This blog was born when I got pregnant with Mia. It started as a simple way to document my pregnancy for my friends and family, and also for myself since everyone warned me it would be such a blur that I would forget immediately after Mia was born all of the aches and pains and adventures of pregnancy and labor.

Well, that was a lie.

But I’m glad I kept this blog anyway because it has turned into something much more than a password protected online journal for my family – and become a great outlet for me to share the ups and downs of parenthood – and bond with other moms who literally, feel my pain – whether I know them in “real life” or not. Oh, and the joy. There is joy, too, I promise.

So as we embark on pregnancy #2, I’m going to try try try my best to keep up the weekly updates. Although, with a 2-year-old hanging onto my leg, throwing already been chewed banana in my face and sitting on my keyboard…it might end up being more like monthly. And it will probably be a little more cynical. But, you already knew that.

For reference, here is my 12 week post from pregnancy #1: 12 Weeks! I think the exclamation point says it all.

Here is the 12ish week update for #2:

How far along? 12 (almost 13) weeks

Total weight gain: -2lbs (but not really because it’s still +8lbs from my pre-Mia weight, sigh)
Maternity clothes? Hell yes. Even though I haven’t gained any weight yet, my jeans are already super uncomfortable so I pulled the maternity jeans out ASAP. So much more comfortable I don’t know why I ever stopped wearing these…
Stretch marks? No comment. Thanks Mia.
Sleep: Now that Mia is finally sleeping through the night I get to wake up every couple hours with heartburn, shoulder pain or to pee. Fun.
Best moment this week: Seeing baby on the 12 week ultrasound and hearing that everything looks healthy so far. Also, the pit stop at Taco Bell on the way home from Massachusetts.
Miss Anything? Going an entire 24 hours without feeling nauseous.
Movement: Not yet, but placenta is in the back this time, so the doc says I’m likely to start feeling movement sooner this time around.
Food cravings: Not really, mostly bland foods like rice, bagels, Taco Bell (??)
Anything making you queasy or sick: This time around the food aversions were much shorter lived (mostly between 6-10 weeks) but they included everything, hence the 2lb weight loss.
Gender: Finding out (hopefully) on 9/29.
Labor Signs: Obviously no, but it’s like waking up from a nightmare and realizing it’s real life when I think about going through labor again.
Symptoms: My shoulders (which were already ruined by carrying around Mia’s carseat ) are back to aching all the time, especially when I’m sleeping (from the relaxin hormone maybe?). Also nauseous most of the time, and really, really, really, really, really, really tired. Pregnancy with a toddler is NO JOKE.
Belly Button in or out? In, for now.
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Happy or Moody most of the time: I want to say happy but I think my baseline personality (pregnancy aside) is probably more like moody, so I guess par for the course. Hearing Mia talk about being a big sister makes me pretty happy, though.
Looking forward to: The end of morning (all day) sickness.

In other news, we made some big changes around the Richards’ household this past week. And by BIG changes I mean we transitioned Mia from her crib to a BIG GIRL bed. Because she’s a BIG GIRL now. It has nothing to do with my stinginess and not wanting to pay for a second crib for baby #2.

Being the OCD, change-averse person that I am, I was very worried about how Mia was going to handle the transition. Mostly I was worried about how many times she would get out of bed in the night, and how much sleep I would consequently lose. But, I was also worried about her wellbeing. Kind of.

Anyway, Dan spent half a day disassembling the frame and box spring of the queen bed in the guest room and bringing it all down into the sunroom (which is now the new guest room).

He spent the second half of the day disassembling the frame of the twin bed that was being used as a daybed in the sunroom, and bringing that up into the guest room, now Mia’s big girl room. Then I ran around like a crazy person trying to move every single picture and book and toy and item of furniture from Mia’s nursery into her big girl room so that she wouldn’t feel totally distraught by all the change. I even considered asking Dan to move the crib into her big girl room for the first few nights so she could get used to the room change first, before tackling the big girl bed. But I knew that would require Dan disassembling and reassembling the crib and after the amount of assembly he had already completed earlier that day I knew that that request would incite WWIII. So, unbelievably, I bit my tongue.

As it turns out, my efforts were all in vain anyway. Mia took one look at her new room and big girl bed and literally squealed with joy. She didn’t want to leave. We put her to sleep that night by reading 3 books in bed and then saying our bedtime prayers, then turning out the light and leaving quickly and unceremoniously. Mia immediately sat up in bed and commenced ear piercing shrieking.

Like the great parents we are, Dan and I turned off the volume on the monitor and got out the ice cream. Five minutes later, I watched on the monitor as Mia laid down on her new pillow, pulled the sheets up to her chin, closed her eyes, and went to sleep. The next morning I woke up on my own at 630 (what the what?!). I grabbed the monitor to check on Mia and there she was, sitting up in bed reading The Little Engine That Could. I almost cried it was the sweetest thing I’d ever (almost ever?) seen.

Night two went even better, no shrieking or even sitting up in bed. Just a sleepy girl that kept telling mommy over and over how she’s a “big girl” now AND a big sister and this is her big girl bed.

Heart = melted.

 

 

 

Don’t get me wrong, though. I know the nights of her getting out of bed 73 times and asking for water, a banana, another kiss, another book, another dog, etc – are still to come. But for now, I’m going to enjoy the peace and quiet and false confidence that maybe she’ll stay this sweet forever.