Holy cow, I think you guys had even more questions than the last time we did this after announcing that Clara was on the way! But it was fun to dive in and answer as many things as we could before hitting 4,500 words (because honestly that’s pushing it, even for us). So here are a whole lot of answers for you sweet folks who had us beaming all day on Wednesday after our little bun announcement. We have so much to be thankful for, and you guys are definitely on the list.
Will you find out the sex of the baby? Are you taking a blood test to find out early, like Maternity21? Do you or John have a preference? Sherry, any “maternal instinct” feelings on whether this bean is a lady bean or a lad? After Clara’s scary birth, all we really hope for is a healthy baby. Sounds cliche, but it’s true. A little sister for Clara would be adorable, and it’s also fun to think about having a boy since that’s something we’ve never experienced. I have a feeling it’s a girl, but I definitely could be wrong. My doctor relies on 20 week ultrasounds for the big reveal, so we won’t know what’s cooking until November. But we’re looking forward to “the half-time show.” With Clara it was such a nice exciting moment in the middle of everything to learn who was joining our family – and of course we’ll tell you guys when we know. In the meantime it’s fun to have a little while to guess and wonder and lie in bed and talk about ten million possible scenarios and names and nursery ideas.
Is this the secret side project that you guys have been working on? Nope! While technically the baby was a secret project, it’s not the secret project that we mentioned in our blogiversary pie chart. That’s a side gig that we’ve been doing for over a year (we didn’t put kid-time on those graphs, so Clara care isn’t on there either). Hilariously enough, our secret project is also due to come out this spring! Ahh! Can’t wait to get the ok to spill those beans. Maybe in a few months…
How different has this pregnancy been in comparison to the first? Has your morning sickness subsided? Have you found anything that worked? I was never really that tired while pregnant with Clara but I’m feeling a lot more fatigued with this one, although I hear that’s pretty common since I have a kiddo to run after this time. With Clara I was sick in the morning (around 8-10am) which lasted until 16 or 17 weeks – so usually after I woke up and got sick a few times I could eat something heavy for breakfast (I loved a baked potato or a bagel with cream cheese) and then be good for the rest of the day. With this pregnancy I’m having all day sickness, which threw me for a loop for the first couple of months but now I feel like I’m sort of a pro at navigating the nauseous 24/7 waters. It’s all for a good cause! I’ve tried everything from ginger candies and ginger gum to acupressure bands and B6/B12/magnesium. Seems like “bowing to the bowl” as I affectionately call it, is just part of growing this amazing little bun, so it’s all worth it… although I wouldn’t be mad if it ended before 17 weeks this time. Here’s hoping!
Do you think that this will be your last baby or do you think that you’ll go back for more? John and I agreed we’d take family planning one kid at a time, so we won’t say a firm yes or no to three before we’ve adjusted to two, but at this point we’re both excited and satisfied by the idea of being a family of four (well, five with the Burgs).
Sherry, what prompted you to take a test? Morning sickness, food aversions, exhaustion? My earliest symptom with Clara was feeling dizzy (even just sitting on the sofa) so when I had that again I thought… could it be?! It was so exciting to confirm it. I stared at the test for five minutes before it sunk in.
How did you tell John? We had been trying for a while but I tried not to say anything to lead him to believe that I was pregnant just because I didn’t want to get his hopes up if I wasn’t. So even when I was feeling dizzy, I didn’t want to jinx myself and say “dude, I’m totally preggy” only to find out I wasn’t. So I waited to take a test in the morning, could hardly contain myself when it came up positive, and then hid it for a little John-surprise later. Around 9:00 that morning I was working on a post and I said “hey John can you come look at this with me?” and pointed to my screen, but I had put the positive pregnancy test on the keyboard. John came over and looked at the screen for what seemed like forever and then said “it looks good – waiiit a minute!” and saw the test sitting there on the keyboard. He laughed and I laughed and we smooched. It was sweet.
How did you tell your parents/family? Did you really wait until the end of your first trimester?! Yup, just like we did with Clara! We just prefer to get that “safe to share” salute from the doc – plus we love to deliver that news in person if we can. That opportunity presented itself this weekend when everyone was gathering at our house to celebrate John’s dad’s birthday. We had convinced my mom (Nonna) to schedule her fall visit to coincide with it, so we could tell almost all of our parents at once. For the actual reveal, we played off of John’s family’s “birthday crown” tradition. His mom always made paper crowns for them growing up and the tradition has continued even now that everyone’s an adult. So in addition to making a crown for his dad, John thought it would be funny to make one for me, with “Birthday Boy” on his dad’s and “Pregnant Lady” on mine. I wondered if it was weirdly thunder-stealing of us (hijacking his birthday to announce our baby) but we realized that there’s probably nothing more exciting for our parents than hearing that they’re going to be grandparents again, so we went for it. And it was awesome. John popped the crown on his dad’s head and as we all clapped and cheered John walked over to me and put mine on my head too. Everyone went crazy. It was awesome. Nothing beats being surrounded by the family and wearing a wicked awesome homemade paper crown.
How did you tell Clara? Does she get it? We decided to tell Clara the same day we announced to our whole family. She’s so chatty that we worried she’d spill the beans prematurely and it felt unfair to get her all excited about it but then ask her not to talk about it with anyone else. She was playing with her cousins during the whole crown reveal, so moments after that celebration John and I took her aside and told her there was a baby swimming around in my belly. I wasn’t sure how into it she’d be, but she was IN LOVE with the news. It was adorable and I cried like a baby. She rubbed my belly, and put her ear up to it, and kissed it and asked the sweetest questions (Is the baby getting her face wet? She might not like that! Is she being a good listener in there?). I was amazed by how much she “got it” and how interested she was. And every day since she has talked about the baby and how she’s going to share her toys and be gentle and hold the baby like this (*mimes holding a doll and rocking it gently*). She’s going to be the best big sister ever. Excuse me while I sob for an hour or two.
Does Clara have a guess on the sex of the baby? Or any name suggestions? She says it’s going to be a girl, and she wants to name her Pom-pom Petersik. So far we are highly amused, but not convinced.
What are you doing to prepare Clara for a sibling? We’re just talking about things like “this empty room will be the baby’s room” and “when a baby is really tiny it sleeps a lot.” Just mentioning little things whenever she asks or seems interested. Mostly I’ve been telling her that she’ll always be my first baby and I love her so much and even if I have to feed the baby or hold the baby when it cries, I will always be loving her at the same time, and that my heart is so big and full of love for both of them. I never want her to feel displaced or second-fiddle – and I hear from a lot of my friends that they feel the same way then they’re pregnant (so it’s nice to know I’m not the only sniffly hormonal one).
Is the new baby also going to be called the bean, or does this one have a different nickname? This one seems to have affectionately become known as the bun. It seems fitting since Clara still holds the title of The Bean, and of course we have The Burgs… so The Bun rounds out our little trio.
How far along are you? When are you due? With every checkup, the measurements they take seem to shift the date a bit one way or another (and due to complications with Clara’s birth I won’t be able to go full term, so I’ll probably be delivered about a week early – but that’s something they’ll decide at the very end). The best guess is that I’m in my 13th week and we’ll have the baby sometime around the middle of April, although that might continue to change as the baby grows and they monitor me.
Do you have any names rolling around in your head yet? We tend to like names with personal or family meaning (Clara was named after John’s grandma while her middle name honors my dad and my Great Aunt) so the name of a family member or one that references something special to us seems to be what we’re usually drawn to. We generally like to toss out ideas just for fun in the beginning, but we don’t pin anything down until we find out the sex of the baby. Even then, we plan not to lock anything in (or share our finalists) until we meet the baby. So we’ll probably go into delivery day with two name contenders, and then say “yup, totally a ___.”
Will you be doing a weekly photo project with this baby like the one you did with Clara? Yes, we’d love to! We’re not sure if we’ll do the same thing (bright fabric + white onesie + photoshopped week number + cute baby) or if we’ll come up with something else. We’ve toyed with something like putting the baby in/on/around different things each week to show scale/growth and vary the background (like in a basket, on a wagon, on a pillow) but we’re not sure if we’ll run out of things or it’ll get too complicated. We’ll definitely do something, we just don’t have a clue what yet.
Are you due on the same date as Katie Bower? Did you try to time it with Katie’s pregnancy or was that a happy coincidence? She’s due sometime in March, and I’m due around mid-April, so we’re actually about the same distance apart as last time (Will was April, Clara was May). It’s always nice to have someone to talk pregnancy symptoms with (we sound like a fun bunch, eh?) and I like that she’s paving the way, especially because she’s on number three. I keep telling her she has to warn me about all the things that I forget are coming – it’s been a whole lot longer since I did this! As for if we planned it, I don’t think we could have planned it if we tried! We both wanted to expand our families and had been trying, but ending up in such a close range for our due dates again was a complete coincidence. We each have other friends who are expecting around that time too, so it feels like there’s a little spring baby boom.
After such a traumatic birth with Clara, how did you know it was the right time to try again? How do you manage the anxiety? Second time around you’ll have a scheduled c-section right? Does that make it less of a risk for you? Yes, my placental abruption was triggered by labor, so it’s safest for me (and this baby) not to go into labor again. So I’ll be closely monitored and will have a planned c-section whenever we think labor is impending (I’d never want to give birth too early, so there will be a lot of monitoring, but waiting too long and abrupting before having the baby could be very dangerous for both of us). So yeah, it’s sort of complicated but I’m trying to just have faith and appreciate this blessing and remember how amazing the medical team was that saved Clara. I think recognizing that I can’t control everything (stressing and worrying won’t solve anything) helps too. As for how I knew it was the right time to try again, I think we just needed some time. This baby will be four years younger than Clara, and putting that much time between her birth and getting pregnant again just felt right for us. I was able to heal (physically and mentally) and somehow the excitement now outweighs the fear, which it definitely didn’t even a year ago. I’m still a bundle of nerves, but I also feel so thrilled and humbled to be pregnant – and so thankful for everything that’s going well so far. It’s all we can ask for.
How did the timing of this relate to some of your other big events – book tour, moving, the showhouse, etc? Did you intentionally plan around those? The book tour and the move were both completed before I became pregnant (it was nice timing to have already started settling in at this new house when we learned the good news). And while we certainly didn’t want to throw pregnancy into the mix during the craziness that was our book tour, we still have busy months ahead of us with writing our second book, the showhouse, and the “secret project” (the last two of those have deadlines within weeks of my due date). So we’re doing our best to plan, get ahead wherever we can, and remember some advice that we got before having Clara: if everyone waited until they had lots of spare time on their hands to have children, it might get put off forever. Sometimes you just have to dive in and make time for something that’s as important to you as family.
Is 2014 going to be the year of baby #2 and book baby #2?! If so, does that mean you’ll be on tour with a newborn and we’ll all get to oogle him/her? As sweet as that sounds, our second book probably won’t be out until 2015 or 2016 (they take so long!) so this baby will lap the book by a mile. We’re grateful for that though, since touring with a baby would most likely be miserable for all parties involved (a little baby-travel is fun, but 30 flights over a few weeks might be a bit much).
I know that’s kind of personal, I’m just curious if it took you longer to conceive #2 than Clara, because it seems like everyone I know, myself included, did. Yup, it took us longer for #2 as well!
When you threw your back out during the Oprah shoot…was that a euphemism for “morning sickness”? Nope, I actually wasn’t pregnant then (it was back in May when they filmed that) but I sure am thankful that I’ve made it through moving and early pregnancy without doing that again!
What tips you have for a fellow pregnant DIY lover. What types of projects do you continue doing while pregnant and what do you stay away from? I know you all usually use no-VOC paint but I wasn’t sure if you took any other precautions. I was really careful when I was pregnant with Clara, and I’m following the same guidelines with this pregnancy – always using no-VOC paint with no-VOC colorants (Olympic’s Premium line, Mythic, or Benjamin Moore’s Natura line all are wonderful for that) in a well ventilated area. I also use sealers that are safer (Safecoat Acrylacq can be ordered online and is a great baby-safe non-toxic alternative to the fumier stuff).
If something’s oil-based (like spray paint) I either wear a high quality respirator (not one of those paper ones, a real VOC-blocking one) or I ask John to take over if it’s a more involved project (wearing the mask for too long makes breathing difficult when I’m pregnant for some reason). I also check product labels or Google around to see if something I’m planning to do or use (like Crazy Glue) is bad while pregnant (hint, it is!). I also skip any heavy lifting or super vigorous work. I’m all about climbing a ladder to limb up a tree or painting ceiling beams while arching my back for five hours when I’m not pregnant, but when I am, those jobs get wait-listed. Update: being exposed to lead paint is also especially dangerous if you’re pregnant. More on that here.
Do you plan to make any changes with blogging? What are your plans for maternity leave? Are you considering daycare/full-time preschool or hiring someone to help with the blog? We don’t know exactly what will happen, just because this job has always surprised us (who knew we’d be here 6 years ago?), but we don’t have plans for childcare or blog employees at this point. We’d be fooling ourselves if we didn’t acknowledge that having another child to raise will require some major re-balancing of things, but we hope to continue to switch off with kids, projects, post-writing, and the rest of our work-at-home-parent jobs to the best of our ability.
I didn’t take any maternity leave when Clara arrived (even with an emergency C-section we didn’t miss a post) but we did write a lot of posts in advance and “stockpiled” some stuff in anticipation of having a newborn, so we hope to do that again this time around. The truth is that two kids could be a total game changer and we might need to make more drastic changes, but we’ll cross those bridges when we get there. For now we’re just readying ourselves for the adventure and leaving ourselves open to the possibilities, which seemed to work when Clara came home (it’s comforting to remember that we’ve juggled a newborn before while both being full time bloggers).
Do you see the blog going more towards lifestyle/mommy type of stuff? Our site has always had family stuff mixed in among the home chatter (we’ve posted about birthday celebrations, road trips, anniversary traditions, trips to the fair, and other random thoughts from the very beginning) but DIY has always been our first love, so we have no plans for this to become a mommy/daddy blog, especially since it didn’t take that turn when we had Clara. The balance seems to be a big slice of home related stuff and a smaller slice of personal/family/random – so I think after six years of that general ratio, it’s just how we like to blog. Having another child is definitely a big deal in our little world, and since this blog is essentially about our home life we’re sure it’ll get worked in regularly, but we don’t ever foresee it overshadowing our core DIY focus.
Will you keep pregnancy posts to Young House Life? We’re planning to stick to the same formula that we used for our pregnancy/birth with Clara, meaning that DIY-related updates (like putting the nursery together) or home-related kid stuff (like this post about what we bought to prepare for Clara’s arrival or this one about living with kid stuff everywhere) will be shared over here along with other “meaty” life and family posts (like Clara’s birth story, our cloth diapering adventures, my experience with 14 months of breastfeeding, etc). Meanwhile quick little updates/videos/photos about pregnancy and having a newborn will most likely live over on Young House Life. We think of that site as sort of a family photo/video album, so short clips and quick stories usually end up over there.
I can’t wait for you guys to plan another nursery. Can you share a mood board? Or just give us any small hints on plans for that room? We’re so excited about the nursery, but I think we’ll do what we did when we were pregnant with Clara: wait until we know the sex before starting on the room. It also helps ease my mind because I don’t want to feel like I’m jumping the gun on anything since this pregnancy isn’t guaranteed to be a smooth one. So by waiting a little while we can just kick around ideas and give ourselves time to gear up and dive in when we’re closer to my due date.
Any weird cravings this time? Baked potatoes. Just like last time. And salt and vinegar chips. And pickles. I’m a stereotype with the pickles. I can’t help it.
Where did you get that fabric in the background of your photos on Wednesday?! We got that at a local fabric outlet called U-Fab, and it was marked from $27 a yard down to $7.99 a yard (we shared it on Instagram here). It’s by Braemore and it’s called Pomegranite. He’s the listing on U-Fab’s site. We’re thinking of either using it here in our house somewhere or in the showhouse. It was too good of a deal to pass up.
Will you, Sherry, maybe learn to drive again/take lessons or anything since you said you do not drive anymore? Oh yeah, I owe you guys an update on that! I’ve been driving! John’s still the primary driver just because he likes it and knows all the shortcuts, but I occasionally run errands or will switch off with John on long road trips to give him a break if he’s tired. I’ve always had my license (kept renewing it even when I was in NYC for 6 years taking the subway) so it just took a little practice to get back in the saddle, so to speak.
Since Burger is a “barky dog” do you have any tips for keeping the house quiet during baby nap times? Right before Clara was born my sister-in-law told me never to tiptoe around a sleeping baby (she said she vacuumed under all three of her kids’ cribs while they slept blissfully) and there really does seem to be something to it. We’ve DIYed while Clara sleeps (and Burger has had random barking fits) pretty much since we brought Clara home – and while I’m sure some of it’s nature and some of it’s nurture (in other words, it probably won’t work with every kiddo), Clara has grown up to be a nice solid sleeper through all the chaos. We do use a sound machine in her room (to block the hammering or the barking somewhat) and also have light blocking curtains in there (she does seem to prefer total darkness even if there’s banging in the background).
Will you cloth diaper again? Will you use the same ones you used on Clara? Did you take your diaper sprayer with you from the old house? We have all of our supplies (our Bum Genius diapers and our sprayers) and we plan to reuse them after the baby gets big enough, like we did with Clara (I think it took her 2-3 months to grow into the one-size-fits-alls but they lasted her for years until she potty trained). We think all of them are in good enough condition to be reused, although we need to double-check them (since they’ve been packed up for several months now) and don’t mind picking up a few more if we need to. They definitely pay for themselves a hundred times over.
Are you nesting? I don’t think I am just yet. I’m making lots of lists and definitely have a million things I’d love to do before the baby’s here, but I’m not in that emptying-every-cabinet-and-scrubbing-it-like-a-maniac stage yet (that happened around 35 weeks with Clara).
Does the pregnancy change what’s next on your to-do list? Well it definitely bumped the nursery onto the list! I think generally we’re still interested in living here and seeing how this house works for our now-growing family, so we’re not planning to gut any kitchens or bathrooms before the baby comes since we’ll only have been in this house a few months (we generally like to wait over a year for those things). But I think we’ll keep nice and busy on non-gut jobs like setting up the nursery, adding built-ins to the bedroom and the office, working more on the living room and the guest room and the dining room, along with doing some in-the-meantime updates in the kitchen and bathrooms before those bigger down-the-road renovations.
I feel like a member of my own family is having a baby, can we all be honorary aunts and uncles please??? Yes. We are so grateful for all of the healthy baby prayers/vibes/dances that you guys have sent our way. Honestly, we’ll take every last one of them and we love you guys. Don’t make me get all hormonal and goobery. *sob* Too late.
Catherine says
*so* excited for you guys!!!! I’m happy-dancing in my head, mainly cos in public & the schtuff looks Wierd if you do it in public on your own. People look at you funny. Trust me on this…
Kara says
ALL THE SMILEY FACES.
Abbey says
Pom-Pom Petersik for the win!!
Shelby says
Agreed! Oh my goodness, Pom-pom is pretty much the cutest thing I’ve heard in a good long time! At the very least, it would make an adorable nickname (even if you’ve already got one picked out, two won’t hurt)!
Gina says
Agree!! Ha, too cute!
E.D.R. says
We have a friend whose son thought their second child should be named either “hambone” or “pancake”, Pom-pom sounds almost reasonable in that company!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh my gosh, Hambone! Where do they get these things?!
xo
s
Cameron says
I think they could get away with it if they joined a snooty, hoity-toity country club. Pom Pom isn’t any more ridiculous than Muffy, Buffy, Bizzi, etc!
Anne says
My older brother and I have about the same age gap as Clara and the Bun will have. Mom and dad called me “Rosebud” in utero, but my brother was obsessed with Wheel of Fortune at the time and really wanted to name me Vanna.
I love hearing all the baby news and am just so excited for you! Best wishes for a smooth pregnancy and delivery!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so cute!
xo
s
Julie says
Pom-Pom would be a cute nickname, for what full name I don’t know, but it would be cute. lol
JBC says
Yay! Congratulations again! I’m so, so, so excited for you guys. Clara is going to be the BEST big sister!!!
Kristin says
I love this post and just want to say congratulations again! I cannot wait to ready about your experience with baby #2. Enjoy every moment!!
Jess @ Little House. Big Heart. says
Congratulations again, Petersiks!
This is such an exciting and personal time; thanks so much for being gracious enough to share it with us!
Lizzie says
Aww, congratulations! I’m 5 months pregnant with my second (my son is 17 months now) and work from home while taking care of him. I have also felt more tired and sick this time around – I’m chalking it up in part to not being able to rest much. I’m excited to see what you guys come up with for nursery ideas – it feels weirdly lovely to be pregnant at the same time and you and Katie Bower. Happy pregnancy, guys!
Alise says
Thanks for starting my morning with happy tears!! Sending virtual hugs to you all!!!!
Ann says
I’m so happy for you!!
Stacy says
I didn’t get to leave my congrats before but I am SO excited for you guys. 2 is SO much fun… and I’m being serious. I have to admit that some of the questions I read in the comment section when you announced I found to be a bit… intrusive. You guys are great for answering so many of them! Soft serve ice cream is pretty great for indigestion and I highly suggest if you haven’t already that you ask for zofran for morning sickness. It doesn’t necessarily work but it can at least help to calm the stomach so you can get some food in ya. Good luck!
Donna Jean says
Definitely ask about Zofran – that is the only way I survived both of my pregnancies! I had to take it from 5 weeks til delivery, but it was seriously the only reason I was able to function. (But the nausea was magically gone, just like that, right after delivery. Hormones are crazy!)
Also, have you thought about renting newborn cloth diapers? We cloth diaperd our first starting at about 2 months and decided we were going to cloth diaper baby #2 starting with diaper #1. (She’s almost 16 months old and has never worn a disposable diaper!!). It’s definitely not for everyone, but since you already have a wash routine established it is so much easier the second time around. If you google “newborn diaper rentals” you can find a ton of options. We loved it and it was definitely cheaper than 3 months of disposables.
Congrats on baby #2! And what you wrote about Clara definitely made me cry. That is the best part about having a second baby – watching your first born become an older sibling. It is indescribably awesome.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip Donna Jean!
xo
s
Lela says
Thank you so much for taking the time to answer everyone’s questions! I truly value your opinion when it comes to DIYing with a pea in the pod. Congratulations to you all again! Can’t wait to share in your excitement and joy. P.S…Love the new disclaimer I see down here. Your blog is perfect just the way it is. Don’t let those select few bring you down. You have a million others on your side :)
Lela says
Oops sorry…I see what I inadvertently did there. Thanks for the fix!
YoungHouseLove says
Of course ;)
xo
s
CAB says
Yes, John and Sherry, so glad for your new policy regarding snarky, nasty, gross and inappropriate comments! Every time someone would leave one, it was so upsetting for me to read, and I can’t imagine how it would ruin your day and make you start wondering why you were even doing this! Enjoy the delete key (sorry you’ll have to read it in the first place) but we’ll all benefit! Thank you! Congrats to all the Petersiks! Woohoo!
qs777 says
So excited for all of you!
Re: Clara feeling second fiddle
My two have about the same age difference, but different genders. Since my oldest was very sensitive, I explained that at different points during their lives, each may need mommy and daddy more and when it is born, the baby will since the baby cannot do anything for him/herself. I also pointed out that he got 4 years with just mommy and daddy which is something the new baby will never have. It really seemed to make him feel more important – like a big brother should feel. :)
Also, I think the age difference is great since Clara will be into her own new experiences like school which will kind of free up time for you guys alone with the baby. Good luck!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s a sweet tip! Thanks so much!
xo
s
Kelly says
The best advice I ever got about that transition time was that it was ok to let the baby cry for a minute if my older kids needed me. (I have 4) At first I balked but there were times when my older kid or kids :) needed a hug, to finish a story, etc and it made a much bigger impression on them that I took care of them even when the baby needed me then it bothered the baby to cry for a minute. I wasn’t one to let my babies cry much and we never did CIO but this worked well for us.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Kelly!
xo
s
Sarah says
Happy tears again for you guys. Especially about how excited Clara is!
It’s funny how millions of people have had babies before but it still feels just so special each and every time. I’m feeling lucky to get these types of jolts of pure, unadulterated happiness for other people right alongside with mundane day-to-day life.
Karen says
I’ve always been told that the best gift you can give your child is a sibling. I believe that 100%, as we are going on number 3, due around the same time as you! Both my husband and I come from large families and we hope to give our kids that same special bond.
Sarah S says
You guys are so generous with your lives and how much you share with us – thank you because I can use all the step-by-step instructions on my own home projects. And use the kinda step-by-step pregnancy/baby advice when my hubby and I decide the time is right.
But what I really wanted to say is that Pom-Pom Petersik is AMAZING. Clara’s always keeping this reader LOLing.
Rose says
As you both know, unsolicited advice rolls right on in when people find out you are with child. I wanted to chime in :-)I really wanted to make my first little guy feel a part of the whole “new baby” thing. Here is what we did in our family: always referred to the baby as “our baby”. This was so stinkin’ cute afterwards because Noah would always introduce the baby as either our baby or his baby. Another thing we did whenever we had a baby is had little gifts for the older siblings all wrapped up and in the hospital bag so when they came in to meet the baby, there was a gift for them from the new baby! So excited for you guys!?
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so cute! Our baby = affective immediately.
xo
s
Carla B. says
I just have to say again, CONGRATS to y’all! :) I’m so happy for your growing family!
I, too, am on pregnancy #2 (my daughter is 2 years old) and can totally relate to worrying about making sure she knows she is as loved as ever. I’ve also worried about being able to love another child as much as I do her — she’s our pride and joy for sure. My best friend gave me the best advice: “Love multiples, it doesn’t divide.”
Also, my pregnancy this go-round (I’m due on Thanksgiving) was drastically different than my first, especially with the all day, praying to the porcelain god, nausea/vomiting. I found that peppermint tea really helped! If you haven’t tried that yet, maybe give it a whirl.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Carla! Will give it a try!
xo
s
Megan Poletti says
I’m so excited for the Petersiks! I vote Pom-Pom be a serious contender for the first name. But then again I’m a big fan of alliteration, so..
ColleenwithJustPaintIt says
You are so incredibly gracious and generous for sharing so much with us. Thank you. If good thoughts will help for a safe and healthy pregnancy/delivery/baby, you should be just fine ;)
Marlena says
So awesome! I feel like this would help all pregnant people – to sit down and write their answers to look back at later – since I can hardly remember anything at all!
Heather P. says
Congrats on the bun! Glad to hear Clara’s so excited about it all – she’s going to be a pretty awesome big sister.
Have a great weekend!
Amy says
I feel as excited for you as I would for someone I *actually* know in real life and that’s because of your amazing, personal and welcoming blogging style. I wish you the best and congratulations again!
P.S. Maybe you could use the same object for each of the photo project pictures to clearly show the baby’s growth?
YoungHouseLove says
That’s a fun idea too! We love how varied all of Clara’s pictures look when they’re collaged, so I think we could work some item in each time but would also want the background or other elements to change so it’s all fun and colorful! I have no idea where we’ll end up!
xo
s
Annabel Vita says
What about making it the opposite of clara’s project – white background with a coloured / patterned onesie? (and the same object for scale).
YoungHouseLove says
That’s a fun idea!
xo
s
schmei says
I got all misty (dang hormones – I’m pregnant, too) about Clara’s reaction. She is going to be a terrific big sister!
It sounds like I’m a bit over a week further along than you (due April 7ish), and I’ve been a lot less queasy the last few days, so I’m hoping the same can be said for you soon!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh I hope so! It’s so nice to hear that you’re feeling better! I remember with Clara being so confused why it went almost half-way through, but I don’t know if that’ll happen again this time…
xo
s
Heather P. says
Congrats on the bun! It’s so cool to hear how excited Clara is about the whole thing – she’s going to make a great big sister!
Have a great weekend!
Sara says
My parents let me name my sister when she was born. Or, probably more accurately, they went with the name I liked. I picked Susan after my favorite person on Sesame Street.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so sweet!
xo
s
Carol says
Congrats again!!! Love Pom-pom…maybe as a nickname? My sister is five years older than me and when asked what my name should be, she picked “Miss Potitiquette”(no idea), “Housekeeper Jones” (so I would do the chores), or “Vaseline Van Natta” (for the alliteration, I think). So, in the scheme of things
Pom-pom is really not so bad! LOL!
YoungHouseLove says
Your sister needs to be a professional namer. Those are hilarious!
xo
s
Carol says
Her 3 kids somehow ended up with much less “interesting” names ;)
Jennifer says
I am so excited for you guys! The vacuuming under the crib thing cracks me up! My Mom definitely abided by this rule when my sister and I were little. She once hung pictures (hammering and everything) over my sister’s bed while she was sleeping and she never woke! Haha.
Reenie says
What a cute way to tell your parents. And Clara’s reaction and comments…. too cute!!
Congrats again ~ can’t wait to see how you will reveal (if you do) to us whether baby will be pink or blue. =)
Tracey says
I’ve read your blog for ages, and came to your Richmond magazine book talk, but never really commented before. Now, though, I must tell you how very, very, very happy and excited for you both that I am! You even got me sniffling into my oatmeal reading about Clara talking to the baby. Geez, why you gotta do that?! Wishing you all the best good, safe, happy pregnancy vibes that exist! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Tracey! And thanks for coming to the Richmond magazine thing! We loved looking out at all those smiling faces.
xo
s
Stacie says
As someone commented on your announcement, I couldn’t be happier for complete strangers. I’m very excited for you guys and love that you are sharing all the details with us. As a mother of 2 that are almost exactly 4 years apart…I have to say, it is awesome. In my mind, I would have had them closer, but God has a different plan and I think He always knows best. My son, the older of the two, was smitten from day one of knowing that there was a baby in my belly and he still to this day ADORES his little sister, who is almost 2. I thought it might wear off, but it hasn’t. It is just the sweetest thing. I’m sure that Clara is going to adjust quite well and be such a great helper. Congratulations guys!
YoungHouseLove says
My heart = mush. Thanks so much for sharing that Stacie. I can only hope that we have the same reaction over here.
xo
s
fd says
Big congratulations to the four of you! Clara’s reaction had me reaching for the Kleenex as well. :-)
Big vibes for a healthy safe pregnancy and delivery.
Teresa C says
Congratulations!!!
Amanda says
Yay for mid April birthdays! My sister is the 15th and I’m the 18th, aka April was cake month. I am so excited for you guys and this new adventures. Thoughts for a happy, healthy baby!
Shreya says
Congratulations! So happy for your beautiful family and I wish you nothing but the best :)
Isabelle says
We have 4 years between each of my sisters (4 girls! So 12 years from the oldest to the youngest). I think it’s the perfect age difference. The older ones are old enough to “help” with the new baby, we each had our own friend circles and lives when we were younger and in high school, and we’re all very close now – despite our age gaps.
The downside was that my parents paid for college for 12 straight years while never getting a break for having two kids in college at the same time. You win some, you lose some :-)
Congrats on your special gift. My mom had a placental abruption between the first and second in our family – they lost the baby and my mom nearly died. After that, my parents always said they were just thrilled to have a healthy baby and didn’t care one ounce whether it was a boy or girl. So I don’t think you’re being cliche at all! You’ve been through a lot!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh Isabelle, I’m so sorry to hear about your mom’s loss and how close she got to losing her life. That’s terrifying! I’m so glad they went on to have another healthy child.
xo
s
Isabelle says
They actually went on to have 3 more (all natural birth)! I’m thinking good thoughts that you’ll have the same good fortune and that your next bun’s delivery will be drama-free!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Isabelle!
xo
s
Tiffany H says
Sherry – I had all day sickness with my daughter and tried everything as well (I was actually at home with her as a newborn during your book tour (you signed my book my friend got me with well wishes :)). Though I can’t drink or eat it now, peppermint worked wonders for me. Chewing peppermint gum was great for the longer lasting relief. Peppermint tea was good. It was easy to find since it was near Christmas. Best wishes!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Tiffany!
xo
s
Dawn says
I dealt with hyperemesis during my pregnancies (severe, all day morning sickness). Nausea is definitely rough! I hope you get your reprieve like you did last time. If it continues or ramps up, don’t be shy about going to the doctor/ER – there are things they can do give you some comfort (mainly hydrating you, which is one of the biggest problems when you’re sick all the time).
Happy bun growing!
Angel says
So happy for you and the little Bun! I think you have to put up some of those decorative pom poms in the nursery now, as a nod to Claras super cute name choice.
Also, I had horrid all-day-sickness when I was pregnant and after going about a week on nothing but oyster crackers and ginger ale (and prenatal vitamins, of course), my boyfriend INSISTED that I needed to eat something. I said “Fine, but I am not eating anything that smells like anything”. He disappeared into the kitchen and came back with white pasta drizzled with olive oil. Sounds crazy but it was awesome at the time! Might be worth a try…
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, that sounds so good! Sadly pizza is my kryptonite this pregnancy (last time it was onion rings… go figure). Let’s just say it’s 5 hours of bowl-time afterwards. So sad, because I miss John’s homemade pizza so much, but the two times I’ve caved and tried it… not good.
xo
s
Tyra says
No pizza? My biggest fear (I’m a pizza fan).
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, it’s a drag. But well worth the cause!
xo
s
Natalie says
Pizza works for me too! Thin crust veggie was almost the only thing I could eat when pregnant with my daughter. I am now 12 weeks with #2 and have ordered a box for the last three weeks in a row…no one else eats it so a box lasts me several days. Lol!
Pickles help too…but only the Claussen brand that is refrigerated.
YoungHouseLove says
Yes! Claussen or bust!
xo
s
Michelle says
ooh can you share the pizza recipe?
YoungHouseLove says
It’s the cheater kind. So easy! John just buys Pillsbury pizza dough and he and Clara roll it out and put cheese and sauce and veggies on it. So good.
xo
s
Stephanie says
I’m way late to this, but I have to say – the premade refrigerated Trader Joes crust is SO much better than Pillsury and it’s only a dollar a pop! We keep some in the freezer at all times. Plus you can feel all professional fake throwing it in the air. My oldest just laughs his patootie off when I do that.
For when you’re back in the game, of course. I hope to be worshipping the porcelain goddess with you soon! (please remind me I said that)
YoungHouseLove says
Love the tip!
xo
s
Willa Harner says
Reading this post brings back so many memories for this grandma! It has been a rough week what with the government shutdown and a bunch of other things here in Pennsylvania, but hearing your excitement is like warm sunshine after a storm! With one of my pregnancies I had 5 months of all day sickness, including about 10 days where I was so sick I couldn’t do anything but lie down, read, or move very slowly, so I’m glad you’re able to keep going! (That “baby” has since produced two beautiful healthy granddaughters, so it helps to focus on the long view!) Thanks so much for your blog!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, that’s so sweet Willa!
xo
s
Leiann says
I am so excited for you guys! Thank you for sharing this post–seriously, so cool. :) Not a lot of public people would have the heart or feel it necessary to share their personal baby stuff with the world. You guys are the bees knees. I can’t wait to watch your family grow!
Congratulations again!
Lesley K says
Great post! Praying for a healthy pregnancy and delivery. I did not know you had compications with the bean, I found your blog after her arrival. I will put you on my prayer list!! As a mom myself, I know how we can worry about or kids in the womb. ALL THE TIME. Congrats you 2!
YoungHouseLove says
Thank you so much Lesley!
xo
s
Kim says
Congrats again and happy tears especially with the story of Clara’s reaction. I have two that go to daycare and yesterday the teachers told me they were holding hands through the fence between the big kid and little kid playgrounds. So one of the teachers picked my older son up and put him over the fence to give his sister a hug. Love the sweet sibling moments.
One thing I wanted to do but never was motivated enough would have been to take a picture of the baby next to the same stuffed animal every week or month so you see how the inanimate object “shrinks.” You guys are so creative if you started by placing the baby in the same basket, box or wagon by the end they might be standing next to it or sitting on it rather than in it! You could use some great extra props! I just dont have the creative spirit to follow through for my own kids!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s a fun idea! And oh my gosh, that fence story made me ugly cry. What amazing kids you have. You should be high-fiving yourself over that, I think. So SWEET!
xo
s
Melissa says
The fence story made me ugly cry too – and I don’t even have children! What a precious love your babies share. He will always be her protector and ally.
Stephanie says
Holy cow that EXACT thing happened with my two kids (one and six) through the fence at school! Precious to the max!
YoungHouseLove says
There are some great humans out there. Gives me hope for the future! Haha!
xo
s
Sarah says
The fence story is so sweet! My brother and I would hold our sister’s hand through the fence at daycare when we were young. Unfortunately, instead of letting us give her a hug, the daycare banned all the school age children from going within 5 feet of the fence. That one event was enough to make me do everything in my power to keep my children out of daycare.
Sarah says
My point was, kudos to those teachers for creating a safe and nurturing environment!
Geertrude says
Oh my, so many questions! I couldn’t think of one, but it’s fun to read the answers to what others came up with.
I hope you’re not worrying too much about the “having two kids to deal with” thing (I was surprised people actually asked about hiring help). I never had just one kid (started with twins, had another one 19 months later) and it really isn’t that hard. Just keep your cool. ;-)
Johanna P says
Thank you for keeping most of the baby/kid/pregancy stuff to the life section of the blog. I really do like reading about that stuff when I feel in the mood for it, but I adore all the renovation and DIY stuff. I really respect you guys for making that distinton between those parts of your lives.
I hope you have a healthy pregnancy and will eagerly watch what projects come along with this 9 month in the baking one :)
Erica says
I love the name Pom Pom! I definitely think it should be on the list of contenders. :-)
I have a feeling Clara might have something to say about the nursery design as well!
Congratulations again! Babies are the best!
YoungHouseLove says
It’s true! My guess is she’ll want glitter. And to put some beads on it.
xo
s
Jean (notsupermum) says
Awww, lovely stuff. By the way, when I was pregnant with #2, my then 3 yr old wanted to call the baby Froggy. I’m afraid we didn’t go with it :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha!
xo
s
Whitney Dupuis says
There were so many people posting responses on your big reveal post, and I got kicked off so many times, that I am not sure my post came through. {That is amazing because it means so many people love you guys!!!}
That said, I just wanted to congratulate you all and say that I am so happy for you. I am praying for a smooth pregnancy and a healthy baby P! Can’t wait to “share” this journey with you.
janet says
Congratulations! I’m so excited for your family. :)
I didn’t realize there was already a second book in the works! Did I miss a post? As for the “secret project” my guess is children’s toys. I’ve loved everything that you’ve made for Clara and that would be a fantastic gig.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh children’s toys! I wish!!! We are still holding out for that dream. Maybe someday. As for the second book, we just offhandedly mentioned it during blogiversary since it’s something that takes up a slice of the time pie, but we’re just in the outline stage. Hopefully we’ll get the manuscript done before this baby comes though!
xo
s
Laurie says
Thank you for letting us ask you a bunch of questions like this. That’s really sweet of you.
Clara, being a big sister is SO much fun! I have two little brothers. I was about your age when I first became a big sister. You will have so much fun with them and get to play a lot of games. When you are grown up, they will be your best friends and you will have even MORE fun with them!
Caryn says
Congrats guys! This is really exciting. I totally snort-laughed with Clara’s baby name choice and then I laughed again at the irony of the announcement fabric you chose being called “Pomegranite.” Sounds like a winner to me. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh my gosh I didn’t even think about that! So funny!
xo
s