The heat here in TX is starting to feel more manageable with occasional 80s in the mix (!) which is welcoming after a brutally hot and dry summer. We managed to do a couple of wonderful travels this summer, and I hope to share those pictures with you soon. But first, we have some news to share - we are growing! Yes, Zoe is going to be a big sister! I am 24 weeks pregnant and due in late December. We are having another girl which will make Z the ultimate, best girl dad.
All the 📸credits go to Z as he was so into taking my maternity photos (I only asked for one photo) when we were in Hawaii last week. He's accepting appointments for maternity photoshoots now in DFW haha! With the backdrop of the gorgeous Hawaii, I must admit he took some amazing photos of me which I am grateful for his enthusiasm. Sorry for the bump photo overload, but Z worked so hard on these photos, I feel the need to share them here.
Some of you may know that my first pregnancy required some medical intervention (not to the extent of IUI or IVF) and required careful tracking. We were beginning to consider trying to for a second this second half of the year and were beginning to discuss it with my OB about medication, but to our surprise, I got naturally pregnant. We feel very blessed and thankful. I must admit I was completely shocked when I took the test at home; I only did this because something felt a little off with my body (sorry for TMI but slightly tender breasts, more tiredness than usual, etc.). My period is rarely regular so I never relied on that to determine whether I could be pregnant or not before.
My overall pregnancy so far has been smooth and uneventful, which again, I am grateful for. I had a little more nausea and morning sickness (that was more of an evening/night sickness, which happened to be the same thing with my first according to my old blog post), and the fatigue was hard to get through. Going through the typical first-trimester sickness while having to take care of a toddler certainly was more challenging than my first pregnancy - Zoe definitely got much more screen time on some days than I'd like to admit, but now she is super into Disney princesses because of it. I was definitely showing faster this time and by 12-13 weeks, certain pants were already feeling very uncomfortable. My bump really did pop around 18-19 weeks, and I also now look enormous by the evening.
So, here is a funny thing. 3 years (or 4 years if you count from the beginning of the pregnancy) must have been a long enough time for me to forget how it was to be pregnant. Part of it is that my day is so busy chasing Zoe around and keeping her active that I frequently forget that I am pregnant until I feel hip pain, which started happening earlier this time than the first. I blame it on Zoe's room located on the second floor and me constantly running up and down the stairs. Regardless, some of the pregnancy symptoms surprised me (again) because it has been a while since I was pregnant. Also, I am surprised by how quickly my body is starting to react to the pregnancy - (again TMI) I can already feel my breasts having letdown throughout the day and releasing some colostrum. It's like my body is telling me, "oh I know what this is, let's get things started now!" Except, I want to tell my body to slow down haha.
I must admit, I had some anxiety when I found out I got pregnant. Yes, we wanted a second child, but I began to wonder how this would, if any, change my relationship with Zoe. Since we do everything together (especially, since I decided to quit my job last summer) that I do worry about how she would feel when a baby enters into our mix. She is a through-and-through mommy's girl, and I don't want her to ever feel like my love for her diminishes because I would have to care for her little sister also. I have also gotten used to having one child, which admittedly, gets easier as the child grows up. Zoe now can help me with a lot of the basic things around the house and can do many things on her own as well. Going back to the newborn phase while still taking care of a young child makes my head spin a little bit, but I know we'll get through, and will be a fun adventure.
Regardless, Zoe does seem very excited about the arrival of a baby sister because she has been obsessed with caring for her baby dolls and telling all the strangers at the airport that she is having a 'babysitter' (aka baby sister).
So, here's to not having anything prepared so far for #2 (again, such a different attitude than when I was a first-time pregnant) other than clothes since it'll be another girl. Thanks for reading, and all we ask is for your thoughts and prayers (if you are a praying kind) for a healthy rest of the pregnancy and delivery!
Family of 4, here we come!
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