Baby…
Posted Oct 05, 2016, Updated Apr 27, 2021
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All the photos of our family in this post were taken by Brooke Steineke! If you are in Utah she is a phenomenal photographer who we have loved for three years! Check her out on Instagram and Facebook!
Yep thatโs right! Weโre having {another} baby! As I thought about sharing our news with the world…the only thing I could do was sing โOops I did it againโฆโ over and over in my head! {Thanks Brittany}! LOL! But really, there was nothing “oops” about this, and we are very excited to be adding another sweet baby to our family. Iโm also ecstatic that I get to blog through this pregnancy and share everything Iโve learned over my years of having babies with all of you lovely people! I hope I can be helpful to all of my mommas (and future mommas) out there!
I would be remiss if I didnโt start by acknowledging the fact that reading pregnancy announcements can be incredibly painful to some. I know this all too well. This is my 6th pregnancy and my 7th baby, of which only 4 are currently alive (one in utero). I knowโฆyouโre trying to do the math (itโs hard ๐ ). Between Bethany and Gabe I had two miscarriages, one of which was twins. I have three sweet babies that I never got to hold, three that I have the joy of playing will all day every day, and one that Iโm eagerly anticipating meeting in April 2017.
For me, having babies has been a rollercoaster of deep {deep} sorrow and sing-it-from-the-hilltops joy. I adore being a mommy. I adore my babies {all of them}. And I adore encouraging other women who are on the journey of starting a family or in the throwes of parenting.
Soโฆletโs dish about how this pregnancy has been {can someone say doozy} and all things first trimester!
Symptoms
This time around I didnโt feel pregnant until around 6 weeks! Totally different that when I was pregnant with NaomiโฆI started taking two hour naps like right awayโฆand my husband even said, โdo you seriously need a test to tell you youโre pregnant? We both know it.โ LOL
But this time 6 weeks came with a vengeance and I feel way more nauseous than I have before (#gettingolder). I have been throwing up multiple times every day, and I am honestly way ready for the bliss and relief of the second trimester to take its effect!
Aversions
Keep ALL the food away from my face and ALL the smells away from my nose. If I could survive without eating or smelling ANYTHING from week 6 to week 15 I would, no joke. I used to eat salads every day, now the sight of lettuce makes me gag. I was at the gym and a man hopped onto the machine next to me who had a very pungent odor. I literally ran out of the gym (in a discrete way so I didnโt offend anyone) to get sick. Being a food blogger has been super interesting during these weeks because sometimes I see pics of food and just canโt handle it.
Cravings
Nothing. (see above). However I did have a day when the ONLY thing I wanted to eat was a soft pretzel with nacho cheese sauce (the fake stuff from a can). Seriouslyโฆwho am I?!? Iโve also been eating a bagel sandwich with veggie cream cheese every.single.day for lunch. Again, I donโt know this person.
However, Iโve learned through my pregnancies that the name of the game in the first trimester is to survive! Eat what youโre craving (within reason) and realize that balance and normal eating habits will likely return during the second trimester
Exercise
I wake up feeling super sick…but as soon as I get my body moving and some fresh air hits my lungs, I feel a little better. When Iโm pregnant I stick to light cardio (elliptical, swimming and walking) and lifting light weights. Iโve had to stay away from the gym and all the smells there (instant pukefest)โฆ.so taking long morning walks is about all I can do right now.
My thoughts
Emotions: Honestly I am a mixed bag of emotions. I teeter between feeling crazy excited, to almost panicked! My biggest concern is Naomi! This will be the shortest gap between any of our kids, and Naomi is so super special to me. Having a baby always changes my relationship with the other kids for a little while, because a newborn needs so much of my time. I get nervous about how this baby will impact Naomi, but I know it will all work out!
Remember: Feeling sick and uncomfortable is a blessing. Yes, I said it. Although throwing up is never funโฆit means there is a sweet baby growing inside your body. It means everything is going the way it should be. Sickness, aches & pains are all part of the beautiful journey of bringing a new life into this world, and let me just tell you {and never stop telling you} that it is so SO worth it.
My other kids
HELPFUL TIP! DO NOT tell your other children that youโre pregnant until youโre ready for the world to know youโre pregnant. Because of my history I wait until 12 weeks {after two ultrasounds} to make our news public. This time we were wiser and waited to tell Bethany and Gabe until we were ready for everyone to know. Gabbe’s reaction: “How did that baby get in there mom?!” {Hence the uncontrollable laughter in the pic below}!
However, Iโm convinced Bethany knew for at least a month before we told her, and she just kept quiet about it. Seriously it was so cute. I could see her little wheels turning sometimes and I just knew what she was thinking. โWhy is mom throwing up?โ โWhy is mom eating 6 pickles for lunch (true story)?โ โWhy is mom looking for a maternity bridesmaidโs dress?โ One day she even said from the back seat of the van, โMom, if we have another baby I want to name it Isaac if itโs a boy and Ruth if itโs a girl.โ Little smarty pants.
Wearing
Iโm still pretty much in my regular clothes! Since I canโt eat or keep anything down Iโm having a hard time keeping weight on. Iโm not worried (neither is my doctor), and I know it will all change pretty soon!
Early Pregnancy Products
Cocoa Butter Lotion: AS SOON as I get a positive test I run to the store and buy cocoa butter lotion. I grease up my belly every morning and every night throughout the pregnancy. So far it has worked and Iโve made it through 3 babies without any stretch marks {however there is nothing wrong with stretch marks, I think theyโre beautiful}!
Prunes: Prunes and more prunes! Seriously people, although they are super crazy difficult to get down {if youโre like me and canโt stand the taste of them} they are a LIFESAVER of the best kind. And I digressโฆ
Other than that I just make sure to have a lot of food on hand that I can eat. I keep crackers by my bed and have found that drinking something like seltzer water helps calm the nausea!
Laughfest!
Four Kids: If you like to laugh (hello!) Pretty please watch this video of Jim Gaffigan talking about having 4 kids.
After watching this little diddy you will understand this storyโฆ.when I was in Chicago in September I watched this video with my dad and my sister. Later that day I told a different family member I was pregnant and his response was hilarious. My sister nonchalantly turned to me and said, โwell, thatโs one way to live your life.โ I BURST out laughing because that was totally what he was thinking in his head {although I know heโs super excited and loves all my kiddos very much}! ๐
Here are some the pics we used to announce our other pregnancies, just for fun! Also, I have this verse memorized and it has carried me through some of my darkest moments: “Praise O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord. Let the name of the Lord be praised both now and forever more…He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children, praise the Lord!” Psalm 113
Naomi’s pregnancy announcement….
And Gabe’s!
Isn’t Bethany just unreal in these photos?!?!
Well thatโs all she wrote for now! Do you have any other questions about the early months of pregnancy? Any areas or topics youโd like me to share as this pregnancy progresses that I didnโt include today?
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Congrats, Laura!! Such wonderful news and I’m so happy for you and your family. Can’t wait to read more pregnancy updates!!
Thank you Rebecca! I am so excited and can’t wait to meet this sweet baby in April!
I was SO excited for you when I saw your instagram post! Congratulations times a thousaaaand, mama! <3