Long Overdue

I want to apologize to my readers for not posting in a while. But I have a great reason/excuse why...

I'M PREGNANT!!!

I am so excited to announce that we are expecting Baby Gardner #2 around December 2. I just couldn't bring myself to write this blog and keep this great news a secret. So, I decided to just not write at all until I could tell everyone.

We had our first appointment last Friday morning. The doctor did an ultrasound to confirm ONE baby and that I was a week further along than originally thought. I have had some nausea for a couple weeks now, but it has gotten better since the doctor suggested I take B6 everyday.

In celebration of this announcement, I thought it would be appropriate to write about some questions we pregnant women love...and hate. Pay attention...

"How far along are you?/When are you due?" LOVE
This is a great first question to ask once you hear the news from the proud momma. She wants everyone to know when the new bundle will arrive and hope you will anticipate their coming as much as she is!

"Are you having twins?" HATE
Okay, this is usually heard to the mom as, "You are so big that you must be having more than one!" Please, please, please, do not ask this question. Now, I cannot speak for the moms who have actually been pregnant with twins. Just know this, if she is having more than one, she will probably be so excited/shocked that you will know before you have the chance to ask.

"How are you feeling?" LOVE or HATE
This is a toss-up. If you ask the mommy who is having a really emotional day, you may regret you asked at all. On the other hand, if she's having a great pregnancy, she will be glad to tell you how wonderful it has been for her. I'll admit that I got tired of this question the further along I got. How I felt was not what I wanted to think about. I wanted my attention on the end result, holding my precious newborn. The better question to ask is probably, "How is it going?"

"Are you ready?" HATE
Of course, I'm ready! How could I not be?! Do you think I'm a horrible mother??? (Get my drift?) A better question to ask is, "How is the nursery coming along?" Or, "Do you have all the clothes/items you need?" (See next question.) Leave the "birthing process" questions out of the convo. Mommy has enough to think about and prepare for to "be ready."

"Where are you registered?" LOVE
This question is not asked enough. We WANT you to ask this question! I noticed that hardly anyone bought items from my registry because there were only a few who asked. This is important to the expectant mom. She doesn't want to have to worry about things like the furniture, stroller, car seat, window treatments, etc. She wants to focus on the birthing process and preparing herself...not the room/items. I know everyone like to buy clothes, especially for a little girl (or so I've heard. =+). But, mommy would like to buy some clothes, too! Focus on the items on the registry so mom can focus the gift cards on the clothes she wants to buy. EXTRA POINT: If you are afraid of purchasing items on a registry or just don't know how...get a gift card to that location. Momma will love you! Diapers and wipes are a huge help, too. (As long as you buy the brand MOM wants!)

"Boy or girl?" LOVE
About the time momma starts showing, you can ask this question. For those of us who like to find out the gender, we will do so somewhere between 16-20 weeks along. I even like to give people an opportunity to guess. It gets everyone excited about knowing what you are having. Once we tell you the baby's gender...DO NOT SECOND GUESS IT! "Oh, but I still think you are having..." Don't even think about it.

One last pointer...
DO NOT share your pregnancy/birth horror story. If it is negative in any way, don't tell us. We know the risks and challenges. We are aware there can be problems. But, the goal is to help momma think positively about her coming experience. If it's positive, uplifting, funny, encouraging...by all means, share away.

I'm sure I've left some questions out. But I will approach them as I remember them. I promise to be back writing more often. Have a great Easter weekend, everyone!