Baby Number Two!

Let me preface this by saying we were very torn with making our announcement public this time around. While we were so excited, I also know SO MANY women in the past few months that have had miscarriages. I also know of several women who are trying and wanting so bad to have a baby, or another baby and it isn't happening. Infertility is so tough and it breaks my heart. I have been there. When every baby post you see or new pregnancy announcement just breaks open those wounds again. When you see people and you literally think "oh my gosh did your husband breathe on you and you ended up pregnant again?" because that is how easy it is for them. If you aren't excited, I understand that. I have felt anger many times when other people ended up pregnant. Or pregnant again. I know this blessing of being able to carry another baby is a precious gift and that is not lost on me. 

So anyway...onto the baby facts!
I know you all are filled with burning questions about my pregnancy, right?
And since this space tends to solely document my woes and triumphs as a wife and mother I thought I might as well add a FAQ post for baby number two!

Anyone who has ever been pregnant knows there is an array of questions that people always ask.
Was this planned?
How far along?
When are you due?
Are you excited?
How do you feel?

yada yada

So here are answers for all of you!

This picture totally makes it look like I am several months along.
Nope. Totally not even showing. I think that is what they refer to as "baby bloat" :)

Yes, this was planned.

Let me rewind a bit and say we do not use birth control. We never have. I have enough hormone problems as it is, and I don't need to be altering God's original plan for my body by *surprise surprise* messing with my hormones. So yes, technically we are always "trying." When Reagan was about 4 months old we started intentionally trying. Yeah, I know that sounds crazy, but I knew it would probably take me awhile to get pregnant again. And guess what. It took almost a year. 

Due date is December 29!

I feel good!
I will post about why I believe this pregnancy has been lightyears different than my pregnancy with Reagan in a few days, so be watching for that post! I know you will all sitting on your edge of your seats in anticipation :)

I am not nervous.
Yes, they will be about 19 months apart. Maybe as the day draws nearer I will get anxious about taking care of two babies. But right now I am more excited than anything.

How did I tell Matt?
I took a test a day before Easter and it was negative. Surprise surprise. A LONG time ago we started buying pregnancy tests at the dollar store. They work just as well and they are only a dollar! I have actually never got a positive on a First Response. I don't know why, but both times I have been pregnant those tests have been negative...and those buggers are expensive! I actually had specifically bought a First Response before Easter, because I KNEW I was pregnant...and those are supposed to be the best, right? Well after getting ANOTHER negative and having a semi-meltdown...we then went up north for the weekend, came home and late on that Monday night I decided to go to the dollar store and pick up a few tests. When I got home Matt was outside cleaning his car with Reagan. Que total deja vue. I come running outside screaming and Matt just smiled. Lol. He obviously knew.  

We don't care the gender.
We will be happy either way.


Symptoms
Right now not much. I still have some nausea off and on. And I am a lot more tired this time around. Like...dead to the world by 9pm. I'm not showing in the least bit, but I feel like I could any day. I have lost about 5-8 pounds this time around. Pretty much have aversions to most food...nothing really sounds good. And the SALIVA....AGAIN! The worst.

Have we told Reagan?
Umm, yes. When I read about telling your other children I kind of laughed, because he is only 14 months old and totally doesn't understand. When we say anything about the baby he just then goes on a rant saying "baby, baby, baby" or if I show him my tummy he will just hit it repeatedly. He also has a new fascination with poking bellybuttons :) Probably as the day draws nearer he will notice more changes and that "something" is going to happen. I guess we will see. 

So there you go! All you ever imagined knowing about my pregnancy.

I do plan on documenting this pregnancy just like with Reagan. 
I will probably do my first bump update in a few weeks.

Thank you all again for all the congratulations! We are so excited!

Is it the weekend yet?

This week has been hard y'all.
Matt got home after class tonight and plopped down and said "I am just so tired."
And I started crying.
This week has been so dang hard.

I haven't been able to be the adequate wife and mother that I want to be.
And Matt has been gone a lot with his classes starting.
He then gets home and tries to pick up my slack and it has just been ONE.LONG.WEEK.
Should I mention I haven't done a single load of laundry all week?
Woops.

I am a firm believer that there is always a silver lining and even though I have to pick myself up off the couch and refrain from crying hourly daily, there is a silver lining.

Reagan's sleeping schedule couldn't be more spot on and timed so perfectly.
He is sleeping typically from 9-10pm until 8am every single day. And he takes 2 - 1 and 1/2 hour naps a day.
We need the rest right now and this has been heaven-sent.

We also just found out that Matt's one class that requires him to sit in a lecture for 2 and 1/2 hours after work 3 days a week is only for TWO MORE WEEKS! The whole class lasts about 6 more weeks, but the time required in class is only two more...the rest is online. I almost cried when he told me. Two weeks without him is so much more doable than 6. He still has his 3 other classes, but at least he won't be gone all day. At least not for much longer.

Have I said it enough that we are so ready for him to be done?
I CAN'T WAIT!

Oh and remember how I said Matt took every Monday off until he was done?
Umm...yeah. I forgot about it and just remembered today.
Even though he may be doing homework the entire day I am so glad he will just be HOME!

All I could think this week was a mix of "just keep swimming, just keep swimming" and "the little engine that could."
We are almost there.

My husband - The Ferris Alum

It's been awhile, hasn't it?

Hopefully this post is a kick-start back into a little bit of blogging, because I am sure you all miss hearing my thoughts and rants and raves about Matt and Reagan things I am passionate about.

So my husband graduated from Ferris State Univerity this past weekend!

What what?!

He has a Bachelor of Business in Information, Security, and Intelligence.

Watch out all you Internet users and criminals! :)

I am sure you ALL know my feelings on the matter, but if not you can catch up on this post or this one. Or just read any of my statuses or Instagram posts and you will know how over college we are. It has been HARD! He had a short week break between his winter semester and spring semester...and we got to go to bed at the same time every night. We were laying in bed one night talking...and we honestly couldn't recall the last time we went to bed at the same time. It was so sad. Classes and homework have consumed so much time over the past year or so.

We are so ready to be done.

And seeing him graduate was ALMOST the satisfaction we needed.

It was kind of bittersweet though, because he isn't technically done yet. He has a few more INTENSE weeks to finish off his degree. He will be gone in class after work almost every night. And he has a SATURDAY class. 8am-5pm. Seriously...just gag me now. Thankfully it is in Big Rapids...so I will probably just drop him off and spend those days up north.

So while we are so excited that we are THIS close to being done...his graduation would have been a little more exciting if there weren't these awful looming next few weeks ahead.

Thankfully though, he has a great job that gives him a lot of vacation time, so he will be taking off every Monday until his classes are done!

Can I get an amen and hallelujah?!

I am so proud of him and his perseverence.

Not only did he have the determination to finish, but despite his demanding schedule he still sought for his family to come first.

I tried to put Reagan to bed the other night..and Matt walked in and asked what I was doing. I said "putting him to bed." He said, "no...I want to...I thought that was my thing." And it's true. Other than the rare night that Matt has a final or a big paper due or something...I rarely put him to bed. Matt almost always steps away from his homework to put Reagan to bed.

I so so look forward to the day we are like a normal family. When he comes home from work and the rest of the evening is free! I am so looking forward to our new norm!

I look forward to going to bed at the same time every night!

Just a few more weeks!