Second Trimester Reeeecap

SECOND TRIMESTER

I started out looking like this: (oh you tired, pitiful, lifeless-looking thing you)

And ended up looking more like this: (BAM!)

I felt:

• Relieved and pumped to be in the 2nd trimester and to know that the baby was A-OK.
• Happy. I was enjoying the whole pregnancy and baby-planning experience! 
• Hormonal Emotional.
• Still nauseous but super hungry for a few weeks before the nausea eased up.
• Soreness in in my back/hip that later turned into sometimes unbearable pain.
• Energy-less to begin with.
• Allergy and sinus pain. (I'm afraid that's back...)
• Constantly in awe of how you were growing (still).
• Baby move! WAY cool. And weird. But still cool! =)
• Swollen. Oy.
• Braxton Hicks.
• Motivated to get to work on house projects, freezer meals, etc...
• Pregnant. =)
• Blessed. Over and over and over again. Even on the worst days I couldn't get over how cool this is. I can't say enough how thankful I am for this experience and the fact that it's been a healthy one is just a super duper bonus! =)

Cravings:

• Captain crunch
• Fruit
• Donuts
• Sandwiches (all the time - this was probably my longest running craving - spanning over months)
• Ice Cream

Highlights:

• Three sweet baby girls were born!
• The nausea moving out.
• Weekly belly pics.
• Anatomy Scan.
• Strangers noticing I was pregnant.
• Being asked about the pregnancy, etc... I always enjoyed asking and learning how other people were doing and it was fun to be on the sharing side of that too.
• Nursery planning.
• Eventual slowing of the pit stops. ha!
• Getting some house projects done.
• Talking about names.
• Floating weightless in a pool.
• Registering.
• Dac putting the crib together.
• Seeing Dac show some pride and excitement about the baby. He's going to be such a great dad.

So, surprises: I felt and experienced more in the 2nd trimester than I expected to... or at least earlier than I expected. Cool and sometimes scary at the same time. I feel like those ultimate glory days everyone talks about lasted MAYBE a month... maybe... otherwise I felt like I was either continuing the first trimester or getting a kick start on the third. ha! That's ok though, it's part of what's made this MY experience. I think it's cool how different people and pregnancies are. You really can't compare yourself to anyone else... you know... just like all the time. =) We're all different and that keeps life interesting!

Here's to the third and final stretch...

Midweek Randoms

• So, let's start with the weekend. Friday, I did laundry and started prepping the laundry room closet for a mini makeover. I also made a breakfast casserole that was kind of a flop. I ALSO overdid it and felt awful by the end of the night. When will I learn?

• Here's what the laundry room looked like Saturday morning. It was a mustardy orange color, and though you can't see them, the washer and dryer (washer especially) were awfully filthy. 

• After we got the room emptied out, I ran to Wal-Mart for groceries and made chocolate chip muffins to eat with my chocolate milk I just had to have.

• Then I got to work cleaning and taping the laundry room while Dac mowed. Then I started painting and Dac finished it up later. He was kind enough to let me me take a little siesta while he did that.

• I made baked chili dogs that night. I was kind of impressed with them, really. 

• Sunday, Dac and I ran to Lowe's to get wood for baseboards in the laundry room. While Dac worked on all that, I cleaned the heck out of our washing machine. Oh. My. A while back the thing broke. In the process, soap and fabric softener got WAY built up in there and it was indescribably disgusting. Oy. It is SO much better now.

• Now, even though the laundry room isn't totally complete... it looks better, matches the family room, is mucho cleaner, and is functional again! =)

• It was another September 11 anniversary yesterday. I can't believe it's been that long. I remember it so well it could have been yesterday. Really, how could we forget? Been thinking about all those affected... those who were there that day, those who lost loved ones, those who served, and those who continue to serve today.

• Mary got my crib skirt done! It looks awesome!! She did such a good job - as I knew she would - and it makes me that much more excited to get things moving in the nursery. Eeek! Here's just a quick mini-peek at it. =) I just loosely tied it on... it's all adjustable and once it's actually in the nursery it'll sweep the floor perfectly! Oh - and it'll look much better when there's a mattress in there. ha! Coming soon!

• I like baths. They are getting harder to take but I like them and I'm thankful for the tub and the opportuni

• I'm kind of over all the political slander and ridiculousness. I know it's part of it but it's getting old already. I mean really, what good really comes from that?

• Dac and I have a wedding anniversary this weekend... 6 years... holla! =) We share the date (16th) with my Aunt Deb and Uncle Kevin. I think we've officially been together for as long as we weren't before we started dating. For crying out loud.

• Sometimes I watch the morning news and just can't help but giggle. It's just kinda funny. I like it. =) One thing (one of the many) I'm looking forward to about maternity leave is being home for Good Morning America. =) News. Junkie. 

• Yesterday Dac said "oh no, I forgot, we need to take your picture today", to which I replied "it's only Tuesday!!" (We take the picture each Friday). He said "at this point in your pregnancy I feel like we should probably take one every day!". Ha. Real funny Dac. Everybody's a comedian these days! =)

• I've got this allergy sinus junk going on again. Boo. Makes me feel like doing a whole lotta nothing. I thought after having it for 17 weeks in a row maybe I'd be good for a while... ha! =) Nope. Seasonal allergies apparently don't want to follow my schedule. Dac is struggling with them too. Poor guy - he's really been working so hard and I hate that on top of not getting a break he's dealing with that too.

• Let's see, what else. Oh - I was 9-3 on my football picks the first week. Week two? 6-6. Oops. =( I wasn't the only one... I tied with the sports editor... we were both glad we weren't alone. Better luck next time I guess.  

First Trimester Reeeecap

Now that I'm officially into the third trimester, I thought it might be fun to recap the past two... mostly for my documentation purposes. =)

FIRST TRIMESTER:

I started out looking a little something like this:

And rounded it out looking more like this:

I felt:

• Sore from being poked and prodded so dang much by ultrasounds, lab work, etc...
• Incredibly overwhelmed - happy of course - but overwhelmed.
• Excited, anxious, jumpy up and downy, shocked, thrilled.
• Super scary cramping that turned out to be a Subchorionic Hemorrhage.
• Relieved when an ultrasound showed that had disappeared and the baby was just fine.
• Like I started growing right away. (turns out I really did! ha!)
• Nauseous pretty much all day every day. Aside from a couple times, I never got super duper sick (thank you Jesus)... just felt like I could be at any given moment. I ate almost constantly to help fight it off. I also gagged practically constantly and had lots of dry heaves. Sometimes I wish I could have thrown up - just for some relief but I fought it like a banchee. I'm a tough cookie. =) 
• Exhausted - exhausted in a way I didn't even think was possible. How I even functioned (if/when I did) is beyond me. I guess it's because I just had to. I could NOT get enough sleep. I'm not a napper but I became a napper. The ultimate napper. I slept in, stopped straightening my hair (still haven't picked that back up yet), took naps on my lunch break, took naps after work, skipped making supper, fell asleep watching tv by 8 p.m., then slept a full night (minus pee breaks, of course). I couldn't think straight, I felt ridiculously unsocial, and like a pathetic blob! ha! Thankfully, Dac was understanding and since my other friends/family didn't know - I just put on the best face I could for them so I wouldn't give it away!
• Like a walking sinus infection for weeks and weeks.
• Like a big secret-keeping liar. ha!
• Like a whole new girl with boobs! =)
• My head pounding.
• Bloated.
• Constipated.
• Constantly in awe of how the baby was growing.
• Relieved and so incredibly excited when we made it to the end of the first trimester and got to tell family and friends! 

Cravings:

• Macaroni and Cheese
• Chicken Nuggets
• Chocolate Banana Shakes

Highlights:

• The positive test.
• Getting the call from the super sweet nurse confirming it was true.
• Telling Dac.
• The first ultrasound.
• Graduating from the specialist to my regular OB. Both of those appointments were awesome!
• Telling family and friends - this was SO much fun!!!! We loved it and are glad we waited to spill the beans. =)
• Buying maternity clothes. (For someone who's always packed a little extra in the middle... this was like a dream come true!)
• Surviving photographing a wedding!

So, hard? Yes. Still a super cool experience I'm glad I got? Also yes. =) Stay tuned for a 2nd trimester recap!

Monday Morning Pop Tart

Week 28: Holy moly baby, we are in the third and final trimester now! EEEEEK! This is one of those ready or not moments!! I can’t believe it. I imagine I’ll only have more of those thoughts and feelings the closer we get. On one hand, we’re ready. We are ready for you and for the new roles (aren’t we?). The house and your room are NOT ready. Not even close really (although much closer than we were a week ago)... or at least it doesn’t feel like that. Your dad reminded me that we have all we need though. As much as I want to punch his arm when he says things like this - it just so happens he is 110% correct. God is giving you to us... on loan, really. He will provide what we need to take care of you. We already have a roof over our heads and a whole lotta love. I’d say that’s a pretty dang good start.

Highlights

How Far Along: 28 weeks

Size of baby: Eggplant

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I'm dreading the next weigh-in. I know there's not a whole lot I can do about it now... I just don't want to end up gaining 70 lbs. 

Maternity Clothes: Yes. While we're on this topic, I'm a bit disappointed in the fact that so many of my maternity clothes have become too tight. Aren't they supposed to last the whole nine months??? I know it's not the clothes' fault... it's mine. But still. Annoying! =)

Gender: It's still a surprise! Sorry! =)

Movement: Yes - although I've had some days where I haven't felt as much... kinda made me nervous but I think everything's ok. I feel everything from little wiggles to tugging on my belly button to kicks, jabs, and rolls. I think the craziest feeling is probably when a foot or hand drags across the inside of my belly. 

Sleep: Second verse, same as the first. ha! I feel like these answers don't change a whole lot from week to week. Some nights aren't so bad. Some are even pretty good. Then, some nights are awful - mostly due to pain and discomfort. I'm just thankful for what rest/sleep I do get and call it good. That's all you can really do, right?

Symptoms: Braxton Hicks, pain/discomfort, swelling, difficulty breathing - I think baby is pushing up on my lungs a bit, allergy/sinus stuff is back - thankfully the nausea does seem to have been a fluke! Let's hope that continues to be the case! =)

What I miss: Currently, my house being picked up!

Cravings: Chocolate milk (oh baby oh baby). Ice cream. Bananas. 

Best Moment this week: Completing a birth story video. This is something I've wanted to do for a really long time and it feels so good to have accomplished it.

What I am looking forward to: Completing some house projects and nesting the heck out of that nursery. I'm ready, NOW! Oh - and fall. Fall colors, fall temps, fall food.... awwww. Love it.

Felicity

In case you don't follow our photography blog, I posted pictures of Kayla's sweet little brand new munchkin. You can see all of them there but here's a couple of my favorites. =)

Midweek Randoms

• Wednesday, I cleaned house for Wii Night.  This is just one portion of my leg/foot after said cleaning. 

• Gross! I know. You're welcome. Hope you weren't eating breakfast. It's ok though I guess because along with the growing feet and calves - there's also a growing belly - which means there's a growing baby. 

• I already shared Wii Night with you. So that was Thursday. 

• Friday, I had a meeting in Goddard so I spent most my day there or in the car. I even ate a school lunch! ha! Since the federal guidelines have changed so much this year, we thought it'd be good for us PR people to check out what the fuss is about. I think we picked a pretty good day to try it out! It also came with a little cinnamon bun thing. 

• That evening Dac and I went by Sherwin Williams to pick up some paint then met his parents and brother at the casino for dinner. I put away the entire chicken fried chicken meal. I'm not saying it was a pretty sight - nor am I condoning it. =)

• When we got home (after a quick ice cream stop) we got to work moving stuff out of the hallway and family room, spackling, etc... for the big day-o-painting Saturday. By the time we got done, the front of our house looked a little something like this:

• Saturday, we ate breakfast with my parents before taping and painting the family room. My dad is still recovering from surgery and Dac mowed the church yard among other projects, so it was mostly my mom and I doing the painting (no worries - zero VOC paint and ventilation). Really, it was mostly my mom. I did a lot of the cutting-in but I can't really be up on a ladder or do anything too awful physically demanding so she took on the brunt of the work. Did I mention our AC was broke most the day? And it was over 100 outside? And we were painting. SO thankful for her help.

• The family room has been kind of a cream color since we bought the house. It's a pretty color and looked fine - it was just time for a clean up/refresher. After debating for a while, we went with a much darker greige color. Spalding Grey is the name but it definitely has some brown tones in it too. 

• It's a tad dark but it really makes the white trim (which also needs re-painted) pop. I think once we get stuff back on the walls, curtains back up, new throw pillows, etc... it'll be great. Dac also got the TV mounted to the wall so we need to get a new console for under that. We'll also be putting up some crown molding too. =) Excited to have an almost like-new room! More than anything I love that it's clean looking. 

• Sunday, we got up to do a family session in Wichita. It was HOT HOT HOT and this momma barely survived. haha! Thankfully, the people were super fun and we had a great time - which makes it totally worth it. Plus, I got a good walk in and we all know I need some of that in my life. After the session, they kindly treated us to Old Chicago. I had the fish and chips which are divine there. =) After a stop by Lowe's and Quik Trip, we were on our way home. We worked on some photo stuff and started painting the hallway. I was so incredibly pooped that was about all I had left to give. I took a warm bath, we watched a movie, then went to bed.

• Monday (Labor Day - thankful to work a job that gives me that day off) was much like Sunday. We got up and headed to Ponca for a bridal session. We hadn't been there five minutes when I knew for sure this girl was a good fit for us. =) We had fun, got some stress free bridal shots out of the way, and got to know her a little better. Winning. 

• My parents came over again to finish up the hallway - well the walls anyway - trim still needs done. It was kind of a darker, peachy-tan color before. Now it's "Accessible Greige" - a much lighter/brighter color. I think we like it. =) If nothing else, it's so fresh and so clean, clean. Ha! You can't really tell from this picture, but a few months ago we replaced the boob lights that were in there with these school house lights. They look great and very 1920-friendly. I've done a horrible job showing before/afters. Probably because it seems like there's never anything totally complete... but I need to be better about it - for our own documentation if nothing else. 

• After that was done, I did some laundry, Dac worked on painting the basement door outside, and we both worked on photo stuff. 

• Yesterday, it was back to work. I had a hair appt. after work then went to visit Kayla and the girls. Finally got a little cuddle time in with Felicity and got to hear about Journey's first day of school. =) Love them.

• I went 9-3 on my football picks last week. I would have been 10-2 (the highest score anyone got) but I just couldn't bring myself to say our high school team would lose... just couldn't.

• OSU won! =) No surprise there... Go Pokes!

• It seems I've misplaced lost my debit card. Hasn't been used since Friday. Thankfully, that means nobody else has tried using it. Have you seen it? 

• My husband loves me. He made me an "Alisha's Mixed Tape" playlist on Spotify. =) He dumps music in there he thinks I might like to listen to at work. It's the little things.

• That's about all that's new I think!

Monday Morning Pop Tart

Week 27: Well the overtime continues Pop Tart - especially for your daddy. I’m hoping this will slow down long before your arrival. =) You’re consistently moving now. I feel you wiggling, flipping, jabbing, and stretching off and on all day. I’ve also been noticing more cramping and tightening. All to prepare me for the your big birthday party I suppose. As more babies are being born around us, we’re getting even more excited to meet you and see just who you are. Of course there’s no way we could be anything short of super impressed. It’s just fun to think about I guess.

Highlights

How Far Along: 27 weeks

Size of baby: Rutabega

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Too stinkin' much.

Maternity Clothes: Yes and even some of those are getting pretty tight.

Gender: It's a surprise! 

Movement: Yep! Lots - for the most part.

Sleep: Off and on.

Symptoms: More swelling and headaches, back/hip pain, random bouts of nausea (hoping this is a fluke), heartburn, cramping... nothing new really except the nausea. 

What I miss: Being able to do things normally and help out more.

Cravings: Double dip ice cream cones (cookies-n-cream and rocky road)

Best Moment this week: Time with friends and family.

What I am looking forward to: A prenatal massage that I've still yet to schedule. SOON!