Baby #2

Wow, I'm behind... But happy news! We're expecting a new little baby this July and couldn't be more excited. Walter can hardly even stand it sometimes. He can't wait to be a big brother!

We decided not to find out the gender (like we did with Walter). I love surprises, and I feel like there are so few left in this world! I've absolutely loved not knowing. Where it would cause a lot of stress for others, it weirdly brings me peace. And honestly, we are so excited for a baby, that we couldn't care less about "what" it is. Just as long as it's healthy. 

This time around has been very different from Walter. I'm way more tired than I ever thought possible! I didn't get morning sick and my nausea was hardly a problem (unless I was around strong perfumes--like soaps and lotions). But it has been more emotional for me. I've never had mood swings like this before! Levi would come home and I'd just be laying on the couch feeling sad while Walter watched TV. Sweet Walter. He's been so supportive. He'll let me know when I'm being a "mean mom" and when I'm being nice. He's also finally come to accept that if he wants a nice mom, then I'm going to need to take a nap during the day. 

I also got some pretty intense back pain for a while (one day, it randomly just stopped!). I've also had jumpy legs and a hard time sleeping, but I've found that epsom salts help a ton! And I've had a nice dose of heart burn.

And, oh my gosh! During the middle of the first into the second trimesters, I've never been so hungry before! I could eat, and eat, and eat. With Walter, I wasn't hungry. But this time around, all I wanted to do was eat! It's done wonders for my figure. It's weird how different pregnancies can be. 

Once I became a mom, it was funny to notice how few picture of me I have. All of my pictures are of Walter and Levi! Luckily we've taken a few that can serve as reminders of this pregnancy.

Here we are in January. I'm about 3 months pregnant and barely starting to show. This was the ravenously hungry stage. Good thing I worked at a buffet...

Here I am right around 20 weeks. I was SO excited to get to half-way! And look how cute and little I was. Funny to think I thought I was big then. I'll show "now" pictures in my next few posts. 

 I'm really glad we didn't race to get pregnant with our second one. I want a good amount of space between my kids. Partially because I'm not organized and couldn't handle the stress of several kids at the same stage, and also because I've loved being able to give all my attention to Walter. I want to enjoy the infant stage with this one as much as I did with Walter, and I felt like I could accomplish that more easily if Walter was closer to a kid than a toddler. So gearing up for this next one, Walter and I have been getting a lot of cuddle time in. 

 Just like with Walter, this baby moves a ton! Walter's new favorite place to lay, is on my stomach. He'll go, "Hey! He's kicking me! He's just saying 'hi.'" Even though Walter calls it a "he," he's convinced it's a girl and her name is Carly. If Levi and I discuss different girl names within earshot, we'll hear "Carly! What about 'Carly?' Her name is Carly!" I asked what we should name him if it's a boy and Walter said, "Charn." 

 He loves my "big arms."

 This boy is so sweet.

The other day Walter said to me, "Mommy, can I catch the baby when it comes out?" 

Me, "Well, that's actually a really big job, so we're going to have my midwife catch it. Just to be safe."

"Oh...well, can I be there and watch?"

"I'm afraid not. It might be scary, honey, because I'll be crying a lot."

"That's okay. I can hold your hand."

I can't even stand it! He's so great. We can't wait to meet the baby!