Baby #2 Coming This Summer!

I was really sick and didn't start to feel anything like normal until about 16 weeks, similar to my first. I think this time was harder because I have a very active toddler running around that I'm home with twice a week.

Feeling miserable for months on end while balancing working, parenting, and all the things us women do for our families truly can break you down. I struggled mentally for a long time, and I definitely felt depressed.

Add to that the fact that just when I was turning a corner, I got Covid and felt terrible again for two weeks. Then I got a stomach bug and was in bed vomiting for days, again. What a wild ride!

Other differences: I started showing way sooner and my sciatic pain started way earlier.

Over the summer once we settled in Denver, we agreed that October felt right to start trying again. I knew I'd be sick and wanted to enjoy our first few months in a new state.

Just like I did with Max, I used the Ovia ovulation app to track my cycles so I knew when I was ovulating and most fertile. We are extremely fortunate in that we're able to get pregnant quickly. I have many dear friends fighting fertility battles and I don't take this for granted for a second.

I got a couple questions on birth control--I haven't been on anything for ten years now (and because you asked...we use the withdrawal method). Consult your OB for all things birth control and pregnancy!

Yes! We did NIPT testing and found out early on that we're having another BOY!

Oh yes. I was really hoping to have a girl someday and knowing we only want two kids, this was the last chance. I'd started to convince myself it was a girl, which is exactly what I did with Max.

When I found out it was a boy, I immediately started sobbing. I was so hormonal and the finality of it all came crashing down on me. Of course we felt beyond grateful for our healthy baby to be, but I needed to grieve the loss of never having my little girl.

Mere hours later, my mindset shifted and I was ecstatic about having another boy. I don't know what happened, but I felt like the sadness disappeared. We already have a name picked out that we adore, and I couldn't be more excited for Max to have a little brother!

I've always known I wanted another baby, and since Jeff is eight years older than me, we didn't want to wait too long to start trying. I started feeling the baby itch a few months before Max turned 2. And I love that the boys will be 2 ½ years apart!

Now don't get me wrong, I blacked out my last pregnancy and much of postpartum...my lengthy physical recovery combined with breast feeding struggles meant I did not love the newborn phase. And that is perfectly ok!

I too couldn't fathom trying again until recently. Originally I thought we'd have kids pretty close together but once I actually had one, the thought nauseated me LOL.

So if you're in the thick of the first year and can't imagine doing it all over again, that is so normal. Let time pass and you may just find yourself with baby fever again!

I did carrier testing and found out I'm a carrier for Tay-Sachs disease, a rare genetic disorder that causes neurological problems and is fatal for babies.

One in thirty Jewish people is a carrier. Jeff had to then get tested, and if he were also a carrier, the baby would have a 25% chance of having the disease. We had to delay his testing due to us all having Covid, but eventually we found out he was not a carrier.

I waited until 18 weeks to announce in case we'd need to do further testing.

Ohhhh man, I truly hope so much that this baby will be able to breastfeed. I exclusively pumped for 8 months with Max and it was quite a journey!

I'm not really sure what I'll do if I'm in a similar situation again...though I definitely would love to be able to give him breast milk for the first 6 months. I'm not putting any undue pressure on myself though, and I plan to handle these decisions as they come.

We have the Nuna MIXX and the Mountain Buggy Nano travel stroller, both of which we've loved with Max. We also have the Evenflo Stroller Wagon, which you can get a car seat attachment for.

I'm considering getting this double travel stroller and using the wagon for more heavy duty stuff. I don't want to spend a ton on another stroller. Max also loves to ride his bike so I think I'll still use the single stroller a good deal with the baby.

I've been using TheraNatal Complete and I really love how comprehensive it is. Last time I took a separate DHA for brain health. With this one it's included (200mg DHA is recommended per day).

I've been living in these Vuori joggers, which I bought in size S long before pregnancy. They're my #1 maternity recommendation because you can wear them post-baby and they're beyond comfortable. The waistband stretches so much to accommodate my growing belly without feeling any tightness. I have three pairs and I didn't need to size up!

I do size up in Align leggings for pregnancy. This is another great buy since you can wear them post pregnancy. I've had several pairs for over 5 years and they hold up great!

These are my favorite bras, which I also have loved since before being pregnant with Max just as an everyday athleisure bra because who can be bothered with an underwire?! They happen to be nursing bras which is an added bonus.

These are my favorite budget-friendly, over the belly everyday leggings. They're soooo comfy and not at all tight. Such a great lightweight, buttery material.

These maternity biker shorts are so soft and comfy and a must for summer!

I sleep in this crazy soft night shirts...the best! You can just size up for pregnancy and still wear it afterwards.