Pregnancy

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I can’t believe I’m already updating you on my First Trimester of my second pregnancy! Time is already flying and thank goodness because the first trimester is ROUGH with a toddler, let me tell you. I feel bad ever complaining with my first pregnancy. Most of this pregnancy is sooo similar to my last and it’s crazy, which means it has to be another girl. So here we go with the most asked questions about the first 14 weeks of my pregnancy!

How did you find out that you’re pregnant?

We were actively trying so I had been tracking my ovulation in the Glow App and I hadn’t been on any form of birth control since before we had our last baby. My cycles were super normal so made tracking pretty easy. I actually had spotting 5 days before my missed period and had read about implantation bleeding several times in a mom group. I didn’t worry too much because it was very light and did not continue past one wipe. (If you are concerned, certainly consult your OB). I waited until the day that I was supposed to get my period and took a Stix Pregnancy Test.

Did you do a surprise reveal to your husband that you were pregnant?

If you’re new here, I found out I was pregnant while Lee was out of town so I was able to surprise him! You can see how I surprised him HERE. But no we decided to look at the test together and share the moment! We were so eager so I don’t think I could’ve even kept it from him regardless. We were both shocked as we expecting it to take longer to conceive this time around. It’s actually funny because when he looked at the test, he said “What does that mean?” We both laughed then realized we were going to have ANOTHER baby!

Were you TTC (trying to conceive)?

Yes! We knew we wanted another child and a sibling for Vivian. Lee grew up with 3 siblings and I was an only child. We also knew that we wanted them to be closer in age so that they would have similar friends and interests. As Vivian’s second birthday was approaching, we decided to try!

Do you want a girl or boy?

We are perfectly happy with either! I always wanted a little sister so it would be cool to give that to her but Lee definitely is partial to a boy (what Dad isn’t).

What have your symptoms been like?

My symptoms are SO similar to my first pregnancy. I had all day nausea Week 6-9 and could only eat whatever sounded good in that exact moment (usually ginger ale and carbs). We ate out a lot those weeks LOL On top of the nausea was extreme exhaustion. Wow I did not realize being pregnant with a toddler would be so tiring. I spent lots of days on the couch…thank goodness for Disney+! Once Week 9 ended, the symptoms got sooo much better and I got that second wind!

What are your holy grail first trimester items?

Oooooo so many things! But here are my top 4:

–Pink Stork Morning Sickness Hard Lozenges: They have ginger and B6 in them which are a natural nausea relief.

-Chickfila Lemonade: Guys, I won’t lie, I had one every day. The sourness of lemonade helps soo much!

-Oranges: We always keep mandarins in the house but I was steadily eating like of these a day to curb nausea.

–Tula Purifying Cleanser: I was previously using a cleanser with salicylic acid in it which they say to avoid when pregnant. I switched to Tula’s Purifying Cleanser and I LOVE it. Make you feel so clean.

Was your husband able to come to the first appointment with you?

He did… but they don’t allow children in currently so he had to sit in the car. We were SO sad about this. Thankfully we were able to FaceTime so he could see the sonogram (my OB does them at 8 weeks).

We truly cannot thank everyone enough for the love and support that we have received since announcing we were pregnant! It’s truly such an incredible experience and such a miracle. I’m so excited to share every step of my second pregnancy with all of you!

Disclaimer: this post contains affiliate links. This means I may earn a commission should you chose to sign up for a program or make a purchase using my link. It’s okay – I love all of these companies anyways, and you will too!

One of the things I looked forward to the most during pregnancy was documenting my bump with a maternity photoshoot. It’s the perfect moment to remember how beautiful pregnancy truly is. I’ll remember the nausea, swollen ankles, and all the extra cookies I ate but the photos show how so much more. They show how remarkable it was to carry human inside of me. If I can give every pregnant woman advice, take some photos that make you feel empowered. You are a literal rockstar and deserve to always remember these 9 months!  

We chose none other than the Meg Dryfus Wedding + Lifestyle Photographer. She has done our announcement, holiday, and family photos. She always delivers a large, crisp, beautiful gallery, plus she has the best personality.. seriously I always look forward to shooting with her. We drove down to Bradenton Beach area at sunrise, yes roughly 6 am (Lee was not happy LOL) to have these done.

Grab your coffee and check out my favorite moments that she captured.

You can find my maternity dress and swim cover-up on Amazon!

I’m wearing a Large in the dress which fit me like a glove!

What was the day that changed our lives forever actually started as a normal Sunday morning. Lee was away on a golf trip while I stayed back to work on the blog. I had woken up that morning and like everyday I would track my fertility and period in the Glow app. When I logged in, I realized my period was two days late!! In my mind, I was like ehh it’s no big deal this is my first month off of birth control so I’m sure my period will be off. I thought about taking a test but brushed it of then within 20 minutes I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Soooooo I sat down and started peeing on it….it was positive before I could even stop! I couldn’t believe it! I thought there was no way it could be positive especially since we’ve only been trying for a month. Well I was wrong, I took a digital Clear Blue test and it came up positive too! Seeing the positive on the test was the absolute happiest moment of my life.

Now I had to think of a way not to spill the beans to Lee before he made it home 6 hours later! We talked on the phone during his drive home and I was trying my hardest to play it cool. To keep my mind busy, I went shopping (doesn’t every new mama?)

Reveal Gift

I knew there was a cute little children’s boutique, so I had them make a customized onesie that said “Hello Daddy”. Then I went over to Target, grabbed this super cute book by Jimmy Fallon called “Your Child’s First Word Will Be Dada”. Perfect for Daddy’s gift! I went home, threw it in the box along with the first positive test I took and waited impatiently for Lee to arrive.

Once he got home, I couldn’t wait any longer! I sat him down (all while secretly recording him) handed him the box and let him open it.

His reaction was exactly what I imagined. He opened the box and was in utter shock. I immediately jumped on him and held him close. I was shaking with such excitement. A feeling similar to what winning 1 billion dollars probably feels like. We cried, laughed and screamed of our joy for our new baby. Something I will forever cherish and remember.