Swings and Slings and Other Things I Am Excited To Try With Baby Number Two!

 sling, bottle, swing, burp clothes, high chair, silver cups, pacifier

With Harper, we were lucky to have use of a borrowed swing, it was a classic style and we loved it, this time we are looking to buy one and trying to decide between one like what we had before or one of the more modern style ones from 4 Moms. This type of swing has a much much smaller footprint which would be great for us since we live in an apartment.
I have had my eyes on a sling for a while now, I have a Moby Wrap and and Ergo Baby Carrier that I plan to use again, I love baby wearing and am hopeful that a sling will be a great addition to our gear. Honestly, previously, I was turned off by an image that I had of what slings look like that didn't fit with my style or self image. Then one caught my eye, and after that I started looking around on the internet and realizing how absolutely wrong I had been.
We do have a highchair for Harper, but I am including it on this list because of how eager I am for a replacement. I would list not holding up well as our our current chair's primary deficiency, but I am instead choosing to appreciate that between the issues with the tray not latching right and the cushions and straps not coming out well from being washed, it has reduced itself to a hunk of junk, justifying replacement. a replacement that will be easy to clean and not depress me with how unattractive it is every time I look in it's direction.
With Harper, instead of traditional burp clothes,we just used some random flannel receiving blankets which have since lived out their lives as household rags. This time I am planning om using cotton prefold diapers, which seem to be a popular option, and perhaps a few of the nice looking muslin sort.
Harper didn't really take to a bottle or pacifier, but we will be trying with this baby. both the Comotomo and Wubba Nub are styles I have heard lots of good things about so, I think we will start there.
I had never heard of them before when I won a set of silver nursing cups, in a raffle. They are supposed to be amazing for soothing and comfort in the early days of breastfeeding, and I think it is cool that they are made of real silver and can be recycled, by the manufacturer, into jewelry.

Flamingo Nursery Inspiration

Since finding out that Baby Burgess #2 is a girl, I have been really taking notice of all the pink baby things. It's not that I think little girls automatically have to be surround by the color, so much as that it is one of my favorites and am having having so much fun thinking about bringing more of it into our lives as we prepare this baby to arrive.  Maybe it is because they are fashionable right now, or maybe it is because they remind me of warm sunny days when it is anything but around here, but I have been really drawn to flamingos lately - they are bright and fun, but can also be tastefully brought into a space, I think you can say the same thing about the color pink in general. I am not certain I want to actually do a flamingo centered theme for baby girl, but I am tempted to at least bring some of these items into our space.

plush, brush, humidifier, pom pom bin, book, luxe blanket, muslin quilt

9-12 Weeks Pregnant - Pregnancy Diary

~ Nine Weeks ~

At this point in my pregnancy with Harper, we were already telling people, but this time we are hoping to keep things under wraps until December when we can do a cute holiday themed announcement. I have been scouting on Pinterest for ideas and I am super excited about it!

In December, we shared this announcement photo along with a video 

announcement post and video

~ Ten Weeks ~

The baby is now the size of a kumquat. I have not had a kumquat in years, but I like them.


Still tired and nauseous at times, the only real news is that my waistbands are feeling a bit snug.

~ Eleven Weeks ~

For a few days, I was not feeling as nauseous and then one night after dinner it hit me again, so hard, I have been drinking peppermint or ginger tea to help fight it off and that helps a bit little (I later realized the peppermint was making my heartburn worse and stopped it). I am counting the tea toward my water intake too, I am really trying to make sure I stay well hydrated which can be a bit of a chore for me.

~Twelve Weeks ~

This week I had my second prenatal appointment and it was pretty scary. The medical student who was there with the OB could not find the baby's heartbeat with his doppler. I was just laying there on the exam table praying , but there was nothing, and then he picked up my heartbeat, then nothing. Finally, the doctor took over and found the baby pretty quickly. Needless to say, that was a huge relief.

*warning: vomit talk below*

The last night of my twelfth week, I threw up really hard core. It was so startling for me because as I have mentioned before, I don't tend to do that.  When I say hard core, I mean that I was sitting on the sofa beside Rob, we were watching "The Walking Dead" on Netflix and I was sipping on a cup of ginger tea, I had been feeling increasingly ill over the past few hours. Rob was eating his dinner (he works late and eats when he gets home) and the smell of his leftovers was really bothering me, butt not really more than smells have been lately. So, we were both pretty caught off guard when I suddenly projectile vomited onto the carpet in front of the sofa before high tailing it to the bathroom.

See The Previous Pregnancy Diary Entry 
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5-8 Weeks Pregnant - Pregnancy Diary

~Five Weeks~

This week the baby's heart starts beating!

Lately, I am not having as much cramping or feeling as intensely bloated as I was last week, but I am feeling more nausea and heartburn. With Harper (aka Baby Burgess #1) was was a bit nauseous (I remember feeling so sick through Thanksgiving dinner that I imagined I must look green. I only threw up once that whole pregnancy and that was when I was extremely, emotionally upset about something as well as feeling ill from pregnancy. Most of the time, I can feel horrible and it just doesn't happen. Lately though, I have been feeling like it might really happen.

My other main symptom is fatigue, during the day, I have been napping with Harper whenever I have the chance (though his naps have been hit or miss lately) and barely staying up past his bedtime.

~Six Weeks~

We have been thinking about baby names! I have been obsessed with names since I was a little girl, maybe because mine is unusual.
I am about 90% sure I know what we will name this baby, if they are a girl! We also have some boy names in mind. One thing I do enjoy about early pregnancy is being able to think about names without feeling intense pressure make a final choice.

I am so tired right now, but it is a toss up as to if it is more because of being pregnant or because Harper is up multiple times per night. One thing that is clearly different, I am having trouble falling back asleep after I wake up to with Harper or to use the bathroom.

I  had a few days of not being very neausious, and then an afternoon with a super upset stomach.

~Seven Weeks~

The baby is now the size of a blueberry!

Being in this early, most precarious stage of pregnancy where we are most at risk for a negative outcome and least able to tell what is going on (I felt a bit better, with Harper when I could feel him moving around all the time), I am trying hard not to dwell on miscarriage fears and really looking forward to but also nervous about our ultrasound appointment that will finally be happening next week.

I am soooooo tired, like having trouble functioning, sort of tired. And emotional, I have burst into tears twice in the past few days, both times it was because of situations that were legitimately upsetting, but not the sort that I would normally cry over. I have also teared up while watching a tv drama, which is something I might ordinarily do, s - still, taken with the other crying incidents, It certainly seems like a lot. I don't think I was this emotional when I was pregnant with Harper.

~Eight Weeks~

We finally, after waiting for what felt like forever had our first OB appointment and ultrasound. I was nervous going in, knowing the risk of early miscarriage and having had pregnancy loss happen to so many people I care about, it is hard for me not to be anxious about it. At this ultrasound they were also checking to see how many babies are in there. There is one, seeing and hearing his or her heartbeat was such a relief. I know it doesn't guarantee things will keep going well, but it was nice to know that in that moment things were looking good and from a statistical standpoint, the pregnancy's chances are better going forward.

I am still nauseous,  tired  having trouble sleeping. There is so much to think about, both exciting stuff and worries, with a new baby on the way. 

See The Previous Pregnancy Diary Entry 
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4 Weeks Pregnant - Pregnancy Diary

 I have been keeping this pregnancy diary since I first found out I am pregnant, making notes around the end of each week. I am excited (you will notice I use that word a lot in this post!) to be sharing it with you now, starting with the earliest entry. I plan to post the rest of the past entries over the next few weeks, catching up to the present and then continuing to share for the rest of my pregnancy.

Finding Out

I had a random sort of heartburn, acid reflux type feeling one morning, 11 dpo (days post ovulation), the only other time I have ever had heartburn was when I was pregnant with Harper. So, I took a test, thinking even if I was pregnant the test might not pick it up. But there it was, a very faint line. I tested again the next day, and started planning how I would tell Rob the good news. With my first pregnancy, he was right with me when I tested, this time this time I wanted to surprise him a little. 

Telling My Husband

We were out for coffee, having just sat down at a table with out drinks, Harper beside me, happily munching a croissant, Rob was across from me, spreading cream cheese on a bagel. I pulled out my phone and said that I wanted to show him a picture I had taken the other day.

"OK", he said,  gesturing for me to give him my phone.

"Umm, you should put your bagel down...because I don't want cream cheese on my phone" I said, really just wanting him to be focused on the moment that I handed him this:

when I said the line was faint I was not exaggerating

After a few seconds, understanding to flashed across his face.

"you're pregnant!?" He shot out of his seat with a huge smile and a big kiss for me. Followed by his asking why I decided to tell him at the coffee shop, because, according to him you take someone out in public to share bad news not great news. But he did concede that I succeeded in catching him off guard. 

How I Am Feeling

Physically,  the most acute symptom I have had so far is cramping and backache which I also had early on in my first pregnancy. I have also been a little thirstier than usual and feel a bit bloated.

Since telling Rob, the pregnancy has started to feel so much more real, I also had bloodwork done, a few days after my positive test to confirm the pregnancy and make sure everything seems to be progressing as it should. Now, I don't get to go back for my first real doctor's appointment and ultrasound for almost a month. It is going to be so hard to wait that long! I understand that they wouldn't be able to see much of anything at this point considering that Baby Burgess #2 is about the size of a poppy seed. But, we already love this little poppy seed so, so much!

baby is the size of a poppy seed

I am nervous, because it is super early in the pregnancy, but so excited! I am really looking forward to feeling feel the baby moving, having a cute bump and having shared the news with friends and family. Rob said he is afraid he will spill the secret, because it is basically the first thing he wants to say to everyone he talks to, I couldn't agree more. And it will be interesting trying to keep this under wraps the next few months.

See The Next Pregnancy Diary Entry 

Is The Baby a Boy or Girl?... Balloon Pop Sex Reveal Video!

Since we decided we would like to find out the sex of this baby at my mid-pregnancy ultrasound, we thought it would be fun to test out a few prediction methods in the weeks before. 

Heart Rate: 

Supposedly, 140 or below and the baby is a boy and if it is above the baby is a girl.

At my 12 week appointment, the baby's was 157, so by this method the indication is that the baby is a girl! 

However, while I don't remember what Harper's was exactly at this point, I believe it was in this range as well. 

Baking Soda Test:

If baking soda and the pregnant woman's urine fizz when mixed together, it is a boy if not, it is a girl. 
When I tried this one, my mixture was very fizzy, indicating a boy! 

Ring Test:

If the pregnant woman's wedding band, when tied to a string and dangled over her belly, swings in a circle it indicates a girl, while back and forth indicates a boy.

This one also gave us a boy result!

Family History:

This prediction method could possibly have a little more science behind it than the others, considering that it is the father who contributes the variable X or Y chromosome that determines the baby's sex. 

Looking at the recent generations, specifically the sex of the babies born to male Burgesses, it seems the Burgess line runs high to boys (that is a turn of phrase I read somewhere once and have always wanted occasion to use). However, our sample size was pretty small and I have seen other families thing they were destined to have a particular sex, experience dramatic reversals. My stepfather's family thought they could only make boys ... then came my sister and several female cousins on her heels. Still, it is hard not to wonder if there could be is something to it.
On the other hand, my mom had her first baby, a boy, at 30, followed by me three years later. I have noticed that families sometimes seem to follow certain patterns. It would be interesting if I were to have have girl now, shortly before my son, who was born on my 30th's, third birthday. I guess that gives us a mixed result for family history.

"Chinese Gender Prediction Chart"

There are several variations of this type chart to be found, they all basically predict the baby's sex (it really peeves me when people refer to sex and gender interchangeably, but I digress) based on the month of conception and mother's age at the time. I used the one from The Bump.

It previously predicted Harper would be a boy and predicts a little brother for him is on the way! 

So...three out of five test predict we are having a boy, one was mixed/inconclusive and only one predicts a girl. We would have been delighted with either and eagerly awaited the day we would find out. We had so much fun making our pregnancy announcement video that we decided to share our excitement with another video: