Baby #2: 11 Weeks

Yep, we are expecting #2 in December! Neil and I are excited, but I still think it's sinking in even though we've known for a couple months. I will be 12 weeks tomorrow, but this was written when I was 11 weeks.

Lila was due on Valentine's Day 2011 and this baby is due Christmas Day 2013! I guess I'm good at making holiday babies. We are happy about welcoming #2 into our lives, but of course pretty nervous and scared too! I'm nervous about the transition from 1 to 2 children, I'm worried about how Lila will adjust and of course I have all the worries that most moms have in early pregnancy. Is the baby okay, is it growing right, how much weight am I going to gain, etc!

I will also say that while this baby was planned, it happened very fast. Exactly 23 days after I took my last birth control pill I had a positive pregnancy test. (I ovulate really early and have super short cycles if you are wondering how that is even possible!) I know plenty of people struggling with infertility, so I'm not saying that to boast or to be insensitive, but it has added a bit to our shock because we weren't really expecting a 2013 baby. But of course we are thrilled!

Lila is excited. She knows mommy has a baby in her belly and that she is getting a real baby at Christmas-time. She has remained neutral on the gender for the most part, but she told me the other day that she made cookies for "her sister". Lila will be 2 months away from 3 years old when this baby arrives. I am hoping that is good timing! I'm just happy we won't have two kids in diapers at the same time!

I don't have a real feeling either way on the baby's sex. I would love another little girl but I think it'd be great to have one of each as well. I truly will be happy either way. We will be finding out the gender at 19 weeks at the anatomy ultrasound which should be in late July.

I've been feeling pretty good this time around. With Lila, even though I never actually got sick, I had a lot of nausea. This time not so much. I have had fatigue, cramps, sore (and growing) boobs, acne/oily skin and hair, lightheadedness, heartburn at night and backache... but none of it has been too bad. I get very tired during the day at work, but I am also not drinking much caffeine.

I'm starting to show a little bit, definitely earlier than I did with Lila. My belly probably looks like my 16 week belly with her, and I've been wearing maternity stuff for a while already!

I had my 11 week checkup last Tuesday, and they could not find the heartbeat on the doppler. The doctor assured us that at 10 wks 6 days it was just a bit early and not to worry. Needless to say, I was very worried and thankfully she offered up an ultrasound appointment for the next day. So we got an ultrasound and everything is going well! The baby measured 10 weeks 6 days and I was right at 11 weeks, so that was right on. The heart rate was 168. Lila's was 160 at 11 weeks. It's so real now!

I am going to try to do weekly updates like I did with Lila. I've really enjoyed going back and reading the updates I did with her. I don't want to start neglecting baby #2 already when it comes to recording milestones!

Hopefully my belly photos won't all be in random campus bathrooms. The bathroom below is special: it's the handicap bathroom at work where I took my first positive pregnancy test!