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.
Kim says
Due in November with #2 (first is a girl, 20 months, second will be a boy) and dang did you get me with Clara’s reaction! Our daughter Ellie (named Eleanor Jean after both great grandma’s so I obviously love the naming after family idea) really has no clue what’s going on. We’ll talk about it and ask her to kiss my belly or pat it but I don’t think she get’s that there’s something living in my belly that will be arriving someday soon. I love that Clara is old enough to “get it” and be involved. They say things work out for a reason and this shows me that while it might of took some time to get here being able to share it with your girl will be the ultimate healing gift you need for this pregnancy :)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Kim! I’m all choked up. It really does seem like things work out just the way they’re supposed to, even if there are moments along the way that make you question everything!
xo
s
Becky says
Congratulations!!! I am so excited for your sweet little family! I am also due in mid-April so I am sooo stoked that there will now be baby and nursery posts to look forward to in the coming months! Congrats again!
Stefani says
Congrats to all of you! Clara’s reaction is so sweet. I’m the oldest, with 2 brothers, 2 years and 7 years younger. When my mom was pregnant with my youngest brother, I remember my middle brother wanted to name him Barney if he was a boy and Baby Bop if he was a girl! Clearly, he was going through a Barney stage. My brother’s initials ended up being BJ, but I think that was just a coincidence.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so funny!
xo
s
John @ Our Home from Scratch says
Very happy for you guys! Yay!
I thought the “Are you nesting?” questions was funny… You’re a DIY blogger… How in the world will you be able to tell?? :D
We had our 2nd in April and the biggest question people ask us is how is life different with 2? My answer is always the same: the baby is easy. It’s the toddler that gets you! Whenever one of us sits down to feed the baby, our older daughter can be heard moving chairs and climbing up to the countertop. They’re very clever! Enjoy!
Donna says
Oh, my gosh, I’m so freaking excited for y’all! Please keep the baby news coming, there is nothing happier to read about! My one suggestion, Sherry, is make sure you get your flu shot ASAP. The flu can be devastating for pregnant women and their babies. Ask for one without Thermesol. Sending much love and happiness your way!
Amanda B. says
Man, there is nothing like how happy you can make people with this kind of news. It was one of my favorite things about being pregnant. :)
Karen says
At least Clara didn’t say “Pickle.”
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, true!
xo
s
Molly says
Congrats congrats congrats!!!
I am due with my first baby in May and could not be happier about it. Do you have any recommendations for which pregnancy blogs or iphone apps you like best? So far, I have the Mayo Clinic pregnancy app, but haven’t downloaded anything further.
I’m also looking to add some helpful pregnancy/baby related blogs to my reader.
Thanks for sharing your own personal experiences over the years. It’s always helpful learning from others.
YoungHouseLove says
I have the BabyCenter phone app so that gives me week by week stuff and tells me what’s goin on in there (even with links to videos, etc). I also love Pinterest for baby ideas, although I don’t really read any baby blogs (just other DIY/home/lifestyle blogs that happen to have kids in the mix, like Mrs Limestone, Making It Lovely, Bower Power, etc).
xo
s
Molly says
Thanks!
Ann says
Congrats!! Baby’s are so exciting–and you both seem like such great parents.
Kim P. says
I love Clara’s reaction to being told about the new baby. I currently have a very active 16 month old, and sometimes I wonder when/if we should have a second. Seems like everyone is always asking you when the next one is on the way, even when your current one is still small and takes up a lot of time/attention.
Clara seems like she is going to be a wonderful big sister! It gives me hope that waiting a few more years to think about adding to our family isn’t a bad thing after all. Thanks for all of your candor and allowing us to share in on your personal lives!!
Chatelaine says
I was one of the people that asked about Clara ‘getting it’ and I got pretty teary eyed reading your/her response. So darn sweet. I’m excited for your family!!!!
Sarah says
I’m also expecting our second child in the spring! I’d be happy and excited for your family regardless, but it’s extra fun to be due about the same time. I think Katie B and I are really close as I’m due in mid-March. My husband doesn’t totally understand my excitement about having a baby around the same time as my two favorite blogger, but I’m thrilled for all of us! Many prayers for a safe and healthy pregnancy and birth!
Sophie says
Gosh, I’m totally tearing up for absolutely no reason at this (I’m not pregnant too, I promise. Well, I hope…) I’m just SO excited for you guys! As for your blogging/family routine, as an outsider I don’t think it’ll overwhelm you. Clara seems like a pretty easy-going lady and I just know that she’ll be so eager to help all she can with the baby! (They always are!) So I think you guys will handle it perfectly!
Summer says
I missed your first post announcing your pregnancy so I will now say Congrats!! I feel like your “twin” as I’m pregnant with my second and due the 13th of April… and we just moved into our house a month ago and have tons of projects going on :) It’s fun, but I’ve been SO tired, making it hard to get as much done as I’d like! Hoping for a healthy pregnancy, mama, and baby for you all :)
Pam says
So excited for you all! Pom-pom should make the short nickname list ;)
As for your all day sickness(been there, got the 12 year old boy to prove it),try increasing your protein and eating it every three hours or less. Our bodies can get nauseous when blood-sugar gets low and it can drop quickly with a bun in the oven.
Praying for a smooth, fabulous pregnancy and delivery!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Pam!
xo
s
Holli says
So so excited for your little family! We recently became a family of four an I’ve been surprised that it’s been easier than I anticipated.
And just as a heads up- if you do need more diapers, cotton babies (makers of bum genius) is having a killer sale right now because they are discontinuing some prints/colors. I only had 12 diapers with my first and it didn’t bother me, but I have 18 with this baby and it really lightens the load not having to wash/fold right away because I have more diapers to rotate through. Hope that makes sense (and helps)!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip Holli!
xo
s
Jessica says
Thanks for so many details! You’ll be in my thoughts for a safe and wonderful pregnancy! And throughout I’ll be here, reading daily.
I love your blog!
KarinK says
“With Clara I was sick in the morning (around 8-10am) which lasted until 16 or 17 weeks…With this pregnancy I’m having all day sickness…” It was the exact same for me, and #1 is a girl and #2 is a boy. Just sayin’…. Congratulations you two! So happy for you! An extra tip: avoid picking up/carrying anything heavy towards the end. I had a partial abruption, and I am certain it was from lugging my two-and-a-half year old around a Greek festival the evening before it happened. All turned out well, though!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh gosh, thanks for the tip Karin! So glad everything was ok!
xo
s
Julia @ Cuckoo4Design says
So excited for you guys. You are the best family ever!
Susan says
Congratulations, John & Sherry!
My 2nd son was born just days before Clara, and now I’m pregnant again (due April 3) with you! I was soooo excited to see your announcement for your sake, and also selfishly because your baby posts will keep me motivated as I prepare for #3. I wish you all the best.
Meghan says
Congrats, guys! I am so excited for you! Babies are the best. For our monthly photos, we sit our little guy in the same place every month (although it had to change since we moved!) with the same stuffed dog. Here is a link to it. It isn’t nearly as professional as I’m sure you guys could pull off, but it is neat to see how he grows!
Here is the link to his month by month on my blog :)
http://littlefixerupper.blogspot.ca/p/henry-month-by-month.html
YoungHouseLove says
So charming Meghan!
xo
s
Katie says
Congrats again! My oldest is just a few years old than Charlotte (they share a birthday actually) and we just had #2 five months ago. I loved share the book linked below with her. It’s super silly but I think does a good job painting a realistic picture of what it’s like to be a big sister – both the good and the bad. Especially now that she’s here, my girl loves to read it and compare to real life with our baby girl.
http://alturl.com/t96pg
YoungHouseLove says
Aw man, it won’t load for me!
xo
s
Katie says
* Oops, last post should say “my oldest is just a few years older than Clara.
Katie says
Not sure why it won’t load… it’s called “How to Be a Baby… By Me, The Big Sister.” Less than $10 on Amazon.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Katie!
xo
s
Karen says
Omigawsh, I love “Clara & Piper”… and it sounds kinda cool to say Piper Petersik!!! The two words sound so differently, that you hardly notice the double P’s. :)
jbhat says
Bun! I love it. This is such thrilling news. I really hadn’t had any Qs, but loved reading through all of your As.
jbhat
Kate says
Ahh this post had me all teary eyed about telling your family. So sweet!
I have to say, I’ve been a bad blog follower lately after getting divorced and moving out of my house. (A different focus in life and not much to decorate in an apartment), but I was thrilled for you guys when I read the news. And, I want to say thank you for being so open about your life. You guys give me hope for my future, and a loving spouse, a cozy home and beautiful children.
Thanks for all you do and for sharing your life with us. Loving thoughts for a safe pregnancy for Sherry!! XO
YoungHouseLove says
Oh Kate, thanks so much! And all the best with everything!
xo
s
Susan says
Congrats to the whole (growing) family! When my younger brother was born (three years younger), somehow my parents’ explanation led me to think I was getting a “big brother.” They also bought me a My Little Pony and told me it was from my new brother so I’d like him even though he was getting a lot of attention. This confused me (how could a baby brother drive to Toys R Us to buy me a gift?) but I think the gift was a good idea and got things off on the right foot. We had our sibling rivalries as kids but now that my brother and I are grown up we call, text, or email each other almost every day we’re such good friends and have so many silly inside jokes.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so cute!
xo
s
Justine says
Another tip I heard from a mother of three:
Because an older sibling will often hear things like, “Not now sweetie, the baby needs to eat/take a nap etc.” it’s good to occasionally look at the baby and say, “Not now baby, go with Daddy because Clara and Mommy need to play/read a book/take a big-girl walk.” I guess hearing a parent say it out loud to the baby makes a difference – and the baby will never know, anyway.
I’m sure you’ll come up with some of your own, awesome ways to help Clara feel like a special big sister! She seems to be doing a great job already!
P.S. I’m with Jenny, from earlier – all the baby love on your blog may have finally helped me think I’m ready for a family. My husband was ready since day one! If it works out, I’ll be sure to tell him to thank you and your awesome readers ;)
YoungHouseLove says
Never thought about that, Justine! I bet it helps an older child to hear that said to both kids in the interest of fairness!
xo
s
Aly says
congrats you guys! I can relate to your story so much! SO happy for you ALL!
FRECKLES CHICK says
Aww, Clara’s the sweetest. I can understand the emotions you must be going thru, first-borns hold a special place in our hearts. Just know that you’re giving Clara the greatest gift ever, mama.
xoxo
P.P.S. I couldn’t stomach mac & cheese or pizza when I was preggo.
YoungHouseLove says
Yeah mac & cheese is another not-working-right-now food.
xo
s
Kaesey says
Ha! This was totally fun, thanks. And an April baby! I have one of those, too. It’s a great time of year to have an infant – as soon as you’re ready to get out of the house, the weather starts warming up.
We waited on names until our babies arrived and I thought it was funny how it worked out both times. Even with ideas something always seems to change…..
Sarah says
Congrats on the baby! Babies are always great news :)
thanks for the shout out on my IKEA hack-I appreciate it!!
Raelene Mota says
I’m so excited for Clara. You have raised such a bright girl and my heart skipped a few beats when I read about her reaction and questions. I admire how you have been able to work hard toward success, yet keep a firm grip on the reality of family and parenting. Kudos to you for these amazing accomplishments and congrats on making Clara a big sister.
cammie says
congratulations to both of you & big sister Clara!!!! I loved your weekly photos of Clara [actually tried doing it with my second baby but didn’t keep up with it all the time.] With our first we had bought a build-a-bear & took a monthly photo with her sitting beside it.
YoungHouseLove says
Cute!
xo
s
Liz says
Pom-pom! Love it!!
I had the all-day sickness too…it’s terrible, isn’t it? I tried everything, but the only thing that helped was peppermint. Those red and white hard candies were so great, and so was peppermint gum. They didn’t get rid of the nausea completely, but they definitely helped me get through the day. I don’t think you mentioned trying that, so hopefully it will help you too!
YoungHouseLove says
Someone else said that! Will have to try it!
xo
s
Kristin F says
I am so excited for you guys! I too feel like a family member is pregnant! My sister just had her second child and it is so exciting having a baby in the family again!
Just curious, have you seen/heard Pregnant Women Are Smug by Garfunkel and Oates? My sister told me about it when she was still pregnant…it’s funny if you don’t take yourself too seriously, but some people may be offended by it or get the wrong idea. Being a mommy myself I think it’s funny because I remember saying some of those things when I was pregnant.
YoungHouseLove says
Sounds funny! Off to check it out!
xo
s
Laurel says
Hey guys, congrats again. This is so exciting!
My son was a bit on the early side and we started with cloth diapers right away. I found that the Fuzzibunz covers fit even when he was just over 6 lbs! Now that he’s bigger, I prefer the BumGenius with the snaps (love those!) but thought I’d pass that little tidbit along.
Oh yeah, and I don’t know if this will work for you, but I too had all day sickness in the first trimester and used to suck on frozen pineapple to settle my stomach. Hope you feel better soon! I remember the first few days of my 2nd trimester I ate like a truck driver because it was all so good again!
Take care!
Laurel
YoungHouseLove says
Mmm that sounds good!
xo
s
Ashley says
Congrats you guys!
Here’s a neat/funny story from NPR’s This American Life about gender predictions from a “Nonna” :)
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/475/send-a-message?act=1#play
YoungHouseLove says
So funny!
xo
s
Courtney says
So excited for you all! Is it weird that I’m even more excited that I’m due in mid-April too? Just started my 13th week today! Eek!
YoungHouseLove says
Congrats Courtney!
xo
s
liz @ btb says
I LOVE the “Pregnant Lady” crown reveal story. And hearing how excited Clara was just made me smile. So sweet!
For my now 20 month old baby boy, Charlie, we did monthly pics for the first year. I had him hold a little teddy bear that used to belong to my Grandma so that we could see his size progression. We call her “Grandma Bear” (how creative!) and keep her on a little shelf in his room. Every now and then he’ll look up at her and motion for me to take her down. He’s so gentle and cuddly with her (which is so out of character for him)and he starts looking up to the ceiling and waving. I swear she (my grandma’s spirit) comes to visit whenever he asks for that bear!!
Here they are together:
http://bontempsbeignet.blogspot.com/2013/01/12-months-old-charlies-monthly-photo.html
YoungHouseLove says
So cute, Liz!
xo
s
Catherine says
I didn’t get a chance to comment on the first post but wanted to say congratulations to you all here! So happy for you all. Another bit of totally unsolicited advice. I have 3 yrs between my two and we did a lot to prepare our daughter for the impending arrival but, after the novelty wore off a few months in, she used to get upset when I was breastfeeding. Our solution was to have a rotating basket of special toys/craft items that was only brought out at feeding time. I would set it up on the coffee table right in front of me (I fed him in the living room on the sofa for comfort reasons) so I could still interact and talk to her while I was feeding her little brother. This helped enormously!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s an awesome tip!
xo
s
Sarah says
I saw a previous comment about the name Piper. Our 14 month old is Piper and I am in LOVE with the name we chose for her! Love it when I hear her name pop up somewhere.
And I feel you on not wanting Clara to ever feel second fiddle. I struggles so much with that worry when I was preggers with Piper because she has an older brother. I still remember one night when I was 8 months along crying in the shower because I was so scared my son would feel we didnt love him anymore. My husband heard me and came in and I just stood there crying hysterically asking him what were we thinking having another child? I was so scared that when I went to the hospital to deliver and my son was with his grandparents that he wouldnt understand why we were gone and that we had abandoned him and werent coming back! It turned out fine, he had a blast staying up late and having ice cream for dinner and just being spoiled by the grandparents for 3 days. I dont think he even realized we were gone! And he loves his sissy so much!
I also got so worried that I loved my firstborn too much, there was no way I could never love this new baby that much. But the love just multiplies. I love both of them so much, its crazy to even think about it.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Sarah! That’s so nice to hear!
xo
s
Jackie says
Congratulations! I like pom pom. Kids are so precious. When my oldest found out she had a little brother (at almost 3) her first comment was ‘…but I wanted a dinosaur’ Lol! Clara will be an incredible helper and big sister.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha!
xo
s
Kate says
You mentioned you tried B6 so you probably tried already, but… did you try a combination of B6 plus Unisom? My OB had me on B6 twice a day and half a Unisom in the evening. Worked really well, and I’ve heard it work well for others as well. Just thought I’d mention it in case you are still looking for new ideas!
It’s funny how you mentioned feeling dizzy and then taking a test – with my daughter, I thought it was way too early to test, but I woke up that morning with an odd tummy-related symptom that I had when I was pregnant before (but that one didn’t stick). Sure enough, it was positive!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much for the tip Kate!
xo
s
Anna-Katrin says
Haha, I love Pompom Petersik! When I was pregnant with our second my daughter wanted to name her little brother “compost”! Though I was proud she knew the word at age 2, we decided to go a different route! :)
YoungHouseLove says
So funny!!
xo
s
Gray says
Ahhhh! I pretty much read YHL daily and of course the past 3 days have been one of the very few occasions I have been traveling and not reading the posts almost immediately! So so so happy for your little family :) Sending so much positive juju your way over the coming months!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Gray!
xo
s
Jamae says
So exciting!!
Carli says
Eeeeeeeeeeeeek!!! SO excited for you guys :)
Sarah says
My brother and I are 4 years apart and my Mom always says it was perfect. He was old enough to play on his own a bit, but also old enough to help out with his little sister (aka, me!). She also said there seemed to be less jealousy (from what she saw of her friends who had babies closer together!)He was my best bud growing up, and we have a great relationship now! Happy baby growing! Congrats!
Rachel says
So excited for you all! What beautiful news. I know others have said it but I seriously feel like I am a part of your world – I wanna tell my husband, Sherry and John are having another baby! Like you are our personal friends haha. Love you guys!
YoungHouseLove says
Love you right back Rachel!
xo
s