Baby #2 Update - 26 Weeks

It's that time again.

I've flipped another week, and this kid growing in my uterus just keeps getting bigger and bigger. And so does the kid outside my womb. Bigger and more opinionated. That definitely adds a dynamic I didn't experience last pregnancy. Repeatedly lifting my 30-lb. love is taking its toll much earlier in the day than before, and combined with the oncoming heat of summer, I (along with Jon) have been crashing closer to 10 than midnight, which is strangely abnormal for us. But, that's helped with the increasingly earlier rising times, so I guess it's alright.

I sound like I'm really enjoying life right now, huh?

In actuality, life really hasn't been as bad as all that. Thankfully with the pool here at the apartment complex and our use of C's water table, we've been keeping cool, and we've been enjoying C's ever increasing silly antics and new words that he keeps learning. And, to top it off, we have a vacation to Michigan coming up that, while invoking the typical anxiety that comes with flying with a toddler, is something we're really looking forward to.

And now, onto the show:

My hair is a mess... taken at 26 weeks. (See me at 26 weeks with C, check it HERE)

How far along: Today, 26 weeks 2 days... last whole week of the second trimester!

How big is baby: 14 inches from head to toe and approximately 1 lb, 11 oz. Getting big!

Maternity clothes: The bathing suit I ordered arrived from Old Navy, and I love it. Haven't had the chance to try it out yet, but when the opportunity arises, I won't have a second thought about getting in the pool. I love the color, and the fit is perfect and flattering, which is hard to find in maternity clothes in general, let alone swimwear.

I've also been living in these leggings from Motherhood Maternity. So much so, that I bought another pair so I have two to wear out both during and post pregnancy. I'm wearing them in my weekly picture, actually!

Sleep: While I've been getting enough, I've also been waking up a lot to roll over or get a drink of water. Still haven't been having to get up to go the bathroom, but it's still annoying. Luckily, I haven't had too much problem falling asleep after I wake up, so it could be worse.

Food Cravings/Aversions: I still love pizza. And junk food. I've been working on incorporating more "good" food into my diet intentionally. Jon showed up with a surprise Butterfinger Blizzard in his hand when he got home from work last night, and I was probably more outwardly excited about it than a normal person should have been. At least he knew he did good ;-)

Movement: Jon's been feeling some good strong kicks when we're laying and watching TV at night. He still has his quieter days, which I really dislike. But, he's never been so quiet that I've been highly alarmed or anything. Just a quick glass of cold water usually does the trick. Hey, if it's a sign he's laid back like C and Jon, I'll take it.

Just for fun, here's a side-by-side of me at 16 weeks and this week:

Notables: I passed the glucose test with flying colors! Additionally, my doctor tested my antibodies (in reference to the discovery I carry the antibody e) and said that everything looked normal there, too. Praise God! At our doctor's appointment last week, the doctor said everything else looked perfect and she found baby's heartbeat loud and clear as soon as she touched the dobbler to my stomach. Hurray!

Looking forward to: Again, our Michigan trip, as well as planning for numerous, welcomed visits from friends and family coming up in the next months. I'm also planning on booking our elective ultrasound before we leave, so we'll have that to look forward to as well.

Baby #2 Update - 25 weeks

Happy Mother's Day weekend! I'm hoping to have a Mother's Day post up tomorrow, but sometimes I get a little to ambitious and things don't happen, so if it doesn't go up, Happy Mother's Day!
(P.S. If you're sick of reading baby bump updates, I actually wrote a non-baby bump update yesterday HERE)

This weekend started out great. On Friday morning, at 8:15, I sat and let orange, delicious glucose drink pulse through my system, causing the kiddo to bounce and my stomach to go “blech” for approximately an hour. I'm extremely grateful that this time around I didn't get the fainty, clammy feeling I got last time, requiring to me to inquire of the nurse if I might lay down before I fell on the floor. I spent the majority of the time browsing various social media, posting awesome pictures that no one cares about and playing Candy Crush (don't judge) on my phone. 

Awesome glucose drink. Follow me on Instagram at TheWinkofanEye.

We will likely get the results come Monday at our doctor’s appointment. Fingers crossed that I pass (though, in a strange way, a 3-hour chunk of time where all that’s required of you is to drink some stuff and get some blood drawn doesn’t sound so awful…)

This week has been a hormonal doozy. My poor, poor husband has suffered so much more in this realm when it comes to pregnancies. Despite him being around (it was his weekend), as well as having MOPS and getting some time solo, I felt on the verge of an adult temper tantrum both Wednesday and Thursday. Bless my husband for being able to read my signals and just go with it. He knows when to leave me alone, when to take C outside so I can breathe and when I need a pick-me-up. Maybe I need to learn some new coping skills. Here’s to a more positive feeling week next week.

Otherwise, things have been plugging along as usual. On Tuesday, I walked into the bathroom and upon looking in the mirror was shocked to see a very distinguishable baby bump. Apparently this was the week baby really decided to show himself. My suspicions have been confirmed as I've gotten many more concerned looks when refusing help out to my car to carry my one bag of groceries, the ladies in the leasing office are making comments about the baby really growing without talking about C and encountering many more helpful people when it comes to holding doors open. None of which are bad things. 

Tuesday belly selfie. 

Some of the moms on community boards I'm a part of seem really, really sensitive to unsolicited comments about belly size and newborn mommy advice, and most of the time, I don't really understand that. I mean, I get being slightly put off when people aren't articulate or thoughtful about the way they are saying things about size, but someone saying "you're getting bigger!" is not something to send me into a binge-eating, ugly-crying depression. I mean, seriously. I am getting bigger, and I know it. And, while I might feel fat, that's not what they mean. The fact is that most people mean well and are only trying to be encouraging. And the people who are being mean or dumb are people you should probably brush off anyway. Just a slight, random tangent. Whatever.

And thanks to Carise (a high school friend who's getting ready to be a first-time mama in August who blogs HERE and is one of the wittiest writers I follow) for the suggestion of Old Navy for maternity swim wear. Since I buy so much of my other maternity wear from there, I am surprised I didn't think of it myself. So, I purchased this beauty this week, and we'll see when it comes in the mail how it works out. Fingers crossed. Returns are a pain in the butt and my regular bathing suit isn't going to cut it much longer. People just don't want to see that.

Compare to 25 weeks with Caleb HERE.

How far along: 25 weeks, 1 day

How big is baby: 13.5" long and about 1.5 pounds! 

Maternity Clothes: Have I mentioned yes? I've also had to reign myself in from buying more summer things. I have this idea of a perfect maternity maxi dress that I haven't found yet (the definition of perfect includes "under $25"). I love finding new ways of dressing my belly to show it off (to a modest degree anyway). I'm finally getting out of the "I look fat" and back into "proud of my belly."

Sleep: Mine's been great, C's on the other hand has continued to throw us for a loop. Last week his naps were way out of whack and the last three days he's gotten up at 6:15. So, my sleep has been great when I get to sleep ;-)

Even when he doesn't nap well, he still looks so cute
when he wakes up!

Food cravings/aversions: My heartburn/reflux has been out of control this time around. So, what does that mean? Ice cream seems like the perfect cooling solution. Totino's Party Pizzas have been a vice for me as well. Those little things are so dang good. I sure wish I craved fruits and veggies.

Movement: He's been bouncing around more and more in there. Twisting, turning, punching. I don't mind so much, except when he's on my bladder. And, I find it humorous when C is sitting on my lap and the baby starts going at it strong. He's already trying to get a leg up ;-)

Notables: I'm not sure if it's "nesting" or just motivation, but I've been having this crazy need to organize and purge this week. So, I started re-doing our living room decor/pictures (which I've been putting off... we've had the same since 2010) and trying to figure out how I'm going to maximize shelving in the nursery to fit things in there for baby. 

Looking forward to: Finding out if I passed my glucose test and also our upcoming trip to Michigan. I love going back to Minnesota, but something about going back to Michigan is so calming. It's usually a very relaxed trip, and I love utilizing my in-laws lawn, taking strolls through the neighborhood and enjoying the Midwestern green. Can't wait.

Home for Now

...

As I mentioned in my unsettled post, we're playing a waiting game with the FAA right now when it comes to our move back home. But, if I'm honest, I can probably tell you that we're over 90% sure that we're not moving home — at least not this year. Maybe next year if bids open up this fall (as we've been told they maybe will), but not this September as we had hoped. We've learned not to hold our breath unless we want to be on the verge of death and extremely blue in the face.

Over the weeks, Jon and I have felt very at peace with where we are, and are feeling confident that right now we are where God wants us. Which is nice.

Along with this peace, I've realized that since being here, Jon and I have lived in the future, anticipating our eventual move home. We constantly say "oh, we'll buy that when we move home" or "we'll do this and that when we move home." That's left us with a really old leather couch that's falling apart, a dining room table that I actually grew up eating on and a queen-sized bed that's begging to be tossed out for a king and placed in a decorated master bedroom. 

Now, all of these things do the job. They provide a place to watch TV, a place to eat and a place to sleep. They are things that I know many people would love to have. So, I may sound like a whiny brat when I say that I just really, really want to feel like I live in a place I've made into a nice home, because right now I sometimes feel like I'm still living in a pieced-together post-college apartment. 

So, I told Jon that once we move this September when our lease is up (hopefully to a rented house), I'm done living in the "we're waiting until we move home" state of mind. That means working toward a new dining room set or a bedroom set or whatever we decide on. Wherever we land in the coming months, I'm going to make it our home and make it feel like a place that we can settle for awhile, even if that's not our ultimate plan. We're going to live our life in the now.

This change of mindset also goes for the way we live our life down here — which is definitely a bigger change than the furniture in our house. It means that, as hard as it is not focusing on future holidays that will actually involve people (since we spend all of our holidays alone....), we need to start making family traditions here. Embrace the life we're leading here. Just like we're not planning on leaving. I mean, what would we be doing if that wasn't even an option!?

This change will most definitely take vigilant effort, because sometimes it's easier for us to find joy in what might be our future as opposed a a present that sometimes isn't appealing or what we want. But, I think it will do our family good. It will help us feel more like we are living our lives to the fullest NOW, instead of watching it pass by while we wait for something we're not sure of. And, I'm so sick of feeling like that's what we're doing. It's stifling and depressing and is such a downer, when in reality, our life is SO good. 

It's the change of heart I think that I've been waiting for. A push in the right direction. It doesn't mean California is "home," but it means accepting it as home for now... and that's a point it's only taken me 4 years to reach.

Baby #2 Update - 24 Weeks

Learning to balance on the belly ;-)

Blah. I'm SO wiped out today. 

C's napping and maybe I should be doing the same, even though I already did so this morning. However, I wanted to update so that I didn't miss a week. 

This post is lame-o. Sorry.

Photo at 24 weeks (Compare to 24 weeks with C HERE)

How far along: Right now I'm 24 weeks, 4 days. That boggles my mind.

How big is baby: Weighing in at around 1.32 pounds and about as long as  foot-long sub (that means he's 12 inches). Mmmm... sub...

Maternity clothes: Yes. Right now I'm on the prowl for a semi-cheap maternity swimsuit. While I wouldn't typically spend $$ on that, this pregnancy will be in the heart of summer and C LOVES the pool. So, instead of going in naked, I figured I'd better clothe my belly. If anyone has any suggestions, they would be welcome!

Sleep: Decent... besides going to bed too late when I shouldn't. I'm so grateful that hip pain hasn't plagued this pregnancy like it did C's. I've also been forced to rouse myself earlier, as C has shifted his morning schedule to a 7:15 a.m. wake up call instead of his typical 8 a.m. one. Major bummer. That means earlier bedtimes for this mama. Also, as mentioned previously, I've been wiped by midday the last couple days. C seems to get heavier and I seem to get slower. Oh man, I can't imagine how it will be when I'm actually larger.

Food Cravings/Aversions: This week I had a couple days where I just really wasn't hungry at all. Then I have days like today where I feel like I could eat all day. I've been forcing myself not to buy lots of treats at the grocery store because I know I'll devour them in 2 milliseconds.

Movement: Jon really felt him moving and grooving in there this week. There was one night while we were lying in bed and that kiddo was just going to town wailing on me. However, after that night, he remained relatively "quiet" for several days. Not quiet enough to alarm me, but enough that I noticed. He just has his chill days, I guess. He seems to bounce around the most at night and I almost always feel him when I wake up in the middle of the night.

Looking forward to: Well, looking forward to might not be the right phrase, but I have my glucose screening this week and I'm eager to have the completed. Here's to hoping that I pass with flying colors like I did last time and don't have to deal with a three-hour test. Bottom's up!

Notables: I had my first stranger "acknowledgement" this week — a lady asking me in a medical office elevator if I was going to prenatal care. I also have turned the leaf of wearing my own T-shirts to bed and have raided Jon's drawer, since mine are no longer long enough. Thank goodness for my tall hubby and his long shirts!

Baby #2 Update - 23 weeks

Hey there peeps!

Last night I was laying in bed just running things over in my head and realized I had succeeded in taking my weekly picture, but had completely failed in actually posting my update! Silly me. It's not really like this week has been busy or out of the ordinary or anything, just completely slipped my mind. I'll play the obvious card and blame it on pregnancy brain. Today I almost walked out of the grocery store with 3 12-packs on the bottom of my cart and I chalked it up to the same thing (or it could have been the toddler I was trying to control...)

The news in our world this week (completely unpregnancy related) was the passing of the bill that makes the FAA exempt from the sequester in order to release the controller furloughs causing the many airport delays reported last week. While the furloughs weren't necessarily a problem for us, we are hoping that this release will make things more favorable to get the answer we want to hear about our transfer. Only time will tell, but it's one thing out of the way anyway.

Otherwise, life here goes along as usual.

I just keep growing... (Compare to C at 23 weeks HERE)

How far along: 23 weeks and 3 days now (The picture, of course, taken at 23 weeks)

How big is baby: Apparently 11 inches from head to toe and just over a pound at 1.2.

Maternity Clothes: In an attempt to get the fam out of the house last week, we took a trip to the mall, where I perused the Motherhood Maternity store clearance. It's SO hard for me to justify spending the amount they want you to pay for clothes you're going to wear for maybe 4 months. But, I got a couple staples and things I knew I could get good use out of off the clearance. I'm starting to incorporate more maternity shirts into my wardrobe now, just because they're simply WAY more comfortable.

Sleep: Sleep's been really great, minus the wake-ups I'll expand upon in the "movement" section. Unless we go to bed too late (which tends to happen sometimes) I'm not overly tired in the mornings. By the afternoon however, I'm typically really, really tired. After C goes to bed I just crash on the couch!

Food Cravings/Aversions: I've been wanting something REALLY good and chocolatey for a day or two now and have yet to determine what will give me my fix. This is something I have to figure out. Otherwise, I haven't been craving anything in particular. I did discover key lime Greek yogurt a couple weeks ago, and that's changed my life. SO good!

Gender: Is this category even necessary anymore?

Movement: As I mentioned earlier, this kid's movement has woken me up more than a time or two this week. That seems to be the time he parties the most. And it also seems to be the time he kicks the strongest. There are worse things to be woken up by though, I suppose. His kicks and punches are getting stronger and stronger. Jon felt the slightest kick this week, but the kid stops every time Jon puts his hand to my stomach, otherwise he would have been able to feel a lot more than that.

Looking forward to: I'm really looking forward to our trip to Michigan in the long term. That's still a little ways away.  In the short term, I'm looking forward to our family's "weekend" and hoping the weather is good so we can maybe take C to the beach. I'm not looking forward to my glucose test in two weeks.

Notables: I've been getting so fed up with the storage in our apartment and have been really feeling the "chaos" of all the baby things stored everywhere. In that, I've also been trying to figure out how in the world I'll fit any baby things into the nursery, since C and baby storage dominate all the nooks and crannies currently. But, I'm coming up with some ideas and plans of action I'm hoping to get moving on here in a bit. The hard part is that we'll only be in this apartment until the end of September anyway, meaning we'll only have the baby here for a month. I just have to keep reminding myself that we'll make it work.

Unsettled.

Feeling unsettled.

It's a feeling I've know so well now for the last four years, but especially so since November. That was when we were made aware of some controller positions that were opening up in Minnesota, with Jon applying as fast as he could. From November 10, we were constantly waiting on news and updates. Where were they in the hiring process? When were they expected to make the decision? Oh, they've made the decision, when are they letting people know their decisions?

At one point, we were given a sign that we could be 90%+ sure that we were moving back at the end of September. We tried hard to guard our hearts, but it was crazy difficult not to celebrate something that we'd been waiting for for years. We even told some close family and friends to prepare for our homecoming... you know, like if they wanted to start planning a party or something ;-) And then, on an unsuspecting Monday, we were informed that, due to the sequester/budget cuts, the facility was unable to hire as many controllers as anticipated and Jon wasn't picked up after all. 

But, as always, the situation was left open ended, as there is a circumstance that may allow for Jon still to be picked up and for us to be moving home in September. Of course, due to the sequester and hiring freezes, we won't know any answers to that until June (for reasons outside the sequester). 

Despite all this waiting, I've been surprisingly OK. I haven't been stressed about it and it's not constantly on my mind. Minus a few overwhelming and overly emotional weeks — usually a result of pregnancy hormones, an uncharacteristically crabby C and less time out of the house than necessary — I've been able to keep the "what ifs" mostly at bay and be relatively realistic and calm about the situation with the help of lots of prayer and supportive family and friends. 

It's broken my heart to tell people that I don't expect to move home anymore. 

Seriously, thank goodness that I started attending Bible Study Fellowship last fall. God has used it time and time again to speak to me about patience, His perfect timing, His perfect plan and how instead of focusing on what I want for our future to be more aware of how he's wanting me to use the now. This last week, we were studying the rise of Joseph (of the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat) and how God used his years of suffering wrongly under numerous people to prepare him to help Egypt survive 7 years of extreme famine and save thousands of lives. He evolved from an arrogant 17-year-old into a wise, humble man ... and had God not use that time of suffering to mold him, no one in Egypt would have been saved. 

(And on a sidenote: No one in my group was familiar with the musical made famous by Donny Osmond. It came up only when our study challenged us to memorize the names of Jacob's 12 sons and I told them the musical had a song about it. Granted, I'm the youngest in our group by many years... but I was still crazy shocked when they looked at me like I was from Mars. And no, I didn't sing the song.)

Now, obviously we are not "suffering" by living in San Diego. While my poor Minnesota peeps got dumped on by snow twice in the last month, we've been enjoying 70- and 80-degree days and took C for his first summer swim in the pool. But, I mean, you get where I'm going with this. God's timing is perfect, and so is His plan. If that plan means that we will be in San Diego for years to come, well, He has a reason for it.

So, for now, we wait. Unsettled and waiting for answers, yet also doing our best to follow the examples the Bible has set for us, in leaning on God's promises.

Baby #2 Update - 22 weeks

The one and only time I'll compare my son to a Barbie.

Hi there, and welcome to my life. I blog about my pregnancy, and beyond that, haven't had time to write anything else. Actually, I wrote a post earlier this week, but after reading and re-reading it, came to realize that it was epically pointless and didn't seem to have much flow, so I didn't post it. I think I was trying too hard and had other things on my mind. So, I'm sorry to have failed again.

This week was a rough one hormonally for me. Sometimes, as I'm sure we all do, I get in these ruts where I just can't get out of the doldrums. I feel unmotivated, sad and blah, and, on top of that, I also feel like I have a 2-year-old-esque temper tantrum I want to throw — but don't because it would be a sad, pathetic sight. During these times, I usually bathe in a ongoing pity party about the state of various things and spend C's nap times mourning the fact that there's nothing good on cable to escape into and finding solace in a bowl of ice cream/cereal/something else that sounds good at the moment. Please don't call the mental hospital. I've recovered, I swear.

I know, how could I be depressed around this happy face?

Yesterday, I got up determined to shake the feeling and prayed over and over again Nehemiah 8:10 "The joy of the Lord is my strength." Not surprisingly, yesterday ended up being one of the best days I've had in awhile. C took an awesome morning nap, and then the two of us ran errands and went to the park while Jon was at work. Minimal temper tantrums (from C) and lots of fun playing. God is good and faithful.

I also drank coffee with caffeine after several days of decaf, and I definitely felt an extra jolt. Whether that was the prayer, the wondrous miracle drug or both, I don't know... but, I'm not skipping the caffeine today (just in case). 

It's in these times that I'm so thankful for my faith and my ability to lean on Christ through all things. I seriously don't know how people do without that.

Anywho, baby's been bouncing around in there, providing me with extra reminders of all I have to be grateful for. He's also been causing me really awesome heartburn almost every time I eat, which is totally tubular. Tums are awesome. I also have been getting crazy painful gas bubbles, which I never got with C, and those are awful. But, what can you do? I really don't have much to complain about. This pregnancy has been quite lovely so far.

22 weeks and feeling fine (compare to 22 weeks with C)

How far along? 22 weeks, 1 day (the picture was taken yesterday at 22 weeks)

How big is baby? According to my Pregnant Chicken update, the baby is about 11" long (about the length of a Barbie) and about a pound. Nice.

Maternity clothes: Due to said doldrums, I spent much of the week in trusty, ever-fitting yoga pants. I tried on a maternity shirt, but it was still too baggy in the front. But, half the T-shirts I'm wearing are causing C to yell "button" and point anytime I move my arms above my shoulders... so, I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do there.

Sleep: Sleep's been awesome. No adventures to sleep on the couch and I'm one of the lucky pregnancy women who don't have to get up to pee all the time (or ever really). Hurray!
Food cravings/aversions: Man, I'm so into junk food right now, so I've been trying to really limit what I buy at the store, knowing I'll devour it in, like, a day or less. I also am eating lots of cereal.

Gender: Boy, boy, boy!

Movement: He's been bouncing and moving and shaking like crazy this week. I'm pretty sure he's not breach anymore, because the kicks and punches have moved from my lower abdomen up a bit higher. I've told Jon multiple times this week how he's constantly moving and rolling in there, though he still has yet to be able to feel it. I'm sure we'll get there.

Looking forward to: Uh, nothing crazy right now? There are days where I can't wait to meet him and fantasize about the newborn snuggles I'll get. And, I'm also getting really excited for our trip to Michigan next month (which is a little more in the near future than the birth of our child ;-) )

Notables: I got to schedule the much-anticipated glucose test for early next month. Hurray! I'm hoping that I won't nearly pass out like last time, and that I will also past with flying colors again. But, I suppose it's something that has to be done... might as well get it over with. Bring on the juice!