12 Weeks Already?!

So, I've got to stop taking these pictures at night... after dinner. Undoubtedly I have a belly but I can assure you it is not this big in the mornings (prior to my self-excused daily feasts). I've avoided maternity clothes so far (thank goodness for low-rise jeans!) but it won't be long before I give in and allow myself to be comfortable.

It's hard to believe we are at week 12 already. Funny how fast time passes when you are so focused on your first baby. In a way it's nice because it means this pregnancy should go quickly. In other ways I feel (already) like I am somehow cheating the new baby by not providing him/her the same attention I gave the first. Mothers' guilt is a real thing, ladies and gentlemen.

The baby should be about 2 inches long now, comparable to the size of a lime. Additionally, he/she is developing reflexes this week which will allow for opening and closing fingers, clenching eye muscles, toe curling, and sucking movements with his/her mouth. If this baby is anything like his/her big sister, he/she will start working on thumb sucking as soon as possible.

We will be traveling next week to kick off week 13 which means I may be slightly delayed in blogging. Rest assured, though, this baby will continue to thrive and I will continue to grow this belly!

Week 11: Here We Grow!

Drew says he can't see it, but there is no question there's a belly beginning here (keep in mind this photo was taken after dinner... and maybe a dessert). My, how things move fast with baby #2! This is apparently my body's way of saying, "Hey, I remember this!". I just hope it remembers as well when it's time to go back to normal.

All-in-all I have felt pretty good. Weeks 8 and 9 brought some nausea but it wasn't awful and didn't keep me from eating (just made me more selective). The fatigue has been a challenge, particularly because having a very busy 1 1/2 year old doesn't allow for much down time. But I take naps when possible and find I spend more time on the couch than I ever used to. I still feel very lucky because my symptoms have been very manageable and short-lived. I have felt great the last few weeks.

With a due date of December 10, I am now 11 weeks in. This means the baby has arms and legs and knows how to use them! Our ultrasound (Thursday) showed us that this child may not be much different than his/her very, very active big sister. Also, evidently he/she is about and inch and 1/2 long and almost fully formed (meaning most body parts are in place). Fingers and toes are even there!

So this week begins my weekly photo timeline and blog updates. I hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoy writing about this incredible experience.

Making Room...

"Making Room for Baby" seemed an appropriate title. Not only will we be making room in our house, our cars, our garage, and our lives, but we are every day making more and more room in our hearts. It is hard to imagine that any single person is capable of having so much love as the love he or she has for a child. Since Drew and I have learned it with our first (who is now 19 months old), we are certain to learn it all over again with this baby. We are delighted to make room for baby 2, in every sense of the phrase.

We found out I was pregnant on Friday, April 15th. Had it not been for a great deal of fatigue, I might not have even thought to take the test. In addition, my doctor had indicated early that month that we were likely to have another struggle this time. I had been devastated... until our surprise mid-April. At that point, I was about 6 weeks pregnant - and it was going to be another month before I would see the doctor.

I always assumed I would be calm and cool about pregnancy number two because, well, I had done it before! As it turns out, I was (am?) just as nervous, if not a little more. When you experience few symptoms and look and feel the same as before, it's sometimes hard to believe that a tiny little baby is growing inside you at an exponential rate. Positive pregnancy tests are fantastic reassurance but it's not quite the same as when you can see the baby and watch its tiny little heart flutter.

So I finally got the reassurance I needed on Thursday. In a matter of seconds from the start of the ultrasound, we saw it - a one-inch little miracle, with arms and legs eagerly moving about and that tiny little heart fluttering strongly. I gotta say, it was just as exciting and emotional as the first time.

So as we begin this incredible journey again, we are delighted to share with you the progress, stories, fears, experiences, and joys that will come with it. Drew, Deviney and I are thrilled to bring another baby into our lives and we are ever thankful that our lives include you.