It truly feels surreal (I say this every time I am pregnant, it’s annoying) to be pregnant again. I have always wanted a big family, four or five has been my dream number since I was a little girl. I just feel so SO fortunate to be able to get pregnant, to be married to a supportive husband who also happens to love babies and children as much as I do. I feel grateful, and it’s not something I take for granted. I’ve been missing the longer form days of blogging, exhausted by social media like everyone else it seems, but do appreciate the opportunity to share our family’s story and journey with others. Mostly because during very dark seasons of my life (my twenties) the blogs of moms in my season of life were what carried me through. So here we go, a little pregnancy update for you all who read my blog (mostly just my dad, hi dad!):
I found out I was pregnant after we had a miscarriage in March at the end of April. I was at a friend’s cabin for an annual girl’s trip, and it was just so fun. I came home, told Seth during an at home date night, and we were elated. I historically have had very difficult, challenging first trimesters and going into summertime full max mom mode and anticipating not feeling well had me feeling very nervous.
Unfortunately, I ended up getting sick with a terrible upper respiratory virus at the end of the school year, and then I got it again. Thankfully the second time wasn’t as harsh, but I won’t mince words, it was SO unpleasant and frankly debilitating. I am sick rarely, but we were due, and it was the worst. I am, finally, finally several weeks later feeling better and am surprised by how much energy I have at ten weeks pregnant. Four other pregnancies within five years will blend together in your memory a bit, but I do recall being down and out by this time with all my previous babies, so I am grateful. I am chalking it up to a few things.
This is my longest break in pregnancies which seems insane I know, but Penny will be two and a half when this baby arrives in January. Previous gaps have been twenty-two, fourteen, and twenty-two months, so thirty feels quite luxurious, ha! I think we’ve all been on a health journey, myself included and since having Penny I have tried to work on my health to be the best wife and mother as I can. I take quite a few supplements, and they all make a big difference for me, and the one that I really think has transformed this first trimester experience is blood nourish. I read on another mother’s Instagram about ways to support your body when you’re AMA and learned about blood nourish there. I do have moments of exhaustion and nausea, but I am much MUCH more functioning than I’ve been in previous pregnancies. It truly feels like a gift from God.
I definitely look pregnant (at least to me). A little girl at the kid’s last swimming class this spring asked me if I was expecting and we hadn’t even told the kids yet, lol. I knew it was time, and thankfully I had an early dating ultrasound in a few days and planned to tell them once we had photos. I am curious to see how big I will be come Christmastime. I’ve never had a winter baby and I admit I am so very excited to have a change in experience. My other babies are all summertime, early autumn, and that’s another reason why I think my sickness is lessened this time of year. Whenever I don’t feel well I can go outside and on a walk and that helps tremendously! Seth is presently sanding down a beautiful spindle baby bed to sit in one of our window nooks of our primary bedroom. I cannot wait to use it. I purchased a little knit hat for this babe while at a yarn festival with my friend Catherine in May. It’s fun to tuck away a few new things since this baby will have many hand-me-downs to wear and use.
On Tuesday morning I had an early dating ultrasound. I usually skip these, but because I hadn’t gotten my cycle back between my loss and this pregnancy, I knew it was a good idea. I had a beautiful visit on a rainy morning and came home with some dear photos to share with the kids. That night I hosted our Forest School Mother’s Dinner and Carrie and Johnna kindly took photos and video of Seth and I surprising the kids. Priscilla has been praying for a sibling for about six months every evening at family prayer, so I knew she would be especially excited. They all seem to be, but I do think it will be quite the adjustment to our present baby queen, Penelope.
All in all full of gratitude, joy, hope, and such reverence to a God who grants us the opportunity to create life alongside Him. What an honor this vocation of motherhood is!
