I finally did it! I sat down, but only to be proactive this time. So here goes my “long overdo” blog post:
We are now half-way through pregnancy!! We can finally identify the baby when speaking about her to others. Yes, we are having another GIRL! Woohoooo!! To be honest, we can’t imagine it to be any other way. Josephine gets herself a best friend for life and we have the honor of raising a girl gang. Growing up with two sisters, I cherish and understand the value of sisterhood. Like always, God knows exactly what we need for our family to be a complete even number. My husband is officially outnumbered not once - but twice! He is absolutely head over heels about being a girl dad. He will be more than fine as long as we have at least one son down the road, haha.
We didn’t throw a gender reveal party to announce the baby’s gender. To be fair, we didn’t do it with our first pregnancy either. We simply ask for the ultrasound picture that reveals the baby’s gender to be placed in an envelope. As soon as we walk out of the doctors office, we open it in the lobby while documenting our reaction. It’s our family’s special moment and we like to keep it to ourselves. Trust me, it’s as exciting as it is throwing a party. It’s our own private party.
There might be a slight difference in how we proceed with our plans this time around. When it comes to birth planning, we haven’t done much planning. We’ve learned with our first experience that anything can happen and things don’t always go according to the plan. You might end up switching to a medical doctor last minute and getting an epidural. You can read more about my birth experience HERE. So, we are playing it by ear as we do minor planning. We definitely want the birth to go as natural as possible, but that’s all we know for now. What I do know is that I want to be breastfeeding this daughter, as well. I had it easy with Jo and I’m praying for this experience to be just as smooth.
One thing for certain, we know what her name is going to be. We are all set on the first name, but are having trouble picking a middle name. I’m sure we will figure it out sooner or later. The new baby will be sleeping in our bedroom for the first few months. Josephine will be moving to her “big girl” room when she turns 3 at the end of August. We are hoping that Josephine will be big and brave enough to sleep in a twin bed without safety guards. That’s when the baby moves into her nursery.
The cutest thing about pregnancy #2 is that Josephine is in the loop with what is going on. She calls the baby by her name and doesn’t forget to kiss my belly now and then. She goes through the baby’s new clothes and admires how tiny they are. She impatiently waits until summer because that’s when the baby arrives. She looks out the window with an upside down smile and says, “esho zima..” translates to “it’s still winter..” On the daily, she stays busy preparing to be an older sister without even fully realizing it. All of the sudden, she is super into nurturing her baby doll. She became very caring and overprotective about all of her toys. Her crib is packed with stuffed animals and knit dolls and she refuses to set them free. They probably throw a party in the middle of the night while parents are catching some zzz’s.
I’m telling you, lack of energy during the second trimester is real. I constantly have to push myself in order to get things done around the house. The only way to get things done is by getting myself super excited; even if it’s something simple - like folding baby clothes or enjoying a cup of matcha. I give myself a deadline or else it’ll never happen. Thinking about the near future helps a lot as well. Not that I can't wait for this pregnancy to be over, but because there’s something more radiant about the newborn stage. The feels and the smells of a newborn is my biggest weakness.
We’ve prayed about her for the longest time. She is our other biggest blessing and we thank God for her everyday. The day she joins our family will be the most beautiful day. The birds will sing louder and the sun will shine brighter. June 22nd will be unlike any other. We will gain another promised daughter. God is good!