WE’RE HAVING ANOTHER BABY!

I’m pregnant! Again!!!

I seriously can’t believe it. I’m currently 15 weeks and due in May 2023 (around the 9th), making Clay and this baby 2.5 years apart. It’s just now starting to set in, especially now that our family and friends know and I’m no longer worried about trying to hide it anymore (which was VERY tricky, let me tell ya). I’m feeling so grateful that we get to give our daughter a sibling and someone to grow up with, and my mom heart hopes they’ll be lifelong friends.

DECIDING WE WERE READY

It was really hard for me to decide if I was ready or not to have another baby. We knew we wanted another, it was just the timeline that we were unsure about. But you know what they say… there’s never a perfect or “right” time. During the consideration process, the thought of being pregnant, giving birth and caring for another baby seemed daunting and stressful — especially as a stay-at-home mom to a toddler already who runs her own business. Coming from a place of anxiety and worry, wondering how I would handle it, I was scared, but the timing to start trying felt right. We liked the idea of a 2.5-3 year age gap, so we started trying in August. Not knowing how long it would take us to get pregnant, we knew if it happened within the first few months, I would have Justin home with me in the summer to help me get acclimated to working with two kids, which was the best-case scenario.

HOW WE FOUND OUT

I told Justin that I had a feeling that I would get pregnant right away, but I also knew that statistically, it wasn’t likely. To my surprise (or not to my surprise, depending on how you look at it), I did get pregnant the first month we tried. On September 1st, as I was putting Clay down for her nap, I randomly thought “I should go take a test after this.” I didn’t have any symptoms, hadn’t missed my period yet, nor had I felt what I would consider any true inkling that I was pregnant. It was kind of weird. I just felt like I should. I guess maybe that could have been an inkling.

The second line appeared pretty quickly and it turned out that my original feeling that it would be the first time was completely accurate, yet I was still somehow so shocked. I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that I was pregnant again. When you try for longer, you have more time to conceptualize the idea and it feels more like reality, but because it happened so quickly, it really didn’t feel real.

When Clay woke up from her nap, I loaded her up in the car and we went to the store to get a digital test. Just like when I had found out I was pregnant with Clay, we went to the same Kroger and yet another employee commented on it. The tests are sealed up in the security boxes, so you have to interact with an employee to get access to them and they all seem to have something to say, which I just don’t think is appropriate in any situation or circumstance — you just don’t know what anyone is going through, you know? Anyway, this time, this employee said “looks like someone may be a big sister!”

Clay and I went back home, I took the test and it read “pregnant” across the screen. I waited for Justin to get home from work and then I had Clay walk up to him with the test. He asked “is that old?” (because I did in fact keep some tests from my first pregnancy). I said no and we laughed… we were a bit shocked for a few days.

In recent weeks, I’ve actually found a lot of comfort in seeing girls who were pregnant with me last time announce that they’re pregnant again as well. Though these are people I mostly know through Instagram, it’s comforting nonetheless. We’re in this together, ladies!!!!

HOW I’VE BEEN FEELING

In short: awful. It’s been a really rough few months. I’m 15 weeks now and I started feeling better a couple weeks ago. I’ll save all the details for a first trimester blog post, but just know that pregnancy with a toddler is no joke!

IS CLAY EXCITED?

She has no idea what any of this means. For weeks and weeks, every time we asked her if she wanted a brother or sister, her eyes would light up and she would say “yeah!” even though she’s clueless about it. Now she says “no” every time. She loves taking care of her baby dolls and is naturally very nurturing (she always asks us if we’re okay), so I’m hoping she’ll be our little helper — and also love taking on the role of the “boss” older sister. As a mom, I worry how she’ll handle it, but I’m hopeful. We’ll see!

Well folks, that about sums it up for now. I’m so happy for the opportunity to expand our family and add even more love. The timing was meant to be. We love you so much already, little one!