January 28, 2013

Project Little SmithS

slowing way down attempts at stomach settling craving citrus by the barrels

So here we are, after months of saying how 'sick' I am and not really wanting to say why, I am ready to share our good news... I'm pregnant! Of course we are thrilled and excited. Without taking away an ounce of that joy, I will say it has been a tough couple months. I've been sicker than sick, something I never experienced the first time around, and it's been a crazy challenge just to go about our daily life. I am nearing thirteen weeks and I had been pinning a lot of hope on turning a corner at twelve, that did not happen so now I've got my mind set on fourteen. Please, please feel better by fourteen weeks!

The hardest part of not feeling well has been trying desperately to still be a decent mama to Little Smith. I always knew that I wanted more than one child, but the last few years of growing a deep one-on-one connection with this little person has been the most fulfilling experience of my life. James and I talked a lot about the trade offs of expanding our family, and we do feel that giving Little Smith a partner in crime will be an incredible gift in the long run. Still, it was a big and emotional leap to decide to share my time, attention, and love... and I expected to have about nine months to adjust to the idea. Getting so sick so early has meant lots of compromises already that I wasn't really prepared for; more TV, ready-made meals, lots of disposable diapers, less activities and library sing-a-longs and playdates. It's really hard to feel like you can't be the parent that you want to each day or even do the most basic things that typically bring you joy (cooking... how I miss you!). 

BUT, all that said I am truly so very grateful and happy, we both are. Little Smith has no idea what we're talking about yet, but he's happy too in his own way. James has been great, cleaning and doing laundry until all hours of the night after long work days, and I am finally starting to get back to some of my old routines. I'm not completely sure if I'm feeling a bit better or just getting used to being sick, but hopefully it's a sign of less queasy days ahead. It's exciting to be pregnant again, and even more exciting to imagine meeting this new person in the heat of late summer!

56 comments:

  1. Congratulations! So exciting!

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  2. So happy for you guys, Lilly! I've been working on a present for you new little the past few days...hopefully I'll get it out to you before he/she is here. YAY! Babiiiiiiies!!

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  3. Congratulations! I'm so excited for you :) Keeping my fingers crossed that you'll be feeling better by 14 weeks! xoxo, Eliza

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  4. Wohoo - that´s awesome! :-) Will be so nice to follow you and your belly here! :-)

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  5. Oh me oh my - congratulations! That is wonderful, fabulous, joyous news and I am so happy for you all. It is going to be an amazing journey.

    take care and rest easy,

    loads and loads of love and hugs,

    Nina x

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  6. Congratulations!! I'm very sorry that you're feeling so sick though :-(. My nausea didn't improve until mid week 14 but then went away entirely so here's hoping you're feeling better soon. I found tortilla chips helpful, and ginger tea, though not together!

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    1. Thanks so much Kris, that magic 14... I'm hoping it's my lucky number too!

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  7. Wow! And yay!! I'm so excited for you all.

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  8. Congrats! I hope that you get some relief soon so you can cook again, and enjoy the last few months with Little Smith #1! So happy for your family. :)

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  9. Congratulations!! I understand your feelings. I had only one child for 3.5 years, then by the time she turned 6, we added two more (not twins)! The thing that helped me the most was to not think of it as dividing my love, but as that love being multiplied. :) Congratulations again, and I hope you start feeling better.

    -Melissa M.

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    1. That is a good way to think about it Melissa, thank you!

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  10. Yay! So exciting! I felt so sick with my second pregnancy after smooth sailing with my first. Maybe a girl for you now, too? I didn't feel well until around 16 weeks, but I'm really hoping you're better before then. Like tomorrow. My only suggestion (besides the Sonic limeade chiller) would be fresh grated ginger tea. Helped me a lot!

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    1. I've been trying ginger everything, it does help, but no miracles. I've never heard of Sonic limeade... I'm not a fan of Gatorade or flavored water so not sure- but hey I'll try anything at this point :) Thank you Ruthie!

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  11. Congratulations! Wishing you a wonderful, healthy rest of your pregnancy. And hopefully those hormones will start to balance out. ps. I made your banana cake recipe yesterday...so good! Thanks for sharing that recipe. xo, Katie

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  12. oh yay, yay, yay! it's always so wonderful to hear such beautiful news! congratulations to you and your family! hope you start to feel better soon. i'm sure that one day you will just wake up and feel better...funny how these things work. x

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  13. Wonderful news! Congratulations. XO.

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  14. Congratulations & cheerios! I was terribly sick with my first, and cheerios saved me. I don't know why. Just plain, dry cheerios or even saltines. Hang in there & so many congratulations again!!

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  15. Yay! Congratulations, Lilly! I had a sneaking suspicion since you have been so under the weather (and I was secretly hoping that was the reason for the past couple of weeks). Amazing, wonderful news!

    Interesting, I felt progressively worse with each pregnancy, but consider myself lucky that it was never anything worse than feeling unusually tired and pretty nauseated. But I'm hoping you will turn a corner soon and start feeling great. What is your due date? Are you guys going to find out the gender ahead of time? Oooohhhh! I am dying to know more details.... if you're willing to share, of course. :)

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  16. P.S.- Sorry for asking a million questions. I am so typical!

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    1. Thanks Lauren, and questions are welcome :) I'm due August 8th (and hoping to at least get close to that date this time). We were thinking fall but this baby wasted no time, so the heat of August it is. You are very familiar with that, i know! We will find out the gender, I love the idea of waiting but just don't have the self control. I guess we will know some time in March? I am grateful I'm not even sicker... but I'm pretty darn sick. Slowly improving though... I think :)

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    2. Oh wow! August is a great month to have a baby, really! From my perspective, it was so hot that I wanted to be indoors anyway (you may have to invest in some AC this summer!). And if you are having another boy, I'd be happy to send some baby boy clothes your way since they would be seasonally appropriate!

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  17. Oh Lilly! Tears filled my eyes when I read that! I am so happy for you. I really hope you start to feel better. Such great and exciting times are ahead for your sweet family. Glad we all get to tag along through your blog!

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    1. Thanks so much, I'm excited to share it all too!

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  18. Such beautiful news, big congratulations. Kellie xx

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  19. Congratulations Lilly, that is beautiful news. Take care x

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  20. I wondered! :) I was so sick with both of my pregnancies! Those little sacrifices (extra tv/frozen food/ect) is so worth it in surviving through the all day sickness. hope you feel better soon!

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  21. I am so unbelievably excited for you! I see Lauren already asked the questions I was curious about as well. I'm going to already guess girl, but only because of my similar cravings for citrus and such, but I'm fully aware everyone is different. I have already been wondering how I'll share myself once we decide to add to our brood and I think it's something we all just have to figure out as we go. One thing I think helps is that as they get older they (ideally) have such a strong relationship with their Dad as well, as Wyatt does, and can have little outings with their father now and then while you and baby have some one-on-one time. Plus, it's going to be pretty cute to see him as a big brother and to teach the new one all he has learned.

    As for the sickness, I never found much that helped other than just waiting it out, as you are already doing by default. Mine went away between 14-15 weeks and I really hope yours will too, in plenty of time for you and Wyatt to get out and enjoy the soon-to-be-warmer weather and to begin working on your family garden.

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  22. Oh, it's the most delightful thing in the world, isn't it??!?! YEA for y'all!!!

    Let the magic begin; another life, another love!!!!

    I was sooo sick (for most of my preg), but it just became part of "what it is,man." You just muddle through, awful as it is, and then, BAM, it's over and there's that baby, and wow. WOW.

    Unsolicited advice from an older woman/mama: be gentle with yourself ALL THE TIME as you learn to be a pregnant mama with a glorious toddler at your breast/feet/hands/life. Part of bringing a new life into the world is tiredness, sharing, needing, slowing, speeding, changing, changing, changing.

    Little Smith 1 is learning about having a baby from y'all!! What a blast that he'll see the good, the bad and the ugly.

    Baby watch is on!!!

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  23. Yay congrats!! Guess you'll be changing your blog name to little smiths soon? ;) nonetheless take care and hope u feel better soon :)

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  24. Oh Lilly. A HUGE congratulations from me to your family!!! What a wonderful blessing. I hear you on the struggle of the first trimester. It really isn't an easy time. It wasn't until 17 weeks or so that I started feeling like more 'normal' again this time around. Hang in there, girl. It's hard, but you'll get through. You are doing the most wonderful thing any mother could do - you're growing a baby.
    Lots of love,
    Ronnie xo

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  25. Thanks so so much to everyone for your sweet congratulations and words of support. I feel the love and so appreciate it!

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  26. Congratulations Lilly!
    Hope you feel better very soon.

    I also have a very strong connection with my first born. I had been breastfeeding intensely for 8 months (up to 12 times a day at least 30 min a time), my son only wanted to sleep on top or next to me and he preferred to be physically attached to me all time... When being pregnant the 2nd time (by surprise only 9 months after giving birth), I could not imagine at all that I could ever love someone else that much. And when my girl was born, she was so different, only drinking 5 times a day for 10 minutes, wanting to be left alone to sleep in her crib all the time. But I love her so much and I am pretty sure we also have a good connection, in a different way but evenly strong.
    You will soon notice, it is another wonder that will bring so much joy and love in your life. The dynamics between your 2 kids will also brighthen up every day.

    Some more unsolicited advice: try to get as much rest as possible.

    Natalie

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    1. Thank you Natalie, I'm always in awe of anyone who has little ones so close in age, exhausting I'm sure but I bet they are two peas in a pod! I'm definately looking forward to seeing that special relationship form, and I am working on rest too!

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  27. I'm so happy for you. Congratulations! I hope you feel better soon, although I believe that sickness can be a very good sign. I craved citrus when I was pregnant too and I had a few days where all I could eat was Cheerios. I went for Taco Bell bean burritos a lot too!

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  28. Lilly, I'm so excited for this new journey you're on with your husband and Little S. So cool! I think it's going to be great for Wyatt to have a comrade in his childhood and for the rest of his life. I have struggled (struggle) with wondering if I'm up to the task for providing enough love and nurturing for the boys while my time is divided between them and the new baby. But I really like what Melissa said in her comment of thinking of your love not being divided but multiplied! That's a comfort to me too!

    So excited to follow you on this great new adventure!

    ....and hope you're feeling better soon!

    xo
    cortnie

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  29. (Here's how tired I am: I was all, "Who's Little Smith S?")

    A million congratulations to you and your sweet family, Lilly! Feeling sick is awful, and parenting while sick... I don't even know how to express the awfulness. I hope you turn that corner soon!

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  30. Congrats Lilly! Not sure if your mom has told you the news but I'm pregnant too (27 weeks). I was sick as a dog my first trimester- turned a corner at 12 weeksISH but didn't really feel better until about 15/16 weeks. Hang in there! (And of course the wives tale is that this means we're having girls... Will be funny to see if that's true! (We are not finding out...))
    -Oona

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    1. Thanks so much Oona, and big congratulations to you too! So so exciting and you have way more discipline than I do waiting for the big reveal :) Hopefully I will follow in your footsteps and start feeling better any day now.

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  31. Congratulations, Lilly! What exciting news for you and your growing family! I'm so sorry you are feeling sick. I was so sick during my one and only pregnancy that it has made me fearful of how I would be able to parent if I became pregnant again. Don't beat yourself up though, mama! You are clearly a very loving and present parent and Little Smith will be just fine with more conveniences if it means a well rested mama! Sending you so much love (and hopefully very quickly passing nausea)!

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  32. Congratulations, and without taking the shine away, I am also 7 months pregnant, and my son is 15 months old, he was quite young when I fell pregnant. All I can say is, it will all get better. These are just the hormones messing about... all will be better soon. Again, I am really happy for you.

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    1. Congratulations to you too Thando! I'm sure it's been no easy task to be pregnant with such a small little one, but I bet they will be great pals as they grow up together so close in age :)

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  33. Congrats!! How exciting. I totally struggled with how my daughter was going to feel when I had my second. It's natural. Some how it all just works and your son is going to be so stoked. Feel better!!

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  34. Congrats!! you are going to do great!! Hope you feel better sooner than 14 weeks.

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  35. Congratulations! I'm nearing the end of my pregnancy, due in 6 weeks with a little girl. I was totally unprepared for how drastically morning sickness changes your daily life and routine so quickly. I'm sure you've already tried everything but Vitamin B6 before bed was the only thing that helped me. I hope you start feeling better soon!

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    1. Congratulations on your little girl on the way! I haven't tried B6, I will definately give it a whirl.

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  36. Congratulations. I love this blog and now with more Smiths on the way, I am even more excited to follow your adventures in parenthood. Many, many congrats. And here's to that morning sickness getting lost already!

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    1. Thanks so much, we're excited for some fun adventures ahead!

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  37. Yippee! I just checked in to read your latest posts - long time follower, first time commenter! How exciting! I am going to follow very closely and with great interest as I am due baby number 2 8th August as well! My daughter is 20 months and the gap will be 2 years 2 months when this bump arrives! Currently nursing flu so know how you feel - roll on spring & that magical second trimester. Hoping you have a happy & healthy pregnancy!

    Em x

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    1. Oh wow- same due date? How fun! Hope that you kick the flu quickly and we have matching smooth and easy pregnancies :)

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  38. Congratulations! Hope you feel better soon.

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  39. Congratulations! I wasn't too sick when I was pregnant with Caroline, but I was sad for a long while. We'd decided to have another baby, and we weren't surprised when it was happening, but I was sad for the loss of time with Andrew that began so early. And now, well, it's awesome and perfect and I can't imagine doing anything differently. And I don't think Andrew even remembers what it was like before Caroline was here. You will all change and grow! I hope you feel better very soon!

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  40. YAYYY CONGRATS!!! So happy and excited for you!! Just hoping the sick feelings end any day now. Fingers crossed!

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  41. Congratulations to your sweet family. You're growing, one day at a time. I'm so happy for your news. I wish you warmth and a return to perfect health very soon. It's so strange to see snow where you are, open fires and fluffy slippers. My life presently consists of Summer sunshine, green grass after heavy rain and daily runs on the beach, followed by the occasional swim.
    With love across a deep blue ocean and here's to a short Winter, followed by a perfect Spring!
    Bella xx
    seaandsalt.com

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  42. I just found your blog a little while ago and I love it! Congratulations on your pregnancy! What an exciting time of life!

    P.S.
    Your photography is absolutely gorgeous!

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