You've come a Long way, baby

For one thing, I learned I was pregnant with Larkin at 5 1/2 weeks. My first trimester gave me a fair amount of anxiety, hoping week by week that everything would be okay.

In contrast, I learned I was pregnant with No. 2 at 10 1/2 weeks. My first trimester was...well, it was pretty easy. I didn't know I was pregnant until it was nearly over.

Along those lines, by the time I told people I was pregnant with Larkin I'd had a month and a half to process my news privately before sharing it with others.

Admittedly, it has been hard for me to share my news of No. 2 publicly while, at the same time, I am still coming to understand what it means to me.

When I was pregnant with Larkin, I was consumed with thoughts of what was to come - changes to my body, how to decorate her room, wondering whether I would be a good mom.

So far, this time around, I haven't had a spare moment to be consumed with anything other than juggling my current home/work/wife/mommy responsibilities.

Most importantly, I know I can do the mom thing, because I'm doing it - learning more and getting better every day - for nearly 13 months now.

Of course, having 2 babies will be different than having 1. No. 2 will be a totally different person than Larkin, and what it will be like to get to know him/her is something I can't even anticipate yet. I know having a new baby will be an adjustment and often challenging (especially the lack of sleep), but Matt and Larkin and I will get through it together.

I am thrilled to have No. 2 on the way. This pregnancy will be just as special as my first, but in its own way.