When we found out we were pregnant again, we were thrilled! We had been praying and hoping for this little one since before Owen turned one, and we were so excited that they would be just two years apart. Both Luke and I have siblings two years younger than us, and we do enjoy that age spread. Now that we are nearing the reality of having two little ones so close in age, I must admit that I am a little more nervous about having such small little ones to look after at the same time. Owen is so incredibly active right now, and as I watch my good friend balance her toddler and newborn, I am reminded that newborns require so much hands on attention between nursing, naps, and diaper changing, not to mention the lack of sleep. Regardless, we are still excited, even if my head is spinning a little at the start.
The first trimester of this pregnancy was a bit rough. I was extremely sick, just as I was with Owen, and by the time we went to my first midwife appointment (at 8 weeks), I was ready for some relief. When I was pregnant with Owen, I lost a good 10-15 lbs during my first trimester and my sickness lasted until I was 23 weeks. I decided during that pregnancy to forgo any medication to help with the throwing up and nausea, because I thought it would end around the 12 week mark. Little did I know, that I my morning sickness likes to continue at least 1/2 way through the second trimester as well. At just 8 weeks, I could already tell that this pregnancy was going to be quite similar, and I was struggling with the thought of being sick and throwing up several times a day for 5 solid months. The midwife remembered how sick I was last time and decided to go ahead and prescribe some medication even though I hadn't really lost weight yet. It was enough to take off the edge and reduce how often I threw up, but it didn't completely take away the morning sickness. Fortunately, it was just what I needed to help me keep up with my active toddler and feel a little bit more normal.
When the second trimester rolled around, I realized pretty quickly that the morning sickness was going to last. However, despite that difficulty, I was so excited to feel the little flutters and kicks of this precious baby at 14 weeks. It was the perfect distraction from how sick I felt. I also started showing pretty early with this pregnancy which everyone said is pretty normal the second time around. By the time I hit 14 weeks I was mostly wearing my maternity clothes. As I mentioned earlier, my morning sickness decided to stick around well into my 23rd week again, and I remember wondering around week 20 if it was ever going to end! Fortunately, I am feeling pretty well now, other than the fact that I feel like the size of a whale. The best part of this stage is that our little boy has become incredibly active! After the issues we had with Owen's reduced fetal movement and his complications at delivery, I am so thankful for his kicks and squirms, even if they keep me awake at night. It is a blessed reminder that our baby boy is growing and strong.
We found out we were expecting a boy during my 21st week. Leading up to the ultrasound I felt like it was going to be a girl, and most everyone we knew thought the same. Luke was the sole holdout for a boy. Since Luke had a congenital heart defect as a child (that has since been healed), we have an echo ultrasound with each pregnancy between 20-24 weeks. This time around we had our echo before our big gender reveal appointment. We were a little surprised when the tech told us at our echo that she could tell us the gender a little early if we wanted to find out. Of course we said yes, and within a few moments she revealed that we were indeed expecting a baby boy! When she first said the word boy, I was a little stunned. I had been picturing Owen with a baby sister that he could dote on and protect. However, it was only a few moments before I was imagining life with two little boys. Owen was going to have a brother, and I was quickly becoming excited. My house will definitely be filled with days of rough housing, wrestling, running, and sports, and I am going to love it. As we have been talking about this baby boy, I can't wait for Owen and him to meet and grow up together. Owen does talk about baby brother often, and has lately decided it is time for him to get out of mommy's tummy and play. We have since had the gender confirmed at two other appointments so we are quite sure this little one is no doubt a boy.
Here is our sweet boy at 21 weeks
Here is our boy at 27.5 weeks
