Second Trimester Review

Happy Friday! Our weekend is shaping up to have the warmest weather we’ve had in a while (highs in the low 60s), and I am pumped about spending some time outdoors with my girl! My weather app tells me that more snow is predicted Monday and/or Tuesday here in Kansas, so we’re going to enjoy the more comfortable temperatures while we can before all of that business moves in. 🙂

Today I officially hit the 28 week mark and the start of my last trimester! This pregnancy is flying by, and I’m not hating that! Today I want to do a quick review of my second trimester for documentation’s sake.

Finding Out the Gender: I’ve had two more ultrasounds since my original gender scan, and Sadie is definitely still a girl! Though I originally had mixed feelings about having another girl, I can’t imagine her being anything but a girl now. I daydream every day about raising these two girls together, and it makes my heart swell! You can read my original post announcing her gender here.

Being Solo: Unfortunately this isn’t my first rodeo with doing nearly an entire pregnancy without my husband, but this time around has been a lot easier. I wish he was here to feel her strong kicks, to see my belly grow, to help me with the nursery, and to share in my doctor’s appointments, but I just haven’t felt nearly as emotional and “sorry for myself” this time around compared to back in 2013. I have three theories why I’m handling this one a bit better.

• I’m very distracted by Hadley (in a good way).
• I don’t know what I don’t know. Because I’ve never had my husband around to experience pregnancy, I don’t know how sweet those times are. I guess what I’m saying is that what I don’t know and haven’t experienced can’t hurt me quite as much (another good thing!).
• Despite the huge surprise and less than “ideal” timing, I’m so grateful for this pregnancy and this healthy baby. Every time I go in to see my doctor and hear how perfect she looks, I just leave there floating. I know how fortunate we are and I’m very, very thankful.

Hadley’s Interest: Zero. Zip. None. The little stinker couldn’t care less. If I ask her where the baby is, she points to my stomach, but otherwise she doesn’t have the slightest interest. Though she likes (not loves) her baby dolls, she completely ignores real babies every time I’m holding one. It’s going to be real interesting to see how she reacts to Sadie when she’s taking up my time and attention in April. 🙂

Nursery Progress: I am having so much stinkin’ fun with the nursery! It’s currently about halfway done (according to the page I created in my “Dream Home” book), and I find myself wandering in and out of there multiple times a day just to relax. I cannot wait to snuggle Sadie in that space.

Registry: We are so fortunate that our needs are minimal (major plus to having another girl). I’ve mentioned before that we loved the baby gear we used with Hadley and have no qualms reusing it all again with Sadie. I made a quick registry on Amazon simply just to keep track of the few things we need (boring essentials like diapers – whomp whomp), but otherwise we’re pretty set!

Wardrobe: Oy. I’ve decided I’m just never going to be that picture perfect fashionable pregnant girl. 😉 The only maternity clothes I’ve purchased this time around have been a couple pairs of jeans, a couple pairs of leggings, and a couple tops. I spent a ton of money on maternity clothes with Hadley because I was still teaching and had to actually put on decent clothes every day, so I’m just surviving on those pieces plus a few that my friend Jessica is letting me borrow. I’m a little stubborn and would rather get by with what I have and save my money for new clothing once I’m back down to my pre pregnancy weight.

Movement: I started feeling definite flutters with Hadley at 17w2d, but I didn’t start feeling even the slightest flutters until 21-ish weeks this time around; I didn’t feel any kind of consistent movement until I was nearly 24 weeks. I started getting a little anxious about this around 22 weeks, so my mom and I went in for an elective ultrasound in Alabama since I hadn’t had a doctor’s appointment since 16 weeks. Sure enough Sadie was as healthy as could be and popping around everywhere.

Sleep: Getting up to use the restroom every night is getting a bit old, but otherwise I’m sleeping okay.

Cravings: None! I’m hungry a lot more frequently, but my meals have had to be a lot smaller since there’s less room for the food. I’ve been hooked on green apples (sometimes with peanut butter) for my mid-morning snack and Luna bars for the afternoon. So good and so filling!

Birth Plan(s): I don’t believe I’ve mentioned this yet, but Jamie will be allowed a 10-day maternity leave to come home from overseas once Sadie is born. This is super unheard-of in the military, but his entire brigade is allowing this for their soldiers with pregnant wives. Pretty amazing. If I schedule an induction, there’s a chance he could actually come home a few days prior and be with me for delivery (!!!!). Because we don’t know when Sadie will make her grand arrival and we don’t know exactly when we can get Jamie home, we’ve had to basically make multiple birth plans. I believe we’ve tied up loose ends with Plan A, and I’m thankful that making those tough decisions is behind us. Now I’m just excited to see how everything actually plays out. Should be interesting. 🙂

To see my review of my first trimester, click here. I also did a check-in at 20 weeks here.