With huge amounts of thankfulness, we are so excited to announce that Oden will be a big brother before the end of the year!
Babies don’t come easy for us, that’s for sure. It took three years and every single fertility treatment/procedure possible (literally) to make our strong rainbow baby, Oden. Recently during our move to this house, I opened a drawer I’d avoided at all costs- the one containing lots of leftover fertility medications from our crazy, heart-wrenching journey. Months of Clomid, 3 IUIs, 6 IVFs, miscarriages, and much, much more. We easily went through 10 times this much medication- too many needles. Memories of our struggle came flooding back. It’s a serious understatement to say that Oden was worth the effort!
With our history, it shouldn’t have come as a surprise that Baby #2 gave us a run for our money, as well. It wasn’t until our third needle-filled attempt (when I was losing hope and convinced it wasn’t going to happen) that I took a home pregnancy test on a whim, way earlier than I should have. You could have knocked me over with a feather when I saw the digital “YES” on the stick. Clearly, I had to double – er, triple-check!
The doctor confirmed our incredible news and we saw our little caboose wiggling around immediately. The best part about working through a fertility clinic is that there are multiple early ultrasounds- lots of chances to see our second rainbow baby and get the reassurance that this is REAL. Look at the thumb-sucking going on already!
So far, this pregnancy has been very different than when I was carrying Oden. A few things are strikingly similar: like how strongly my sense of smell is affected (lilies, especially) and I tried to open the wrong car in a parking lot yesterday (de ja vu). But I was very nauseous for this first trimester, like lay-on-my-bed-all-day sick, and I didn’t feel that way with Oden. I actually lost weight instead of gaining it! I tried everything to feel better- sea bands, ginger, dry crackers. It wasn’t until I passed the 12 week mark that I started to feel like my energetic self again. Yay, food!
My cravings have been different this time, too. Yes, the sweet tooth is still alive and well… but I cannot get enough of big salads! You know, the kind with yummy nuts and interesting veggies or fruits and cheese…I add chicken for protein and devour them for every meal! I figure the salads help balance out the late-night ice cream bites or cookies, right? I can think of worse-for-me cravings!
Another different thing about this pregnancy is that we decided to find out the baby’s gender! It was such a memorable treat to hear John say the words, “IT’S A BOY!” after not knowing what was growing in my belly for 9 months. But we felt like it would be fun to know ahead of time this round. We asked the doctor to write it down in a sealed envelope and we took the envelope home with us, unsure of how we’d celebrate the big moment. That weekend, my parents happened to be visiting, so we decided to hand them the envelope with no introduction and let them surprise us all with the contents. Take a peek!
Like my mom says, we feel like it’s GAME ON. Oden stuffs his baby lamb and duck in his shirt and says “baby.” He rubs my belly and says “baby brudder.” Nothing could be more precious! I find that with a toddler around, I’m taking less belly photos and checking my “pregnancy by the week” app a few days later than I did the first time around. I’m almost halfway through this pregnancy and honestly, it feels too fast. Knowing this is our last baby makes it extra special and I want to savor each moment, each ache, each odd bodily change, and this ever-growing bump!
This baby has been more difficult for me physically and I tend to beat myself up for not being able to DO IT ALL. (It’s a common theme in my life and I’m working on it!) I read my announcement about our first pregnancy on this site and this quote caught my attention: “When I get down on myself or feel my energy fading into oblivion, I remind myself that I’m growing a human, for Pete’s sake. If I don’t feel like usual myself, it’s because I’m not my usual self. I’m a miracle-incubator and a life-giver!” What an incomparable gift that is!
Thanks for sharing another baby journey with us!
Our first pregnancy announcement post.
the usual bliss 
I’ve been following your blog for such a long time & I never comment but I’m so incredibly happy for you & your family & look forward to watching your family grow! Congratulations!!
Jan, I love hearing from readers and I’m so glad you commented! Thanks for your kind words and I hope you stay tuned for this wild ride!