As some of you already know, baby #2 is on the way. Hooray!
I really debated about when to have the next one, as you might remember here, but ultimately had the Mirena removed in late Sept. They say that post-Mirena, you return to normal fertility in one year. I would have waited that long (maybe on the edge of my seat, unhappily) for some good news, but luckily, didn't have to. On New Year's Eve, I had a positive result. For those playing along at home, this means I'm due in early September. The kids will be 2 1/2 years apart.
** By the way, birth control side note - I highly recommend Mirena for anyone in-between babies or unsure of how many more kids are in your future. It's covered by most insurance plans, is inserted by your OB/GYN, and is compatible with breastfeeding. It also releases a very low dose of hormones to help prevent implantation. They were hardly noticeable to me, these hormones, and I've been sensitive in the past. I had some bad experiences with the Pill (excessive hormone levels, emotional ups & downs, etc), but found this birth control to be a wonderful solution for me for about 18 months. I'm not sure I would want to leave it in for five years, however, the maximum recommended time. Call me a skeptic, but something about a foreign body in my uterus for five years, no matter how well-tested or confirmed via science, just doesn't feel right. End of side note. **
So, this pregnancy is very, very different. First of all, I'm totally relaxed about it. I think I had daily anxiety attacks as a first-timer. Maybe not quite that bad, but I worried about a lot of things. Health - mine and the baby's, job, money, home, getting it all done. There's an impending sense of doom that hides in the background - this sense that things are going to radically change, though you have no idea how much. This time around, we've already made our life and home child-friendly, so it feels much easier to add another one to the mix. It will be a big change, just not as big as before.
In the beginning of that pregnancy, I read the first few chapters of What to Expect and promptly decided to put that book away, thank you. There's so much that can go wrong in the first few months that I couldn't bear to think about it. When I read it again, around 6 months pregnant, I felt totally different about the book. By then, I knew the baby was here to stay, and was excited to think about all aspects of development and how to take care of myself in the last months.
So this time around, this strange calm has been really nice. For one thing, I already have a healthy pregnancy outcome at home -- blowing kisses, climbing on furniture, chasing our dog and using his words. That's a huge confidence builder for a pregnant woman. "It worked before! It will work again!"
*** Garcon had his first full sentence yesterday. He's been talking in sentences a while, but they were incomprehensible. He said "I want juice, Mommy" and I beamed. Can't wait to see how he does around a new baby. His very first cousin is due to arrive in late April. It will be a nice trial run. ***
