Baby C2 - 35/36 weeks

Most likely, this is going to be my last update before baby boy makes his debut. 36 weeks down, 4ish to go come Monday. How in the world did we get here?!

I think I'm in a bit of denial on just how much life is going to change with 2 babies next month. I can only rely on my experience with L as a baby right now, and I'd take that again in a heartbeat. I'm stupidly building a mental to-do list of all the things I'd love to get done while I'm home. Because I'm going to have so much free time.....right.

35 weeks!

What I can say is that for those of you pregnant with your first baby, or home with your first baby - cherish it! Take those naps! I didn't factor in raising a toddler when thinking about pregnancy #2. And honestly, right now that is my biggest deterrent to more babies (I know this is a temporary feeling stemming from my current level of exhaustion). I've hit a wall recently, which the heat and our crazy schedule are definitely factoring into. And it's frustrating.

35 weeks @ a gorgeous wedding. (Love this dress! Size down...)

Um what a difference in our deck since Baby C updates! Same bump size though?

Can we talk about how long my hair is getting?!! I've been growing it out since finding out we were expecting for easy ponytails and buns. And training it to go longer between washes...day 3 hair above. The curling wand is my best friend and so won't my Patriots hat be come fall.

Anyways, enough rambling. Here's the latest scoop on pregnancy with Baby C2.

Cravings/Aversions: Really no changes here since my last update. Still all about cold drinks, fruits, ice cream. And no desire to cook so many nights of cereal if J isn't home. However, I did get sucked into the Instant Potcraze on Prime Day. And I will say, so far this thing is awesome! We've only made a few meals in it but they have been so easy to throw together, it doesn't heat the kitchen up, and I don't need to stand there and cook. Win. win. win.

What 36 weeks really feels like:

I will start by saying, I really cannot complain about either pregnancies I've experienced. The minor issues I've had have been just that, minor. And for that, I am so grateful! But I'm still going to gripe a little ok? Thanks. :)

• Rib pain/tingling sensation at the very bottom of my ribs, top of where my baby bump starts. In the EXACT same spot as my last pregnancy. And just as annoying/itchy. Silly me for thinking I may not experience it carrying a boy lower.
• Omg my feet. Suddenly, they are balloons every night if I don't move around enough. It's awful. Damn heat. (Check out those puppies above...yikes)
• But at the same time, no more walks. This past Wednesday was L's 2nd birthday and we started the day with a quick family walk. Not fast and not far, but I had hip pain and discomfort the rest of the day. I don't have these issues when weight training so I'll plan to stick with that.
• Filling up very fast, but also always hungry. ugh. 
• Braxton hicks contractions often - no cause for concern. Bending to pick things up is the biggest culprit really, but try not doing that while raising a toddler. Ya, no. My stomach turns rock hard for a few seconds and then we're back to normal. 
• Exhausted. Up 2-4 times a night between bathroom runs and leg cramps. It's a miracle if I'm in bed before 10 pm and sleeping later than 5:30/6 am.

It's bugging me how purple Jay's shirt looks in these pics! It was white, trust me.

What's on our to-do list:

• Pack the hospital bags and install the car seat. I cannot believe we've reached this point. 

• Clean out the guest room closet and add in a closet system for L. Currently thinking the PAX system from IKEA but of course our ceiling height is between the 2 options they have...and the shorter one is just too short, ugh. Jay might be hacking this one a little bit so that it works. Closet is cleaned out, painted, and the PAX system installed. I have to say, it's pretty amazing. Of course my 2 yr old would have the best closet in the house...
  
  
   

• Purchasing L's new convertible crib and getting her big girl room set-up. I have some floral fabric I am using as the colors for her room - similar to this with some touches of purple too. Well, the crib has been purchased...but L figured out how to climb out of her current crib this past weekend! Yes, while J was away of course. And yes, after our current video monitor decided to sh*t the bed on me. Nothing like hearing little footsteps and a should be napping L saunter into your room. So now we're figuring out plan B over here....I think we'll be cutting down the legs on the amazing spool bed we inherited (it is super high off the ground!). I've always envisioned it in her big girl room, just didn't realize that would be happening so soon! Update: L has successfully transitioned to a full size bed with no issues. I can't believe it! She is doing so well in her new big girl room! (which is not even close to being decorated...). Turning the frame into a platform and removing the box spring did just the trick in bringing the height of the bed down. Phew!
  
   
  • Repainting the nursery and add a few "boy" personal touches. Currently thinking greens, natural woods, nature-themed (with at least 1 fishing reference for J's sake). Love the idea of something like this. Update: the nursery has been painted in BM Louisburg Green (at 25%). The furniture has been moved into place, fabric purchased for the rail guard, and now its time to decorate! Can someone make me this sign please?
   
   
  
  
  • Picking out/purchasing a double stroller (currently leaning towards the GT City Mini Double - good?!), a second monitor, and a few odds & ends I've been adding to an Amazon registry (for the completion discount) - we are definitely getting a bottle sterilizer this time around! Update: We are loving our new monitor and came home to quite the surprise recently - our double stroller! We have the best 2 sets of parents around I tell ya! Amazon Prime Day had some great deals on the diaper backpack I was eyeing, humidifiers, and diapers...and then Diapers.com got me with a Bravado nursing bra sale and a review on the Milk Snob covers had me hitting purchase before I knew it....so we had many boxes show up at our house last week. My nesting so far is coming out in the form of stocking up.

After 5 weekends of nonstop plans and long days/nights, we will be enjoying the rest of our summer home and eventually on baby watch. I am currently planning to work up until my due date with a few days off here or there for time with Lucie and a much needed spa day with my mom. And since we recently finalized baby boys name, I went ahead and ordered his custom thank you notes. Couldn't resist! But no, we will not be sharing it until he's here. :)

Wish me luck!

Baby C2 - 29/30 weeks

I'm not even surprised that I missed my 4 week schedule for Baby updates....life. And titling this 29/30 weeks since it has taken me that long to finish writing it and posting it.

 

28 weeks, quick gym bump snap

The beginning of the third trimester seems to be a busy time for us. Traveling, enjoying the warmer weather, mile-long weekend to-do lists... realizing how fast time is moving and what we have left to get done.

Since the 24 week update we've spent a week on Hilton Head Island (@ 27 weeks), built a paver patio out by our pool & took a trip to IKEA to stock up on items for L's new room (@ 28 weeks), and continued to tackle yardwork and toddlerhood. I'm honestly not sure which of the last two are more exhausting these days.

Attempting some family photos with a toddler...

I decided to have someone come over and watch L while my mom and I got some yardwork done last weekend and my biggest regret, not doing so sooner! Toddler attention spans are short and require lots of energy, creativity, and your 100% focus. L had so much fun and we were able to get almost all of my planned to-do list done. I am hooked on hiring a Mother's helper from time to time now - it was well worth it for me.

According to the many comparisons available, at 30 weeks baby is the size of a honeydew melon, a Hawaiian pineapple, or a head of cabbage. Really?! This makes me nervous. But reminding myself that my body is fully capable of this - it's done it before!

Cravings:

• Iced coffee, cold cold water, lemonade
• Salads - loved this one and this one (with steak tips) last week
• Ice cream- oh man, if you're local, the current seasonal flavors at Hornstra are insanely good.
• Fruit salad

Aversions: Anything that involves turning on the oven. Ha. It's getting hotter here and I'm definitely running warmer these days so I think we'll be using the oven less and less and opt for the grill instead.

What 29/30 weeks really feels like:

•  At 25 weeks my right hip pain got so bad I could barely walk. Think pain so sharp it takes your breath away. :( The very worst day of it occurred Mother's Day and I've never felt so defeated and at a loss on what to do. An ultrasound reported everything looking just fine thankfully, but that meant it was something I'd have to deal with and chalk it up as positional pain. 
• Well I'm counting my lucky stars that by the time we left for vacation at 27 weeks preggo the pain was gone! And still is. They think some extra growth in my uterus allowed baby boy to re-position himself. I have never felt so relieved. 
• At 28 weeks, I left work one day and realized just how great I've been feeling. Good weather doesn't hurt, but the level of pain I had carrying L by this point is much duller this time around and same with the foot swelling. Knock on wood...no rib pain yet. Guess it's true what they say, I am definitely carry this little guy lower than I carried L.
• Definitely feeling fuller faster as baby boy continues to take up more room
• And along the same lines, so many more bathroom runs. My bladder is definitely getting squished lately.
• Sooo much movement lately. And some minor Braxton Hicks contractions where my whole stomach tightens. I don't think I had this much movement with L or have her kick me in the bladder area and have an oh oops! moment (ha, ya...) ...but maybe? It's getting harder to remember. But it seems like baby boy is much more active in there then L was! We get a kick out of watching my whole stomach move around...and somehow there are 10 more weeks of growing left to do. Yikes!
• Remember all the yardwork I mentioned above? It was such a satisfying feeling to get so much done with J out of town, but I woke up Sunday exhausted. J was away for the weekend so I was setting my alarm an hour or so earlier than I expected L to wake both days to get a few things done and enjoy a little coffee & quiet time. Sunday morning included a nice headache and that silly hangover feeling I mentioned previously when there's not enough sleep.  Not ideal when toddler swim lessons were on the agenda! 

 

27 weeks - Downtown Savannah and morning walks on the beach in HHI

What's on our to-do list:

• Clean out the guest room closet and add in a closet system for L. Currently thinking the PAX system from IKEA but of course our ceiling height is between the 2 options they have...and the shorter one is just too short, ugh. Jay might be hacking this one a little bit so that it works. Closet is cleaned out and painted! And the PAX system has been purchased. I cannot wait to set it up, hopefully this weekend.
• Purchasing L's new convertible crib and getting her big girl room set-up. I have some floral fabric I am using as the colors for her room - similar to this with some touches of purple too. Well, the crib has been purchased...but L figured out how to climb out of her current crib this past weekend! Yes, while J was away of course. And yes, after our current video monitor decided to sh*t the bed on me. Nothing like hearing little footsteps and a should be napping L saunter into your room. So now we're figuring out plan B over here....I think we'll be cutting down the legs on the amazing spool bed we inherited (it is super high off the ground!). I've always envisioned it in her big girl room, just didn't realize that would be happening so soon!
• Repainting the nursery and add a few "boy" personal touches. Currently thinking greens, natural woods, nature-themed (with at least 1 fishing reference for J's sake). Love the idea of something like this.
• Picking out/purchasing a double stroller (currently leaning towards the GT City Mini Double - good?!), a second monitor, and a few odds & ends I've been favoriting to an Amazon list - we are definitely getting a bottle sterilizer this time around! Our video monitor has been slowly dying lately and completely shut off on my last weekend. J got it back on once he was home but  a new and improved one is on its way. I think it's safe to say the GT City Mini double stroller is a definite. Currently a little confused on the infant car seat adapter situation but it sounds like they're just still coming out with them for their newest model? Anyone know what's up for a Chicco Keyfit adapter?

At this point we are done with any major travel and hoping to savor the next 2+ months of summer before baby's arrival. It is going to fly. But I'm getting more and more excited as the days pass. Watching L with my niece on vacation and seeing dear friends become moms recently is giving me all the feels. I cannot wait til our baby is here!

Past Recaps:

24 weeks

20 weeks

16 weeks

xo,

Baby C2 - 24 weeks

The fact that there are only 16 weeks left in this pregnancy is starting to freak me out. J seems to think that's an eternity and we have plenty of time to get things done....riigghht.... 1 month left in the second trimester, holy sh#!t.

I decided to treat myself to a maternity stitch fix recently and I am SO impressed. This was my 6th fix and the first time I think I am keeping everything. I have found my stylist, hallelujah! Her note was so personal - she found/read my blog, picked items based on my pinterest board, and is a boy mama! So impressed. All of the photos below are in outfits I received in my latest fix - so good, right?

White swing top & denim maternity shorts - keepers!

Cravings: Oh man, the soft-serve ice cream craving is back... I haven't really been able to indulge in it much thanks to this wonderful New England weather, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time. Ice cold drinks - iced coffee, lemonade, iced tea. Bagels, diner breakfast (I have been dying to go out to breakfast lately), and tomatoes. A side dish of fresh tomatoes with salt and dried basil has made its appearance frequently lately....this is a strange one for me. J is back to a strict paleo diet for the month which has me eating cleaner dinners home with him. And I have to say, I really don't hate it - it definitely helps me keep things in check. Especially when the day typically starts with a few carb heavy items.

Aversions: None. Thank you baby boy. :)

Non-maternity collarless blazer. A little bold for me but so comfy and will be great postpartum too - keeper!

Missing most: As cocktail season begins, I'm really wishing I could indulge. A glass of crisp white or rose wine sounds so appealing lately! Wishing I could have sushi from time to time and I know I'll be jealous of those of you indulging in raw bar items come summertime.

Aside from food & drinks, I miss running. Or breaking out into a hard sweat from working out. I am definitely envious of those of you who are able to run for most of your pregnancy. But I'm swapping cardio for some extra weight lifting lately - loving Body Pump. And will stick with that as long as I can.

What 24 weeks really feels like:

• Flying with a 21 month old asleep in my lap recently was brutal. I loved every minute of the snuggles but once she was out cold, she was transferred over to J...my back just couldn't handle it, and was so uncomfortable the rest of the flight.
• Oooh the nightly leg & foot cramps! It's crazy. I can feel it coming on in my sleep and I try so hard to counteract it but nothing works other than jumping out of bed and applying pressure. And then of course needing to pee since I'm now up. 
• My Fitbit Flex HR has started thinking I get activity in daily....apparently my heart-rate walking to/from the train station and work triggers this. I am definitely starting to feel it! We took many walks on our recent trip with L, slow and steady was what my body could handle.
• Carrying this baby lower than I carried L means some pretty sharp right hip and pelvic floor pain most days. Getting up and taking a short walk seems to help but short jaunts to the restroom or kitchen include a slight limp and shortness of breath from the pain. :(
• The ankle swelling has begun. Its far worse on my left side than right for some reason...? But swelling was a symptom I had with L too so I'm not surprised in the least. 
• Not enough sleep has me waking up feeling awful. After a recent wedding in Charleston, L woke up way way too early. As the sober one, I probably should have been the one to get up with her but J is a super human and can have a great night and be totally fine the next morning. I on the the other hand felt like I had drank a bottle of wine on my own. I've been getting the worst headaches/heaviness if its just not enough sleep. Feeling hungover sober is just plain cruel.

This dress could not be softer or more comfortable! - keeper

What's on our to-do list:

• Clean out the guest room closet and add in a closet system for L. Currently thinking the PAX system from IKEA but of course our ceiling height is between the 2 options they have...and the shorter one is just too short, ugh. Jay might be hacking this one a little bit so that it works.
• Purchasing L's new convertible crib and getting her big girl room set-up. I have some floral fabric I am using as the colors for her room - similar to this with some touches of purple too.
• Repainting the nursery and add a few "boy" personal touches. Currently thinking greens, natural woods, nature-themed (with at least 1 fishing reference for J's sake). Love the idea of something like this.
• Picking out/purchasing a double stroller (currently leaning towards the GT City Double - good?!), a second monitor, and a few odds & ends I've been favoriting to an Amazon list - we are definitely getting a bottle sterilizer this time around! 

 Next post we'll be entering the third trimester. Gulp. And back from a week vacation in Hilton Head! Ahhh. So so needed.

Past Recaps:
20 weeks
16 weeks

Baby C2 - 20 Weeks

Where do I even begin....how is it possible we're halfway through this pregnancy already? Yikes. But it has been an exciting week! Good Friday started with an ultrasound appointment. This is standard for 18-20 weeks and many, many measurements are taken to ensure everything is on track and the baby is growing at a healthy rate. We also chose to have the tech provide us with a sealed card informing us of our baby's gender. Once the tech has taken all the necessary photos and measurements, the doctor comes in to review and do a little ultrasound viewing for themselves. In the words of the doctor "I am trying to stay one step ahead of this child but man is it moving around a ton, can you feel that?" All.day.Everyday...so we left with a follow-up appointment 1 week later to finish up the few areas around the heart the doctor was having a hard time seeing. And thankfully baby was much more cooperative yesterday - all is looking great. Phew!

If you missed my first check-in you can find that here - 16 weeks 

Ok, I won't keep it from you any longer...Baby C2 is a.....

BOY!

We have had so much fun sharing the news with family and friends over the past week. From a cake on Easter with family, where we ourselves also found out, to this balloon filled with confetti at my birthday party we (J) hosted Saturday night, it has been a great way to share the news.

I can't say that I was shocked. There are many differences between this pregnancy and the last so my intuition was telling me boy. But it is definitely still sinking in! I am going to have a son, a Mama's boy for at least the first few years. Eek! More than 1 friend who's a father to a son told me Saturday night that while J is pumped for a boy, that baby is going to be all mine for a while. :)

Symptoms: I feel like I'm stretching to come up with anything noteworthy for symptoms....I've had some minor pain in my lower abs lately but I think I brought this one on myself from a nonstop weekend and picking up a few heavier items (toddler included...) too often. Foot cramps have started too but nothing too crazy yet.

Workouts: My goal is 2-3 workouts a week and for the most part its been attainable. J and I switch off who gets up at the crack of dawn to workout before work and I generally hit the gym early Saturday morning too. My fitbit has also been great at reminding me to get up and move throughout the day to get that step # up!

Food Aversions: None

Food Cravings: I am doing my best to control this sugar monster but Easter candy and birthday cake is not helping me out. I am constantly starving so also trying to eat better options with more substance than a bagel with cream cheese....overnight oatmeal has been great for that lately. And Trader Joe's mint chip ice cream I could eat nightly...I've stopped buying it just for that reason. Oops!

Updates Obviously finding out the gender was the biggest update so far. But here are a few more:

• I told myself we would only move L out of her nursery and across the hall to the current guest room if we found out it was another girl. I have no desire to paint her purple walls again! And then my mom offered her painting services.... the guest room does have the best closest space. And would keep us from walking by her room at every late night feeding. So now I'm really tempted.
• I think we've settled on transitioning L to an IKEA crib and keeping her current crib in the nursery. We didn't buy the conversion kit for her crib....but I'm not sure she's ready for a toddler bed yet. So instead of buying the conversion kit and another crib, it just seems to make the most sense to go with a crib that comes with the toddler bed conversion (for less $$ than price tag of her current cribs conversion kit!).
• I still haven't put much thought into a nursery plan just yet. But I have done lots of day dreaming about L's "big girl" room. I'm pretty excited about that. Her gender neutral nursery didn't really have a cohesive look to it so I'm hoping to give her an updated space that shows more of her spunky personality.
• You better believe I did some online shopping for baby boy last Monday after finding out the gender Sunday night. What?! I couldn't help it...and a $10 rewards coupon to Carters didn't help. :)

What a whirlwind! More than halfway through this pregnancy?! And, a boy?!!! We are thrilled at the opportunity to raise a son but more importantly, grateful for another healthy pregnancy and healthy, growing baby.

Future Family of 4

You read that right....Baby #2 is on the way! Our little family will be expanding to four in August.

While I'm still struggling with time for blogging, I absolutely love looking back at pregnancy posts with L. It was fun to document and important to me to do so again.

At this point, I'm already 16 weeks! Yikes. Between busy season at work and caring for a toddler, this pregnancy is really flying by. I'm lucky if I remember to read up on one of my pregnancy apps once or twice a week. Those things were the bible last time! 

Just a bit bigger of a bump at 16 weeks this time!

Obviously there is so much less unknown having experienced it before and overall, I'm feeling great. So there is no real daily reminder this time. Weeks 6-9 included an insatiable hunger that led to nausea if ignored. But since then - nothing! I was nervous at first that something was wrong. I got an awful stomach bug at 9 weeks and all my symptoms disappeared the next day. But all is great in Baby C2's world - phew. I'm certainly not complaining!

So let's follow the same format I used during Baby C's pregnancy. (16 weeks with L)

Symptoms: Like I said, I am feeling great. Exhausted, but hardly any nausea, no food aversions, no headaches. What's different than last time? No morning sickness! Yes, there was nausea for a few weeks but I never got physically sick this time. (That was the worst). I am definitely more exhausted with round 2 - could be work, chasing a toddler, or just a different pregnancy, but I am so tired. The first trimester was really tough on weekends when I was home all day with L. Jay came home late from a Pats game one weekend and was met with tears and a please don't ever leave us that long again! Dramatics are totally acceptable during pregnancy.

Similar to my last pregnancy, there will be no running again. And even earlier on this time! Boo. I tested it out a week or so ago and the pelvic floor pain started setting in within an hour. I know it only gets worse if I ignore it soo, we'll be taking it slow again.

Food aversions: Hot coffee for weeks 6-9. Tea became an instant staple for the short time needed. I was joking when I first found out I was pregnant - better pack in the salads now before the thought of veggies makes me want to yack! But it never happened. And chicken has been fine too - so so crazy how different pregnancies can be.

Food cravings: Ugh, give me all the bagels and donuts again. I have a serious sweet tooth this time that needs to be tamed. And as always, iced coffee. Chalking that up to the exhaustion but an afternoon iced half-caf is a regular occurrence.

I am up at least 5 lbs already...probably more. But work and Baby #1 certainly make it harder to fit in gym time now. I'm not concerned. But I am hoping the warmer weather has us all a bit more active soon! For now I am soaking up my time with L before she grows up even more before my eyes taking on the big sister role.

I'm not sure if those of you reading this with more than one kid can relate but pregnancy #2 is certainly different. I haven't even started to think about the nursery yet, I have much less desire to spend my $$ on maternity clothes - but trust me, they're definitely getting worn sooner this time - and overall there is just much less anticipation and discussion. Don't get me wrong - we are all over the moon! But much less follow up post initial reactions. Even between J & me. I found myself reminding him (ok, us) that I was pregnant last week and needed to slow down a little (a toddler getting up daily by 5 am recently is wearing on me so bad...). I've been told this may be why I feel better this time though - no time to dwell on it!

And lastly, we'll be finding out the gender this time! While we absolutely loved the surprise with L (and highly recommend it!) we've decided to see what it's like to find out early. It happens to fall on my birthday weekend so we're going to embrace it and indulge in a cake reveal. A friend spun it recently as, why wait on a great surprise? I'm going with that this time. :)

We are so so grateful for this opportunity to raise another little one! That is something I truly think about daily.