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.
Shay says
I have a suggestion for the picture project. With my second I did the weekly pictures, but then also once a month I took a picture of both of my Sons together in a chair that is in my oldest sons room. Each month I either put them both in matching shirts/outfits or something that at least coordinates. So for Christmas I am putting together a photo book of all the pictures of them together from their first year as brothers. I’m also including a few of the pictures of when Big Brother first met little brother. I plan on continuing the project for as long as I can. It’s really neat to see how much they both have changed each month. And I’ve been able to capture some of the best pictures of them together.
YoungHouseLove says
Such a sweet idea!
xo
s
Megan @ Rappsody in Rooms says
Congratulations again! Thank you so much for opening up to us like this. It’s weird how much you connect with people over the internet. I just know it’s going to be a peaceful birthday for you Sherry. Only good things can come!
Kristin says
Congratulations! I love your honesty and your willingness to share your life with us readers! I understand that being candid is probably difficult at times, but you are REAL people, living REAL life. Thanks for sharing!
Kim McB says
Hooray for growing happy and healthy families!! Thank you for letting us all in to your personal family news and letting us celebrate with you. All the very best!
Nikki says
I read you both everyday and never comment (unless it’s giveaways). Just wanted to say that you really do create a bright spot in the lives of so many people and mine!!! Even if we don’t comment, it’s as if we know you as well as some of our own family members and adore you.
Wishing your family all of my love with this big news!! Can’t wait to follow along with the new bump and watch your family grow along with it :D
Wendy B. says
OMG! CONGRATULATIONS!!! I’m so excited for your sweet family!
Autumn Beach says
Oh my goodness…CONGRATULATIONS! Such wonderful news. Those questions/comments that Clara had about the baby were just absolutely PRECIOUS. I was definitely crying throughout that paragraph. And, Sherry, she looks SO much like you in that pic of her singing “Rock-A-Bye Baby”. She is going to LOVE being a big sis and will do a great job of it. Life is good, Petersiks. So very, very happy for you.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Autumn! You’re always so sweet!
xo
s
Jo says
I had morning sickness (read “all day sickness”) for about 6 months with my first. The one thing I could always rely on keeping down were digestive biscuits. A trick I learned from my brother-in-law in the navy.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Jo! Will have to try that!
xo
s
Sarah says
This tip won’t actually help with morning sickness, but a friend with awful morning sickness swore that croissants were a really easy food to eat while nauseous and weren’t awful the second time around, either.
YoungHouseLove says
Sounds awesome! Thanks Sarah!
xo
s
Kaytee says
Boy, is there ever a bay boom going on! I’m pregnant right now (with my first wheee!) and due in February. My best friend is due in March and other than here, I’m not kidding, I know 16 (that’s right 16!!) other people who live around me that are all pregnant! I can’t even believe it! CONGRATULATIONS guys! You are a beautiful family!
Avone says
Are you guys shocked that people care so much about your personal lives? ‘Cause I am! Don’t misunderstand…I’m thrilled for you, because babies and growing families are awesome, but I just don’t understand why people care for all these details like you’re Kate and William (I totally had to google her name if that indicates anything. haha.).
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, we think it’s sweet. I think since we had such a hard birth with Clara we’re grateful for any of the prayers/good vibes/happy dances that people send our way. I definitely don’t think we’re like Kate & William (for one, she has a much more glamorous pregnancy wardrobe than I do, haha!) but it’s genuinely touching to know that people out there are excited for this amazing change in our lives. And we all know I like to chat, so Q&As are downright fun for a geek like me!
xo
s
Lisha says
WOW so happy for you two!!!! CONGRATS!!!!! I was hoping Clara would be a big sister sometime soon. You have a big house to fill now! ;)
Amy says
Congrats to all of you! I am also pregnant with my second child. My kiddos will be 3 1/2 years apart. I am now 20 weeks, and the nausea went away around 16 weeks, as it did with my first pregnancy. I hope there’s a light at the end of the sick tunnel for you, too. I also wondered why the nausea went past the common 12 week mark, but I guess I was pretty lucky considering some ladies are sick the whole time. Here’s a couple of things that helped me and some friends- kfc mashed potatoes ( I know that one is weird), chewing gum, laying down, and deep breathing. Sometimes I could talk myself out of throwing up by getting away from “the trigger”, and breathing deeply through my nose. I had to avoid our dishwasher for about 2 months! Best of luck!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, the dishwasher is so bad! The fridge and the pantry do it for me too! And the garbage! Haha! Thanks for the tips Amy!
xo
s
Carla says
I LOVED that post, what a ripper! Thank you for sharing so much, I feel like I’ve just sat down and had a cuppa with you both :)
I think you guys will be fine with two kids…it will help that Clara will be almost four when her sibling arrives. She’ll be such a wonderful helper and will be able to understand so much of what is going on…a lot easier than bringing home a newborn with a toddler in the house.
I am wishing you both a safe pregnancy and it would be grand if there was another fabulous little sleeper in there (let’s go with ‘nature’ on that one ;) ).
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, I’m bracing myself. My mom says after a sleeper like Clara the odds are against us! Eeks!
xo
s
Ariane says
As far as loving two children equally is concerned, there is one point you can make : Clara is able to love both her parents, right ? then you are able to love both your kids ! Take care ! PS : I heard eating crackers – and/or drinking cola – even before getting up helps with morning sickness.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s a great point! Thanks Ariane!
xo
s
Travis Potts says
Hey guys, so happy for you! Congratulations! Was on Facebook and saw the post, so I had to come to YHL to make sure it wasn’t one of your prank posts, but glad to see that the bun is real! The t-shirts were really cute as well! I used to be the youngest in my family and suddenly over the past two years we have had 3 babies pop up, the youngest being born in September. My family uses the rule that if you don’t look pregnant from behind, it’s a boy but if you gain weight on the hips and butt then it’s a girl, maybe it works the same for you? My aunt and uncle have four yipping Jack Russels in a tiny house and plot of land, but their baby doesn’t mind their barking at all. They said it’s because the baby gets used to all of the noise while it’s still in the womb, so think your friend was on a roll when she said to never tiptoe around a sleeping baby.
Clara’s excitement is adorable!!! I think it would be very interesting to see if the excitement stays when shes in her teens and the bun wants to hang out with her and her friends or maybe even borrow her clothes.
Does the show house open before April when you’re still pregnant? Because it could be fun for you guys to include a nursery in the show house to show people that houses can be beautiful and baby-ready.
All the best over the next few months and I really hope that the C-section is safer for the both of you and that things are a lot less traumatic this time.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Travis! We should have a little one in our arms by the time the showhouse opens, but we’d love to do some kids rooms in there and maybe even a nursery! Sounds like fun!
xo
s
Sarah L. says
I just love your open & honest posts – thank you so much for sharing. I especially appreciate the part about the fear and excitement. We haven’t tried for a first yet, but I am just so terrified. It gives me hope to hear that excitement outweighs the fear eventually. The post was very encouraging to me. thank you.
So so happy for you all. =)))
Ella says
My uncle Basil (haha) got named by his older siblings.. Our last name is D so they insisted that a couple of extra names get added on so that he would be Andrew Basil Christopher – A.B.C.D!! Definitely not as creative as Pom Pom though hehe :)
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so funny!
xo
s
Renee says
mm I don’t even know you but I’m so happy for your family. Another little bundle of joy. What a blessing! I love how you said this: “I think recognizing that I can’t control everything (stressing and worrying won’t solve anything) helps too.” I know y’all don’t really post religious stuff on your blog, so if you’d rather not post this comment, that would be totally fine. But I just wanted to tell you, what you said reminded me of this Bible verse I find to be encouraging sometimes.
Matthew 6:25-27 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life… Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”
I just love that – Your little one is SO much more valuable than “birds of the air” who God cares for. He is watching over your sweet one and protecting him or her. I’ll be praying for a healthy baby and pregnancy for you guys :)
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Renee! So sweet!
xo
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JoDi says
I haven’t read the comments so this may have been suggested, but I have an idea for the weekly photos. Instead of using a different prop every week, you could pick one prop to use every week or a couple that you alternate. I was thinking of something like a large basket. Each week as the baby grows you could see the difference in scale and change the positioning – at first lying in the basket, then sitting up, on hands and knees next to it, standing up, etc. Then you’d have something a little different than last time without having to think up a new prop every week. Just a thought. Whatever you come up with is going to be fun and personal so I can’t wait to see what it is!
The part about you telling Clara about the baby was precious. I can’t imagine you two raising anything but the sweetest, most gracious child so her reaction was not surprising. I hope she gets the little sister she’s hoping for, but I know she’ll love having a little brother too!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s a fun idea JoDi! Thanks!
xo
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Tashi says
Guys, congrats! I dare say that we readers are as excited as you are….you know, it’s funny…with husband Tom are planning to add a member to the family next year (for now is just us) but I’m sort of still growing into that idea…how did you manage to get over the fear/anxiety from Clara’s birth? I am very excited to see all the pregnancy process and baby’s #2 birth….
Happy pregnancy!
YoungHouseLove says
I think it just took time for me to heal and really think about things and it used to be that fear felt bigger than the excitement, and I just waited until the excitement got bigger than the fear. Hope that makes sense!
xo
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Jenn C says
I’m so happy for you, Petersiks! And the Bowers. You and Katie are my lucky charms…lemme explain. It took me about five years to get pregnant with my first and only child. Before I found out I was pregnant that time, Katie was preggo with Will and you, shortly therafter announced your pregnancy (with Clara). I had so much fun following the both of your pregnancies. Just a few months later, I found out I was preggo! Fast forward almost 3 years later, I was so happy to hear that Katie and then you were pregnant again. I told my husband, “Hey, maybe that means I will get pregnant too!” Husband thought I was nuts and stalker-ish of complete strangers’ pregnancies ;) Lucky charms again…I just found out I’m pregnant with my second child! We’ve been trying a while. We’re so happy. Should I thank you…again? haha Good luck with your pregnancy and Clara will be the best big sister ever. Much love!
YoungHouseLove says
No way! That’s so funny Jenn! Congrats congrats congrats!!
xo
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Mandy says
Congratulations!!! I have a three year old girl and a 1 yr old girl. I can relate to your feelings of not wanting your first baby to feel second fiddle to the new baby. I was so excited to be expecting my second child, but couldn’t help having an occasional wash of sadness thinking that my eldest would soon have to share us. Such a special bond had developed between the three of us! And although there was an adjustment period, my oldest loves her little sister (most of the time). Also, I seriously underestimated how much my heart would melt just seeing my girls interact with each other. When they are sitting side by side watching Sesame Street or just looking at a book together, I will secretly watch them from the next room and cry like a baby at how sweet they are together. Can’t wait for you to experience that, it’s awesome! Wishing you a happy & healthy pregnancy :)
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so sweet Mandy!
xo
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Candy H says
Congratulations! Clara seems like she will be an absolutely great big sister!
Not sure if someone mentioned it or if you know, BumGenius is discontinuing several colors so you can get some new diapers at a discounted price. (I cloth diapered my second and am now on my third, she’s 10 weeks!)
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Candy!
xo
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Tammy says
You have officially convinced me to do the cloth diaper switch at 8.5 months old! You, and the sale going on with BumGenius Elemental which I thought I’d share with you since you might be buying a few more for baby #2 (congratulations, by the way!). Buy 4, get 2 free on select colours!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip Tammy!
xo
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Jane B. says
Hi Sherry,
Clara will be indeed a great big sis!
Quick question for you? Around which week did you start feeling nauseated, hard to keep breakfast down…?
I’m just entering my 8th week (first baby, pretty nervous here) but haven’t had any nausea yet (knock on wood). I haven’t even had a doctor appt yet as she waits until 8th week is complete…Just preparing myself for what might be ahead.
We are still in shock as we didn’t expect to get prego on first trial, especially since we are in our mid/late-30s.
YoungHouseLove says
With Clara I was sick around week 6 and with this one it was earlier (around week 5 I got very nauseous and was throwing up everyday by 6 weeks). I think it’s different for everyone though! Some of my best friends don’t have any morning sickness the entire pregnancy! I’m jealous!
xo
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Sarah Ramirez says
Is it just me or did Clara totally grow up in her rocking the baby photo?? She totally looks like a big girl sister!! Obviously I started reading YHL for all of the DIY projects but your personal posts make me feel like I’m part of your crew. When I mention a John & Sherry project to the hubs he knows exactly who I’m talking about. He always makes fun of me and says, “Oh, your friends??!” Lol
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Sarah! I totally agree- all of a sudden Clara’s a big girl!
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Cherelle German says
First of all, wanted to say congrats to you both! My husband and I are cracking up over here that Clara said she wanted to name the baby ” Pom-Pom Petersik” , because when pregnant with our second son, our first son said he wanted to name his baby brother ” Pom-Pom German” . How funny and random is that?!
-Cherelle German
YoungHouseLove says
So funny!!!
xo
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Sara says
Congratulations again! We just had our #2 and used the BumGenius with #1. Just a heads up about elastic-from our growing #1 and washing, the elastic got a little stretched out–I was able to replace with “refresher Kits” for a $1 a piece to “spring” them back to life and prevent any leaks!
All our best for healthy pregnancy for mom and baby “bun”
YoungHouseLove says
Great tip Sara! Thanks!
xo
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Julie says
Congrats on the little bun. So happy for you all! Your book is in a photo on one of today’s Joss and Main sales – so cool!
YoungHouseLove says
No way! Thanks for the tip Julie!
xo
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Betsey says
Congratulations!
I just thought I’d give you my one piece of advice I have for parents expecting their second child.
I hired a nanny for the first several months when I had my second. It allowed me to go on with life as normal for my first. When my oldest saw that this intruder wasn’t going to completely upset his life he accepted our second child and we were able to bring the younger one into family activities slowly. Because let’s face it babies sleep a lot.
My older son still got plent of time with the baby but he didn’t get a lot of mommy can’t do that right now. If I was busy with the baby the nanny, who he adored, played with him.
That’s my two cents worth, Betsey
Shelley says
I’ve heard lots of women say they’re worried about giving birth too early with a scheduled c-section. If it makes you feel any better (maybe a tiny bit anyway ha) Ive had two scheduled csections. Both were at 38 weeks. My daughter was 7 12 and now a healthy 13 year old. My son was 8 5 and now a healthy 10 year old. 8)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Shelley!
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Julie @ Living on the Ledge says
Congratulations!
I just had our third daughter (first two were twins.) I had an emergency C-section with the twins, and a planned C-section with our newest bundle, and let me tell you, it was an amazing experience. So much smoother than last time, quicker recovery, everything was better. Best wishes!
Hannah says
Ok…first of all…congrats on your baby!!! I find it funny how excited I was about this, and I’ve never even met y’all in person :P Second of all…my question…so if I,m painting my bedroom walls pink…what color should I do my bedding?… White maybe???
YoungHouseLove says
Sounds so pretty! You could do pink walls, white bedding, and a pop of some other accent color with pillows and art (like orange or teal or yellow).
xo
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Hannah says
Thanks for the ideas! I know I asked you before so I’m sorry I bugged you about it again!! And I hope it didn’t sound like I was just congratulating to get an answer on my question!! I really am sooo excited for you guys & will definitely be praying for everything to go well!! And the whole deal with Clara finding out was adorable! She’ll be the best big sister ever :) (and again sorry for asking the same question again!! I won’t ask that question again! Promise!:)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw you’re so sweet Hannah! No worries at all!
xo
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Helen says
I am so happy for you guys! (And so relieved I CAN be an aunt- good thinking, whoever asked that!) And this, I love this… “He laughed and I laughed and we smooched. It was sweet.” The deepest joy, the strongest love, all wrapped up in 11 words. What a beautiful family for this blessing to be born into! I’ll be praying for all to go smoothly this time around!
Katie in England says
Hi guys, I catch up on your blog every Sunday and have taken so much inspiration from it. I’ve never commented before but I’m so delighted to hear your news I just wanted to pass on my congratulations from across the pond. You seem like such lovely, positive people and you deserve every happiness. Best of luck for your pregnancy.
brooke schaefer says
How wonderful! I am so happy for you all. It’s an interesting transition to go from one to two but you guys seem to take challenges with grace. Enjoy this time. It sounds like your OB is monitoring your specific needs well. I can’t wait to see the nursery this time :)
Blanca Balzola says
omg, i completely missed the post where you said you were expecting.
I just wanted to say congratulations!!!
So excited for you guys!
xo,
Blanca
Katie S. says
I wanted to stop by and offer my congratulations! I also wanted to tell you that my older sister and I are almost exactly the same age difference as Clara and the new one will be. My sister was born in May and I was born in April, 4 years later. My sister has begged my parents for a baby sister and then when I was born she wasn’t happy with me. When my parents reminded her that she had asked for a baby sister she said “Yeah, but I didn’t want this one.” But now that we are 30 and 26 we get along great, she is one of my best friends!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so cute! My mom said I begged for a brother but then after a few months I said “ok, we can send him back now!” – we had some competitive years but now we’re buddies and we laugh about how I tried to return him.
xo
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Patty says
Congrats to the 3 of you!! I had 24/7 morning sickness that was just awful (dry heaving into a plastic bag while driving my car to work was typical). I understand it tends to get worse with baby #2, which was true for me in that situation. You are doing all the same tips that I tried, so hang in there. One thing I did do was call my OBGYN when it got really really bad and he prescribed Zofran (which is safe) anti-nausea med and it changed my life that first trimester!
Keeping snacks at my fingertips 24/7 didn’t hurt, either!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tips Patty!
xo
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Joanna Banana says
Wow! So exciting! Great tip on not “tip toeing” around a newborn!
Pat S says
I’m betting that if you do have a girl she will be nicknamed PomPom regardless of what you name her.
Jude says
Congratulations! God is so good, and He loves His Petersiks!
Joanna says
I am no “allowed” to paint in my house because I get too messy, but this stuff is completely goof-proof. Timber-ox is no VOC and it smells like limes!
http://timberoxgreen.com/
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Joanna!
xo
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Cayce says
Congrats! I’ve cloth diapered all of my children, now on #3 and just wanted to pass this on. I had to buy some new diapers this time and bought some off of Zulily. The brand is Little Monsters and they had them for $9.99! I’ve used BumGenius and think these work just as well, if not better! They have them on there every several weeks, so you can get some there if you need new ones. Good luck!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much for the tip Cayce!
xo
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Lauren says
Congrats, you guys! Don’t know if this has already been mentioned, but it helps to have the leg elastics replaced in BumGenius diapers with each kid. I just had my second baby, and the leg holes were way too stretched for the diapers to function properly, after having used the diapers on his older sister. There are several WAHM businesses that do elastic replacements for like $3.50 a diaper.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Lauren!
xo
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Jenny says
Congrats you guys!! So super exciting, best to you on all fronts.
Also, Sherry, are there tips on 24/7 nausea? It’s new to me and I haven’t found those sea legs yet…so far I just can’t imagine continuing to work until it goes away. Not the best for the family we already have.
YoungHouseLove says
Last time with Clara crackers right when I got up, and a nice heavy meal after I got sick a few times settled my stomach but this time nothing seems to help (I’ve tried Sea Bands and ginger candies and ginger gum and vitamin D/magnesium). There are some great tips from people in these comments that I do plan to try though (peppermint candies/gum is at the top of my list since they kept coming up).
xo
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Kelly says
Hi there!
Have read your blog for 2 years and first comment! Congrats on your pregnancy- it made my morning reading your post. I am a peds nurse so love the babies. We have a little girl who is not 19 months whom I breastfed for 12. One bleary night (while breastfeeding) I came upon your breastfeeding post. It touched so soo soo much in that moment (in the middle of the night) that I cried. I returned to bed thinking “Well if Sherry can do it, I can too” :) Thank you for sharing your experience as I benefited from all your thoughts because it was not an easy journey for me. We are DIY’ers on your house in South Dakota, nothing too much but maybe someday when I figure out how to upload a pic I will sent you some. I am currently taking down some dog wallpaper in our guest bathroom- lol. Have a good night just wanted to reach out and somehow introduce myself. All my love!
Kelly
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks so much Kelly, that’s so sweet of you to say! All of my love right back!
xo
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Sarah Richardson says
Congratulations! And thank you for sharing your happy news with all of us.
It sounds like Clara is going to be an amazing big sis. That is so sweet about her talking to the baby and asking questions about it. We had a couple of great books that we read to our Clara (I know it’s weird that we have a daughter with the same name–it was not on purpose I promise) before her sister was born. “I’m A Big Sister” by Joanna Cole and “On Mother’s Lap” by Ann Herbert Scott. I felt like they helped show what it would be like having a new baby around and also showed that a mothers love only expands, so she would not feel like she was getting loved any less when baby arrived.
I hope that your pregnancy goes well and that your morning/all day sickness soon fades.
-The Other Sarah Richardson
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, thanks the other Sarah Richardson! We just got I’m A Big Sister (from John’s cute and very excited parents) and she loves it! Will have to check out On Mother’s Lap too!
xo
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Liesbeth says
You guys, I turn my head for a week and I miss the greatest news!!! Congrats, I am so happy for you all!!
I read your blog since a few years, but never replied to any of your posts (shame on me!). You inspired me to try my hand at some DIY. I never EVER DIYed in my life, but for the past month I have been painting and laying floors like a pro. So, thank you for encouraging me!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Liesbeth! You’re so sweet!
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