Sorenson Foursome: Baby #2 arriving in December!

Welllll.... We are going to be a family of 4 in December! We cannot be more thrilled!

Caleb loves finding my belly button 

I will answer some common questions I have had from a lot of people so that you can get excited with us!

When/how did you find out?
I found out on April Fools day 20 minutes before a scheduled dentist appointment. Ha! There was a question on my online form that said "Are you pregnant?", and I had this moment where I thought "I might be able to test today, and just in case I would want to know if I'm pregnant before I get x-rays". Sure enough, two pink lines appeared on the cheepo dollar store test I had on hand. Ha! It was hilarious sharing the good news with John later that evening at the beach. I had to be very clear that I would never joke about being pregnant. Especially with how many mamas have lost babies, are trying to conceive, or who are unable to have children. You just don't pretend with that type of stuff. John was super excited and we celebrated with a beautiful sunset on the beach with our little family.

When are you due?
I know the exact date of conception because I track my cycles with FAM. However, I do not like publicly announcing my due date (because it should be called a guess date) because I believe it puts the idea in peoples brains that our baby SHOULD arrive close to his or her due date. Some babies come early, some babies come late. The last thing any moms wants in her last few days of pregnancy is a slew of texts asking why the baby hasn't arrived yet.  I hope it does not offend anyone that I am being elusive about my guess date, but if you must know, is likely that the baby will be born in the month of December. Haha, a range for sure, but an accurate one. The people who need to know when we are due already know, and anyone who needs to know in the future we will make sure to tell!

How have you been feeling? 
No nausea, just like last time. My energy wasn't as low as I expected it, but I definitely was more tired than usual during the first trimester. The biggest hurdle has been my sacrum/hip. The ligaments that are connected to my sacrum will go out of alignment, causing my sacrum to tilt down on the left side and up on the right side. This pinches the nerves and causes a lot of pain. I am getting awesome chiropractic care, but it still will go out frequently. I have been doing yoga and swimming, which seems to help.

Are you having a home birth again? 
We are planing on it! We are using the same midwife as we did with Caleb's birth. I love Vickii and I am so thankful for such awesome maternity care! My appointments are usually about an hour long, and her office and appointment room are super kid-friendly. Caleb loves trying to climb into her toy box and loves the latches puzzle she has. This pregnancy has flown by so far, and in a few weeks we will have our one and only planned ultrasound to find out the gender and do an anatomy scan. I am looking forward to delivering at home again, because I had such an amazing birth experience the first time around.

Will you continue to nurse Caleb?
I am continuing to nurse Caleb as per his request, usually between 4-6x in 24 hours. Nursing through a pregnancy is usually safe for most women, and it does not affect the development of the new little one in a healthy mom. My supply has dropped a bit, but breastmilk is still very much a source of hydration, nutrition, and comfort for Caleb. I have also been asked when I will wean Caleb so that I can get ready for nursing the new baby. I don't have any plans plans to wean Caleb; my goal of at least 2 years of breastfeeding as per the AAP and WHO recommendations still stands. I will let Caleb make the decision of when he is ready to stop nursing, and I would be thrilled it if Caleb chooses to nurse alongside his sibling, something called tandem nursing. If you are curious about tandem nursing, here is a really great Myths vs. Facts section from my favorite breastfeeding resource. Caleb might stop nursing during this pregnancy if my supply drops or he isn't interested anymore, and that is something I will need to mourn. I absolutely love the bond we have and my most precious moments are during bedtime when our family is in our bedroom and I am nursing Caleb. John will usually request to stay and watch the exchange of love between me and Caleb as he calms down for the night and snuggles in to nurse. John will pray for our family and for Caleb as he is nursing. Changing those moments makes my heart feel sad.

Is Caleb excited?
Caleb really doesn't have a clue what is going on, but he does enjoy trying to shove toys down my belly button or play the bongo drums on my growing belly. In a few months we will get Caleb a baby doll and start talking to him a little bit more about what the new baby will be like.

What are you most excited/nervous about having #2?
I am sad that our family dynamic will change. Caleb and I have a really great groove right now and I know that the addition of a new squish will change our relationship. All the work that will go into the transition is a little bit overwhelming to think about. John and I are both really excited to have a newborn again! John is dreaming of a baby sleeping on his chest again, one of his favorite parts of being a dad. I am thrilled that Caleb will have a sibling close in age to grow up with!

Me and my silly guy

Playing with his sibling? Or shoving toys down my belly button...

Caleb 17 Month Update

Age: 17 months
Weight: 31ish lbs
Size clothes: 3T shirts, 3T shorts. Pants still don't fit unless they are Love and Lotus yoga pants

Interests: Caleb is really enjoying any type of physical activity. Since learning to walk a few months ago, he runs. Everywhere. He really likes parts, and is interested in more fine motor activities like stacking rings, putting cards into a key hole shot I made, or doing a straw drop. The "destructive" phase is still very much a part of how he plays, but he is starting to do more "synthesizing" activities. He continues to love playing with any size ball (especially basket balls) and he can chuck it. Caleb can throw a ball like 15-20 feet sometimes.  Its crazy to see how incredible his coordination is. He will do the outfielder type throw, running and throwing in perfect unison.

Challenges: Caleb is so incredibly active it is hard to keep up with his needs to get out of the house. My saving grace has been going to the YMCA to work out. He gets to run around in their outside playground area, playing with basketballs, "cook" in their play kitchen, and play with the train sets. He will last about a hour and a half while I do I class and take a shower. He gets some energy out, and I get to have a break and get my sweat on. Another challenge has been helping him keep up his hydration. He doesn't like to drink water as often as I would like. I have added homemade almond milk and more smoothies to his diet, and he seems to be doing better.

Funny Memory:  Caleb likes to lie flat on the floor occasionally. It is so funny to walk into the living room and to see him flat on his back, just chilling. It lasts 10 seconds at most, but it is so darn cute! Another funny memory from this month is Caleb's recent affinity for putting thins on his head. Baskets, blocks, any toy, and especially food when he is done eating. Its hilarious to watch him try to balance things, and then when they fall off he will bring the item to me and put it on my head.

Kissing Daddy 

Caleb LOVES playing basketball

Caleb chilling 

This guy wants to try to climb everything

"I made a huge mess, and now I must rest"