It’s a…

BOY! We are so thrilled to be adding Sullivan James Swann to our crew in May.

In the truest nature of being a second kid, I am writing this post about 10 weeks later than I did with Reese.  So much so that I almost skipped it all together, but I am realizing lately how quickly I’m forgetting things and love looking back!

So here I am at 7 months pregnant, sharing our news officially to the blog as a journal for how this pregnancy has been!

First of all, the day that we found out we were having a boy was so fun! With COVID, Morgan unfortunately hasn’t been able to come to any of my appointments with me, with the exception of our ultrasounds! I’m so grateful he didn’t have to find out on FaceTime or miss getting to see him moving all around.  We were definitely both excited to know who this little person would be!  Plus, it was the perfect birthday present to me! (We found out on December 17!)

A few notes:

• I am the most impatient person in the world.  Waiting a whole 20 weeks to find out who this little person was growing inside of me felt absolutely torturous!! (We found out at 16 weeks with Reese and I was sure the extra waiting might kill me… or Morgan, poor guy!)  I may or may not have considered getting a blood test because I have very little restraint.  Thankfully I have a husband who talks me off the ledge.
• For me, naming our babies makes them feel like real people! I know that some people wait until they deliver to name their babies and I don’t know how y’all do it! You have much more patience than me!  (Again, read point above!) Haha! So we knew Sully’s name before our appointment if he was going to be a he! 
• I would of course, like the internet to know that I was right from the get-go in knowing this little guy would be a guy! Morgan thought for sure he was destined to have like 4 girls, haha, so he was a little surprised when Sully was who was hanging out on the ultrasound screen!

We told our friends and family with a little video from Reese letting them know that she would be getting a “boy!” Having her be a part of this as she’s started to use more and more words has been so fun.  She can also say Sully and it’s one of my favorite things!

As far as how the rest Sully’s pregnancy has been going, I can confirm that it’s a bit more tiring when you have a toddler to tend to!  I was also a bit sicker during my first trimester with this guy.

It’s funny because when you look at the list of “old wives tales” a lot of them pointed towards girl this time and with Reese they pointed towards “boy”!  Just goes to show that everyone’s body is so different!

I would be remiss to not take note of a few pregnancy related things: 

Cravings: Red meat.  Like in a big way! Morgan is thrilled because I don’t typically cook a ton with steak/beef/etc. but I cannot get enough of it!  I made the most delicious London Broil of my life with butternut squash and risotto, and every time I think about it my mouth waters.  I also may or may not have taken a huge bite out of the leftovers the next day without even waiting to heat them up first! Morgan could not stop laughing at me! I couldn’t help it!!

Of course, Morgan also cooked up the best steak I’ve ever had for our at-home Valentine’s day date and I was thrilled!  He asked if I only loved it because I was pregnant, and I can confirm that it was the best irregardless because it was cooked to perfection.  Well done, babe!

Symptoms:

This pregnancy (aside from more tiredness: aka, a toddler to chase around, and sickness in my first trimester) has been relatively similar to Reese’s! I’ve had reflux with both of my babes now and the same kind of other discomforts, but all in all feel pretty good! I know that that’s a huge blessing because so many people really don’t enjoy being pregnant, and I feel fortunate to not mind it overall!

A few notable differences with Sully’s pregnancy than Reese’s:

1. I have been much more hormonal this go around.  Morgan may or may not have a video of me sobbing for 10 minutes straight about driving a minivan.  It is ridiculous and complete and utter blackmail.
2. I think I am carrying differently – much more what people claim to be indicative of a “boy” pregnancy… lower and more outward, haha!
3. I can feel Sullivan move 100 times more than I could feel Reese.  Reese spent almost her whole time on the inside with her back to the outside, so I could really only feel her big movements or hiccups… until the week before her due date where she turned herself the complete wrong way.  If you know Reese, this is very fitting, lol.  On the other hand, I can feel Sully’s every move and it’s so funny how different it feels! He particularly likes to party around 9pm each night and first thing in the morning.

Most excited for?

Definitely seeing what his little personality will be like! Will he be active and wild like Reesey? Or will he be our chill kid? I’m thinking that we’re not really destined to have chill kids (if you’ve met my husband you’ll understand why, haha! He can’t sit still even now!), but we’ll see how it goes.  Plus, I want to know what he’ll look like! We’ll he be a mini version of his dad? Probably. That’s my vote for now ;)

Are you ready for him?

I mean, I am very excited to meet him and for him to arrive, but not just yet! Morgan has been slaving away on a huge house renovation so that we can move my office up to our third floor attic.  My old office will then become Sullivan’s bedroom! So once he has a space, I will definitely be feeling more ready, but in the meantime he can stay put.  Plus he needs to keep growing!

I think having Reese has definitely made this pregnancy different in a lot of ways but especially because I’m even more aware of how Sully’s arrival will change her little life, too! I’m so excited to watch her be such a big helper to her little brother, and boss him around endlessly (you should see her with the dogs!), but I also know that our attentions will be in two places.  It’s a bittersweet thing, that again, I feel like more hormones are currently divided about! Haha!

The moral of the story? We are so thrilled to meet our guy this May.  He is already so loved and cherished, and we know what a gift his little life is.

If you made it all the way through this post, you’re a champ. I mostly wrote it for me to look back on so that I can remember #allthethings. Thanks for sharing in our excitement <3