pregnancy Archives - Sunshine and Holly

Surprise! Baby Davis – Take 3!

By sunshineandholly on September 1, 2022

If you don’t follow me on social media – this will be a huge surprise. I’m pregnant! We decided to try for one more baby – our bonus baby. I’m due late January/early February (17 weeks as I type this!) and we’re having another girl. I’ve been taking notes on my phone each week about how I’ve been feeling but wanted to get everything down here on the blog. I documented everything so well with Graham but really dropped the ball with Maddie’s pregnancy. Poor second child! Hoping to do better this time around since the other two are older and so much more self-sufficient.

Surprise! Baby Davis - Take 3!

We started trying for this baby in February of 2022 and actually got pregnant right away. Unfortunately, I had an early miscarriage the day after I got a positive test. We tried again each month and I was so happy to finally see another two lines on a pregnancy test on May 26th! I woke up early to pee at 5:30 and took the test. (My period was due the next day.) It showed up positive right away! My heart started pounding and of course, when I tried to go back to sleep I couldn’t. I was way too wired! So I went ahead and got up, made some coffee, and watched some tv.

When the kids woke up I made us all some eggs. Josh said he saw the test wrapper in the trash but not the test, so he was suspicious. Then I texted him when he was in the shower to ask if he wanted eggs. He knew that something was up since I was awake early and making eggs for everyone. I’m not a morning person. So when I gave him the test when he walked into the kitchen, he was already smiling and knew what was up!

We’re so excited to add another awesome kid to our family! But this definitely wasn’t an easy decision. I’ve been waffling for years about whether or not to try for a third. It’s such a scary decision. My body doesn’t do pregnancy well and I’m so much older than I was with my first two babies. Trying for a third was all I talked about with my therapist for months! But I knew I’d regret not trying. I never felt “done” in my heart and despite all the awful parts of pregnancy and the tough newborn and toddler years, I knew I wanted one more. One more chance to experience all the firsts. One more amazing kid to raise. I mean my other two are so awesome so I can’t wait to see what this one is like!

A Letter to Me Before You

By sunshineandholly on March 21, 2019

Motherhood changes you. The person I was before I had children doesn’t exist anymore. I’ve been molded by my experiences, shaped into something new. Each day of pregnancy, each milestone of infancy, each moment of motherhood has carved and chiseled and scraped and sculpted me into who I am today.

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The Number One Thing I Wish I Had Done When My Baby Was Born

By sunshineandholly on January 23, 2019

The Number One Thing I Wish I Had Done When My Baby Was Born

This post was sponsored by Eli Supplemental Newborn Screening, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Becoming a mom was one of the biggest, most life-changing events of my life so far. All of a sudden, I was 100% responsible for another person. There were so many things to think about and plan, and all the decisions and choices regarding this new tiny life were up to me. It was, and still is, incredibly overwhelming! After all, all moms want to make the right choices for their babies. You do all the research you can – you read the books, talk to other moms, and listen to your pediatrician. But ultimately, each decision is up to you.

When I had my first baby, I relied heavily on the advice of those around me, but honestly didn’t do much outside research of my own. When I was pregnant with my second child, I knew better and decided to really look into my options on lots of topics like birth, breastfeeding, and sleep training. But one thing I didn’t even think to look at was the type of screening available for newborns for treatable diseases.

Thankfully, both of my children were healthy. But thinking back, I really wish I had done my research. I didn’t realize that pediatricians don’t test for all of the possible conditions that may affect newborns. Conditions that are treatable if they’re caught early on. Most states screen for the conditions on the federal government’s “Recommended Uniform Screening Panel.” But there are up to 32 other possible conditions that can be treated if they’re caught early enough. Even if you had extensive prenatal screening.

Luckily, there’s Eli.

Eli is a newborn screening service that screens for an additional 32 treatable conditions and risks. Eli is at the forefront of newborn screening technology to provide accurate and reliable screening results for additional treatable conditions. The process is simple – just order your kit before your due date, bring the kit to your newborn’s first pediatric visit (where your doctor or nurse will collect the required samples), ship the samples back, and receive the results in a week. You’ll have all the information you need to make informed decisions about the health of your newborn. You can worry less, and focus more on the joy that comes with having a sweet new little baby. Eli also offers genetic counselors to answer questions and help guide care so your baby will have the happiest, healthiest start!

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Tips for Taking Maternity Photos with a Toddler Older Sibling

By sunshineandholly on April 12, 2018

I never shared my maternity photos when I was pregnant with Maddie here on the blog. Although I love how the pics turned out, all I can remember about that day is how exhausted I was. Second pregnancies are no joke! (I can’t even imagine a third – lol!) Graham was so cute back then – such a chubby little guy. But he sure was a handful while we were taking the pics. I didn’t have high hopes when the photographer left. But the photos turned out great – he’s even smiling in most of them!

Here are some tips for taking maternity photos with a toddler older sibling.

1. Consider taking the photos at home.

Like I mentioned before, I was exhausted during my entire pregnancy. The thought of getting us all dressed and ready and then driving to another location was daunting! So I choose to have the photos taken at home. I also think Graham would have been too distracted if we had chosen another location. Having the photos taken at home allowed him to focus more on what we were asking him to do. I also think he felt more comfortable at home, and less shy with the photographer since we were at home.

A Love Letter to My Village

By sunshineandholly on July 24, 2017

Motherhood is tough. Motherhood is messy. Motherhood has kicked my booty. The first few years are some of the hardest. So much crying (both me and the babies!) and the never ending cycle of feed, burp, change diaper, rock to sleep, over and over and over and over. Then there’s the whining, the tantrums, the constant questions, the potty training, the messes…it’s enough to drive a person completely crazy or send them into a dark depression!

So what gets us through it? (Besides lots of coffee and wine.) What is the light, the breath of fresh air, the hope for all the lonely, tired, lost mamas out there?

It’s our village – the group of women and men surrounding us, lifting us up, encouraging us, and helping out during some of the most difficult years of our life. Every mom needs her village, and I’ve been so blessed with mine. There have been so many people over the years who’ve been a rock, a shoulder to cry on, an inspiration, a light.

And I just wanted to take a minute to thank them.

a love letter to my village | sunshineandholly.com | motherhood | it takes a village | mom friends

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