This second pregnancy has been very different from the first. I no longer have the luxury of resting or lying in bed—life doesn’t pause when you have a toddler. My perspective has shifted, too. During my first pregnancy, I tracked every milestone meticulously and followed every rule by the book. I always knew exactly how far along I was—“26 weeks and 4 days”—and which fruit the baby was supposedly the size of. This time around, it’s more of a rough estimate, and I’ll admit, I’ve even snuck in a little caffeine when I’ve really needed it. Also, this pregnancy feels a bit heavier emotionally due to my age and everything we went through to get here—the stakes feel higher. 

Because of all that, this pregnancy has been more of a “let’s see how it goes” kind of experience. Instead of planning every detail, we’ve taken a more relaxed approach—figuring things out as we go.

First Trimester: Wait… I’m pregnant?!

Bloodwork confirmed I was six weeks pregnant, with appropriate rising HCG levels. I was in the exhausting, uncertain first trimester—the limbo phase where life feels on hold and every day is filled with hope the baby is still growing. While I was excited, I was more shocked and anxious. It felt too good to be true. The odds of this happening naturally had to be one in thousands, and so I kept my heart guarded. 

I was exhausted—flu-like fatigue and all-day sluggishness. No nausea, thankfully. But having a toddler made it much harder this time. Chi had to pick up the slack while I passed out early each night—7:30 p.m. bedtimes were my norm.

We saw our baby five times and even heard the heartbeat once. Genetic tests showed a low risk for disorders like Down syndrome. Each visit brought relief and moved us one step closer to believing this was really happening.

Second Trimester: It’s getting real

Still in disbelief, we slowly began telling close family and friends. At 13 weeks, we had a small gender reveal with my sister-in-law and best friend. I was happy either way, but Chi hoped for a daddy’s girl. When we cut the cake, we saw pink—it’s a girl! It’ll be special to experience motherhood with a daughter.

At 16 weeks, we practiced with Max to announce to our parents that he was going to be a big brother “Gor Gor.” They didn’t understand at first; my mother-in-law thought he meant brother to his new cousin. But they quickly realized what he meant and were excited for our growing family.

The second trimester is the best: miscarriage risk drops significantly, exhaustion fades, travel becomes easier, a cute bump appears, and excitement grows for the baby.

Third Trimester: Prep mode

It feels real now, with a big bump and frequent kicks. This is happening, and we need to start preparing. But it’s harder the second time around—you’re more likely to just go with the flow and handle things as they come.

We’ve had extra ultrasounds because of growth restrictions in my first pregnancy, but everything looks on track this time, and she’s growing above average. Compared to my first, I feel way more physically drained, clumsy, and huge—probably because my toddler keeps me on the move and pushes my limits. At 32 weeks, it surprised me that I still had two months to go. My belly already felt enormous, and I was definitely taking mid-day naps.

Now at 37 weeks and term, Baby is measuring well, so no induction is planned this time, unlike with Max. I’m finally off work and in full nesting mode, getting the house ready, wrapping holiday gifts, and trying to organize everything. I’m hoping baby comes around 40 weeks, so I can squeeze in a little more time to myself. I’d love to reach that mythical “bored” state where everything is done, but realistically, that’s not happening with my ever-long to-do list. We’re also soaking up these last holiday moments as a family of three before our new addition arrives.

So here we are, waiting to see how this next chapter unfolds. I’m really looking forward to all the sweet moments a new baby brings, even if I know there will be exhaustive days and chaos juggling a newborn and a toddler. Just taking it as it comes and trusting we’ll figure it out along the way. For now, I’m hoping for a smooth and easy birth and am ready to see how it all goes down.