A mystery baby recap.

Dear mystery baby in my belly,

Let me tell you some long overdue tidbits about your time in my womb.  When I was pregnant with your brother, I wrote weekly updates.  How was I able to accomplish this?  Easy.  Bennett didn’t exist.  It was like my day was 50 hours long.  Now it’s like my day is four hours long, and three and a half of them are spent corralling this energetic child.  So mostly this pregnancy has seemed harder, but it’s hard to tell if it’s truly more difficult or just all in my head.  We’re considering the fact that 1) I’m older, 2) I’m running a business, 3) I’m not in as fit of shape, and 4) I’m already a mom.

Interestingly enough, as I’ve read back through my weekly updates regarding my posts during my pregnancy with Bennett, there have been more similarities and parallels than I remembered.  For instance, one week a few months ago, I was bragging about how long I could go without washing my hair because it never looked oily.  Later that night, I discovered that I had bragged the exact same thing at the exact same week mark with Bennett.  Does this mean that you’re also a boy?  Or that this is just how I do pregnancy?  Time will tell!

Similarities off the top of my head:

-You both made me hate the smell of coffee during the first half of the pregnancy.

-You both contributed to very bulging varicose veins, especially in my right leg (though my colon contributed this time, too).

-You both enhanced my appreciation for all potato related foods.

-My butt got big.

-My face is clear.

-My lip and leg hair grow in much slower than when I’m not preggo.

-I’m obsessed with the injustices and corruption in this world.

Differences off the top of my head:

-You seem lower.  This might be because I haven’t worked out in a long time and that whole area is more stretched out in general.  Or it could mean you’re not a boy.  It’s been nice not having you all up in my lungs though!  I had to constantly pop papaya tablets (like TUMS) to stave off heartburn with your brother, but you have not given me the same sensation.  Is this gender related?  Again, is this just me doing pregnancy?  Do you have less hair?  (It’s not like Bennett had a TON of hair…)  With you being lower, you most certainly have popped my bellybutton inside out.  That’s… different.

-My boobs know what to do now, so they’ve gotten a bit of a head start. (I type this having purchased four additional bras in this pregnancy alone.  I swear that one of them felt too snug the NEXT DAY.)

-I’m less worried about mentally being able to get through a drug-free labor/delivery and more worried about being too confident and being surprised by unforeseen wrenches in the plan.

-We’re getting a birth photographer to capture the marathon to the finish line of your birth.

-We don’t know your gender.

-I got the Rogham shot.  It’s a long story.  Apparently it was unnecessary.  Your father and I both have A- blood.

-Brushing my teeth made me throw up several times.

-Everything in general made me throw up many times.  (With your brother, I just FELT like throwing up all day.  I never did… except the one time I had bad food at a Chinese buffet on Mother’s Day during his time in my oven.)

-I ate the skin off of an entire turkey.  I’m not proud of it, but that was the only thing you wanted that afternoon.

-Fruit and pastries seem to be the biggest cravings now that we’re two weeks and five days from due date.

-People keep telling me I’m not going to make it to my due date.  Either I’m much more vocal about complaining, or I seriously look like I’m at the end.  With Bennett, I KNEW beyond doubt that I’d make it to 40 weeks.  This time I’m less sure.

-You showed a lot earlier in the game.  My belly popped almost as soon as we knew we were having you.  People were much less reserved about their congratulations.

-You like to push forward, favoring the navel.  Bennett preferred flattening my stomach by protruding to the sides.

Oh.  And I waited a week to tell your father that you were coming.  There were a few reasons for doing so: Our anniversary dinner was planned for the following week.  I thought that while your brother was being babysat, it’d be nice to tell your father over dinner with no interruptions and no distractions.  That, and the last time I peed on a stick, your dad was standing outside the bathroom door asking if he could watch.  So, yeah, I wanted to keep you to myself and enjoy the wonder and mystery of your coming for a little while.  I discovered you on November 14th, 2015.  Your dad found out about you on November 22nd.  We were soooooooooo close, literally hours, from our date and I just couldn’t make it!  There was no way to hide my morning (all-day) sickness and I absolutely could NOT eat at our agreed upon restaurant.  Feeling miserable in bed, I handed the positive pregnancy test to Bennett and instructed him, “Go ask Daddy what this is.”  Bennett walked into the living room, asked your dad as I had instructed and was promptly returned back to me with a response that went like this: “What is that?  You’re not supposed to have that!  Go put that back.  Give that to Mommy.”

Funnily enough, your dad didn’t even look at it.  He had assumed that Bennett went rummaging through some drawers and found his old positive test.  So I turned him right around and tried again, “Go put this in Daddy’s HANDS and ask him what it is.”

Once it was in his hands, your dad knew.  And I heard him start to laugh from the living room, immediately coming into the bedroom for me to verify the news.  He was very patient that night as we drove around town for FOREVER until I laid eyes on any establishment that my brain believed would not cause me further sickness.  Apparently you wanted Vietnamese pho soup that night.  What a relief!

Anyhow, my love, I can’t wait to meet you.  You’ve been a lot of fun in my womb!

Holy XOXO’s,

Mommy