We're having a baby! Phew. That feels good to say out loud. I've been keeping this secret for almost 6 months now, and it's been killing me. It feels so good to finally tell you guys. For the most part, I have been feeling great. I don't have any of the ailments I had during my pregnancy with Sebastian (tingling fingers, headaches, bleeding nose, etc.) I had a 2 week bought with morning sickness from weeks 10 -12, but besides that, I have been feeling great.

During the first trimester, I was so busy with Sebastian, most days I had completely forgotten about being pregnant. Now, my belly is starting to show, and the baby is kicking lots, so it all feels a lot more real. I haven't put on nearly as much weight as I did with Sebastian, and I've managed to stick to working out 4-5 times per week. As my belly expands, I am sure this will probably change, but for now, it feels really great.  My only real challenges these past few months have to do with Sebastian, and I'll save those stories for another time.

We had been trying for a second baby since January 2017. For those of you familiar with my story, becoming pregnant does not come easy for me. It took me 2 1/2 years to come pregnant with Sebastian, we suffered a miscarriage in between, and I underwent a whole list of tests, was poked and prodded until I just about gave up. This time around, it took me 9 months to get pregnant, while suffering two chemical pregnancies in between. I guess that's just how it goes when you get older. Things don't work as smoothly as they once did.

We are completely thrilled and super excited that we are having another baby boy in early June. We have already come up with a name. I've been busy planning the baby's room, redecorating Sebastian's room, and planning two bathroom remodels. I am in serious nesting mode over here.  I feel pretty ok with how everything is going, minus my occasional freak-outs about how I am going to cope with a toddler and a newborn. I feel 100% confident about the newborn, it's the toddler that worries me. No one can really prepare you for the 2 - 3's.

I am having a c-section, and I'm pretty excited that this time around it's planned. Nothing really speaks miserable like 2 days of labor followed by an emergency c-section. My inlaws are coming to town for a couple of months to help out with Sebastian, which is going to be glorious. I am looking forward to as much snuggle time with this new baby as possible.

To celebrate this occasion, I made my absolute favorite chocolate cake. I have made it so many times, I practically don't need a recipe anymore. It is so easy and delicious and comes out perfectly moist each time. I topped it with a cream cheese icing which is Brent's favorite. I've learned over the years that if I want the desserts to get eaten (and not by myself), I need to make them very Brent-specific, because he, unlike myself, lacks a sweet tooth.

CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE ICING

makes 1 double layer 8 inch cake

cake recipe adapted from 

Essence of Chocolate

2 cups granulated sugar

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cups unsweetened natural cocoa powder

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup canola oil

1 cup whole milk

1 cup boiling water

3-8oz pkg of cream cheese

2 cups icing sugar, sifted

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Line 2 - 8" cake pans with parchment paper. Grease with butter, and then dust with flour. 

In a large bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. 

Add the lightly beaten eggs and combine. 

Add the canola oil and the milk and combine. Stir in the boiling water. Your batter should now be fairly liquid

. 

Divide the batter into the two pans. Place into the oven and bake for 30 - 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before removing from their pans. Let them finish cooling on a wire rack. I like to wrap the cakes in plastic wrap and place them in the fridge overnight to cool. I find them easier to frost. 

To make the icing, beat the cream cheese and icing sugar until smooth and fluffy.

Once the cakes have cooled completely, it's time to assemble! Place one cake layer on a plate or cake tray. Spread a layer of icing on the cake layer and then place the other layer on top. 

Next, prepare the crumb coat. This is a thin coating of frosting that seals the crumbs to the cake so they don’t show through. Take roughly 1/2 cup of frosting and with an offset spatula spread a thin layer on the tops and sides of the cake, then chill until set, about 15 minutes. Repeat a second time if you can still see chocolate through the icing. 

Prepare an icing bag using a Wilton#12 tip. Fill the bag with the rest of the icing. Decorate the cake with tiny beads in a circular pattern. Finish with sprinkles.

Can be stored in the fridge for up to a week.