H&M Hat, Sweater & Maternity Jeans
Baby Brickner’s Size:  A lemon!  According to my pregnancy app, the baby will double in size this week. And according to me, the belly may have already doubled as well. 😉

Maternity Clothes:  I am all about leggings right now, these Gap maternity ones are amazing & a pair of preggo leggings are on their way!  I have been pairing them with long tanks & cardigans or sweaters, it has been freezing here so I feel like that’s the best option.  I am showing so much faster this time than with Waverly, so I am trying to figure out my game plan to dress the bump in the fall/winter months, something I really didn’t have to think about before. #firstworldproblems

Best Moment This Week:  Definitely Thanksgiving!  I loved spending extra time with our sweet family, watching another holiday through Waverly’s little eyes, & of course, lots of yummy food.  It’s so much fun to think about another babe to add to all of the fun next year!

Miss Anything:  Honestly, not much!  With both pregnancies I haven’t even missed a glass of wine or a cold beer, both are total aversions & even the smell of them make me sick.  I guess that’s a good thing.  Not sure if I will change my mind in a couple months … 😉

Movement:  About the same as last week, the random, cutest “wiggles” at night when I am laying down.  I am still really looking forward to more movement, which I know can’t be long, in our latest ultrasound our babe was throwing its hands & feet around everywhere!  Something tells us that he/she is not going to be any less wild than big sister!

Cravings:  Food, in general, & all salty still.  I remember this with Waverly too (especially in the beginning), I get so hungry that I feel like if I don’t eat, I may just fall over.  It’s like I can never, ever eat enough.

Queasy or Sick:  For the most part, the nausea is subsiding & I couldn’t be happier!!  If I eat anything sweet, I still get the worst taste in my mouth so I am trying my best to just stay away. Which can be hard. Because did I mention that I am always hungry?!

Looking Forward To:  The holiday season!!  I looked at my calender the other day & could not believe how close Christmas actually is.  We have so much planned, I got Waverly’s advent calender set up over the weekend & know she is going to have so much fun with it this year.  Also, a lot of me wants to make it extra-special since I know this will be our last Christmas as a family of three.

And the cutest, lately everyone keeps asking Waverly Maye if she is hoping for a brother or sister.  At first, she always answered sister, which we couldn’t decide was because she actually knew that a sister meant a girl like her, or if she just associated that with us telling her she is going to be a big sister.  Then for a while, she answered “brudda”.  Now, it’s ALWAYS a “baby bogger”, our dog’s name.  So much so that I am starting to think she is going to be legitimately disappointed when she walks into the hospital room in June & I didn’t give birth to a small dog. 

Shirt & Similar Overalls

Baby Brickner’s Size:  A peach, our sweet peach!

Maternity Clothes:  I got a couple of these Gap pure body shirts & really love them, super comfortable & stretchy enough that they will last me through most of this pregnancy.  Also, I admit it, I was completely inspired by Mila Kunis’s maternity style, she wore overalls with her bump so I decided to go for it, just bought them a couple sizes up so I can keep expanding them as the belly expands!  They might be THE most comfortable thing I have ever worn.  Another plus, my mom was with me & said she remembers wearing them the entire time she was pregnant with me, which just makes them feel special. 🙂

Sleep:  I finally feel like I am starting to get a little energy back, which pretty much makes me feel like a million dollars at this point!  I still napped both weekend days while Waverly was sleeping (one day with her, those are the best!), but other than that, haven’t been fighting to keep my eyes nearly as much as I have been. Still, by the time 8pm rolls around, it is definitely time for bed. Things are crazy our way. 😉

Best Moment This Week:   Waverly & I have had some really great afternoons, with a little pep back in my step I felt so much better (plus way less mom guilt) with some extra energy to play with her.  We painted, baked blueberry muffins, did our nails, & managed to fit in a play date with another little girl her age.  My kind of week.  Also, I even made dinner a couple of nights. Seriously, there were moments that I wasn’t sure if I would ever make dinner again.  So that was a serious win.

Miss Anything:  My normal appetite, free from these crazy aversions that I have had both pregnancies.  I am always hungry, but most things sound awful, even things that are my favorite foods not pregnant.  Yet bring me all the carbs you want, the one food group that has gotten me through the past 12 weeks!

Movement:  I am convinced that I am feeling this babe at night, it’s like a wiggling sensation & my favorite EVER!  It’s always on the same side of my belly, which is the side that we always find the baby’s heartbeat on when we use our doppler.  (We have one my mom bought us from my first pregnancy, a similar one can be found here!).

Cravings:  Still all carbs.  Also, it’s crazy how thirsty I am, drinking water all day long & still wanting more.

Queasy or Sick:  Definitely not 100% me yet, but slowly getting there & I could not be happier! Bring on the second trimester!!

Looking Forward To:  Thanksgiving!  So excited for a couple days off work to spend with the family & then some shopping on Black Friday.  I will definitely be making a couple for purchases for Waverly plus also, a couple gender-neutral ones for her baby brother or sister!

 I realized that I never shared Waverly’s reaction to being a big sister.  With so much to update on over the beginning of our pregnancy, I didn’t be to be overwhelming, yet she is already SO excited & it is the sweetest.  She definitely knows she is going to be a big sister, though she thinks the babe is in her belly.  She has randomly told a few people that she was a big sister (before we were ready to tell anyone), & will be sure to remind me every once in a while.  In case I forgot. 😉
Nothing makes me happier than thinking about her in this role, I know she is going to be a little rock star.

Hope you had a great weekend, happy holiday week!
XO

I went back & forth about weekly updates (especially with a two-year old to run after), yet ultimately, decided to go for it.  I already feel like I have forgotten so much of my pregnancy with Waverly Maye, so I know how much I will love to look back on these one day.  Plus, who doesn’t love a good countdown?!  So HERE GOES, 12 weeks down & 28 to go! 🙂

Shirt
Baby Brickner’s Size:  A lime!


Maternity Clothes:  I remember showing pretty early with Waverly too, but there is just no comparison to this time!  Trying to hide this bump for the last month or so was such a challenge, especially since I am a (fashion) teacher with 28 kids in each class who have nothing to do but stare at me for long periods of time.  I am SO glad that the secret is out, that same rotation of loose fitting shirts & dresses was good to me, but starting to get very, very old.
Sleep:  The exhaustion this pregnancy is seriously insane, I have never experienced anything like it! True (possibly sad) story, I haven’t seen the clock hit 9pm in two months!  My poor husband, I am so exhausted by the end of the day, I can hardly hold a conversation.  So YES, at night, sleep is great, & very much needed!
Best Moment This Week:  Sharing the news!  Especially since we found out so early, it’s been a long two months of keeping this a secret & has been SO much fun finally sharing the news.  It makes my heart happy to think of all the joy Waverly has brought our close family & friends, I know this babe will do the exact same. 
Miss Anything:  More than anything, I miss my energy to play with Waverly like I normally can. One day after work this week I was completely exhausted, it was all I could to to keep my eyes open & read books with her.  She brought me a blanket & said “oh, mama, you don’t feel good, you lay down” while rubbing my belly.  I hate the fact that I don’t feel 100% lately with her, yet then I remember that we are giving her so much more, a brother or sister for life … which makes me feel so much better. 🙂
Movement:  I had convinced myself that I felt the baby the other night while laying down, then my OB told me there was no way, it was just gas. 😉  I am SO excited to feel (real!) movement soon, probably my favorite part of pregnancy the first time!
Cravings:  Pretty much all salt, sugar still makes me completely sick & leaves the worst taste in my mouth.  I love (or actually have a need for) all carbs, including potatoes, rice, & french fries.  It is so crazy to me how identical these cravings, plus aversions, are to my first pregnancy.
Queasy or Sick:  Yes & yes.  It’s no fun, but my OB always tells me that she loves it, that it means that the baby is growing & things are happening as they should.  So honestly, if I hadn’t felt that way this whole time I would have been nervous, & of course, it is worth it !  Yet I am definitely looking forward to the second trimester, hoping to turn a corner very soon!
Looking Forward To:  Our next appointment!  They are my favorite, at our last ultrasound the babe was moving so much, waving its hands back & forth like he/she wanted us to know they were in there!  Both my husband & I have been talking about it since, it’s so crazy to think that before long, this babe will be a little person just like Waverly.  It really is surreal & nothing short of amazing.
Also, the biggest thank you to our friends at Tiny Prints, we worked with them to create a card to announce the news of our pregnancy to family & friends!  As always, the final product (card design found here) was beautiful & they were so great to work with.  Be sure to check out their site for your holiday cards or purchases!

Lastly, I meant to announce this earlier (can I blame it on pregnancy brain?!), the winner of the Candace’s Calling garland is Courtney Bilos.  Congrats, email me with your address & I will send you your prize!! Happy week ahead!
XO

First, THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts – for both your sweet well wishes & congrats on baby #2!  We truly are overwhelmed with love, being able to share what we have been so excited about has been so much fun & I really can’t thank you enough or explain how much your support means to us.
Both my husband & I are from families with four kids, we have always been vocal about wanting a big family of our own so I know that for some (like my mom), this announcement was long-awaited.  Keeping it real though, it took a while for me to really be able to wrap my mind around another babe.  Even though I have always known that we definitely wanted more, it wasn’t until very recently that I completely felt ready to start growing our family again.  We decided at the beginning of the summer that we would enjoy every moment together as a family of three (especially with Waverly Maye at such a fun age!!) & plan to start trying for baby two in the fall.  We are beyond thankful & feel so blessed that it happened so quickly, Waverly & her brother or sister will be one month away from three years apart!

We found out early, like crazy early. I just didn’t feel right, after a couple days of heightened smells (even while passing the Starbucks at Target, my biggest giveaway) & weird, restless leg cramps at night I decided to take a test.  I thought it was still way too early so I really didn’t give much thought to it, it was really, really early in the morning before work one day & my husband was fast asleep.  The “yes” showed up right away, I freaked out while running into the pitch black room waving the test back & forth screaming at him.  He thought that someone had broken into the house & jumped out at me in the bathroom, not quite the cute announcement I had planned (AT all), yet neither was that time I found out I was pregnant with Waverly & threw the test at his face.  I guess that’s just our thing. 😉  We told close family members over the next couple of weeks but have mainly kept quiet since which has been hard, especially because of this bump, which I am convinced looks like my 20-week bump when I was pregnant with Waverly.

  Will we find out the gender?!  Um, YES!!  I have so much respect for people who wait but I am just not that cool, if there was a way to find out the day I saw the positive pregnancy test I would have been all about it.  We truly will be ecstatic either way!  In the week since sharing our news, so many people have asked if we are hoping for a boy. We would definitely love to have a boy at some point, to experience the best of both worlds & also, I think I would really have fun dressing a little man!  My younger brother & I are three years apart, same distance that these two babes will be, & we have the best relationship.  On the other hand, we adore having a little lady & would love for Waverly Maye to have a sister.  My sister & I are so close, there really is no relationship like it. 🙂  With that being said, we both have a feeling what this babe is, the same feeling, so I guess only time will tell.  We can’t wait to find out!

I am one of those weird girls who loves being pregnant & I am confident that it will be no different this time, but the last couple of months have been pretty rough.  I was sick throughout my first trimester with Waverly too, yet this time seems way worse, I can’t decide if I really feel worse or if it’s the toddler I’m running after that is the difference-maker.  Exhaustion isn’t even the word, most days I am a complete zombie & have felt hungover for about 8 weeks straight.  Yet not a moment goes by that I don’t think it’s worth it, we truly are beyond excited for this baby & all of the fun (plus craziness) that is to come!!  It almost seems more surreal this time now that we know what we get in the end, our hearts are so full right now & we can’t wait to meet this babe or to see Waverly in her new role as big sister!
XO