Time for two?

We may be crazy, or we may just really know what we want. Or both.

Picture a perfect world. In it, we would get pregnant with our second child this August...that's right, in a short 5 months. Sophia would be around 9 months old. The new baby would be born around May, Sophia would be 18 months old. The new baby would be a boy. Also in that perfect world, our second baby would be carried by Courtney. The donor would be the same as Sophia's donor. Oh yeah, that perfect world also includes Courtney having insurance and some time saved up to take off with the new tiny.

Our world isn't perfect...I want to say we would still be able to start trying in August. Even if that means using a different donor (since Courtney is sure our KD wouldn't be up for a second donation at the moment). Even if that means Courtney would have to take unpaid Maternity leave because right now her position doesn't offer insurance or PTO accrual. I think we could make it work with what we have. Come next May, we will have most of our debt tackled and that leaves extra cushions financially. Plus, they always say if you wait until you are totally financially stable you will never have kids...and look at what can happen if you think you are financially stable -Court lost her job just months before Sophia was born. We have been fine, things have been tight, but we have not gone without what we need...and we are still paying our bills on time. I think we would manage for a month or two if she wanted to take that time off...we could plan accordingly and save up too.

It is totally possible. My older brother and I were very close in age, 12.5 months actually. Growing up we were best of friends. I loved it. My younger brothers were the same way, and today they are still great friends. I think being able to give Sophia a sibling close to her age would not only benefit her in the long run, but I honestly think it would be easier to have children similar in developmental stages than to have a few years between them. Granted after Baby #2, we would wait a few years to have the next...I think ultimately we would like 4 children :) Basically I want to relive my childhood through my own children hahaha!

We have this fancy 7 year plan in our heads...it goes something like this:

1. Get our credit cards essentially paid off by this October.
2. Pay my car off within 2 years.
3. Pay Courtney's car off a year after that.
4. Use all of that extra money to pay off the house within 7 years.

Of course, we would like to purchase some new appliances for our kitchen, we need to replace the rest of the 60 year old windows in the house, we need to replace the old plumbing under the house and we need to have the crawlspace insulated. So those are big ticket items/projects that will most likely postpone our "7 Year Plan." Again, it is possible...that plan isn't taking into consideration tax return monies, any extra money we are likely to earn from side jobs or OT. I have a feeling we may outgrow our house before 7 years anyway. Plus, we would like to live in a neighborhood with other children. Right now there aren't any where we are. So even if we are only able to pay off a huge chunk of the mortgage within the next few years, that would just be more money to put towards the next house.

Can you tell we have been thinking A LOT about the future? I am excited to see what is in store for us...but I am also happy to take it one day at a time. Everything happens the way it is supposed to. When it is supposed to. We can just HOPE it is close to our little plans :)

ANNND I'm back :)

Hello all :) This is Jamie. I am back and hopefully I will be able to keep writing on a semi-regular basis.

I don't even know where to start really...

I birthed our daughter. (Sometimes it is still weird to me to say I have a daughter!) Like Courtney wrote, it did not go exactly how we planned...but it happened exactly how it was supposed to. I am definitely going to try to be more patient when it is my turn again. I have a feeling I can do the whole natural birth thing & with a less than 7 hour labor/delivery I will most likely go faster the second time around! I can't wait.

Breastfeeding. She started out a champ and remains a champ today...She knows exactly what to do...my nipples are the ones who needed to learn how to be chomped, chapped and sore before they figured everything out. We are in a very nice groove now, and have been for a couple months. I am so happy at 4 months we seem to have a healthy breastfeeding relationship. Little girl hasn't had an ounce of formula since birth, and we see no end in sight. People ask when I plan to wean...at this point, I am comfortable to continue until she wants to stop all by herself. (My thoughts might change).

Sophia is simply the best. She is so happy all the time...even when she is fussy from teething. That's right I said teething...She is just under 4 months old and I am sure she will be popping teeth through soon. Last night I felt so bad, she actually cried in the night (normally she just stirs and fusses a bit, I will feed her and she goes back to sleep). She really had tears last night...I don't know if she is in real pain or just mad about the discomfort. We can't see teeth yet, but her poor bottom gums are swollen, her cheeks are red and the drool. Oh the drool. She chews on anything she can get her hands on.

She turns 4 months this Friday. Her 4 month appointment is the following Monday, so I will be able to update with her new stats. As far as I know, she is a healthy little chunk-butt. She is petite, but she has a little belly on her :) I am proud of that!

I think that is enough for now. I am in love with my family. Things are looking up...and Spring is surely on the way!!

Coming soon, plans for our future...and future babies :)