It's a....

For those of you who follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you already know we found out the gender of Baby #2 yesterday. For those of you who don't...

It's a GIRL!!!!

Honestly, I am still in shock and still wiping away the tears. We are both so excited and so overjoyed there aren't adequate words to really describe how we feel. Luckily, I have some pretty awesome pictures to share that can explain exactly how we are feeling! 

First and foremost, baby is healthy and perfect. My blood pressure remains low and and the doctor was really pleased with how the pregnancy is progressing! We asked the ultrasound tech to put the gender results in an envelope for us, and when we left the doctor's office we drove straight to Baby Gap. We picked out two outfits, one for a boy and one for a girl. We asked a young sales associate to help us by wrapping up the correct outfit for us while we shopped around the store some more. She did her job and came and found us and said, "Okay. All set. I wrapped them both up, that's what you wanted right?!" And we laughed. "No, not exactly" I replied. And I explained that I wanted her to actually open the envelope and see what it says and wrap the corresponding outfit! She finally understood, returned to the checkout counter and wrapped up the outfit and rang us up. We told her to throw out the receipt so we couldn't take a peek at what it said and then we were off to our house! 

Waiting at home were my mom and sisters with Campbell and my niece and nephew. My youngest sister, Ashley, is currently volunteering in Bali and we planned to Skype with her so she could participate in the whole ordeal but when we got home, it wasn't time to Skype with her yet and we just couldn't wait another minute. (We did eventually Skype with her and were able to share the news! It was so cool to talk to her and see her half way around the world!)

So we opened the box. And then this happened...  (Sadly all these pictures are blurry iPhone pictures. But that's just because there was a lot of jumping and screaming!) 

I love this last picture. I hope Baby Girl knows how much love she comes from. 

I haven't stopped smiling since. Honestly, I would have been thrilled with either a girl or boy. I really wanted a brother for Campbell, but I also really wanted to experience the joys of having a daughter. I think the reason I feel so elated and just full of happiness is that up until this point, this pregnancy didn't seem very "real." That sounds terrible, but I just haven't been able to focus on this pregnancy like I did my first. Between chasing a toddler around, buying a house and dealing with other day to day life events, I feel like I've barely thought about this pregnancy and I'm already halfway through it. I have a lot of guilt about that, but let me tell you, Baby Girl, you are SO wanted and SO loved already. I finally feel like this is happening because now I can call the baby she instead of "it". That makes it so real. And so fun. 

I think 2014 is going to be a great year. Chaotic, but amazing. Pardon me while I go browse bows and tutus online now... 

20 Weeks

Yesterday, I hit the 20 week mark. For most pregnancies, this is the half-way point, but because I will likely be induced between 37-39 weeks (depending if I get pre-eclampsia again or not) that means I am more than halfway done with being pregnant. That's so crazy to me!

I never did "bump-dates" with my first pregnancy. I think I was more self-conscious two years ago. I credit a combination of getting older (I'll be 30 in two months!!) and mothering to my recently acquired attitude of "I-don't-really-care-what-other-people-think." Okay, and a lot of therapy :) So here's my first ever, bump picture on the worldwide web!

Anyway, here's how I'm feeling at the more-than-halfway point:

Due Date: April 2 (expecting to deliver in mid-March though!) 


Gender: We will find out on Tuesday! It's so funny because I don't feel like I've been obsessing over this as much as I did the first time. I have no gut feeling, though with Campbell I was 100% certain it was a boy. And I was right. So far, people are 50/50 on their guesses. I'm really excited about the idea of either a brother or sister for Cam for different reasons. I'm pretty sure I won't be disappointed on Tuesday and am just praying for a healthy anatomy scan. 

Exercise/Weight Gain: I've been really bad at the exercise department. As in none. I walk a ton and picking up Campbell should count as exercise alone. But I'm bad. At my 16 week appt, I had gained  total of 5 lbs. We will see what the scale says on Tuesday. 

Cravings/Aversions: Not really craving anything. I have been more interested in sandwiches than normal, though. Truthfully, I'm just in the phase where if I overhear someone talk about a baked potato, I MUST have a baked potato. No aversions either, really. 

Symptoms: Insomnia. I've been having pregnancy insomnia for a couple of months now. I have no problem falling asleep right away (usually at 9:00 pm!) because I'm so tired. But I wake up in the middle of the night to pee around 1 am and am usually up until 4. I'm also starting to have heartburn. I've heard this is the only true old wives tale (heartburn = lots of hair on the baby!) and Cam was born with a full head of blonde hair so I believe it could be true. We'll see with this little peanut! 

Movement: Definitely been feeling the baby moving around for the last two weeks consistently. I thought I felt some movement from the outside about two days ago, but haven't been able to feel that since! 

Excited about: Finding out the gender and seeing the baby move around during the anatomy scan! 

Anxious about: my blood pressure and the future of this pregnancy. We obviously have a LOT going on in our lives, and being on bed rest is just unimaginable to me right now. Between dealing with a toddler, moving, and some exciting celebrations we have planned in the next few months, I'm just praying my blood pressure stays low and I don't develop any pre-e symptoms. 


So there's my first bump date. My therapist would be so proud :)