Pregnancy announcement: we’re having a baby and couldn’t be more excited!

Baby Fabian will be arriving spring 2025 and we cannot wait to meet her! I’ve been overwhelmed by the love on Instagram and TikTok especially, but wanted to answer some of your questions in a longer format here.

Stay tuned for more posts on maternity fashion, the skincare I’ve been using and my honest thoughts on pregnancy. Pregnancy is truly a miracle but that doesn’t mean you’re loving it 24/7 (and if you do – you go, girl!)

Our Pregnancy Announcement

We are so thrilled to be expecting our first child and cannot wait to meet her (we found out the gender at 11-weeks). Baby is due mid-April and overall, it has been a very smooth pregnancy which is a huge blessing!

I had a gut feeling I was pregnant and took three separate tests (a few days apart) before getting a positive result. I’ll never forget the feeling or moment when I saw that test: the world truly stopped and I immediately started shaking and burst into tears. Without hesitation, I called Doug at work (no cute way of telling him on my end) and we were so excited/shocked. I always say knowing something could be a possibility and then having it be a possibility are such different emotions you cannot prepare for.

Called my parents and the OBGYN for some confirmation bloodwork and then had to go on with my work day like nothing had happened. That was the most distracted I think I’ve ever been on work calls!

I had been mentally prepping for pregnancy and a pregnancy announcement in therapy for months before it was even a possibility (I have a long history of disordered eating and wanted to be healthy and safe when the time came) and I cannot stress the importance of having someone to process this season of life with. Between the hormone changes, body changes and all the symptoms (talked about and not commonly talked about) it is a lot to grow a human. I’m so thankful for the support of my therapist and Doug’s while we navigate this season of life. Those two are literally the MVPs.

Burgundy Dress

Everyone’s experience is so different and unique, but wanted to share answers to my most commonly asked questions below, now that I’ve shared the pregnancy announcement. As soon as I found out, I found so much comfort in reading blogs and watching other people’s videos, so hopefully I can provide a resource to others.

How Are You Feeling?

Truthfully: the first trimester was a nightmare. I literally rated it a 1/10 only because at the very end I started telling friends/family but it lived up to its reputation. While I never threw up (I was praying for relief and often wished I had) I was consistently sick from about 1pm on and exhausted the second I woke up. No amount of sleep was enough. I have suffered from migraines and sinus issues my entire life and this was elevated in the first trimester (with only Tylenol for relief) which felt… cruel. I broke out for the first time in my life and experienced some body changes faster than I was prepared for which had me spiraling (again, cannot recommend being in therapy enough for pregnancy) and feeling like there was something wrong with me. Internet comparison was raging and I felt like I looked way more pregnant than I was.

Overall, I felt alone for the first four months before sharing the pregnancy announcement. As an external processor: this was tough since I chose to keep it a secret until 15 weeks and I cried so much.

The second trimester brought relief from nausea, more energy, more confidence and an overall more positive attitude. There was a good month where I almost forgot I was pregnant at times and I was able to travel. I felt so much more like me and it almost mentally erased the first trimester memories. For all my first trimester friends: wishing you relief and peace. You’ve got this and it will get better!

Side note: I get this (well-intended) question at least once a day and I can confidently say it is my least favorite to answer and almost irks me. Without getting too personal to the person that asked, I always feel like I have to say “I feel good” but that’s usually not how I’m actually feeling. I’ve actually started answering this with “I feel pregnant” because that’s very much how I feel. Pregnancy is a blessing but the “blessing” doesn’t get to outweigh the discomfort and pain of sharing your body for a year. So I’ll continue with giving the answer people want to hear but just be careful to not ask me a follow-up or I might tell accidentally you the truth.

Will You be Doing a Gender Reveal (after your pregnancy announcement)?

Yes! We did one in November and I need to make a blog post about it! It was Buffalo Bills themed (our favorite football team) and was for the grandparents only. We had tailgate snacks, a cravings bar and a really cute balloon wall I made. It was such a sweet day!

Living out-of-state from our family, we felt like keeping it only to the grandparents was special but also an easier lift for siblings/other family members. Truthfully: it was perfect this way because they were all so excited and it was nice to spend quality time with all of them. Highly recommend this route if you’re considering a gender reveal but keeping it on the smaller side of things.

What are Your Nursery Plans?

I am so excited about this one – it’s all pink and cream but with a twist of Bridgerton/Victorian style. Everything has an antique feel and while it doesn’t scream “nursery” it’s going to be so sophisticated and elegant.

I wanted a space she could be a baby in but also a little girl in that would let her feel like a “big girl.” Once everything is finished, I’ll be sharing more here!

Do You Have a Name Chosen (post pregnancy announcement)?

We do! Since we found out the gender at 11-weeks, we held off on names until we knew the gender just so we wouldn’t fall in love with a name we potentially wouldn’t be able to use. I randomly had a gut instinct around seven-weeks she was a girl so I wasn’t that surprised when we got the results. Mother’s intuition for the win!

There was a very specific vibe we were going for (regardless of gender) and on our way to a celebration dinner, we started reading names from online lists. Doug combined two names we liked into one and that was the name! Literally took us 20 minutes to decide but four months later, we still love it and I’ve personalized a number of items with this name, so this is the one!

We aren’t sharing the name until she’s born but did share the monogram (it’s a southern thing). Her initials are KCF but when monogrammed, she’s KFC which is too cute!

Excited to share more with you all about this sweet baby! She’s so loved already!