Looking Back on the First Trimester for Baby #3
Well…the cat is officially out of the bag-we’re expecting baby #3! I’m well over halfway through at this point and honestly, I’m getting closer to the third trimester than I am to the first. Since we kept this pregnancy private for quite a while, I never really had the chance to share what those first few months were like. So before I get too much further along, I wanted to document this season—for myself, for this sweet baby someday, and for anyone who enjoys following along.
Finding Out
One of my favorite parts of this pregnancy will always be how we found out.
We actually found out we were pregnant on our sixth wedding anniversary, which felt like such a special gift. This baby was absolutely planned and prayed for, but no matter how many times you’ve done this before, seeing that positive test never loses its magic.
There is always that mix of excitement, gratitude, and a little bit of “Wow… this is really happening.”
The Timing Couldn’t Have Been Worse (or Better)
While the timing of finding out was exciting, the timing of the first trimester itself was… less than ideal.
Right as the nausea started to hit, we were in the middle of moving from our old house into our new one. Looking back, I’m honestly not sure how we got through it.
I’ve had morning sickness with all three pregnancies, but this one was definitely the hardest. The nausea was more intense, and the exhaustion was on another level. By the end of each workday, I had exactly enough energy to be a mom, get the kids to bed, and then crawl into bed myself.
I spent weeks just trying to survive the days while still working full-time, taking care of the kids, and trying to eat enough to keep both myself and baby healthy.
As miserable as I felt, there were still a few moments that make me look back and laugh.
One of them is the irony of how when we were house hunting, my husband and I talked quite a bit about our primary bedroom. We both agreed it didn’t need to be huge because we honestly don’t spend much time there. We watch TV together in the living room, spend time with the kids, and really only use our bedroom to sleep and get ready.
So when we bought this house, we didn’t think twice about the bedroom being a little smaller than our previous one. Then first trimester hit. Suddenly, my bedroom became my full-time residence. I spent so many hours in bed that I couldn’t help but laugh at the irony. The room we thought we’d barely use instantly became my most-used space in the house.
The Lesson I Didn’t Expect
As much as the move challenged me physically, it also challenged me mentally in ways I wasn’t expecting.
If you know me at all, you know I’m incredibly Type A.
Before the move, I had everything organized, labeled, packed, and planned. Normally when we move into a new house, I want everything unpacked immediately. I love hanging pictures, organizing closets, decorating, and making a house feel like home as quickly as possible.
This time? None of that happened. At first, that was hard for me. There were boxes everywhere, projects waiting to be finished, and a never-ending to-do list.
But somewhere along the way, I realized I simply didn’t have the energy to care. And honestly… that ended up being one of the biggest blessings of this season.
Instead of trying to force everything to happen immediately, I focused on the necessities. We unpacked what we needed, asked for help when we needed it, and let the rest wait. I kept a running list of everything I wanted to tackle once I felt better, but I gave myself permission to leave it there. That isn’t normally like me, and I think it was exactly what I needed.
Why We Waited to Share & Find Out Gender
Along with navigating the first trimester, we also made a couple of decisions early on that made this pregnancy feel especially meaningful.
One thing that felt really different this time around was how we shared the news. My parents knew very early, and I told close friends as I saw them (mostly because I felt so awful it was becoming pretty obvious that something was different). But beyond that, we kept things pretty quiet.
Maybe it’s because this is our third baby, but I really enjoyed having something that belonged just to our little family for a while. I also wanted to make sure everything looked good through all of the early appointments and testing before making a public announcement.
Pretty early on, we also decided we would keep the gender a surprise. We did the same thing with my daughter, and it ended up being one of the most memorable moments of our lives.
There are so few genuine surprises left in life, and after already having one boy and one girl, I truly felt at peace either way. We already have everything we need, and more than anything, we’re simply hoping for a healthy baby.
Biggest Takeaway from the First Trimester
Looking back on those first few months, the thing I’m most proud of during this first trimester has nothing to do with how productive I was.
It’s that I finally gave myself grace.
Each pregnancy has been harder than the last. Whether that’s because I’m older, life is busier, or I’m chasing two little ones now, I’m not sure. But after my second pregnancy, I remember looking back and wishing I hadn’t pushed myself so hard.
I spent so much time pretending I was fine. Trying to keep up. Trying to do everything exactly as I always had. And honestly? It made me miserable.
This time, I promised myself I wouldn’t do that again. I canceled plans. I cut back on work travel as much as I could. I let the laundry pile up. The boxes stayed unpacked. The house wasn’t perfect. I spent more time in bed than I would’ve liked. But I kept reminding myself that this season was temporary. The chores would still be there. The house would eventually get organized. Life would return to normal. Right now, my job was simply to grow this baby and make it through each day. Looking back now, I’m so thankful I listened to my body instead of fighting it.
Final Thoughts on the First Trimester
The first trimester somehow felt incredibly long and unbelievably fast all at the same time. The days felt endless because I felt so sick, but life itself was moving so quickly. Between moving, working, parenting, holidays, doctor’s appointments, and simply surviving, the weeks flew by.
Honestly, this entire pregnancy has felt that way. I keep looking at the calendar wondering how I’m already this far along.
Now that I’m feeling so much better, I’m trying to soak in these last months as a family of four before everything changes again. ’m sure I’ll eventually share a second trimester update too—although thankfully it isn’t nearly as eventful. Mostly I’ve just been grateful to feel more like myself again, enjoy our babymoon, spend the summer with the kids, and finally settle into our new home.
But I didn’t want the first trimester to go undocumented because, as hard as it was, it’s still part of this baby’s story. Thanks for following along. I’m so excited to continue sharing this journey with you.
Until next time, XXX McKenzie