The ErgoBaby carrier holds the #1 spot for me as far as baby items are concerned. I used it on a daily basis from the time Parker was just 6 weeks old up until earlier this month.
But my giant belly is making it a little (or a lot) more difficult to wear Parker, not to mention that he is quite the independent toddler these days. I saw our most recent trip as a good excuse to strap him into the Ergo one last time, since it was so early in the morning and I knew he would be sleepy.
I’m planning to wear Baby #2 just as much, if not more, but since she’s a girl, naturally she needs a more feminine-looking carrier ;) Our current Ergo is still in great shape, though, so we are passing it on to my brother and sister-in-law who just had a baby boy. I’m happy to know it will continue being put to good use.
Not surprisingly, Parker’s farewell ride was bittersweet. I love the feeling of having him snuggled up against me, and it’s so nice having both hands free (especially in the airport, where we have plenty of stuff to schlep). I also love the comments I get from other people, especially older ladies who say, “Oh, I wish those had been around when my kids were babies!”.
I know I’ll get to experience that again very soon, but it will be different — just as so many things will be — because it’s not the first time. Parker and I blazed those trails already.
I’m only a couple weeks out of 2nd trimester, and I miss it already. It really is the “sweet spot” of pregnancy, especially after my rough 1st trimester and all the morning (a.k.a. all-day) sickness I battled.
Despite feeling super big compared to my first pregnancy, I really didn’t have anything to complain about for those 13 or so weeks. I was super busy with work and settling into the new house, so there were many days when I honestly forgot I was even pregnant!
And that’s probably the reason why our nursery is still empty. I have yet to choose and purchase furniture or any baby items at all. There are bags and bags of baby girl clothes sitting in my basement waiting to be sorted, courtesy of my sister-in-law. I did go through the latest Pottery Barn catalog and choose some bedding and curtains, which I tasked Zach with ordering — it’s a start, right?
With spring just a couple weeks away, it’s beginning to hit me that this baby is coming sooner than later. I have so much on my plate right now work-wise, and a house that is FAR from being “done” (as in, we still need a kitchen table and many other basics), but I need to get in gear and make some progress on the baby front. I have high hopes for 3rd trimester…
I can tell you that Parker’s answer to this question was a resounding YES. He’s been talking about Frosty nonstop since he made his debut in our home at Christmas time, so seeing him in the flesh — er, snow? — was a pretty huge highlight in Parker’s young life.
But Frosty isn’t the only snowman in town these days, thanks to Frozen. We weren’t sure if he would name his snowman Frosty or Olaf, since the latter has been getting a lot of airtime around here lately. Frosty ended up winning out, but his love for Olaf is still strong.
In fact, this song is edging out the almighty “Frosty the Snowman” (which up until now has held the title of the most-sung song at our house).
As we touched down on the runway after a quick Florida vacation yesterday, Parker looked out the window of the plane and exclaimed, “Snow!” He loved the beach and all, but apparently it just can’t compete with the white stuff. He’s in luck, because right now there are 8 inches of it in our backyard.
This mama, however, is over it and ready for spring! We’re going to have to find some new songs to celebrate the sunshine, flowers, and birds singing…any suggestions?
Every time we go upstairs, Parker asks the same thing: “Sissy’s room?”
Actually it sounds more like “issy’s room” but we know what he means. It’s the room with the pink walls, his old glider, and a little side table — and literally nothing else. For some reason, this is Parker’s favorite room in the whole house, and we can get him to go upstairs without complaint (even for diaper changes and naptime) because of it.
The other day, I watched Parker climb into the glider and hold the “it’s a girl” teddy bear while he rocked back and forth, singing the ABCs to himself. The sun was streaming in through the windows and I got the feeling this was one of those defining moments I would look back on fondly in 30 years, recalling the best days of my life.
It doesn’t get much cheesier than this, but I’m going to write it anyway: my heart nearly bursts with happiness when I think about Parker and his “issy” and the relationship that they will have, being so close in age.
He loves her so much already; the frequent belly kisses and smiles when we talk about the baby make that quite apparent. But I can’t wait to introduce them for the first time and watch them grow up together.
I loved being pregnant the first time around. I had the perfect situation, really: self-employed and working from home, I could take naps when I needed them and move as slowly as I needed to during the height of my 1st trimester morning sickness. I felt that “glow” from my 2nd trimester on and worked out every weekday morning up until the week I gave birth.
Naturally, I was thrilled to be pregnant again, and just assumed it would be as enjoyable as my first one. But any second-time mom knows what I soon found out: subsequent pregnancies can be…challenging.
I’m still thrilled to be pregnant, and there have been some wonderful moments — like when Parker kisses my belly, and every time I feel those little kicks — but it hasn’t been easy. I was much sicker this time around than I ever was with Parker, starting at week 6 and holding strong until week 18. Even now, at almost 22 weeks, I still have not-so-good days.
On top of the relentless morning sickness, I looked about as good as I felt. My skin went crazy, my hair was a lost cause; I swore that I was having a girl because any beauty I once might have had was completely stolen from me.
Turns out, I was right! Our little girl is healthy and growing right on track, and I’m finally starting to get back some of that energy I missed so much. It’s a good thing, because I need a LOT of energy to keep up with my little sidekick. At 19 months old, Parker is a ball of fire and needs my constant attention; there are far less naps for mama this time around!
Pregnancy #2 has not been a walk in the park, and I’m only a little over halfway there. But I’m done complaining, because I know it could be much, much worse. I’m extremely lucky to be pregnant, especially with a perfect baby girl.
2nd trimester is all about getting settled in our new house (more about that soon!), charging full speed ahead on some exciting work projects, and enjoying these last few months with Parker as an only child. Still trying to wrap my head around that one.
Almost exactly two years ago, I shared the news that I was expecting my first baby. It’s hard to believe, because that feels like just yesterday, but I’m thrilled to announce that baby #2 is coming in May!
I wrote all about finding out the news on my family blog, where I plan to journal occasionally about this pregnancy just as I did with my first.
My due date is May 26th, just two weeks shy of my son Parker’s 2nd birthday. I had heard that pregnancy isn’t exactly a walk in the park with a toddler underfoot, but I wasn’t quite prepared for just how exhausting and challenging it would be. After a not-so-pleasant 1st trimester, I’m so happy to be feeling better now that I’ve reached week 17.
The most common question people ask is “are you hoping for a girl?” — and in all honesty, I really don’t care either way. I know it sounds cliche to respond that it doesn’t matter as long as the baby is healthy, but it really is true.
That being said, we WILL be finding out the sex of the baby…on Christmas day! We have a cute plan for a gender reveal with our families, and I’ll be sure to share the results with you.
It’s been a whirlwind pregnancy thus far, and the whirlwind continues as we are closing on a new house at the end of the week. Never a dull moment around here, I tell you. I’m looking forward to getting settled in and regaining some semblance of normalcy.
I’ll be posting baby news here every so often, but mostly I want to focus on the gigantic pile of new songs I’ve been stockpiling these last couple of months. Thanks as always for reading and your generous support!
Welcome! I’m Rachel Rambach, board-certified music therapist and creator of Listen & Learn Music — educational songs and musical materials for children. I love sharing my work with you, along with my behind-the-scenes creative process, adventures in business ownership, and life as a mom of two.
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