really amazing (and nearly pain-free) labor and delivery experience last time and I'd love another one. In a few months, I'll start practicing my Lazy Bitch version of Hypnobirthing and working toward my goal of another stress-free birth.
Who do you want the baby to look like?
Vanessa Williams or Tim Duncan. Fingers crossed, y'all.
My birthday is in August. Can you make sure the baby is born on my birthday?
No.
Is The Boy going to be with you during labor/delivery? Is he catching the baby? Cutting the cord? Washing it?
His ass will be right by my side the whole time. Last time, he didn't want to catch or cut the cord. He had no experience with births and I think he was a little overwhelmed. I was totally cool with it since he helped me through the labor part. Right now, my mom will also be there and she's tapped as the one to catch and cut (with The Boy allowed to change his mind at any time and do it instead). I just want him to do what feels comfortable for him. Birthing can be a scary thing for partners so NOT pushing them past their comfort zone is very important.
As for washing her, we're planning on holding off on that as long as possible and letting her skin reabsorb as much as it can. When we do bathe her, The Boy gets dibs (if he passes then it will be Nana's job).
Can I come see you after the baby is born?
Here's the thing – the answer is yes and no. I definitely understand that people want to drop by and see her, me, Melanie, and The Boy and share our joy. Totally get it. But please, DO NOT come to the hospital without an invitation. I'll be exhausted and beat up and just want to sleep or hold my baby. Breastfeeding might be hard and I'll be trying to figure that out while also bonding with the baby. I promise, I'll post tons of photos on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter!
Are you having a baby shower? Is it okay to send a gift?
At this time, we have not plans for a baby shower. And please, we love that you were sweet enough to want to give a gift to the baby and we don't care when it arrives (two weeks from now, two years, or when they graduate high school – really, we don't care!). Seriously, we're not going anywhere. Send it along when you can and we'll love it. I promise.
Can I send Melanie something?
Absolutely! We plan on buying a few small gifts for her when the baby arrives/comes home but you are also welcome to show her some love during this time.
Let me know if you have anymore questions, concerns, or comments regarding my (second) pregnancy or baby plans! I'll try to answer them in the comments.
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