Gender Reveal Party
The first thing we did as soon as we got into the second trimester was a gender reveal party! This changed our sweet baby from an "it" to a SHE. Somehow just being able to call her "she" made everything so real. We were able to find out the gender super early because we did the blood test! I'm so happy we did it, but next time around we will probably just wait until the 20 week sono.
Register
I've never been the biggest fan of registering because I don't enjoy spending all day shopping and then going home with nothing. Luckily, Daniel is a huge fan of registering and takes the reigns when it comes to this. I loved registering after we already knew it was a girl because it let us choose all the cute pink bows and clothes. We did register for mostly gender neutral colors when it came to big ticket items so that we can reuse with our future babes. We registered at Amazon and Babies R Us. I also registered on Baby List because I heard that their welcome box of goodies was worth it. It definitely was. I love free stuff and coupons.
Baby Room
We have been anticipating getting pregnant for a while so I went ahead and painted the baby room gray over the summer. That made things a lot easier on Daniel and I, but he did add a shiplap wall. My parents bought the crib and dresser for us, and we put it together as soon as we got it. Actually having baby furniture has completely changed the feel of our home. Nesting is a real thing. For both moms and dads, and I suggest doing it all together! Something about working together to prepare your home physically really helps prepare you emotionally.
Baby Wise
So many of Daniel's firefighter buddies have suggested Baby Wise that we are %100 bought in. We really have to create a sleep schedule early on because of his 24 hour shifts. I don't know how either of us would survive if this little one doesn't start sleeping through the night pretty early on. I have been reading Baby Wise aloud with Daniel so that we can stop and discuss through out the book. So many people have told us our expectations for our little one sleeping are unrealistic, but we are going to do everything we can to give baby Crowson a head start on great sleep!
4D Sonogram
We are lucky enough to have a doctors office that does 3D & 4D sonograms for FREE. I have been feeling baby Crowson kick for a few weeks now, but to literally see her moving made things so real. It was an incredible experience for Daniel. I forget how lucky I am to get to carry this sweet girl around and to constantly feel her. Daniel doesn't get that feeling, but he got to see our sweet baby moving and kicking. If you're able to have a 4D or at least a 3D sonogram do it! I can't believe how much she already looks like us.
Another perk of the second trimester is transitioning into maternity clothes! Maternity clothes are way cuter than I expected, thanks to Pink Blush. I was still trying to squeeze into my regular jeans until Thanksgiving day..... then I realized that wasn't going to happen anymore. Oh well, maternity clothes are way more comfy.
The second trimester really is the best! No more morning sickness, finally having a cute little baby bump, and having way more energy than before. This is the time to really enjoy pregnancy before I get huge. I'm trying to wait patiently for our sweet little girl, and savoring every experience has been amazing.
xoxo,
kelsey
