Number Two

No, that's not a reference to Austin Powers, or losing a competition, but to our Second Baby!

That's right, we're pregnant. Again! I'm 12 weeks along now, with a due date of June 16th. Frankie and her sibling will be 16 months apart.

We're thrilled to be pregnant again so soon. We want to have a lot of kids, and have them close together, so we're happy that God has blessed us with this second child so soon.

Now for a little "Rumor Control" a la US Weekly (or which ever magazine does this):

1. You can't get pregnant while nursing.

False! Fortunately, I knew this wasn't true, so we weren't foolish enough to be using it as a form of birth control, but apparently this is an old wives tale that some people still believe. I read up on the subject, and it appears that this is partially true, at least for the first 6 months. I think the statistic was something like 98% of women who are nursing don't ovulate during the first 6 months post-partum, but after that, it's a free-for-all.

I did, however, chose to stop nursing Frankie after I found out I was pregnant again, mainly because I was exhausted, and I figured I could gain some energy back by weaning. There are also unconfirmed (scientifically) speculations that nursing a child while pregnant can lead to miscarriage, but I think all the evidence is anecdotal, and no one really knows why each miscarriage occurs, so I'm sure some people just adamantly assumed it was because they were still nursing another child. There are many cases of women continuing to nurse throughout pregnancy without incident.

2. You start showing a lot sooner with the second.

True! At 12 weeks I'm already starting to dip into the maternity clothes. I haven't gained much weight, but my uterus quite happily expanded again in response to the pregnancy hormones. And no, it doesn't mean I'm carrying a huge baby. They're all about the same size right now at 12 weeks. They really don't start differentiating in weight until much closer to your due date. It just means my belly is already stretched out (sorry for the mental image, folks).

It's been fun to be pregnant a second time (she says now that the nausea has passed her by). I know what to expect now when I go to my OB appointments, and I'm not nearly as worried about every little twinge as I was the first time. In fact, having to chase Frankie around has been good for me. Exhausting, but good. I don't have time to stop and dwell on how my body is changing, or how sick I feel. I think I also trust my body a little more - I know that while a pregnant woman needs to be careful, and is carrying a fragile being, I think I feel less of a need to be overly cautious. In a good way, people, not a reckless way.

So I apologize to anyone if I've appeared a little checked out recently, and haven't returned phone calls, etc. I've been going to bed around 8 or 8:30 every night, and trying to nap with Frankie in the afternoons on the days I'm home. This means I've had a lot less free time, which is frustrating for me, but I keep reminding myself that it's just a stage, and that I'll be back to my normal energy levels again soon (and then exhausted again...).