You Think You Can Plan Your Life… and Then the Universe Laughs
I’ve always been someone who likes to have a plan. I like knowing what’s next, feeling prepared, and having some idea of where life is going.
Well… apparently life had other plans for me.
Because this is the story of how I found out I was 15 weeks pregnant… and had absolutely no clue.
Yes. You read that correctly.
FIFTEEN WEEKS.
I really didn’t have the typical pregnancy symptoms. I was tired and gaining some weight, but honestly, both made complete sense at the time.
I had a young toddler who was breastfeeding until 18 months and still wasn’t sleeping through the night.
And she still isn’t… but that’s another story.
I literally told my husband about a week before finding out, “I’m gaining weight. We seriously need to stop snacking at night.”
Well… turns out the nighttime snacks weren’t entirely to blame.
By spring, I was completely in survival mode.
Nicolina decided to get all four canine teeth at once, followed by allergies, a cold, and eventually the stomach bug.
Add in busy summer schedules and not much extra help,I was basically just trying to keep everyone alive, fed, somewhat clean, and functioning.
So feeling tired? Normal.
Gaining weight? Clearly the snacks.
Pregnant?
Did not cross my mind.
This pregnancy is truly a miracle. I had been told getting pregnant naturally would likely be difficult for me because of PCMS. Nicolina came into our lives through IVF, so I always assumed baby number two would involve another planned journey.
At the same time, I was finally starting to feel like “Michele” again — making time for myself, date nights with my husband, and getting excited about growing Sunshine Playgroup.
We had started talking about baby number two, and since I’m 35 now and apparently considered “geriatric” in the pregnancy world, I figured it was a good time to make an appointment, see where my baseline was, and talk about our options.
Very responsible.
Very organized.
Very “I have a plan.”
The universe: “That’s cute.”
So I went in for an early morning appointment for bloodwork and an ultrasound, thinking I was there to talk about possibly having another baby.
Instead, I walked into that office as one person and walked out as a completely different one.
During the ultrasound, the tech suddenly became shocked and excited and started taking measurements.
Then came the words I absolutely was not prepared for:
“It looks like you’re already about 15 weeks pregnant.”
I burst into tears.
I was shocked, excited, and honestly thinking…
How did I not know?!
But once it settled in, it actually made sense. I had very few symptoms, and life with a toddler had been nonstop.
Apparently, this little baby was just quietly along for the ride the entire time.
Meanwhile, baby number two was basically like:
“Hi Mom. I’ve actually been here for a while.”
I thought I knew what the next year of our lives was going to look like.
Clearly, life had a different timeline for us.
This baby is such an unexpected blessing and truly a miracle.
And maybe that’s the biggest lesson in all of this. You can make all the plans in the world, but sometimes life has something completely different waiting for you.
Sometimes you just have to trust the timing, embrace the unexpected, and let life surprise you.
Baby #2 is due mid January. ❄️
Two under two, here we come! 🫶🏼
