Halfway There.. 20 Week Update!

Y’all have been so sweet since we shared our news that we are expecting our first baby in June! We are overjoyed to be blessed with such a sweet gift. To celebrate the halfway mark, I thought I would round up some of the most frequently asked questions!

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When did you find out you were expecting?

We found out on October 3! I was 3 weeks 5 days when I tested positive. Of course we were headed to have lunch with Cody’s family, and it was so hard to keep a secret!

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When did you share the news?

Well this could be a long story! Ha! When I found a doctor that was accepting new patients, they didn’t have an appointment available until I would be 9 weeks. If you know me…. you know that keeping secrets is NOT something I’m good at! We had decided to wait until after that appointment to tell family and close friends. HOWEVER… I thought we would have a sonogram at that appointment and we didn’t. They scheduled my first ultrasound for three weeks after that initial 9 week visit!

We decided together to wait until after that first ultrasound to tell our families, just to be sure. It felt like a lifetime between those two appointments!! After a successful 12 week appointment, we told Cody’s parents the next day. Then, we flew to Dallas after work to tell my parents! We were gone for a whole 6 hours before we were back home and in bed. I knew I wanted to tell them in person and my brother helped us book flights and drove us to their house! So yes.. he knew a few weeks before our 12 week appointment!

After our parents knew, we told Cody’s siblings and then close family and friends! And I was so relieved that the secret keeping was over!

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Do your students know?

Yes! I told them right before Christmas break. They love to play Hangman if we have extra time at dismissal. We played and they guessed the phrase “Mrs. Boring is having a baby!” Their reactions were priceless and so sweet. They have been so excited right along with me, which has been so fun!

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Have you been sick!?

I have been really lucky! Other than a few weeks of nausea at night time and some strong food aversions (red meat, coffee, etc) I haven’t been sick at all! All of that to say – first trimester exhaustion is no joke. I am so grateful to be well into my second trimester!

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Do you know the gender?

Yes! We opted out of genetic testing/screening so we decided to do a private ultrasound at Stork Vision here in town. (Highly recommend if you are local!) My doctor said that they are typically pretty accurate and they can do gender screening at 15 weeks. And like I said… tired of secrets! I did a gender reveal today with my students and it was so fun!!

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Will you share names?

Not until baby is here! We have had baby names picked out for awhile now… but that’s the last secret we will keep! As a teacher it’s hard to pick names so we’ve had a few picked that we love no matter what!

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Do you have a nursery theme picked out??

Ugh! No! I can’t decide. There are so many cute ideas out there, but none of them have stuck! I might be leaning towards a light blue wall and a teddy bear theme. But then again that changes daily! My parents saved the crib that my brother and I used (thanks mom and dad!!) so we already have that! We just have to decide on if we are doing an accent wall, and if so – paint or wallpaper?!

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Any recommendations for maternity clothes?

Yes! So here’s the thing… if your closet mostly contains high waisted jeans then you are looking for options QUICK due to early bloating (or at least in my experience!).

On Instagram I responded to @willteachfortaco ‘s question box asking for her favorite brand of maternity jeans so I could shop sales around Black Friday. And to my surprise… she offered me a whole bag of her maternity clothes!! I was so grateful!! She said most of the clothes came her Stitch Fix maternity boxes. I have loved and used Stitch Fix before so I knew they were high quality clothes. If you want $25 off of a maternity box, use her referral credit!!

My sister in law bought me the BEST maternity leggings for Christmas. They feel like butter and don’t fall down all day which is so nice!! She also recommended these comfortable tank tops she wore during her pregnancies. They are great for under cardigans and kimonos that you already have in your closet!

Other than that, I’ve been able to wear tops from my closet still and have bought a few things just in a larger size. Thank goodness over sized sweaters are in style! I’ll keep y’all up to date on any other favorites I find!

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Have I had any cravings?

Yes and no! I haven’t had any like If I don’t eat this right now I won’t survive moments. I have been reaching for fruit more, loving orange juice, and can’t control myself around anything sweet!!

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Skincare products?!

My skin is always dry in the winter, but pregnancy has made it SUPER dry!! I’ve been rotating through a few lotions that seem to be keeping my skin hydrating! Usually in the mornings I will use Beautycounter’s Hydrating Body Lotion mixed with a few drops of the Body Oil. This keeps my skin moisturized during the day and has nice, fresh scent! For drier days, I will also use the Melting Body Balm!

During the evenings I have been using Palmer’s lotion and this body oil for stretch marks! This is a great set for expecting moms to try and decide which Palmer’s products work for them!

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And I think that’s about it! We have our anatomy scan in a couple of weeks and we are praying for a healthy baby. Thank you so much for praying alongside us and being excited about our journey, too!!

If you have any other questions, feel free to leave a comment below or message me! I love chatting with y’all!

Emily