"sister"

this journey has been very similar and yet very different than it was with henry.  i expected we were having a boy because, like with henry, i didnt have any morning sickness.  i just assumed since my pregnancy was moving along in a similar way that i would be having another boy.  so we were pleasantly surprised to find out that we are having a girl.  then i braced myself for her "sucking the beauty" out of me.  but for the most part, i havent felt particularly unattractive (and if you think otherwise, keep that to yourself, please and thank you).  in fact, i feel very confident in my current condition.  when i was pregnant with henry i had no idea what to expect.  i did a lot of reading and research about what is/was going to happen and i ended up working up myself or anticipating things that never happened.  chasing around a 1 year old has kept me distracted but mostly i have been trying to take of myself and be confident that my body will do the rest.  we eat much healthier and cleaner than we did before henry was born and i have been doing some prenatal yoga this time around to keep myself a little more fit.  

30 weeks pregnant 
left: with henry in september 2012
right: with sister in june 2014

pregnancy update: 

• currently at 34 weeks = 8.5 months
• sister should be about the size of a cantaloupe, right around 4 3/4 points and 18 inches long.   
• movement:  she has been moving around a little less this week but i think she might be running out of room 
• food cravings:  nothing too bad.  i eat a lot of breakfast foods and i lean towards sweet.  we keep ice cream in the fridge and i eat a blueberry bagel (from the bakery at target) with loads of cream cheese every morning.  
• sleep:  i have been sleeping pretty good.  i wake up a few times a night to switch sides but i usually can make it through the night without a bathroom break.
• comfort:  i can tell my rib cage is expanding.  is it weird that i can feel the pressure? in the past week or two, i have just started needing to more assistance getting up and down.  playing with henry on the floor requires me to roll over and get on all fours before being able to stand up.  
• heartburn:  its there but nothing i cant handle
• mood/emotions:  i have been more stressed this week about figuring out childcare and a few other things but im pretty sure i would be the same amount of stressed even if i wasnt pregnant ... maybe a little more moody and dramatic.  
• energy level:  trying to keep this up.  i did an instagram yoga challenge in march and i started another one for july.  i hope this helps with my energy level.  i want to be walking but its too hot out to be doing that right now.  
• belly button:  in
• stretch marks:  no
• swelling:  just a bit starting this past week
• wedding rings:  still on for now.  (i had to take them off at 24 weeks with henry)

frequently asked questions/comments: 

1. was sister planned?  yes and no.  i mean, we did not sit down and decide to start trying and plan out how we could make it happen but i am very aware of how the birds and the bees work.  husband and i were feeling very nostalgic when henry turned a year old and we felt ready to have another baby in the house.  i am excited about them being so close in age.
2. 2 under 2 ... scary?  yes and no.  i expect the first six months to be a rather exhausting time of adjustment.  henry still needs a lot of direction and supervision but he is learning to be more helpful.  as scary as it can be, i am blessed with a very attentive, patient and awesome partner is this life.  i thank God every day for my husband!  
3. do we have a name picked out?  we have a first name but still deciding on a middle name.  i dont think we will share with anyone outside of our immediate family until she arrives. 
4. do we have the nursery ready?  we are preparing a shared nursery for the time being.  sister will sleep in the yellow crib that henry, myself and my brother slept in (see photo below).  for now henry is sleeping in another crib that was handed down from some friends.  i hope he continues to sleep in a crib for another 6 months or so.  the only things left to do in the nursery is find some coordinating sheets for them to tie the two spaces together and put up the collage wall.  
5. what does henry think of all this?  well, honestly, our little guy doesnt have a clue.  i try to tell him there is a baby inside my tummy.  sometimes he will even say "baby" and then he sees something shiny and couldnt care less.  i think he is going to be rather shocked when we bring sister home.  when we brought klaus (our new kitten) home a few weeks ago, henry was completely indifferent.  now, he cannot get enough of the cat.  although this usually involved him poking at his eye or pulling his tail.  needless to say, we will be watching him closely with his sister around :)