Pregnancy Update #2

Mitch is wearing: Patagonia Quarter-Zip Pullover (Women’s version here.) / Newer Version of Mitch’s Barbour Jacket (We also love this one and this one. Btw: This is my personal favorite women’s Barbour because it has the same classic fit as the Beadnell, but it has a polar-quilted liner, making it extra warm.) / Newer Version of Mitch’s Cole Haan Loafers (Also try these. Sperry’s version is known for extreme comfort, too.) / J.Crew Jeans / Newer Vineyard Vines Gingham Button-Down

I’m wearing: Madewell Loafers (YOU NEED THEM. I also adore this classic pair from Sperry just as much. Both insanely comfortable and fit perfectly TTS; just choose which style you like best. The Sperrys are obviously a bit preppier. Madewell also makes a similar classic pair, which is known to be super comfy, too.) / Halogen Cashmere Turtleneck (A true wardrobe staple for me, both when I’m pregnant and not! It runs very big, though. If you’re not pregnant, I would go down one size… and if you’re pregnant, either order your normal size or go up one.

Here’s another more affordable option. I also love this similar cashmere turtleneck from Halogen. Shop all Halogen cashmere sweaters here.) / Burberry Macken Bag (Also love this oversized tote.) / 1901 Red Blazer (In velvet here, in pink here, and love this red blazer coat from Madewell.) / Similar Kate Spade Sunglasses / DL1961 Jeans (Maternity here.)

HI!

We have some pretty awesome baby news to share today, and a big update. :)

Oh, and Mitch is being a real sport and modeling some of his all-time favorite men’s staples and basics from Nordstrom. If you read my New Year’s Resolutions blog post, you know that we’re currently undergoing a KonMari clean-out challenge. We’re LOVING it. (First blog post on the process early next week.) So we’re really trying to move away from (and donate/toss) the wear-once-in-a-while pieces in out closets, and instead place an emphasis on those tried-and-true classics that’ll never go out of style. More on that–and some of our favorites from Nordstrom, the king (queen?) of timeless staples–below!

On to our pregnancy update! (This is part II, btw. You can find part I here, where I talk about my battle with morning sickness and exhaustion, our health insurance debacle, and my mental health.)

The 20-week anatomy scan

The 20-week anatomy ultrasound is the BIG one. The appointment usually lasts between one and two hours, and the technician and doctors check that baby from head to toe in an effort to make sure things are progressing as they should. During Emma’s anatomy scan, they found a spot on her heart, which was a “soft marker” for very serious problems. I think I may have mentioned this after we had her, but I probably kept it to myself during the pregnancy because it totally wrecked us. We were told not to worry; that the chances were low. But how can one not worry? It engulfed me, and made for a very stressful remainder of the pregnancy. Happy ending to the story, though: Emma was perfectly fine when she came out! I can’t tell you how relieved and grateful we were, both of us sobbing in the delivery room.

Understandably, we were on edge Wednesday morning as we walked into Baby #2’s anatomy scan. Between the sinus infections, the unrelenting morning sickness, my inability to keep prenatal vitamins down for a LONG time, and the silmultaneous flu/laryngitis/pink eye/sinus infection/low blood pressure + high heart rate/dehydration episode, it was difficult to imagine that the ultrasound would yield positive results. I was so anxious, in fact, that I hadn’t managed to fall asleep the night before, and was therefore on literally zero hours of sleep. And poor Mitch looked like a bundle of nerves.

But our technician was so nice, and we told her right off the bat what had happened with Emma. She handled the entire scan with such kindness and care, reassuring us throughout its entirety and sweetly asking us questions about Emma, too. At one point, I felt so at ease that I felt my eyelids drooping, haha. (In my defense, zero sleep, dim lights and soothing music created a great atmosphere for some much-needed shuteye!)

When the scan was completed, the photos were sent over to doctors at Northwestern, and we waited a mere 15 minutes for the results. Our OB delivered the news:

Everything looks great, guys.

We couldn’t believe our ears. It was the very best news we could have hoped for. We called and texted our families on the way home, reveled in the cuteness of the ultrasound printouts, and then promptly passed out. (Okay… only I did. Mitch stayed alert and safely drove us home.)

So yeah. HUGE hurdle for the Larkin Family, and we’re feeling on top of the world right now. ❤️

Boy or girl?

Gah! I don’t know. When we first told you about the pregnancy (eeee!), I was really leaning toward girl, simply because I was so sick, and studies suggest that morning sickness can be worse when you’re carrying a girl since female fetuses can produce more of a particular hormone. But now I suppose I’m leaning toward boy 😂, since all of that is so subjective and this pregnancy feels insanely different than my last. My skin also broke out pretty badly with Emma, and it’s SO much better this time.

Then again, the technician also referred to the baby using the pronoun “she” at the very beginning of the anatomy scan. Granted, she had just asked about Emma and had told us about her own daughters… and followed the sentence with “By the way: I haven’t looked to determine the gender yet!” I don’t know, though, haha! Mitch totally got the opposite feeling from the ultrasound, noting that he too used the pronoun “she” and the technician looked amused. He also says that he simply got a “general boy feeling,” whatever that means, hahaha.

The really nice thing, though, is that I truly don’t care. I think it would be amazing to have another little girl because I always wanted a sister, and would love to see Emma grow up with one. (In my mind, it’s a built-in best friend and confidant! Not that a brother can’t be that, too… but you know. ☺️) At the same time, we don’t have a little boy yet, and gosh: what a true adventure! I love watching Mitch with his daughter, and what a blessing it would be to see him with his son.

So yeah, totes don’t care either way. Maybe that’s why I haven’t even started thinking about the nursery or what basics we might need. Or maybe I’m just really tired.

How I’m feeling

Mehhhhh. It’s your lucky day! Apart from this post, of course, I’ve kind of decided to stop talking about how sick I am here on the blog because it’s not helping me, I feel guilty about it, and it’s gotta be annoying for you to hear about it so often. ;) Yes, I’m still struggling with a bad cold/sinus issues that won’t quit and I still throw up from time to time… but I think I might be improving? My doctor says that the body suppresses the immune system when pregnant so as not to reject the baby (which I didn’t know!), and that this is just life.

There are lots of things I’m doing to boost my immune system, but the general feeling I got from my doctor is that I could very well feel like crap for the rest of the pregnancy, and that’s that. It’s okay! I’m past the halfway marker now, and I know I can do it. :) I am so, so lucky and grateful… and it’s only four more months. I’ve got this.

How my work days have changed

They’ve changed significantly. I need so much more sleep and rest than I did pre-pregnancy, especially since I’m always sick… and I’m struggling with some pregnancy insomnia issues. (Fun! Haha.) So I suppose it comes as no surprise that I’m getting a lot less done during the day.

Typically, I try to get a few extra hours of sleep in the morning, and Mitch handles the AM routine with Emma and brings her to PeeWee. I’ve cried a few times about this; I’m incredibly sad to be missing out on mornings. :( But I keep reminding myself that I now also have to think about Baby #2, and rest is of the utmost importance. I usually work from about 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; pick up Emma and do the lunch routine and play for a while (so nice!); put her down for her afternoon nap; work from about 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.; and then maybe get an additional hour or two if we take her to the gym in the early evening… but that’s very much a day-to-day decision.

After that, we have a really nice family dinner, play, sometimes watch a show, read stories, do bath time, and do the whole bedtime routine. (When Emma goes down, I do sometimes get random spurts of energy, so I’ll take advantage and put in some extra hours if I’m behind on anything. OR I’ll work on the KonMari clean-out.) So yeah: a five- to six-hour disjointed workday isn’t the best, but Q1 is my slowest and easiest time of the year, so it’s all good!

Note:

(It goes without saying that I’m so lucky to have Mitch at home with me to help! Most of my friends have worked full-time, traditional jobs throughout their pregnancies or, if they’re stay-at-home moms, haven’t had their partners around during the day. I honestly think I would have been fired at this point if I had a more traditional job, and I definitely would have asked/begged my mom to move in with us for the remainder of the pregnancy. If you’re currently pregnant and struggling, and working full-time or at home with littles without backup, YOU ARE A SUPERWOMAN. Seriously.)

How Emma’s been handling everything

Exceptionally well! She talks about the baby all the time, and it’s really the sweetest. She kisses and talks to my belly on the reg, and shows me her belly and tells me that her baby is doing well, too. (I’ve tried explaining that only Mommy has a baby in her belly, but she’s not really willing to accept this news, so that’s fine, haha.) She’s convinced that it will be a girl and that we’ll name her “Elsa,” but if it IS a boy, it’ll be “Olaf.” 😂

We’re just trying to talk about the baby–and the fact that soon, she’ll be a big sister–often. We’re also loving our Bitty Baby these days, which I think will be helpful when the real baby arrives. ;)

What I’m wearing

I actually just ordered a bunch of maternity clothing because I’m running out of options… so you can expect a full blog post on that soon. But everything I’m wearing in these photos are tried-and-true classics from Nordstrom that I can’t recommend more!

What Mitch is wearing

Patagonia Quarter-Zip Pullover: Mitch has SO many of these, and they’ve really held up over the years. They’re great for layering, and the quality is exception. Looks so much nicer than a traditional sweatshirt, too! Here’s the women’s version: I love it. I would recommend going one size up, though, since it does run small.

Newer Version of the Barbour Jacket: Mitch has had this for years, and I’m pretty sure he’ll have it for the rest of his life. It’s just never going to go out of style! There are a lot of different options for men’s Barbour coats, but our other two picks are this one and this one. Btw: This is my personal favorite women’s Barbour because it has the same classic fit as the Beadnell, but it has a polar-quilted liner, making it extra warm. You need it!

Newer Version of Mitch’s Cole Haan Loafers: Mitch is SO hard on shoes. It’s insane. He rips apart a pair of boat shoes in less than a month. So recently, he started wearing his Cole Haan loafers, hoping they’d hold up better. It’s been about a month, and they’re not in shreds! ;) I think they look great, and he says they’re comfortable for everyday wear. Also try these. Sperry’s version is known for extreme comfort, too.

J.Crew Jeans: His particular wash is no longer available, but I really love these jeans on him. A clean, straight cut.

Newer Vineyard Vines Gingham Button-Down: I think he has five of these because he wears them so often! The shirt goes with everything, and is another piece that layers extremely well in the winter.

Thanks for dropping in, Friends! Hope you have a wonderful weekend and I’ll be back tomorrow with an exciting post. :)

Halogen Cashmere Turtleneck
this red blazer coat from Madewell.
 Madewell Loafers
Patagonia
Mitch is wearing: Patagonia Quarter-Zip Pullover  / Newer Version of Mitch's Barbour Jacket (We also love this one and this one. Btw: This is my personal favorite women's Barbour because it has the same classic fit as the Beadnell, but it has a polar-quilted liner, making it extra warm.) / Newer Version of Mitch's Cole Haan Loafers (Also try these. Sperry's version is known for extreme comfort, too.) / J.Crew Jeans / Newer Vineyard Vines Gingham Button-Down
Burberry Macken Bag
Burberry Macken Bag
Mitch is wearing: Patagonia Quarter-Zip Pullover (Women's version here.) / Newer Version of Mitch's Barbour Jacket (We also love this one and this one. Btw: This is my personal favorite women's Barbour because it has the same classic fit as the Beadnell, but it has a polar-quilted liner, making it extra warm.) / Newer Version of Mitch's Cole Haan Loafers (Also try these. Sperry's version is known for extreme comfort, too.) / J.Crew Jeans / Newer Vineyard Vines Gingham Button-Down
Mitch's shoes
Halogen Cashmere Turtleneck
Patagonia
Mitch is wearing: Patagonia Quarter-Zip Pullover (Women's version here.) / Newer Version of Mitch's Barbour Jacket (We also love this one and this one. Btw: This is my personal favorite women's Barbour because it has the same classic fit as the Beadnell, but it has a polar-quilted liner, making it extra warm.) / Newer Version of Mitch's Cole Haan Loafers (Also try these. Sperry's version is known for extreme comfort, too.) / J.Crew Jeans / Newer Vineyard Vines Gingham Button-Down

Shop the post:

Mitch is wearing: Patagonia Quarter-Zip Pullover (Women’s version here.) / Newer Version of Mitch’s Barbour Jacket (We also love this one and this one. Btw: This is my personal favorite women’s Barbour because it has the same classic fit as the Beadnell, but it has a polar-quilted liner, making it extra warm.) / Newer Version of Mitch’s Cole Haan Loafers (Also try these. Sperry’s version is known for extreme comfort, too.) / J.Crew Jeans / Newer Vineyard Vines Gingham Button-Down

I’m wearing: Madewell Loafers (YOU NEED THEM. I also adore this classic pair from Sperry just as much. Both insanely comfortable and fit perfectly TTS; just choose which style you like best. The Sperrys are obviously a bit preppier. Madewell also makes a similar classic pair, which is known to be super comfy, too.) / Halogen Cashmere Turtleneck (A true wardrobe staple for me, both when I’m pregnant and not! It runs very big, though. If you’re not pregnant, I would go down one size… and if you’re pregnant, either order your normal size or go up one.

Here’s another more affordable option. I also love this similar cashmere turtleneck from Halogen. Shop all Halogen cashmere sweaters here.) / Burberry Macken Bag (Also love this oversized tote.) / 1901 Red Blazer (In velvet here, in pink here, and love this red blazer coat from Madewell.) / Similar Kate Spade Sunglasses / DL1961 Jeans (Maternity here.)

This post is sponsored by Nordstrom, but all opinions are my own. As always, thank you so, so much for supporting the partnerships that keep Kelly in the City up and running!