When I was pregnant with Cole I was a pampered pregnant princess. (Okay, that is a lie. I only added the word "princess" because I really liked the triple alliteration there.) Nothing about me is princessy, but looking back, my first pregnancy memories are shiny and sparkly, that's for sure.
When I came home from work exhausted in the first trimester, I could snuggle up with the dog on the couch as my husband prepared us healthy and delicious dinners. We would watch Breaking Bad before bed, and I'd nod off on the couch. I took naps on the weekends, and I did pre-natal yoga classes whenever the heck I felt like it.
This time around, pregnancy is different.
I still have a job to go to, but now I have a toddler to chase. My already hectic evenings of "playing/dinner/bath and bedtime" are even more exhausting now that I've doubled my blood volume and have crazy hormones surging through my body. Trying to raise a human while growing a human is tough work!
"I'm growing brain cells, lung tissue and fingernails WHILE playing with hot wheels and cramming dinner in my face!" Now THAT is multi-tasking!
*sigh*
Despite the exhaustion though, I'm enjoying this time in our lives. The first trimester has just passed and I'm already starting to get some energy back. But I still feel bad for this unborn child, so I need to confess;
Dear Warmberger Baby 2.0:
In some ways, I'm even MORE excited to be pregnant with you, because your brother is living proof of how amazing you will be and how much I will love you. I know what to expect, and that excites the crap out of me (sure, that can be a saying.)
But in other ways, I feel bad for you. Sometimes I get so busy I forget that I'm pregnant. Once you start kicking me in the cervix though, I'm sure that will be a great reminder. Feel free to kick me extra hard to make up for the fact that I'm being a little negligent now.
I also must confess. I ate a soft-boiled egg and had deli meat on one occasion. I've missed my pre-natal vitamin twice, and I've had a sip of wine (to be fair, I had a few sips of wine with your brother too.)
But here are a few things I'm doing to make your time in my uterus (that sounds funny) extra special: I'm taking better pregnancy photos. Every Monday, your Dad and I take a picture where I'm wearing the same outfit holding the same pose. I plan to time-lapse these photos so we can see you grow in my belly. It'll look pretty cool when it's done. I'm also putting a lot of thought into your name. In fact, I'm sort of obsessed. So you had better like your name, damnit! (yes I just swore at you and you're only the size of a lemon.) Sorry about that.
I've been getting your brother to kiss my belly often, and your dad has started talking to you too. Can you hear him?
We love you so much already, and we can't wait to meet you: even if you're the second child who will feel like they get the shaft sometimes. Yes, your older brother will have had TWO YEARS of our undivided attention, but the bonus is that you'll be born into a family who is ready to spoil you with so much love. You already have an older brother. How awesome is that?
So for the next 27 weeks, please stay safe and keep growing, and have fun in there! Don't forget to kick me hard when you're big enough. I look forward to it!
XOXO
YOUR LOVING (YET SOMETIMES NEGLIGENT) MOTHER!
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