14 Weeks

September 19-25
Another week down. This week I was reminded of just how awesome the second trimester is (at least for now). No weird symptoms, no nausea...if it wasn't for my awkwardly strong desire for certain foods, I wouldn't know I was pregnant. Oh, and for the mini bump. That's a reminder too. :)

Survey says...

How far along?: 14 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: I gained a full pound this week. I expected this given Grace's birthday, binging on pizza downtown when my dad was here, and some other food things I'll touch on below. I'm above 140 now, but at this point with Grace I was up about 5 more lbs (and started a little heavier), so I'm feeling okay.

Maternity clothes?: Do I need them. Not really. Am I embracing them. Yes. I bought a super cute pair of skinny crops and have another pair of skinny jeans from Maddie that I love. My jeans still fit, but the built in belly looks nicer than regular jeans that make my little bump look like a muffin top. (Not cute.)

Sleep: Pretty good. Waking up less, I think. Now if I can just get rid of these perma-bags hanging out under my eyes...

Best moment of the week: Having my dad in town, G's birthday...just an all around good week.

Movement: Nada.

Food Cravings: FRENCH ONION. Still soup from Panera (got another Group Soup yesterday) and also, wait for it...French Onion dip with Ruffles chips that I got using Grace's party as an excuse. I made myself throw away the left overs this morning after stepping on the scale and feeling disgusted with how I ate yesterday. Still loving bland things too...bagel and cream cheese...mac 'n cheese...etc. So yeah, I'm staging a food intervention before the way I've been eating catches up to me. It's been pretty awful and I'm ashamed to admit there have been days where I've literally had no veggies at all. Really unlike me and now that I'm not nauseaus I don't have an excuse anymore. Operation, don't turn into a pregnant blimp is in effect.

Gender: Your guess is as good as mine.

Belly Button: Innie.

Stretchmarks?: Nope.

What I miss: If it wasn't obvious, my appetite for healthy food is pretty up there on the miss list this week.

What I am looking forward to: We have our 16 week appt next Wednesday where we will get to schedule our gender ultrasound for later in October.

Weekly Wisdom: Start sleeping with a body pillow again asap. (I haven't started yet.) But though sleep is going well, I have a hard time staying on my side. Tummy sleeper fo' life.

Milestones: Officially in the second tri and have a 2 year old!

Grace's space: Per an awesome reader suggestion, I'm going to add notes on how G is doing with everything baby related each week. So far, you haven't missed much. She LOVES babies and is very gentle with her own and will ooh and ahh over babies we see out and about, but she has no idea that we are going to have our very own in T-minus 6 months. Yesterday I asked her if mommy had a big belly and she smiled and said "uh-huh!" Thanks for the honesty, kid. ;)

14 Weeks

and for fun. Here's my 14 Week post with Grace. :)

xo,
H

Monday Check-in

Hey there! I know I owe weekend details and birthday pics, but that's going to have a wait a couple of days. (If you want a sneak peek, go here. Maddie took some great pics!) It's been a long day already and the week is just getting started.

That being said- spoiler alert- our weekend was pretty great. No worries there. :)

We had Grace's 2 year appt this morning and somehow I got the time mixed up. I could have sworn it was scheduled for 10:20 (so we arrived around 10:05) and found out it was actually set for 10:50. Whoopsies. Luckily, Grace was in a great mood, we played, met a new friend, took a walk around the shopping center our appointment was in, and even found a little Paint Your Own Pottery place and had some fun! I felt like an awesome mom, because obviously this totally made up for us messing up our appointment time...and at least we were early and not late!

Masterpiece in progress

Time passed and it was 11 and we still hadn't been called back, so I went to see if that was going to happen anytime soon. I'm no fool...it's lunch time, which is followed by nap time, and I knew things were going to go south quickly if we didn't get out of there in the next 30 minutes or so.

Guess what?

They never checked us in...or somehow messed it up when I went up and checked us in at 10:05...so we waited and waited and nobody important even knew we were there. Cue angry pregnant hormones.

Finally we got led back at around 11:20, by the world's bitchiest nurse and Grace was pissed. I mean, this lady was terrible, and just trying to manhandle her to get her temp and blood pressure, etc. Things just went downhill from there, so I'll spare you the gory details and just wrap things up with our obligatory McD's lunch on our way home for nap time. Mom of the Year is so far out of my reach right now...you have no idea. Anyways, G is still sleeping, Mommy is pseudo working (and may have eaten a leftover birthday cupcake) and I think we are just going to have an easy rest of the day to make up for our horrific morning. Luckily my kid will probably be over it by the time she wakes up here soon. She's great like that.

Playing with a bday present from Pops :) 

Hope everyone else is having a better Monday than we are! BLAH.


xo,
H

My baby turns 2 (tomorrow) !

I can not believe that tomorrow, err actually as of 12:51am lateee tonight, I will officially have been a mother to my sweet little girl for 2 years.

 

 

Last year we celebrated surviving our first 12 months as parents (and Grace's 1st birthday), with a big bash back in Virginia for friends and family.

 



 

 

This year we are keeping things casual with a picnic style spread at the casa. Just for kicks, check out these next few pictures compared to a year ago. Crazy growth, right?!

 

 



What a whirlwind 2 years it has been. Crazy times, but absolutely the best two years I've ever had. It has been such a joy to watch our little girl grow from a squishy little newborn to a busy bee toddler. I have a feeling this will be a big year for Grace...picking up on more words, working on her confidence, and really coming into her own as we add a new addition to the family. I feel so blessed to have had her make me a mother and be our special first born. I often wonder how we got so lucky. :)

Hope to have some party pics to share with you all on Monday. If I don't check in tomorrow, it's because we'll be busy lovin' on our girl! Have a great weekend!

xo,
H

 

13 Weeks

September 12-18

Well that went by fast! I think feeling back to normal has really helped. I've had many moments this week where I've seriously forgotten I was pregnant. My prenatal vitamin reminds me every night. :) Speaking of which...I definitely took it too late after dinner last Friday and it made me throw up. So to date, that his been my only pregnant vomming experience. Apparently "take with food or milk" is not just a suggestion. Who knew?

Survey says...

How far along?: 13 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Up .5 lbs...I think my total gain right now is around 1.5-2 pounds. I'll take it.

Maternity clothes?: Still not really wearing any, but I have made some sweet purchases this week and hit the total jackpot in having a friend (Thanks, Maddie!) with maternity clothes that fit me. I generally don't like to borrow (I know, I'm weird), but we also have similar style and she has some really cute stuff. SCORE.

Sleep: Not too shabby. I even made it until almost 11pm last night...watching the Kardashian's and Chelsea Lately. Obviously quality stuff. (Totally cried when Kourtney gave birth.)

Best moment of the week: It was a rough week in terms of non-pregnancy related happenings. We learned some terrible news about a friend and both D and I greive for the loss and pray for his family. I don't know if there was a best moment this week...I guess the reality of what we learned made me appreciate every little moment just a little bit more.

Movement: Nada.

Food Cravings: Panera's French Onion Soup. The closest Panera is 30 minutes away and I'm seriously contemplating going at lunch and getting several to-go cups full to keep in the fridge/freeze. On Saturday morning I made us stop by at 10am and they weren't serving soups yet. I almost cried...

Got some last week and it made my life.

Gender: I don't know. Worst "Mother's intuition" ever.

Belly Button: Innie.

Stretchmarks?: Nope.

What I miss: There were a couple of nights that could have used a glass (or two) of vino.

What I am looking forward to: I'm looking forward to feeling some movement in the next few weeks. With Grace I felt flutters around 17 weeks. I'm hoping earlier this time.

Weekly Wisdom: Take time to appreciate the little things...time flies.

Milestones: Heading out of the first tri! 1/3 of the way there!
 

13 weeks.

xo,

H

Monday and He said/She said

Morning!

It's the week of Grace's birthday and we are getting all sorts of excited around here. My dad gets in Thursday night and both D and I are taking off Friday to celebrate with our little lady. We have grand plans of going back to the Children's Museum and lunch in downtown Savannah...maybe a little horse and carraige tour thrown in there. Who knows! Then Saturday we will have a bbq with some of our friends in G's honor.

Lots going on in the mean time. The past couple of days was our last laid back weekend for another few weeks. I got in a 9 miler on Sunday and I am hoping it motivates me to have a better week of training runs. (FYI- I did NOTHING last week. It was sort of weird for me.) My goal this week is to run 3-4 times before my long run this coming Sunday. We are signed up for a local 5k on Saturday, which should help me meet my goal...and also get in a workout before I have a cupcake at G's party. ;)

Next week we have more visitors in town, with some of D's friends making their way to GA to visit with him before he leaves. I'm glad that he'll be able to see them all and have a fun couple of days. From there we have a couple more weekends (hopefully) before he heads out and I get my half marathon on.

Fall is going to fly.

So that's what we are dealing with around here. Ready to get this week underway and stay productive!

...and because I sometimes forget that I am pregnant, let me share with you this gem of a conversation between the husband and I. The question is...would you get offended?! ;)

Workday gchat convo:

me: im on a call. gonna attempt to run when it is done

D: attempt to run ay

me: yeah
i dont feel like it, but im gonna try
maybe get motivated

D: rokay
the more work you put in now the easier it will be to bounce back after that baby comes out

me: ....

D: exactly

me: where did that come from

D: motivational words of the day
isnt that true though

me: yes, its true

D: boom
well then why did u ask me where that came from

me: because you telling me that is basically like saying, dont get fat

D: wow
quite the interpretation

me: hahaha, you're talking to a hormonal pregnant lady

{End scene}

He's lucky I have a sense of humor... ;)

xo,
H

Randoms

• I made this seasons first batch of Pumpkin Spice Cookies yesterday. I ate 9 (not kidding) and then made D take the rest to work this morning. He and Grace like them almost as much as I do, so they don't last long in this house.

• My work computer crashed after I went into the office for the first time yesterday. I think it's a sign I need to just stick to working at home...but now I have to go back in to get someone to fix it. Not having a great start to the day.

• Grace's teachers say that she is getting a lot better at playing with the other little kids and sharing, which makes me feel both proud of her and relieved. She's finally coming out of her little shell. :)

• I'm having a pest control service come to our house this morning. Let's just say I got my first taste in "pest" killing one morning after D had left for work and it's not an experience I am looking to repeat anytime soon. Ick.

• My friend Dara got engaged this week and I am SO excited for her and her fiance! I have a feeling 2013 is going to be a crazy year of weddings for many of my friends and I'm loving it.

• I finally have a hair appointment booked for Saturday afternoon. I've never gone this long in between cuts/color and boy does it show.

• Speaking of "boy does it show", I'm really sure we are having another girl...but I would love a little boy addition to our family. I don't have the best track record of guessing correctly before our gender ultrasound, so who knows. I'll have to post another poll on here. Till then, we continue working on names...no pressure, ya know?!

xo,
H

12 Weeks

September 5-11

This has easily been my best week yet. I'm feeling great and had not one, but two appointments this week! The first was just a physical, but I was able to hear our baby's heartbeat for the first time, which came in at 174. Grace's was always in the 150's and 60's so this is our first small difference in pregnancies. (Honestly, other than that, it's been a virtual repeat.) On Friday I had our first ultrasound, which was part of the triple screen that tests for down syndrome, as well as other disorders. Not that they'd tell us otherwise at this point, but everything looked wonderful and D was officially relieved to confirm that there is in fact only 1 little nugget in there. Heartrate Friday was 170 and baby was measuring exactly on track with our dates.

Survey says...

How far along?: 12 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: I was down that 1 pound from last week at my appointment this week. I don't know if it was because I wore a light dress *on purpose* or what, but I'll take it. Sittin' pretty in the 130's still (barely).

Maternity clothes?: I got my first maternity top from Target this weekend. I clearly don't need it yet, but I wore it anyways (in my picture below). Normal jeans and everything still fit. Holler.

Sleep: Meh. On and off. Some days I'm up once, some I'm up 3-4 and ready for the day at like 6am. Weird.

Best moment of the week: My two appointments, hearing our babe's heartbeat, seeing the little guy or girl on the ultrasound screen, and having a much needed date night with my main man on Sunday. Just an all around great week. :)

Movement: You all will think I'm crazy, but I thought I felt something a few days ago. Just once, but it reminded me of how things used to feel with Grace. Probably some crazy gas, but it got me excited.

Food Cravings: I'm so lame, but this is what I HAD to get from the grocery store...coupled with my favorited mocktail. Sparkling water, 100% cranberry, and a splash of OJ. I've also been craving salads, but not the kind I make...there's a restuarant in Virginia that I'd like to pay to express mail me their Chopped House Salad (Sweetwater Tavern). I am having some serious cravings for something I literally can not have here. Christmas can't come soon enough.

Gender: I'm like 98% sure it's another girl.

Belly Button: Innie.

Stretchmarks?: Nope.

What I miss: After seeing our little bean, I don't really miss anything right now. Feeling good.

What I am looking forward to: Next appointment isn't until October 3rd. Looking forward to our little {almost} 2 year old's birthday in a couple of weeks and enjoying family time while we have D in town.

Weekly Wisdom: Make time for date nights. Happy parents are such an important part of having a happy family.

Milestones: Getting SO close to being out of the 1st Tri!

12 Weeks

xo,
H

Weekend Wrap-Up/Caught up

By now you may have seen the Catch-Up Survey posts that I put up this morning. Just a fun way to document things and bring us all up to speed. My week's start on Wednesday, so every Tuesday I'll post the previous week survey...so you all will see Week 12 tomorrow and I start Week 13 on Wednesday. Make sense? It didn't to me the first time around either, but I think I finally have it down. ;)

For now, let's back track to Friday, talk about the weekend and then I think I'll finally be up to date.

Friday was an all around great day that led into another fantastic weekend. I met D at the hospital on post at 2:30 and we got to see our second baby for the first time together. Wanna check him/her out?

My favorite. Little nugget playing peekaboo. :)

The baby was measuring right on with our dates and had a heart rate of 170. It was sleepy and we had to do some acrobatics to get it to move into the right position to get measurements. Silly guy. Next time we'll get to see Baby 2 will be around 19 weeks, when they will get us in for the big anatomy ultrasound and we'll find out if we're having a boy or girl. (My money is totally on girl right now.) Cross your fingers D will be here to find out with me.

Saturday began with our neighborhood yard sale. We were totally unprepared, phoned it in, and ended up still making a couple hundred bucks. All in a couple hours work! Not too shabby! We spent the rest of the day doing weekend things and watching football.

Sunday started off with a great 8 miler. The weather was the best it's been since we moved here and it looks like it should stay that way this week. I really feel like I'm getting back into my long run groove, I've just sort of found what works for me and what doesn't. I'm eating the same breakfast, getting out at the same time and just getting it done. This weekend I'm shooting for another 8 or 9. Pretty excited already.

After some golf for D, family groceries, lunch, and nap time (which we've all been taking lately), we watched a little football at a friends house - GO SKINS! - and prepped for date night.

D and I headed into downtown Savannah and had a great dinner sitting outside, catching up, walking to some shops, and scooping up ice cream before we headed home. Just a great end to the weekend and start to the week.

Hope yours are off to a great start as well!

xo,
H

11 Weeks (Catch-Up)

Written August 29-September 4

You guys. I can't believe I've held out on spilling the beans to you this long. Honestly, the only thing that's helping me hang in there is that I have told a couple of people and can blab about it all day long if necessary. At this point, we are so close to 12 weeks and our first ultrasound that I'm gonna make everyone wait a little longer. Why not at this point, you know?

Today I had my first doctors appointment, which was essentially just OB Registration...aka herded like cattle into a room with other moms and doing paperwork, then lab work, etc. The girl next to me was 22 weeks and didn't know she was pregnant for the first 3 months. A few more were very young first time moms. I felt old....but also super wise. ;) Baby number 2 is so laid back compared to doing everything the first time. I sort of love it.

How far along?: 11 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Ready for it?! Found out today I'm up 1.5 lbs. In clothes. So without? Maybe 0? At this point with Grace I was up 5, so I'm just a little thrilled. To celebrate I ate french fries.

Maternity clothes?: Nope.

Sleep: Up 3-4x per night.

Best moment of the week: First appointment! Nothing really to show for it except for two sparkly bandaids from the lab work, but I'm pumped to have two more appointments on the books for next week. OB physical on Wednesday and 1st ultrasound on Friday. Then I'll pimp this pregnancy all over the blog/internet. ;)

Movement: Nope.

Food Cravings: Caesar salad, cheese pizza. The thought of meat still makes me gag.

Gender: Still thinking Girl. Dying to hear the heartrate and guess based on that.

Belly Button: Innie.

Stretchmarks?: Nope.

What I miss: Having an appetite for healthy food.

What I am looking forward to: Seeing my little nug for the first time next week.

Weekly Wisdom: I got nothing.

Milestones: I read that this week my baby is the size of a lime. I was sort of shocked. I mean, that seems like it's getting to be a pretty substancial size in there! I'll be eating my words when it compares to a watermelon in 7 months.

Alright...told you I was showing early...brace yo' selves.

BAM!

Note the line where I have to pull my pants up to Urkel height.

 

xo,

H

10 Weeks (Catch-Up)

Written August 23-27

I am starting to feel SO much better this week. I haven't been nauseous at all this week so far and it's made a world of a difference. Morale is boosted and life is good around the casa. I got in a 7 mile run on Sunday morning, and it was the best long run I've had in weeks. Guessing that not wanting to vom on the side of the trail had something to do with it? ;)

ALSO- every time Grace wakes up from a nap or in the morning, I will ask her if she had sweet dreams and what they were about. A lot of the time she just looks at me funny and smiles, like "No clue what you're talking about mom..." On Saturday after her nap, she looked at me, smiled and said "Baby." I about died. I asked her if she was a really good big sister and she nodded and said "uh-huh." And then I died again. So sweet. :)

Survey says...

How far along?: 10 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Not sure. Are you guys dying to know? Maybe I'll dig out the scale this week. Normal clothes still fit.

Maternity clothes?: Nope.

Sleep: Up 3-4x per night.

Best moment of the week: My top moment early on in the week was eating my first veggie/hummus wrap in WEEKS and loving it. Grace's nap comment totally topped that.

Movement: Nope.

Food Cravings: Cereal with almond milk. Jolly Ranchers. Still having some serious food aversions, but dealing.

Gender: Def no twinnie jokes anymore. I must have been really bloated a few weeks ago. Still thinking girl.

Belly Button: Innie.

Stretchmarks?: Nope.

What I miss: Not much.

What I am looking forward to: Getting seriously back on the running/workout train. Registration appointment next week and scheduling regular appointments from there.

Weekly Wisdom: Morning/mid-day workouts are much easier to stick to than trying to wait until Grace goes to bed around 8pm. By then I'm ready to rest myself and lose steam. Trying to plan accordingly.

Milestones: Feeling pretty normal aside from some mid afternoon exhaustion. Here's to finishing up the next few weeks of the first tri feeling good! (Hopefully...)

 

 

 

 

xo,

H



9 Weeks (Catch-Up)

Written August 20th

Just wrapping up Week 9. I'm feeling pretty good and nausea has been spotty this week. It seems like it is on the decline, so that's what I'm hoping for. We have been trying to wait to get an appointment under our belts before spilling the beans to everyone, but it has been hard! Aside from some close friends and our parents, most people are still in the dark and it's driving me crazy trying to secret keep. I will say it's easier than last time around...and time is FLYING. Almost a quarter of the way through this pregnancy!

Survey:

How far along?: 9 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Ignorance is still bliss. Fortunately, pants and shorts still fit, so it shouldn't be that bad.

Maternity clothes?: Nope, but I ordered my first piece. I got a small and it is ginormo, so it might be going back. I could seriously smuggle one of those large gym exercise balls under there. Not sure if that's a good or bad thing?

Gap Maternity

 

Sleep: I go to sleep earrrlyyy- like 9pm - and wake up 3-4 times a night, waking up around 6:30am.

Best moment of the week: Grace said "mmm hmm" when I asked her if we should have a baby and give her a brother or sister to play with. When asked whether or not she wants a girl or boy baby, she just sort of looked confused. She definitely doesn't get it yet, but is still in a baby crazy stage that I love.

Movement: Nope.

Food Cravings: Bland. French fries. Still can't even think about meat (ughhh).

Gender: I'm leaning towards another girl. I feel like things have been identical to my first pregnancy so far...also, my skin is OUT of control...which is another big time girl wives tale.

Belly Button: Innie.

Stretchmarks?: Nope.

What I miss: Nada.

What I am looking forward to: Getting some appointments underway next week...hearing a heartbeat!

Weekly Wisdom: It's never too early to start eating more fiber. Woof.

Milestones: Nothing too crazy this week.

Don't look too closely. Mama is tired this week.

xo,
H

8 Weeks (Catch-Up)

Written August 9th

Survey Says...

How far along?: 8 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Still haven't found my scale. I'm going to be in for such a rude awakening, because I'm def showing already.

Maternity clothes?: Nope.

Sleep: Good and bad. Depends on the night.

Best moment of the week: Having Grace say "baby" all the time. She still has no clue, even though we talk about it with her, but she definitely has baby on the brain.

Movement: Nope.

Food Cravings: Bland food. Egg McMuffins (great). Lots of food aversions.

Gender: This week's joke is that we are having twin girls...and that is why I look huge already. D is not amused. See below. :)

Belly Button: Innie.

Stretchmarks?: Nope.

What I miss: Having a waist.

What I am looking forward to: Not eating gross food, hearing a heart beat.

Weekly Wisdom: I got nothin'.

Milestones: Had my first morning in about 2 weeks of no nausea. It feels so good!!! Praying it lasts.

Daytime...

Night time. Woof.

xo,
H

7 Weeks (Catch-Up)

Written August 6th

Survey says...

How far along?: 7 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Ignorance is bliss.

Maternity clothes?: Nope.

Sleep: Not too bad, waking up to pee once or twice.

Best moment of the week: Seeing Grace finally show some interest in our friends little girl! At one point she tried to pull Emmie on her lap, pat her back, and feed her a sippy cup. Not quite the same as a newborn, but there is hope!!

 

Movement: Nope.

Food Cravings: Ugh. I hate coffee this week. At least hot and from my Keurig. Iced has been ok and necessary to get through the day, but I've been having one after lunch time, when my stomach has settled. Cravings? Not much.

Gender: Boy?

Belly Button: Innie.

Stretchmarks?: Nope.

What I miss: I missed beer a little bit when we Maddie and Chris over this weekend.

What I am looking forward to: Grace understanding that she is going to be a big sister! Right now I think it is confusing to her. I'm looking in to getting some books and I'm sure it will be easier to discuss as my belly gets bigger.

Weekly Wisdom: This isn't necessarily wisdom, but I am finding out quickly that your body goes into baby bump mode much faster with child 2. Goodness.

Milestones: I'm slacking on this question, so here's your first "bump" pic to make up for it...

This crazy is my life. Note the messy house
 and the dog eating Grace's nuggets.
Obvi it's Major.



xo,
H

6 Weeks (Catch-Up)

Written July 27th/30th

Week 6 started out pretty much in sync with Week 5 (aka the week of 1,000 way too many pregnancy tests). Same cravings (SALT), same slight exhaustion, and same pretty standard feelings. Then this morning hit, and with it came nausea and holy sore boobs. In a way I am excited...it is always comforting to start to feel like things are going on in there when it is so early into the pregnancy and you don't really have much other than a positive pee stick to prove that your eggo really is in fact, preggo. (Wise words)

Survey says...

How far along?: 6 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Still haven't found my scale. Not worried about it.

Maternity clothes?: Nope.

Sleep: Already waking up to pee, but I usually do that even when I'm not pregnant.

Best moment of the week: Telling D's parents and my dad via G wearing a Big Sis shirt.

Movement: Nope.

Food Cravings: Same salty cravings. I made artichoke dip when D's parents came over for dinner and it totally hit the spot.

Gender: Not sure...leaning towards boy.

Belly Button: Innie.

Stretchmarks?: Nope.

What I miss: Sprouts. I'm totally weird, I know, but I put bean sprouts on my veggie wraps EVERYDAY and just read that they are on the No List. Lame.

What I am looking forward to: Telling more people. I am not a great secret keeper.

Weekly Wisdom: Naps are amazing and second pregnancies are definitely more relaxed then firsts. Still have my half-caff everyday...not always obsessing over baby things. Too busy with #1- and she's a great distraction. :)

Milestones: First waves of nausea? Lame again.

No picture yet, but I still managed a two piece at the beach and didn't feel like a whale, so that's always a positive. Sort of wondering if my bikini days are numbered. To be an official mom of two do I need to invest in tankinis and swim skirts? Fun times. ;)

The Details

Well, hello! Thank you for all of the love yesterday...between spilling to the rest of our extended family and friends and the world...the response was overwhelming and so appreciated. I've had so much I've wanted to share in the past few weeks, which is one reason there were many days I just didn't post anything at all. I'm the WORST secret keeper, so this was a toughie.

Going back to finding out...

TMI to follow...also more pregnancy tests than you ever wanted to see- read at your own risk. ;)

We decided that we were ready to start expanding our family at the very beginning of Summer, so I got off of the pill in mid-May and gave myself a month to have a regular period off of birth control. Even though we hadn't started trying, I was a little disappointed when it came in June- a clear sign that I was definitely ready to get things going. In June it was game on...I made baby making my mission- to the point that D was concerned I was using him for his body. (I was.)  We moved in early July and my period was supposed to come mid-month, right around the 10th. The Friday before my missed period, I started testing...just like all of those dumb commercials say you can. It was negative. I was bummed and I totally trusted those stupid tests that say you can get results super early. I took another test on Monday, a day before I was supposed to start, and it was negative too. On Tuesday I started to spot and was sure that I was getting my period...but after a few days of nothing more, I consulted Dr. Google (implantation bleeding?) and tested again. The second line was light...but it was there.

Barely pregnant?

I was cautiously optimistic and D was patting himself on the back for hitting a home run on the first try. I bought a digital test and another brand to confirm and decided I'd do the pee in the cup and dip the stick method. Peeing on sticks was getting old at this point. So like any classy lady, I peed in a solo cup, dipped my pregnancy tests for 5 seconds without reading any directions and they came back looking like this...

Whomp womp.

Guess I had spoken too soon? Feeling defeated, I started throwing away pee stick trash and glanced at the paper inside the box...apparently when you go the cup route you are supposed to dip for 20 seconds. Whoopsie. I chugged some water and decided to give it another go.

 

I know. At this point you're like...who is allowing this woman to mother a child?

Success!

You have to remember, with Grace we were surprised...so by the time I tested my results basically screamed: "PREGNANT!" (you idiot). This time things were planned, calculated...and turns out testing around Week 5 is the ideal time for an at home test to pick up pregnancy hormones.

 

From here we booked appointments and actually couldn't get in until yesterday, putting us at exactly 12 weeks. I got to hear our little one's heartbeat, making things all the more real. Even better? We have our first ultrasound TOMORROW. So obligatory sonogram photos to come. Also, I've been doing weekly survey posts since week 6, so I'll start posting catch-ups and get the blog back up to speed.

 

Things are moving fast around here. D's deployment is still looming in the near future and for those of you wondering, he won't be here when Baby #2 makes his or her debut. It will be an interesting time, but one that will surely be full of excitement. In fact, I'm pretty confident I'll have no shortage of help and visitors between the birth and when D gets back...my support system is pretty phenomenal. Again, thank you all so much for your kind words for our family and I look forward to sharing this next chapter with you.

 

xo,

H

Announcing...

Details to come soon!

xo,
H