The First Trimester – The Second Time Around

For the past six months, we’ve been talking about having another baby. Once Charlotte turned two and a half, I felt like I was ready. But deciding to have another child is not a decision that you can make by yourself. My husband and I had serious talks about when would be a good time, and finally, in December, we decided to really start focusing on making things happen. I always am in the mindset of “it could take forever,” so when we started “trying” in December, I didn’t think much of it. I was hoping that 2016 would be the year to get pregnant. However, I forgot one minor detail: my name could also be Fertile Myrtle. 

In mid-January, I noticed that I was more tired than usual. One weekend on a Saturday night, we were binge-watching Netflix, and I fell asleep on the couch. That was not typical behavior for me. I hadn’t fallen asleep during a good TV show since I was pregnant with Charlotte. Lightbulb. I thought to myself, “Surely, I’m not pregnant already.” I brushed it off and went about our weekend and enjoyed brunch at our favorite place that Sunday with lots of mimosas. 

The following Tuesday, after I dropped Charlotte off at Mother’s Day Out, I went to have coffee with my friend Kim, and right after I went to pick up a pregnancy test at Target. As soon as I got home, I took my test, and as clear as day, the lines turned pink. It was a positive test. I waited all day until M got home from work to tell him. I had already planned a doctor’s appointment for that week, so I called to ask them what I should do about my annual check-up; the receptionist told me they would change it to a confirmation appointment. I was floored with emotion. I was excited, but nervous, thankful, but cautious. Once M walked in that day, I had Charlotte and Chapman (our dog) tell their Daddy that we had some news. He knew I would be taking a test that day, so I told him, “Well, we’re pregnant!” He pretty much had the same reaction as I did. Excited, nervous, thankful, and cautious. He decided he didn’t want to tell anyone until it was confirmed by our doctor, so I waited to tell my inside circle. 

Thursday at my appointment, my doctor confirmed that I was six weeks pregnant. And then I went crazy telling my family and best friends. Some people wait to tell anyone, and that’s okay. But these are my people. I needed my support team. I have been way more emotional this time around than I ever was with Charlotte, and I needed to be able to talk about it. 

Three long weeks later, I had a nine-week check-up, and the ultrasound showed my little bean bouncing around in there. I was thrilled. M and Charlotte joined me that day, and it was so special. My doctor printed out a sonogram for Charlotte, and she toted it around proudly. We asked her what she wanted, “a brother or a sister?” And her answer has never changed: a brother. 

At that appointment, my doctor talked about the chromosome test he would like me to have done and that it would also show the sex of the baby. I was all for it. The reason he suggested the test was because I’ll be turning 35 this year in November. He said it would make him more comfortable getting this test done early. I had it done that day. A week and a half later, I got the results. Everything looked fine, and the nurse asked if I wanted to know the gender. M and I had discussed it and we were so anxious to find out. I told her of course I wanted to know, so she happily announced that it was a boy! Charlotte knew all along! I will say that I was a tiny bit sad that I wouldn’t be able to re-use Charlotte’s clothes, but I was absolutely thrilled to find out that a boy would be rounding out our family. I called M immediately, and he was ecstatic. 

Two weekends ago, we took pictures with our favorite photographer (Pink Posh Photography), and we decided to announce our pregnancy with the photos she would take. We took a blue balloon and a little chalkboard with the announcement. Charlotte was a ham, and she loved every minute of the spotlight.

Fast forward to my twelve-week appointment last week, and everything is still looking good. I got to hear the heartbeat for the first time and it put me at peace, a peace I was definitely needing. And after that appointment, I knew it was time. I was so ready to share with the world and with all of you our joy that we had been keeping a secret. If you missed our announcement, you can see it here. 

Now that we’re up to speed about what’s been going on behind the scenes, now we can talk about how I’ve been feeling. If you remember my pregnancy journey with Charlotte, you might recall that I was absolutely miserable for half of my pregnancy. That was attributed to my severe weight gain and water retention. So far things are looking better already, and I’m hoping it will stay that way.

So let’s get to the details, shall we?

How far along? 12.5 weeks. Our due date is September 15. This picture was taken this weekend, and I finally look just a little bit pregnant.

Gender: Boy! I’m so thrilled that we were able to have some testing done and that we could find out early. The test is 99% accurate, and I’m fairly certain that the test is right. I’m terrified of boys, so I have a feeling I’ll be going through a huge learning curve soon.

Weight Gain: 2 pounds.

Overall feeling: Weeks 6-11, I was completely exhausted all the time, as in I had zero energy to do anything. It really put a damper on my hamper. I felt like all I could do was lay down at all times, but Charlotte really tried to drag me out of that position as much as she could. (I’m sure some of you may have noticed that I was being a complete bump on a log on Snapchat.) I would also get really nauseous at night, but my few symptoms were definitely manageable. Week 12 was like turning a corner. I have been feeling like I can exercise again and that I have more energy to do my normal things. Thank the Lord!


Maternity clothes: Despite my very little weight gain (I had gained three pounds after the holidays, so I technically could say I’ve gained 5 pounds, but we’ll stick with 2 for good measure), my belly has looked like I’ve eaten one too many breakfast tacos. And my clothes have not been happy. I started out using a rubber band around my jeans button, but I’ve definitely worn a couple of maternity bottoms since. Loose blouses have also been my friend.


Sleep: For the first several weeks, I was waking up at least twice a night to go pee. I had forgotten all about that little aspect. Now I have a new bedtime of 10 p.m., and it’s really cramping my sleeping late style. Now it seems like I can’t sleep past 6 a.m. I guess it’s getting me ready for the fun times to come.


Best moment of the month: The best moment of the month was when we found out we were having a boy and when I heard his heartbeat. It was really special to share with my family who exactly would be joining our family come September.

Worst moment of the month: Personally, my family has been going through some hard times. Hard times I can’t talk about yet (don’t you love vagueness?), and it’s been causing a little anxiety (maybe a lot, but I’m leaning on my faith more than ever). I’ve been more emotional than usual, so I hope all of this simmers down soon. I’m hoping for a better report next month.


Miss anything? Stress and life with a three-year-old has definitely made me miss the occasional cider beer, glass of wine, or margarita.


Movement: None yet, it’s still too early. But I can’t wait for those flutters to start!


Cravings: Cereal. My very first craving was Fruit Loops, and I’ve been craving every other sugary cereal since. My first craving with Charlotte was strawberry milk, so there must be something about sugar and milk that my body needs during pregnancy.


Queasy: I was queasy mostly at night for the first 11 weeks, but I’m hoping that it’s passed. Smelling seafood or my dog’s breath almost sent me over the edge, too.


Looking forward to: Wearing maternity clothes, loose spring dresses, a bigger bump, my next ultrasound, and less stress.

And that’s about the size of it. I promise not every bump date will be this long. I plan on updating monthly, for my sanity and for yours. ;) Thank you again for all of the well wishes and prayers. You are the best!