The Big Reveal...

I have wanted to make this post for so long, but have been sitting on it until I felt the timing was right... But I felt bad not posting it earlier, because I felt you long time loyal readers might think either that I lost interest in my blog, and it was dying... or that something was wrong in my life...

Fortunately, the reason for the slower rate of posting lately is not because of anything bad, like my losing ideas for post or losing interest in this blog, nor because anything is wrong...

In fact, the reason why posting rate has been slow has been because....

Yes, that is a pregnant belly you're seeing.


Mike and I are expecting another baby this spring. We're looking forward to this new addition to our family!

The reason the posting rate slowed down... is because I really haven't been feeling great lately. You might have guessed that from the "quick and easy meal" posts I've written. It's been hard to write without sharing this biggest thing on my mind- how I'm feeling, what's going on in my life, etc... but at the same time, I didn't feel comfortable posting about my pregnancy before I was further along, and now, at around the halfway mark, I finally feel comfortable to publicly announce it. I mean, those who've seen me in real life have been asking already since I was 10 weeks if I'm expecting, and now people who see me know 100%, no need to even ask, so kinda silly not to say anything on the blog, so...

How's this pregnancy been so far?

Well, in the middle of my second trimester and my body is acting like I haven't left the first trimester, in terms of nausea, etc... Still having a hard time stomaching certain foods, and feel a general ickiness most of the time... But at least the nausea isn't debilitating and dangerous like my sister's hyperemes gravidarum pernicious that put her in the hospital and on bedres or 9 months....
No, fortunately as much as I feel nauseous and icky, I haven't puked too many times- and in fact, have had the luck to not throw up even once outside my house yet. (It's actually funny- I've gone away the whole weekend, and felt nauseous, and the second I walk back into my house, I run to the bathroom and throw up.) That's made my life easier, not to mention less embarrassing... And fortunately, I've been able to have a pretty decent diet, despite my nausea, so the babe is getting the nutrition it needs...
And yes, I'm still nursing Anneliese and plan on tandem nursing, so it is triply important that I get good nutrition, because I'm eating for 3 now...

And I've gotten some other "fun" pregnancy symptoms that usually only show up in the third trimester, but are showing up now in the second. Best of both worlds, nay?

Are we moving from our 484 square foot apartment because of this new addition? Nope. We plan on staying put and are not worried about the space. Babies don't take up a lot of space. When the kids are older, we may move, but we have no plans for now about that.
But, in case you were wondering... the loft bed that we built for the boys? We built that specifically because I'm pregnant (in my very early pregnancy, before I started getting pregnancy symptoms that would make it harder for me to make it, to make it easier for our family of 6, once the baby comes, to fit into this small apartment.

That said...
I am trying to increase the posting rate on the blog. Penniless Parenting is not dead. I am feeling better than I did my first trimester, other than the nausea... Less exhaustion, in general, and I am working on getting more sleep, so...
We're back and running!

Thanks for being patient!