The Second Child

There SHE is, sucking her thumb.

Well first off, IT'S A GIRL!!

Another girl, just in case we didn't have our hands full with Ava.

It is funny how different the whole having a baby process is the second time around. The first time, everything was exciting! Everything was new! Everything was scary and unforeseen. This time, it is like an old hat. You have worn it before and pretty much know exactly what to expect. (Or at least you think you do)

Your husband doesn't fawn over you like you are a fragile amazing being---carrying his child. You both just look at each other and think, aaaahhh, are we really doing this again?? Starting all over?? From the VERY beginning???

Babies are high maintenance to say the least. They just take, take, take. They need everything, all the time. Ava has reached a state of independence. She is almost ready to be left home alone. She is already begging to drive the car.

It is just weird to think about starting that all over again. Don't get me wrong, when we did it with Ava, every little thing she did was AMAZING. We were on a constant cliff hanger. "Look!! Did you see that?? When you walked by she totally tracked you! Do it again! Oh my gosh, she is totally tracking you!!"

It is kind of a sickness the way we ogle over that first baby. I have friends on baby number one and they send out email after email or post 64 new photos on Facebook of their baby every week. The pictures are nearly identical, unless you are the new parent. Then they all look too special, way to awesome to edit or heaven forbid delete!!!

I know for a fact that people could accuse me of this. I look back at our old photos of Miss Ava and see that I should of deleted about 89% of them and I would of still been left with plenty amazing pictures to show off to all the people in my life I had coerced into NEEDING to see these pictures. I may or may not of even been guilty of sending out an "Ava Picture of the Day" that had about 5 photos everyday. Yes, you read that correctly, EVERYDAY. This is actually why I started this blog, then, if you want to see my photo addiction, you can come here, where I share all.

Don't get me wrong. We desperately want another baby. I LOVE feeling this little one kick inside of me and I am so excited to know that our future will be filled with two little girls, not just one. This is an exciting time for us, I just have to say that it is also scary, for much different reasons then the first time around. I have enjoyed having a little sidekick that goes everywhere with me. I love the freedom of her and I just going whenever we want to run errands or go play. Things are going to get much more complicated as we add another baby to the mix. Two car seats! Two different schedules, two different sets of needs & wants. This part scares me. I am sure as it gets closer I will fully be able to embrace these coming changes but for now I am a little bit mourning the loss of just having it be Ava.

Today sort of changed that though. Going to the ultrasound was really cool. Seeing our little girl in there sucking her thumb, she became a little more real to me. I am truly looking forward to having her join our family. I always pictured having a wonderful husband and two little daughters, and here I am, about to realize that dream.

I told Ava in the car today that it is her job to teach her little sister all kinds of things, but please use a filter and only teach her the good things, not the naughty ones.

Ava of course gave me that look, you know the one, like
"Good luck with that Mom."

Here is that ultrasound picture again, followed by one of Ava
so you can see the resemblance.

New Baby Gamble:
Ava: