Wednesday, December 5, 2018

PREGNANCY | Second Trimester Update

Since tomorrow marks the start of my third trimester (how?!), I thought it made sense to do a little 2nd trimester update. I feel like my second trimester went by even faster than my first and with the holidays, I have a feeling that the next three months will fly by even faster. EEK! Some days I panic and feel like I should start packing my hospital bag but other times I feel like February 28th is so far away and I would be fine even if I didn't even have a hospital bag ready. It's crazy to think that our son will be born in Southern California - which is another thing (like buying our first house) that will always tie us to this state no matter where we live.

21 weeks / Over halfway there! 

HOW I FELT PHYSICALLY | |

Generally, I have felt so much better in the second trimester than the first. Some days I didn't even feel pregnant other than noticing my ever growing belly. I haven't taken as many naps as I did in the first three months, but have been making sure I don't work too many 12 hour days and trying to just rest when I need to. We haven't been going to bed as early as we were either but hopefully on the nights Jake doesn't teach we can start going to bed earlier again so I can get my 8+hours of sleep while I still can!

Nausea - little to none

Fatigue - My belly is getting larger by the day and I am starting to get uncomfortable in certain positions - sitting too long, trying to shave my legs, bending down to feed the dog... you get the idea. I spilled some pasta sauce while making dinner tonight and luckily Olive was right there to lick it up. Yeah, the odds of me bending down to try and clean it up were slim to none, hah...

Cravings - sweets (my sweet tooth is back!) / acai bowls / sandwiches / fiber one cereal / snack lunches - apples, cheese and pretzels / iced coffee / carbs / sugar cookies! 

Growing Pains - a few round ligament pains, but nothing super painful. Just the usual random stretching sensations and pulling. 

HOW I FELT EMOTIONALLY | |

I have been WAY more emotional these past few months. I can cry at the drop of a hat - or watching a commercial, just by Jake suggest something or by looking at all our baby clothes in the closet. And even putting together the crib, I had to hold back tears. Feeling kicks has been so wild too! At first it was hard to differentiate if something was a kick or just my usual stomach sounds, around 24-25 weeks or so, it became undeniable that I was feeling a kick. I have anterior placenta so according to the doctor, the baby has to kick twice as hard for me to feel him. But, I have definitely been feeling him. He moves the most at night, just as I am trying to fall asleep. I've read that is not unusual. And exciting news, Jake has been trying to feel kicks for awhile now and he finally confirmed that he definitely felt a kick on Monday night as I was falling asleep. I am sure the kicks will only get stronger from here. Gah, I am almost tearing up just typing this. See! 

My brother and his wife came to visit in early October and it was so special to show them Long Beach! 

WEIGHT GAINED | |

I feel like I have generally been eating healthy except for a few birthday and holiday splurges occasionally. The last time I weighed myself last week, I was up 15 lbs from pre-pregnancy weight. Per my discussion with the doctor, my goal is to gain 20-25 lbs so hopefully I can stay in that range. I've heard the weight packs on in the 3rd trimester so we'll see how that goes... I think just keeping a number in mind will help me not gain as much weight as if I didn't pay any attention to it ((fingers crossed))! 


HOW I'VE BEEN SLEEPING | |

Ehhhh ok. I still haven't invested in a pregnancy pillow, but I still use a pillow between my legs and I have this one pillow that I use on my side to kind of keep me laying on my side and it has been working pretty well. I get up about 4-5x a night to pee and whenever I wake up on my back, I readjust so that I go back to sleep on my side. I read a lot online that you are supposed to sleep on the left side, but my doctor says either left or right side is OK. Phew! One less thing to worry about! 
Baby feet! At 20 week ultrasound 

WHAT I'VE BEEN WEARING | |

I broke down and bought 8 pairs of maternity shorts (they were $3 each! I originally wanted 10 pairs so I had 5 of each size) so have been living in those. I am starting to get a bit cold, so also ordered a few pairs of maternity leggings from Kohl's randomly - the shorts are from there too. I have a couple nursing bras so I am ready when the time comes and I think thats all I've bought this trimester. I may buy another couple maternity dresses for the 3rd trimester but other than that, I don't plan on buying much more maternity. 

EXERCISE | |

As I mentioned in my last update, we have been going on 1-2 walks a day with the dog. That is essentially the main way I am getting my exercise this trimester. Sometimes we go on longer 45 minute walks but during the week, its usually closer to 20-30 minutes. While I wish I felt like working out more, I don't really and I am not beating myself up about it. It is what it is. 
26 weeks / 11-22-18

WHAT I'M EXCITED ABOUT | |

We've actually started working on the nursery! Not too long ago, it was still in the planning stages. Now we have a rug and a crib! More on my Instagram stories if you want to see some sneak peaks. I ordered removable tile wallpaper which we will plan on hanging during Christmas break and I think that will really make it feel like a nursery! I am proud of myself for not going out and buying 89375862387 baby clothes but I did go a little crazy on Black Friday. I ordered 4 things from Old Navy and I asked Jake how much he thought they cost. He said $10... and I was like well, no... a little higher. Haha... I got 2 zipper onesies, a pair of pants and a bodysuit for $30. That is a score!

And the carseat arrived last weekend which makes it seem so much more real! We have not installed it in the car yet, we are debating if we should install it in our current car or wait until our new car arrives in late January. More to come there!

We also picked out and met our pediatrician (only 5 min from our house!) and I am going to a breastfeeding class tomorrow night. I feel like I can never learn enough about that -- and knowledge is power!


xoxo,