Pregnancy Update - Baby #2

The rumors are true. Pregnancy is SOOOO different the second time around. (And I suspect a baby will be too!) I didn't go crazy with updates with my first pregnancy, just about 1 every couple of months, but I haven't done a single one this time. Partially because I don't have too much to say /slash/ I realize that it's not really that interesting. But I figure I have enough to share for at least 1 post and I owe it to my baby girl to document her beginning. So here it is. 

LET'S SEE THE BELLY!

Here is my one and only belly shot from this pregnancy - at around 30ish weeks. I remember knowing the exact number of weeks and days with Jack and now I have to refer to my app whenever someone asks me how far along I am. 

My weight gain is about the same as with Jack, maybe a little less. Last time I checked I think it was around 20lbs at 33 weeks. I gained 28lbs total with Jack so I think it's pretty similar. 

GETTING READY FOR BABY

We really haven't had to do too much in preparation. We are planning on cosleeping again (which was the best.thing.ever for us with Jack) so she doesn't have a room to decorate or need a crib or anything. And now we have a king sized bed so we aren't even going to need the cosleeper we built last time. 

She needs clothes, but a few hours at some local thrift stores took care of that pretty easily. We don't really need gear, although I did buy a new wrap (the solly wrap - I'm SUPER excited about it) and a bouncer chair since we didn't have one with Jack. 

The only real big thing we decided to buy this time was a glider. Last time we spent weeks picking out the perfect rocker/recliner that would be modern enough to fit into our living room decor but I quickly realized it just wasn't that comfy for nursing. This time we decided to go the glider route, no matter how ugly they are. 

For some reason I thought it would be easy to pick one out, but I have no idea why because I'm the world's worst shopper. I agonize over every decision - wanting the perfect blend of quality, style, and affordability. I drive myself crazy. Long story short, after lots of in store and online shopping, I finally decided on this Dutailer glider from Wayfair. It shipped in under a week and Joey put it together the same night. Done! 

Jack loves to "help", especially when Joey is using tools. 

And Joey is already getting good use out of it. I actually really like it and am very happy with the purchase. I'm looking forward to spending those upcoming thousands of hours nursing in complete comfort. 

HOW AM I FEELING?

The number one prego question. Answer - honestly? Not great. I was fine up until a few weeks ago (other than the first 6-16 weeks of extreme nausea) but I'm just more out of shape than with Jack and I just don't feel as healthy. The shortness of breath and heart pounding (that my midwife says is normal) really makes me feel not so good. Not to mention I just can't get up and around. I don't remember feeling this pathetic the first time around. But maybe I just forgot...

Sleeping has been ok, some nights better than others. I get insomnia a lot of nights (like waking up at 3am and not falling back asleep until 5 or 6am) so I've cut out napping entirely, no matter how tired I am. But I stay pretty comfortable because we got a memory foam topper that has been awesome. I call it sleeping in the cloud. I'm going to be so sad when we have to take it off for cosleeping.

And what about exercise? Hmm..well I walk up and down the stairs at work multiple times a day since we are on the second floor and we take 1-3 mile walks on weekends - usually to get coffee or brunch - but that's about it. Last time I was still doing a toned down version of kick boxing/step/weights, doing yoga every few days, and walking 3-5 miles several times a week! Oh how times have changed.

Oh, and I'm still eating Tums like candy. So nothing has changed there.

WHAT ABOUT CRAVINGS?

I didn't really have any interesting cravings with Jack, just comfort food, but I really haven't had any this time around. I just like eating healthy and the thought of fried or greasy food makes me sick - but then again it usually does. The only exception - chocolate and cake. A few weeks ago I got a craving for cheap grocery store birthday cake and after about a week of unsuccessfully hinting to Joey to get me some, I just bought a mini one myself. Joey thought it was hilarious that I had a birthday cake so he took a picture. 

I have to admit it was pretty funny. The cashier at the store tilted it and messed up the frosting and asked me if I wanted to get another one, so I had to fess up that it was just for me, not someone's birthday. That's ok though, I'm not ashamed. And it was delicious. (No, I did not eat it all at one sitting! And Joey helped!)

DOES JACK KNOW A BABY IS COMING?

We get this question a lot and I have no idea. We tell him there is a baby in my belly and we talk a lot about his baby sister but who really knows. A few weeks ago, he started pulling up my shirt and looking into my belly button to try to see her - and kept asking her if she "want out?" Which I thought was pretty impressive. I told him she isn't ready yet, so now he just repeats that. He also started to kiss my belly unprompted. So maybe he knows, maybe not. He really likes the babies at daycare and gives them kisses so I think he'll be pretty excited when she is here. 

On a related note, when my belly first started to get big, he would sit on my lap facing me, grab my belly and say "HEAVY!" - also unprompted. I couldn't disagree! Funny little munchkin!

MY PREGO FRIENDS!

One fun thing this time around is that two of my mom friends I met when I was pregnant with Jack are also pregnant again. Tricia has a little boy that is 4 days younger than Jack and she is (or was) 6 weeks ahead of me this time. Denise has a little boy who is 2 months younger than Jack and she is only 5 DAYS ahead of me, also having a girl! It's been fun hanging out with them and talking all about how this time is different and sharing our concerns about having a new baby in the house. I love my friends. :) 

Tricia had her baby 10 days early - just over a week ago - and I went to go see her that first weekend. It makes me excited for my turn!

MATERNITY PHOTOS

As much as we've slacked with the weekly/monthly belly photos, I thought it was important to try to do another maternity photo shoot to capture this time. Sunday night we went out to the beach around sunset and Joey tried to get some decent shots. Here are a few of my favorites. 

Jack didn't cooperate as much as we would've liked and we had to bribe him with a (green St. Patty's day) cookie a few times - which you may see in some of the pictures - but I think they turned out pretty well. 

We also got a few other good pictures from the night. Jack and Joey playing in the water...

Jack's "No more pictures Mommy" face

And me and my buddy. He's such a momma's boy!

WHAT ELSE?

I'm having some anxiety about labor. I thought Hypnobabies worked to some extent but it's just too new age-hippie-dippie for me and I'm not in the same mental place I was last time to tolerate it. Last time, everything was just so magical and I was so open minded, willing to try anything for a peaceful and natural birth. This time, I'm so tired from working full time and chasing a toddler around and I have vivid memories of how traumatizing labor was and how not scary the epidural ended up being. I was thinking I'd try to go natural again and get a doula and do some more classes, etc. etc. but then I started wondering what I was trying to prove by NOT getting perfectly good medication to make the experience not horrible. My friends that had epidurals have positive memories of labor and I remember feeling like I would've died in a barn somewhere before modern medicine. So yeah..the birth plan this time is to go as far unmedicated as I can - preferably about 5-6cm and then get the epidural if I need or want it. If I don't have to get it because labor is progressing so fast and baby girl is just ready to slide out, GREAT! If I do, that's ok too.

It's just amazing how mentally different things are this time. I worried about every little thing last time. Always worried if Jack was ok in there - worried about his heartbeat, his movements, miscarriage - worry worry worry! This time I've barely worried at all! It's partially because work has kept me pretty busy so I don't just sit around and think about the pregnancy and count the days - which is a good thing. Not to say I don't think about baby girl a lot and I still spend a lot of time just enjoying feeling her move - but it's all a lot more relaxed.

Overall, I'm really excited. I'm a little bit dreading the extreme dependency that comes with breastfeeding (even though I know how much I enjoyed the experience last time) and those first few weeks or months when the baby can't smile and just cries a lot. I'm also a little bit worried about being bored on maternity leave. I feel like I've finally got back to normal and I don't want to stop working. However, I'm super excited to meet our little girl - a new member of the family - and re-live all those great snuggly infant moments and milestones getting to know her.

Either way, 5 more weeks to go and a new chapter begins!

And if you are interested in seeing the comparison, here is my 8 and 9 month update from last time.  It's pretty different!