The Second Time Around

Right around the time Jack was 18 months old, he was playing on the floor of my grandmother’s house as a slew of adults oohed and ahhed over his cuteness because you know, that’s what first time parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents do. Building yet another block tower that we all thought was a sign of his true genius ability, he bent down and peered through his legs. He laughed at us as he viewed his world upside down and my dear, sweet Grandmother said, “Oh! He’s looking for his little brother.” Needless to say, I was quite confused. Unbeknownst to me, my father said that this is a common saying in the bayous of Louisiana and is a nice way of asking, “When are you going to have number two?” This was the start of “the question”. Taylor so eloquently said everything in her post about people asking about adding to your family (I couldn’t agree with her more). But after a solid two years of providing a variety of comebacks, I started to feel a little of the itch last summer. My husband and I started seriously discussing the potential of becoming a family of four and we are thrilled to be welcoming baby number two in early May!

Now, I’m not going to beat around the bush, so I’ll just throw it out there. Being pregnant is not my most favorite thing in the world. I feel beyond blessed to have the opportunity to be pregnant, don’t get me wrong, as I know many people struggle to become pregnant and have far more difficult pregnancies than I have, but in general, carrying another human being around for 9+ months stresses me out. While I was pregnant with Jack, I broke my foot (on Mother’s day, irony of all ironies), had to be on a low sodium diet, swelled up like a balloon, and was borderline for gestational diabetes. Oh and our air conditioning went no fewer than five times during the summer before I gave birth. My emotions rivaled the roller coaster at Fiesta Texas and I was a real gem to be around until Jack arrived in October of 2010.

How’s this pregnancy, you ask? Well, I haven’t killed my husband yet and Jack is healthy and thriving. I consider those facts a big win, but here’s my experience so far…

The exhaustion is more intense. I remember being SO tired when I was pregnant with Jack, but the exhaustion this go-round has been practically debilitating at times. When I just had to worry about me and my husband, I was able to come home after work, curl up in a ball, and take a nice two-hour nap before thinking about dinner. Not so much a possibility when you have a three-year-old demanding your attention! Same goes for those glorious weekends when I could sleep until 10 or 11am. I spent the majority of last fall and my first trimester in a daze. Cat-naps in my classroom while the kids were at gym or lunch were not uncommon. I am fortunate to have a great husband that would grant me a few hours “off” on the weekend where I could catch up on some rest. I have learned that I have to say no to evening social engagements during the week because otherwise, I’m a zombie. I did get that second trimester burst of energy, but it’s quickly wearing off as I enter the final months.

Different types of foods and smells bother or entice me. Last time I couldn’t stand chicken and craved red meat. I was obsessed with avocados and practically demanded homemade guacamole on regular basis. This time, I have a strong disdain for Mexican food and a love of lemonade and tomato basil soup from La Madeline. The common denominator for both is cold fruit, but for no rhyme or reason.

I got bigger significantly faster, but have made better choices. I have been a little more cautious with my eating this go round in hopes of not gaining weight that is equivalent to the body mass of an average six-year-old, but I definitely “popped” way sooner. Like, I started showing when I was barely out of the first trimester. I had plans of suffering through too tight pants to hold off on the maternity clothes, but threw in the towel early and have embraced my stretchy waists and comfy shirts knowing there really isn’t a reason to feel like a stuffed sausage so I can tell myself, “I’m not quite in maternity clothes just yet.”  I figured why put it off for silly reasons when they are in a tub in the attic, just waiting for me to wear them?

I am way more relaxed. With my last pregnancy, I was so focused on every day, every week, every second and how everything was developing. This time? I know which day of the week is my “change over” day to the next week, but often times forget that it has already happened until a few days later. I also strictly followed all of the “rules”: lunch meat, abstaining from all caffeine sources, no aspartame, and certainly not even a sip of alcohol. This time? I’ve eaten one or two cold turkey sandwiches. I have a coffee and a diet coke a few days a week, mainly due to the extreme exhaustion mentioned above. I even have had a very small glass of wine with dinner (gasp!). And, wait for it… I took antibiotics and benadryl to help with the massive ear infection I have had this week.  I’ve learned that there is no sense in obsessing about every.single.thing for two reasons: 1) Worrying about things all the time is good for neither me nor the baby and 2) Women have been having babies for centuries and sometimes we just have too much information in front of us. Am I saying that I am going out binge drinking and purposely doing things that can harm my baby? Completely ignoring recommendations from medical professionals? Not at all. But being relaxed is better for everyone, baby most certainly included!

There is a whole new level of excitement in our house. Last time I had no idea what I had gotten myself into. This time, I am really looking forward to having a newborn in the house, only because I know it’s not permanent. Sleepless nights will not last forever and neither do those sweet baby smells and cuddles. And getting to see Jack become a big brother? Be still my heart.  I simply can’t wait for him to meet his little brother!

How was your second pregnancy alike or different from your first one? Share your experience in the comments below!