First, thank you all for sharing in our baby-bomb excitement and for the sweet wishes you’ve sent for this little “project.” Your support means the world to us. This news actually began back in August, so it’s already changed how sprint-y our to-do lists feel. We’ll keep sharing the gritty home-improvement details as they happen, and since you asked so many great questions, here’s the promised Petersik Baby Q&A.
Q: How far along are you? When are you due? Our little one—nicknamed “the bean”—is almost 15 weeks (hello, second trimester!). The official due date is May 19th, though family lore suggests our baby might be fashionably late.
Q: When did you find out? I took a test in early September and was about five weeks along. Morning dizziness and nausea had me suspicious, and the double line confirmed it. Coincidentally, the afternoon we filmed our blogiversary Q&A was the very day we found out, so you can catch our awkward answers in the video when we tried not to spill the news publicly just hours after learning it ourselves.
Looking back, it’s funny watching that video knowing what a big day it really was. When we hinted about expanding our family in our blogiversary post, I was already pregnant—hence the confident tone.
Q: How did you tell John? The test was positive at 5am on a Saturday. I made a little card—partly inspired by Burger’s charming homemade-card tradition—and tucked it into Burger’s collar to deliver. John read the front, flipped it open, and then I showed him the test. We hugged, squealed, and immediately started planning healthy market runs. His first reaction—rushing to buy organic produce—melted me. He’s going to be an amazing dad.
The card’s inside read something like, “I wanted to get you bons but mommy has something else…” (Burger’s spelling flair included).
Q: How long did you keep the secret from family? We waited until after 14 weeks to tell our parents and close family. It was tough but sweet to keep “our little secret” and we wanted to share the news in person, which lined up with a planned trip to New York.
Q: How did you tell them? John’s birthday was the perfect cover—our parents were gathered for a surprise breakfast. During presents, John opened a final gift that we’d planted. Inside was a tiny onesie labeled “freshly baked.” Immediate recognition, shrieks, hugs, and lots of emotional belly-rubbing followed. After months of hiding the bump under oversized clothes, it felt euphoric to finally tell everyone.
Q: When did you tell friends like Katie Bower? I hadn’t yet been “prego-fied” when we met Katie in Nashville, but I called her a few days after telling John. Keeping the secret from friends for a trimester was hard, so it was wonderful to have a confidante to share the news with. Katie celebrated right along with us.
Q: Will you find out the baby’s sex? Any preference? We’ll find out—we’re too curious not to. The plan is for the doctor to write it down and for us to open the envelope on a special dinner date, then share the news here. No strong preference either way; more than anything we want a healthy baby (and we joked it would be funny if it turned out to be a chihuahua).
Q: Did you cry when you found out? We both teared up several times—when I told John and when we told our parents—but the real waterworks came at the first ultrasound. Seeing the bean and hearing the heartbeat was overwhelming and incredible.
Q: Will you poll readers for baby name ideas? We prefer names with personal meaning, so we won’t open this one up to public debate. We’ll likely have top picks before May but want to meet the baby before deciding the final name. Of course we’ll share the chosen name after the birth, along with the obligatory Burger-sniffs-baby photo.
Q: Are you showing yet? Will you share bump photos and ultrasounds? I popped a couple of weeks ago and yes, strangers have congratulated me at the store. Being petite makes an early bump more noticeable—my mom said she showed immediately too—so I’ve been avoiding full-body photos for now. We’ll share ultrasounds and occasional bump updates, but we’ll avoid gratuitous midsection shots. The blog will stay focused on decorating and DIY first and foremost.
Q: Will you move or which room will be the nursery? No move—this house is our home. The third bedroom will become the nursery; we already have no-VOC paint swatches up and are brainstorming the makeover while finishing other projects like the basement and a bathroom reno.
We already moved the white table that used to be in the third bedroom down to the basement to make room in the nursery.
Q: What about childcare? Will you hire a nanny or will John stay home? We have time to plan. John intends to take a generous paternity leave, and we’re grateful for friends and family offering help. We’ll also stockpile posts ahead of time to keep the blog active while we adjust. It’ll take teamwork, caffeine, and creativity—and we’re ready for it.
Q: How will projects change after the baby arrives? We know tasks will take longer, but we’re pros at squeezing projects into small windows. We’ll switch off responsibilities—nursing and hammering will alternate, bedtime stories and framing will be shared—and we’ll keep prioritizing family time. We’ll also draw inspiration from other bloggers and parents who make it work while running busy creative lives.
Q: Is Burger excited to be a big brother? He is! He appreciates jam-covered fingers and extra crumbs. We think he’ll be a great helper (as long as he doesn’t try to give baby a tongue bath).
Q: Any cravings? Baked potatoes, all the time. Warm melty carbs sound pretty perfect right now.
Q: How have you been feeling? Was the first trimester rough? Morning sickness hit me daily between about 8–10am for roughly 90 days, but otherwise I’ve felt okay. Now that I’m in my second trimester, the worst seems behind me, which is a relief because we’ve been busy with basement work and other projects.
Q: Will you go eco and use cloth diapers? We plan to be eco-minded where we can: no-VOC paints, organic materials, repurposed items. We do intend to try cloth diapers—modern options like one-size snap styles make them far more convenient than the old days—and saving on disposables will be nice for both the planet and our renovation budget.
Q: Will the blog turn into baby central? No—decorating and home improvement remain our passion. Expect some baby-related posts tied to the house (nursery design, babyproofing, closet restructuring), but the main focus will stay on DIY, decorating, and smart, budget-friendly solutions. If anything, expanding our family will bring new design challenges and tips to share.
Q: Will you babyproof your ceramic animal collection? We haven’t fully babyproofed yet, but we’re thinking about how to keep the house stylish and safe—high shelves, non-kid rooms for fragile pieces, and clever storage solutions are all on the table.
Q: What other projects are you rushing to finish by May? The basement still needs a lot of work—window treatments, a screen, hanging art—and we’re planning a full bathroom gut job soon. It’s going to be a busy stretch, but we’ll keep you posted every step of the way. We already scored an amazing mocha-colored marble tile on clearance for the bathroom floor, so stay tuned for that reveal.
That’s the update on the Petersik pregnancy. Thank you again for all the kind messages and encouragement—we’re thrilled to have you along for this next chapter.