We Have Exciting News to Share!

We’ve been keeping  a secret, and I’ve nearly blown it from excitement. Baby Birnbaum is joining our family in August! Yes, Jake and Elwood will be big brothers! It feels so surreal – marrying your sweetheart, moving to a new city, and now finally starting the family we always dreamed of. My growing belly is my reminder that it is all real and not a dream!

We don’t know the gender yet, but we will find out soon at our 20 week appointment. I can’t wait to start picking out the perfect name, buying things for the baby, and converting our second bedroom to a nursery. Now that I’m four months in (18 weeks plus change!) and the bump is getting too hard to hide, we’re finally sharing the news!

We found out I was pregnant mid December, right before we went to Cleveland to visit family. Since we hadn’t yet had our first doctor’s appointment, we decided to keep the news to ourselves until we had more information and answers to share. I remember thinking my mom was going to be on to me for not having our glass of wine together, but she said she suspected nothing!

My first trimester was a bit of a doozy. We were so happy and excited but also had no idea what to expect. I didn’t get the type of “movie” morning sickness where you throw up in the morning then you’re done. I was basically nauseous all day – it felt like I was on a rocky boat or a turbulent plane from the moment I woke up to when I went to sleep. The only thing that helped was carbs and ginger ale. And the exhaustion – oh my goodness! I could have passed out on the sofa at 5pm every day. I also didn’t really feel like myself, as I kind of lost my mood to go out and do things.

Dan took my moodiness and cravings in stride, and immediately ordered all the baby books. He has been as attentive as can be. Not judging the carb swings, picking up more ginger ale, making sure the bath water isn’t too hot for baby, doesn’t make fun of my huge preggo boobs, and he hasn’t missed one doctor’s appointment despite his hectic firm schedule. When we went to Lake Geneva for my birthday in January, I remember feeling so awful that I wanted to bail on the fancy dinner Dan planned for me. He didn’t think twice about canceling – instead he took me to get some chicken noodle soup and we watched Sebastian Maniscalco’s comedy show in our pjs at the hotel instead.

I’ve always wanted to be a mother, but I’m especially excited to see Dan as a father. The thought of it makes me tear up! He is such a loving sensitive guy who loves to learn, and I know he will be the best dad and role model to Birnbaum-bino. Baby is going to be showered with hugs and kisses.

Regardless of my next-level exhaustion, I still went to work. Michelle and I went to fashion week and continued with our photo shoots. I went skiing in Bozeman, Montana, and attended a dear friend’s wedding in Washington, DC. Life just wouldn’t slow down.

Now that I recently rounded the corner into the second trimester, I feel so much better – more like myself. I have more energy, and the nausea has gone. The main difference is that the bump is REAL and a lot of my clothes don’t fit! Makes sense considering Baby B is the size of an artichoke right now! I’m learning to dress my new curves and having fun doing it. My dress is a non-maternity find; I just sized up to a medium. I’m excited to show you guys how I adapt non-maternity clothing to my growing belly, and it will be fun to explore maternity brands!

A quick thank you to Michelle for spending a Sunday afternoon with us at the Garfield Park Conservatory! These photos have such a special place in my heart, and I couldn’t imagine anyone else taking them for us.  Our last professional photos together were at our wedding in August 2015, so these are definite framers that we will always treasure.

We can’t wait to meet Baby of Glam in August! Until then, I’m committed to thoroughly enjoying my pregnancy and embracing all the change coming our way!

–Roxanne

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