Well hello everyone! It's been a few weeks since I've been around these parts but for very good reason! We finally had our 2nd beautiful baby boy just before Thanksgiving! These last 2 weeks with our new bundle of joy have been filled with so much happiness and I've just been wanting to soak it all in as much as I possibly can. Today though, I want to share our birth story with all of you! So here we go...

Finn Joseph Cabrera joined us November 23, 2019 at 4:31pm weighing 8 lbs 12 oz and 19.5 in long.

The previous day I had my weekly check up for being 39 weeks. For the past 2 appointments I was only 1 cm dilated but I had been having so many false contractions I had high hopes that I had progressed a little bit more. Unfortunately though my doctor told me I was still only 1 cm! I was starting to get so frustrated because I was incredibly uncomfortable at this point. Caleb came with me to this appointment and we started to have the discussion about inducing. We had decided that if he hadn't come over that weekend, I would be induced on Monday the 25th. We wanted to be home for Thanksgiving and baby boy wasn't getting any smaller. My due date was Tuesday the 26th, so we would be almost right on target. This gave me such a sense of calm. I felt more in control and a lot of the anxiety of "when is it finally going to happen?!" melted away. My doctor also did a membrane sweep at this appointment with the hopes that it would get things moving. Well it certainly did! I could literally feel the relaxin releasing in my body the rest of the day.

I woke up the next morning tired and achy but no contractions. I decided to still go to my lash fill appointment that I had made for that Saturday morning. I wanted them to look good for photos on Monday, ha! Well about 30 minutes in to my appointment I started to feel some contractions. I had 3 that I believed were about 5 minutes apart. No big deal right? Well after those 3 contractions, my water broke! That's right...my water broke right on the lash bed. I had to tell my esthetician that I thought my water broke. Right away she took all the stuff off and had me go check and oh boy it had definitely broke! I was gushing water so I high tailed it out of there (thankfully I only live 5 minutes away so I didn't have any contractions while driving). When I got home, Caleb was already packing up the rest of our stuff. While we waited for my mom to get to our house to stay with Kai, I had a peanut butter sandwich with Kai for lunch. I was also chugging water in hopes of not being super dehydrated this time around like I was with Kai's birth. My mom got to our house really quick, we said our tear filled goodbyes to Kai and were off to the hospital!

When we got to the hospital they set me up in triage to get all checked in then moved me over to a labor and delivery room right away. I was at 3 cm when I got to the hospital and hadn't really progressed at all from the time I was in triage to the time I got to the labor and delivery room. This discouraged me a bit because I was having pretty steady contractions that were as close as 2 minutes apart and they were starting to get painful. Pretty much right away when we got to the labor and delivery room I asked for an epidural. They administered it and I started to feel a lot better. However though, I could still feel a lot of pain on my left side and after a little bit of time I started to feel faint and sick. My blood pressure was starting to drop but my nurse worked her magic by turning me on my left side and administering some medication to bring my blood pressure back up. I felt better within minutes. We then decided to try using the peanut ball to help move things along as well as started Pitocin. I also needed to get 2 doses of antibiotics 4 hours apart from each other because I had tested positive for Group B Strep. We figured we had some time to kill so Caleb and I put Friends on and tried closing our eyes for a little bit to get some rest.

After about an hour I started to notice a lot of pressure down low to the point where I felt like I needed to poop. I mentioned this to my nurse and she decided to check me just in case. While she was checking she all of a sudden had this shocked look on her face and said, "I can't feel anything. I think you're at a 10!" She called in another nurse to double check for her and she said the same thing. It was go time! I couldn't believe how fast I had progressed.

We started doing some practice pushes while we waited for my doctor to come. After only about 20 minutes they started prepping everything for delivery. I was honestly shocked by this. I had to push for so long with Kai that I was in disbelief at how fast this was moving along. After only 40 minutes of pushing, Finn was born!

They placed him on my chest right away and it was instant love. INSTANT. I felt this amazing connection with him right away and it all just felt right. Caleb cut the cord, we did skin to skin, and it was all so perfect.

I did have another 2nd degree tear in the same spot I tore the first time around and had to receive some stitches for it. I didn't even care this time though. I barely noticed any of what was going on except for how perfect Finn was. I also got the opportunity to see my placenta this time. One of the techs brought it over to us and explained the different parts of it, which both Caleb and I found so fascinating. They took Finn for a few minutes to do their routine check on him and thankfully all was great.

After the medical staff had left and it was just us and my nurse, we tried to breastfeed. Finn latched only after a couple of minutes and it truly brought me tears of joy. My hormones immediately started to level and I truly felt like I was on Cloud 9. 

We spent the next 2 days in the hospital because Finn had to be on a 48 hour observation to make sure he didn't get an infection from me being positive for Group B Strep. Since he was born so quick, I wasn't able to receive the 2nd dose of antibiotics I needed for it. While we were anxious to go home to Kai, it all turned out ok and it was nice to take advantage of the nurses help and peace and quiet of the hospital room. Finn was also testing a little high for jaundice, so it gave us peace of mind to still be at the hospital for a little extra time. We came home Monday the 25th and our journey as a family of 5 finally began!

Happy Saturday, everyone! I'm posting this very special post today because I am officially full term and we will be welcoming our new little baby very very soon! This pregnancy has been a roller coaster of a ride, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm so grateful for this blessing of having another child and while I will miss his kicks and my big belly, I truly can't wait until he is finally in my arms. I wanted to look back on this 2nd pregnancy journey though because even though it was a difficult one, it was still incredible.

Finding Out
We found out we would be welcoming another baby in to our family back at the end of March. March 28th to be exact. We were all laying in bed just being lazy and it was dinner time. I was procrastinating packing for my trip to Nashville for one of my closest friend's bachelorette party. I jokingly said to Caleb, "I should probably be responsible and take a pregnancy test just to be sure I can drink this weekend." I has a week late on my period but I also had just finished my breastfeeding journey with Kai. My periods were all over the place while I was breastfeeding so I wasn't 100% convinced I was pregnant. I had an extra test stashed in the bathroom though so I figured it wouldn't hurt to take it just to be sure. Caleb got up and took Kai downstairs to get dinner ready and I told him I'd be right down after I took the pregnancy test. I did the thing, set it on the bathroom counter and went to change in to something comfy. I came back after 3 minutes and looked at the little screen (yes I had a digital one this time, ha! - Go read about us finding out about Kai to find out why that's funny) and it said YES. I was actually shocked. I just walked downstairs with the test in my hand in a daze. Caleb looked at me and said, "wait, really!?" He was so excited and our family was just filled with so much happiness over this new addition.

First Trimester
The sickness set it almost right after finding out I was pregnant at 6 weeks. I had terrible morning sickness this time around with throwing up in the mornings and being pretty nauseous all day long. It lasted well in to my 2nd trimester, too. I was so tired and I actually caught a terrible cold toward the end of my first trimester. I had a horrible cough for about 4 weeks and really just spent the majority of this time at home. I also found out that my progesterone was low at my confirmation appointment and had to take a daily progesterone pill to help sustain my pregnancy. It was a very scary thing to think I could have lost this precious little baby so while the progesterone probably made me extra nauseous, it was so worth it to keep this little one safe.

Second Trimester
The 2nd trimester is always the best part of pregnancy, in my opinion. I finally started to feel better towards the end of my 2nd trimester, which is always something to look forward to. I also started to feel baby kicks around 15 weeks this time, which is my absolute favorite part of pregnancy. We got to see the baby twice during ultrasounds, as well as find out we were having another boy! We hosted a BBQ at our house with some of our family and friends and did a fun reveal with balloons this time around. We actually didn't know it was a boy until the reveal this time! My best friend took the envelope we received at our doctor appointment and got the blue balloons for us to surprise us at the BBQ. Deep down I just knew we were having another boy but I was so still so excited and surprised when the blue balloons flew out of the bin. I did my best to enjoy this trimester and summer with Kai and I've got to say it was a really fun one.

Third Trimester
We finished redoing the nursery at the very beginning of my third trimester and it turned out even better than I had imagined. We went with the theme of the Hundred Acre Wood, and I'm so excited to spend lots of time in there nursing, cuddling, and playing with our little guy. Kai has slowly started to become more temperamental as my belly has gotten bigger. He knows change is coming and while it's very hard at some points, it's completely understandable. It has taught me a whole new level of love and patience. We've spent these last weeks just spending quality time together, pulling all the baby things out of storage, and organizing the house as much as we can. I also got to be Mike Wazowski for Halloween this year! Last time I said if I was going to be pregnant again during Halloween, I wanted to do that for my costume. I got lucky and my belly was nice and big for Halloween, so it worked out perfectly! I can't believe we're almost at the end and we're going to be starting this new journey so soon. Honestly though, I'm ready. My belly is so big now and I'm really struggling to get around these days. I'm ready to start healing but most importantly, I'm ready to hold our littlest baby boy in my arms. We're ready for you little guy, you're welcome anytime now!

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Happy November, everyone! It's also officially baby #2 month! My due date is the week of Thanksgiving and I'm 100% looking forward to starting this new journey in our life. I've started working 100% remote now, so I've been trudging along all week at home this week. I actually took a day off in the middle of the week to get some last minute baby stuff done as well as get some rest. I've started having a lot of false contractions, so I'm trying to get as much rest as possible before it's go time!

So if you haven't kept up with us on Instagram then you're probably still wondering what we're having...I meant to do this post months ago after we had our gender reveal party but per usual, time just got away from me. So I'm very excited to share on this little space that we're having another BOY!

In my heart, I knew we were having another little boy. Yes this pregnancy has been very different than my first one, but something kept telling me I was carry another incredible baby boy. I remember still being surprised though at our reveal! Right before we unveiled the gender, I remember second guessing myself and thinking, maybe it's a little girl!? Either way, our reveal was so special and the gathering was so much fun. Here's how we did it...

We had our 20 week anatomy ultrasound early in the week. We asked the tech to check the gender but not tell us what it was. She wrote it down and put it in an envelope for us to open later. That weekend, my best friend Ashlyn came in to town and we gave her the envelope. We hadn't looked at it all week because we wanted to be surprised at our reveal party with the rest of our friends and family. We hosted a BBQ at our house to do the big reveal. Ashlyn secretly opened the envelope and went to get either blue or pink balloons to tell us if it was going to be a boy or girl. Funny side note: it was a crazy hot day and helium + heat really don't mix well. All the balloons popped in her car on the way back to our house on her! She said it was like a massacre in her car! She got it all figured out though and safely made it back with a few balloons to release for us at the BBQ. She then put them in a bin and the wait continued...

After everyone arrived and filled up on some yummy appetizers, we went out in the backyard and opened the bin. The blue balloons flew out and we we're so excited to finally know we were having another little boy! To this day, I remember how happy my heart was and I'm so excited to be a mama to not just one, but two handsome little boys. I love being a boy mom. I know how to do it, I love it, and I feel like I'm pretty good at it. It suits me and I'm truly so honored that God has chosen me to mother not only another little baby, but another baby boy. He'll be in my arms so soon, and I truly cannot wait.

We celebrated our 4 year anniversary a little over a month ago, so yes I'm very late on this one, but I will never let a year go by without doing this special anniversary post. Every year since Caleb and I have been married, I've done a "look back at the past year" post to celebrate each year of our marriage. This last year has brought so many trials for us, but we are more in love and stronger than ever. Caleb has been there for me to pick me up every time I'm down about losing my dad, through all the pregnancy hormones, and fatigue of having to take care of a one year old. He keeps our house running while I grow our second bundle of joy. Not every day is sunshine and roses but even on the hardest days, I wouldn't want anyone else by my side living this life. That is exactly what marriage should be and I've got to say, we're still rockin' it!

Cheers to this incredible year of love and strength and many many more!

Happy happy Monday, friends! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. We had a slow one here, which was so necessary. Last week was really emotionally tough for us as it was the one year anniversary of my dad's passing away on Friday. We did make it out for Kai's first ever trick or treating Saturday afternoon though! This year we did Monsters Inc as a family. Kai was Boo, I was Mike Wazowski, and Caleb was Sully. In true Chicago fashion for Halloween, it was cold and drizzling. I remember it always use to be like that for me as a kid when I went trick or treating, so I thought it was very fitting for Kai's first time. However though, Kai woke up with a cold yesterday, so we stayed in all day just cuddle up on the couch watching all his favorite movies.

So I am officially 35 weeks pregnant and really feeling it! I looked back on some photos of how I looked at 35 weeks when I was pregnant with Kai compared to this pregnancy, and wow...this is how I looked when I was 40 weeks and my water had broke. It really is true that you're bigger and show way more after your first!

Cravings
The only thing I crave in excess right now is chocolate and pop. Of course right, two not healthy things at all. I just crave the carbonation of pop so badly all day long. Plus I am so tired these days that a Coke always sounds good for that extra caffeine kick.

The Not So Fun Stuff
I am so uncomfortable these days. I can no longer bend down to pick stuff up very well, touch my toes, etc. I wake up so much at night from having to turn from side to side because my hips are so achy. My belly is so big that my back is always on fire, too. However, whenever I'm sitting down, he is constantly kicking. The across the belly movements aren't bad at all, but he is so low right now that I can actually feel him in my hips and on my pelvic floor. I've also started having to wear a panty liner because after I go pee and stand up, I pee more. Awesome, right!?

The FUN Stuff
He is such a mover that it really is fun to watch him move around. The other night we actually saw the imprint of his foot. Toes and all! You hear about that stuff but I never actually thought I'd get to see it myself. I'm in full on nesting mode, too. It's a great feeling knowing that we're almost there. I spent a lot of this pregnancy sad and scared of what was to come, but now I am just ready. I'm so excited for this little guy to be here and finally be a mama to two incredible little boys.

The Medical Stuff
His heartbeat was 134 bpm last time I went to the doctor two weeks ago. I just love hearing it on the doppler. My blood pressure has been really good, too. I've gained about 30 lbs this pregnancy, so all is well! I get to go back to the doctor again this week and they are actually going to check my cervic this time to see if I'm dilated at all. I will also be getting tested for Group B Strep at this appointment. I had it during my first pregnancy, so it's really important that we check again this time around so they will know at the hospital if they have to give me antibiotics when I go in to labor.

I hope you all have a wonderful week! Follow along with us on Instagram as the baby watch is getting real these days!