Where Has Mommy Been?

I have been MIA from my blog- for many reasons: too busy chasing Kirra around, learning about the next phases in Kirra's eating & feeding adventures, cleaning, working, doing Peer Reviews (for work), hostessing, running errands... but really the main reason is that I have been LAZY. And I mean LAZY - as in, lethargic, my body and limbs feel limp, I can't stomach finishing my meals, I'm nauseous, I just want to sleep at 8pm after Kirra goes to sleep. Sound all too familiar? It should, because I am pregnant with our second baby!

I found out about the pregnancy during the second week of August. Two days prior Colin and I went on a date night - dinner at Mescolanza where we savored our favorite veal, capellini pomodoro, carpaccio and Pino Noir. Cintya and Brian babysat for Kirra that night and before we went off to our date they shared with us their wonderful news: They just found out they are pregnant and expecting sometime in April!

How wonderful for Cintya and Brian- who have been patiently waiting to get pregnant these past 3 years of marriage. I was so ecstatic for them- and how nice for Kirra to have a cousin not to much younger!

Colin left for a 5-day backpacking trip to the Lost Coast for Jon's bachelor party/weekend. No cell service or contact for 5 days! On his second night there was when I caved into my curiosity and took a pregnancy test. I wasn't even 'late'. In fact, my periods had been irregular (I had one in early May, none in June, and one in mid July, and that was it) so I didn't even know what to expect. I was still lactating and pumping milk, however, so I didn't think I was going to get pregnant that easily. Well, that positive line proved all myths that Breastfeeding = birth control wrong! I had to keep my secret to myself (except I shared it with Cintya that night) until Colin returned from his backpacking trip 3 days later. When I did tell him, he was extremely happy- the two of us were overflowing with happiness about Cintya and Brian's news, and here we were with happy news of our own to soak in. This is really too much good news for one family. We are really, truly, blessed.

My symptoms have been pretty on-target with how I felt with Kirra- especially feeling really tired, losing my apetite, and being extremely bloated/gassy. And my belly popped out almost immediately (maybe at the 2-month mark) so I've worn baggy shirts to work. My milk supply depleted pretty drastically but I still pumped as long as I could. Kirra was still drinking pumped breastmilk until she was 10 months old, which is a pretty impressive accomplishment. She's fine drinking formula, and you'll get to read in the next few updates about her eating and feeding exploration (and my frustration with it all!)

This is the ultrasound of Baby Bogart #2 (we need a new name for '#2') from 7.5 weeks gestation:

We go in for our 12 week ultrasound (Nuchal Translucency screening) on Monday - can't wait to see how much the baby has grown. So, now that I've explained my 'excuse' for the long delay in Kirra updates, I will now give monthly updates from the past 5 months that we've been MIA. I hope I can remember it all!

side profile of Baby Bogart #2 at 12 weeks

Frontal view of Baby Bogart #2, at 12 weeks gestation