Monday, 5/5/25: Talking about really big news!

Happy Monday!

It’s a new week, which means it’s time for your next Monday motivation newsletter.

Read on below for some steps to a happier Monday and some positive thoughts to get your week started.

Three Steps to a Happier Monday

Each newsletter starts with three prompts to inspire gratitude and simple intention setting. Take a moment and jot down answers to these three questions. To give an example, I share my answers below.  

Step 1: What are three things I appreciated from the weekend? 

Step 2: What is one thing I can be excited about today?

Step 3: What is my intention for this week? 

GRATITUDE: From my weekend, I am thankful for how easy it is to rent e-books from the library, Matt’s help and comforting conversations with my mom. 

TODAY: Today, I’m most excited to get through a big presentation for work. Looking forward to that sigh of relief after it’s over. 

INTENTION: My intention this week is to focus on proactive planning, like writing out my to-do list for the next day at the end of each day. 

Okay, your turn! And if you want to share your three steps, I am all ears. 🙂

Meaningful Musings: Surprise! Big News to Share 

Matt and I are absolutely bursting with excitement to share some big news… we will officially become a family of three later this year!

Ahhh it feels so good to finally be writing about this!!! 

From as early as I can remember, I’ve always known that I wanted to be a mom and have a baby one day. And I cannot wait to see Matt take on the role of “Dad,” a role I’m pretty sure he was put on this earth to play. But the fact that it’s all actually happening and I am living through it continues to sneak up on me. Sometimes I’ll be going about my day, doing something totally normal, and remember, I’m pregnant! And I’ll smile to myself and think, “Wow!” (Or, sing the Taylor Swift lyric – ‘I’m having his baaabbbbbyy’). It is pretty wild. In the best way… 🙂 

Okay, now onto allll the details I’ve been dying to share! 

When is the baby due? 

I’ll be 16 weeks tomorrow, and the baby’s due date is October 21. Fall baby!!

Were Matt & I surprised? 

Yes and no. Kids – and how much we both wanted them – has been a topic of conversation for us throughout our entire relationship. Going into 2025, we hoped to get pregnant sometime this year. But we were definitely a little surprised by how quickly it happened! Of course, that surprise quickly turned into immense gratitude as we know that’s not something to take for granted. 

We’re feeling incredibly grateful to be sharing this news, but we also want to acknowledge that the path to pregnancy and parenthood looks different for everyone. While we may not fully understand what other experiences are like, we’re thinking of those who might be in a different season right now and sending so much love and hope.

How did we find out?

We were traveling for a wedding in mid-February, so I figured I’d take a test before we left, just in case (and so I’d know whether or not to drink at the wedding!). I knew there was a chance, but I truly did not think I would be pregnant. Everything I’d read told me several months or a year to conceive was completely normal, so I had adjusted my expectations accordingly. Plus, I didn’t feel pregnant. 

So, the day we were leaving for the airport – Valentine’s Day! – I took a test and could not believe my eyes when I saw that second line. Matt was in the other room and didn’t know what I was doing, so I silently freaked out, jumped around and started to process the news. Then I ran into our bedroom, quickly wrote the news in Matt’s Valentine’s Day card, and handed it to him. Watching him read it is a moment I’ll remember every Valentine’s Day, forever.

Do we know the gender?

We DO! We are having a baby BOY!!🩵🩵🩵 

We’re both planners and knew we wanted to find out the gender. I was 100% convinced we were having a girl, so it took me a second to wrap my head around the news – but we are SO excited. It makes it feel so much more real knowing we are going to have a son (!).

How did we tell our families? 

We told our immediate families pretty soon after we found out – mostly over FaceTime – and started to widen the circle a bit last month. I wasn’t able to capture every reaction, but I did get a few and compiled into a video here. So, so much love! 

Do we have a name? 

We have two names we really love, but we’re keeping the final choice a surprise until we meet him! (AHH!)

How am I feeling? 

I am feeling pretty good! I didn’t experience much morning sickness – aside from a few days of feeling ‘blah’ – but OMG the fatigue in those early weeks was next level. I’m finally enjoying staying up past 7:30 PM again! It’s definitely an adjustment not having as much energy as I used to, and I’m still learning my new limits. But as the weather warms up, I’m starting to feel more and more like myself.

Thank you so much for reading! We are so happy to share this news with you!

That’s all for today! I hope you found something in today’s newsletter that sparked motivation, made you smile or inspired a positive Monday thought. Don’t underestimate the power of starting small… a fulfilling week starts with just one fulfilling day. You’ve got this! 

Let’s make it a great Monday!
Megan