First of all, thanks so much to everyone for sharing in our baby-bomb excitement and wishing us well on our little “project.” You guys are the best! This new-ish development (actually it began in August, which feels like eons ago) certainly means that we’ll be working away harder than ever on our house and we promise to share every dirty home improvement detail with you. And speaking of details, we’re interrupting our regularly scheduled programming to field a bunch of the questions you guys asked on Wednesday in this as-promised Petersik Baby Q&A.
Q: How far along are you? When are you due? Baby Petersik (or “the bean” as he or she is affectionately known around here) is almost 15 weeks old (second trimester- wahooo!- now if only my morning sickness would recognize that fact…) so I’m embarking on my fourth month of being “with child.” Our little one is officially due on May 19th (but we just know he or she will be late- it’s a family thing).
Q: When did you find out? I took a test in early September at which point I was already five weeks along (dizziness and nausea had me pretty certain, and that double line popped up before I could even say “how do you read this thing?”). Ironically, the afternoon that we shot this blogiversary Q&A video was actually the day that we found out, so when we answer the “When will you have kids for crying out loud?” question (skip to 3:48 in the video below) you can see us squirm and search for ambiguous statements that weren’t outright lies. Forgive us, but we weren’t quite ready to announce it to the universe just hours after finding out ourselves.
It’s so funny to watch this again knowing it was filmed on such a big day. And when we hinted about expanding our family for year three of blogging in this blogiversary post I was actually already pregnant- so that’s why we seemed fairly confident that it might be in the cards for us this coming year (since the cards has already been dealt so to speak).
Q: How did you tell John? It was 5am on a Saturday when I got my positive result so I giddily snuck into the kitchen and made a card for John from Burger (homemade cards from Burger are kind of our thing, they’re always misspelled and we exchange them for big events like Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, b-days and anniversaries). The front of the card said: Harfy Fafers Day (translation: Happy Father’s Day)…
… and the inside said “I wanted to get you bons but mommy has something else…” (Burger can never spell bones correctly).
Armed with my little DIY card and positive test I padded back to bed and attempted to let John sleep for a few more hours. About ten seconds later I realized this was an impossibility so I intentionally woke Burger up so he would rouse John. His happy little wiggling and tail-wagging did the trick, so I quickly shoved the card in Burger’s collar (that’s how he delivers them) and John groggily read the front and then flipped to the inside as I pulled out my positive test and beamed. “Seriously?!” was his response and we were pretty much saying non-words and hugging and squealing or a while after that. The funniest thing is that about two minutes later John was jumping to his feet and hurriedly getting dressed saying we had to go to the farmer’s market to get lots of organic fruits and veggies so he could cook healthy things for me and the baby. Yeah, I pretty much melted. He’s destined to be the world’s best dad.
Q: How long did you keep the secret from your family? It was grueling but we waited until I was over 3 months along (14 weeks) to tell our parents and the rest of the family. One because it was fun to have “our little secret” and two because we wanted to tell all of our parents in person (and we weren’t due for a trip to NY to see my mom and dad until last weekend).
Q: And how did you tell them? Sunday was John’s birthday so all of our parents were going to be in NY at my mom’s house to “surprise” him with a b-day breakfast. He wasn’t supposed to know that his mom, dad, sister, brother-in-law, and baby nephew were going to show up (but he had a vague idea since I had to convince him that it would be the perfect morning for the reveal). That morning they all showed up as planned along with my brother, Almost-Dr-Dan, and his fiance (a surprise to even me). John acted mock-shocked, we ate a big Italian breakfast (including chocolate birthday cake) and then turned to opening presents. The last gift was one from me that we had both planted in the bunch. When he got to it he looked around the room chock full of unsuspecting family members and said: “It was so great for you guys to surprise me… but Sherry and I actually have a little surprise for you in return” and pulled out a little onesie labeled “freshly baked”:
And there it was. Immediate recognition. Screaming. Disbelief. Jumping. Clapping. Belly rubbing (once I removed the giant jacket I had been wearing to hide my obvious baby bump). After months of waiting (and dressing like a blob to hide my “secret”) it was finally out. Euphoric doesn’t even begin to describe it.
Q: We know Katie Bower told you she was expecting before she even told her husband, so how and when did you tell her? Were you pregnant in Nashville together? Nope, I had yet to be prego-fied when we giddily met up in Nashville but it was so exciting to hang out with Katie when she was so early on. I called her and spilled the beans a few days after telling John which was really nice because keeping the secret from our friends and family for an entire trimester was hard work (so it was awesome to have a confidante)! And yes, Katie squealed just as loudly for my big reveal as I did for hers. Love that girl.
Q: Will you find out the sex (and tell us)? Are you longing for a boy or a girl in particular? We’ve decided after much consideration that we’re just too excited not to find out, but we’ll probably have the doctor write it down for us and go on a little dinner date and ceremoniously open the envelope then. And of course we’ll share the news on the blog pretty quickly thereafter. As for a boy/girl preference, we’re just hoping for a healthy little guy or gal (although we have said that it would be funny of it turned out to be a chihuahua).
Q: Did finding out make you cry? Did John? Ooh that’s a good one. We both got misty-eyed a few times (when I told John, sharing the news with our parents, etc) but the only time tears actually left our eyeballs and dribbled down our cheeks was at the first ultrasound. As soon as we saw our little bean and heard the heartbeat we were both in awe. And furiously swatting at our cheeks. Big moment. So much to be thankful for.
Q: Will you poll blog readers when it comes to name ideas? How do you feel about names in general- unconventional? conventional? We tend to like names with personal meaning – whether they honor a family member or reference something special to us. So sorry folks, but our bean’s moniker won’t be up for public debate here. In fact, while we plan to have some top picks by May, we’d like to meet the little lad or lady before making a final choice just to be sure we pick a name that “fits.” Of course, we’ll obviously share our wee one’s full name after we bring him or her into the world (along with the obligatory Burger-sniffs-baby photo).
Q: Are you showing? Will you show us baby bump photos and ultrasounds? I actually “popped” about two weeks ago so I’m showing like you wouldn’t believe (yes strangers congratulate me at the grocery store- and I eat it up!). It’s early, I know, but I’ve always been a small girl (5’2″ around 115lbs) so it’s pretty hard for me to hide a grapefruit sized uterus- and my 4’11” mom said it runs in the family since she showed pretty much immediately too (she also had a two hour labor with me and a one hour labor with my brother so I’m hoping that runs in the family too). And my early bump onset might explain the avoidance of full body photos for the last few weeks (belly-obscuring shots like this one became the norm for a while there):
And while I’m sure my belly-full-of-baby will make it into some video tutorials and home-related posts along the way, we’re going to spare you from any gratuitous shots of my midsection. We’re bound to have so many projects going on around here in the coming months that we’re happy to keep the focus where its always been: decorating and home improvement. Plus we gotta keep a few things off the internet, right? Why not start with images of my uterus?
Q: Does this mean you guys will be moving? If not, which room will be the nursery? Definitely not moving. We’ve love our house too much to give up on it now. And since we’re certain there’s only one on the way, the third bedroom will definitely become the nursery. In fact, we already have no-VOC paint swatches up on the walls and have begun brainstorming ideas for the big makeover (but we still have to finish the basement and a full bathroom reno… yeah, we’re gonna be busy!).
Oh and for the extremely observant folks who noticed that we moved the white table that used to be our stationery and gift wrapping table from the third bedroom…
… down to the basement, now you know why! Since we knew we wouldn’t have room for it in the soon-to-be nursery we wanted to work it into our in-progress basement makeover. Gotta work with what ya have!
Q: What will you do about childcare? Hire a nanny? Will John be a stay at home dad? We still have six months to iron things out but John plans to take a generous paternity leave when our newborn arrives. We’re also extremely lucky to have friends & family already offering a hand (and more than a few casseroles). Oh and we plan to write a ton of posts beforehand, so we’ll have stockpiled content at the ready, which should buy us a bit of adjustment time without robbing you guys of the frequent projects and eye-candy that you’re used to. It’ll take a village but we’ll figure it out. We like to learn as we go (and who needs sleep anyway?)…
Q: But seriously, when you’re a new parent, projects that used to take an hour take a week. We know it’ll be a challenge. We do. We’ve welcomed three newborns into the family already this year. We’ve snuck away for week-long vacations while no reader is the wiser thanks to stockpiling posts and approving comments on the go, but we know that bringing home a baby will be a whole new ballgame. Let’s just say we’re cautiously optimistic, not to mention pros at working round the clock, squeezing things in and getting ‘er done.
In short: we’ll work as a team and switch off with each other (I’ll nurse while John hammers, he’ll read bedtime stories while I frame something) and of course we’ll make sure there’s plenty of family time in there too. And we’ll rely heavily on friends, relatives, passion, caffeine, each other and anything else that keeps us going. Plus it helps to see other full time bloggers with babies who make it work (like Heather at Dooce and Abby at Style Me Pretty). And the amazing undertakings of this mom of four (!) inspire me to no end. We’ve put two years, countless hours, weekends, and vacations into raising this blog baby of ours, so we’re dedicated to nurturing right along with baby P.
Q: Is Burger excited to be a big brother? He is! The prospect of jam-covered fingers and extra crumbs on the floor has his little tail wagging. We think he’ll be a great little helper (as long as he doesn’t try to give his little brother or sister a tongue bath) since he loves all of his pint sized nieces and nephews.
Q: Where did you get that cute shirt for Burger? We snagged it from the T-Shirt Deli. It’s just about the coolest concept ever. You can personalize and pick the font, color, and style of tee and then it arrives wrapped up in paper like a sub sandwich with “made fresh” stickers on it and a real bag of potato chips in the box. And we think it hugs Burger in all the right places.
Q: Sherry, do you have any weird cravings? Baked potatoes. All the time. It’s crazy but I guess my body needs vitamin C or B6 or potassium. Or I just like the taste of warm melty carbs. At least it’s nothing too weird. Yet…
Q: How have you been feeling? Did your first trimester have you down for the count? Other than morning sickness that only lasts from 8-10am I’ve felt like a million bucks! I was waiting for extra tiredness or splitting headaches to kick in, but I’m into my second trimester so it seems I’ve dodged those bullets. At least for now. And that’s a good thing because we’ve been crazy busy with the basement project (don’t worry John did all the Dryloking and floor painting so I didn’t have to get near those gross fumes- and even he wore his mask). As for the whole morning sickness thing, after 90 days or so of tossing my cookies each AM and going on to have a completely normal day afterwards, it’s almost become a hobby of mine. I affectionately call it being lovesick instead of morning sick since it reminds me that my little bean is doing his or her thing in there which always makes me smile- even over the bowl. And the good news is that my doctor thinks it’ll end any day now (something about week 16 being magical?). Nice.
Q: Will you green your baby and use cloth diapers? We’re definitely going to do the eco thing where we can (use no-VOC paints, organic materials, and repurposed items, etc). We also do plan to use cloth diapers since they’ve come a long way from big squares of fabric with safety pins in the corners. We’ve heard a lot of great things about BumGenius (they even come in one-size-fits-all snap varieties) so our fingers are crossed that we can hack it. We’ve seen firsthand from family members how quickly disposable diapers can pile up (while emptying wallets) and we actually read that people save an average of $2000+ by choosing reusable diapers- which means more money for home improvements and nursery upgrades!
Q: Is this blog going to turn into baby central with symptom rundowns and constant baby chatter? Nope. Decorating and home improvement have always been our passion, and although there’s a bun in the oven that doesn’t change our insatiable hunger for amazing before and afters, steals and deals, cheap DIY projects, step by step tutorials and all the other things we’ve happily whipped up for the past 2+ years. Heck you can even call them a craving. Our house and our lives are inherently changed by this little “development,” but although there will be some posts devoted to a nursery makeover and other house-related changes (like restructuring a closet to make room for new items, babyproofing Casa Petersik, and cutting down on clutter) the focus will still be on decorating, DIYing up a storm, and making spaces work hard on the cheap. We actually like to think that we’ll learn more home-related tips and tricks as our family expands, since we’ll encounter different design challenges and need to sort and store even more in our tiny house.
Q: I hope this means you’ll be putting up all of those white ceramic animals of yours! Ok, so that’s not technically a question, but it’s a good reminder that our house definitely isn’t babyproofed yet. We know there’s definitely going to be a learning curve when it comes to making our house safe for little hands (ceramic animals on a high shelf, perhaps? or in a non-kid room like the guest bedroom?) but we’re eager to take on the challenge of maintaining a stylish yet kid-friendly home… while blogging about it along the way of course.
Q: Besides the nursery, what other home improvement projects are you rushing to complete by May? Good question. We still have a slew of basement projects to take on (obscuring the windows, building a screen, hanging art, etc) and then we have a full bathroom gut job on the agenda that we plan to start in a few short weeks. Yikes! It’s gonna get a little crazy around here, but we’ll be sure to keep you posted every step of the way. Oh and did we mention that we already found some amazing mocha colored marble tile for the bathroom floor on clearance for $2.50 a square foot? Stay tuned for more details…
So there you have it. Consider yourself up-to-speed on the Petersik pregnancy. And if you are eager for little updates and periodic baby news, be sure to follow us on Twitter or fan us on Facebook. We’re known to veer off into the random and personal tidbits much more over there. And one more BIG THANK YOU for all the well wishes and encouragement. Feels so good to have you sharing in our excitement.
Athena says
Congrats! You’re going to have so much fun. When I was pregnant with my daughter, Saoirse, I lovingly nicknamed her Bean. Not only was it endearing (and for a few weeks, accurate) but, it made me giggle every time I said it or wrote it. Her Dad gave me a necklace that actually looks like a little tiny bean (hopefully this link works):
http://www.tiffany.com/Shopping/Item.aspx?fromGrid=1&sku=GRP02235&mcat=&cid=&search_params=s+1-p+1-c+-r+-x+-n+6-ri+-ni+0-t+bean&search=1
I wear it everyday and love it cause it’s a constant reminder of her! :-)
Wishing you both the best on this incredibly, awesome new journey.
kimberlyscribbles.blogspot.com says
So thrilled for all of you. This will be the most fulfilling experience of your lives, one that fills you to the very brim.
Kim
L says
Congrats! Where did you find the “freshly baked” onesie? We have some, ahem, news we are planning to share with my mom over Thanksgiving (no, we haven’t told anyone else because we’re a bit behind you!!) and it is adorable!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey L,
We got the “Freshly Baked” onesie from Baby Gap. It was in the clearance section though, so we can’t promise there are any still around!
-John
Clarissa says
Congratulations! It is so exciting having a baby, my first is six months old and it is amazing seeing him turn into a little person with his own personality.
We use cloth diapers, primarily BumGenius, but love prefolds for just hanging out at home. Don’t let people convince you that cloth is going to be a pain, it absolutely is not inconvenient at all and is so much better for the baby and the environment.
Sandra says
Your baby bump is the cutest! Congratulations again!
marissa says
Thanks for sharing! After reading your blog everyday it’s hard not to be really excited for the two of you! Best wishes with everything!
Becky says
Congratulations! I am just behind you with a due date of June 2.
I encourage you to check out this blog: http://ecologicalmomblog.blogspot.com/ I’m sure it will give you all kinds of **green** inspiration!
Tamara says
To my favourite blog writers,
I am happy to hear of your good news and wish you a healthy pregnancy. However, I must confess, that I was happy to be reassured that this blog’s main topics will remain decorating and DIY home renovations. I love your style and your ideas, esp. your approach to your home being a work in progress.
Thanks for sharing and letting us know, you will continue to share.
Krysta says
I’d like to second Erin’s comment. As someone that doesn’t see kids in their future, I really appreciate that you keep your blog content home-focused. It can be frustrating when my favorite home blogs turn to “mommy blogs”. But your passion for decorating & diy is evident, even the nursery & kids’ rooms you have worked on have been a great source of inspiration for me.
Congratulations on your newest “project” & keep up the great work!!
Kevin M says
Totally agree on the project thing – not only does it take a lot longer, sometimes the motivation to even start a project just isn’t there when I know my little guy wants to go out and run around.
We used BumGenius and they were awesome, until about 18-21 months or so when our son outgrew them completely.
BTW, my wife is about a month behind you – due 6/16.
Lindsay @ Likely Design says
Congrats, again!! So exciting!! Makes me (almost!! not quite, though!!) want another one of my own. :)
I love my BumGenius diapers! I’ve been using them on my little one, too. And Seventh Generation disposables are life-savers, too, for when you need or might prefer a disposable (overnight, out and about, etc.). It happens. :)
Diapers.com is great, too!
Erin says
Congratulations! When you mentioned your family and friends helping you out, I immediately thought of CareCalendar.org. It’s a great tool to keep everything very organized, whether someone is coming over with dinner, to help with housework, or just spend time with you. It sends out email reminders and it is very easy to use.
I’ve thrown a couple of baby showers where we attach the Care Calendar information to a party favor (little bags of candy), so the guests can then go sign up. Some of my mommy friends didn’t have to worry about dinner for three months!
Just thought it might come in handy.
Holly says
Congrats again John & Sherry! I think it’s great that you’re waiting to name the baby after he/she arrives, it makes it so much more exciting for all involved!! Looking for to hearing more about your pregnancy along the way :)
Sunny's Life in Rehab says
Good choice on the cloth diapers! We used them exclusively on all three of The Teen Minions (even when they were all in them at the same time), and it’s really easy to keep up with. You’re a lot more organized than we were, so this shoulc be a cinch. I’m really happy for you both.
Chrissy says
Sherry, I must say that I am relieved to read these questions and that you are still going to do regular decorating stuff. I am still a little freaked out by the idea of having children, and being engaged and mid-20’s I know that hurdle is looming ahead not too far away and having women who can have children and yet not give up the things they love (and not be ashamed or guilty for doing so!) is awesome for me to see as an example that I don’t have to give up myself to be a mom. So you go girl, you are my future mom inspiration!!! (and it seems like you will also have a wonderful helper!) Can’t wait to see y’all’s new solutions!
Amanda says
Congrats to you guys. It’s so thoughtful of you to take the time to answer all the curious questions!
Emily says
It’s a good thing you have two bathrooms because we only have one and did our major renovation last December (when my general contractor father-in-law had some free time). Due to a freak snow storm here in Portland, Oregon, we ended up with no bathroom shower or sink while being snowed in. Luckily the toilet and tub were installed when we got stuck. But I was four months pregnant and ended up passing out (nearly hitting my head on a pile of 12×12 tile) one day because of inadvertently taking too warm of a bath.
Spurs says
Big ole grin coming at y’all from San Antonio…so happy for you both :) Congratulations on the forthcoming “offshoot”…
Lesley says
I craved baked potatoes with my first son, too!! I would eat 2 at a time. That’s disgusting, I know. Congrats! I can’t wait to hear what you’re having. We are cooking baby #2!
Jamie says
Well, having the mom that I do (childbirth educator, lactation consultant, doula: http://www.janakicostello.com/Janaki/Home.html) I’m of course wondering if you’re going to have a natural childbirth and if you’re planning on breastfeeding. But that’s up to you to decide if you want to share!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jamie,
Good question! We definitely plan on breastfeeding and when it comes to labor, the docs think I might have “fast progressing labor” just like my mother did with me and my brother (we were both born in under two hours from start to finish) so an epidural might not even be possible if I’m progressing so quickly. The plan is to do my best and just see how it goes!
xo,
s
Kelsey says
YAY!! can`t wait to see how you maintain style while baby-proofing at the same time!!
Mel says
Congrats! I know you guys will make incredible parents. Your creativity; your passion for making a beautiful “nest”; your excitement and energy; your willingness to take on a challenge with joy; and your ability to truly collaborate…you guys will be wonderful.
Can’t wait to hear more.
Also, I know you already covered this, but the worrier in me just feels compelled to remind you to stay away from toxic paints etc and steer clear of lifting heavy things…
You guys will be great!
xo, Mel
Loren says
I wanted to congratulate you guys too, you guys are so sweet. I love how much thought you put into things like Burger notes. As someone with a few more years to go before starting a family I look forward to reading about how you plan your nursery. I just know that it will be classy and not filled to the brim with pastels.
Also please don’t think this is weird, but could we MAYBE see a slightly gratuitous belly photo in a couple months? I just know that Sherry is going to be a uber-cute pregnant lady. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Loren- I bet my belly will definitely sneak into a few photos along the way! We usually end up in a handful of photos a month, so we figure everyone can observe my belly as we go- just through photos about projects and other undertakings that happen to include my bump in the frame. Stay tuned…
Mel- Not to worry about toxic paint fumes and lifting heavy things- I’ve been completely absent when it comes to any projects that aren’t totally baby safe (in fact since this is my first go at being prego I’m probably over cautious and a bit paranoid but you can’t be too careful, right?). I’m just very lucky to have such a great hubby who doesn’t hesitate to step in and take care of any of the things I can’t. And of course when we get to the nursery we’re doing everything with no-VOC paint and other non-toxic methods so stick around for those details…
xo,
s
Sara says
Sherry, thank you so so much for the paint recommendation! I can’t wait to check it out.
Maybe if your 20 week sono is early enough, you could open your envelope on christmas? Or new years day? I can’t tell you how excited I am to see what you come up with for the nursery. I’m planning mine, and it was inspired very much by a certain green dresser you posted a couple of weeks ago :)
Kim Hannemann says
Congratulations and I am really, really happy for you.
However, “He’s destined to be the world’s best dad,” sorry to tell you but I have been the recipient of that award for the past 28 years, and I understand the trophy has been retired in perpetuity.
Mary @ StyleFyles says
You guys are going to be great parents! I look forward to seeing your nursery renovations as they progress….I have a feeling it’s going to be AWESOME! Congrats again!!!!
Ashley @ SouthMeetsSouth says
Awww! I love looking back knowing what we know now! I know the house stuff will, of course, still be your main focus but keep us up to date on how you are feeling/progressing.
I’m so impressed you haven’t been tired! I was worn out during the first trimester! But that passed. And so did the morning sickness. And now I feel amazing!!! You are doing great!! Can’t wait to hear more about the new addition. :)
Stephanie says
Congratulations again!! So excited for you guys!
I have used cloth with all three of mine and Bum genious with the last one and you wont be disapointed!! Especiall;y if you are breastfeeding, the diaper thing isn’t that gross at all!
I hope you have quick labor!! And I highly recomend Bradley birthing class to prepare for natural childbirth, especially if you may not get a choice! Had mine all naturally (at home actually) and the bradley method of pain managemnet was a life saver!!
There’s a little unsolicited advise for you!! :)
Heather G says
Congrats Congrats Congrats! So happy for you two, can’t wait to read all about the progress :o)
Bethany says
Congratulations again! I’m so jealous of your cute baby bump! I’m in the awkward stage of “is she pregnant or just kinda fat?”. I can’t wait until people can actually tell for sure that I’m preggo!
Lonna says
Cloth diapers rock! I have an almost 2 year old and an almost 6 month old sporting them right now. I love the BG’s, my favorite being the organic ones(no need to remove or stuff inserts, and hold a lot of pee). I will say though that the one size fits all is a streatch of the truth for a newborn. My son din’t fit them for the first month or so. So for that time we used an xs BG and disposables to make it. My one major bit of advice, buy a diaper sprayer. Oh and one more money saving tip, cottonbabies.com is the best place to buy your BG’s. If you check their site frequently they will have some of their “seconds” listed for a nice discount with out having to sacrifice quality!
Ok, and just one more thing the Moby wrap rocks as well and so does the phil and teds stroller (when you have a second child you don’t have to get another stroller)!
I’m done now.
Magchunk says
A HUGE congratulations from Seattle. I am so excited for you guys. And I’m a crier, so this post totally had me tearing up (esp about your ultrasound!)
When I saw your fb status, the first thing I thought of was that video (the vagueness stuck with me, but I wasn’t convinced either way), and then thought of the Drylok! So glad to hear that you already knew and were able to avoid breathing in that icky stuff. Although now it explains more why it took extra long for that to get finished up if only John was painting!
Yay! Can’t wait for more. And if the little one comes just a few days early we could share my May 15th b-day. I can vouch for it as a good one. Taurus is the best.
anu says
congrats! i’d love to recommend mythic non-toxic paint, which is what we used in our little one’s nursery. it’s both voc-free in color (most paints become low voc with the addition of color) and non-toxic and goes on really thick, so if you use a lighter color, only one coat is needed.
Heidi says
Go for the BumGenius diapers. You will not be disappointed. I use them on my 2 1/2 and 10 month old. The one size ones are great. There is a store in VA Beach that sells them if you want to make the drive to check them out. (I will admit I used disposables when they were really little because of the convenience). Congrats!
Alicia says
So I was right about the shower curtain photo! I really hope you have quick labor, Sherry. But I can tell you from experience that you don’t always do like your Mom. My mom had very fast labors but I was in labor with my son for almost 3 days and ended up having to have a c-section. I just don’t want you to get your hopes up because everyone is different. But no matter how they get here, it’s always worth it. :) Congratulations again!
Dana says
You guys are too cute. Did your ultrasound show the bean painting and hanging curtains in utero?? Too funny. I love your outlook too. A baby is a huge consideration, but I think it’s great that you will just go about it as you do with anything else…. open-minded and optimistic! This may be a little premature (no pun intended) but how many kiddos would you ideally like to have?
Sherry, I too am a lil’ girl (about 5’3″ and 105lbs) and both my labors were crazy fast… the last one only 48 minutes start to finish. We didn’t even get to deliver at the hospital that we had already prepaid!!!! After months of planning, I had no idea who was ‘down there’ delivering my child (my OB didn’t deliver at the hospital we ended up swerving into). BUT everything turned out great and everyone was healthy. The moral: planning is good but some things you can’t just prepare for… go with it. Love ya!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Dana,
That’s so crazy! A 48 minute labor from start to finish? Yes, please! We know you definitely can’t really plan those things though, and we just have to be flexible (figuratively, not literally) and hope for the best. As for how many we want, we’re on the fence between two or three. And some crazy days we even entertain the notion of four. We shall see!
xo,
s
Jacci says
Interesting – our local Benjamin Moore dealer told me the same thing… that no VOC paints are no longer NO VOC once the color is added.
If you didn’t already know we’re a little nutso, guys, I’ll pipe up and say that I’ve had all four of our little guys without drugs. My first labor was only 6 hours, though, and the rest have been speedy like your mom, Sherry. I admit, with my last birth, I think I would’ve gotten the epidural if I could have. But I progressed too quickly for it. We never took a Bradley method class or even read the book, but friends have said that our labor plans pretty much sound like the Bradley method. I know you don’t want YHL turning into “baby-talk central”… so I’ll cool it with my elated comments now! :) **BUT** if you ever want to talk baby, you know where you can find me!
XO,
Jacci
Kat says
hey y’all,
I must say I love reading your blog. Just wanted to comment about the cloth diapers. I just had a baby in June and we have been using Bumgenius 3.0 One size diapers. And I absolutely love them! They are way better than the “All in One” diapers because they grow with baby.
You are absolutely going to love being a mom, you have never loved someone so much.
Also, not sure if you want to use meds for labor, I used something called hypno-babies. You should check it out!
Megan says
Congratulations! So exciting. We just had our first child in June and it is such an adventure.
My friend lent me the most amazing book recently and I wish I would’ve had it during my pregnancy. It’s called Real Food for Mother and Baby by Nina Planck. I highly recommend it!
http://www.amazon.com/Real-Food-Mother-Baby-Fertility/dp/1596913940
We just started with cloth diapers as well and after getting a large assortment of different styles I ended up liking the plain old flat diapers that you fold up and then put cute covers over. They’re extremely versatile and wash and dry so quickly. We didn’t start cloth diapers right away because we wanted to make sure we knew what we wanted and didn’t want to set ourselves up for failure. It’s a good thing b/c she was super colicky and I could barely keep up with regular laundry. Now she’s a wonderfully happy little girl and loves her cloth diapers!
I hope the rest of the pregnancy goes well!
Nicole says
Congratulations! I used BGs too but if you want to use disposables when you’re out or just occasionally target carries Nature Babycare diapers and wipes that are eco friendly. They’re just as good as huggies.
Tegan and Tage says
Congratulations :) Just one note– you are going to LOVE BumGenius. Best. Diapers. Ever. We use them and were a little unsure at first but we have saved sooo much money and they are still in super good condition after 8 months of use (our babe is 10 months now but he was a month early and too small to wear them for the first few weeks.)
Malin says
Another cloth diaper comment: We have used FuzziBunz on all our three kids, they work really well. Nowadays they come with an insert but small prefolds also work well. And paper liners are great when things get more solid…
Melissa says
Sherry,
Just wanted to throw out that since you plan to breastfeed I HIGHLY recommend not skimping on the chair you get for the nursery as you will likely spend lots of time (12+) each day in there in the beginning so you definitely want something that’s comfortable, preferibly that rocks AND reclines.
Also, a bit of unsolicited advice about nursing – although its a natural thing it’s a learned process for both mom and baby so definitely research and talk to other moms and just know that for it to work you have to wholehartedly commit to it b/c there will be LOTS of times where you may want to give up early on. My tip to remember – never give up on a bay day!
http://www.kellymom.com is a GREAT resource
Enjoy your pregnancy – it goes by fast!
Jen Z. says
wow, what great answers. Great to know that there will be lots of DIYing going on. Really looking forward to seeing what you do with your house to get ready for the little bean. We are trying and we know we will need help with certain DIY things to make our house better for when it’s time. ;-) I hope your little bean will be a lot like you guys and DIY things too. This way, he or she will be a help to you both. Lots of luck over the next serveral months. Looking forward to seeing everything come together in your home.
Jamie Lee says
Congratulations guys! I’m sure you two will make great parents!
SFDC says
Congrats! Thanks for all the fun baby info, but now I’m very curious about the marble tile you mentioned! We are going to do a bathroom redo as well and are on the lookout for marble tile flooring. Any tips?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey SFDC,
We actually found it at Lowe’s in the clearance bin! Definitely not where we thought we’d end up, but we were walking around just to get prices and see what they had and it was too good of a deal not to buy up nearly every last box of tile (since we can return any and all extra boxes). Oh and here’s a tile tip in general: if you buy twice as much tile as you need you can go though and be a bit choosy about which tiles you use (some might be too veiny or dark or spotted for your tastes) and then you can just return the excess. Presto- no weird tiles that you’re trying to hide behind the toilet- instead it’s all stuff that you hand picked and love!
xo,
s
Fatima says
Congratulations!! Great news :)
BeckyS says
oh you three, I am so happy for you! I hope there are in fact mini updates on YHL as you guys ARE YHL, so although it is a home reno/DIY blog, it is you guys that make it what it is :)And baby makes four!! Cannot WAIT for nursery pics!
The inspiration you have given me is greatly appreciated!! We just bought our first home and can’t wait to get started on all the updates/renos! We may even blog about it! xoxo
kim says
I used cloth diapers with all three of my kids and I actually still have a few, I get all sentimental when I unpack the box and look at them. There are so many advantages to cloth diapers, you get used to washing them and all, and parenting is gross at times anyway so it’s not like you dodge that bullet with disposables. :) Good luck.
MKS says
Your post made me cry. Congratulations. Having a baby is the most wonderful thing in the entire world! Oh yeah, and you have PLENTY of time to baby proof! Kid doesn’t start moving until 8 months! They will teach you real fast what needs to go where!