Baby Boo Number Two

Even though I've already posted the announcement and photos of my little guy on social media over the past few weeks, I thought I'd do a little write up about him on here. 

Cohen Rhodes Hickman

1 . 19 . 17

8:54 am

9 pounds

21 inches

Cohen is now three weeks old. Three weeks in and so far, so good! Now, don't get me wrong, the transition from one to two kids hasn't been easy. On top of wrangling a wild toddler (Brooks Wilder is definitely living up to his middle name these days), the sleepless nights, extra diapering, and constant nursing have drained most of our energy, but of course it's all worth it. 

Although I didn't get the unmedicated VBAC birth-in-the-woods-next-to-a-baby-deer that I was hoping for, I still had a MUCH better birthing experience than my first time. This time, due to several circumstances, we decided at 40 weeks and 4 days to go ahead and schedule a C-section in order to avoid ending up with another very possible emergency section. LET. ME. TELL. YOU. The difference between the two is like night and day.  I went in at 7am and started getting prepped around 8. I didn't feel a single thing this time. I didn't even know when the doctor started and finished. I also got to hold and keep my baby just minutes after being closed up! 

This was a stark difference from when I had Brooks. With him, my labor "failed to progress" after several hours and Brooks got stuck. I was rushed into surgery and felt literally everything just short of the sharp pain an incision would make. I won't go into detail but the whole experience was traumatic to say the least. 

I'm sooooo glad and relieved that this time was different. I've even been able to exclusively breastfeed and Cohen is gaining weight and sleeping pretty well for a newborn. We are so in love with this little guy!

Maternity Style: Third Trimester

I know I've said this in previous posts but man, this pregnancy has flown by! I can't believe I'm already starting my third trimester. I mean, I definitely feel like I'm this far along... I just don't know how it happened so fast. Probably because Brooks keeps me from having a single moment alone to sit and think about it. Siiiigh...

Lately, my preferences for clothing have been pretty simple. It just needs to be super comfortable and stretchy enough to accommodate the ever-increasing size of my belly. This dress is both of those things and that's why it has been a staple in my current wardrobe. Seriously, I think I've worn it maybe three times in the past week. And I'd be lying if I said I didn't have two or three other dresses almost exactly like it. No shame. Not to mention, it goes with pretty much anything and can be easily dressed up if I'm feeling fancy. 

I purchased most of these outfit pieces either last year or this past summer, so I didn't have much luck finding the actual items online. However, I found similar things that I linked below. 

Jacket - Topshop (similar) // Dress - H&M // Bag - Forever 21 (similar) // Boots - Urban Outfitters (similar)

Pumpkin Patch and Petting Zoo

Today, we decided to visit a petting zoo and of course, a pumpkin patch because... October! It's finally here and we couldn't have been more excited to welcome one of the best months of the year. 

Brooks had a blast feeding and petting all of the animals at the zoo. He made sure to feed each and every one. No goat, sheep, or pony went unnoticed. Afterwards, we hit up the pumpkin patch where Little B got to go on a hayride, pick out pumpkins, and pet even more animals! That kid had so much fun he was completely worn out by the time we finally left and fell fast asleep on the ride home. Granted, it was waaayyyyy past nap time.

We'll definitely be looking for more fun fall activities this month. For the folks in our area, if you know of any good pumpkin patches or fall festivals going on, let me know! 

Toddler Trail Mix

Brooks looooves to snack. All day, every day. He likes variety too, and he'll try pretty much anything. I am adamantly against him eating junk food though, so we're always looking for healthier options. My go-to snack for him lately has been this toddler trail mix. He loves it because everything in it is sweet. What kid doesn't love sweets?! 

I make him all kinds of little trail mixes, but for this sweet version, I used: 

- Strawberry apple puffs

- Mixed berry yogurt drops

- Gluten-free pear crisps

- Yogurt covered raisins

I'm telling you, I pop this mix in a Ziplock bag and he's he good to go. He can run errands with me or sit through a long car ride with no fussing!

If you have any fun and healthy trail mix ideas, I'd love to hear about them.

Maternity Style: Second Trimester

Well, nineteen weeks in and my pudgy tummy has turned into a full blown baby bump. So now I can finally show it off! I can't believe I'm nearly halfway through this pregnancy. It has seriously flown by soo fast! I guess that's probably because I'm a lot busier this time around and I don't really get much time to think about it. It's just as well though because I'm impatient anyway and can't wait to meet my second little guy. 

He's grown so much and he's been kicking a lot lately too. It reminds me of just how much I've missed feeling those little movements in my belly. It's such a weird but sweet feeling. One that makes being the size of a house totally worth it!

Skirt // Shirt - Urban Outfitters // Necklace - Old Navy // Shoes

Gender Reveal for Baby Number Two

Well, everyone who guessed baby #2 was a girl (literally everyone I know including myself) was wrong. We're having ANOTHER boy! 

Although 16 weeks is a pretty normal time to find out the gender, we weren't expecting to find out at my appointment last Thursday. With Brooks, we found out at 20 weeks, so I was mentally unprepared. I had it set in my mind that a little girl was floating around in my belly, and I didn't want to believe the ultrasound tech when she said she was 90% sure it was a male. The evidence couldn't be more clear on the sonogram, and despite my surprise, I couldn't be happier to raise another precious baby boy.

Now we just have to think of a name! Oh boy. I have a whole list of girl names but that's all. I've been telling people that we were going to be in major trouble if it ends up being a boy. Any suggestions?? Ha.

Maternity Style : Second Trimester

 I have officially entered the second trimester of pregnancy this week. Yay!! Hopefully, like last time, that means I can soon breathe a little sigh of relief and coast through the next few months. My first trimester symptoms have seemed to be a little more intense than last time so I'll be glad to wave them goodbye. Peace out, acne, nausea, and mood swings!

I'm still in that annoying stage where I look just pudgy in the belly instead of donning a cute (obvious) bump. So, I've been wearing a lot of loose and flowy clothing. That will probably change when I get bigger because I love showing off a cute baby bump!

Dress H&M // Necklace House of Harlow 1960 // Shoes Lush Fashion Lounge