It was incredibly easy for us to get pregnant the first time (which we feel so blessed about), so our original thinking that it would be the same with baby #2.

Nine months of waiting for that positive test doesn't seem like an eternity now, but if you have ever wanted something so badly, then you know how discouraging it can be to get that negative test several months in a row.

Because I have been open about our journey, I have been introduced to so many beautiful souls who are also trying to conceive, and many of them have been trying a lot longer, have experienced miscarriages, and failed rounds of IVF. These women have been etched into my nightly prayers, and before I go any further, I want to acknowledge their strength, and hope that their baby comes soon. It breaks my heart to hear about all the families that struggle with infertility. It just doesn't seem fair.

10 Ways to Cope When Others are Getting Pregnant and You're Trying to Conceive

I know how hard it can be to hear about your friends and family members becoming pregnant when you are trying to conceive. There is a constant tug-of-war between the joy that you feel for those who are pregnant coupled with the disappointment that you feel for yourself. This dichotomy of emotions can be difficult to navigate and to be honest, there is no perfect way to navigate it gracefully.

In an effort to help those who are going through the waiting game of trying for a baby, I've put together a list of ten ways to cope when others are getting pregnant and you're trying to conceive.

Trying for Baby 2: Reframing the Waiting Game

Another month passes, and as I get closer and closer to the nine-month mark of trying for baby #2, I can't help but imagine what it would be like to be almost due and nearly 40 weeks pregnant. We have now been trying as long as it would have taken to carry a baby to term.

I spend so many moments imagining my sweet Winter no longer being my only child and at the same time, being fully present. I fear if I spend too much time daydreaming about the future that may or may not be, I am inadvertently wishing her to grow up a little quicker than fate intends, and God knows that I don't want to do that.

Trying For Baby #2: Accepting Our Family Size

Every time I open my phone, I am either tagged in a pregnancy post or I see someone new on my feed announcing that they are pregnant. My first response is always joy, but then comes the reminder that they are pregnant and I am not.

MotherhoodTerra LaRockJanuary 11, 2018trying for baby #2, mommy blogger, trying for a baby Comments

Marriage After Baby: How Trying for Baby #2 is Affecting Our Marriage

We decided in June to go for it. We were finally ready for baby number two! Winter was getting much easier, we were about to embark on a two-week vacation in Hawaii, and my postpartum depression really seemed to be going easy on me. Life was good.

Since When Did Becoming Pregnant Turn into a Science Research Project?

SINCE WHEN DID TRYING TO CONVINCE TURN INTO A FREAKING SCIENCE RESEARCH PROJECT?

Here is how a typical day goes in my household....and this happens all before 7:30 AM when I have to leave for work.

So We Didn't Get Pregnant...

When I wrote this post, my view consisted of the beach, waves, and people enjoying the sunshine and beautiful palm trees. There was absolutely no reason to complain. Except, I keep sitting here thinking what could have been and romanticizing the video clip I had imagined in my mind. You see, about a month ago, I looked over at Winter and something came over me. This emotion that I had never felt before, the longing of another baby. Before, when people would ask, I would cringe at the thought of another child. The idea of it all made me feel sick to my stomach and full of fear. Postpartum depression hit my family like a banshee out of hell and I could not, would not, risk putting myself or my husband through that again. Fear would win in my mind, and for the longest time, I thought our family size of three could be complete.