9 weeks

You're growing bigger and bigger every single day!

It's hard for me to believe that 5 weeks have passed since I found out you'd be joining our family! And at the same time it feels like it has been SO LONG since I've known because I am still waiting (im)patiently for my first appointment on May 11th. Only 12 more days!

I broke out the adjustable-waist jeans today. I don't really NEED them very badly at the moment, but they are SO much more comfortable than my current jeans right now! I think with your sister I was around 10 weeks when I bought my first pair of maternity pants... and I've heard that after your first child you "pop" faster. I had to make sure to wear a longer top, though, because they definitely look like maternity jeans... and I haven't told anyone about you yet! In due time...

I am sorry I haven't been writing to you as much as I want to. I think of you always, but life has been busy as we get ready for our move. We got in to see our new place this past weekend, and it made me all the more excited about your arrival! Seeing the room that you'll share with us, and the room that will eventually be yours, and imagining how life will be when you arrive... It's all overwhelming but completely exciting!

Boy, you sure are a hungry baby!

Yesterday Daddy and I enjoyed a very full, very delicious lunch... and I also had a rather sizable dinner... so do you know how surprised I was to wake up at 2:30 this morning, not to pee, but to EAT?! My stomach was growling so loudly that there was NO way I was sleeping until I ate... so I satisfied you with two pear cups (the first things I spotted when I walked into the kitchen!) and went right back to bed.

That's OK, I'll take being hungry over nausea any day! It's a sure sign that you're growing in there.

Only 15 more days until we get to see you!

Switching things up a bit...

So... what are you going to do differently this time around?

Only a select few people know about you right now, and the majority of the select few have asked me this very question. To which I've replied, "Good question!" I think I learned a lot from your big sister about what items are absolutely essential and which ones are totally impractical. But in terms of the "big stuff" we've (OK "I've" but Daddy knows I'm the one who researches baby gear and analyzes costs and all that fun stuff, so he usually goes along with it) decided to only do a few things differently:

1) We plan to sidecar your crib to our bed, so you're within arms' reach all night long. With Bebe, we had her crib near us in the same room, but not set up as a sidecar. And more often than not, she wound up sleeping with us. By having your crib sidecarred, it will give you your own safe space and make sure there's enough room in the bed for your Daddy and I (and occasionally, Bebe).

2) I'll be investing in a better breastpump, to build a breastmilk stash. I only had a manual pump with Bebe, and because of that I never had much of a freezer stash. Sometimes I had 4-8oz in the fridge, but never more than that. This time around, I'm determined to create a stash for more flexibility.

3) We're going to give cloth diapering a try. I hate laundry. HATE it with a passion. But the more I learn about cloth diapers, and the more I think about how much damage we did to the environment when your sister spent 3 years and 9 months of her life in disposable diapers, the more I want to give them a chance. So we're going to! I had to promise your Daddy I would get some "easy" ones for him to use.

So far, those really are the 3 that have come to mind. I'm sure there will be other, smaller ones, but those are 3 I am bound and determined to do differently.

8 weeks

Looking at the image above, I just can't believe how SMALL you still are! But compared to 4 weeks ago, you've grown quite a bit!

8 weeks down, 32 to go. I bet you look like a little Sour Patch Kid in there. Mmm... Sour Patch Kids...

Secrets and lies...

What is the difference between a secret and a lie?
Right now, you are a secret from many people... and I am having to tell little white lies in order for them not to know about you quite yet!

It's hard to believe that 4 weeks ago I had no idea I was expecting you. Actually, quite the opposite, I was 100% convinced that we were "out" once again this month.

I am (im)patiently counting down the days until my first appointment. Only 20 days to go!

We are busy packing things for our move--I've been working on your sister's room the last few days. It's funny to be pulling out the toys she no longer plays with and wondering if they're toys that you will enjoy playing with some day. Especially the character-related ones. By the time you're 2, will you know about Dora, Backyardigans, and Blues Clues, or will there be new characters for me to learn about?

Being pregnant the second time around seems so much different. For starters, I find that I am much more of a worrier. Which is strange, because I don't remember being so paranoid when pregnant with Bebe. Every pinch, pull, or pain makes me wonder if you're OK in there. I hope you are. I pray every day that you are.

The last time I was pregnant was 6 years ago... I think that has to do with it feeling different as well. Not the whole fact that I'm older now, but the fact that I've forgotten all the little details of my pregnancy with Bebe. I do have a journal we made her (don't worry, Daddy and I are working on one for you, too!) that makes some mention of things like when I first started feeling sick, when I first bought some maternity clothes, how we reacted to seeing her on the ultrasound, so that helps... but in so many ways it still feels brand-new.

Oh, Dois, I can't wait to meet you!

7 weeks

"I've got a blueberry for a daughter [or son]!" ~Mr. Beauregard, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

As much as I love you with my entire heart already, could you PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE make up your mind? The mere thought of putting any food or drink in my mouth makes me nauseated, and at the same time I am starving! I am eating 3 full meals a day, plus at least 3 snacks, and yet my stomach is still rumbling. Oh well, it's a sign that you're growing, so I will live with it.

6 weeks

You're now the same size as your big sister's newest favorite food--lentils!

Our vacation is winding down, and soon we'll be heading home. We'll be unpacking our suitcases and then starting to pack for moving in a few weeks to a new place where you'll have your very own bedroom... but not until you're a few months old.

5 weeks

Well, now you have grown to the size of a sesame seed! We are at Vo's house, having a great time and getting ready to head to the beach tomorrow. I wonder if you'll love the beach the way your Daddy and sister do (they love being in the water, swimming, splashing, playing around) or loving the beach the way I do (relaxing on a blanket, with a book, or some music)... or maybe a little bit of both!