Did I forget to tell you we decided on a name for Baby Two?!?!?!
Yep. Joey. Sweet Baby Joey.
Joseph Micah Kiley, for those who want the official version.
The name journey was trickier for us this time around. When we chose our first son’s name, we did so at the exclusion of all other names. So when we found out we were having another boy?…you mean we have to un-eliminate a name that we previously eliminated? How???
We tossed around several first names, middle names, and name combos. We played with initials. We wrestled over each name’s meaning. We roll called just as we know we will someday when we have to call both boys’ names together. They do have to sound good together.
So Joey it is.
Matthew and Joey.
Matthew is going to be a wonderful, sweet, helpful big brother. Maybe a little too helpful
As for me? I’m counting down. This photo is from last week, which was at the 33 week mark.

Only five more weekends to go. FIVE!! I CAN COUNT THEM WITH ONE HAND!
To be honest it mostly feels oh so very far away. There are so many things to be done at work between now and then that I still can only really take things one day at a time in terms of my to-do list. The never ending list of clinic progress reports, discharge reports, and home programs. The hamster wheel that is the special education system in the public schools. Every time I think I’ve climbed the summit, I find out it was just a fake out and there is actually another mountain to be climbed.
Three more weeks of school. Three and a half more weeks of work. And five more weekends until baby.
I remember last time I made sure to get all my big tasks done during that five weekend countdown — getting my annually updated contact lens prescription, getting the car’s oil changed, putting together baby furniture, washing baby clothes and bottles, gathering essentials for nursing and pumping.
Not really this time.
I have a few Joey crafty projects I want to get done before he comes, like a decoration for his wall and putting together his baby book. But more than anything, I am simply trying to make it to the finish line. The end of the school year has been so physically exhausting that it seems like every weekend something in my body breaks down. Maybe it’s a flu bug that stays with me all weekend, then goes away just in time for work on Monday. Maybe it’s a two-day allergy attack that completely knocks me off my feet. Maybe it’s a strained muscle that makes my back seize up for two days straight (that would be what happened this weekend).
Five more weekends can’t come soon enough.
But at the same time, I have definitely found myself grieving a bit. Grieving the special Matthew time that I will lose once I am forced to divide my attention and, especially, my energy. He is in SUCH an amazing phase of development right now, particularly with his language. This 21-month-old kid is spouting off four-word sentences and has pretty much mastered everything related to knowing letters and numbers, including letter sounds. He learns so many new things every day and I will be sad to have to basically sleepwalk through this exciting time in his development. I know I’m not the only second-time mom who’s felt like this. And I know everything will be fine once little brother comes along and we figure out our new normal. But I can’t help but feel a little sad about losing that one on one time with big brother.
So…five more weekends. Five more weeks of sleeping through the night and waking to the sweet sound of our toddler babbling or calling out for us because he wants to “Eat. Cereal.” Five more weeks of being pain free before I am all of a sudden recovering from major abdominal surgery and managing the pain with strong meds. Five more weeks until burp cloths, swaddles, baby carriers, and feeding schedules.
And five more weeks until we meet our new sweet baby boy.
We can’t wait to meet you, Joey.





























































