How I Revealed Baby #2's Gender

It occurred to me that I never shared how I told A another sweet boy was on the way.


When I was pregnant with W, A was present during the ultrasound so we found out W's gender together.  We had a fun little day - gender reveal, then lunch, then shopping for a couple boy items to celebrate the big news.  This time around, I elected to do the Verifi test.  I liked that several chromosomal abnormalities could be tested for and being able to find out baby's gender was an added bonus.  But it also meant that I would find out baby's gender without A being present.


My OB's office never called me to let me know that the Verifi results were in.  I ended up calling them and was told that my test results were in fact in, but that a doctor needed to review them so they'd call back the following day.  Torture!!  And incredibly nerve wracking.  I thought that meant something was wrong.


The next morning, I kept my phone near me at all times.  Except when I walked down the hall to ask a coworker a question.  Naturally, that's the exact time I received a call from the doctor's office.  They left me a voicemail indicating that all test results were normal (such a relief!) and that they knew baby's gender so if I wanted to know, I needed to call back.


Of course I called back right away.  I was shaking as I made the call.  I didn't care either way, but it was such important and exciting news!  The gender of my baby!!  Would W have a sister or a brother?  Would I be buying bows or trucks?  I always thought boy.  But then there were times when I thought, "What if I'm wrong?".


The nurse didn't make me wait long and announced, "It's a boy!".  Another boy.  I smiled and thanked her.  It was so strange to find out via phone call.  And even stranger to have such a big secret all to myself.


Prior to the Verifi test, I had purchased a onesie that said Little Brother.  I was that confident that baby was a boy.  I didn't tell anyone about my purchase for fear that they'd think I was crazy and just kept the onesie in a bag in my closet.  I planned to give A the onesie when I got home, but I just couldn't wait.  I was so excited to share the news.
I immediately texted A and our conversation went something like this:
Me:  I have a secret
A:  A secret you can share??
Me:  Let's play a little game...
Me:  Go upstairs and into my closet
A:  Hang on, bringing W with me
A:  Ok, I'm there
Me:  Towards the back of the closet, near the hamper, you should see a gray bag
A:  Yes, I see it
Me:  Open it!!
A:  A BOY!!!!
A:

It turned out to be such a fun way to tell A. :)  He was very excited and though he never admitted it beforehand, he later told me he was hoping for another boy.

Weekend Recap

We had such a busy weekend and for the most part, it was really great!!

Last week, I came down with a cold.  Boo.  Friday, I felt terrible and slept most of the day away.  I got a break from the important work situation I've been involved in and worked from home part of the day.  I was really disappointed because I knew we had so much planned for Saturday.  I hoped the extra rest and all the liquids I was drinking would help me feel better fast.

I did feel a little better on Saturday so it was off to my doctor’s appointment first thing in the morning.  A and W joined me.  I had my 20 week ultrasound.  W cried a bit – I think he was concerned about mommy laying on the table in the dark room.  But after some reassurance and a cookie, he was fine.  At the ultrasound, we learned that baby #2 is breech.  My babies love to be right side up!  There’s still plenty of time for baby to turn.  But as a result of the position and despite several attempts from me to roll from one side to another, the technician couldn’t get all the measurements she needed.  So far, everything looks great and I’ll have another ultrasound in 4 weeks to check position and obtain remaining measurements.  Baby is definitely a boy and currently weighs about 14 oz!!  And he looks adorable in his ultrasound picture. ;)

A and W drove separately because W had his first day of school.  I was worried that my doctor appointment would run long and I wouldn’t be able to attend.  I was also worried I’d be too sick to go.  But my appointment ended right on time and I just couldn’t imagine missing W’s first day.  It was so important to me to be there.  So I went with plenty of hand sanitizer and Kleenex on hand.  I was careful and stayed away from the other children.  And it made me so happy to experience W’s first day with him.  He did great.  He played with tools, cars, and the sandbox.  He helped clean up.  He sat in a circle and sang songs – well, he listened to everyone else sing songs. J  And he finished class playing outside.  I’m so proud of him. J

We headed home for some lunch and a nap.  Later that day, we decided to head to a local farm.  W LOVED the animals.  He laughed as the cow mooed at him and chased the roosters.  He fed a goat and even went on a pony ride.  Then, he threw a fit when it was time to leave.  We’ll definitely go back – everything was free except for the pony ride.  Can’t beat that!!

It was a fabulous day!

Sunday was our usual routine.  I absolutely love our church and Starbucks routine.  I love seeing the same friendly faces week after week.  I wasn’t feeling great – still battling a cold and still recovering from the day prior.  My Bears lost in a horrible football game.  But other than that it was a good day.

Then Sunday night, around 11 pm, W woke up and seemed miserable.  It sounded like he was congested and he continued to cry.  I felt bad for him and brought him back to bed with me, but was worried my coughing would keep him up (I ALWAYS get bad coughs with colds).  He’d fall asleep for a couple minutes and then cry.  We gave him some Infant's Motrin and he eventually fell asleep laying on top of me.  I woke up around 1 am completely stuck.  I tapped A, who tried to pick up W, but had trouble.  The kiddo was practically glued to me. J  So picture a pregnant lady essentially trying to do a sit up with a 30 pound toddler laying on top of her.  It wasn't pretty and if I wasn’t concentrating so hard on not waking W, I think I would have burst out laughing.  Not sure what’s bothering my boy, but I’m praying he’s not coming down with yet another cold.  Time will tell.  Also, I don’t think I coughed the entire time W was with me, but as soon as I got back to bed, major coughing attack.  He’s good for my health.

So all in all, it was a wonderful weekend!

Fertility Friday

Blogging amateur here.  I've never actually participated in a link up.  I've never even considered it (and I'm probably doing something wrong :)).  But I recently discovered Jessah's blog Dreaming of Dimples.  I love the blog and love Jessah's positivity.  Jessah is hosting a Fertility Friday Link Up and I just so happened to have a draft post sitting around so I figured, "Why not?".  My thoughts...

Almost a year ago, I lost friends due to infertility.  I explained that story in a couple of blog posts here and here.  Basically, I was fortunate enough to have a successful pregnancy after IVF round 2 and that resulted in my perfect baby boy.  These “friends”, however, were still in the trenches of IVF and couldn’t continue a friendship with me for various reasons.  It still hurts sometimes.  Not so much because they couldn’t continue to be friends with me, but because of the really hurtful things that were said to me/about me.  And even worse, the fact that those hurtful things were just ignored/forgotten by other friends.  Friends who I thought would come to my defense or reach out to me privately didn’t do so.  Ouch.  But recently, I’ve had two friends affected by infertility.  Two friends who have reached out to me with countless questions, asking for advice, wanting my opinions.  I’ve enjoyed sharing my experiences and thoughts (while reminding them that each person’s situation is different and these are simply MY views and experiences) and I know they’ve really appreciated having someone to talk to who’s been through it all.  In some weird way, it makes up for losing friends.  My infertility story may have had a negative impact on some, but it also helped others.  It seems as though the situation has come full circle and I'll always be supportive of those who are struggling.  I eventually found success, but that doesn't mean I forgot about the heartache and despair that comes with infertility.

20 Weeks with Baby #2!

How far along? 20 weeks!  Halfway there!

Size? Baby is the size of a banana.  That seems large!

Maternity Clothes? Yes.  Still able to make some non maternity tops work.  I've been trying to have fun dressing the bump... hence my maternity fashion post. :)

Weight Gain? Not sure and I don't care.

Gender? Baby boy!

Sleep? Terrible lately.  I never feel like I get enough sleep.  Every night, either W or A wakes me up.  W crying or A snoring loudly.  I'm ready to check into a hotel!

Movement? Movement every day.  Waiting for those big kicks!!

Food Cravings? Specialty drinks!!  They're terrible for you and high in sugar, but I could have one every single day.  Trying to limit myself to 1 drink in the morning each week and 1 after work... 2 drinks per week.  My favorites are still the Caramel Frappe from McD's, Decaf Pumpkin Spice Latte, Decaf Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino, and Caramel Apple Spice.  Yum!!  I literally want one all the time.

Labor signs? Way too early.

What I Miss? Chicago style hot dogs and Potbelly's turkey sandwich.  Being able to hold W for long stretches.  Being able to get up after sitting on the floor.

Symptoms?  My first leg cramp.  I got these during the night when I was pregnant with W and they are really painful.  Today I woke up not feeling well - sore throat, stomach pains, and nausea.  Hope whatever it is passes quickly!

Happy or Moody?  Moody.  My colleagues keep criticizing what I eat/drink for breakfast/lunch and it's really annoying.  Admittedly I don't eat enough fruits and veggies, but they're criticizing what I do eat/drink.  Especially my favorite - caffeine free Coke.  I have 1 each day and it's apparently the worst thing ever.  Sigh.  I also considered taking a sick day this week - I've just been feeling overwhelmed and tired all the time.  Cue major work situation, which means no sick day for me.

Looking Forward To?  The 20 week ultrasound!  I'm equal parts excited and nervous.  This is the big ultrasound where they look at all baby's organs, take measurements, etc.  Praying baby is healthy and on track.  Also looking for confirmation that he is in fact a he (not that I have any doubt).

Best Moment of the Week?  Slowly beginning to order items for baby #2's nursery.  I LOVE decorating rooms.  W and I played outside together on Sunday and I so enjoyed it.  He even got Ma to crawl up the playground equipment and go down the slide with him (I thought I was going to get stuck). :)

Weekend Recap

This past weekend was not at all what I expected.  Nothing went according to plan.

W was supposed to start school on Saturday, but Friday afternoon we received a phone call stating that his teacher was sick and he wouldn’t start until the following Saturday.  Given the impending weekend, this was actually a good thing.  But on the downside, it looks like I won’t be able to attend his first day of school with him since I have a doctor’s appointment. L

Friday night Saturday morning at around 12:30 am (I think – the time is a bit fuzzy), A awoke with abdominal pains.  For the next hour, he tossed and turned, walked around, groaned.  He then went downstairs to lie on the couch and try to wait out whatever was causing the pain.  I fell back asleep, but around 2:30 am, A woke me up to tell me his parents were heading over because he needed to go to the ER.  When they got to the house, I asked A if he wanted me to take him to the hospital or wait at the house with W.  By now it was sometime around 3-3:30.  W has been waking early – typically around 5:30 so he would be up relatively soon.  A said he thought I should be home when W woke up.  So I stayed at the house waiting for news.  As expected, W was awake by 5:30.  Sometime around 6 am, A texted me with his diagnosis – a kidney stone.  It was a big relief hearing that.  I had so many illnesses/diagnoses racing through my mind; a kidney stone seemed much less tragic (albeit painful).

A, my mom, and I were supposed to attend a wedding that day.  My cousin was getting married and I had been looking forward to it.  Although she’s younger, my cousin and I grew up together.  I baby-sat her when she was little, was her confirmation sponsor, attended swim meets, and watched her in the high school band.  My mom is her godmother and was supposed to read a bible passage during the wedding ceremony.  Further complicating the matter was that A and I were supposed to drive my mom and pick up brother.  My mom doesn’t drive long distances (the wedding was an hour away) and my brother does not own a car (he lives in Chicago and takes public transit).  So long story short, it was decided that I would go to the wedding and A would stay home and rest.  W would still go to his aunt and uncle’s house, as originally planned, to give A a break after the crazy night – not to mention A was still having some pain.

I was really disappointed.  I had been looking forward to attending the wedding with A and 2.5+ hours of driving after little sleep was not appealing.  Also, I had never been to the town the wedding was in and had no idea where I was going.

I was supposed to drop W off at his aunt and uncle’s house, but he was sound asleep at the time we had planned to leave.  He also had not had lunch.  A offered to drop W off so that my mom and I could head out.  Apparently W was a mess when A dropped him off.  He had a major meltdown and was very upset that A was leaving.  He proceeded to have meltdowns the entire time and A picked him up early.  I felt terrible.

My mom, brother, and I eventually made it to the wedding.  My cousin looked gorgeous and the wedding was beautiful.  Then we had to find the reception site – that took another 45 minutes of driving.  Ugh.  We finally made it.  My mom ended up sitting at my table even though she wasn’t originally seated there.  She was able to take A’s spot and was so happy to be sitting with me, my brother, and cousins.  I have to say, my cousins are some of the funniest people EVER.  I literally did not stop laughing throughout the entire reception.  It was the highlight of my day.  As I glanced at the other tables, they were chatting, looking somewhat serious, while my cousins and I were crying from laughing so hard. J

Finally, I made it home, completely exhausted.  Everyone was asleep when I arrived.  W had his usual 5:30 am wake up and I spent the majority of Sunday completely drained from the day prior.  There were a few highlights on Sunday – a trip to the park, a family walk, and teaching W somersaults (until he spit up – oops).

I tried to make the most of the weekend, but it definitely wasn’t what I hoped it would be.  I’m still a bit sad at how it turned out, but I guess things can't always go according to plan. L

21 Months of W

W turned 21 months on Saturday.  Where oh where has the time gone (I actually typed 20 instead of 21!!)?

I think this was one of my favorite months with you, little man.  You’ve been trying to say more and your personality is really emerging.  You’ve just been downright fun.  I think I’ve laughed at your antics this month more than any other.  You have this uncanny ability to detect when your Da is making a sarcastic remark or subtle joke and you laugh.  This happened at church recently.  Da said something under his breath and you let out a laugh – hilarious.  There’s no way you understood the joke, but somehow you recognized that it was indeed a joke.  We were out for a walk over the weekend and right after a golfer teed off, you started laughing.  Not sure if it was actually a poor shot, but your timing was impeccable.  I also had a laugh at the grocery store when a man knocked over a sign and you said “uh oh!!”. J

You started ‘gymnastics’ this month!  You attend gymnastics with Nani and from what I understand, you do lots of climbing and even tried a headstand recently!!  Unfortunately you haven’t quite learned that gymnastics should only occur at gym class, on padded mats.  You’ve recently tried jumping off of chairs at home and overturning baskets so you can stand on them.  Mom quickly intervenes.

You’ve picked up quite a few words this month (much to my relief!).  These include: Moon (moo), Chips (dip), Goat (go), Bra (baa), and Zebra (bruh).  You repeatedly say something that sounds like “ dot-in“, which I think means clock?!?  Not sure, but I asked you to repeat it several times and then show me and you pointed to the clock?  You’ve also said oh no a few times (no no) and door (doe).

You’ve started watching Daniel Tiger recently, while mom gets ready for work.  I had a pretty strict no tv philosophy, but the show is on my phone and about 10 minutes long… AND I can actually get dressed so I’m allowing it. J  With that said, I’ve tried other shows on my phone just to see if you might be interested and Daniel Tiger is the only one you like.

You’ve also started telling us when you need a diaper change, which is really great.  You pat your diaper - front for pee and back for poop.  I appreciate that I no longer have to sniff you. ;)

Sleep was especially challenging this month.  You came down with a cold and the first week of said cold, I believe your sinuses were bothering you.  You didn’t seem all that congested, but you pointed to your nose quite a few times.  During that week, I think you woke something like 5 nights out of 7.  It was rough.  After 2 weeks, your cold is just about gone.  Yay!

Separation anxiety seems to have suddenly kicked in full force.  You had a few major meltdowns at Brian and Becky’s house and also cried when I brought you over to Aunt Connie’s house (even though I was with you the entire time).

As is the case every month, you still love books, you still love to be outside, you love to ‘help’ around the house, and we still get comments on your hair. J

Happy 21 months!  Next big event for you is school!  It starts on Saturday and we’re hoping it will be great for socialization and for speech.  You are our everything and more, little man!

Does the Work/Life Balance Really Exist??

I continually struggle with the work/life balance.  That should be obvious since I’ve mentioned it 4972 times on the blog and I’m certain I’ll never feel like I’ve achieved that balance.  I continually wonder if I’m spending enough time with W.  When I arrive home from work, little man is stuck to me like glue.  He wants to be picked up constantly.  I make an effort to give him my full undivided attention between the time I arrive home and the time he goes to bed.  Very limited cell phone time, no tv for me (except on that rare occasion when the Bears are playing in prime time, but even then, I watch very little of the game).  I focus on W and what he wants to do – which is usually reading books, playing with trucks, and playing with puzzles – or last night, jumping off chairs!?! (I did put a stop to that one).  But lately I’ve been wondering, is he clinging to me because he doesn’t spend enough time with me or are these just typical toddler antics?  The former is heartbreaking so I really hope it’s the latter.  I’ve thought about how I could change my work schedule and what I could do differently and I have no good answer.  Moving to part time might be possible but I’m not sure work would be on board and I don’t think our finances could handle it.  Maybe I could work from home 1 day per week – that would save me an hour and a half of driving, but again, not sure if work would be on board.  Maybe the pregnancy hormones are just making me feel extra guilty and burdened lately.  I know we’re very very lucky in that our moms watch W during the week.  Little man is always cared for by family and he is oh so loved.  And in my heart, I know he knows that… so perhaps that’s enough and I should stop worrying…

On a MUCH lighter note, I had two people approach me today and say “What?!?  You’re pregnant?!?!”  It was really funny.  This rather large bump surely didn’t happen overnight.  Happy Friday!! J