This pregnancy seems to be flying by!  I keep thinking how the first one dragged on and on, but not #2~  I almost kinda need it to slow down!

Tim & I were laughing last night about how much different #2 is - we planned so much with Jacob (#1) - we had the nursery done, everything put away & ready for his arrival by 34-35 weeks, and then just waited..................and waited.........and waited!   This one we haven't even talked about a nursery, buying a crib, or even which room s/he will go in!  We haven't even taken any of the infamous "belly shots"!  Poor deprived child!  (though in our defense, our digital camera has been in for repair).   Ah well, I guess we do still have quite a bit of time...

I have started to come out of my "first trimester hole" - I have been able to eat more normally & feel better overall, though I definitely have moments  and/or days of ickiness.  I haven't thrown up in almost 3 weeks (or is it 4?!   Wow!) and I'm so thankful!!!  My energy is slowly returning, though most days I feel like I could still sleep 12-14 hours/night! 

Jacob has been keeping us busy -- he ran a 102-104 degree fever for a few days this week, followed by a rash all over his body.  It sounds like Roseola to us, which is very mild in comparison to anything else!  We have spent some time on the phone with the on-call Pediatrician & also consulted our friends and family who are nurses who have all reassurred us it's no big deal.  Whew!  It's hard to say if it was a reaction to his MMR & Chicken Pox vaccines last week.  I HATE IMMUNIZATIONS!!!!!!!!!!! 

Next OB appt is scheduled for July 13th.  More then!

Almost all of my friends and family who followed my page with Baby #1 have all been informed of this new pregnancy, so let me introduce myself - finally!

My name is Beth, I am pregnant with Baby #2, due December 24, 2007.  I have been married to my high school sweetheart, Tim, for almost 5 years.  We have a 1-year-old son named Jacob.  You can read about Jake in my other journal with the following link (username bethajoy):

http://babycrowd.com/jr/online/bethajoy/

I am a working mother (social worker for a mental health agency), but my full-time job allows me the flexibility to telecommute, or work part of the time from home with Jacob.  What a blessing this has been!  When I am at the office, my loving family cares for my son - my mother, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law each take certain days of the week.  It has been a lot of juggling and some rearranging for all parties involved, but it has definitely worked out for the best.  I am so grateful for this schedule & this great job that God has blessed my family with. 

Update on this pregnancy:

So finally, almost everyone knows about our exciting news!  I finally got the nerve to inform my boss & a few co-workers today; I have to call a few more friends/co-workers who are out on maternity leave right now.  Word spreads like wildfire at my work (the gossip is simply amazing!)  Plus, the news of a new pregnacy is definitely nothing new; I work with almost all women who are in their late 20s and early 30s - we have had nothing short of a Baby Boom in the last 3 years!  We have every single month (if not 2 or more/month) "covered" by a birth in 2007 - me finishing out the year.  Ha, ha.  I knew my boss would laugh - and that she did!  It was a good laugh though, and she was genuinley happy. 

I am amazed at the questions we get, and they are almost all the same from each person:

Was this a planned pregnancy?  (that is the number one question - I kid you not!)  How are you feeling?  Will you find out if it's a boy or a girl?  How close in age will your kids be again?  18 months apart - it's almost like having twins!  Do you want a boy or a girl this time?  Will you put the kids in the same bedroom?  Are you ready for 2?  Are you going to get a minivan?  Why do you want to have 2 in diapers? 

Most days I feely okay, I am still having some trouble with heartburn, nausea, vomiting, & fatigue.  I see the light at the end of the tunnel though, and am catching glimpses of my "old self" - I know there is hope of feeling great -- just in time for the heart of the summer! 

I am starting to feel huge, already...though I know it's not so -- that month 9 of pregnancy is truly the definition of "huge" -- but I'm already wearing mostly maternity clothing and/or stretchy-waist pants or skirts.  I think today my legs feel "tight" - but that's proably due to my not drinking very much water.  I want to drink water, but when I do, it makes me feel ill!

Okay, that's all I can think of for now.  Next appointment is Wed. 6/13.  More later!

Finally our family knows.  As do most of our close friends.  Whew!  What a relief.

We told our family at our son's first birthday party on Saturday.  I changed him into a shirt that says "I'm the big brother" and it took everyone about 15 mintues to finally notice it.  My MIL was the first to react.  Then the rest of the family got it too.  They were all really excited & congratulated us.  My SILs were all giddy, and trying to piece together information over the last month -- i.e. how I've been acting, looking, feeling, etc.  They crack me up!

We called my brothers and SILs (who are out of town) and told some of our close friends.  For the most part, the reactions have been surprise and excitement.  We have gotten a lot more positive feedback than negative which I'm totally thrilled about.  I expected it to be much different, for some reason?  I'm really glad my expectations were wrong!

I have been feeling a *little* better these days.  Little to no vomiting in the last week to 10 days, just bouts of nausea & feeling utterly crappy.  I've been craving fruit like nothing else (apples, watermelon, pears, honeydew melon) as well as corn on the cobb, and my MIL's tuna noodle casserole.  I'm such a weirdo!!  I also enjoy eating carbs - pastas, baked potatoes, toast, grilled cheese, pretzel rods, and potato chips.  Last week I even had tomato soup with cheddar cheese when it was almost 90 degrees outside!  Oh, and chicken sandwhiches from Burger King...YUM!  Talk about CALORIES!!!!  AHhhhh!!  Good thing I'm chasing a 1 year old around most days.  Hopefully that helps the weight gain.

I'm 10 weeks & I swear I have been feeling this baby move, just the tiniest bit.  Is that even possible this early?!   Last night I was laying on the couch, and I really felt little bubbly-type taps in my belly.  I can't feel it from the outside yet, but I remember the feeling well.  I didn't feel my son move until 17-18 weeks, but that was my first.  How crazy is that????!!!!  I can't wait to feel bigger and stronger movements -- oh how I have missed that!

Next appt. is June 13th.  Hopefully then we can hear the heartbeat!

My due date has been "assigned":  December 24, 2007.  A Christmas Baby.  LOL.  Poor kid!  He or she will have to have a birthday and Christmas rolled into one (I am leaning toward a repeat c/s at the moment, which means baby will be born the week before - 12/18 or 19 or so?).....oh well!...my husband's cousin has done it (his bday is 12/23) and survived.  I have a friend whose birthday is on Christmas Day.  I don't hear her complaining! 

12/24 puts me around 8 weeks, 3 days, according to my OB.  I saw her yesterday for an appt and u/s.  I didn't get the "lecture" from her I was psyching myself up for.  She kind of laughed and said "so you didn't make it to a year, huh?".  (she had previously recommended we wait until our son was at least a year b/c of c-section delivery -- better for baby #2 and Momma)  We missed her "goal" for us by 10 weeks or so.  Woops!

We had another u/s yesterday.  Everything looks great!  Healthy heartbeat, and the cord was there; you could also see a head and what looks like little limbs!  It was SO COOL!  I have been worried that the second time around wouldn't feel as "special", but it is not the case!!!!!!!!!!  It's just twice as magnificant!  :)  I'm so blessed!  DH was able to come to yesterday's appointment.  He was so happy to share in the excitement & all the wonder of this Little Miracle.  I was so glad to have him there. 

We told our friends from church last night.  It was SO FREEING!!!!!!!!   They were joking around (they also have 2 kids, 18 months apart) asking us when we planned to have #2, and I said "oh, I think December sounds like a good time".  They were shocked and so excited!  It was so nice to be able to share my woes, worries, excitement, and joy with someone other than my husband.  They appreciated being the first to know (and sworn to secrecy at that!) and having yet another special way to connect to us, by having 2 kids so close in age. 

Next weekend we will share with our family.  I can't wait!!  It will be so nice not to have to "hide" this anymore.  Yesterday my mom came over to watch my son.  I had been feeling terrible all morning, and finally had to puke in the trash can in the garage before leaving, so she wouldn't see.  NOT my most dignified moment, but definitely necessary.  Uggh.  (I am most certainly looking forward to the days of being puke-free and having normal energy.)

Regardless, the excitement is growing, along with our hearts.  This baby is such a blessing!