Holy cow — you all had even more questions than the last time we did this after we announced Clara was on the way. It was so fun diving into as many as we could before the post ballooned to an impossible length. Below are our answers to the many questions you sent after our little bun announcement. We feel so grateful and your excitement made our day.
Will you find out the sex of the baby? Are you taking an early blood test? Do you or John have a preference? After the intense experience we had with Clara’s birth, our top hope is a healthy pregnancy and baby. We think a little sister for Clara would be adorable, but we’re also excited about the idea of a boy since that would be new for us. I have a hunch it’s a girl, but my doctor relies on the 20-week ultrasound for the official reveal, so we won’t know until November. We loved the mid-pregnancy “half-time show” with Clara — it felt like a happy, grounding moment — and we’ll share the news when we find out. For now it’s fun to guess names and write down nursery ideas.
Is this the secret side project you’ve been working on? Not this time. Yes, the baby was technically a joyful secret, but it’s not the same “secret project” we mentioned in our blogiversary pie chart. That other project is a side gig we’ve been quietly developing for over a year and, funnily enough, it’s scheduled to launch this spring. We hope we’ll be able to talk about that more in a few months.
How has this pregnancy been different from the first? Has morning sickness subsided? What helped? Pregnancy with Clara was different — I wasn’t as tired then, and I had morning sickness that typically passed after a heavy breakfast. This pregnancy has been more tiring and I had nausea throughout the day for the first few months. I’ve tried ginger candies, acupressure bands, B6/B12/magnesium, and other remedies, and learned to roll with it. The nausea is tough, but I remind myself it’s for a good cause. Fingers crossed it eases up before 17 weeks like it did last time.
Will you have more children after this one? We’re taking family planning one child at a time. Right now we’re excited about the idea of a family of four (plus the Burgs), but we’re not making any firm decisions beyond that.
What prompted you to take a pregnancy test? With Clara my earliest symptom was dizziness, and when I felt that again I couldn’t help but wonder. I took a test and was stunned when it was positive — I stared at it for minutes before it sunk in.
How did you tell John? I kept quiet at first so I wouldn’t jinx anything. One morning I took a test, hid it on the keyboard, and later asked John to look at something on my screen. He finally spotted the test, laughed, and we celebrated with a big hug. It was a sweet, private moment.
How did you tell your parents and family? Did you really wait until after the first trimester? Yes — we waited to share until we’d had our checkup and felt comfortable passing along the news. We timed the announcement for a family gathering around John’s dad’s birthday so most of our family could be there in person. For the reveal we leaned into a family tradition of paper birthday crowns: John made a crown that said “Pregnant Lady” for me and popped it on my head during the celebration. Seeing everyone’s reaction — surrounded by family — was amazing and made the moment even more special.
How did you tell Clara and did she understand? We told Clara the same day we told family because she’s so chatty we didn’t want her spilling the news early. After the crown reveal we took her aside and told her there’s a baby in my belly. She was over the moon — rubbing my belly, pressing her ear to it, kissing it, and asking adorable questions like whether the baby likes getting her face wet. She has already started talking about how she’ll share her toys and be gentle. Seeing her excitement made me cry happy tears.
Does Clara guess the sex or suggest names? Clara insists the baby is a girl and wants to name her “Pom-pom Petersik.” We find it hilarious and sweet, though we haven’t made any decisions yet.
How are you preparing Clara for a sibling? We’re casually talking about baby basics — that the baby’s room will be set up, newborns sleep a lot, and that I’ll always love her as my first baby. I try to reassure her that having another baby won’t change how much I love and treasure her. That message seems to help her and us both.
Does this baby have a nickname? We’ve been calling this one “The Bun.” Clara remains “The Bean,” and the dogs are “The Burgs,” so the nicknames feel right.
How far along are you and when are you due? Based on current measurements I’m around 13 weeks and the best estimate is a mid-April due date. Dates may shift slightly with future checkups, and due to the prior birth complications I’ll have careful monitoring and will likely be delivered a bit early when the time comes.
Are you thinking of baby names? We usually favor names with family meaning. Clara was named after John’s grandmother and her middle name honors my dad and great-aunt. We like tossing around ideas but won’t choose anything until we know the baby’s sex, and even then we’ll probably wait until we meet the baby to finalize a name.
Will you do a weekly photo project like you did with Clara? Yes — we definitely want to continue a weekly photo project, though we may change up the format from the bright fabric + white onesie approach. We’ve considered different props or setups to show growth and scale, but we haven’t locked anything in yet.
Was the timing planned to match friends’ due dates? It’s coincidence more than planning. We’ve got friends expecting around the same season, which is nice — it creates a little spring baby boom among our group and gives us people to commiserate and chat with about pregnancy milestones.
After the traumatic birth with Clara, how did you decide it was right to try again? Does a planned C-section reduce risk? My placental abruption was triggered by labor, so it’s safest for me and this baby to avoid labor. I’ll be closely monitored and we’ll plan a C-section if labor appears to be starting. That careful approach helps reduce the risk, but it’s still complicated. We waited a few years to feel healed physically and mentally, and now the excitement has started to outweigh the fear. That said, anxiety is real — I rely on my medical team, follow monitoring plans, and try to focus on what I can control.
Did you plan this around major work events like the book tour or moving? The big tasks like the book tour and the move were wrapped up before I became pregnant, which felt like good timing. We do have projects ahead — writing another book, the showhouse, and our secret project — but we’re trying to plan ahead, work efficiently, and remember that family often requires balancing priorities rather than waiting for perfect timing.
Will you take maternity leave or hire help for the blog? We don’t have specific childcare or blog staff plans right now. We’ll likely stockpile posts in advance as we did with Clara and switch off responsibilities at home and work as needed. Two kids could change everything, so we’ll adapt when the time comes.
Will the blog shift toward more lifestyle or parenting content? Our site has always mixed family moments into a DIY-focused blog. DIY and home projects remain our primary passion, but naturally family content will appear alongside those posts. We don’t expect parenting posts to eclipse our core DIY content; they’ll simply be part of the ongoing story of our home life.
Where will pregnancy and quick updates go? Long-form posts about projects, nursery planning, and larger family stories will stay here. Short updates, photos, and quick clips may appear on our family-focused channel as a kind of photo/video album.
When will you design the nursery? Any hints? We plan to wait to start the nursery until we know the baby’s sex, much like we did with Clara. That helps us avoid jumping the gun and gives us time to gather inspiration and plan carefully.
Any cravings? Baked potatoes, salt and vinegar chips, and pickles — classic and unchanged from last time.
Where did you get the fabric in the background of your photos? We picked it up at a local fabric outlet marked down from a higher price. It’s a patterned fabric that we may use somewhere in this house or in the showhouse — it felt too good a deal to pass up.
Are you driving again? Yes — I’ve been getting back behind the wheel. John remains the primary driver because he enjoys it and knows the shortcuts, but I run errands and swap driving duties on longer trips when needed.
Any tips for keeping a house quiet for baby naps with a noisy dog? We’ve learned not to tiptoe too much. We use a sound machine in the nursery, blackout curtains, and maintain normal household routines. Clara has grown into a steady sleeper despite the usual household noise, and using consistent routines and white noise has helped.
Will you cloth diaper again? Yes. We saved our Bum Genius diapers and the sprayer and plan to reuse them. We’ll check their condition after storage and pick up any extras if necessary. Cloth diapers were a great investment with Clara and we expect similar results.
Are you nesting? Not yet — I’m making lists and planning, but the intense nesting phase didn’t kick in this early. With Clara it arrived much later in pregnancy.
Will pregnancy change your home project priorities? It nudged the nursery higher on the list. We’ll avoid major gut renovations right away since we’ve only been in this house a short time, but we’ll keep busy with smaller projects: built-ins, room updates, and finishing touches that make our home work better for our growing family.
Can we be honorary aunts and uncles? Absolutely. We’re deeply grateful for all your good wishes, prayers, and happy vibes. They mean so much to us and we appreciate every one of you.