Here we go again...Reason #3

It may have taken us a little longer than we would have liked to get the outcome we were looking for, but this stick turned pink just as fast as those 4 I took with Jase...that's right...baby #2 is on his/her way!!

February 23, 2016

I had this terrible fear that this time around would be harder because we were actually planning this pregnancy and for awhile, I thought I was right.  As of the night before the wedding, I stopped taking the pill and we were actively trying, but my desire to get pregnant (you know, like yesterday) was apparently holding my body back from getting the job done.  From September to January (which in reality is not that long) I tracked ovulation on my phone, peed on sticks...did everything I was supposed to be doing, but nothing.  So when my cycle came in January, we decided to back off a little.  Or rather, Kiel suggested we back off because I was becoming a crazy person.  I hate when he's right.

I am in a wedding at the beginning of April in the Keys so I figured since we were so close, it would be good to wait until after so I could partake in the festivities.  It also would have been bad timing with my job to be on maternity leave at the end of the year.  So, it was decided,...back off and just relax about it.  Turns out that was just what I needed...we ended up pregnant about 2 weeks later :)  Apparently planning is not our strong suit and we should always be "expecting the unexpected."  See what I did there?

I brought the stick down to Kiel and he said, "Jase, guess what Mommy & Daddy made you for your birthday!?"  Mildly inappropriate, but pretty much spot on.

I wanted to be able to tell my parents in person and it just so happened my mom would be in town for Henry's 10th (yikes) birthday in less than 2 weeks.  I knew it would be hard, but we decided to wait to tell them so we went about things business as usual. Jase & I went over to my sister's for dinner the Friday after we found out, but after being there for less than 5 minutes, Bevin says, "Aunt Nicole, remember how you said I could babysit your baby when you have one?"  My facial expression completely gave it away to Amy, and Henry wasn't too far behind so the secret was out - it felt so good to share it with someone!  The next morning Amy calls me and says a mom of one of Henry's friends came up to her while they were at the rec center and said, "Tell your sister I said congratulations, I heard she's pregnant."  Amy said her jaw about hit the floor and when she asked Kami where she heard that her response was even more shocking, "Bevin told me last weekend at the basketball game that Aunt Nicole is pregnant and she gets to babysit the baby when it's born in September."  Please note: the weekend Bevin shared this news, I hadn't even taken a pregnancy test so we didn't even know!  Apparently, she has esp!  Since we couldn't be sure who else she told, we went ahead and shared the news with my parents that day to make sure we were the ones that told them.  As expected, no one was very surprised, but EVERYONE was excited :)  I still can't believe she knew!

I am still heartbroken that this baby will not be delivered by Dr. Ingram in Pontiac, but I think we've found a great alternative in Dr. Dalton who will deliver at either BroMenn or St. Joe's in Bloomington.  She is actually from Pontiac and her younger brother and I were in the same class in high school.  I met with her on March 8th for our first appt and my first impression of her is very calm and passionate about her career & patients, just what I was looking for in an OB.  Kiel didn't go with me since the first appt is just a meet in greet and confirmation of pregnancy, but he'll go to the next one on April 5th for our first sonogram.  As of right now, baby's due date is October 25th and I feel like it's SO FAR AWAY!  (my future self is already laughing at this comment)

We haven't let Jase in on the big secret since he's such a chatterbox, but we did get this super sweet picture of him with the Easter Bunny in his new Big Brother shirt.  I cannot believe how old he looks....

We really think this is going to be a great time for Jase to have a sibling.  I know this is going to rock his world and I wish they weren't going to be almost 4 years apart, but I'm very thankful he's potty trained and will be starting pre-school this fall so he'll have this own thing going on when the baby comes.

I have very little patience this pregnancy (maybe last too?!), but I'm really trying to soak up the few months we have left of being a family of 3.  Our sweet boy is going to grow up so much when we bring home our newest family member and I'm a little sad about that.  I know my heart is just going to expand, but it's hard to think about not giving him all my attention.  Emotions are running wild around here!  
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8 Weeks - Your Baby is as Big as a Raspberry

• You can't feel it yet, but baby's moving those arms and legs like crazy!
• Baby's fingers and toes are now only slightly webbed, and his or her tail (yes, there was one) is gone.
• Fun fact: your baby's taste buds are now forming.

Now she weighs in (yay!) at about .04 ounces and measures about .63 inches. This week, she's growing about a milimeter each day.

Ew, what stinks? Your hormones are doing some pretty freaky things at week eight, likely heightening your sense of smell and making your stomach do flip-flops. And don’t get us started on those wacky pregnancy dreams. What’s interesting is that while one of your senses is in overdrive, one of baby’s—his or her sense of taste—is getting its start too. Can you believe at eight weeks baby's starting to grow taste buds? If you’re feeling nauseated, extra hungry or extra tired right now, remember that it’s all because baby’s growth is in overdrive—and because your body’s still adjusting to all those hormonal changes—it will be worth it. (Especially in the second trimester, when most moms-to-be feel more energized.) If you’re experiencing severe nausea at eight weeks, it might be tough to keep down foods, let alone eat right, so try to find some options you can actually stomach.

Pregnancy Symptoms at 8 Weeks

• Bigger, heavier, sore breasts, as milk producing lobules in your boobs start to expand.
• Fatigue and/or nausea (yup, still).
• Early pregnancy cramps—the ligaments in your abdomen are stretching as your uterus expands.
• Other tummy issues: constipation, indigestion, bloating or heartburn.
• A heightened sense of smell.
• Weird dreams—get used to them; they're totally normal throughout pregnancy.

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Um, YES to every single one of these pregnancy symptoms!  I was seriously nodding my head reading each one.  Thankfully just like last time, the little bit of nausea I have experienced can be put to rest by eating something.  The heartburn is new this time around and I've even had a couple bouts of what I think was acid reflux.  The dreams...OY!  I'm already tossing and turning at night along with getting up at least once to pee.  Bedtime is progressively getting earlier so really anxious for the 2nd trimester in hopes that the fatigue will lessen a bit.

People are not kidding when they say you start showing quicker with the 2nd one.  My pants are already getting a little snug, but the scale hasn't changed much.    

I checked the blog and the first post for Jase was at 8 weeks and 2 days so while we've known for a little over 3 weeks already, I thought that same time frame would be the perfect starting point.  I do not foresee a weekly post this time around, but as much as I love being able to look back at all the posts about Jase and my pregnancy with him, I would be so disappointed in myself if I didn't do my best to keep track of all the big milestones for this little miracle too.


Let the fun begin, again!

-Nicole