Baby Veres #2

Our announcement! We wanted to carry on the tradition of this
picture since we did a similar one when we announced our
pregnancy with Hudson

Can I just say how excited we are to announce that we are expecting our second child! It was hard keeping it a secret all the way up to 14 weeks...but we did it! With the exception of letting our immediate families in on the good news. It is kind of crazy to believe that we have our next little one on the way. I decided that I would write a post to try and answer some questions for those of you that are wondering...but don't want to ask!

First of all...yes, this was a planned pregnancy :) We both knew that we were ready to expand our family and get to love on and enjoy another sweet little baby. Maybe Hudson has been too good of a baby and has given us false hope for another "easy" child. Although, we both have joked it is a good thing we got pregnant prior to Hudson starting to walk...let's just say life is a lot more interesting now and definitely not quite as easy :)

As far as medical care here in Lilongwe goes, I do have access to an OBGYN. There is a community clinic not even a five minute drive from our home that I am going to for my prenatal care. It is in no way, like my OBGYN experience in the states was (which was great! A shout out to Dr. Buck and her wonderful nurse Brooke, we miss you both greatly!) but the clinic still provides good care and I even can get ultrasounds so I am not complaining! I just have to remind myself that medicine is practiced differently in developing countries and different is okay. We have had two visits so far one at 10 weeks and one at just shy of 14 weeks and I was lucky enough to see our little peanut on ultrasound both times. He or she has been measuring right on track and we are so excited to find out the gender in another month or so.

Our little peanut at his/her 10 week debut! Not the greatest quality picture
due to the fact there is no paper in the ultrasound machine and I took
this of the screen with my cell phone.

As far as where I will deliver...I will not be delivering here in Malawi but I will be going to South Africa to have our little one. Our company has a guest house there and I will travel down at around 34 weeks gestation and hang out with Hudson until baby #2 makes the grand appearance! Our company does provide 4 weeks of paternity leave for Joseph (which we are very thankful for). The hardest thing about this is the unexpected nature of labor. It will be a guessing game as to when to have Joseph come down and join Hudson and I. We need to make sure that we have enough paternity time left for him so that he can be there postpartum with me helping me out with the little one and Hudson as well has helping to get baby #2 a passport and birth certificate so that we will be able to return to Malawi. Only a couple of logistical things to think and pray about ... I hope you sense my sarcasm there! To be honest though, as long as Joseph can be there to see his second child be born that would be our biggest prayer...I don't want him to miss it...and I don't want to have to do it alone!

We are also excited to have my mom come and stay with us for a few weeks in September after we return to Malawi. It will be so great to see her (it will have been just about a year since we saw her last!) and I know she will love getting to snuggle with a sweet newborn and help chase around little Hudson! We can't wait to have you visit Nana!

Thank you for all the love and support displayed already in the announcement of our pregnancy. We are so lucky to have family and friends that care for us as much as you all do. I look forward to keeping you all updated on baby #2!

Baby Veres #2, 15 weeks cooked.