Here we go again!

I know I’ve been quiet on the blog/Instagram lately, and while my job + toddler are both partially to blame for keeping me super busy and offline, it’s also because we’ve been keeping a big secret since January. ;-)

I literally just got home from my 16-week OB appointment, and I’m relieved to announce that Baby GIRL Blasik is alive and kicking with a strong heartbeat of 142 b/m. Words cannot describe how thrilled Scotty and I are to give Jude a little sis in late September. (Another fall baby, y’all!)

A POSITIVE TEST

After we found out that we had miscarried at 9 weeks pregnant back in October, we weren’t in a hurry to try again. I wanted to give my body time to rest and recover, and it was important to allow myself space to heal emotionally as well. As disappointed as we were to lose the baby, the idea of rushing into another pregnancy only added to my anxiety.

So, we spent my 29th birthday and the holiday season enjoying our loved ones (and regular glasses of wine, ha) rather than worrying about growing our tiny family. It would happen when it was supposed to, I knew—and besides, we had gotten pregnant surprisingly fast the second time around, when Jude was only 10 months old. There was no hurry.

By January, we were both in a good place mentally, and I was ready to start tracking my cycle again with the hopes of eventually conceiving. The morning I took a test (on January 16th), I knew that pregnancy was a possibility, but I wasn’t convinced it would happen again so soon—which is why the first emotion I felt when I saw the faint double line was shock! Here we go again, I told Scott with a smile on my face as I handed him the positive test. Of course, the news was met with nothing but joy.

SYMPTOMS GALORE

We kind of suspected we were having a girl based on the severity of my symptoms from the start, because they were/are definitely more pronounced than anything I ever felt with Jude! Nausea, fatigue, digestive issues, insomnia—you name it, I had it. Not to mention the food aversions (bitter coffee, nut butter, dark chocolate, cooked greens, some meats) and strong cravings (Poptarts, pickles, citrus, and allll the breakfast tacos)!

Even though I’m doing better now that I’ve made it to the second trimester, there are still a lot of days my stomach is in knots and I need caffeine + a nap (yes, both) to function. These things were never so noticeable with my first pregnancy—I’m chalking it up to the extra estrogen in my system!

ON SEEING PINK

Our suspicion of her sex was confirmed via a blood test at 14 weeks, and Scott was the first to find out. I wanted him to surprise me in a cutesy way (because I’m #extra), so he picked up a box of pink-frosted cupcakes from my favorite gluten-free bakery and we held an impromptu gender reveal at his parents’ house. My parents and brother joined via Zoom, as did Scott’s sister and her fam.

Even with all the signs, somehow I was still shocked to see pink… Having a girl is going to take some getting used to! Of course, both sets of grandparents are ecstatic (especially my mom, who has already started assembling her wardrobe). But I’m curious to see how Jude interacts with her—he’s anything but gentle, so this should be interesting.

THE NAME GAME

Everyone keeps asking about potential names, and honestly, we are all over the place. There are a small handful of options for a first name we keep throwing around and one or two we love for a middle name, but we have yet to come up with any combination we’re both absolutely crazy about. Boy names are so much easier for us, it turns out! Whenever we do land on a name, though, we’ll probably end up keeping it to ourselves until she’s born. What can I say, I’m too easily swayed by others’ opinions.

BUMP WATCH

So far, I’ve gained about five pounds and my bump is a little smaller than I remember it being around the same time in my last pregnancy. It’s hard to tell, though, because I was super bloated my entire first trimester, which made it seem like my “bump” was bigger than it actually was. (My belly has actually shrunk since then, but my best friend—who’s also a PA—tells me that fluctuations in the beginning are normal. Phew!)

Maybe this is just me, but I kind of can’t wait until I’m reaaaallly bumpin’, as I find all baby bumps so sweet and having one is such a delight for me. It makes a pregnancy feel real, ya know?

VACCINATED AGAINST COVID

My OB recommended I get the Covid vaccine as a measure of protection (because, apparently, Covid can be detrimental to both pregnant women and unborn babies), and after doing my own research, considering the opinions of those I trust, and weighing the risks and benefits, I ultimately decided to take her advice.

Scott and I both received our first dose of the Pfizer vaccine on April 5th, and we get our second dose in a few weeks. Thankfully, neither of us experienced any side effects, but please keep us in your prayers. I’ve heard the second dose is the tough one!

I know that vaccines—and the Covid vaccine in particular—is a very touchy subject for some, and I hesitated to even bring it up here. I understand that it’s a personal choice, and I don’t think it should be met with judgment either way. I myself am still carrying fears, doubts, and concerns surrounding the safety of it, and have second-guessed my decision multiple times since then. (Just ask my best friends!) That said, for the sake of our baby girl, I feel like we’re making the best call with the information we have right now.

UPDATES TO COME

I’ve only had one ultrasound so far at 7 weeks, and my next one is in a month for the anatomy scan. As always, I’ll keep you posted on how everything goes! Baby girl will be here before we know it.