Baby Brother

They say that the second pregnancy always goes by faster than the first.  Judging by the fact that I am currently 28 weeks along and just now doing a blog post about this pregnancy, I would tend to agree!  Here is an update on baby brother's journey thus far.

We found out that we were expecting #2 shortly after the holidays.  To Martini's delight (chagrin?), her t-shirt again played a role in the announcement.  I happened to be off work on the big day when the test turned positive, so I decided to give Adam a mini surprise when he arrived home.  I broke out the iron and created an identical "big sister" t-shirt for Annalise.  It actually took a fair bit of coordination to have both girls clean and smiling and waiting patiently by the back door in their shirts, with some sentimental music playing in the background, at the precise moment when Adam walked in the door.  The smile on his face was worth it, though!  :)  We snapped a few candid pics to document the evening.

The next few months flew by, with a series of happy announcements to and family and friends.  The two questions that I encountered again and again were variations on the same theme:  1. Did we want a boy or another girl?  2. Did I have a feeling whether the baby was a boy or girl?  On the first count, I can honestly say that I did not care!  As for the second, I initially felt like we were having another girl, but then I had a very vivid dream in which our baby was a boy.  (I also dreamt that Adam named him Alec and went around telling everyone the name without consulting me!)  

Before we knew it, it was time for the ultrasound.  This time around, Adam and I were decidedly more anxious.  We didn't discuss it too much, but I think we both silently worried that we might be headed down the same path as before, with a tiny baby or perhaps something worse.  As the ultrasound tech began taking rapid fire measurements, I could see on the monitor that the growth parameters were right on track for our gestational age - the first good sign!  I saw a heart with four beating chambers and other generally normal looking organs - excellent!  Then the ultrasonographer alerted us to something that had flashed across the screen.  The baby kept wiggling, so it took a moment to bring it back into focus, but, when it reappeared on the screen, it was clear.  Adam and I quickly turned to each other in disbelief.  "A boy?!"  Yes, a boy.  We were thrilled!  I was still processing all the information, but Adam had the presence of mind to ask about the baby's percentile for growth.  (During the last pregnancy, we had become fixated on that number, because it would not budge from the third percentile.)  When the doctor said thirty-fourth percentile, Adam and I gave each other a huge high five.  The doctor and tech probably thought we were crazy, but we were so happy and relieved that we didn't care!  

It was time to share the news with Miss Annalise.  We made a quick stop at the party supply store for some blue balloons and headed home for the big reveal.

       

Our little lady has quickly warmed to the idea of being a big sister, and "baby brother" has become a regular part of her vocabulary.  Meanwhile, I have gone into crazy nesting mode.  After the ultrasound, the pregnancy suddenly became very "real," and I was struck by the fact that I had made virtually no preparations for our upcoming arrival.  For a planner like me, such a realization was appalling!  I am happy to report that, after a flurry of trips to Pottery Barn Kids, Buy Buy Baby, and Target, we would be prepared even if the baby arrived tomorrow.  Ahhh, much better!  :)

Truthfully, no matter how many supplies I buy, I am not certain that any of us fully understands what awaits us as a family of five, but we are excited about this next chapter in our story!