Our family is growing! We're pregnant with Baby #2!
I am SO excited to share with you that we’re pregnant with baby #2! It has been a total whirlwind as we found out the month we were moving. It’s so crazy how things fall into place.
Trying to get pregnant is one of the most private things and potentially one of the most isolating times of your life. It wasn’t as easy this time as it was with Emmie, and I want to share that with you in hopes that it helps someone else. My body felt off, so I decided to proactively see an acupuncturist, sie and I divide and conquer pretty differently. I know I’ll take at least one month uninterrupted. I did it before with a newborn, so I’m sure I can do it again! I wrote about how I did it here.
What are you most excited for with baby #2?
I can’t wait to give Emmie a sibling. I am so grateful that we’ll be able to. Emmie is so excited, too. She’s still processing that it’s a brother OR a sister. She currently thinks she gets both. I am also super excited for us to land with a new home and welcome a new family member - it feels so right for our little family.
and it made all the difference. If you’re in Chicago, I highly recommend Julie from The Nest. I was fortunate to get pregnant the first month after starting acupuncture.
How far along are you, and when are you due?
I can hardly believe it. I’m due Christmas Eve! So, I’m 4 months pregnant.
How are you feeling?
So much better than when I was pregnant with Emmie. I was sick the first 24 weeks with her. The first 10 weeks I had some nausea, and I’m always tired. Other than that, I’m good minus the random symptoms like brain fog and back pain.
Do you have any cravings?
I haven’t had many. I’m strangely into dairy - all things cheese are SO appealing to me, and I love pickles. Although I always love pickles.
Wait, is this why you sold your house?
No! Everyone asks that. Both life changes just happened to overlap. A complete coincidence. We didn’t know how long it’d take to sell our house or get pregnant. Then, boom. They happened at the same time.
We never had plans to stay at our house forever. During the pandemic, we fell in love with an area of Chicagoland that just felt like home and decided it’d be our long term plan to move there. I shared more about our move here.
You previously said you only wanted one. How did you know you wanted to grow your family?
I knew I wanted Emmie to have a sibling if we could have another. However, I’ve also always been mindful of how a baby changes a relationship, too. At first, we felt like one child would be best for us, but when Emmie was around 18 months old, we knew we could take on more if we were fortunate enough to.
Will you find out the gender?
YES! The last year or so has had enough surprises. It’s funny. This time, I want the complete opposite experience. I want to know the gender (gender reveal here) and I’d absolutely have a sprinkle. When I was pregnant with Emmie, I was adamant on skipping a shower. It feels so different this time.
What are your top names?
I wish I had some to share with you. We can’t seem to agree on anything this time. So far, it’s Hey You Herrmann. We had boy names and girl names picked out with Emmie, but we are second guessing our choices now.
I also think once we know the gender and we’re more settled with where we’ll live, it will be easier and more fun to think of names. We’re still in the thick of it with fluctuating plans and that consumes a lot of brain power.
How does that work with maternity leave since you own your own business?
Eeeek. Good question. It’s tricky and we’re still figuring it out. Jessie is due early this Fall, and I will be right after. Now that I have a team and a roster of set clients, there’s a great obligation to be on particularly because Jessie and I divide and conquer differently. I know I’ll take at least one month uninterrupted. I did it before with a newborn, so I’m sure I can do it again! I wrote about how I did it here.
What are you most excited about with baby #2?
I can’t wait to give Emmie a sibling. I am so grateful that we’ll be able to. Emmie is so excited, too. She’s still processing that it’s a brother OR a sister. She currently thinks she gets both. I am also super excited for us to land with a new home and welcome a new family member – it feels so right for our little family.
A huge thank you to Lauren for taking these photos! They’re the last photos of us in our old home, I’m pregnant, and I didn’t even know it yet!
