It's not ALWAYS about Ella!

Ella is keeping so busy that we feel we've been neglecting our little number two. Maybe it's due to the fact that we also don't feel the need to read up on the baby and pregnancy books but by not doing so, it's sometimes easy to forget that we're expecting again....well, sometimes! Erika's definitely "nesting" early but probably due to the fact that we all know time is going to be pretty limited once the baby comes along and we're juggling two babies and school. Besides the nursery, which we'll wait to paint and decorate until we know the sex, we feel "ready" for this one. We just purchased a double stroller this past weekend and let's elaborate on this. There's a huge difference between a single and a double stroller. And it's not just the price. For example, when people see a single stroller, they might think "Oh! How wonderful! One baby, so nice and simple!" or "There's a nice looking couple pushing along one little baby!" Now, when you see people pushing a double stroller, it's all quite the opposite. We can already read people's minds: "Poor parents. A baby and a toddler!" or "Thank goodness I don't have to push around a double stroller!" or "It sure is nice to sit here with my paper and latte watching the tired-looking parents push two kids around!" Yes, we know people out there exist. So, what it all comes down to is this: come September, we're full fledged parents. No way of getting around it. But don't worry, you'll never see Erika toting a fanny pack at Disney World or Tim wearing sneakers and jean shorts waving frantically to Micky Mouse. Our friend Andrea jokes around that the minivan is next. We're holding off on that one as long as possible!

With that, we've got some baby shots of the ever growing tummy. One thing is for sure: second babies pop much faster than the first one. If Erika had a quarter for every time someone asked if she was due in July, we would have that double stroller paid off in a jiffy with some spare change left over!

One day shy of 22 weeks:

And, one day shy of 24 weeks:

People ask if this pregnancy is any different than it was with Ella. And the answer is yes and no. First, Erika's not working out nearly as much (can there please be more than 24 hours in a day?) so she's not feeling as in shape. As for the baby, we've got a kicker, mover, and probably a screamer. Maybe it's pregnancy brain, but Erika really does not remember that Ella moved around nearly as much as this one does. In fact, during the last two doctor appointments, the main comment from the doctor was (while listening for the heartbeat) was: "Wow! hear that? that's the baby moving! All the movement is making it hard for us to hear the heartbeat!" Hmm, is that really a good thing? Does anyone have any research data on the correlation between active fetuses and active babies?