Baby P #2 Bump Watch: 26 Weeks Preggers

26 Weeks

 

What is up with Baby P #2 this week?

• She now weighs about 2 lbs and measures 14 inches – about the length of a scallion or as big as a head of kale – and she continues to put on baby fat.
• Her eyes are beginning to open! They’ve been closed up until now. And she can see what’s going on now! Kind of. She can see light coming from outside of the womb!
• Her ears are better developed and more sensitive than before. She could very well be able to hear both my voice and her daddy’s as we converse.
• Her brain-wave activity is gearing up at this stage of development which means she can not only hear noises. She can now respond to them.
• She’s also inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid which is essential for the development of her lungs.

What’s been happening with ME this week?

Weight Gained: At this point, I feel like I weigh as much as a blue whale. And people’s reactions to my growing belly every single day reaffirms my pregnancy weight gain.

Workouts: I walk and walk and walk all day at work. 5 days a week. Occasional long walks when Hubby takes the dog out in the evenings. Key word: Occasional. SoCal temperatures make me want to stay indoors as much as possible.

Symptoms: 

• Braxton Hicks contractions. I never felt them before with my first pregnancy. But totally felt something going on in my belly this week. At work, after running around and moving stuff, I sat down at my computer for a bit. And I just felt my lower abs contract. It was the strangest feeling ever. It wasn’t painful. But they were “flexing” without me making them flex.
• Mild swelling in the feet/ankles. Not quite Flintstone feet yet but getting there!
• Bloating. And gas. Yup I said it! Baby is taking up so much room now that there’s not enough room for food. And I still eat like I’m starving so my uterus pressing up against a full stomach doesn’t help. The gas just happens. 🤷‍♀️
• Mild leg cramps. Maybe because I need to drink more fluids. We have officially entered the summer season and it is hot here in SoCal. So yeah, I need to drink more during the days because at night, I barely roll over and I can feel my calf muscles tighten.
• Trouble sleeping at night… mainly because I can’t get comfortable enough laying on my side. It’s starting to hurt. My pregnancy pillow just isn’t doing the job. I’ve added more pillows to the mix.
• Lower back ache.

Food Aversions: nope

Food Cravings:

• Grapefruit sprinkled with salt
• Anything coconut flavored – I had a Mocha Frappuccino from Starbucks with coconut milk. Totally worth the extra $0.60. Soooo yum.
• And all things sweet. Nothing in particular. Just anything sweet. I maybe had 3 servings of something ice cream this week. Maybe.

Sleep: Just okay considering the uncomfortable-ness that’s starting to happen. Frequent trips to the bathroom doesn’t help. And now that the weather is heating up… it gets pretty stuffy. I don’t like to sleep with the AC on… but maybe I’ll go buy a 2nd fan just so this pregnant lady doesn’t get too hot.

Any Baby/Pregnancy-Related Purchases? Finally made a pregnancy related purchase!!! And this first purchase was for ME!!! Yup, just purchased 2 wrap dresses from an online boutique. I’ve never bought anything from them before, so I’m hoping the dresses fit and and actually look nice on me. If they do, I’ll try my best to “model” them and take some pics to post on here. But still no purchases for Baby P just yet. I’m still in the process of “nesting” here… but maybe after the baby shower, I’ll have some stuff to show off on my blog.

Stretch Marks: None yet… but at the rate the belly is growing, I think it’s just a matter of time before some new ones appear.

Miss Anything?: Being able to eat (pig out) without feeling like a stuffed turkey on Thanksgiving Day.

Belly Button In or Out? Out!

Wedding Rings On or Off? Still on! But mild swelling is happening because of this heat so maybe it’ll be coming off in the coming weeks. Eeek.

Happy or Moody Most Of The Time? Moody in the beginning of my gestational week – I realize that people at work easily annoy me now. I’m usually pretty good at not letting things get to me, but this pregnancy has definitely made it difficult to tolerate that stuff. But happy towards the end for sure!

Any Movement? She’s just as active as her sister was, if not more! I’m talking non-stop ninja warrior action.

Fun and/or Interesting Things from the Week? Not fun but definitely interesting. As mentioned in my last post, I said I’d keep you updated on my whole thyroid nodule situation. Well, results came back Stage 3 Undetermined. It means they can’t conclude if it’s benign nor malignant. I have to go back in 3 months after the Baby is born for another biopsy. This is what happened the very first time I had a biopsy. I went in 3 different times before they could conclude that it was benign. Anyway, trying to remain positive! For now, I’m just going to focus on continuing to grow this Baby. No time for negative thoughts right now.

And!!! I also went in for my 3-hour glucose test on Saturday. The lab at my clinic is open on Saturdays so that’s where I spent my morning. I had to fast – couldn’t eat anything past 10pm the night before – and tried to get to the lab at 8. Yeah I couldn’t get myself to get out of bed. But I got there about 8:45. Got my first blood draw right away and then drank the glucola. Flavor this time? Lime. They didn’t have the orange flavored. It wasn’t so bad. Tasted like a very syrupy Sierra Mist. But thank God they chill these drinks because I don’t know if I could drink it warm. 😖

My 2nd blood draw happened at 9:52, the 3rd around 10:52, and the 4th and final at 11:52. By the end of it I was sleepy and hungry! Came home and just started shoving food into my mouth. I probably exceeded the recommended calorie count for the day but whatever. I was starving and shakey. Anyway, got the results same day and guess what? No gestational diabetes for this chick! Woooohoooo!

Looking Forward To? This coming up 4th of July weekend!!! Friday, after my prenatal doctor visit, Hubby and I are taking a road trip up to my mother-in-law’s to pick Ella up from her 2-week vacation away from us! We also plan to spend the weekend up there and then drive back Monday, in time to celebrate the 4th back home before we go back to work the next day. Probably the only “vacation” I’ll have this summer and before Baby P #2 comes.

Baby P #2 Bump Watch: 25 Weeks Preggers

Okay, so my turnover days fall on Wednesdays. Which means Wednesday is the start of my new week. And the day my 25th week started, I had a doctor’s appointment that was non-pregnancy related. Remember back in the day before I got prego? I was dealing with thyroid issues. Not sure if I went into detail about it in the past but long story short, I found a lump in my neck. Turned out to be nodules. After about almost a year of testing (3 to be exact because the first 2 were inconclusive) it turned out to be benign. But for some odd reason, with both pregnancies, they’ve grown. And then I have to go in for biopsies to check it all out again. I’ve been told that benign nodules rarely turn malignant but it’s still better to check things out anyway. It’s a little scary to think about cancer when you’re pregnant, but I’m always doing my best to stay positive. Anyway, I won’t get the results for probably another week or 2 so I’ll keep you updated on that.

That same day, I also went in to get blood work done. It’s glucose time again! Yup, drinking that yucky orange stuff and getting poked is never any fun but it comes with being prego. I mean, this stuff is the easy stuff, right? When you’re comparing it to childbirth and parenting… it’s a piece of cake!!!

And the results? Well… let’s just say the numbers didn’t quite fall in the “standard range.” My test results online shows that my numbers are a little bit higher than the normal bracket. But it could also be because I seriously forgot I had planned to take the glucose test and wasn’t thinking (pregnancy brain at its best) and I did not eat my best that day. After my thyroid appointment, I indulged a little and had some yummy Mexican food. And, don’t ask me why, but I also had some soda. I’m not much of a soda drinker…but Baby P wanted soda. So she got soda. And by the time I remembered about the glucose test, it was too late. I had already consumed it. Now, you’re probably thinkin’ “why in the world did you not fast for this test?” Well, my doctor said it wasn’t required for this 1-hour test and actually encouraged I eat as normal. So anyway, I’m blaming the high sugar levels on the soda and I’m hoping and praying it really isn’t gestational diabetes. I will need to go in for the 3-hour test to confirm for sure. Yuck. Not looking forward to it AT ALL.

*sigh*

Okay, onto my weekly update…

25 Weeks

 

If you’re wondering why my lil photobomber isn’t in the pic with me, it’s because she went off to spend the 2 weeks with her grandma. And I’m not gonna apologize for looking yucky in these photos. Taking my update photos aren’t high up on my priority list most days so I usually end up taking them when I’m in between chores or when I’m about to start getting ready for bed. So there. That’s my story.

 

What is up with Baby P #2 this week?

• Baby P #2 is now about 13 1/2 inches and weighs about 1 1/2 lbs. She’s about the size of a rutabaga or a cauliflower.
• She’s starting to gain some baby fat, and her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and start to look more and more like a newborn.
• She’s also growing more hair

 

What’s been happening with ME this week?

Weight Gained: When they checked my weight at my thyroid appointment, I think I gained ounces. Can’t recall the exact number but it was close enough to a pound from my prenatal appointment the week before.

Workouts: I intended to work out but I have been so tired and busy that I just could not muster up the energy to do a dang thing.

Symptoms: 

• Lower Backache – especially from sitting in traffic
• Frequent trips to the bathroom.
• Lots of bloating happening
• Major mood swings
• Mild heartburn

Food Aversions: none

Food Cravings: uh, the obvious as mentioned in my little story at the start of this post… soda! I was also craving my fave pastry from Starbucks – the cinnamon swirl coffee cake. But the Starbucks at work was out of it all week. Made me sad. But then towards the weekend, I started to crave fruit. Ice cold fruit. So we bought some grapefruit. And pineapple. Which I plan to have with some cottage cheese. Mmmmm.

Sleep: It wasn’t the greatest but I can’t complain. Any sleep is better than no sleep, right? The hubby graduated over the weekend and then Ella left to go spend the next 2 weeks with her grandma up in Tahoe, so we weren’t able to sleep in like we normally would. But hey, we got to sleep a little.

Any Baby/Pregnancy-Related Purchases? I bought a new top. For me. But it made me look like a whale. In pictures. I thought I looked fine in the mirror but once the pictures surfaced, I was not very pleased with how big I looked. 

Stretch Marks: no new ones have appeared…but I fear it may happen soon. The area around my belly button is starting to itch. No bueno.

Miss Anything?: After seeing how big I look and hearing people say how pregnant I look… I’m really missing being in shape and looking cute in anything I wear. *sigh* One day….

Belly Button In or Out? OUT

Wedding Rings On or Off? On!

Happy or Moody Most Of The Time? Moody. Definitely moody. Maybe because the weather’s getting hot? Who knows. I just know that everyone has been getting on my damn nerves. And I mean EVERYONE.

Any Movement? Yep. All the time.

Fun and/or Interesting Things from the Week? Hubby graduated! Last time I was pregnant, he received his Bachelor’s. This time? His Master’s Degree. Super proud wifey over here!!!

 

 

 

We thought it would be cute to try and re-create the pose we took 2 years ago at the hubby’s Bachelor’s graduation ceremony. And we really did try. But Ella wasn’t exactly interested in cooperating with us in this moment. So this is the best we could do.

#FAIL

Looking Forward To? Since the baby is away, I’m looking forward to nesting as much as I can. Decluttering our space, organizing, and just getting ready for Baby P #2. I’m hoping to maybe even start planning the baby shower… we’ll see.

Baby P #2 Bump Watch: 24 Weeks Preggers

And here we are. 24 weeks gestation and getting bigger by the day.

Whoa.

 

24 Weeks

And, of course, a shot with my monster…

What is up with Baby P #2 this week?

• Baby P is definitely growing (as you can tell by my photos above). She has gained approximately 4oz since last week, probably weighing about 1 1/3 pounds
• She is measuring almost a foot long – which is about the length of an ear of corn and about the size of a cantaloupe.
• Her body is pretty lean but filling out proportionally and will soon start to plump up.
• Her brain is also growing quickly and her taste buds are continuing to develop.
• Her lungs are developing “branches” of the respiratory “tree” as well as cells that produce surfactant – a substance that will help her air sacs inflate one she is in outside of the womb and in our world.
• Her see-through skin is gradually becoming more opaque and is taking on a fresh, pink glow because of the small capillaries that have recently formed.

 

What’s been happening with ME this week?

Weight Gained: I had my doctor’s appointment FINALLY and found out that I am up 15 lbs from the start of this pregnancy. Yup. 17 lbs in 24 weeks. Not bad, but I was hoping the number would be less at this point in time. I still have a ways to go, and because I was heavier at the start of this pregnancy than I was with Ella, my expected weight gain is supposed to be in the 20-25 lbs range as opposed to the 25-35 lbs range. But my doctor doesn’t seem to be concerned. I just need to continue to make sure I’m making healthier choices and not just giving into my cravings.

Workouts: Lots and lots of walking. Not extracurricular type of walking. Just a lot of walking and sometimes running around at work trying to get setups done.

Symptoms: Nothing new from last week. I’m still experiencing:

• backaches
• mild swelling in the feet
• round ligament pains – especially when I stand up from having been sitting for longer than 5 minutes
• sore leg muscles (thighs especially) as my work day comes to a close which makes for some duck-like waddling.
• fatigue, of course. This one will probably never go away. Ever.

Food Aversions: none

Food Cravings: I am obsessed with sweets. I’m trying not to over indulge but sometimes I just can’t help it! I’ve had Jamba Juice, ice cream…junk food, you name it. So bad.

Sleep: pretty darn good. I’m usually a side sleeper but for some reason, I sleep most comfortably on my back… which I shouldn’t be doing this late in my pregnancy. I may have to go back to sleeping with my pregnancy pillow again. I had used it early on but because it’s so big and bulky, I stopped for a bit. But I think I may need to start use it again so I stay off my back when I’m sleeping.

Any Baby/Pregnancy-Related Purchases? Can you believe I haven’t splurged yet? I’m quite proud of myself, actually. Maybe in the coming weeks though. Hubby is pretty much done with school and Ella will be off to spend a couple of weeks with Grandma so we’ll have time to do some major financial damage.

Stretch Marks: No new ones yet. Belly hasn’t started to itch yet either so maybe we’re good for now. If I get any bigger, I’m sure they’ll start to appear…

Miss Anything?: At this point, I’ve learned to just deal with being very pregnant. I’m by no means complaining about it at all. But thinking about fitting into skinny clothes again or working out or anything about my pre-baby/pregnancy life just seems like a waste of energy so I’m just living in the moment. Taking it all one day at a time.

Belly Button In or Out? Definitely still out.

Wedding Rings On or Off? Definitely still on.

Happy or Moody Most Of The Time? Depends on who you’re asking. If you’re asking me, I will definitely say I’m happy!!! But if you ask my team at work and especially the hubby, they will probably tell you I’m moody. Let’s just say I’m very hormonal this 2nd time around. Maybe because I’ve already been pregnant so I’m not so fascinated with the changes as much as the 1st time. And I just seem to get annoyed pretty easily.

Any Movement? Yup. She’s probably more active than Ella. I hate to say it, but I’m gonna really have to figure out how I’m gonna be able to keep up with these 2 girls as they grow up and this mama gets old and frail.

Fun and/or Interesting Things from the Week? Nesting! Well, starting to nest. We went through our storage of crap that we’ve accumulated for the past 15+ years and got rid of some stuff. Stuff that I hadn’t sorted through since I was in college. And we were able to sort of sort through Ella’s baby gear that she hasn’t used since forever which, by the way, Ella enjoyed. She wanted to play with everything we brought out. Things that she hated as a baby, she seemed to really love now. It was cute.

 

Ella this weekend…

 

Ella at 9 months old when she hated being in her walker

 

And then we also took Ella to “movie night” at the Park in the City of Rialto where her daddy grew up. They were screening Moana and we thought we would take advantage of the nice weather and opportunity for more family time with cousins, aunts, uncles, and great grandma. Ella, I think, enjoyed the pre-show activities more than the movie itself, but overall, it was a fun time.

 

 

 

Looking Forward To? Nesting some more. Splurging on some new baby stuff. And shopping for myself. I need some new clothes.

Baby P #2 Bump Watch: 23 Weeks Preggers

And we are moving right along! Can’t believe we are now at 23 weeks. And already looking very much prego! 

23 Weeks

My litto monster always wants in on all the action. 😍

What is up with Baby P #2 this week?

• At approximately 11.4 inches and weighing in at 1.1 pounds, she is about the size of a grapefruit!!!
• Her movements in my belly may already be seen underneath my clothes 😱
• Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing 
• Her ears are most likely able to pick up sounds which is preparing her for entry into our world. Loud noises that become familiar now – such as the dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner – probably won’t faze her when she hears them outside the womb.

What’s been happening with ME this week?

Weight Gained: next doc appointment is tomorrow 6/8… I’ll have that info for you on my 24 week update!

Workouts: not a one. It’s pathetic!

Symptoms: 

• Backaches
• Some discomfort in my hips…perhaps my sciatic nerve? Not sure exactly.
• Some swelling… need to buy some compression leggings/socks to help with that and the varicose veins
• Peeing A LOT. And often!
• And I am starting to waddle! As the day wears on, the weight of my belly on my tiny frame is jut too much for my legs…so I’ve officially started waddling. 

Food Aversions: none! All food is welcome!

Food Cravings: Soda. Chocolate. Sushi.

Sleep: Definitely can’t complain! I’m able to nap on the weekends with Ella. Which never usually happens otherwise! I’ve never been much of a napped. But being pregnant and keeping up with my toddler wears me out!

Any Baby/Pregnancy-Related Purchases? Almost but not quite yet!

Stretch Marks: Still no new ones. Yay! 👏

Miss Anything?: Just having time to do absolutely nothing!

Belly Button In or Out? Officially OUT.

Wedding Rings On or Off? On!

Happy or Moody Most Of The Time? A little bit of everything. I can get easily annoyed. And then I get in moods where I’m like screw it. And then I’m over it. And then I’m just chill.

Any Movement? All the freaking time. She’s been kicking, punching, rolling, you name it.

Fun and/or Interesting Things from the Week? No not really. It’s been a pretty tiring week for me. Hubby’s going through finals for school so I’ve kinda been single-parenting and it’s exhausting!

Looking Forward To? Nesting and shopping! Seriously. 

Baby P #2 Bump Watch: 22 Weeks Preggers

Late post…AGAIN. Livin’ that mom life. Not afraid to admit it either! 😬

22 Weeks

What is up with Baby P #2 this week?

• Baby P is the size of a spaghetti squash or coconut, weighing in at almost 1 pound and measuring 11 inches long. She’s starting to look like a miniature newborn!
• Her lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct
• She’s developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums
• Her eyes have formed but her irises still lack pigment
• She’s got fine hair called lanugo that covers her body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which she’ll sport until she adds a padding of fat to fill them in
• Her pancreas is developing steadily
• Baby P is sleeping in cycles! About 12-14 hours per day.

What’s been happening with ME this week?

Weight Gained: feels like a lot the way my tummy is growing!

Workouts: Just squats. When I can do it.

Symptoms: 

• And let the backaches begin! Doesn’t help that I’m on my feet all day long running around, but my long commute to and from work definitely doesn’t help either.
• Still can’t catch my breath quickly enough
• Aches and pains especially where the varicose veins are… it sucks!!!
• Swollen feet. Not bad yet… but the weather’s been very hot lately so I’m sure that’s got a lot to do with it too
• Increased vaginal discharge. Gross but true. This is what happens during pregnancy. No shame in saying there’s some yuckiness going on down there.

Food Aversions: Anything greasy. Even though it’s weird that I still kinda crave them too.

Food Cravings: Donuts

Sleep: Still making up for the lack of sleep from last weekend! But all in all, sleep is good!

Any Baby/Pregnancy-Related Purchases? Still window shopping. But I’ve got my eye on some things!

Stretch Marks: zero

Miss Anything?: Haven’t had time to miss anything this week. Work was a doozy. Ella’s been keeping me pretty occupied.

Belly Button In or Out? Kinda out. But not completely.

Wedding Rings On or Off? Still on.

Happy or Moody Most Of The Time? Happy, for the most part… but totally annoyed with the people I work with. So I guess moody? I dunno. This pregnancy is totally different for me in comparison to the last one. Definitely much more of an emotional rollercoaster ride.

Any Movement? Lots and lots of movement!

Fun and/or Interesting Things From the Week? 

Memorial Day weekend was fun. Although it was more relaxing for this mama… we took some time to enjoy a little bit of what the outdoors had to offer. 

We took Ella to the park with her cousins

And then we went to this place called Snowopolis. 

Pretty decent shave ice…. closest one to Hawaiian Shave Ice as I can get here in SoCal. Will definitely be going more often in the coming months. The heat out here is insane!

Looking Forward To? Nesting!!! While Ella was sick, I kinda started cleaning out kitchen cabinets. I wanted to rearrange furniture, but not something I could accomplish by myself so that’s going to have to wait till hubby is done with school (June 17th can’t come soon enough!). Once he’s done, it’s on like Donkey Kong! Gonna declutter and reorganize and start prepping for Baby’s arrival.