Every pregnancy is different, and this one has been especially meaningful for so many reasons. While there are certainly physical differences, the biggest difference has been experiencing pregnancy with a loving, supportive husband by my side. After everything I went through during my first pregnancy, I never imagined how different this chapter of motherhood could feel. This time around, I get to experience it with someone who makes me feel loved, supported, and excited about growing our family.

When I was pregnant with Sage, I was coming out of a 10-year relationship and became a single mom during what should have been such a special season of life. It was an incredibly difficult and traumatic experience, and I truly believe the stress and emotional weight of that time affected my labor and delivery. After a failed induction, I ultimately needed an emergency C-section. I still remember lying in the hospital with Sage in the NICU, wondering if I would ever feel ready to go through pregnancy and childbirth again.

Then I met Andrew on a dating app. He was a widower who had always dreamed of being a father, and from the moment he met Sage, he loved him as his own. Watching their relationship grow has been one of the greatest joys of my life. Andrew has been an incredible husband and father, and somewhere along the way, I realized just how much I wanted to experience having another baby with him. I wanted to grow our family together and give Sage a little brother.

This time, we’re hoping for a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean), so we’ve been taking an online course to prepare ourselves for the experience. We’re learning as much as we can, asking questions, and doing our best to feel confident going into birth this time around (all in between renovating our 1920s bungalow, of course, lol!).

If there’s one thing motherhood has taught me, it’s that life doesn’t always go according to plan. Sometimes, our journeys look completely different from what we imagined, and there are things we simply can’t control. While I’m hopeful for a different birth experience this time, I’ve also learned to let go of the expectations and focus on what matters most. No matter how our little boy makes his entrance into the world, I already feel incredibly blessed. I have an incredible husband, a little boy who makes my world brighter every day, and another healthy baby boy growing inside me. I couldn’t ask for more, and we truly cannot wait to meet the newest addition to our family.

XOXO