Baby Bricker Update: How Are Sarah & Megatron Doing?
It’s been almost two months since we shared our news that we’re having a baby. In the last few weeks, more and more people have been reaching out to ask how things are going with Sarah and Megatron, so we’re back with an update on the pregnancy to answer those questions, share new maternity photos, and our plans to welcome Baby Bricker into the world.
First, we want to start out by reiterating our previous thank you. We are incredibly appreciative for the outpouring of love and support that you all have expressed in response to our exciting news. So many of you shared sincere messages of congratulations, and your own deeply personal stories and struggles.
We are truly humbled by the joy and happiness you’ve shared for and with us, and thankful for all of you wonderful readers. You all exceeded our expectations–and we do not have low expectations for you–reminding us yet again how fortunate we are to have such a great community here. Your kind words meant more to us than you’ll ever realize.
We’ll start with an update on mom, and to answer a lot of reader questions, Sarah is doing well! We’ve had several doctor’s appointments since the last post, and all has been good at each of them. Mom-to-be is healthy and there are no issues with baby. Megatron continues to be very active, moving so much that the sonogram technician continues to be “impressed” (probably not really) and/or challenged with each visit. We’d expect no less from a baby with the namesake of Megatron!
Speaking of which, Sarah also continues to be active. Our last update mentioned that she’d be sitting out Early Entry and other park strategy sessions in the future, which turned out to be untrue. We actually did A/B testing on Early Entry at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure just a couple weeks ago and it went flawlessly! Early Entry remains a fantastic way to do both parks because of the extremely limited eligible guest pool. (I’m sure most of you actually clicked on this post expecting an indirect update on Early Entry at Disneyland.)
Sarah does get tired after walking around the parks for extended periods of time. Her ankles sometimes get slightly swollen after standing hours on end, at which point we head to the Star View Station Lounge or the back porch at Flo’s and sit for a bit. (The timing of that lounge’s opening couldn’t have been any more perfect for us!) We have had a few marathon days in the parks, though, and they’ve gone well.
It has helped that the second trimester went much better than the first. Sarah had far more energy and there was far less unpleasantness, etc., during the second trimester. It sounds like that’s all about par for the course, so I’ll spare you the details or over-explaining of things many/most of you already know!
Sarah is now entering the third trimester, and is starting to experience more hip and back pain. We’ll see how long we’re able to keep up the extended park days. For now, she still feels good and energetic, and has bounced back in a big way after that first trimester. That energy definitely does fizzle out in the evening hours (although we managed to stay for the “Celebrate the Spirit of America” Independence Day tag on the 4th of July) and our bed time has moved forward a bit to accommodate.
We continue to get an above-average amount of exercise. Even prior to the pregnancy, we went on daily multi-mile walks. This is something we’ve done for a long time as a way to disconnect (no phones) and spend time with one another. That practice is pretty much unchanged. We do these in our neighborhood, up the hill, to the beach, at the parks, and in town. Sarah continues to close those rings on a regular basis!
In addition to exercise, as you might’ve known or surmised, Sarah was already an incredibly healthy eater and she’s somehow kicked that up a notch during the pregnancy. Frankly, I don’t know how anyone, anywhere, ever is that diligent about diet. That’s doubly true when dealing with pregnancy cravings and food aversions, which she has somehow managed to “beat.”
I’ve been eating mostly healthy in solidarity, but even I can’t keep up with her. I don’t have that level of willpower. And of course, I am forced eat unhealthy from time-to-time in the parks…for the sake of research. I have no say in the matter.
The bottom line is that Sarah is crushing it on this front; her determination and dedication are truly impressive. Maybe she’ll be a little embarrassed that I’m sharing some of this, but I’m really proud of her and I think this is praiseworthy.
I’m not really sure how thorough of a response was desired when people asked, “how are Sarah and Megatron doing?” Perhaps a simple “they’re doing well” was all you were after and would’ve sufficed. So let’s move on…
On a disappointing (to me) note, my Dwight Schrute stroller testing trials have been a massive failure. I’ll admit that I never fully worked out the logistics of this one. I just watched that episode of The Office several times and thought, “I can’t wait to do that, but in a serious way, and with different types of strollers at Walt Disney World.” Despite never thinking it through, I had built this up in my head for years and was sincerely excited for it.
Starting actual research into strollers resulted in my (sorry to mix pop-culture references) “it’s one banana, Michael. What could it cost, $10?” moment. Except in reverse. I don’t know how much I expected strollers to cost…but definitely not how much they actually cost. My half-baked thinking was that we’d buy a half-dozen different strollers, I’d field test them all, and we’d draw some definitive conclusions.
With reality setting in, we headed to a local BuyBuy Baby that was going out of business. On the downside, the store already looked like the aftermath of Walmart on Black Friday and we bought next to nothing. On the plus side, the ransacked shelves and complete chaos made me comfortable doing some in-store stroller test-driving through aisles and past obstacles.
From that, I quickly learned two things. Strollers are shockingly nice! Mind you, this is coming from someone with practically zero stroller knowledge. The extent of my past stroller usage was literally just pushing around stray strollers at Walt Disney World from time to time to get them out of my empty park photos at night. The strollers at BuyBuy Baby handled far better, have a ton of features, and were just generally nicer.
The other thing I realized is that not only do I have zero stroller knowledge, but I am not currently equipped to evaluate strollers…or any baby products, for that matter. What makes any of these things good or bad? I have no idea. I was really impressed with one particular stroller model for its handling and responsiveness…until Sarah said, “you cannot possibly think you’re going to whip that thing around like that with Megatron in it…right?” Right.
So sorry to disappoint all of you who have been in a holding pattern, putting your pregnancy plans on pause until my definitive stroller research was published. As it turns out, Sarah already knew exactly which stroller we wanted and was just humoring my “research” anyway. But hey, at least I got to do some test drives around the store…it kept me amused for one afternoon!
Switching gears, one reason for the delay in sharing a Megatron update is the ongoing difficulty in figuring out what we’re comfortable sharing. There are a few layers to this, and it’s something we ourselves have struggled with over the years in determining how much to put ourselves out there.
I don’t want to make this a treatise about the ills of social media, but as people who have intimate involvement with and have read countless studies about that, we probably have a more heightened sensitivity than most. Suffice to say, there are reasons why we’re minimally active on social media, and we’re even more apprehensive about overexposing Megatron to and on the internet.
There’s also the practical reality of baby updates taking a lot longer to write and leading to analysis paralysis as we try to figure out what to say…and what not to say. A normal post here is written in pretty free-flowing fashion as ideas come to me and I quickly jot them down before forgetting, and then try to edit that into something nominally coherent.
I certainly overthink all things Disney, but it’s relatively fast and easy. We’ve been doing this stuff long enough that we have a lot of learned experience and accumulated knowledge. That paired with a passion for the subject matter makes for an efficient and painless process. If others think I’m “wrong” about something, I take no personal offense. To the contrary, having people disagree is downright beneficial in broadening my perspective, and not the least bit damaging to my confidence.
This is the opposite of that. Although we’re reading and doing everything we can to learn and properly prepare, we’re still overwhelmed. We know that’s completely normal and there’s no substitute for doing. That you figure a lot out as you go.
Nevertheless, we have seen firsthand how new parents can get torn down and judged on the internet. People have very strong opinions about this stuff, and there’s an obvious knowledge and experience imbalance between seasoned parents and ones to be. It’s daunting and we don’t have the same self-assuredness to brush off critiques, criticism, or even well-intentioned unsolicited advice.
The other side of that is the natural desire to share. Some of the misadventures in becoming parents we’ve had thus far have been interesting and amusing (to us), like the stroller saga. Maybe current parents will think I should be embarrassed by that, but I’m not. Why would I have any prior stroller knowledge? It’s not like it’s common sense.
I can already imagine that the pull to share baby photos and experiences will be even stronger. That there will be a lot of fun stories and moments we want to capture and convey. There’s a tension between that and all of the above, and it’ll be a tough needle to thread. In the past, one of my guiding principles has been to never write anything I wouldn’t be comfortable with my grandma reading.
Going forward, we’re going to be careful not to write anything that teenage Megatron would be uncomfortable to read. (Well, stories about themself. All teenagers are embarrassed by their parents, so dumb dad struggling with strollers is fair game!)
Ultimately, we just wanted to stop and share an update on Sarah and Megatron since some of you have been asking. A simple response might’ve been sufficient, or perhaps you appreciate the detail. I don’t exactly have as much experience writing this type of post as I do a step-by-step Genie+ day run-through, so I’m trying to figure this out as I go.
Once again, thank you all so much for your kind words and well wishes during our pregnancy. We truly are fortunate to have the best and most thoughtful readers. That may seem like a trite platitude, but we really mean it. This is something that we’ve noticed and have been proud of over the years, but we still didn’t expect such a strong an unequivocally positive and joyous response to our baby news. That alone has already made us some degree of more comfortable in sharing our family with you all.
Our next steps involve getting home ready for Megatron, putting together things we’ve purchased, and continuing to get ourselves prepared. Up until now, that has mostly involved voraciously reading everything we can about pregnancy, newborns, and parenting. I have learned a lot…of things Sarah already knew. (Again, I’ll spare you the details of things you already know, but some of this stuff is truly amazing and remarkable. It’s like Planet Earth, but with people!) Our next step in the preparedness process involves taking actual classes that the hospital hosts for childbirth, newborn care, and parenting.
We’ll be back with more updates as pregnancy continues and Megatron (or Baby Bricker, Disney Tourist Baby, etc.) comes into the world. In the meantime, we’ll return to your regularly scheduled programming about Disney IT problems, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, the best food you’re not eating, and so forth. Again, thank you all so, so much for your support and opening your arms and hearts to us. It really means a lot to us–more than you can probably imagine!
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Any additional thoughts you have in response to our update on how Sarah and Megatron are doing as they start the third trimester? Disney planning & pregnancy, or Baby Bricker posts you’d be interested in reading? (Again, we don’t know how much we’re going to feel comfortable putting ourselves and our child out there, so we’d greatly appreciate you granting us grace and patience as we find our footing and prepare to be parents!) Hearing your feedback is always appreciated, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Just don’t stress! I found all the books just useless as a mom and just made me feel bad. No one size fits all here, kinda like a Disney vacation… There is SO much judgment–screw that. I could use stronger language, but I bet it would be blocked. 😉 Y’all do what is best for YOU.
It’ll be stressful, scary but you guys will figure out a rhythm and what works for Megatron and only Megatron! I hope y’all are blessed with a calm, happy butterball like my son was, he was the easiest baby after the pregnancy from hell. And even better, he’s now a lanky pre-teen (almost anyway omg) and still loves Disney with all his heart, I bet Megatron will too!
Sarah’s a trooper with being super healthy. I was so sick so my kid was created thanks to chicken noodle soup and copious amounts of Coca-Cola. LOL
Thanks for sharing with us. I am really happy for you guys. 🙂
Thanks for the update! Sarah looks amazing. I am so very excited for your family.
Hi Tom and Sarah,
Thanks for the update! Like many, I have been curious. I feel as though I know you, as I’m sure other readers do. It’s great to hear your updates and see photos.
Also, would you mind linking in the comments a couple of the most robust studies you’ve read about social media ills? I’m a parent who likes to explain the “why” when I say no or when encourage against (or for) things, and I think it helps my son to understand where I’m coming from too. Research from others to support my views helps with that understand too. My son is still young and not at an age where he’s engaged in social media yet, but it’s on my mind often as he’s getting older and I think about how to navigate that issue when it inevitably arises.
Thanks!!
Will be thinking of you both as you enter the amazing world of parenting soon!! It is simply the best!
Sarah looks incredibly lovely for a woman entering her 3rd trimester and you both look soooo happy! I’m happy for you and pray for an easy delivery. Can’t wait to see pictures of your little family ❤️
Great to hear it’s going well and mom is healthy and happy! My best advice is to throw everything you think about parenthood out the window and go with the flow. Being a parent is by far the most challenging thing, but also the most rewarding. Also half the things you buy, baby will not like. Do not be offended. Every kid has their preferences and it takes some time to work out what works for your own individual child. What works for me, may not work for your baby, but here goes:
I’m pretty sure between my 3 girls (I had 3 under 2 at one point) we owned at minimum 10 strollers over the years despite the cost. Consignment sales are great to pick up gear if it’s not baby’s main ride. Local preschools around me hold them quite often.
For the parks, when they were babies and toddlers, I actually preferred baby wearing (especially nice with my twins) because it made waiting on lines seamless so in addition to your stroller testing, I’d also read up on breathable baby carriers. Once they were bigger and when carrying them became too strenuous- quite old because kids got super tired legs at the theme parks, and you otherwise end up holding them in your arms on lines, you’ll see- a large sunshade and a good recline were our biggest pluses for park strollers. We used strollers until they were about 7, though they only used it off and on at that point. It’s quite convenient for stuff holding. I kind of miss having one now!
We are a stay open to close at the parks kind of family so they would either nap in the stroller or nap on us (also why baby wearing is handy). I remember taking sleeping babies in carriers on many rides- only a few don’t allow it.
Now my kiddos are older and like Universal as much as Disney so we rotate every other trip. It is so much fun to watch your kids experience the magic at the parks; it’s better than anything else at the parks:)
Hi Tom and Sarah, thank you so much for the update on Megatron. I was laughing you didn’t get to Dwight Schrute and “road test” prams, but do agree try them out! I was given one for my bubbs, and I used it, however a year on I purchased what I actually wanted. 100% better.
As for updating us your “psydo family” I personally am very grateful for anything. I was impressed that you’re considering Megatron and what information you put out. As once it’s out, you can’t put it back. Also pleased to hear Sarah is going well and I’m sure she’s enjoying every moment, as are you. As always, appreciate any updates. Thank you, take care love this blog!
Em x
So happy to read that everything is progressing well. Well done team DTB! The stroller testing and no previous knowledge thing made me laugh out loud. I remember it very well (we have a 1 y/o). What on earth is a travel system? Is that what we need? Do we need the bassinet part? And then car seats suffice to say, we now have two strollers! The heavy duty, hiking one, and the travel one which folds into an overhead bin. We need both so it’s worked out. Taking the heavy duty one to WDW (transatlantic) when baby was 5 m/o thought we might just throw it under a bus getting onto buses when it didn’t fold down as a one piece? The horror!
I love hearing all about your adventures in this new phase of your life! I’m so glad both Sarah and Megatron are doing well. You do such a fantastic job giving Disney advice and tips, and I’m excited to hear what tips you have when there is a baby in the mix! I’m sure all of your followers are loving every baby update you want to give. 🙂
If not all ready suggested, I think you should refer to Megatron as Baby Herman. Load up on the stogies.
Congrats on all things megatron. Never feel bad for overthinking when it comes to baby. As a neonatal nurse and grandmother my best piece of advice is to all parents is -You will get a million people telling how to do X________! Just smile and say oh thanks so much, But I’ve got this. Then remember that you are THE parent and trust your gut to do it the way that works for you and not everyone else !
Also remember you pick what you like but I get asked a lot so just my personal preference we LOVE the snoo bassinet, newton matress , doona infant car seat stroller , and for later cybex syrona s 360, and mockingbird single to double stroller .
So well put, and I wholeheartedly second this! Listen with a smile and say thanks, as I am sure you do with many things in life. But understanding that someone else’s lived experience is not yours gives you the freedom to follow your gut and learn what works best for your family without the clutter of peer pressure. (Going against all of this, it is true that time zips by, and before you know it sweet baby Megatron will be learning to drive, so savor and enjoy the various stages!)
On the other note of sharing, I love seeing an update, but I deeply respect and fully support your thoughtfulness navigating what and how much is appropriate for your family now as well as down the line. You are already proving to be good parents with strong parenting skills!
Such a cute pregnant mom!! So happy for the next generation of Disney experts!
Tom & Sarah,
I’m so glad Sarah is doing well! She looks fantastic – healthy and vibrant! Way to go! Loving all the pictures!
Please don’t feel we need baby pictures. As the old saying goes – the internet is forever. People can be weird and sometimes even dangerous. Keep your little ones face private if that’s what you feel called to do – no judgement here. We have your back!
Congratulations to you both! The Disney memories you get to make from here on out are going to be even more amazing. Best wishes to Mom, Dad, and Megatron.
Side note: Your blogs and guides are amazing and have proved invaluable in helping me and my family plan our Disney trips. Thank you.
I’m going to respond to individual comments, but a few things:
1) Again, we appreciate the outpouring of support and well wishes. You all are great.
2) Thank you all for the book, stroller, and other general recommendations. Although it’s overwhelming, I actually enjoy doing online and in-person product research (I spent the better part of last weekend determining which baby monitor we’d get!) and feedback is always appreciated on that front. Just don’t be offended if we don’t follow-through on your suggestions…it would be impossible to buy everything, anyway!
3) Appreciate your thoughts on the ‘thinking aloud’ commentary about social media and online exposure for Megatron. That’s all very daunting, and we want to strike the right balance between privacy and sharing joyous moments and memories. I suspect it’ll be a process, and one we’ll figure out as we go.
As a parent of a 13 year old and 16 year old…I have no advice because every child is different and you both will meet the challenges and the joys.I am just so excited for you both! Congratulations and enjoy all the wonderful parent roller coasters ahead! Cheers to your beautiful little family!
So glad the hear all is going well. You’ve already learned that everyone is an expert when it comes to parenting… so here is my unsolicited advice:
1) I second others who have recommended buying 2 or 3 different strollers. Sorry not trying to bankrupt you but we found we needed a different one for travelling. I highly recommend an “umbrella” type that folds with one hand – really a must in an airport. They often make you check the larger ones and you NEED it in the airport especially with delays as they are
2) You probably already planned this but start travelling with baby early and often – even internationally. You guys are travellers and your kids need to be:) My daughter took 22 flights by the age of 2. She is a seasoned and super traveler.
3) hard learned lessons for flying with under 5s: take 24 hours worth of food on the plane with you – even for short flights. I have been on a ground stop on the runway for 5 hours with my 18month old – they wouldn’t even serve water. I have been on a 2 hour flight that was diverted to an airport 7 hours away from our destination and on a bus back to destination with no stops for food. I used to take frozen food/bottles as back up.
4) also take toys/books non- electronic diversions. Our rule was there are no rules on the plane – as much pacifier/iPad/chocolate etc that it takes. Rules can be re-applied upon landing
Happy Travels!
1) Our current plan is to start by buying one nice stroller for locally, use that and learn its pros & cons (for us) and apply those to subsequent purchases. Definitely prepared to own a stable of strollers, but it feels premature to purchase 2+ before the baby arrives.
2) We have already planned this!
3-4) Great recommendations and advice–thank you!
So happy all is going well with the baby. And with the two of you! Your instincts are spot on re overexposing a child online. While the occasional family pic is normal and will sneak through once in a while, we really don’t know what the impact on preteens, teenagers and young adults will be after years of being pressed into their parents’ vlogs as content filler. That generation will grow up being known as the “kid” from Mom and Dad’s vlog or youtube channel. Every child has a right to grow into their own future and own identity. Maybe I’m just being overprotective but being a kid and young adult is tough enough without the content creator spotlight. Will it be as bad as being born the child of a famous musician, singer or actor? Who knows. But parents are wise to hang back a bit and be wary of their child being pushed through this new online wave. Teenagers are notorious for blaming their parents for everything. Internet channel and vlog babies will have a whole lot to say about their experience in a decade or two. And probably nothing good. Years ago, being born into the family business had its down side when young adults realized they couldn’t choose their own path in life and had no choice but to take the reins whether they wanted to or not. At least they could work out their angst in private. Not today.
We’ve actually been reading a lot about this, and definitely don’t want Megatron to be an “influencer baby.” (I also don’t consider us to be influencers, but I suppose definitions of that could vary.)
The first generation of kids who grew up on social media is only now starting to come of age, and many are definitely resentful of what their parents put them through. We do not want that.
As a father of four young kids and a decades+ long subscriber of your blog, we are extremely excited for you and Sarah. You two will be shocked how fulfilling it is to see everything through your child’s eyes, especially in the Disney parks. Good luck the rest of the way!
Congratulations again and best wishes for continued health for Sarah and the baby. Just love that little one with all your heart and soul and trust your gut with everything; only you can know what is best for your baby
So glad everything is going well and love the detail! Having just had our baby in March (almost 4 weeks early) let me suggest you have that hospital bag packed early! My husband decided to take a shower and pack his bag after my water broke Just a suggestion though I know you two are probably over prepared!