bump #2 - 26 weeks!

I am late in posting this.  I typically start my blog post the Friday before my week changes (I change on Saturdays) and then edit them on Monday with a picture...typically lame pictures, but this blog is for me to reflect one day and I can't tell you how much I have looked at my first pregnancy posts just to compare.  Well on Monday I received some terrible new about one of my best friends.  The kind of news that punches you in the gut.  You never want to see someone you care about to have to deal with something so heavy.  I am not going to go into it on here, but my mind has been elsewhere this week and posting about food cravings seemed trivial...IS trivial.  But at the end of the day I know this is something she will overcome because she is a super strong person and I know she would think it is ridiculous if I didn't post since I know she is basically my biggest blog fan.  So without further ado, here is a sweet picture I got Matt to take of me as he was late running out the door for work.

Total weight gain: +15.5.  This number has gone up and down all week, but this is where it landed today.

Maternity clothes:  Yep!  

Sleep:  I am sleeping a good amount, but still feel exhausted.  Emerson woke up a few times this week, but went right back down whereas it takes me around an hour.  I have a feeling that my iron levels are low.

Miss Anything?  Not really!  Just trying to enjoy this part of my pregnancy.  I am feeling great and not huge yet so I can still do everything I did before…except bending over to pick things off of the floor. 

Movement:  Yes!  All times of day now and they are bigger and stronger movements which is great.  I feel the most at night before bed.

Food cravings:  Half sweet and half unsweet tea, granola that I make, southwest quinoa salad with avocado, and lots of sweets.  I eat allllll day long.  I can’t lock it up.  I am going to try to stop eating right before bed because that isn’t something I do when I am not pregnant.  I just had to finish all my birthday cake.

Anything making you queasy or sick?  Just when I overeat….haha.  I can tell that my reflux is on its way back.  I got a little this week and was able to just take Tums.  I think I am going to avoid tomatoes, peppers, and onions the rest of the pregnancy.  Not worth feeling sick over.

Gender:  Boy!  I keep buying him small things whenever I am out especially at places like Marshalls which is my favorite store.  I bought him a few things from the GAP on sale too.  I have a hard time remembering what all I will need in the beginning.  I just am going to be a psycho this time and have everything I need a month early right down to the paci clip.  I went through all the baby stuff this weekend and there aren't many clothes I can reuse which doesn't surprise me.  Luckily I can reuse all of the gear so I don’t have that much to buy.  Nesting is in full swing!

Symptoms:  On Monday I felt a weird tug and then almost a warm gush on my insides as I was running up a hill.  So naturally I freaked out and called the nurse and she assured me that this was “normal” and I was experiencing round ligament pains/ stretching of my muscles since I had no other symptoms like bulging, bleeding, and he was still moving up a storm.  I reluctantly took her advice and didn't run the next morning.  I think the weather was like in the 50s too which is my favorite temperature to run in.  Wednesday rolled around and I got a cramp around mile one so walked a shorter way home very frustrated.  I know all this makes me sound like a brat, but it is how I feel.  Running is my jam, it is my mental break, I always feel 10x better after I run even if I am super slow and don’t go far.  Thursday I decided to give it another shot and was completely fine!  Hooray!  Hopefully that was just a freak thing and I can keep running a little longer!

Happy or Moody:  Happy and anxious about the birth.  I read a great VBAC success story online of a lady who did it and had a challenging labor (I know having a child is hard work either way) and still preferred it over her scheduled CS that she had with the first.  She even wrote that she thought it would just be easier to have a CS while she was in labor just to get the baby out, but kept thinking how much easier her recovery would be if she continued with the VBAC.  Anyways, it makes me hopeful to at least try it! 

Looking forward to:  My next appointment is Thursday.  Can. Not. Wait.  Even the second time around, I want to go in and hear that heartbeat and hear them say everything looks great and on track.  Plus since deciding on a VBAC I am starting my rotation of doctors.  I get to see the one that actually delivered Emerson this time so I can’t wait to talk to her about baby 2! 

Exercise:  Ran 4 x 2.75 miles, run/ walk 1.6, 3 family walks that are about a total of 3 miles but anyone who has ever walked with me knows I walk slow so I am not sure those "count".  I LOVE running in the dark this time of year.  I feel like I am getting such a jump start on my day.

bump #2 - 25 weeks!

Another gross selfie before work.  We are allowed to wear jeans if you wear a company shirt so I squeeze myself into it on Mondays.  I spy Emerson's legs!!  

Total weight gain: +15 thanks to cake and ice cream!

Maternity clothes:  Yes!  I can still wear some shirts, but why bother.  Maternity tops are so roomy.

Stretch marks:  I haven’t looked for them to be honest.

Sleep:  This week has been great.  Matt is back in town and she has been sleeping which is AWESOME!  Last weekend was brutal with her 5am wake up calls so this is a nice change.  My alarm has been going off anywhere between 5:15 and 5:30 so I can exercise this week though.  The weather has been amazing and I am taking full advantage!

Miss Anything?  Down time.  It has been go go go and I am ready for a day nothing.   

Movement:  Yes!  More and more!  I love it!

Food cravings:  I craved a burger on my drive back from Greenville so I tried one from Cookout.  It was ok.  Other than that sweets and cereal.  I can’t seem to get full in the mornings and end up eating two breakfasts and a snack before lunch.  My oatmeal isn't cutting it.

Anything making you queasy or sick?  I got a little sick on my birthday, but overall I feel great!

Gender:  Boy!  I still can’t believe it.  I have started to buy things for him…even diapers.  I bought him a swimsuit which Matt thinks is a little ambitious since he won’t be getting in the pool so I will return it…boo.  Boys clothes are ugly y’all.  They really are.  I HATE graphic tees and I can't find many stores that carry decent boys clothes that don’t cost an arm and a leg.  He mainly owns pajamas at this point which is what Emerson lived in at the beginning. 

Symptoms:  Still getting dizzy and still having pulls on my stomach which I think is round ligament pain.  

Happy or Moody:  Happy!  I celebrated my birthday this week!  Love that my daughter enjoys the sweets that come along with my birthday!!  We had a few friends over this weekend too.  Love my people.  We also got to see our families and my sweet little nephew, Tripp, turned 1!  Such an exciting time!

Looking forward to:  I think I finally have decided what I am going to do in Emerson's room as well as the nursery.  I will do a blog post about that soon.  I really want to design both rooms on the cheap just because they will change again in a few years when we have another.  I have the wall colors picked out so Matt is going to try and paint both rooms this weekend.  Can't wait!

Exercise:  I ran 4 times this week.  I am prettttty slow now, but it still counts!

We really had a great weekend.  Friday we had friends over, Saturday we went to Tripp's party and Sunday we ran errands.  We looked at rugs, went to Ikea, did some meal prepping, had a family walk and Emerson enjoyed her first popsicle.  I am having a hard time coming to terms that she isn't going to be my baby anymore.  Despite the big kid "drama" in her daycare (there are mean girls in her class that won't play with her and call her baby since she is the youngest) she is still my little baby.  I have cried over this a handful of times already.  Not sure what my problem is.

Crafty Patti (my Mom) made Emerson and Tripp bibs to match the theme - super cute!  She sin't feeling the picture.....

Diva won't look!

Tripp kept coming to Matt to play and then Emerson would get jealous and squeeze herself in between them.  My Mom said she did this the weekend before when she was watching both.

Excuse our ghetto cords....we need to have someone come and set up our TV.

bump #2 - 23 & 24 weeks!

So I failed at taking a picture for week 23.....don't hate!  

WEEK 23

Total weight gain: +13.  It is so crazy to see this number on the scale.  I have to remind myself how far along I am, but I REALLY want to stay under 30 pounds with this baby.  I remember 20 came off pretty fast, but those last 15 hung around longer than I would like mainly because recovering from an emergency c-section is a real bitch and Emerson didn’t sleep through the night for a long time.  I do think postpartum will be easier in this time around because now I know what it feels like to lose the baby weight but to not have your old body.  Your body is so soft and squishy which is strange.

Maternity clothes:  For the most part.  I am really over winter clothes.

Stretch marks:  I have some on the sides that come and go almost.  I am being diligent about applying lotion.

Sleep:  Pretty good.  I am sleeping hard, like waking up in the same position I went to sleep in.

Miss Anything?  Honestly no.  I was craving wine and had a sip and it was disgusting.  I have zero desire for it now. 

Movement:  Yes!  Much lower than Emerson though.  I think I felt him in two places this week which means he was stretching out which is neat.

Food cravings:  Sweets, sweets and super salty foods like cashews with salt.  I polished off a whole can of those in days.  I have been thinking about fudge icing for days which is ridiculous.

Anything making you queasy or sick?  No, I feel great!

Gender:  BOY!

Symptoms:  My skin is breaking out and I still will feel weird tugs on my belly when I stand.  I remember feeling them with Emerson too.

Happy or Moody:  Stressed!  T-minus 17 weeks (if he is on time) and I have nothing done.  No stroller, no nursery, nothing.

Looking forward to:  Getting things figured out for this nursery.  I need to figure out paint and drapes, the rest we will reuse.  That always means I need to get Emerson’s big girl bed.  So many things!

Exercise:  I ran once, T25 twice, and Tracey Anderson once. 

WEEK 24

Please excuse the mess in this picture as well as the quality.  I wonder how long I can get away with the excuse we just moved in?  I look and feel huge!

Total weight gain: +14…averaging about a pound a week

Maternity clothes:  Maternity work pants were super comfortable this week.  I think I am over doing the hair tie trick.

Stretch marks:  I might have a few small ones.  I was freaked out, but now I am hoping they just fade.

Sleep:  Each day is different because of Emerson.  I sleep like a rock and don’t even wake up to use the restroom.  Emerson had a virus this week that has woken her up a few times, not to get sick but I think her tummy is upset/ she is hungry.

Miss Anything?  I am feeling SO much bigger this week.  Matt is out of town so I am doing everything for Emerson which is totally fine, but I never do her bath and that felt hard to me.  It is getting harder to bend over to get whatever she drops too.  I remember hitting this point last time and you just start squatting down to pick things up. 

Movement:  Yes!  More and more!  I love it!

Food cravings:  Sweets still, eggs, granola, and cereal which is strange because I only eat that when I am pregnant.  

Anything making you queasy or sick?  I had to take a time out after changing one of Emerson’s sick diapers from that stomach bug.  So awful.

Gender:  BOY!!

Symptoms:  Getting dizzy every now and then (low blood pressure I assume), and cramps if I sit down too long. 

Happy or Moody:  Happy!  I went to a baby sale and got my Bob revolution double stroller and a Mamaroo!  These were the two big baby things I needed and I am glad to have them taken care of.  I have heard mixed things on the Mamaroo, but we used our Fisher Price swing so much last time that I think I will want the flexibility to have a swing in two different places of the house.  Plus the Mamaroo is easy to move from room to room.

Looking forward to:  My bestie from high school is having a sprinkle for her second daughter this weekend.  She is due in April and I am so looking forward to just catching up!

Exercise:  I ran twice and did T25 twice.  The runs are so much easier if I do them in the mornings.  We had a few warm days here so I was able to get them in before work.  I think these runs are around 2.5 miles now.  I would rather cut this back as needed before I stop completely.