Number Two

The question that has been on the tips of every one's tongues for the past year has been "When are you going to get Mason a little brother or sister?" As if it's something we decide to go out and buy one day in a store when we have a little extra spending money. I have found this entertaining (albeit a wee prying) that ever since Mason hit the one year mark, immediately everyone started thinking about a second child. Sure, we fit the mold of the typical American family with a 3 bed, 2 bath house, a dog, a big yard, a grill, and tomato plants, but, really...must that always mean 2.5 children? Apparently so, because that's just what we've done. Well, the 2 children...I don't know who has .5 of a child.
Now, let it be known that this wasn't necessarily the "plan." I don't really believe in planning kids because I think these things just happen when they are meant to happen. (And for the record, I really hate when people share that they are "trying" to have children - I mean, I really don't want to know whether or not you are having unprotected sex and the approximate days of the month that it is happening in your house.)
Both Michael and I come from multiple children families and we knew when we got married that two or three kids was what we were aiming for (he for two, me for three - go figure). But there was some discrepancy as to the age difference between each kid - Michael's family had a six year spread, while the three McElwains were 20 months apart. I liked the idea of them being close enough so they could still be friends, but be far enough apart to give us a little breathing room. So, I suppose you could call it my masterminded scheme. Michael had (almost) nothing to do with it.
The difference between the two pregnancies so far has been minimal, except for my harrowing sense of guilt when I first found out I was pregnant that I wouldn't have enough time with just Mason and I was somehow shorting him. But that quickly gave way to excitement at the prospect of seeing him as a big brother (which I know he will be AMAZING at) and having a little Sagittarius to balance out the Gemini.
The first few weeks I spent sick with horrible allergies (made worse by my "condition" I'm sure) and some odd cravings like Honey Nut Cheerios and veal. I also had some of the same food aversions (scrambled eggs - yuck!) and some new ones (mustard?). I could definitely tell that my body "remembered" being pregnant...it felt like my uterus was already groaning with the prospect of labor and delivery once again. Despite everything feeling easy because I've already been through it once before, I am still in awe and sheer wonder at how lucky we are. I don't think I realized last time at the complexity of it all (there is only a 20% chance you can get pregnant each month), which makes me all the more grateful that this is how things turned out..."plan" or not.
Oh, and don't ask us for the sex or its' name. We won't know either until on or about December 7th.