I can’t believe I’ve been able to keep this secret this long — it’s seemed like an eternity to reach this point – the second trimester of pregnancy!! It’s also surreal to actually be sharing this with you. I never thought we’d be given another chance to have a child. 

We’ve been trying to grow for our family for over two years. What we thought might take just a few months turned into a journey we could never have imagined. Months of trying, a positive test, a subsequent miscarriage. Heartbreak. Over a year of trying again. A diagnosis of infertility. Heartbreak. Testing, pokes, prods, tears. Heartbreak.  Injections, medicine, a failed IUI. Heartbreak. Giving up. Heartbreak again. And then unexpectedly, against all odds, our miracle : a positive pregnancy test. 

It’s been a painful journey to reach this point. When we finally saw those two pink lines we were reserved. With each ultrasound, each check up we became more and more hopeful, reassured that this was really happening. Someday I may share more about our journey with secondary infertility, but for now here we are. 16 weeks pregnant and delighted to be awaiting the arrival of our new addition later this year!!

(Photos my our dear friend and amazingly talented *patient* photographer Coco Boardman!! We love you Coco!!)

So how is Jonathan handling this new phase of life? Adorably!! He’d like a baby brother and can’t wait to teach the baby all the things. He’s been such a great secret keeper, “It our secret Mama!” He likes to stuff his bear Jojo up his shirt and pretend it’s his baby. He’s learned to be gentle with Mama’s belly (such a hard thing when you’re full of energy and 4 years old!) and is generally excited about the changes happening. I can’t wait to watch him become a big brother!!

On to all the pregnancy questions!

How far along are you?

• 16 weeks!! Hard to believe really… We’re due December 20, 2017

Will you be finding out the baby’s gender? 

• Just like we did with Jonathan, we’re planning on finding out what we’re having!!

Do you have a baby name?

• We have a boy name but no girl name — we have NO idea what we are having.

Will you take any time off? 

• I’ll be taking a leave at the end of December following the arrival of our baby. I’m excited that (currently) my first wedding isn’t until the spring so I’ll have several months of dedicated time with our little one!!

How has your pregnancy been so far? 

• It’s been similar to my pregnancy with Jonathan in that I didn’t have tremendous morning sickness, just nauseous tendencies and aversions to certain foods. We did have a scare last week surrounding the pregnancy. Something that never happened with Jonathan and was absolutely terrifying. Everything is ok with Mama & Baby and we are so grateful to still be pregnant and sharing this news with you!!

Will you be having a C-Section again?

• This is the number question we seemed to be asked by loved ones after sharing the news. In short, I think we know the answer but we’re taking our time in making our decision. I’d love to hear from two time c-section Mamas about their experiences!! (You can read more about our birth experience with Jonathan here, if interested.) 

What’s next? 

• I still have a full wedding season ahead of me, so I’ve been busily shooting and preparing for that. At the end of July we have our fetal ultrasound where the gender will be determined. We’re still deciding how we’d like to find out the gender 🙂  We have a few more trips planned for the end of summer and fall. Then it’s full on prepare for baby #2!!

That’s it for now!! I can’t believe we’re embarking on this journey again!!