Category: Daily living

Baby Update · Daily living · Parenting

Baby #2: Week 6

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It’s October! I feel like September really flew by, and here we are in Gerrit’s birthday month. I can’t quite wrap my head around the idea that he will be 3 in a few weeks.
 I just have to say… you should go look at the weekly boards I did when I was pregnant with Gerrit. Do you know how long some of those took me?! That is a fantastic way to highlight how much TIME I had (and didn’t realize I had) before parenthood. I just shake my head at Old Naive Me. Oh, and I love my Cricut. So helpful for quick and easy!
How far along: 6 weeks on 3 Oct 2017
Approximate size of Baby: the size of a pea
Gender: no idea
Weight gain: none (-1 lb)
Symptoms: I still think the one I notice the most is breast/nipple tenderness. And it’s only getting worse. I still have a noticeably lower than normal appetite and occasional nausea. Usually water and a snack help with that though.
I’m still not very tired. In fact, I feel like I’m nesting already. I’ve been feeling the urge to clean and organize things around the house! I’m not sure if that’s a pregnancy thing or the fact that it’s fall now! It’s not even close to being chilly here, but temperatures in the 80s vs 90s/100s feels like such a relief. The cooler weather definitely has me feeling energized!
I’ve been feeling fat lately. Since my appetite is low and I’ve gained no weight, I think I’m just bloated. I just know that shorts that I was all excited about fitting into with my weight loss are now feeling snug again. Good thing I didn’t pack up the too-big shorts!
Another symptom I don’t remember if I had with Gerrit is skin issues. My face is so out of whack lately! It’s dry in some areas and breaking out in other areas. I have no idea what to do with it. But it’s not like me to have multiple zits on my face, so I’m not liking this.
Maternity clothes: nope
Stretch marks: no new ones
Belly button in or out: in
Sleep: Still not feeling tired at night no matter how long I was up! Gerrit no longer naps most days, so I couldn’t sneak a nap in even if I wanted to. Gerrit has been up more in the night again, so the sleep I do get is pretty broken. 
Best moment this week: Cooler weather! Sorry, I know that’s not pregnancy related, but OH MY GOSH feeling 70s after a long hot Texas summer was so amazing. It was a very rainy week, so we were a bit cooped up, but all the snuggles were nice.
Miss anything: Hello, Pinot, my old friend… I’ve come to gaze at you again…
Movement: not yet
Cravings: fizzy drinks
I made myself a “virgin hard cider” the other day: apple juice and carbonated water. It actually really hit the spot! I was wanting something sweet yet light, and my beverage was just what I wanted.
Looking forward to: A long weekend! It’s Columbus Day next Monday, so we’re taking a mini trip to the San Antonio area. I also scheduled my first OB appointment, and I’m anxious to see how things are going with The Tiny One.
And here’s one more photo, because Gerrit wanted to be involved! Ah, I can’t wait to see him as a big brother! ❤
Baby Update · Daily living · Parenting

Baby #2: Week 5

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I think the hardest part about pregnancy before you feel any unpleasant symptoms is keeping your mouth shut about it! I don’t even want to talk about how many people knew I was pregnant within the first week of us knowing about it. I was just so excited!

Before you get all excited, no, I’m pretty sure I am not showing already! That lovely bump is a combination of me not enjoying working out and me really enjoying a glass or two of wine after Gerrit goes to bed. And maybe some bloating? I know that’s a common early pregnancy symptom. The funny thing is, I’m way less self-conscious about my too-early-to-be-a-baby bump now than I was when pregnant with Gerrit. Maybe it’s the fact that I’m a mom now. Or that I’m in my 30s now. Or that I’ve put a lot of time and effort into eating healthier; I’m proud to say that I’m actually starting this pregnancy out at almost 10 lbs less than I was when I got pregnant with Gerrit. No matter the reason, I’m not embarrassed to post a photo of myself with a tummy!

How far along: 5 weeks on 26 Sept 2017
Approximate size of Baby: the size of a sesame seed
Gender: no idea
Weight gain: none… actually down a couple of pounds
Symptoms: The main ones this week were insomnia, occasional mild nausea, low appetite, and tender breasts/nipples. I don’t remember if I had difficulty falling asleep when I was in the early stages of pregnancy with Gerrit, but it’s driving me nuts. Surprisingly, I’m not very tired during the day despite only 6ish hours of sleep a night. I’m sure that will change in the next week or so.
Another thing I’ve noticed is that my sniffer is a lot more sensitive! Looking back, I realized this before I got a positive pregnancy test. I cook with cilantro almost every week, and lately it (and other herbs and spices) have seemed very strong smelling. Not quite enough to be nauseating, but it’s definitely a little off putting when I’m trying to cook dinner. Oh, and I can smell Gerrit’s poopy diaper across the room now!
Maternity clothes: No, although I’m remembering fondly how comfy those maternity jeans were…
Stretch marks: only old ones!
Belly button in or out: in
Sleep: I’m still not feeling tired at night. But once I get to sleep, I sleep pretty well for the most part. I just wish it wasn’t taking until 2 or 3 in the morning for me to feel even a little tired. 
Best moment this week: Probably sleeping in on Saturday! Gerrit picked up a little cold virus right after I hit 4 weeks, and I was up A LOT with him for a few nights. The poor kid was waking every 45-90 minutes, and although it was hard on me, I’m sure it was worse for him. I was starting to feel a little under the weather myself by Friday, so I was looking forward to sleeping on Saturday… and I slept past noon!! Maybe all I needed was some sleep, because my symptoms never got any worse, thankfully.
Miss anything: Still missing wine
Movement: not yet
Cravings: no
Looking forward to: My parents coming for a visit! I’m hoping it coincides with that notorious 1st trimester exhaustion so I can sneak some naps in. 😉
Baby Update · Daily living · Parenting

Baby #2: Week 4

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Well, here we are again! 🙂 This was another planned pregnancy, so I found out we were expecting again fairly early on.

Once again, I was completely shocked (even though we had been trying to get pregnant), because I was just so sure I was not pregnant. Even though I had been feeling moody and a little weepy (I cried watching “Moana” for Pete’s sake), I chalked it up to a lower dose of my antidepressant and PMS. Add in two negative pregnancy tests and some spotting, and I was completely sure I was just about to start my period. The day before I was supposed to get my period, I had had no more spotting, which was a little strange. So after eating lunch, on a whim, I decided to use my last pregnancy test. Even as I was peeing on the stick, I was thinking, Why are you even using this test? You’re just wasting money! But when the faintest 2nd pink line showed up, I almost fell over! I rushed to the window to get some better light, then took a picture to send to my sisters. I was sure it was just wishful thinking! Once I had calmed down, I dragged Gerrit to the BX (which is literally just down the road) to get a few more pregnancy tests. Yup, still positive.

The photo above is what Andrew came home to that night. Of course, it was night week, so he was home late-ish. I was practically jumping out of my skin waiting for him to come home! His reaction was pretty typical Andrew: calm and unfazed. When I asked how he felt, he said, “I’ve been ready for this as soon as we stopped using protection.”

That afternoon I also snapped this picture of Gerrit while we were playing in his room:

I don’t think Gerrit has any real opinions on this pregnancy yet. In the recent past, when asked, he has said he wants a baby sister, but we’ll see how he feels as things progress.

Coincidentally, I had a doctor appointment the day after I took the pregnancy test for a refill on my prescription, so I let them know that I had had a positive pregnancy test. They sent me to the lab to have blood drawn, and that afternoon, I got the call confirming that I was pregnant! Things will be a little different this time around, because I will need a referral to go off base for care.

How far along: 4 weeks on 19 Sept 2017
Approximate size of Baby: the size of a mustard seed
Gender: no idea
Weight gain: none
Symptoms: some nipple soreness
Maternity clothes: not even close
Stretch marks: only old ones!
Belly button in or out: in
Sleep: I’ll be honest… since I stopped drinking wine after Gerrit goes to bed, I’ve been having a hard time falling asleep as quickly. I’ve been sleeping more lightly too, I think, but it’s hard to say, because I never get to sleep through the night (ahem…Gerrit…). 
Best moment this week: Finding out that we are pregnant!
Miss anything: Uh…wine!
Movement: not yet
Cravings: no
Looking forward to: Getting assigned an OB/GYN in town so we can schedule our first appointment!