Did anyone else experience the post-pregnancy clothes buying surge? After seemingly wearing the same two dresses, one shirt, and one pair of shorts for my final two months, I was ready for something new!! My buying “spree” resulted in three finds I want to tell you about…

Not me, but I kind of really want those pants :)

First up: these jean shorts from, of all places, American Eagle. My maternity jean shorts (which I LIVED in this summer) had a longer inseam than my normal ones, and when I put back on my normal ones after Shep’s birth, they just felt… short. I remembered my friend Shay sharing that she wore AE ones, and sure enough, with a 4″ inseam, their “midi” style is just longer than the jean options available at most stores. They are quite stretchy and run small, so I’d recommend sizing up a size or two.

Next: this shirt. Also from American Eagle. (What?!) It is soft and cozy, but also looks pulled together. Also, nursing-friendly! And I feel like a character in a Nancy Meyers movie when I wear it, so there’s that. I first bought the white, then when I went to link this post last night, I bought the blue because it’s now on super sale and I love it so much. I sized up to a medium (I usually wear a small or XS) for a looser fit.

Finally: these jeans. I CANNOT say enough good things about them, and am joining the chorus of several friends who also sing their praises. I have previously been a J.Crew and LOFT jeans gal, but these outshine them both. At the risk of sounding rhapsodic, from the minute I stuck my foot inside I could tell they were well made, with the right amount of stretch and a great weight to the denim. I love the wash, I love the high waist, and I love that they look great cuffed or straight. Plus, they’re a great price – $60 on sale right now! And they feel SO GOOD on. Would highly recommend if you’re in the market! (These fit true-to-size for me.)

After reading this post from Young House Love, I realized I’m inching toward my own “uniform”… and it looks like a lot of dusty blue, navy, denim, white/cream, and tan. (That’s why I chose the photo above – it would fit right in in my closet!) There might be a post in the making as I explore this more, if you’re interested! :)

P.S. Early evidence of my uniform here and here.

Affiliate links are used in this post!

I haven’t been one to share regular pregnancy updates, either this time around or last, but it seems like I should offer some reflections before I get too far long! And at 31 weeks, it seems like it’s about time. Sooooo…

This is literally the first official bump photo I’ve taken this pregnancy… I asked John to take it last night after I realized I didn’t have a photo for this post!

Baby size: A winter squash, a puppy, or a chocolate box. Otherwise known as about 3.3 pounds and 16 inches.

Sleep status: Good! I had one night of hip and knee pain (which hit in earnest around 36 weeks last time) and was worried it would stick around, but so far it hasn’t. I’ve found I’m waking up a bit earlier and it’s easier to get out of bed in the morning, a side effect I remember from last time that I love!

Maternity clothes: Whoever said being pregnant in the summer versus winter is easier, sartorially speaking, is not my friend — I have had to buy WAY more clothing this time around! Maternity shorts, a maternity bathing suit, swing dresses to beat the heat, a dress for a wedding… they all make my life more comfortable, but more expensive than my January baby did! Definitely wearing more workout clothes on days I work from home than I did last time! :)

Gender: Boy!

Movement: Lots! Pretty much constantly, but especially when I get into bed at night, which I love :) Feeling another human move around inside me will always be the weirdest and most wonderful thing about pregnancy, I think.

Cravings: Dessert? Not sure if that’s pregnancy-related, though :) Also ham and cheese sandwiches!!

Symptoms: Occasional Braxton-Hicks contractions.

Favorites: Evening walks. I am convinced that consistent evening walks are what kept me loose and limber up until the very end with June, and I have tried my darnedest to keep up with them this time around, too. Not only are they good exercise, but they are the perfect opportunity to breathe fresh air and chat with John about whatever is on my mind! Which brings us to…

Current preoccupying thoughts: As many of you know, June was breech and delivered by c-section. With baby boy, I have the opportunity to either attempt a VBAC or schedule another c-section. There are risks and benefits to both, and the tricky thing is that while I have always said that my only desired outcome is a healthy baby and a healthy mama (something people often say when they want to express that they are fine with any delivery outcome), I feel like the type of delivery I choose potentially has an impact on how healthy baby and mama will be — and that feels like a crushing amount of pressure sometimes. Throughout the last 31 weeks new bits of information have had me swinging back and forth between the two options, and though we have made at least a tentative decision at this point, I don’t feel particularly settled about it, and am not sure I ever will.

Looking forward to: Our upcoming vacation, of course!! One of my goals in this season is to simply enjoy our family of three before it becomes a family of four, and I am just buoyant at the thought of two mostly-uninterrupted weeks with some of my favorite people in two of my favorite places.

Nursery status: Progress has been made! We made some necessary furniture shifts a few weeks ago between the rooms upstairs, we have a design plan and potential paint colors, and I’ve been in touch with a painter for after we return!

Left to do: It feels like SO many things. Right around 28 weeks I had this moment of not-quite-panic where I realized we hadn’t really done ANYTHING to prepare for brother. I know the same type of preparations aren’t needed for a second child as a first, and I’m all for a relaxed approach, but, you know, at some point we do need to do a FEW things to get ready :)

On my mind: Making arrangements for who will care for June if I go into labor early or unexpectedly.

Maternity photos: Attempting to DIY them this weekend! I am using my old trick of asking my stylist to curl my hair at my thrice-yearly cut, and then we’ll get dressed up as a family for the golden hour and head to a pretty location. I don’t need anything too fancy, but we didn’t have any professional maternity photos taken last time and considering the lack of bump photos so far, I want to intentionally make an effort to capture our family of three!

How June’s doing: Great! We had a funny moment the other night where she saw brother move under my skin for the first time, and the look on her face was pure shock — you could almost hear the cogs in her brain spinning, trying to reconcile the movement with what we’ve been telling her about baby brother being inside mama. “But I can’t see him,” she kept saying :)

Next preparations on the list: Finish organizing clothing, figure out a crib, arrange for newborn photos, buy newborn diapers, pack a hospital bag, and buy a gift for June on behalf of baby brother — among many, many other things.

Name: Chosen. Will remain a secret until birth :)

Love being on this ride with you, friends! Thank you for your kindness and enthusiasm, as always!

P.S. Third trimester update with June

Friends, we are adding a baby BOY to our family! What?!?

Yep, that’s how I felt when we opened the envelope! (Though apparently this news won’t surprise most of you – the guesses leaned heavily in the male direction on my Instagram post!)

A few things to discuss:

With June, I 100% knew we were having a girl from the start. Just knew. This time around, I did not have a strong feeling either way. I think in my heart I knew we were having a boy — I just perhaps wasn’t ready to admit it to myself, as I was fairly open about the fact that I was hoping for another girl.

Why was I hoping for another girl?

First, June is just the best, so of course we’d want a repeat!

Second, having a boy is definitely more of an unknown, considering I grew up with two sisters and mostly girl cousins and friends. I know it sounds dumb, but I’m not even sure what you do with a boy?? (Answer: pretty much the same thing you do with a girl, especially at the beginning.) We’ve already proven ourselves to be successful parents to a girl (at least thus far), and another girl just seems like the easier route.

I’m also a bit sad that I won’t be able to have back-to-back girls to recreate the sister bond I grew up with, which was very precious to me. I think I benefitted in many ways from growing up in a family with only girls, and that’s no longer a possibility for our family. (Side note: John thinks I would have greatly benefitted from growing up with a brother, so there’s that…)

Finally, as you all know, I rely heavily on my parents’ example in all things parenting, but I’m left without a road map for this particular twist. I don’t know how my Mom and Dad would have parented a boy! What would they have done differently? What would they have done the same? I don’t have a trustworthy, up-close example to follow now for our multi-gender family, and I’m a bit unsure of my abilities to pioneer this path.

We found out last week, and since then, my shock has turned to wonder, in the best way. There are at least four reasons for this.

1. I use the word “wonder” because I am truly excited to see the incredible things God works in our family and in my life through this addition of a boy. It’s already guaranteed to be good, but God is known to do amazing things that we could never predict or foresee. I am humble enough to know that my desires do not always match up with what would actually be best for me.

2. John was a ridiculously adorable child, and the thought of our boy looking or acting like him at all makes my heart swell to twice its normal size.

3. The excitement of other mamas with boys has been nothing short of delirious. One friend (ahem) literally jumped up and down and squealed when she found out, and everyone else wasn’t close behind. They all claim there is something uniquely precious and sweet about having a boy, and though I obviously adore having a little girl, I’m willing to bet there’s something to the unanimous enthusiasm.

4. As I wrote when I first shared our happy news, my biggest challenge with baby number two has been keeping my expectations in check. I think it will be SO much easier to approach the newborn days (and really all the days after them) with open hands now that I know this baby is a boy. Logically, I might know that all babies are pretty much the same, but the switch from girl to boy is enough to trick my brain into thinking “Oooh, new experience! Who knows what to expect? Not you!” :) To which I say, GREAT!

Thank you, as always, for sharing in our story, friends! Grateful for each one of you!

P.S. OBVIOUSLY I am heartbroken that all of June’s adorable clothes I’ve been saving will not get used for this sweet baby. And completely befuddled that there are not analogous boy clothing items for leggings and dresses. Dressing a baby/toddler girl seems SO MUCH EASIER – but that is a post for another day :)

P.P.S. Speaking of girl clothes… this dress is my favorite right now!! A few of you asked me about it, so here ya go!

All photos by our wonderful friend Graham Terhune of Anagram Photo!

Friends, on this day of love, I’m so happy to share that our hearts are growing and growing!

We are overjoyed that another little baby will be joining our family in August! YAY, indeed!!

It seems like it might be easier to take a second baby in stride, but knowing how precious our sweet girl is to us makes me even more grateful for and awestruck by this blessing. It was hard to imagine what our love for a child would feel like before we had June, and certainly how much fun it would be to be a mama — but now I know!! This time around, I’ve loved anticipating all of the good stuff that’s coming (like movement soon!), and it’s been nice to feel a little more prepared for the hard stuff, too.

That being said, keeping my expectations low has been my biggest challenge so far with baby number two. Y’all know how I feel about expectations – I live and die by them, as there are few things that more strongly affect my happiness and overall life satisfaction.

Last time around, pregnancy and life with a newborn was pretty much a gigantic blank slate. Specifically, I never had illusions about how wonderful the newborn phase would be. In fact, I expected it to be hard, frustrating, and exhausting, with a steep learning curve. I wasn’t depressed about this; I just figured it would be something we’d have to get through, and it would get better every day.

And then, we got a dream angel baby who did all the things. And it was SO WONDERFUL! Because I had low expectations, every good thing felt like a revelation. Even the smallest victories and happy moments were a delight.

For me, the key to repeat this experience again is not to have another dream angel baby (though I wouldn’t be mad about that!), it’s to again have truly low expectations. Easier said than done, but I am committed to experiencing this pregnancy and new little for just who he or she is!

Alright — on to the things you really want to know! :)

How do you feel? At 15 weeks, I am feeling good, though still tired in the evenings especially! The week we found out was truly awful – I had terrible back pain (something I’d never even heard of as a pregnancy malady!) and spent pretty much the whole week moaning and nauseous on the coach. John made an emergency run to Target for ginger tea, an extra heating pad, sea-bands, chicken noodle soup, and all the rest — we joked that the cashiers surely must have thought we were first-time expecting parents :) Since that week, though, it has been smooth sailing, with very little queasiness or anything else to complain about!

Are you going to find out whether it’s a boy or a girl? Yes! Yes yes yes. We can’t wait to find out in just a few weeks! My very favorite consignment sale is actually at 19 weeks and 3 days, and I’m considering using my one-time pregnancy diva card to schedule our ultrasound appointment a bit early, ha! My shopping needs will be very different based on the results, so I feel like this is justified :)

Does June know? We have talked about the baby in front of her, but haven’t really had a sit-down chat, and she’s never brought up the subject independently. I don’t think she understands much at this point. I’m sure we will be discussing her big sister status more intentionally as my due date gets closer and there is a belly to point to!

I’ll end the same way I did my first pregnancy announcement. We are grateful. We are trusting in God, who has equipped us with everything we need and has chosen us uniquely for this baby. We are trusting in each other, as we have for the last thirteen years. And we are trusting that all that is to come is the continuation of a beautiful story. Looking forward to sharing it, friends!! Happy Valentine’s Day :)

Biggest thank yous to our dear friend Graham of Anagram Photo for these sweet photos of our growing family!! He snapped them in his backyard a few weeks ago and then Sam served us the most delicious lo mein for lunch, so all around it was a blue ribbon day :)