The Second Time Around

For those of you who have yet to hear the big news: We’re expecting a baby in June!

Being pregnant for the second time has been surprisingly different from the first.

Pregnancy #1: So excited I could hardly sleep. Constantly felt my tummy and dreamt about my new child. Repeatedly told friends that I felt like an angel. Read every day on the internet about pregnancy and what was happening in the womb each week. Had a list of questions every doctor’s visit.

Pregnancy #2: One day Sharon told me that a brother and sister-in-law are going to be coming out to Utah in June. I sat there for about 5 minutes thinking, “June….June….I know I’ve got something going on in June.” Finally when I was about to give up on the thought it hit me: A BABY! I’ve got a baby going on in June! You see, with pregnancy #2 I can hardly remember that I am pregnant. There’s no checking on the internet, and I haven’t even asked one question at my doctor’s visits. And unfortunately there are no angelic feelings.

Pregnancy #1: Not a twinge of morning sickness. Never a craving. Never an aversion. Quite frankly I thought that cravings were just an excuse pregnant people used in order to eat whatever they wanted.

Pregnancy #2: Nauseous from the moment I ate breakfast until I fell asleep. It only lasted a month, and I never threw up, so I know I can’t really complain, but it wasn’t what I was expecting. I couldn’t even THINK about some foods without feeling sick. And there were some days when only one specific item would sound palatable. Matt was so excited to do his first “pregnancy run” since he never got to do that with Pregnancy #1. But his first pregnancy run, although sweet in thought, was a complete failure. I asked very specifically for Baked Lay’s Potato Chips. Matt came home saying he couldn’t find Lay’s baked potato chips anywhere but that he had found some made by Pringles. When he pulled out a canister of Pringles chips in “loaded baked potato” flavor I could’ve cried. Another time I texted him that I needed lime-ade, white corn tortilla chips and cheese queso without any beans or tomato chunks in it. He texted back, “Now THAT’S pregnant.”

Pregnancy #1: Everyone at work kept asking me, “When are you going to start showing.” I wore regular clothes until about 16 weeks when I barely started showing. I never had a belly worth taking a picture of until week 18.

20 Weeks Pregnant with Jane:


Pregnancy #2: When they say you “might” start showing a little earlier than with your first pregnancy, that is a MAJOR understatement! I was out of regular pants by 10 weeks. In all maternity clothes by 12 weeks. And feeling like a blimp by 16 weeks!

11 Weeks Pregnant with Baby #2:


16 Weeks Pregnant with Baby #2:



Pregnancies #1 and #2: But of course there are some things that are the same. Like the feeling you have been hit by a freight truck when you try to get out of bed for the first three months. As with most women, I was so tired during the first trimester with both pregnancies. I could usually feel okay if I got about 10 hours of sleep at night. But then I would still need a 2 hour nap.
One of my lazy first trimester days:


One day it was almost 6 o’clock when Matt would be coming home. I was so tired I decided that I would let Jane watch Signing Time while I laid down in the bedroom. I was hoping that Matt would come home in a few minutes and take over. Jane came into the bedroom a couple minutes later and told me she needed some milk. I told her repeatedly that Dad would be home soon and that he would get her some milk. Finally she saw my phone on the nightstand picked it up and said, “Hello? Dad? Come home. I need milk.” I felt so awful at that point that I started crying and got up to get her some milk. Which brings me to the next similarity. Being an emotional basket case! I remember crying a few times over silly things during Pregnancy #1. I only vaguely remember one of the instances involving Frosted Mini-Wheats. But there has been one week so far in Pregnancy #2 that was comically emotional. When you find yourself fighting back the tears when someone is pretending to sing what the cow would’ve sung in the manger when Jesus was born you know you’ve got a problem. But almost all of my pregnancy emotions have been directed towards Jane. I found myself crying at night thinking about how Jane wasn’t going to be my baby any longer and about how she wouldn't cuddle with me anymore. And this super-emotional week happened to coincide with a very “I love Daddy more than Mommy” week from Jane. On the morning of my birthday I woke up and sat on the couch where Jane was cuddling with Daddy. Matt told Jane to give me a hug because it was my birthday. Jane said she didn’t want to and I LOST IT! I had to put my head under a blanket and cry. So of course I got a half-hug from Jane while she looked at me like I was a nut.

So there you have it, our big news! It might come in handy, though, if you could drop me little reminders starting in May that we do indeed have a baby coming our way. I would like to be prepared.