2 Months with 2 Kids

Well I've been a mom of 2 now for just over 2 months. (Gavin: 2-1/2 years old, Jax: 2 months old)

Here's what I've learned:

It's possible to wear sweatpants more in 2 months, than you have in the last 5 years combined.

The 2 year old will throw a tantrum, shove a raisin up his nose, climb onto the kitchen counter top, sit on the dog, and do whatever else he knows he's not supposed to do, while you nurse the baby. (which makes time-outs that much more of a pain to follow through with)

As soon as you think they are both going to nap at the same time for you- one will wake up.

Your toddler will suddenly take an interest in breast pumps- and want to help you with it... awkward.

Your scalp will eventually start to feel raw after wearing your hair in the same ponytail for days weeks on end. (don't worry, it was washed within that timespan)

Showers are some days your ONLY privacy... and even then, sometimes the toddler still manages to find his way in there when you forget to lock the door. (ugh)

All babies are different. Some (our first born) are amazing, content, easy babies. Some (our second) are horrible still amazing, but not nearly as content or easy babies.

Your heart will double in size the SECOND you lay eyes on your new baby.

You'll miss spending time with just your older "baby".

You'll forget what life was like with just one child (but you will soon remember once you get the chance to just have one for a couple hours.... oh, how amazingly easy one child is!!!)

You constantly think about what great little buddies your two small kiddos will be in the future.

You daydream about the two of them giggling together, having sleepovers together, getting into trouble together.

You feel guilty a lot of nights... stressing yourself out about whether or not you spent enough time with your older child that day, if you should have handled a tantrum differently, if you're older child misses their one-on-one time like you do. (don't do this to yourself... go ahead and think it, but KNOW that you are so much more than enough to BOTH of your sweet children)

Sometimes YOU just have to cry. (like when your baby has been inconsolably screaming for an hour, you're in the middle of trying to make dinner, your toddler is throwing tantrums, and your hormones are still batshit crazy all over the place... JUST CRY. Don't worry that your husband will be home any minute from work to find you crying, unable to "contain the chaos". F*** that,  JUST CRY. It will help you ...somehow) (...and your husband will be that much sweeter and helpful too!)

Still do your best to soak up every minute. Man, do these little stinkers grow up fast. You know that with your first, but when the second comes along, it makes time go even that much faster! (time flies not just when you're having fun, but when your daily life is a total cluster "F"). 

Repeat to yourself (in your head and out loud if need be) that "this will not last forever, this will not last forever, this will not last forever" or "this too shall pass!!!".... and KNOW, that it will not last forever. The day that brings you to tears in your kitchen at 6pm when your husband gets home... know that THAT phase, those days, will not last forever. Soon life will be easier, more manageable... so for now, just repeat "this will not last forever".

Truly remember that you will eventually develop (get used to) your "new normal". Life will get back to "normal". You will be able to get out of the house again with JUST your husband for date nights. You'll develop a good system for getting both kids, the dog, AND YOURSELF out the door and in the car (but you're still bound to forget SOMETHING).

AND LAST...

You honestly realize at some point in time, your life is beyond crazy. Your days are beyond exhausting. . . but you would NOT trade it for the world. You honestly wouldn't want life any other way. You know that you've been blessed by God to experience true, unconditional love, because you FEEL it every time you tuck in your sleeping toddler, or while you're rocking your peacefully sleeping newborn. It's in these quiet moments that you're able to remind yourself how blessed you are, and how amazing your life really is.

So on that note, embrace the crazy. Go ahead and cry in those extremely shitty trying times, and don't feel silly when you cry tears of pure mama bliss as you think about how blessed you are to have those two babies.

Jaxon Cole - 2 Months!

a little late... but better than never!

Stats: 24-1/4 inches, 12 pounds (and some odd ounces...I forgot exactly from his appointment!)  3 month clothes & jammies

Sleep: We've had a couple nights that he has slept 8-1/2 hours!!! That's not the norm (yet, hopefully soon!!), he usually goes about 5-6 hours his first stretch, then has about a 3 hour stretch after that, and after that we're approaching the start of our day! So he usually wakes up once, maybe twice a night at this point. During the day he takes decent naps, most of them are around an hour long, sometimes he will take a longer afternoon nap. I try to keep him on a good routine of wake up, eat, awake time, nap time! He usually stays awake about 1-1/2 hours at a time. His awake times and nap times vary still... eventually I'm hoping to get it down to a more consistent pattern.

Eating: He still likes to eat every 2-3 hours during the day. I breastfeed him, and occasionally he gets a bottle if I'm gone for a feeding (which isn't too often).  Breastfeeding this time around was a million times easier than with Gavin, but at the same time it came with it's challenges as well. Jax has never had feedings that lasted longer than 1/2 hour... usually his feedings are no longer than 15 minutes, and that's the way it's been since day 1! When I asked his pediatrician about that, she said "Lucky you! You're one of the lucky ones- he's gaining weight and growing like crazy, he's just a fast eater!" Although, I'm not sure how "lucky" I was... I think it made him more gassy (which sucked) and I still would worry "is he still hungry?" "did he eat enough?" "does my supply just suck this time?". BUT, unlike the first time around with Gavin, I didn't let these things get to me or drive me crazy! He was going a couple hours between feeds, sleeping good stretches at night, and growing (he even grew 2 inches in just the first 3 weeks!)... So I knew all was fine and dandy :) 

Milestones: This month he really started cooing A LOT and doing those sweet little baby noises- he started cooing quite a bit at about 6 weeks! He also smiles SO much now... I can't wait for his first sweet laugh! He also loves to chew on his hands!

Likes: Tummy time, "chatting", eating, being held... he loves being held out so he can see what's going on around him :)

Overall: The first couple months with him have been such a blessing, but such an exhausting whirlwind! We had some really, really tough weeks, in which almost every evening consisted of some amount of inconsolable screaming (sometimes hours). Ugh, so tough, so exhausting, so NOT FUN! Thankfully, those evenings seem to be behind us (woo hoo!)! I would say right around the 8 week mark he started becoming more and more content. Now he's happy to sit in his little chair as long as he can see us or his big brother :) ...before he insisted on being held if he was awake! So we are definitely making some good strides with him!

We love our little Jax man so much!!

Jaxon's Nursery

Jaxon Cole *Birth Story*

INTRODUCING JAXON COLE ARFSTROM!

I have to say, once again we were blessed with such a smooth labor and delivery, not to mention a great doctor and team of nurses that made the experience that much more amazing!

Here's how it all went down:

My due date was December 8th.

From the very beginning, I said my guess for when Jax would be born was "either December 2nd or 3rd". My guess with Gavin was way off, so I really figured I'd be just as wrong this time around too... 

On December 2nd, around 5:00pm I made myself a nice strong, double dose of Raspberry Leaf Tea (which is said to help induce labor...). I drank this stuff all the time in the last week or so of my pregnancy with Gavin, trying to induce labor... and it didn't do a thing. So I really figured nothing was going to happen.

 That evening I also had my niece and nephew over at our house, watching them while my sister Leah and her husband were out. The plan was that at 8:00pm, I would take them home and Aaron would stay back with Gavin and get him to bed. 

Well, baby Jax had other plans!

Right as I was about to leave with my niece and nephew... 

MY WATER BROKE!!!

I was in total shock! 

I wasn't having any contractions (besides my normal braxton hicks).
(IT WAS THE TEA!!!)
;)

Right away we called my doctor to fill him in, and I made a quick call to Leah to let her know they probably needed to end their night out early ;)

At about 9:30pm my Mom came over to our house because she was on Gavin duty while we were gone at the hospital. We actually didn't end up leaving for the hospital until about 10:30 pm. I was just starting to have some good contractions. My sister Leah met us there and was going to be our little photographer :)

At 11:30pm the nurse checked me, I was dilated to 3...which I had been for a couple weeks. Contractions at this point still weren't any stronger, so we walked the halls for about 5 minutes, before I decided that was enough of that! (since my water had broke, I just felt like a nasty, leaking mess walking around......and it didn't take long before I realized I'd had enough of that!) 

We went back to my labor room and I bounced on a labor ball, which I actually really liked! We put in my all time favorite Christmas movie, Christmas Vacation :)
Contractions were still not really picking up much.

At 2:30 am after a lot of bouncing and rocking on the labor ball, the nurse checked me again. I was dilated to 5! My contractions were finally just starting to pick up a little bit. I was finally not able to talk through them, and they were every 3 - 3 1/2 minutes apart.
By this point, Aaron is already napping (which I'm SO glad Leah caught on camera!).
I'm a ridiculously independent laborer... Leah kept offering to rub my back, my legs, my shoulders, and I kept turning her down because all I could do during contractions was close my eyes and focus on my breathing... which she also caught on camera :) For whatever reason that was my go to position for every single contraction... cover my eyes and breathe!

Somewhere around 3:30-4am I decided to get the epidural. I was starting to progress fast, and was in the transition phase- I was getting shaky and nauseous. I was dilated to 7.

At 4:00am the epidural was in... at 5am the epidural still hadn't taken effect!!
My doctor checked me and I was dilated to 8.

I was pretty much mentally preparing myself for the fact that I just wouldn't be getting any relief from the epidural... they had me flipping from side to side, and all I know is I had an anesthesiologist coming in numerous times checking me, and giving me some sort of extra something or another (at that point in labor I was mentally checked out) until FINALLY the epidural took effect!!
I honestly don't even know exactly what time it was, all I know is I finally wasn't in pain or nauseous!

HAPPY DANCE!!!!

(....Oh, and if you were wondering, Aaron is still sleeping at this point...)

I want to say it was around 6:30am that they checked me and I was fully dilated, but I wasn't having pressure yet so they were going to let me "labor low" (which I did the same thing with Gavin)... basically just keep having contractions until I have pressure or I need to start pushing. This usually shortens the pushing phase.

Shortly after I could feel some slight pressure with each contraction, so they checked me and he was right there! It was time to start pushing!

At 8:05am I started pushing, and 1 contraction later (a grand total of 3 pushes, 10 seconds each) and
at 8:05am,
Jaxon Cole was born!!!!

I was in total shock! None of us could believe I delivered him that fast! It was SO surreal!
With Gavin I pushed for an hour, so I was expecting that to be the case this time around- WRONG!
30 seconds and I had this sweet baby in my arms!
(my other sister Sarah who was also with us, videoed the delivery on my phone, and I'm SO glad she did! It's so fun and crazy to go back and watch how fast it all happened! ...I also love being able to relive that moment over and over)

He was wide awake and alert for about the first 2 hours after he was born, it was so precious.
There's just nothing like FINALLY meeting your baby.
It's hard to even put into words the emotions you experience.
We're so thankful everything went as smooth, and as amazing as it did.

God once again answered all of our prayers, and helped us welcome our newest little miracle into the world.

Now enjoy some extra iPhone pics :)
...because I literally have a million...

Not only did this man sleep through 90% of my labor... but he also took more naps in the hospital than I would have even thought possible!! ... I, on the other hand, in this photo, have had ZERO sleep in like 2 days.
But I sure do love him :)

PREGNANCY - *37 weeks with baby #2*

(this update's a little late... but better than never right?!)

How far along: 37 weeks -- FULL TERM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gender: BOY!

Total weight gain so far: 38lbs

Feeling: Like labor could happen at any time now. I've had severe "nesting" this last week, I finished his nursery (well... we still need curtains, but that's it!!), as well as cleaned like every other room in our house...nesting at it's best. I'm to the point where I have weekly doctor appointments, but this next week I'm skipping- due to Thanksgiving. So I'm already SUPER anxious for my next doctor appointment, when I'll be a little over 38 weeks to check and see if I'm dilated at all!

Movement: He still is a mover in there! His movements are way more cramped now, but he still loves to stretch out and stick his bum out one way and his feet way out on the other side of my belly. He also loves to kick me in the ribs every night... can't even be mad at him for this 'cause I love feeling him move around in there, and I know I don't have much longer!!

Contractions: HOLY CONTRACTIONS!!! I get them all the time. Yesterday I actually had contractions ALL DAY. None of them were very strong, or close enough together for me to worry about actual labor, but there were a couple times I wondered if labor was about to happen! My body is doing some serious prepping! I also get a few painful contractions that wake me up every night. I have a feeling labor with this little guy will go quick.... we'll see!!

Best moment this week: I packed my hospital bag, and it was surreal. This time around I had a better idea of what I actually would use at the hospital. It was fun packing his little outfits, hats, and socks too... I just still can't believe we're so close to meeting him!!

What's In My Hospital Bag... for baby #2

My hospital bag this time around is much lighter than the first time!

If you want a more in depth breakdown of what exactly is in my bag, and why...

keep reading!

For Mom:

Nursing bras, light-weight robe, comfortable tank tops for nursing, and comfortable pants. All things comfortable. I also went out and bought some bigger sized boy short undies, for the supersized pads you wear at the hospital... those things don't fit in regular undies!!! I also prefer nursing bras (especially in the first few weeks of nursing) without any under wire! The ones in the photo above are the ones I use, and I bought them from Target, check them out here if you want. They're the most comfortable nursing bras I have. It also helps to have SUPER comfy nursing bras... since you'll need to be sleeping in them too!

Along with the nursing theme- I bring my own nursing pads.

Last time I brought my own pillow... and I'll do it again this time NO DOUBT! I'm a pillow freak, and I take my pillow anywhere I go that I'll be spending the night. This time around, I'm also bringing my super fuzzy blanket (from Target)... Maybe it's because I'm due in cold ol' December, but I just want to bring a fuzzy, cozy blanket. I also plan to take some newborn photos in the hospital, so I figured a nice, white, fuzzy blanket will be a helpful prop :)

As far as toiletries... I'm trying to stay to the very basics here.

Toothbrush, razor, basic hair accessories, my Norwex face cloth (I use this as my makeup remover...best makeup remover I have EVER used by the way... I will never go back to wipes, or makeup remover goops, this cloth wins), face wash, and super minimal makeup. This time around I'm actually getting eyelash extensions about a week or two before I'm due. My sister is an aesthetician, and does them... so I'm taking advantage of it. I've had them before, and the ease of not having to deal with mascara- AMAZING! I love not having to put it on before I go somewhere, or having to scrub it off.... I'm also excited to not have to worry about any running mascara in those first couple weeks after birth, where the simplest/dumbest things make you cry.

I never wear a lot of make up, so I really don't plan to wear much (if any) in the hospital after giving birth...

As for electronics- again, super basic- chargers (phone & camera) and a nice quality camera!

For Baby

Again, the majority of the baby supplies I use right after birth- are provided by the hospital (diapers, wipes...etc.). This makes packing for the little guy pretty simple!

I LOVE baby sleeping gowns- in fact, we didn't use these just as pajamas- in the first few weeks we had Gavin in these all the time around the house! With newborns it's like you're constantly having to change their diaper, so the "gowns" make this so much easier than pants, or having to unbutton/unzip other clothes. Sleeper gowns for the WIN!

Baby hats, "mittens" (to keep them from scratching themselves) and little socks.

I packed some muslin swaddle blankets. I love how lightweight, and soft these are- perfect for swaddling.

We bring our own Nuks just because we prefer to, most hospitals offer them.

BOPPY PILLOW! This one is also slightly more so for Mom... I use it for breastfeeding. It's a must have for me, no doubt.

Last but not least, a going home outfit

:)

There you have it folks.

I always enjoy seeing what other Mom's pack for their stay in the hospital-

I'm pretty simple and basic, so hopefully this gives you some good, realistic ideas on what to pack for your own hospital stay!!

:)

PREGNANCY - 36 weeks with baby #2

How far along: 36 weeks 

Gender: BOY!

Total weight gain so far: 38lbs

Feeling: I feel like the end of this pregnancy is really, really creeping up on me! I can't believe I'm only 1 week away from full term (WHAT?!!).

Movement: Little man LOVES to stretch his bum out one way, and shove his little feet out way on the other side of my belly... and this one  sometimes gets painful! He's a strong little guy! At night, he always gets his feet up under my ribs! I know I'll miss feeling all his little movements. He still gets hiccups at least 3-4 times a day.

Contractions: I get contractions all the time during the day... my body is really starting to practice for the big day!

Best moment this week: I'm going through all of Gavin's old baby clothes, and hanging them up for this little guy to wear. It's so sweet seeing all of my old favorite outfits and shirts that Gavin wore when he was a baby. It's exciting to know soon I'll be putting them on this little man... but also bittersweet that my little Gavin is already so big, and continuing to grow up so fast on me! 

Pregnancy #2 Favorites

I always enjoy reading about other mom's favorites and must haves for pregnancy.

It gives me good ideas, and sometimes I think, "YUP! That's my must have too!"

So I decided to put together the things I couldn't live without for pregnancy #2.

I cannot sing the praises of coconut oil enough!!! I use coconut oil and a few drops of rosehip oil every day on my belly, thighs, butt, and boobs (basically anywhere pregnancy causes me to grow...) to prevent itching and stretch marks! I love how moisturized it leaves my skin feeling, and rosehip oil is a miracle worker for skin health as well!

I use organic extra virgin coconut oil, and Trilogy's organic rosehip oil.

LEGGINGS! LEGGINGS! LEGGINGS!

Comfy clothes during pregnancy are obviously probably my #1 must have!

But, I also feel slightly too bummy running all of my errands in sweat pants... (sometimes I don't care) but sometimes I want to look cute, while still feeling comfy with this big ol' belly!

These Motherhood Maternity leggings are my new BFF.

I have two different pairs, and they are literally so comfortable I feel like I have no pants on.

AMAZING.

Just go buy this stuff right now.

Triple Shot Caramel Coffee body polish from Farmhouse Fresh.

It is HEAVEN in a jar.

(and I am not paid to say this!)

For starters, it smells AMAZING.

It's also 97% natural, paraben free, sulfate free, gluten free.

It leaves my skin smoother than ANY OTHER PRODUCT I have ever used.

I use it in the shower, mostly on my belly, bum, boobs... everywhere I want my skin to be soft and constantly regenerating to avoid stretch marks!

I can't even begin to tell you how much I love this stuff!

(I use it when I shower at night, then as soon as I'm out of the shower I lather on my coconut oil and rosehip oil)

Farmhouse Fresh is one of my new favorite companies. Highly suggest checking them out!

SALADS, SALADS, & MORE SALADS!

I try to have two salads a day, usually one for lunch and one with dinner.

I really try to keep up on my leafy greens!

I go for mixed green salads, so I get a good variety of all the leafy greens.

My go to salads are:

Mixed greens salad with Raspberry Poppy Seed Dressing, topped with bleu cheese crumbles and apple chunks!

Mixed greens salad with Caesar dressing topped with grilled chicken.

Those are by far my two favorite salads I just don't seem to get sick of!

SQUATS!

This is a new must-do for me this time around during pregnancy.

I noticed this time around, that somewhere towards the end of my second trimester I was starting to gain the thigh and butt weight! Just like I did in my first pregnancy.

And it's not solid, nice butt weight, it's cellulite, not-cool weight gain in my butt and thighs.

No thanks this time around!

So I started doing 50 squats, every morning and night while I brush my teeth.

You would not believe the difference this has made in my booty!!
I really can't believe it!

I stick to doing this religiously, every time I brush my teeth! It takes only minutes, and I literally have no cellulite on my thighs or butt anymore, and my booty is actually firmer and bigger! GOOD bigger!

Woo hoo!

I've also read doing squats can really help with shorter labors! YES PLEASE!

I also plan to do this challenge once I reach 2 weeks before my due date:

Last but DEFINITELY NOT LEAST...

WATER!!!!!

I shoot for drinking between 60-90 ounces of water a day.

Right now I aim for about 80 ounces of water every day.

(I base this off of the "half your body weight, in ounces of water" rule)

As I continue to gain pregnancy weight, I try and continue to up my water intake.

After delivery, when I'm breastfeeding and losing weight, I DO NOT decrease my water intake.

Water is SO important to keep up your milk supply, not to mention the million other benefits water has for your body!

When I was breastfeeding Gavin, I drank no less than 90 ounces of water every day, aiming for 120 ounces.

I have a 32 oz water bottle that doesn't leave my side during the day,

it helps keep me on track with drinking enough water.

--------------------------------------------------------

So there you have it.

A short list of my pregnancy favorites & must haves so far this pregnancy!

PREGNANCY - 34 weeks with baby #2

How far along: 34 weeks 

Baby's name: starts with a J ;)

Gender: BOY!

Total weight gain so far: 35 lbs

Feeling: I feel great! I feel like my belly isn't quite as big this time around, but when I compare photos from this same point in pregnancy with Gavin, it's about the same size! With Gavin, my belly got massive at about 38 weeks and continued to get even more massive right up until he made his arrival. So I'm guessing the same will happen this time around. ;)
I've been sleeping better at night too lately, which seems backwards. I wake up every time I roll from side to side, just because my low back gets so sore at night. It doesn't bother me much during the day anymore, which also seems backwards... usually things are starting to feel worse and worse during the 3rd trimester! I'm hoping I continue feeling this awesome for these last 6 weeks of pregnancy! ...I know the last few weeks are usually tough though... so we'll see!

Movement: This little guy moves around all the time! He's super active! He's head down, with his tush on one side of my belly and feet on the other. He likes to stretch out, which sometimes is almost painful! His little foot will stick out of the side of my belly, and his butt out the other! It looks so funny! He also gets hiccups at least a couple times a day. I just LOVE all of his movements... I know I'll miss it, so I try to soak it all in the best I can! Even the painful jabs and kicks ;)

Contractions: I get a lot of Braxton hicks contractions throughout the day. I've been getting them for a couple months now. Some of them are getting pretty strong and uncomfortable, so that's a good sign! ...my body is practicing and gearing up for the big day!!! eeeek!

Best moment this week: This past weekend Aaron had a conference at a water park only about an hour and a half away from home, so one of the nights Gavin and I went and stayed there. Gavin absolutely LOVED the water park! He was going down slides, running around, just having a blast! It was also my birthday that weekend, so it was a great way to spend it!! We all had so much fun! I just couldn't get over how old Gavin looked :( He's growing up so fast! It was nice to have a super fun little trip with just us and Gavin, because soon, we'll have a baby brother tagging along everywhere!!

PREGNANCY- 32 weeks with baby #2

How far along: 32 weeks... ONLY 8 WEEKS TO GO!?!?!

Baby's name: starts with a J ;)

Gender: BOY!

Total weight gain so far: 34.6 lbs

Feeling: I feel exhausted! But at the same time it's like I have supermom powers, because I want to be doing as much as possible with Gavin while I can! I think it's really hitting me that A: winter is coming and we will be stuck inside for the next 5 months, and B: baby is coming, and life is going to get turned upside down for awhile. So I'm trying to do as much as I can with Gavin while it's easy to get out, and while it's just me and him. Also, everything is starting to get harder... a lot harder... like putting on socks, trimming my toenails is nearly impossible, shaving, getting out of bed, sleeping... I'm starting to remember what the 3rd trimester is really like again... ;)

Cravings: I feel like I went a couple weeks where I had some serious cravings, nothing weird or crazy, but I would really want something (broccoli, cauliflower, cookies...) and this past week now I feel like I didn't have any sort of cravings! My "cravings" seem to come and go, and they're usually cravings for veggies or sweets...one or the other...

Movement: Wow, this little boy is SO STRONG! He kicks and pushes his feet out one side and his butt out the other, and man sometimes it kind of hurts! Which makes me nervous knowing he has 8 more weeks of growing left to do still!!... At night a lot of times I wake up to his feet up in my ribs...like literally, under my lower ribs. I LOVE all of his movements, even the somewhat painful ones, but yikes, I think he's going to be one big, strong baby!

Best moment this week: I finished painting little man's room!!!! It was SO awesome to get that room cleaned up, and start bringing furniture in! I repurposed a desk into what will be a changing table and I set up his crib!!! (I set that mother trucker up BY MYSELF! I felt so accomplished... well, Gavin "helped" me, which was pretty darn cute too). I've just LOVED getting back to working on his room, it's so much fun. I can't wait to have it put all together :)

All About Pregnancy #2

Well, I'm at 31 weeks in this pregnancy.

It's been so fun comparing this pregnancy to my pregnancy with Gavin.

I absolutely LOVE being pregnant, it's such an amazing, miraculous, crazy 9 month journey...

So I decided to put together a fun post all about this pregnancy... so far!

So, here you go:

1. How Did You Find Out:

It was early for me to be taking a test, but I had like 50 of these super cheapie Wondfo pregnancy test strips... so 6 days before my expected period... I decided, why not. So I took one! I had just laid Gavin down for his afternoon nap, so it was like 1:15pm, and I went and took one. Left it on the counter for a few minutes expecting for nothing to show up, and when I came back, I wasn't sure if my eyes were playing tricks on me, or if there was a super faint (and I mean, SUPER faint) line there.

See for yourself...

So, I tucked the strip back into it's package, and decided I would wait and take another Wondfo test the following day. I didn't tell Aaron I took one, because I knew he would look at that little test strip and say "Babe you're crazy, there is NOTHING there".

So the following morning around 10 am I took another Wondfo test...

Ok, this time, I kind of let myself freak out- because I was pretty sure THAT was a positive test line! I remember showing Aaron when he got home, and he actually saw the faint line too! His eyes kind of lit up, but we were both still a little hesitant, and didn't want to get too excited yet... especially because I was using super cheap tests that I'd never used before. So, we decided we'd go buy some of the First Response early result tests and I would take one that night!

That night around 7:15pm, I took the test and set it on the bathroom counter, jumped in the shower and decided I would just look at the result once I was done showering. So here's what was waiting for me when I got out of the shower:

I saw it right away.

Most definitely, A LINE!!!

So of course I yelled out to Aaron right away to come look at it!
He saw it too- so I knew I wasn't crazy! ;)

I was actually so excited, I texted my mom right away and sent her the picture! But told her not to tell anyone else!

Then the real fun began-

using up the rest of the First Response tests, and watching the positive test line progression!

(ha!)

2. Did You Have Morning Sickness?

I actually felt best in the mornings. But around week 5 or 6 nausea kicked in. It would start anywhere between mid morning to afternoon, and it was wicked. I would just constantly feel nauseous, and feel like I needed to puke. Nothing would sound good, but I knew I had to try and eat. I never actually threw up, not even once. Some days were better than others, and ginger tea with lemon was the only thing that would temporarily help my nausea.

Around week 9-10  the nausea was totally gone and I was feeling great!!

With my pregnancy with Gavin, I had "nighttime" nausea- from week 5/6 through week 12, every day like clockwork, from 4:00 until I went to bed I would feel really nauseous. I never threw up either with Gavin, but I constantly felt like I needed to in the evenings.

3. What Was Your Gender Guess?

Since my pregnancy sickness was so different this time around, I thought for sure it was going to be a girl. As I got closer to 20 weeks, when we would be having the gender scan... I started to feel like it was a boy. People would say, "It's totally a girl" and I would kind of start to respond with "Yeah, I'm not so sure anymore...". My gut instinct was right... ANOTHER BOY! Both Aaron and I were somewhat surprised, just because we expected it to be a girl based on the differences in early pregnancy with sickness and what not!

4. What Were Your Nursery Ideas/Inspiration?

I painted the nursery a light gray. We have off-white craftsman trim and doors in our house, which I LOVE. The contrast with the light gray and the white trim looks so crisp and clean. I never go with one particular theme, because I've never been much of a "theme" person. But my inspiration and the feel I'm going for in his room is a rustic, woodland, cozy, manly room! If that makes any sort of sense...

5. What Are The "BESTS" About This Pregnancy?

- feeling baby move

- feeling his hiccups... he gets them a few times a day

- I feel like I know a little more of what to expect this time around

- maternity clothes are fun this time around since I'm due in winter versus being due in August like I was with Gavin! I still think the summertime maternity clothes are best, because I pretty much lived in maxi dresses... and you can't really get any more comfy than that. BUT, fall maternity style is so cute, I still love it! And lets be real, all maternity clothes are pretty stretchy and comfortable!

6. What Are The "WORSTS" About This Pregnancy?

- my back got sore WAY earlier this time around than in my pregnancy with Gavin

- dealing with the early pregnancy nausea was tough this time around. I desperately wanted to slow down, lay on the couch, and relax.. but Gavin didn't miss a beat, or slow down at all! I didn't expect him to either! So I had to just deal with it, and still be Mom! It was tough, and some days were really, really hard. Thankfully Aaron is an awesome husband and Daddy, and he really stepped up and helped out!

- with this pregnancy I feel like I totally lost the ability to nap. Which super sucks. Gavin takes really good 2-3 hour naps every afternoon, and some days my eyes would just burn I was so tired, so I would lay down to try and nap... and I could NOT fall asleep! This past week I've been able to take some short naps during his nap time... but it's just weird, because I am usually a nap queen! I love taking naps, but pregnancy just threw off my nap game!!

- having a big ol belly has made playing with Gavin a little harder. There's a lot of times I want to get on the floor and play with him, and for a split second I think of laying down on my stomach, and then it's like "oh yea, duh, can't do that!" Swinging with him on my lap is not possible anymore, and hasn't been for a few weeks. Going to the park with him, and climbing through the tunnels after him is no longer an easy feat.

- the emotional and mental aspect of this pregnancy is SO different than with Gavin. With Gavin, I wasn't at all worried about life with a newborn. It was going to be Aaron, me and our new baby. Big deal. I mean, I knew life would be SO different, but Aaron and I KNEW that, we were expecting it. NOW... I think of how life will change for GAVIN. I know it will change for Aaron and I too, but I don't "worry" about how we'll handle it. I do tend to worry about how it will affect Gavin. I know it's a normal worry all mom's have at some point before welcoming a new baby, but it's hard to think about how much Gavin's life will change, and yet he has no clue what's coming! It doesn't take away from the excitement of having a new baby, but it's definitely an added aspect I think about often! (and how can you not?!)

So all in all, I've had one amazingly smooth pregnancy.

Thank you Lord!!!

I still pray every night for a smooth labor and delivery...

I'm SO excited to meet this little boy, and see how he decides to enter the world.

what will labor be like?

what will delivery be like?

what will life be like those first few weeks at home?

So many exciting things to look forward to!

I know it won't all be easy,

but I'm hoping and praying it's smooth sailing here on out!

PREGNANCY- 30 weeks with baby #2

How far along: 30 weeks

Baby's name: starts with a J ;)

Gender: BOY

Total weight gain so far: 30lbs. I'm gaining almost the exact same weight I did with Gavin! I gained exactly 40 lbs with Gavin, so I'm curious to see what it is this time around!

Cravings: SWEETS!!!...and still cauliflower... for the last like 6 weeks I've been doing so good on not craving sweets. All of a sudden this last week, all I want is Burger King chocolate chip cookies, brownies, cake, Oreos... it's horrible. Thankfully, I've been able to stay strong and say no, but I did give in once and go through the Burger King drive-thru and order some cookies. I. Had. To.!!!!

Movement: Nothing new here, baby boy still moves around like a wild man. Now that he's bigger, it's feels like more of the "rolling"/"sliding" sensation, but he still kicks and jabs like crazy too. Loving every second of it! He also gets hiccups a couple times a day- just like his big brother did! So that's cute :) Not so cute is when he must kick or head-butt my bladder- there have been some close calls there...little man is strong, and my poor bladder must literally be only about the size of an acorn... so ya....

Looking forward to: It's supposed to be beautiful Fall weather this weekend, so I'm really looking forward to spending as much time outside enjoying the fresh, Fall air! October is also my favorite month of the year, it could be because it's my birthday month ;) so I'm excited for October! ...although I also can't believe it's already OCTOBER! Holy cow- where is the time going?!?!

PREGNANCY- 29 weeks with baby #2

This pregnancy update is late... oops! And the bump picture is pretty pathetic this week, I know. It's the best I had since I haven't taken my official "bump" picture. hashtag slacker.

p.s. the leggings are from Motherhood Maternity, and could quite possibly be my favorite maternity clothing purchase yet. They literally feel like I'm wearing no pants... which is freaking AWESOME!... since I'm all about comfort. Oh, and they're super adorable! I snagged a couple different pairs when they were on sale for only $10! 

How far along: 29 weeks

Baby's name: starts with a J ;)

Gender: BOY

Cravings: broccoli & cauliflower... STILL!

Movement: Baby boy is officially big/strong enough that I've had a couple painful kicks/jabs already! Which makes me nervous for the next 11 weeks to come, as he only gets bigger and stronger! YIKES!

Miss Anything: Sleeping through the night. I can't remember the last time I slept an entire night without waking up. I wake up every time I roll from side to side. I also REALLY miss being able to have Gavin lay in my lap, or on my chest... I remind myself it's only a couple more months, and then it will be back to normal, and I'll have my TWO babies laying on me!

Looking forward to: Finishing the nursery! It has been SO hard to find the time to work on this little guys room! It's definitely not that I don't want to, it's just been impossible to find the time to get away and DO IT! I only have a tiny bit of touch up painting to do, then it gets easier because it's just brining in furniture, decorating... etc. I'm also getting excited for washing all of the adorable baby clothes!!! ...and soon I'll be packing another hospital bag!! eeek!... so surreal!

PREGNANCY - 28 weeks with baby #2

How far along: 28 weeks! HELLO 3RD TRIMESTER!!!!!

Baby's name: starts with a J ;)

Gender: BOY

Cravings: broccoli & cauliflower... steamed or roasted. I kind of want to eat this with every meal lately...

Best moment this week: Nothing out of the ordinary- just enjoying the fall weather, trips to the orchard, and all things FALL! Trying to make sure I soak up all my time with it just being me and Gavin... soon we'll have another little boy around!

Movement: So much movement! This little guy loves to totally contort my belly into the strangest shape... it's really alien-like sometimes, so funny!

Miss Anything: Being able to move and bend like I could without a baby belly- even just simple things like having Gavin swing on my lap, is pretty much not possible anymore, which is kind of sad :(

Looking forward to: We start having doctor appointments every 2 weeks now... which makes it even MORE real!!