Tag Archives: second trimester

Shopping:

Finally I am reaching the end of our baby registry rainbow! This might seem like a dumb thing to be excited about but most of my reading time has been devoted to reading Baby Bargains (not to be confused with The Baby Bargain, which has more cheap thrills the cheap strollers.) It is pretty much the Consumers Report on all baby stuff, and man was I reaching my limit of decision making. I mean none of it is particularly fun. Mattresses, sheets, nipple tops, diapers, and so many strollers. When I got to the end of things we needed to buy, I was so over joyed. I think I was so burnt out from making decisions on which was the “best” that I flipped out on Jon when he asked if “ceiling white” would be okay for third floor.

I still need to get a diaper bag. We kind-of went for backpack because I think it would be good for Jon’s sake. Plus I still have the mondo purse that I made  and if anything I could make smaller compartments to better hold certain things- like a mini diaper bag. I just couldn’t find anything I liked that was vegan and cute that wasn’t $100. I know I could put it on the registry, but I already feel greedy enough as it is. Besides- I much rather have this bag as a diaper bag. Maybe I need to get into the impractical diaper bag business.

“Nesting”:

Yup I put some big ol’ quotes in there. I am pretty convinced that “nesting” isn’t a real symptom of pregnancy. Why? Because of coarse you will be worried about making sure everything is nice, we don’t make nurseries months before trying to get pregnant! This past two weeks have been exhausting because we have been repainting my old dresser. It has been kind-of fun because my sister found the old mirror that goes with it. I took it to work, took out the mirror and found out that the dresser had been built in the 50s! It isn’t the BEST dresser, but it much nicer than if I bought an Ikea dresser. We have to paint it because 1) the mirror frame doesn’t match and 2) my father scuffed the dresser pretty badly because he isn’t the most cautious person when moving furniture. We have been doing that almost every night before bed adding a new coat.

We are also fixing up the third floor to be our office/workout space so we can move our office to the third floor to use the old space as a nursery. And that involved doing some ceiling painting each day of the week. No we don’t paint the ceiling each time we paint a room, we just had a leak earlier in the year and had to fix it. This weekend will be hanging with family and trying to paint the walls. Next weekend? Moving everything to the third floor. Then we can start to figure out what the heck we want to do with the nursery. *sigh*

The Cat:

I recently went to the doctors for one of my last “boring monthly visits.” I am being upgraded to a visit with tons of tests then to bi-weekly boring visits. Lucky me! I got to meet the practices new midwife and I really like her. I am not looking for a midwife or doctor specifically, just seeing all the doctors and hoping a click with someone. Too bad I have no choice on who really delivers the baby (it is mostly who is staffed that day.) I am hoping to schedule more of my appointments with her, though I am still not down with everyone telling me that I can only lift 20 lb. No really, how do you do anything otherwise?!

I actually had questions this time around! Shocking. One was about Toulouse’s ringworm. She periodically get outbreaks and she had a really bad case a week ago. The midwife told me, I am probably fine, but I should avoid petting her (mostly to stop, you know, picking the scabs cause it is all my monkey genes coming out.)

Although she thought I would be fine, she pointed out that if I haven’t been immune to ringworm, I could have a horrible outbreak. It was best to let Jon apply the medication and I take a step back. Happy about everything I leave the office with a photo text from Jon- the cat has been sleeping in my boxes of clothing (look above- painting dresser.) I had mixed feelings of “awww cute” and “god damn it.” All week, my cat has been all about sleeping in my boxes of clothes or sleeping on my side of the bed. She stopped now that we have had another heatwave, you know, when her ringworm got back under control.

Body:

When I first started to read articles about body image issues on my pregnancy apps, I thought it was weird. I can’t tell someone their too small or they might cry. I can’t tell someone they look big or they might cry. But now I am getting it. At first I was wondering if it was bad- or good about the weight I had. All the books say I should be showing by the second trimester and I just didn’t look too much like I was. People who know me kept saying I looked pregnant, but I still kept looking thinking that I could just be bloated.

I have finally hit “tipping point” where I need almost all my clothes to be maternity wear or very stretchy. I put on my cute dress enjoying how I can finally wear the maternity clothing. Went to our art restorer to drop off some art (expensive shit like an etching of The Golfer by Rembrandt, yeah, I’m name dropping) and talked to the owner. I mentioned he wouldn’t see me in December since I was pregnant. He seemed pretty surprised and didn’t notice that my belly was fairly large. Maybe that is a sign he is looking more at my face than my body XD

Otherwise I am noting other changes- like my boobs. I look at the photos from when I first started taking them weekly and they looked- dare I say- pointy. At least compared to now. I could be just a man with a basketball and grapefruit stuffed in my shirt for all you know. Everything is super round. Even my butt is getting bigger- or more circular.

Oh, my belly is getting a little more torpedo shaped. In the morning when I stretch my arms up my belly button starts to poke out. Belly is getting a little itchier but so far no stretch marks. No linea nigra, but I do have more tummy fuzz going down my navel. It is hardly noticeable though.

Food:

I am hitting another sugar overload moment. I probably will start going back to trying to make a crunchy savory granola bar again. I guess it is better to be tired of sugar than craving more? I am eating more sugar than normal from the oreo pudding pie (will be posted on the blog this week),  hemp protein brownies, ben & jerry’s ice cream, clif bars, lattes, and cookies.

Oh and the tons and tons of fruit I eat. I am always eating a banana for breakfast, and an apple for lunch. But now we have watermelon and cantaloupes from the CSA, so they have been packed in my daily lunches instead. To make it even more crazy, my in-laws are in Switzerland and Italy for two weeks and we have been picking up their shares so I have 2 large red watermelon and 2 small yellow watermelon this week. 

Otherwise I’ve been pretty healthy just eating all the fresh produce we’re getting from CSA before it goes bad. We also got a bunch of blackberries, that I am still not sure what I am going to do with yet. Thinking banana ice cream or chia pudding. Too much pressure to make the best of them since they are all done for the season.

Posted by Jennifer in Pregnancy Tags: pregnancy, second trimester, week 24, week 25

Fitness

I was doing so well working out 5 days a week, and then heatwave came, and then I woke up nauseous, and then my husband woke up with a migraine. Let’s just say not much has been done. Oddly I have been expanding my running distance. Something I wasn’t expecting to do 6 months into the pregnancy. The biggest thing holding me back is usually having to pee mid run. I might try and run to a local park so I can take a mid run potty break.

Tummy Status

It’s official- I can no longer hide my tummy. Both photos for this post I had to make sure to pull my shirt all the way down. I went to H&M and got three shirts because normal shirts are just starting to get a little too short. I keep reading suggestions that you can size regular shirts up, but I really like the pregnancy shirts with the ruching. They are completely worth it. I probably will buy a bunch from Swap.com next month.

Jon keeps asking if anyone notices if I am pregnant. And I keep having to point out that I am not quite big enough to make people feel comfortable to ask. I think people don’t want to offend someone who might have a big tummy. But just last week, I was wearing my purple dress at work and helping a customer pick up her framing. She asked if I was expecting, and I was a little surprised since I thought my outfit, if anything, hid my tummy (I am trying not to hide that I am pregnant, just trying to put on anything that is cool and fits.) I had the one lady working at Fernbrook Farms ask if I was pregnant as well, and said she was happy I was since she gets nervous that she might be wrong. XD 

As for my tummy- it is starting to get itchy from the skin stretching. So I’ve been putting on some lotion. My belly button is still hanging in there. And I am starting to even see my tummy move from kicks. At first I thought I was imagining things because it looked like stomach was moving with the kicks when reading a book. Then when I stared at my tummy for a few solid minutes, I could see a little slight movement. It isn’t drastic enough to try and record, heck my husband still hasn’t felt any kicks yet. They are always totally random and all over the place.

Cravings/Adversions

Cravings? Hmm… still finding this the most blown out pregnancy myth. But then again, I keep having this problem where I sit around and don’t want to eat what I have, so I just get more and more hungry. Think I am kidding? Earlier this morning I was reading blog posts and thought “man, I am really hungry… but I really don’t want leftover harira…. but I should really eat that before it goes bad” Drove out to Whole Foods and got a pumpkin spice almond milk latte…. hot. Then finally got home and caved and ate the damned soup, about an hour and half later. I’ve been doing this with work too. I have been working on managing clients for a booster football club. And I always find myself thinking “WHAT THE HELL!? IS THE WHOLE WORLD STUPID?!” because someone asked a very dumb question or a very ugly ad. Then I look at the clock and find that I normally would of eaten lunch an hour ago.

But if there was “cravings” going on right now, it would be sugar and cold things. Smoothies, yes. Ice cream, yes. Cereal, yes. Seltzer, yes. Cut fruit, yes. Heck, I went to Trader Joe’s just to get a few vegan ice cream treats that I could grab and eat after getting home from driving in a hot car. I cry a little on the inside when it comes to dinner time and I need to turn the stove on to cook anything. Even hot leftovers are painful.

Baby Animals

Time for those cute animal comparisons. These past two weeks are animals that are very similar- a guinea pig and a chinchilla. One is  a domesticated rodent in South America, the other is an animal recently introduced into the pet trade. I remember wanting a chinchilla when I was little, but as an adult, I’ve only heard about how delicate chinchillas are. They apparently make horrible pets since they can easily get depressed. But I did have two Guinea Pigs, and they were very boring. Apparently people say they are much more active when they have another Guinea Pig buddy. Want some cute Guinea Pig pictures? Well here you go.

Cute Overload

Why is everything for babies so fuggin cute? I mean all colors are muted, ruffled, with doe eyed animals. Well, let me put it this way- there seems to be a nursery divide. If you look on Pinterest you would get the impression that everyone is shopping at Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware for their nursery. I kind-of prefer this look. I mean it isn’t my FAVORITE, but I like how everything is clean, sleek, and has some bold design aspects. And I think I have a soft spot for Pottery Barn because I get emails that say PB Kids or PB Baby, and I secretly hope there is a video of a baby covered in peanut butter having a puppy lick it off. And what do you know, that is cute. 

But as I put together my registry, I am finding that the people who actually make baby decor have little taste. Once I find something that is kind-of cute, I figured let’s see what else is from this brand or line. And sometimes I freak myself out. Like everything needs to match. I mean EVERYTHING. Oh that cute animal print on the fitted sheets- let’s make a crib ruffle with, and put in the curtains as well. And let’s put it on the trim of a quilt. And it just stimulus overload. Do these people not know of solid colors? Or worse- crib bumpers. They are shown to increase the risk of SIDS, and I keep seeing them for sale. All they do is make your crib look like a layered parfait of patterns.

Okay I get it- companies want to sell things, so they make them match. And they want a photo with everything together so they cram it all in one small space. But the whole patching together all the patterns just make me feel like a hobo clown decorated a room.

Posted by Jennifer in Pregnancy Tags: pregnancy, second trimester, week 22, week 23

Fitness
I’ve been pretty proud of myself keeping up with working out. I have been working out 5 out of 7 days a week, and even thinking about upping my weights. And then I found out that Larisa Latynina competed in the olympics for gymnastics while pregnant. This chick won 4 gold medals while 4 months pregnant! Thanks lady for making me feel like a big bum.

I also need another sports bra which makes me want to cry. My super duper awesome Moving Comfort bra had the strap un-velcro during my run. If you are above a cup size C- I totally recommend investing in Moving Comfort. They are pricey ($50-75 retail) but I have never paid more than $30 for a bra. It all started when I bought one at a sidewalk sale for – wait for it – fifteen bucks. So now that I have to buy bigger sizes, shelling over $30 for an on sale bra is painful considering I paid $12 for my recent new bras (they were originally $40, I just rock at finding bras on sale.) So, point of this long winded section- I can only run once, wash my one sturdy enough bra, then run again. Luckily I can still use the cheapie bras for weight training.

Clothing
Okay everyone here must think I am obsessed with clothes! And maybe I am, but I don’t know how many articles of clothing I bought last year. Not many. So being FORCED to buy clothes has been kind-of fun and exciting. I’ve been mentally mapping out things I want to make. For example I am still going make a dress from this pattern (or you can see an actual dress sewn from the pattern) but will wait till the end of August when we have the third floor set up for easy sewing.

I’ve bought quite a few new things now that my bump is starting to get too big for some of clothes- even the elastic-y stretchy clothes. I think I can make my goal of making it through the summer without having to buy shorts. I guess it helps that I have been buying some maternity dresses, which I think are more versitile since you can slap on some tights and a cardigan and boom! Your ready for winter. But the fall maternity clothes are being released and it is getting more so excited about cooler weather. I think this the first year I’ve been so excited about seasonal clothing.

Tummy

Okay, so some people have noted (and I have noted) sometimes I feel like my tummy hasn’t grown much when I take the photos. But it certainly has, I mean look at my post from weeks 18-19 or the announcement my tummy is smaller back then. But here is the thing, I think I keep forgetting that I am still planking, running, and standing all day, keeping my core pretty engaged. If I think hard to relax all my muscles, my tummy G-R-O-W-S. This kind-of freaks Jon out a little when I do it in front of him. So if you are wondering why these photos look my tummy shrunk from my Thred Up/Swap review, it is because I forcing my tummy out for those photos to fill up the clothes.

And if you want a side by side comparison- here you go! I actually have to think pretty hard about relaxing my stomach muscles while standing, so I look pretty frumpy in the second photo. It’s kind-of a fun parlor trick, and I would like to think it is sort of like a mini roller coaster ride for the baby.

Baby Size

Come here only for the cute animal comparisons? Well, here you go. For week 20 the baby was about the size of an axolotl. If you are wondering what the heck that is, it is a Mexican salamander that never matures to it’s adult phase, or rarely at least. So they stay underwater all of their lives. They are originally from Lake Xochimilco located in Mexico City, but are now possibly extinct in the wild since the lake is continually shrinking. The axolotl is a cute looking guy, in a kind-of ugly way. Most photos you see of axolotls are ones raised in captivity, mostly being pale white/pink.

At week 21 the baby is about the size of a lesser weasel, or least weasel, or Mustela nivalis, or you know, just plain weasel. Weird little fact- did you know according to mythology, a weasel is the only animal that can kill a basilisk? If that sounds familiar it is because it was the monster in Harry Potter Chamber of Secrets. J.K. Rowling made her basilisk a giant snake not a big chicken-dragon-snake hybrid, so that is probably why Harry beat the basilisk not a weasel (spoilers- sort of.) Need more cute stuff? Here are photos of a weasel riding a bird, and various photos of weasels yawning.

Ultrasound

Finally went for my first ultrasound and it took forever. I spent about an hour flopping around to get the baby to move in the direction the technician needed. Is that normal to take so long? We are planning to be surprised so we got photos of the baby’s top half. Little tip for anyone going for an ultrasound- wear workout leggings that go below the belly and wear sweat wicking undies. I keep forgetting how low the baby actually is, and our technician got that ultrasound jelly all over the place. It felt so icky until the stuff dried out.

To make the whole trip a little annoying is that we went at 5. Get there at 5, you go right into your appointment, but since I had a consultation after the ultrasound I had to wait as everyone made appointments after work. The ultrasound also messed up the usual flow of the appointment, so I spent about 45 minutes holding a cup of pee instead of the usual quick hand off. By the time we got into the consultation I was hungry and was plotting out which place would be the faster to grab food at. Luckily everything is peachy keen with the baby, nothing is showing up as unusual, and the baby is a healthy size.

Since we were so hungry, we headed out to a Chipotle on the way home, and it started to pour once we were inside. At some point we had to decide to sit around and wait till it stopped raining, or just drive in a big storm. We drove home when the storm “settled down.” It was still okay, the guy working there probably put just as much guac in my burrito as rice. Guac makes every situation okay.

Symptoms

I haven’t really had much to complain about. The first trimester had been much more notable than the past two months. I was tired, I had muscle pains (probably because my abs weren’t use to budging), acid reflux, tender breasts, all that fun stuff. The second trimester has been mostly centered around my nose acting like it is middle of winter. But recently I started to get calf cramps in the middle of the night. At first I thought I just ran too intensely, but then they would cramp up on rest days. I am trying hard not stretch in the middle of the night since that seems to trigger the cramping. But hey, I guess I shouldn’t complain right?

Posted by Jennifer in Pregnancy Tags: pregnancy, second trimester, week 20, week 21

Tummy Status

Is it just me or does it look like my tummy hasn’t grown at all? I am thinking my boobs have matched my stomach growth and therefore looks like not much has been growing. I am also sure that my abs are contributing more to my tummy than I’d like to admit. The photo on the left is at 18 weeks, taken in the afternoon. The photo on the right was taken yesterday morning. I am pretty sure my tummy gets more food and my abs get tired at the end of the night from being engaged all day (from standing at work that is.)

Shopping

Got my baby bargains book and what is the first thing I looked at? Tips for buying pregnancy clothing! Duh. And it has been interesting. I got my jeans from H&M and they were WAY too small. I keep forgetting they have smaller jeans than Target, and that my calves and quads are little bit larger than most people. BUT I’ve never had a hard time getting my ankles through a pair of jeans. That was all new. But luckily I had to return the jeans at my local H&M and it turns out that they sell Maternity clothes there! Whoo! The selection is REALLY small, but it should be fine if I need shirts or a second pair of jeans.

Other great finds? I found an American based company that sell Boob (yes that is the clothing brand) which specializes in ethical and sustainable clothing. Best is that they have clothes that are made for pregnancy AND nursing, so they get a longer wear time. ASOS sells maternity pencil skirts that look reasonably priced… which makes me excited! I also have been browsing formal maternity clothing, you know, just incase a friend has a shotgun wedding. I found THIS DRESS which is amazing! But seriously? $150 for a 100% polyester dress? On the other end of the spectrum I found a second hand clothing store that has a maternity filter. Downside? The photos are awful and it will be a little bit of a gamble of a buy.

Snuggling

I think Toulouse knows something is going on. She has been very social lately. If Jon and I are watching TV, she comes down and lays in front of the fan with us. If I am on the computer, she takes a nap in the office with me. Working out on the third floor? Who cares that it is the hottest room in the house! Toulouse is laying down watching me do squats. She has climbed on our bed one night, which she hasn’t done since the temperature has reached over 70 degrees. 

Then it happened. One morning Toulouse jumped on my lap. She hasn’t done her morning snuggles with me in, well, maybe April or May. It use to be like clockwork. I finished making my shake, and then she would climb on my lap every Saturday and Sunday morning. I got excited because when the weather cools down again, my lap might be too full for her to lay on. She got some pets and started to purr… cue baby to start kicking. Either the kid loved the purring, or was hot and trying to kick the cat off. One of the two. Good news is that I can now officially tell the difference between gas and kicks.

Work Outs

I have been a bum in bed every morning. So I decided to try and do the Summer Shape Up Challenge that is run by Gina from Fitnessista. Week One was me remember how little I do squats lately and having my glutes (aka butt) being in pain most of the week. But now that week two is coming around, the sweat has been nice. This morning I ran for a solid 30 minutes, something I haven’t done in awhile, and clocked a pace of 13 min per mile. Okay sounds weak, but I was doing 14 1/2 minute miles earlier. Granted part of the reason for my faster pace is probably based around the awesome weather we had this morning.

Cravings/Aversions

Is just not wanting to cook a food aversion? I think saying craving or aversion is a little misleading. It is hot, and I don’t want to be in a kitchen. Bagels? Yes. Grilled cheese? I’ll deal with that. Stir-fry with rice? Way too much heat! Which stinks since I kind-of want high calorie foods that usually involve baking. Casseroles? Yes please. Oven fries? Sure but I don’t have any potatoes. Produce at my CSA is slowly turning into my more favorite foods, and I have been anticipating cantaloupe. Am I sharing? Hell no. 

I burned a hole in my stash of ice cream from Trader Joe’s and it is making me very sad. I will probably try making some homemade ice cream this weekend now that I have space in my freezer. We got a pizza from Healthy Garden (I should really write a review soon for the site) and it really hit the spot. I’ve been kind-of pouting about tomato sauce from pizza places, and they got it right. Next time we might get a daiya covered pizza.

BB Size

Parsnips? Sweet Potatoes? Who wrote these comparisons! Clearly someone who haven’t shopped at a farmer market or have grown their own vegetables! I am sitting here wondering what size my baby could possibly be, I can’t be the only one who has gotten a sweet potato that weighed a fraction of a pound and then get one that weights over two pounds. I feel like root vegetables vary the most in size! Never fear, my app says here that the baby is the size of a sugar glider! Much cuter, and I remember when I was little I wanted one as a pet so badly. 

At week 19 the baby is the size of a four-toed hedgehog, specifically the species that has been domesticated for the pet trade. This means I have been looking up sickeningly cute photos of hedgehogs in ridiculous situations including Hedgy Potter, a hedgehog building a human snow man, a hedgehog drinking milk, hugging buddies, and a hedgehog getting stuck in morning traffic. Your welcome everyone.

Posted by Jennifer in Pregnancy Tags: pregnancy, second trimester, week 18, week 19

Cravings/Aversions

When I was trying to get pregnant I was convinced that I wouldn’t get any food aversions or morning sickness, because I LOVE everything. I’ve been getting cravings but largely ignore them. I do my grocery shopping once a week and that’s it thank you. My husband is much too practical to agree to grabbing a pizza on a whim, or run to grab a pint of ice cream. But I do have to say, I have been noticing cravings.

Sugar is back on my radar… sort of. I am still kind-of not digging packages sweets, too sweet you know? But I am craving fruit, but feel bad buying strawberries and eating the whole container in one sitting (mostly for not sharing.) I am crossing my fingers that this craving will last till the end of the month when my CSA starts getting watermelon, cantaloupes, and we can pick pound and pounds of peaches. 

Food Aversions? Hm… mediocre food? I skipped my packed lunch for a clif bar because of soba noodles soaked up too much sauce and was bloated. But I am not sure if that is more disgusting rather than pregnancy. I don’t want to cook anything but never want to eat the easy to make food, like pasta. I also have noticed that if I have too acidic of drinks like powder mixed teas and lemonades I get acid reflux. They probably aren’t good for me anyways.

Baby Music

My phone apps say that my lil bb can now hear, and that they can hear me sing. So far the only songs I’ve caught myself singing have been Chop Suey by System of a Down, Down with the Sickness sung by Richard Cheese, and I Wanna Be Loved By You sung by Shiina Ringo. All very different songs, collectively is a poor representation of what I listen to, and largely inappropriate for children.

Worse thing is that I am trying to think of songs that I know and will sing, and most are not happy. I mean anyone know of Fiona Apple’s most recent album? Love singing it, totally cynical about love.

Kicks?

I think I can feel the baby kick- but it could just be gas. So hard to tell the difference. I mean I know I am feeling something that is a kick, I’ll just wait till I get bigger kicks and then use that to judge which ones are kicks now.

Tummy Status

Anyone stand in front of the mirror and flex your abs, seeing how tiny your waist can get then proceed to hunch over and let all of your tummy hang? Get a super hot and super not contrast going on? Nope, just me? Well, I’ve still been doing that. I’ve noticed my abs actually squeezes in a good bit, but I think my abs get tired by the end of the night and my tummy grows out by the end of the night.

I keep hearing from my Mom about how not pregnant I look, but the other day I noticed my belly button is a little more shallow. Yeah I know my belly button will be poking out, but it is weird to see the slow transition. Weight gain? 5 pounds roughly.

Baby Animals

Most pregnancy apps and books compare baby sizes to fruit, and I think that is just the worst comparisons. I mean a lemon is round, people are kind-of a cylinder with wiggly bits. So I was pretty happy when I found out my one app compares baby sizes to various animals, and I am loving it. Week 16 my baby was roughly the size of a Philippine tarsier… which is so friggin adorable! You know, in an ugly opossum sort of way. When I found this out I texted Alexa this photo with the caption “LOOK AT MY BB!” It was first thing that she saw when her plane from Spain landed. Great way to be welcomed to the US.

What about week 17? Well I have a little chipmunk in my tum-tum. I told Jon this and now he has been eyeing up the chipmunks that run around the area. It makes me a little less mad that they keep nibbling all the plants in my garden. Bad news? While driving to work I almost ran over a chipmunk, which made me feel like the world’s worst mother. Note to self- my child isn’t ACTUALLY a chipmunk.

Clothes

Still in the awkward in-between phase. I put on my sailor dress today and it was… uh…. tight. It has gotten to the point I might cave in and buy a pair of maternity shorts from Target this weekend. So far I haven’t worn any of my special preggers clothes other than my old vintage mod dress, and my brand new sports bra. I might have to get new bras and I hate getting them. So much missing money in my wallet for something not many people see.

Posted by Jennifer in Pregnancy Tags: pregnancy, second trimester, week 16, week 17