Pregnancy Must Haves… the 2nd Time

April 15, 2018 nk3302 Comments

When I was pregnant with Gerrit, I read a lot of “pregnancy must have” lists for recommendations to make the rough parts a little more bearable. I even came up with my own list when I was pregnant the first time. And not that my list from last time didn’t have good ideas, my list this time around looks a little different…

Netflix/cable/DVDs
When you have another kid to take care of while you’re pregnant, you sometimes just need a break. Maybe you want to try to take a catnap? Find a show on Netflix for your kid to watch, and sneak back into bed. Pretty sure you’re about to puke? Find a show on Netflix, turn up the volume, and hope your kid gives you a few minutes of privacy to deal with morning sickness. I know, I know… you shouldn’t use TV as a babysitter. But sometimes you do what ya gotta do.
Hiding place
Most pregnant people I know need to snack throughout the day. And if you’re nauseated by a lot of foods, you do not want to share the foods that you can keep down. So if you’re a SAHM, you better find a good hiding place. The pantry is perfect, since that’s probably where your snacks live. Your bedroom closet is good too (just leave some Girl Scout cookies on the shelf behind some sweaters). If you don’t want to share your snacks with your minion(s), find a good hiding place.
Special treats
You felt like crap all day. Your kid was defiant, whiny, and clingy from breakfast til bath time. You finally got said kid to bed. Now wouldn’t a glass of wine be nice to unwind? Not when you’re pregnant. So you better find another treat to help take the edge off! For me it’s ice cream or frozen yogurt. I will not share it. It’s my “I survived the day” reward. No touchy.
Caffeine
I remember when I was pregnant with Gerrit and ended up not being able to stomach the smell or taste of coffee in the first trimester. And since you’re not supposed to consume much caffeine in pregnancy anyway, I just gave up my morning coffee. I still went through a phase of not really wanting any coffee this time around, but as soon as I could handle it again, I started drinking a cup a day to wake up in the morning. I also usually have a Dr Pepper in the afternoon for a pick-me-up too.
Lists & Plans
I feel like having another kid to take care of 24/7 seriously sucks up my memory. I have a notebook and pen on the end table in the living room 100% of the time to write down anything I need to do or just things I don’t want to forget. I have grocery lists, lists of people I need to get in touch with, baby lists, lists of things to do with a hyper 3 year old… so many lists. And going along with that last thing, I feel like I’m always looking for indoor activities to do with Gerrit. I refuse to take him outside right now because he has tried to take off more than once, and I can’t/don’t want to chase him down at my size. Thankfully there are a lot more options for indoor play here in Little Rock than there were in Del Rio. I keep up with events on base for kids his age as well as things happening in the community. If we ever are having One of Those Days, I have a plan to get us out of the house for awhile.
Alone Time
This one probably depends on the person, but I NEED my alone time. I don’t really get any during the day since Gerrit doesn’t nap anymore, so I totally take advantage of any time I get when Andrew is home. He’s pretty good about taking G outside when he’s home, and he keeps him fairly occupied while I’m making dinner. I also insist on at least 30 minutes of uninterrupted time to do whatever I want after we’re done with the bedtime routine. Usually I’m mindlessly scrolling Facebook during that time, but that’s exactly what I need: something mindless with no one touching me and no one talking to me. It keeps me sane.

Pregnancy after that first time is definitely different! As much as I hate all the aches and pains that have come with this pregnancy, it’s been more fun in some ways too: I love hearing Gerrit talk so sweetly to the baby, and I’m much more prepared feeling this time vs being terrified. We’re looking forward to meeting this baby next month!

Baby #2: Week 33

April 11, 2018 nk3302 Comments

I can’t believe that a month from now I will be full term!

How far along: 33 weeks on 10 April 2018
Approximate size of Baby: the size of a head of celery or a ferret (about 17.2″ long and 4.2 lbs)

Gender: No clue, but you can now go make your guess on our Baby Pool!

Weight gain: 18 lbs
Symptoms: fatigue, back pain, eye issues, nausea, low appetite, SPD?, Braxton Hicks contractions, varicose veins

Always tired. Sleep isn’t great at night, but it’s not horrible. I try to take naps some days, and they’re really hit or miss.
Back pain when I’m on my feet for a long time.
Haven’t bothered with my contacts in weeks. I’m so sick of wearing my glasses, but I can’t stand having my eyes burning either.
Nausea has only popped up once or twice this week.
I’m not usually very hungry in the morning, then I’m starving at lunchtime, but by dinner time I have low appetite again. Most nights I’m hungry by 10 or 11 for my late night snack.
Some days I feel like I just ache all day, and other days are not as bad. It’s always uncomfortable at night when I try to roll over. I’ve noticed it’s worse on my left side too.
I think I only had one day of painful BH contractions. The other days they’re painless but persistent in the evenings.
Varicose veins are still visible but I think they’ve faded a bit.

Maternity clothes: All the time. Packing up one pair of maternity jeans that are feeling snug.
Stretch marks: no new ones
Belly button in or out: in but shallow
Sleep: Depends on the night
Best moment this week: Getting things prepared for this baby! I washed most of what I want washed for the baby (all newborn clothes, blankets, bassinet sheets, Boppy cover, etc), and it all smells so good! I also have two freezer meals made and started packing the hospital bag.
Miss anything: Sleeping soundly
Movement: Lots of movement, especially later at night (after 10pm).
Cravings: Nothing new. Still having apples and cheese almost every night for a snack. Also enjoying frozen yogurt many nights.
Looking forward to: My first OB appointment in Little Rock tomorrow!

Baby Update · Daily living

Baby #2: Week 32

April 3, 2018 nk330Leave a comment

This week I celebrated my birthday, our anniversary, and Easter! My birthday was low-key, but Andrew let me sleep in and rest a lot, and that’s really what I wanted. I made a donut tower birthday cake for myself, and we went out for sushi for my birthday dinner, so I would say it was a great birthday! Our anniversary & Easter fell on the same day this year. We went out for a late Easter brunch at Lost Forty Brewing and then walked down by the river. It was a great afternoon! We really didn’t do anything special for our anniversary. I gave Andrew his gift before we left Del Rio so the movers could pack it: a copper-colored wind chime for our new home in New Mexico (the traditional gift for 7 years is copper). I can’t wait to hear how it sounds later this summer! And I’m hoping Andrew and I can sneak out for a date night before the baby arrives as a belated anniversary celebration. 🙂

How far along: 32 weeks on 03 April 2018
Approximate size of Baby: the size of a squash or a naked-tailed armadillo (about 16.7″ long and about 3.8 lbs)

Gender: No clue, but you can now go make your guess on our Baby Pool! Looks like you all are split exactly 50/50 right now haha.

Weight gain: 16 lbs
Symptoms: fatigue, back pain, eye issues, nausea, SPD?, Braxton Hicks contractions, varicose veins

Always tired. Sleep isn’t great at night, but it’s not horrible. I try to take naps some days, and they’re really hit or miss.
Back pain when I’m on my feet for a long time.
Taking eczema off my symptoms list! I switched to a regular lotion, and no flare ups!
Haven’t bothered with my contacts in weeks. I’m so sick of wearing my glasses, but I can’t stand having my eyes burning either.
Nausea most often happens around dinnertime, but it pops up randomly too. I started gagging one day when Gerrit called me in to wipe his butt…
Some days I feel like I just ache all day, and other days are not as bad. It’s always uncomfortable at night when I try to roll over.
I had two more days with painful BH contractions. The morning after I hit 31 weeks, I had a repeat of the previous morning: painful contractions while just sitting on the couch having my morning coffee. They went away after 30-45 minutes and drinking lots of water. I made donuts for my birthday, and after I finished, we went out for dinner. Once we got to the restaurant, I started having painful contractions again. They pretty much lasted all through dinner. I’m guessing that was a combination of being on my feet for a long time and forgetting to drink water again.
Varicose veins! I keep forgetting to mention these as a symptom because I rarely see them haha! Andrew pointed them out to me on the back of my left leg a few weeks ago. Another symptom I never had with my last pregnancy…

Maternity clothes: All the time
Stretch marks: no new ones
Belly button in or out: in but getting shallow
Sleep: Depends on the night
Best moment this week: Getting to go out for sushi for my birthday dinner! I may have been in a little pain during dinner, but I still definitely enjoyed my meal. Gerrit was being difficult in the restaurant… until his food came. Food is this kid’s love language, haha! And he loves going out for sushi. I ordered some miso soup, and he insisted on eating all the tofu in there. Then his food came, and he loved his teriyaki chicken and fried rice, and then insisted on eating several pieces of Andrew’s tuna and salmon. I think we have another little sushi lover in the family.
Miss anything: Having the patience & energy to keep up with Gerrit. It hasn’t been an easy week.
Movement: Lots of movement still!
Cravings: Nothing new. Green apples & sharp cheddar cheese make me happy. Sometimes I actually have an aversion to sweet things lately.
Looking forward to: Still looking forward to getting set up with an OB. After NOT getting a referral, I called back to see what was going on. I was basically told it would be faster if I took care of things on my own… so I did. I was told I could be seen by the end of this week, so I’m hoping that’s true!