Comparing Pregnancies

You’re probably not supposed to compare your pregnancies; it’s probably like comparing your children! And yet, as I approach the 20th week with Baby #2, it’s almost laughable how different this is. Cases in point:

Overall health: With Lauren, I continued walking and weight training. With Baby #2, I have to motivate myself to walk 10 minutes, go to a water exercise class, and I get winded by walking up the stairs.

Sleep: With Lauren, I could crash out any time of day. With Baby #2, if Nick works late and I’m tired, I have to hold out until Lauren’s bedtime.

Eating habits: With Lauren, it was overall healthy with cravings for the cookie dough. With Baby #2, I’ve eaten some things I’m not proud of, including an Oreo volcano sundae from Culver’s, enormous burritos and plenty of fried egg sandwiches.

Sickness: With Lauren, it stayed in the first trimester, with the exception of a few bouts in the last trimester. With Baby #2, I went to bed on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. and woke up to my first normal day since pre-pregnancy.

Movement: I think I felt Lauren move around 22 weeks. This time around, it was 18 weeks, maybe because I knew what to look for. The first 10 pounds came on more quickly, and I started to show earlier than with Lauren, too.

Preparation: We took a six-night birthing class for Lauren and read books. Now, I do a quick scan on babycenter.com to see what to expect for the week. On the flip side, we’ll find out Baby #2’s sex on Friday, and this will help me prepare the house.

Noah’s Ark – Wisconsin Dells

Nick’s fantasy football league had their annual draft meeting in Madison in mid-August, and his brother Ryan was in town for it, as well as Nick’s friend Mike. Lauren learned how to say “Ryan” (but it sounded more like “Roarrr!”) and “Mike”. I was surprised by how outgoing she was with both of them; she cuddled up to Ryan to read a book as I made supper (extra hands = bonus) and after originally being shy with Mike, she looked for him when he left the room. Even though Lauren and I have a super-tight bond, some people are just naturals with children.

We’ve broken the “Oh my god” habit as she’s moved onto new words, but it’s funny to see her pick up new expressions, like “Oh, man!” or “No way!” We continue to work on the throwing food issue, and we quit the pacifier weaning process for now. Maybe age 2 is a good milestone.

Ryan left, but the four of us hit Noah’s Ark on Sunday. Nick and Mike went on all the waterslides while Lauren and I hung out in the kid playgrounds and wave pools. No pictures from the day, but I do want to remember Lauren as she screamed in delight every time a wave washed over her. She is such a water baby that she didn’t want to come out, and slept deeply on the car ride home.

I completed my summer early childhood education class that I was taking online and received an A-. I loved it, but I’m going to try to relax until Lauren and Baby Wenos are in school. I think a full-time job, two kids and stuff around the house is enough work. Nick and I are coordinating a 5K charity race for our church this fall, and I just did way too much this summer. The stress is not good for the baby, and I’ll tell them they need to find a new race coordinator next year. I had a nice talk with Dad about this on the phone yesterday. Sometimes he is not the best person for emotional support, but he does a nice job of letting me realize something for myself before he comments on it. He’s always done that for me.

Big Girls … In Progress

Owen and Lauren. So sweet.

I’m a big girl. My 30th birthday arrived on August 6. I felt a little worried about it earlier in the year, but I didn’t cry or do anything drastic. By August 6, I thought, “I’ve been a mature person since I was 18, and now I have a mortgage and a job and a child and a child on the way, so it’s natural to be this age.” Nick told Kaye to work with Lauren at daycare, and by the end of the day, she produced a birthday card smattered with marker streaks and doggie stickers, and said, “Happy to you!” when she presented it. We took Lauren over to our friends’ Kyle and Sara’s house so she could play with their son Owen when we went out to eat. (Lauren calls him “Owl” or “Owie”. Close.) I fed her ahead of time (she continues to throw her dinner on the floor) and warned them about her O.M.G. expression as a precaution. She behaved.

Lauren’s a big girl … in progress. I read a variety of tips aloud to Nick off the Internet about fixing the food problem. Everything from “throw the food back at them” (ummm, downright abusive?) to “give them a special napkin where they can place foods they don’t like (“I don’t like the idea that it’s OK to teach her NOT to like certain foods,” Nick said.) The silver lining: one of the kids outgrew it by age 3.

So we’re using the same approach of removing the food, saying no, and having her pick  up the floor. She smiles at the word “No!” and hurls another piece on the floor, repeating, “No! Floor!” Was it really that long ago that she cried when hearing “No”?

“She’s testing you,” Kaye said. “I know,” I responded.

Big girl items coming in the near future: Introducing Lauren to a twin bed. Redecorating the room downstairs for her. Talking more about the potty; it’s out and in the bathroom, and she’s watching Kaye toilet-train another little girl at daycare. (No pressure. She hasn’t given me any signs that she feels ready to go yet.) And, hopefully, weaning Lauren of her pacifier at night. After nine successful nights of going cold turkey with Mom staying with her until she falls asleep, we let her cry it out, which makes me feel terrible and lasts 30 minutes or more. It’s a hit-or-miss method. I wouldn’t recommend it. It’s going to be a busy fall.

Pregnant.

(8-week sonogram shot will be placed here)

Dear Baby Wenos:

2009 is a crazy year. The worldwide economy dipped in fall 2008 to the lowest points since the Great Depression. Your mother’s job, in the quickly-digitizing world of publishing, felt uncertain for awhile. As families across the nation make cuts in their budgets, relocate to different cities to find work and delay family planning, your father and I planned to add you to our family. We used ovulation tests. You came into existence earlier than we thought – three months, instead of six, like Lauren. Your mother freaked out about daycare costs, and talked extensively about the family budget with your father. Your parents knew four couples that had miscarriages in the last year,  and they hid the pregnancy from work colleagues until 15 weeks.

And yet, you are wanted, you are loved, and we are so excited for you. Your old mom throws up at least once a week and craves egg sandwiches. Your sister, Lauren, loves babies, and while she doesn’t understand you are in Mommy’s tummy, she will give you lots of kisses and hugs when you work your way out. The work colleagues were thrilled, proving that work is not the end of the world. And one month from today, Dad and I are going in together to find out if you are a boy or a girl. The only thing that matters to us is that you are healthy and safe.

Soon, I’ll be able to feel you kick. And three out of the four couples that had miscarriages are expecting again. You will be born in January, and the three little ones will be born in February. You’ll get to have playdates with them. Your mommy cried with joy everytime she heard the news; apparently you are messing with her emotions .

Love,

Mom