And Just Like That, I Am 26.5 Weeks!

To say I have been neglecting this blog is an understatement! A second pregnancy that is close to your first pregnancy definitely receives less outward attention. But rest assured I am not neglecting my pregnancy! I can feel baby girl kicking ALL OF THE TIME and I take little moments to pause and watch her move. I pat my stomach and let her know that I know she is there. I think about what she will look like all of the time. Will she have red hair and blue eyes like her sister? Will she be as strong willed as me and her sister, or laid back like her dad?

While I am not neglecting my pregnancy, I am not such a stickler to the "pregnancy rules" this time around. I have a cup of 12 ounce coffee most mornings, I am not afraid to eat a turkey sandwich (as long as the meat is steaming), I carry things that weigh more than 20 pounds (Ellery is 21 pounds and you cannot say no to a sweet face with arms raised up for mama) and I had a glass of red wine for my birthday! These may seem like small feats, but I did none of these things when I was pregnant with Ellery. Yes, it is best to take precautions when pregnant. But I know, as a mother and as an experienced baby carrier, that the small pleasures I am indulging in will not result in harm.

I am also sleeping much better this pregnancy. I haven't even pulled out the snoogle pillow! Well, I take that back. I still wake up at least 3 times a night to use the bathroom and while I am up I might as well go check on Ellery. So it is more likely that I am just accustomed to not sleeping. 

So far I have resisted buying any additional maternity clothes. Both pregnancies are around the same season so there had been no need! I have also become creative with leggings, boots, tunics and ponchos. No need to spend unnecessary money, right? 

I cannot believe that we will meet baby girl in 13.5 weeks! We won't begin setting her room up until Ellery is ready to give up her crib and sleep in her big girl bed. Our tentative goal is late April. We want to give Ellery enough time to transition before baby gets here and she is hit with more change! We are so curious to see how she will handle all of this. She has become much more loving, even to Norman. She leans in for Norman kisses and pets him softly (with reminders and encouragement from us). She extends her arms for hugs and gives us kisses. I think she will love her baby sister just as well :)

Norman, on the other hand, will probably give up and run away.