Enlarge Courtesy of Christy Lilley

Courtesy of Christy Lilley

All good things must come to an end. That's what I tell myself when I think about my maternity leave ending and going back to work. Even though I'm not going back to work for a while, I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since the day Diana was born. Actually, I started thinking about it even before she was born. It's like the Sunday blues times a thousand.

When I think about leaving my baby with someone else and not being with her all day, every day, my stomach literally hurts. I think about her missing me, wondering where I am, and if I'm ever coming back. The thought of getting two kids — plus my husband and myself — up, dressed and out of the house in the morning is enough to make me break out in a cold sweat. We were having enough trouble when we had just one kid — how are we ever going to handle it with two?

So, if I feel this way, why don't I just quit and stay home? Trust me, I've thought about it A LOT, and I wish it were that easy.

Enlarge Courtesy of Christy Lilley

Christy with her daughter Diana, who is now a month old.

Courtesy of Christy Lilley

Christy with her daughter Diana, who is now a month old.

Diana turned one month old this week. I cannot believe a whole month has gone by already. Where has the time gone? Every day for the past three weeks, I have had the best intentions of sitting down and writing a blog post, and each day has come and gone, and I have not been able to find the time. I couldn't tell you all what I've done in those three weeks, but I know I've been going nonstop from morning till night and free time is a thing of the past.

Life with two kids under 2 is definitely challenging. I love having two, but it's crazy at times. Sometimes it's just about as difficult as I expected, and others, it's so much harder. Things will be going just fine, and then all of a sudden all hell breaks loose and everything changes in an instant. Usually someone ends up crying — and more often than not that person is me.

Enlarge Courtesy of Christy Lilley

Christy has been nursing her daughter, Diana. But after developing pre-eclampsia during her pregnancy, she's on a blood pressure medication that has decreased her milk supply.

Courtesy of Christy Lilley

Christy has been nursing her daughter, Diana. But after developing pre-eclampsia during her pregnancy, she's on a blood pressure medication that has decreased her milk supply.

It's 4:36 a.m. As I sit here at my computer typing this post, the sound of my breast pump hisses in the background.

I've been up most of the night nursing my baby girl and trying to soothe her back to sleep. When I finish, I pump for a few minutes in an effort to increase my milk supply and preserve every precious last drop. Then I drift off to sleep for an hour or so before it's time to start the whole process again.

It's times like these that I often wish I was bottle-feeding.

Enlarge Courtesy of Christy Lilley

Diana Marie Lilley was born July 7, weighing in at 6 pounds, 2 ounces and 19 inches.

Courtesy of Christy Lilley

Diana Marie Lilley was born July 7, weighing in at 6 pounds, 2 ounces and 19 inches.

With the roller coaster ride we've been on the past few weeks, I'm so happy to be home with my beautiful and healthy baby girl.

After being diagnosed with pregnancy-induced hypertension at 33 weeks, my doctor put me on bed rest. Then, at just about 37 weeks, a different doctor told me I could go back to work — just what most women want to do at that stage in pregnancy!

But by the end of that week, I was not feeling well. I was even more swollen, and my headaches were pretty bad. The blood pressure readings I took at home were elevated, and when I went to my weekly appointment that Friday, my blood pressure was up higher than it had been throughout the pregnancy. Still, I had no protein in my urine (a sign of pre-eclampsia), so my doctor put me back on modified bed rest rather than send me to the hospital.

I spent most of the Fourth of July weekend resting but continued to have elevated blood pressure readings on my home monitor. My gut instinct told me that I was going to be induced soon, so I started to get nervous.

Update: Christy just sent in a couple of photos of Diana and big brother James:

Courtesy of Christy Lilley

Last night, I sent an email to our Baby Project moms announcing the birth of Finnley James Crossman-King. And early this morning, I got this note from Christy Lilley:

Enlarge Courtesy of Christy Lilley

James with his new baby sister, Diana

Courtesy of Christy Lilley

James with his new baby sister, Diana

Congrats to Sarah and her husband.

I wanted to also let you know that our daughter, Diana Marie Lilley, arrived yesterday morning at 1:31 a.m. She's a little peanut weighing 6 pounds, 2 ounces and measuring 19 inches, but she is beautiful and doing great.

Congratulations to Christy and Jim Lilley — and to their son, James, who's now a big brother! Hopefully, Christy is taking a well-deserved nap right now, but as soon as she sends along photos of Diana, I'll post them here.

Enlarge Courtesy of Christy Lilley

Christy's now-20-month-old son, James, was born with a cleft lip — a delivery surprise that Christy says seemed devastating at the time.

Courtesy of Christy Lilley

Christy's now-20-month-old son, James, was born with a cleft lip — a delivery surprise that Christy says seemed devastating at the time.

I've been a worrier for as long as I can remember. It's just who I am — I worry about anything and everything to the point of obsession.

As soon as I found out I was pregnant, I started worrying about whether the baby would be healthy. Our 20-month-old son, James, was born with a cleft lip, so I worried that this baby would have one, too — or something even worse.

We didn't know about James' lip until the moment he was born. After nearly three hours of pushing, the first thing the doctor said after the birth was, "I don't want to alarm you, but ..."

Those are the last words you want to hear.

Enlarge Courtesy of Christy Lilley

Christy with her son, James

Courtesy of Christy Lilley

Christy with her son, James

Late last week, I went to the doctor for my twice-weekly blood pressure check and non-stress test. I guess I'm doing well — maybe too well.

A few weeks ago, I ended up in the hospital with high blood pressure. Since I had preeclampsia in my first pregnancy and was showing many of the warning signs of developing it again, I was monitored for a few days and then told to go home on bed rest.

The doctor I saw last week (not my regular doctor or one who's seen me during this pregnancy) decided to lift most of the restrictions, including going back to work. She said that my blood pressure has been much better, the baby looks great, and it's probably going to be a few more weeks until I deliver.

Enlarge Courtesy of Christy Lilley

Christy and James, with their four-legged friend, Max

Courtesy of Christy Lilley

Christy and James, with their four-legged friend, Max

I've been on bed rest for two weeks now. I was recently diagnosed with pregnancy-induced hypertension, but because I experienced preeclampsia in my first pregnancy, I am being monitored very closely by my doctors to see if I develop it again.

I have many of the warning signs — headaches, blurred vision, swelling, hyperreflexia — but so far bed rest has kept my blood pressure controlled, and the baby looks great.

During this time, many people have told me that they are jealous of me, that bed rest is just like being on vacation, or they wish they could trade places with me.

Enlarge Courtesy of Christy Lilley

Christy with her son, James

Courtesy of Christy Lilley

Christy with her son, James

My name is Christy Lilley. I'm 32 years old and live in Charlotte, N.C., with my husband, Jim, and our 20-month-old son, James. We've been married seven years and are expecting baby number two, a girl, on July 21.

Like much of Charlotte's population, we are Northern transplants. We both hail from outside of Buffalo, N.Y. Jim and I met in law school and moved to Charlotte for better jobs and much better weather. I work as an in-house attorney for a Fortune 500 company in the telecommunications industry. Jim works at a bank as a financial planning strategist.

Life is pretty hectic with two full-time careers and a toddler running around getting into everything. The idea of two children so close in age seemed a lot better before he was mobile. Some days it seems like we are barely getting by, yet we love watching him grow and seeing the world through his eyes.

It doesn't seem like I have much free time lately, but before kids we loved to travel, enjoyed food and wine and cooking. I also love to exercise and be active. I like everything from running, to yoga, to hiking, to aerobics, to biking.

Enlarge Courtesy of Christy Lilley

Christy and her husband, Jim, on their wedding day

Courtesy of Christy Lilley

Christy and her husband, Jim, on their wedding day

This pregnancy has been quite different from my first, starting with the morning sickness and nausea that lasted well into the second trimester. The second time around is a lot harder because you are chasing after a toddler who doesn't care if you are sick or exhausted. I was also hospitalized earlier this month for high blood pressure and am now home on bed rest for the remainder of my pregnancy. I developed preeclampsia at 37 weeks in my first pregnancy, so the fear was that preeclampsia was setting in earlier this time.

For now I've been diagnosed with pregnancy-induced hypertension but am being monitored very closely by my doctors to see if it develops into preeclampsia. I go to the doctor twice a week for blood pressure checks and non-stress tests, and monitor my blood pressure at home. So far my blood pressure is responding well to bed rest, and the baby is doing great, so the hope is that we'll be able to keep her inside as long as possible.

My birth plan is that I don't have one. I know that the baby will be born in a hospital, Jim will be present, and I'll probably have an epidural, but other than that I'm not planning anything. After unexpected complications in my first pregnancy, and a very long and difficult induction, I decided that some things are better left unplanned.

Enlarge Courtesy of Christy Lilley

Christy with her first child, James

Courtesy of Christy Lilley

Christy with her first child, James

Those who know me know that I'm an uber-planner, so it is completely unlike me to give up control — but a healthy mom and baby are the most important things in the end. So I'm willing to place all my faith in my doctors and do whatever they say is necessary to get her here safely, even if that means an induction, pitocin or a C-section.

I know in the age of home and water births, doulas and going med-free, my attitude is an unpopular one. I also know that none of those options would be available to me if what happened last time happens again this time. So for me, it's best to go with the flow and not set too many expectations that could leave me disappointed or feeling like a failure if things don't go as planned.