The news is officially out & we’re beyond excited!

Baby Carnes is… A BOY!

I’m already getting all the tips from you boy mamas out there! We welcome them with open arms!

So, did you guess correctly?

I took a poll on Instagram Stories… and good news: you had a 50/50 chance of guessing right.

And I’ll tell you what: 50% of you were right. Bravo to you! 💕💙

The 50% of you who guessed snips & snails & puppy dog tails were correct! You win a virtual high five!

A few fun baby boy/pregnancy updates:

On finding out it’s a boy!

Right from the start Chip and I both had a hunch that Baby C is a boy! And even though we had a hunch, finding out officially made it all feel just so REAL! We considered waiting until the birth day to find out, but once we got to talking more about it, we decided we’d love to know and be able to call the baby by a name! We found out around 16 weeks at Prenatal Imaging in Evans, GA (local friends, highly recommend them!!!), and it was so fun to start to dream of what life with a little boy will be like! We didn’t even tell our families we were going (sorry families!) and kept it a secret just the two of us for about a week before telling anyone we went! Since we found out we were pregnant later than most people (8 weeks), we told our families almost immediately after that, so this was fun to have another little secret just the two of us could enjoy for a bit! However, this place does actually fit ~15 people in the ultrasound room so if you’re local and want to have the whole crew, it’s a perfect option! We loved that we could find out starting at 13 weeks there, instead of having to wait until 20 weeks at my doctor (especially because Chip wasn’t able to join for that 20 week appointment and I really wanted him to be a part of the reveal!).

Picking names

Speaking of names: BOY NAMES ARE HARD. We have a pretty solid list of go-to girl names, but boy names have been particularly tough for us. We’ve narrowed it down to a list of about 10 options and rotate through them testing them out. Goal: decide before we get to the hospital! 😂 Chip loves Biblical & family names, so we’re exploring some options there, but also have some on the list that are just particularly great, have special meanings, & sound great with Carnes. Also, the planner in me is totally considering what we’d potentially name a future child (boy or girl!) and how the names sound together! 😉 And we’re definitely considering keeping the name a secret until baby is here… and it may just happen by default if we can’t make up our minds haha!

What everyone says

The first thing boy mamas tell me when they find out we’re having a boy? “Oh boys loveeeee their mamas!” The second thing? “Boys are harder the first few years of their lives, but easier the rest of their lives.” Any boy mamas out there agree with those statements? I grew up with one sister, so don’t know much about what it’s like having boys around the house, but I certainly am excited to find out.

My parents are blown away we’ll have a boy in the Locher/Carnes clan, and Chip’s mom is already pulling out things she has saved from when Chip was a little one. I can’t wait to see some of those little things, as well as get hand-me-downs from relatives and friends! Needless to say, everyone is THRILLED – especially because this is the first grandbaby on both sides of the family!

Sophie & the nursery

Sophie is v.excited to have a baby brother. 😉 She’s not quite sure what to do with all the changes in the house (aka, her normal sleeping spots are all wonky!) but she’s already testing out the office turned nursery. I can’t wait to get more furniture in there so we can spend time preparing and praying for Baby C while we wait! Currently it has a crib (we chose the Hayden Crib from Pottery Barn Kids – on sale, clean lines, & gender neutral for all future babes!), a grey tufted headboard (for a future dual purpose guest room use) that’s technically an Anthro headboard that we found for cheap at Final Cut (which is basically the Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, Free People, BHLDN, & Terrain extras/overstock/slightly dinged warehouse and happens to be in Augusta?!), and the other boy of the house: Felix, the fiddle leaf fig (aka the only plant I’ve ever been able to keep alive!). The nursery will be primarily whites, greys, pops of blue & green, and with hints of puppies/animals & travel/adventure themes. And I use the word theme very loosely! 😉 Mainly, we want this space to be light and full of neutrals & textures with pops of color… and let’s be honest, a clean backdrop for newborn photos! We’ll only be in this house for 6 months after baby boy is born, so we’re taking advantage of all of the lovely light while we can!

Halfway there!

I think the thing that is the hardest to believe of all… I am 22 weeks, meaning I’m over halfway there! Wow!!! I’m feeling so great, and truly thankful for the change from weeks 8-12 to second trimester. I absolutely LOVE feeling baby boy kick all day long. Truly it makes me smile every time & I’ve found myself wanting to stay awake to feel him partying when I’m going to bed. Granted, I’m sure eventually I’ll be biting my tongue wishing he’d rest when it’s time for sleep, but I’ll enjoy it while I can! What first began as little popcorn parties and butterflies in my belly only once a day (always in the evening!), now is a welcomed addition to my routine throughout the day. Chip hasn’t had the chance to feel him kicking from the outside yet, but I know it’s coming soon! And Chip’s eager for that day for sure. 🙂 The anatomy scan went well – and doctor says all looks great & he is growing well! We’re SO thankful and excited for what’s to come, and enjoying pregnancy & this time preparing for baby boy! And hoping that me feeling great will continue into third trimester & when my belly is huge! Speaking of a growing belly, right at 20 weeks all of the sudden I popped! What went from: “mmm… too many tacos” to “woah that’s definitely a baby!” was so fun and almost surprising in one week. Actually, this was that 20 week bump pic to document it all. Major props to Chip for any photo you see of just me. He is quite the pro at snapping photos when I set the camera. And when in doubt, we pull out the tripod and remote trigger & snap a few that way! I’m loving that we have that as an option, because I have no doubt we’ll cherish pictures from this season when baby C is here! Honestly, I already do cherish them, and secretly love that these 21 week photos in the nursery show where the nursery started, without a crib mattress and all… and I can’t wait to see what it morphs into. *Lauren… let’s not get crazy, you’re only here for 6 months post-baby.*

What’s next?

Kauai, Hawaii for our babymoon happening this month! Couldn’t be more pumped!

And nursery decor/registry making of course… and more than anything counting down the days until December 12!

Read other fun posts from our pregnancy: We’re Having a Baby!