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.
Erica Rose says
I have never been so excited for strangers to be pregnant! So incredibly happy for you guys, seriously, this is so wonderful!! This might be uh, inappropriate? so feel free to call me out on it, but do you guys have a “work” address if we want to send a little something for you or The Bun? I make certain handmade items for all the preggos in my life, and I’d be happy to send some your way (for Clara too, naturally).
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, you’re so sweet Erica Rose! Someone else said that! We might have to see if there’s a way to share our PO Box for letters and little things, but we don’t want anyone to send anything big! Makes me feel bad!!
xo
s
Brittany says
First off, congrats to you guys! That’s amazing news!
I am getting so discouraged. My husband and I have been trying since January for our first and no luck yet. My doctor suggested using the Clearblue Digital Ovulation test, we are on our third month of using it. Anyone else experience using this?
How long did you guys try if you don’t mind me asking.
YoungHouseLove says
Anyone else have tips for Brittany? Someone else in the comments recommended an awesome book that they said helped them a lot (I’ve heard from others that it’s great – maybe it’s called Taking Control Of Your Fertility?). As for how long we tried, we didn’t share that info about Clara back in 2010 and we don’t plan to mention that for this pregnancy either, just because we do like to keep some things personal, but I think it was around the national average for how long it takes (not right away, but not over a year). All the best with everything Brittany!
xo,
s
Rebecca says
Brittany,
Taking Charge of Your Fertility is a great book suggestion! We actually got pregnant the first month I diligently took my temperature each morning and charted it. Ultimately though, it was also the month I just stopped worrying about it. I also started acupuncture and we got pregnant the second month on acupuncture. I can’t say that it definitely made us pregnant, but I have to think it helped! I know it’s so cliche when people say they get pregnant when they don’t worry/think about it, but it really is true. Plus, you’re not supposed to worry at all until you’ve tried at least one year.
Erica Rose says
Definitely get Taking Charge of Your Fertility. I use it as a method to NOT get pregnant, but the knowledge is helpful regardless of your intention. There are paper charts you can use, or apps, but get the book, use the method. Good luck!!
Diana P. says
Brittany, I second Taking Charge of Your Fertility, and also the website http://www.fertilityfriend.com. This website is a bit more comprehensive and gives necessary information in snippets (rather than the massive plethora of info that is TCOYF). It also has the information to input temps, ovulation tracking, etc, and various tools and graphs to help analyze that info. We tried for six or so months with my daughter and it was not until I started temping, charting, and using ovulation predictors that I realized I was having issues ovulating. I got on some progesterone, realized my ACTUAL ovulation days (not day 14, like the average) and got pregnant within one (very long) cycle. She is a happy and healthy three year old today! Good luck!
Carly G says
Another recommendation for the book! It helps you understand your cycles so much better. Worked for us!
JF says
Yes to the book TCOYF – it’s so informative and a great resource whether trying to conceive or prevent. But even while using the charting method, the process just seemed to take longer the second time around. I was getting a little burned out with constantly keeping track and finally decided to give it a rest while we went on vacation. The relaxing must have worked since baby #2 arrived 9 months later :)
Brittany says
Thanks everyone! I’ll check out the book! I’m going to a doctor tomorrow to check if everything is ok :)
Kari says
Many congratulations!!! I’m not sure if anybody else has posted about the age difference between Clara and The Bun, but my sister and I are the only 2 in my little family of 4 and we are a little over 3.5 years apart. She is absolutely my best friend and I grew up so grateful for our age difference. She was always able to help me through the next life step, and then when I hit college, age seemed like just a number! I wouldn’t give her or our age gap up for anything!!
Wishing you a fun and safe pregnancy :)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, I love hearing that Kari!
xo
s
Jennifer says
Chiming in with congratulations! My two girls are 3 1/2 years apart, and at least once a week, my oldest thanks us for bringing her a little sister. Watching them together usually makes me smile so hard it almost hurts (unless they’re fighting over something, which happens too, as they are normal kids, and are 6 and 2 1/2 currently). We also let our older name the younger, but we had given her a short list of names (after she suggested all of her favorite Sesame Street characters, with Abby Cadabby as her first place choice), so that worked out well (even if a month in, she wanted to change her baby sister’s name….).
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so sweet!!! I love that!
xo
s
Maddie says
YAY! Still smiling for you guys. Thanks for this post!! I personally think Pom-pom Petersik is an instant classic :)
Ali says
Here’s a big sister recommendation (that seems up your alley):
Make a little photobook/storybook of Clara’s birth and first days at home and add it to her bookshelf. We did this for my daughter and we read it every night before our second child arrived. She loved seeing all the details of her own birth story and it made it relevant when we brought her to the hospital to meet her brother (nothing was scary) and it made sense to her when he came home (and did a lot of crying, eating and sleeping).
I’m mentioning this because YOU inspired me to create this based on your Petersik family yearbooks.
Enjoy and congratulations again.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s an amazing idea! Thanks so much Ali!
xo
s
Meghan says
Congrats! I apologize if somebody else commented on this, I didn’t read all of them, but before you buy more BumGenius elementals, they changed the design! We don’t like the new ones as much. :( We are loving Blueberry Simplex One-Size though.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip!
xo
s
Jenn says
If you find that the elastic in your diapers has stretched out, it’s really easy to replace on bum genius diapers. You just need 4.5 inches of 1/4 inch elastic for each leg. I got some used ones and after I replaced the elastic the poop stayed in much better!
YoungHouseLove says
Good to know! Thanks Jenn!
xo
s
lauren says
Aw so sweet! Happy for you guys. I just got married and can’t try for a baby for another year or two due to career / finances, but I’m an old lady at 31 – so I’ll live vicariously through you instead :D
Cat says
I’m having twins right around the same time as you!! :) Your reader poll had an option for a bun in the oven but not two hehe!! ;) I’m so excited to be planning nurseries right along with you Sherry! Couldn’t be happier for the Petersiks!
Galya says
Hi guys.
First of, congratulations.
Second, based on your symptoms (morning… I mean, 24h sickness that is not releaved by ginger and other things that never work; being fatigued all the time)you are having a BOY. Also if you feel that this belly “showed up” earlier than with Clara or that it’s sitting “higher” than the previous one, hense 24/7 sickness (well, there are tons of theories) – it also tells it’s a boy. Oh, and you dreams would change too (I mean the night dreams, that you can’t control) And I know, doctors would tell you, it’s not true. But these are signs and symptoms that people used well before the ultrasound, and they worked. BTW, ultrasounds sometimes make mistakes too.
So get ready guys, boys are completely different species, what you thought was a norm before, won’t be a norm any more. It is exciting though, to see how different they are. We are so happy for you guys. And I so tooooootaly love how you told John. SOOOOOOOOOO sweet and cute.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so funny! I do feel like my belly is higher this time! We’ll have to see if there’s something to it! Something in me still just screams girl (I just knew Clara was a girl at 8 weeks along) so it should be fun to find out!
xo
s
Jamie says
Oh, I totally laugh-cried while reading about Clara’s reaction! I just had my second baby and I am so much more in love with my son now that he’s a big brother. He didn’t understand any of my pregnancy because he was only 8 months when I got pregnant with #2 but he loved to hug and kiss my big belly. I was worried about how he would react with the baby since he was only 17 months when she was born but he LOVES her! I think the best thing I’ve done for them is not be too protective over the baby. It’s normal to want to react and say “no” when he goes to pay her but it’s too rough or when he tries to climb on her and talk really close to her face, but I have noticed that she is so much more durable than I think. Unless she’s crying or he’s poking her in the eye, I let him interact in the way that he can and she usually just smiles and laughs even when he’s drumming a little too hard on her belly. I think it’s been great at keeping jealousy at bay. I also make sure I spend plenty of one on one time with him, cuddling, reading, etc, while she’s sleeping or with my husband.
Clara is much older and can comprehend more, and I know she’s going to be a great big sister! You’re doing so good by explaining to her and making her feel included. Let her know it’s her baby and she’s a big part of taking care of her baby. I’m so excited for y’all, I know everyone is. Enjoy this time with Clara as an only child but don’t mourn it as a loss, look forward to it as an exciting adventure for all of you!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Jamie! Such a great way to look at it.
xo
s
Tyra says
Just to chime in on the siblings naming siblings thing…my best friend is the youngest of 4 and her brothers and sister are 5,7,9 years older. So, when she was coming they all wanted to name her Patricia (which is not a weird or bad name), and although her parents didn’t go with that, it is all her siblings call her to this day. They have different versions Patty, little P, tisha Dudley, but seriously i have known her for 26.5 of my 27 years and have NEVER heard any of them use her given name, so Pom-Pom could stick around!! ;)
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so cute!
xo
s
Nina says
Congrats! Does this mean you’ll be trying to move Clara out of her crib soon?
I was also wondering (of course don’t answer if it’s too personal), but when you had your emergency c-section with Clara, had you already had an epidural or did they numb you somehow before hand, or did you feel everything?
YoungHouseLove says
The pain of the abruption (which happened as I entered the hospital) brought me to my knees (and there was no relief like contractions – it was just constant) so I was given an epidural before they realized what was causing the pain. I’m so thankful because it’s the only reason I was conscious (albeit pretty out of it) while Clara was born because I would have been put under general anestesia if I hadn’t had that, which would have taken a bit more time (which we didn’t have). I feel very fortunate that it all worked out that way! As for the crib, we definitely think Clara will be out of that by the time this baby comes! She’s really close and she still has 6 months.
xo
s
Sasha says
Hi Sherry (and co.)
Thank you so much for sharing so much for sharing so much about your personal life, I mean with regard to how you deal with these kind of things :)
I am not able to chime in with the I’m pregnant, gotta wait a few years I guess (21), but thought I would share a natural product that helps if you have issues with your stomach, I know that’s not exactly what you have. The company that produce it in Denmark suggests it for pregnant women btw:) It helps me if I’m nauseous, the Danish name for it won’t help, so I thought I would give you the Latin name for it: Psyllium. If you can get it, I would make sure it has no added taste, tried some that was given a strawberry flavour, let’s just say that almost made it worse. The good thing about psyllium is that you can take it in many ways, I prefer to take a spoonful with lots of water as I believe that leaves the product most intact to do its work in my body, but you can add it to yoghurt, add a small quantity to bread. It’s an acquired taste on its own, but incredibly helpful. :)
Best of luck with little pom-pom :) Clara is the best :)
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much for the tip Sasha!
xo
s
Stacey says
Congratulations, Petersiks! I saw the news the other day from Instagram, actually. And when I read the post, I couldn’t help but tear up with happiness for you all! What an amazing blessing.
I’m also expecting in the spring. I’m due March 27 (well, at least that’s what they said at the last appointment!). Like you said, it will probably change a few times as the baby grows. There’s definitely something in the air for all these spring babies. This is my first, so I am full of excitement and I sort of feel like a walking science experiment. So cool!
Anyways, congrats again, and I can’t wait to see how things develop.
YoungHouseLove says
Congrats Stacey! Clara was a spring baby too! It’s really nice not to be big-pregnant through the hottest part of the summer. I hope you have a great and comfortable pregnancy!
xo
s
Gcroft says
Congratulations guys, we’ve been following your blog for a very long time. Wish you a good pregnancy and sending you best wishes to your family. x
Julianne says
I love how you told your parents. What a special moment to share and celebrate! I noticed that you have had the same cravings & that you feel it’s a girl again. Motherly instinct, I tell ya…when I was Pregnant with my first, I woke up one morning, early on, probably about where you’re at now, and declared I was having a boy. I don’t know if I had a dream, or whatever, but a feeling overcame me and I just knew. With my second, I didn’t have the same gut feeling, but I again, constantly craved salmon salad with lettuce and dill pickle on sesame seed bagels…All. The. Time. Sometimes pulling off the highway to scour unknown towns for any location that could scrounge up the ingredients to make one for me. Lol. Another boy. I’m a freak for guessing the gender of the baby by how the mother carries. Crazy wives tale, but it’s fun. Thanks for sharing such an amazing joyful time with us! :0)
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so funny Julianne! I loved salty things with Clara too (never sweets or candy) so I think that might be part of me thinking this is a girl. When Clara was 8 weeks along I just knew it. Girl! And then when it was confirmed I was like “of course!” so this time it should be funny because I think it’s another girl, but I could be surprised! Ya never know!
xo
s
Old House Love says
Congratulations! I have a daughter and younger son 4 years apart and this age range is THE BEST. I think he is so intelligent because of the brain stimulation she gave him dancing around and talking to him all the time as a newborn and toddler. As a 10 and 14 year old they didn’t have much in common but at least they hardly fought. Now that they are grown at 28 and 24 they are very compatible. So much so that after he graduated college he moved in with her! Together they live in the little house that I grew up in and are fixing it up to work for their generation. We now have 4 generations of our family that have worked on the little house. Someday I’m sure one or the other will move on to a new life but they will always have memories of the time they shared together as kids and grownups.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so sweet!
xo
s
Frannie says
Sherry, you are so sweet and positive! I had all day morning sickness too, for the entirety of my pregnancy. I was so happy on one hand but literally miserable on the other. I honestly felt like I could die I felt so bad. Zofran stopped the puking but not the nausea, and honestly, sometimes puking is better… Just a cheers to you and a virtual hug in solidarity. My hubby always said he expected me to be mean since I felt so bad but I was so happy that the little life inside was healthy that I just got through it. I’m even considering doing it again. :) Congrats again and hoping you feel better so soon. You’d think they should be able to figure out what makes some of us so sick!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Frannie!
xo
s
Marcy says
Congrats! I love it when bloggers I read have more babies. Ok, I just like babies!
I wish I knew what y’all did differently with your diapers. We have the same ones and 2.5 yrs in (she’s being stubborn about potty training) they are nearly DESTROYED. They are embarrassingly ratty so I hate to let other people change her.
Also, did you know that they’ve redesigned them? We have 2 sets since we have a 4 month old as well now and the new ones are even more fantastic than the old ones were when they were new.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Marcy! We did hear they redesigned them! As for how ours held up, I think your washer/dryer probably has a lot to do with it. I think some agitate things a lot more, and our front loaders just seemed to be pretty gentle (we also laid them out to dry whenever we could to cut down on wear).
xo
s
Jennie says
Marcy,
We have the same diapers too, and we are in the same boat! I love them, but some of them have gotten embarrassingly ratty. I am convinced it was our machine and its agitator. I will definitely buy more for our next baby though!
Maggie says
I’m with you, ours are getting holes near the soakers and along the legs after 15 months of use. We have a top loader with an agitator though! I’m not sure I live the new design as much either..we have 12 of each style of the elementals! Still love CDs tho!
Carrie says
We have the same ones too and they are getting pretty bad after 18 months. And we have HE front loaders. I don’t have the patience to hand them to dry, though, so maybe the dryer has something to do with it. But we will easily replace for the next babe in the future. Also, in addition to the BG Elementals, the BG Freetimes are awesome!
Marcy says
We have front loaders too but first we made the mistake of not using an additive free detergent for over a year – OOPS! – and like others, I have no patience for hang drying them. I did notice that you can go to Buy Buy Baby and buy the BG Freetime diapers but I don’t have any patience for stuffing diapers either.
Amber says
So I may be totally crazy or stalkerish and way overstepping my bounds, but have you ever thought about dance for Clara? The way she is pointing her foot in her sweet picture is evidence of some natural talent! I took for 20 years and when I saw that picture, I immediately thought of dance lessons!
Okay, I think I may be overstepping…just a thought…love you guys. You amaze me with all you do.
~Amber
http://www.thequeenandhercourt.wordpress.com
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, I love that! She loves dancing and is currently in a music class – but her best friend Elsa is in a dance class and I think Clara would love it too!
xo
s
Jennie says
Yes to dancing! I am a huge advocate of dance lessons for all kids because it teaches you how to move and control your body. It really eliminates the “clumsy” factor, if you know what I mean. I took ballet for twenty years (gah! How am I old enough to say that!?) and I think it was such a gift. And, it doesn’t have to be ballet … all dance is awesome (but ballet is a great foundation). And Clara does have a nice point there :)
Rebecca says
Okay, this 19.5-week prego woman is crying after reading that beautiful paragraph about Clara reacting to hearing the news!! Precious!! And thanks for the DIY ok-to-dos while pregnant – my hubby is not handy at all and I’m planning on doing some projects for the nursery so it’s good to know that I can still paint the walls with specific paints but need a hefty mask if it’s spray paint! :)
Stephanie says
Pom-pom! I love it.
We have two girls, and they’re 3 years apart (they’re now 4 and 18 months old). We gave our older daughter a list of 5 girl names we were considering (she was 2 1/2 at the time), and she picked Phoebe, probably because it was the only name of the bunch she could pronounce. Anytime we asked her if she liked another one of the names she said, no, I want Phoebe. Anyway, obviously it was a name we liked, but she said it in such a cute way that we knew she’d be Phoebe. I love that our older daughter picked her sister’s name. I hope that Phoebe likes that fact in the future.
I’m not saying Pom-Pom should be your choice, but you might want to see what Clara thinks too. :)
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so sweet!
xo
s
Amy L. says
Congratulations, Petersiks! What an exciting time for your family. Best wishes for a healthy pregnancy, Sherry. Looking forward to following along in the adventures.
Courtney D says
Am glad to see that so many folks feel like “someone they know” is experiencing such a happy time. When I saw the ad in Garden and Gun I felt like I had friends in a magazine ad! My husband and I bought our first house back in June and we’re expecting our first child in mid-April! I feel like YHL is paving the way (in addition to our friends/family)…so thank you! Planning to white wash the bricks around our fire place this weekend!
Rebecca says
So excited for you all! I kind of suspected…in your blogiversary video, Sherry suddenly started playing with her hair pretty intensely when you were answering the question about exciting upcoming changes (or something like that) :)
I am due with #2 just a few weeks after you and am having all day nausea, too; I know you have gotten a million and one suggestions for the nausea, but what has helped me the most this time around is taking (with full doctor approval) a Unisom tablet every night. It helps me sleep bit better and does seem to take the edge off the nausea a little bit for most of the next day. Good luck!
Carolyn says
Thank you for publishing details of the fabric from your “big sister” photos! I was longing for it, but felt silly about asking where you have such wonderful BABY NEWS! Congratulations, good health, and Godspeed. P.S. I already bought a yard of the fabric on eBay!
YoungHouseLove says
Isn’t it pretty?! So glad you got some!
xo
s
Angie says
Maybe I’m feeling sensitive today, but Clara’s reaction when you told her makes me want to cry my eyes out. So sweet! Super happy for you guys. I can’t believe I’m this excited for people I’ve never even met. Haha! Sending positive thoughts your way!
Rebecca says
Forget to mention that my two brothers and I are all four years apart and never had any problems. It was great because by the time the youngest was born, I was 8 and could easily help out with the new baby. We’re also very close to each other despite the age differences.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so nice!
xo
s
Sarah says
Okay, as excited as I am to see your family grow (Clara is going to be the perfect sister!) I can’t help but wonder about this secret project.
One guess hit me as definitely possible–especially since this seems like it has been brewing for quite some time…could it be a YHL TARGET line?
Or maybe that’s just wishful thinking.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha! I love the guesses! You guys are awesome. We can’t wait to unveil the news – although I hope it’s not a letdown from the amazing guesses!
xo
s
Katie says
From some of the designs I see at Target it seems they would LOVE a YHL line. If this isn’t the “secret projest” I’m sure it’s wishful thinking on Target’s end! I notice canvas prints with “7”, lots of bees…it’s like they have taken all things notoriously related to YHL and turned it into home decor.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, you guys flatter me! I think Target is way ahead of our little curve!
xo
s
Alisa says
John’s dad look so sweet, and Clara’s questions about the baby…so sweet!!
Kristin F says
Congratulations again, you guys deserve all happiness. Something funny occurred to me while reading your post though…did your bathroom move up on the to-do list (i.e. carpet removal) because you were “bowl bowing” so frequently? Stranger inspirations have happened!
YoungHouseLove says
YES! I’m on a get-rid-of-this-old-carpet kick in general (it’s still on the stairs too, which we can’t wait to tackle). Something about having a sense of smelly like a bloodhound just has me convinced that all old carpeting must go, and my tummy will thank me for it. And all that bathroom time definitely swayed me too!
xo
s
Courtney Leigh says
Ha! I was coming to ask the same question. I know if I was spending a good amount of time on my knees near that old carpet I would be like “bring on the subfloor!” too.
Super congrats to you! And I have to say… I think you are contributing to the recurrence of my baby fever.
G says
Hey guys! My comment has actually nothing’s to see with today’s topic* but when I saw this print… http://popchartlab.com/collections/prints/products/the-evolution-of-bicycles I immediatly thought of John (Bikes! Charts!) (and knew I would forget it if I decided to postpone it).
* After all could be cool in a nursery… :-P
YoungHouseLove says
Um, it’s amazing. Can’t wait to show John.
xo
s
Maggie says
Congrats to your sweet family and best wishes for a happy and healthy pregnancy! My husband and I have been trying for #1 for 19 months, now under the care of doctors, and it is such an emotional process. Hopefully we will also have good news to share some day :) You sure have given me lots of great ideas for when that day does come!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks so much! Sending you lots of love and baby dust, Maggie!
xo
s
Dana Stewart says
Congratulations, so happy for you! Also, thanks so much for taking the time to answer so many personal questions. I love that you guys know what you feel comfortable sharing and not sharing, and that you have your own set of blog values that help give you balance while still opening up so much to the world. It’s a beautiful thing! Looking forward to following along over the next few months!
Kate says
I have an almost 8 month old little girl. And yet last night I had a dream that I found out I was pregnant again, and I was excited because “now I could be pregnant along with Sherry”. Crazy, I know, especially because we haven’t even decided if we want another kid yet or not!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so funny!
xo
s
Amy Dunn says
Oh Sherry, John, I just bawled my eyes out with happiness reading this- when you started talking about Clara’s reaction and how excited she is- oh my heart! I am over the moon for you two and your wonderful family. Thanks for sharing the journey with all of us :)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Amy!
xo
s
Doreen says
First off, CONGRATS!! So so happy for you guys!
I have 2 girls who are 2 and 6, and the four year age difference is AWESOME! It seems to remove the sibling rivalry and competitiveness….for now anyway. Clara is going to be an amazing big sister. My advice is to involve her as much as you can so she feels she has a big important role in caring for the baby. And be prepared for proud tears as you see your two babies bonding and loving each other. There is nothing sweeter!!
KC says
I’m not pregnant, I don’t even know you and yet I’m a sobbing mess over here. So happy for you guys, Clara, and even you, Burger! Can’t think of a more deserving family. Thanks for sharing the details to us curious readers! Wishing you the best!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks KC! You’re so sweet!
xo
s
Darcy says
Again, CONGRATULATIONS guys!! I am so excited for you all!
It will be interesting to see if Clara is right about it being a girl (and I definitely agree that Pom-Pom is the best nickname idea ever!!) Kids have intuition about these things! I had my 2nd son last December, and my 1st son was soo cute like Clara when we told him, he was also 3 at the time. He immediately said it was a sister. And he said it every time we talked about the baby, but then, around 17 weeks, he all of a sudden started saying it was a brother. I was soo surprised when he said it the first time, as I was thinking the same thing. Lo and behold, at the 20 wk ultrasound, he was right — BOY!! So, I am now very interested in what older children think — they are usually right! LOL!
Thanks so much for answering all of our questions — you guys are the best (which is why we all feel you are our BFFs/Family)!!!! And I can’t wait to keep watching your family grow and change!! XOXO
YoungHouseLove says
It’s so funny! Clara has guessed a lot of other bumps correctly (Mrs Limestone’s baby girl, Katie Bower’s son Weston, etc) so it’ll be fun to see if she’s right.
xo
s
E.D.R. says
Have you shared what white noise machine you use? I need to get one, and am wondering if you like yours. Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Here’s a post with those details for you (at the bottom). We opted for an ipod doc so we can play kids songs and stuff when she’s awake and a sleep-sounds album on a loop while she sleeps.
xo
s
Cynda says
I was going to ask about the white noise machine too!
I am also wondering if you keep the white noise going constantly through the night? We turn on a heartbeat sound when we put our girl in bed for the night, but it only runs for 30 minutes.
Also also, Congratulations!!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, we keep it going all night, just because we’re loud (we stay up late and Burger barks and we do projects and all that stuff hours after she’s sleeping). But it’s awesome to just run it 30 mins if that does the trick. Ours is just on a loop!
xo
s
Jenni says
Congratulations! I am very newly pregnant with baby #3, and it’s fun to be pregnant with one of my favorite bloggers. :) I was also very emotional with my second pregnancy, worried about how my oldest would handle having to share me, worrying I wouldn’t be able to love my second as much, etc. One of my friends told me when she met her second child, her heart immediately doubled, and it was the truest advice I heard. You will have plenty of love for both of them, I promise! Having two is hard, but so amazing. I can only hope having three is just as wonderful! (I’m less worried this time around because I know I will have plenty of love for all of them!)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, that’s so sweet. Thanks Jenni!
xo
s
Danielle says
Pom-Pom Petersik FTW! You know, as soon as I read that, my mind went to Pom Pom from Homestarrunner :)
YoungHouseLove says
So funny! Forgot about good ol’ Pom Pom!
xo
s
Zanta says
Congratulations! When I announced my pregnancy with baby #1 to my hubby, I lined our bathroom counter with 4 different tests to prove that I wasn’t imagining the positive test results. After celebrating, my husband politely asked, “you’re gonna disinfect that counter, right??” lol That’s all I could think of when you mentioned your keyboard. Hahaha!!
YoungHouseLove says
Hahah!
xo
s
Rachel says
Ahh so adorable! I’m so excited for you all!!! Also, the phrase about “juggling a newborn” gave me a hilarious mental image :)
YoungHouseLove says
Don’t drop the baby!
xo
s
Teri says
congrats again. Re the barking dog and keep things quite for a sleeping baby. Someone told me when I was pregnant that “they can hear in the womb too and seem to sleep just fine in there”…so keep doing what you’re doing and they’ll be use to it when they’re are sleeping in their crib.
YoungHouseLove says
Such a good point!
xo
s
Kristina Nelson says
Congrats! And good for you on the cloth diapers – definitely better than dumping in a landfill. Just a note though: rinsing, soaking and washing those things (where parents who use disposable don’t) is a HUGE use/waste of water and not at all eco-friendly. Not to mention, you’re paying extra electricity running more laundry loads than those who use disposable. Don’t get me wrong, you’re probably saving money in the long run (although diapers go on sale ALL THE TIME and you can use coupons) and it’s better for our environment, but I’ll bet you overestimate the benefits.
YoungHouseLove says
Great point! We’ve read some stuff on it and they say with an Energy Star washer/dryer they’re still a lot more eco than the alternative (our Energy Star washer spun things so fast they were almost dry before even getting to the dryer). It was also a front loader so it used less water and I think it was rated as being $17 a year to run it three times a week. We also sun dried our diapers in the windowsill to save energy on drying them whenever we could! I wish there was a no waste/cost option, but it was definitely a good choice for our family!
xo
s
Fernanda says
Since the announcement, whenever I come here I think of a girl. My guess is that Clara is going to have a sister! My grandma and my mother always say that the big sister/brother is always right about guessing the gender!
Wishing you guys all the best things during this pregnancy!
Lots of love straight from Brazil! (according to your charts, i represent less than 1% of readers. haha, but I love this blog!)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Fernanda!
xo
s
Emily @ Life on Food says
Congrats again!