Baby 2.0: The Official Scoop

(Skip these first few paragraphs if you only want info on the baby).
Well, probably no one checks this blog anymore, considering I've just put you through another post-less two months. My bad. In my defense, we found out about Baby2.0 on December 11, the holidays steamrolled right through, and then I tripled my teaching load for the past 6 weeks.
Oh, and right when I started the extra teaching, Lillian stopped sleeping well at night. Some combination of change in routine/separation anxiety/cutting millions of teeth at once/most recently, her first ear infection.
So naptimes have been gloriously selfish and reserved for me time, aka NAP + whatever else restful fits in. Occasionally I have gone ALL OUT and done crazy things like cook dinner or clean up the unending mess that is Life with a Toddler.
On the plus side, I really enjoyed getting to teach high school English at Veritas for a teacher out on maternity leave. We worked through 2/3 of David McCullough's biography on John Adams. I'd never read it, but had always felt like I should, so it was a fun excuse to tackle it. Now to finish it on my own... Additionally, I really appreciate the hoops my mom and husband jumped through to make childcare (and everything else!) work. Lillian was well taken care of while I was away and honestly, it was more relaxing to teach than to chase after her.#lifewithatoddler

Upside down u/s picture from almost 9 weeks, over a month ago.

Baby Deets:
Official due date is August 22, 2013. Exactly 2 weeks before L's due date, 9 days before her actual birthday and 1 day after my 28th birthday. I would love it if he/she came a little early since the end of August and beginning of September are already packed with birthdays, but I'm sure that means he/she will be late instead. And call me selfish, but I'm not wild about the idea of sharing my birthday, although I've been assured by another mom who shares a birthday with her son that it's a good thing. So we'll see.

Everyone's favorite question that no one actually wants to ask: was this planned? Yep. Actually, I had envisioned an 18 month spread but God knew better. One woman told me that two years is "very far apart," while other people have immediately expressed doubts at my/our sanity for wanting kids that close together. For my part, Hillary and I are exactly 2 years apart and it has worked out pretty well most of the time. It is awesome as adults. I'm sure my parents can remember "less fun" times, too. We're psyched about it and just a tad nervous, too.

Boy or girl? We will find out, sometime in March or April. Before I was pregnant, I had a grand idea that we wouldn't find out. Thomas knew I would cave once there was an actual bun in the oven and he was right. We are thrilled with the idea of either. Coming from a family of two girls, I know how special the sister relationship is and can't help but want that for L. Certain family members are pulling hard for a boy though, so we'll see what God has planned.

Name? Just like last time, it will be a secret, and just like last time, it will probably take us 8 months to come up with something. We aren't even discussing names until we know the gender (NOT MY IDEA BY THE WAY!) which only gives us 4-5 months to come up with something. Cutting it close, methinks.

Lillian and Sullivan are clueless obviously. We talk about "the baby in Mommy's tummy," which prompts her to lift up my shirt and ram her finger into my belly button. My expectations are pretty low for what she will understand before the baby comes to live in our house. We do pray for the relationship between her and her sibling every night, as this is probably what we are most anxious about. Sullivan has informed us that he would prefer for us to get another dog rather than have another baby. Lillian is going through a rough play phase with him, so his sentiments are certainly understandable.

Expecting a second baby is much different but equally wonderful. There is less fear of the unknown, at least as far as the actual baby goes, and more knowledge of how wonderful it will become.

Praise God for this perfect gift and may it be for His glory!