When I found out I was pregnant this past Thanksgiving, one of my first thoughts was, “Sara and I will be pregnant together!” We shared Sara and Trevor’s story about their struggle to conceive back in September and since we found out she was pregnant, it’s been go, go go! It never even occurred to me that we could be pregnant at the same time.
I remember feeling guilty when I found out I was pregnant. I wanted Sara to have this moment all to herself. She had worked so hard and had wanted it so badly that I felt selfish for sharing/stealing her spotlight. Immediately after telling her the news, those feelings disappeared. We knew this moment was so much bigger than either of us. Our babies would be 6 months apart and raised like siblings. How lucky could we be? And because we share everything, it makes total sense that this would also be a shared, although completely coincidental, experience.
So while our time pregnant together was short, we made sure to have some fun. We took a sneaky picture at her baby shower days after I found out and before I had even told my mom the news. And a few weeks before she went into labor, we planned a fun sister shoot to capture this sweet little moment in time followed by a short interview between the two of us. We started at South Congress Hotel on the windiest day and ended the day at Sara’s house in the nursery going through our old baby clothes. Sara now has a beautiful baby girl, Serena Lucia, who shares my middle name. Photos by Paige Newton
What are you most excited about being a mom for the first time (Sara) and second time (Cristina)?
Sara: I’m excited to see and experience the world through our little lady’s eyes.
Cristina: I am looking forward to enjoying the slower moments. The first few months with Bowie are such a blur because I was so worried about the next thing-milestone, feeding, nursing session, etc. when in the end it all worked out. Knowing that now, I’m excited to live more in the moment. I can’t wait to see the sibling bond and who this baby looks like. Who am I kidding? It will look exactly like my husband, just like Bowie does.
What are you most nervous about?
Sara: Right now sleep. I love sleep. Im also a little nervous that I may be seeing parenting through rose colored, instagram glasses. Days after labor women look beautiful and their babies look like sleeping angels but I know that’s not real life. Im trying to mentally prepare myself for the lack of sleep and the dreaded “witching hour”.
Cristina: Definitely juggling a needy newborn and unpredictable toddler and sleep! Right now Bowie sleeps 12 hours a night and I get a solid 8-9 hours of sleep a night and I still need a nap every day!
How has watching your sister go through motherhood prepared you?
Sara: In so many ways! I’m super lucky that my sister loves to do research, gather information and is very organized. I feel confident in following her lead on what baby accessories to buy, sleep training techniques, schedules, eating habits, etc. But it’s also the little things – seeing how patient she is with Bowie, how she talks to him, how she balances owning two companies with motherhood, being a wife, a friend and a sister. She makes it look easy because she focuses on the positive. I actually get mad at her from time to time because I want her to tell me everything – the good and the bad. I don’t want to be naive – I need to know the nitty gritty!
How far along were you at shoot?
Sara: Just a little over 38 weeks. It was fun to get dressed and put on some high heels! I work from home so my current uniform is the same pair of black leggings and whatever t-shirt still fits.
Cristina: 11 weeks and not showing at all but trying to fake a bump for photos! Feeling very nauseous throughout.
How did you decide what to wear?
Sara: The good thing about being so big is that options are limited. There were two dresses I was deciding between and of course, it came down to comfort. I feel like the ruching and the deep v neckline in the dress I wore had a sliming affect (is that a thing when you’re 38 weeks pregnant?). A thick heel is my go to when I need some height but know I’ll be moving around.
Cristina: Kimonos were my staple with my first pregnancy. I would throw on a fitted dress and layer. I choose a similar outfit using a silk trench coat as the layer for the shoot.
How has your pregnancy gone so far?
Sara: My pregnancy has been really smooth. I had issues with my blood sugar before pregnancy so I was really cautious and aware of my diet in my first and second trimester. I think that helped with nausea and food cravings. I’ve definitely been a little more relaxed with the diet it in the third trimester.
I do have some hip and back pains but I’ve followed a prenatal Youtube video series and tried to walk as often as possible since day one. Moving, even just a little, throughout the day helped tremendously. I also started prenatal yoga and acupuncture in my 3 trimester. I try to keep myself active and avoid naps during the day so Im really tired at night and will sleep hard.
Cristina: So far so good! I loved being pregnant with Bowie and this one is feeling really similar. Except for a little more nausea and being so, so sleepy the first 8 weeks. Lots of food aversions to some of my favorite things like coffee and crazy cravings like kale and lemonade. Physically, I feel great but ask me again in a few months.
Do you think your parenting style will be different from your sisters?
Sara: Probably. I think I’ll be more laid back in some areas and more cautious in others. But honestly, who knows? My only real point of comparison is how we treat our pets : )
Cristina: What she said! Sara is so calm and communicative I have no doubt every decision Sara and Trevor make will be researched and well-informed. My husband and I are not really one to research. I think Sara mistakes my “research and organization” for Love Child posts where the info does come in handy and I’m able to learn so much but in reality, my husband and I are the go with the flow type.
What lessons will you take from your own mother’s parenting style?
Sara: Watching my Mom and Dad with Bowie is so sweet. I can just picture how they must have been with three kids and I feel so lucky to have had them as our parents. My Mom is incredibly gentle, patient and always goes with the flow if things don’t go according to plan. She was super active with us and constantly took us to parks, museums and different events around town. I hope I can learn to take things in stride like my Mom and I also hope I can keep our family active even when it seems easier to stay cooped up inside.
Cristina: Deep, unconditional love. Patience, forgiveness and being fearless! Our mom is always the first to try something new and it’s inspiring. We ran our first full marathon after watching our Mom at 60 run her first. She is running yet another half marathon this Sunday!
Best part of being pregnant together?
Sara: It’s been a little short lived but knowing our little babies will be close in age has been really fun.
Cristina: We were so excited to be pregnant together that we didn’t realize our babies would only be 6 months apart. I can’t wait to share in the motherhood journey with Sara (the ups, the downs, the hormones, understanding why it takes me 6 days to text or call her back) and of course, dressing our babies in matching Christmas jammies.
Best part of raising babies together?
Sara: Really this question is TBD. But I think having each other as support mentally and emotionally will be huge. Of course, help with baby sitting, pick-ups and drop-offs will be good too : )
Cristina: Watching them grow into best friends.