Week 14

Every pregnancy is different- I know this, but I can't help but feel that maybe there's a baby girl baking in there. I mean, the symptoms are different, complete opposite feeling. This time, I have crazy, wild dreams about being chased or catching bad guys as opposed to dreaming about my baby. Also, I have a 50/50 chance of being right.

How far along?: 14 weeks 6 days 

How big is baby?: According to the APP, I'm Expecting: Started the size of a Nectarine and am about to be a Apple.

Weight gain?: 10 lbs

Stretch marks?: None so far

Maternity clothes?: No change here, just maternity pants. Belt and shirts tucked, check!

Sleep?: Still having issues sleeping through the night, part of this was due to being up with a cough from my ridiculous allergies

Best moment?: Aidan and I were sitting on my bed watching Elmo, when I decided to use my doppler to find the baby's heartbeat.  I was able to quickly find the heartbeat (155bpm), and Aidan was fascinated with the sound.  Then, he wanted to operate the doppler.  He attempted to use the doppler on himself, but ya know, eating the wand doesn't seem to fall under correct operating procedures.

Also, I helped with my sister's reveal party, and I really enjoyed it. It was exciting, and I found out that I will be having a niece!!

Worst moment?: Realizing that Congress isn't going to do anything about correcting the Sequester, and while it appears my job is safe, it's a depressing atmosphere at work.  It's hard to be happy that your job is okay but your coworkers' jobs aren't.

Food cravings?: Mac & Cheese, which I indulged in once this week.

Symptoms?: Morning sickness, acne and I'm also including severe allergies!

Exercise?: Early morning work outs continue

Movement?: I hear that the movement is felt earlier in the second pregnancy, so maybe something in the next few weeks?

Belly button?: No noticeable change.  I keep checking for linea nigra. 

What I miss?: Being able to stay up late...and by late, I mean 10PM.

Labor signs?: too early! 

TMI: So I continue to lose my breakfast due to the wonderful morning sickness.  There are times I'm not sure if I should leave my desk or run to the bathroom.  Sometimes, I get to the bathroom, look at the toilet, and NOTHING.  So I go back to my desk...crap, I'm going to lose it, so I head back to the bathroom.  It doesn't seem to matter what I eat - eggs, spinach smoothie, oatmeal, or breakfast sandwich.  

One day, I was hunched over the toilet, lurching forward, revisiting my oatmeal, when I peed myself too.  It sucked, and I'll now try to use the restroom before I get sick...if I can manage. Oy.  It doesn't help that I work out before work, so I drink at least 32 ounces at the gym plus whatever I had with breakfast.  It's no wonder at 6:30 AM that this incident occurred.  Still, I didn't need insult to injury. 

By the way, I'm scared of coughing or sneezing since it leads to snissing.
 
What I'm looking forward to?:  I am excited about Easter this year, and I hope Aidan enjoys hunting for eggs on the ground and dying eggs.

I'm Sorry, Environment

For 18 months, we did our best to help the environment by minimizing the impact with disposable diapers by using cloth diapers and cloth wipes.  We experimented with prefolds and covers before I found my love with pocket diapers.  Then I became obsessed with cute, home made diapers, such as the one in the picture - penguins and snow flakes!  But I was also practical and stocked up on a lot of solids from Fuzzi Bunz.

I thought by November/December time frame, I would have to pack it all up and give up since most of my cloth diapers had a weight limit of 30 lbs.  However, I found a great lot of Bum Genius diapers and had a gift card to Amazon where I bought more diapers.  These would allow me to go to 35lbs.

At Aidan's 18 month appointment, he was 33.6 lbs, so I thought I had another month of use, however, his chunky thighs were getting red marks where the largest diapers on the widest setting wrapped around his legs.  So it was time...time to pack up the cloth diapers, apologize to Mother Nature that I couldn't do more, and go buy disposables.

So now, each week, I have two less loads of laundry, which left me wondering what the heck do I need to do?!  It is easier to pick Aidan up from daycare since I don't have to carry a large diaper bag full of dirty diapers...nope, instead I pick up a small black bag.

We continue to use the cloth wipes for napkins and face wiping.  We seem to go through a lot with milk spills, so at least we are saving some paper towels, and they can easily be thrown in with our weekly towel laundry. 

So until next time, all the cloth diapers are packed away...

Week 13

I can't believe I am already out of the first trimester!  This pregnancy seems to be going faster than the first, but I suppose I don't have time to sit and obsess over it.  

 How far along?: 13 weeks 6 days

How big is baby?: According to the APP, I'm Expecting: Started the week as the size of a Tangerine and am about to be a Nectarine. 

Weight gain?: 8lbs 

Stretch marks?: None so far 

Maternity clothes?: Just pants! I can still tuck my longer shirts in and wear a belt.  

Sleep?: I can't sleep through the night, I always wake up an hour or two before I need to wake up, and on weekends, it's worse. Still sleeping on my stomach.

Best moment?: We had extremely gorgeous weather this weekend, and Aidan and I were outside a lot!  He loved to quack at the ducks that he spotted on a pond.

  

Worst moment?: Having to pull over on my way to work because morning sickness hit.  

Food cravings?: Cake. Someone mentioned cake, and I couldn't stop thinking about it, so I had to give in to cake.

Symptoms?: Morning sickness - I lost my breakfast three days and dinner once. Acne still persists.  

Exercise?: Early morning work outs resumed this week, and it felt great to be in the gym so early! I also walked 12+ miles this week.   

Movement?: Too early - unless you want to count gas bubbles...No? Okay, then no movement.  

Belly button?: No noticeable change  

What I miss?: After the gorgeous weather, I do miss being able to have an ice cold beer.

Labor signs?: too early!   

TMI: Allergies have hit me HARD. With Aidan, it was like I never had allergies - I didn't need my claritin once when I was pregnant with him. This time around, my allergies are killer. In fact, all this week, I woke up (this is where TMI comes in...) and hacked up at least a tea spoon of green mucus and blew a table spoon of yellow snot out of each nostril. Gross, I know.   

What I'm looking forward to?: My sister is having a reveal party, and we will all get to learn the sex of her baby this coming weekend! So I am looking forward to helping out with her party and finding out whether I will be an Aunt to a niece or nephew!

Parting Ways

It's been three days, and I can't say that I even miss you.  I mean, I loved you, but it was time that we went our separate ways.  Hopefully you'll find someone that will take you on more outdoor adventures and fully appreciate your capabilities.  I wasn't even sad when we parted ways.  I just left you there, and I drove away with a smile.

Queue the lyrics from Toby Keith's "I love this bar" song  "I love my truck"  I did.  
All those country songs that sing about a truck, I'll be a little lost now because I'll think of you, but it won't be the same...

I didn't name you, I didn't even give you a nickname, but you were a loyal truck.  I gazed at you as I was removing the last of my belongings, thinking, dang, that is a nice truck. But as you know, it was time for me to have something more useful.

 

I traded my Tacoma, a brand I was loyal to since 2004 when I was able to make my first vehicle purchase.  My dad would be proud to know that I am an owner of a Ford, ya know, an American OWNED company.  But who cares because my trucks were built in Alabama by hard working Americans - I'm not sure where my Ford was built - was it Mexico?  Maybe I'm hopeful, and it employed Americans, too.

I was brand loyal to Toyota, but Toyota didn't offer the economical vehicle that I needed. 

You see, I am in a predicament.  I need to SAVE money and CUT my budget.  This means no car payments, and certainly no additional fuel expenses.  But I didn't want a car.  How could I possibly drive a car every day?  I couldn't.  Thus, my search began with the most economical SUV on the market that was available as an even trade-in for my truck.  

Toyotas hold their value as proven by my truck.  I actually received more for my trade in than I ever financed...of course, I did have a nice down payment from my previous Tacoma I sold privately for over half the value after 5 years and 100+ miles.  It also helps that I talked down Toyota to a very nice price on my Tacoma.  So I had a truck originally valued at 30K bought in 2009 with high miles and traded it for a 2011 vehicle with 23,000 miles that had an original value of 30K.  Say what? Hah, that's the Toyota value.  I trade up with literally no money out of my pocket.  Well, it is questions whether trading a Toyota for a Ford is perceived as up.  

So to google I went: Google, tell me the most fuel efficient SUV.  Well...that depends on the year and engine size.  But I found the Ford Escape to be one of the most efficient SUV's.  I briefly considered a GMC Terrian, but TONS of reviews stated that the vehicle did not come close to it's estimate EPA rated MPG.  It also said the shifting was rough with the 4 cylinder, and the 6 cylinder was no where near as efficient.  I also looked at the Chevrolet Equinox, but I never found anything I liked.  So I went back to the Escape.  I searched KBB, Edmunds and all the local dealers and came up with a list (and spreadsheet) of all the vehicles with pertinent information such as MPG, year, mileage, cost, engine size, and dealership.  I went through tons of photos, and in the end, ranked each vehicle then proceeded to test drive.  Luckily, I was able to strike a deal with my number one match, so I wasn't driving all over town talking to sales people and wasting a lot of time.

Test driving included city, highway, and merging on a busy interstate, along with installing the car seat and pretending to be a tall passenger.  I inspected tires for wear and kept the radio off to listen for any road noise.  I have always been weary of being used vehicles, ya know, since I have purchased 2 vehicles in my life, so I felt I had to be more thorough with my test driving experience.
So I ended up with a 2011 Ford Escape XLT

It has 23,000 miles, one owner, and no name.  There aren't any songs about SUV's (at least country songs), so I guess I won't sing to my new car.  But that's okay, because truthfully, I can't stand Toby Keith; therefore, I won't feel guilty changing the station, even when he says he loves his truck...

What I gained:

• Fuel Economy - I averaged 21 mpg in my Truck, and so far have averaged near 29 mpg in the Escape.
• Sun Roof -  I didn't NEED this, but it was an nice, unexpected bonus.
• Flex Fuel
• Sync System - Hello! Now Auxiliary line needed to play I<3Radio in the Escape. Thanks Bluetooth.
• Interior Cargo Space
• Height Adjusted Seats - For shorties like me, this was necessary since I couldn't find an Escape with a back up camera.
• Factory Warranty - At least 1 year and over 12,000 miles left of the original warranty
• 6 Months of Sirius Radio
• I also avoided putting new tires and brakes on my truck, which I could tell were going to be needed soon, so that saves a grand at least.  

I am a little lost without the running boards, that I have tripped into the Escape several times, but the step up isn't as dramatic...though when I am 7 months pregnant, I might miss the slight step up and then being able to plop my butt in the seat.  I'm sure I'll adjust, but in the mean time, I think I'll try to avoid bruising my legs.
 
What I lost:

• Back up camera - But I was so short and with a tonneau cover and a kid's car seat, I needed the camera to double check my surroundings!  My truck didn't have a power seat adjuster, so I couldn't adjust the seat height.
• Tons of cup holders (11 to 4) - Okay, so 6 of those cup holders were meant for bottles in the door.  In all, I lose one cup holder in the front, so I accepted the loss.
• Lumbar Seats - Well, this is a complete loss. No lumbar and nothing to make up for it.
• Hitch - I never used the hitch on my truck, but would have been a nice feature on the Escape for a bike rack. Less cargo carrying ability - In the bed of my truck, I could fit a ton of unneeded stuff, like a baby pool to create a ball pit for a short weekend getaway.  Guess I'll sub a hard plastic pool for a blow up pool.

So now my Sunday routine becomes a lot easier when it comes to grocery shopping with Aidan.  Instead of trying to shove everything into the front seat (so it wasn't a flying object in the back seat in case an accident happened), I can now nicely fit my groceries in the rear cargo space.

Weeks 9 Through 12

How far along?: 12 weeks 6 days
How big is baby?: According to the APP, I'm Expecting: Started the Week 5 as the size of a Cherry and about to be a Tangerine
Weight gain?: Already 7lb, but it fluctuates
Stretch marks?: Nope
Maternity clothes?: Week 10, after washing all of my jeans, I noticed they are not fitting well at the hips.  I had a friend point out that my hips seemed wider.  So, armed with a flash light, I went to the attic and found my maternity clothes with the Christmas Decorations...that makes sense, especially since I recently reorganized the attic and put all the baby stuff in one area.  At least I knew what type of container I was looking for, so it was a quick find.  So at 10 W 1 D, I bust out the maternity jeans, and they are more comfortable than my everyday, newly washed jeans.  Still wearing a belt!!
Sleep?:Insomnia disappeared, thank goodness. Sleep is better, but I notice my arms fall asleep so much easier that I almost always have to use one arm to throw the other arm at the alarm clock.  
Best moment?: Hanging out with my sister and mom in Charleston!  Mom and I also took Aidan to a kid's museum, and he always seems to have fun.
Worst moment?: I have some bleeding at the beginning of week 9, but the doctor and ultrasound technician told me to expect it.  It quickly went away, but it doesn't mean I didn't worry.
Food cravings?: CHEEEEESEBURGERS.  I ate Burger King - double cheeseburger.  I don't remember eating a BK burger since highschool.
Symptoms?: Nausea is gone! Insomnia is gone!  Exhaustion lingers. Also, I lost my breakfast once during week 12, let's hope that was a rare case.
Exercise?: Due to needing more sleep, I have had to limit my exercise routine to the weekend and walking at lunch.
Movement?: Too early
Belly button?: No change
What I miss?: Being able to work out before work!
Labor signs?: too early!
TMI:  The 'rhoids have made an early return.  Well, they were never gone, but they weren't as present as they are now.  It was much later in pregnancy with Aidan that they showed up. :(
What I'm looking forward to?: I am looking forward to the warm, spring weather!  It's time to be outside and enjoy the warmth!  I am also looking forward to resuming my early AM workouts now that it seems my energy is back.

The Bump Progression - Weeks 9 Through 12

Weeks 5 Through 8

How far along?: 8 weeks 6 days

How big is baby?: According to the APP, I'm Expecting: Started the Week 5 as the size of a Sesame See and about to be a Cherry
Weight gain?: Already 5lb, but it fluctuates
Stretch marks?: Nope
Maternity clothes?: During week 5, I attempted to find my maternity clothes in the attic, but it wasn't light enough in the attic. I was too lazy to go find a flash light, and besides, I didn't need them, yet.
Sleep?:I have several nights of insomnia, usually around midnight, 1am.  
Best moment?: Seeing the baby on the ultrasound and my bosses being so excited and giving me high fives.   Worst moment?: Not being able to sleep, and I desperately need all the sleep I can get.

Food cravings?: HOLD THE MAYO, errr, I mean, give me extra Mayo. Starting Week 5, I crazed salty things, such as potato chips and Outback's loaded cheese friends (which I wanted last pregnancy around week 9). I caved to all three. I never want salt. Never. All in moderation...

Symptoms?: Bouts of nausea, insomnia, and always exhausted.  Also, I have crazy, vivid dreams.  I rarely dreamed prepregnancy, but now I seem to dream nightly.
Exercise?: I attempted to complete a 5 minute plank challenge in January, though at 3 minutes, the challenge became rather difficult. I wonder, how long do I push myself with the abs...hmmm.  Due to needing more sleep, I have had to limit my exercise routine to the weekend and walking at lunch.
Movement?: Too early

Belly button?: Still in, but not deep like it was during the first pregnancy.

What I miss?: The sweet taste of Diet Pepsi...I really want to see what the new formula is all about, but I guess I'll wait a while
Labor signs?: too early!
TMI (NEW!): I exerienced a full on sniss for the first time.  A sniss, as I have learned during the first pregnancy from other pregnany women, is when you sneezed, it causes you to pee...no matter how empty your bladder is.  Well, after coming back from the bathroom, I was standing at my desk when I sneezed, and that's when I felt it.  Yup, pee running down my leg all the way to the knee.  I was shocked and now I know what others were talking about when they complained of snissing. 
What I'm looking forward to?: I have a visit planned with my sister and then a friend at the end of February!  I am excited to see both of them.  I am also ready to be "out" on my blog so I can keep up with these posts.

The progression of the Bump - Weeks 5 through 8

 

Week 4

Here comes the return of the weekly survey, but I don't know if I will keep up with the weekly posts, ya know, there's a toddler to chase after, but I will promise to update every 4 weeks.  It'll also go along with an idea I have for tracking pregnancy progress based on a photo shared on Plum Organics Facebook Page.

 

4 W 0 D

How far along?: 4 weeks 6 days
How big is baby?: According to What to Expect When You’re Expecting: Started the week as the size of a Sweat Pea and about to be a Blueberry
Weight gain?: Maybe 1 lb
Stretch marks?: No
Maternity clothes?:None required
Sleep?: Lots of sleeping required since I am exhausted, and on my days off I wake up at 6am, how annoying, but I did it last time, too.
Best moment this week?: Telling family that we were expecting a second. 

Worst moment this week?: Realzing everything I had to do at work for reporting my pregnancy.  It's a completely different ball game than last itme.

Food cravings?: I want A LOT of mayonaise on my sandwiches, which is weird because I have only liked the condiment for a year or less. I am going to try and avoid mac & cheese this time.  I am also eliminating all caffeinated beverages and will reduce chocolate consumption.

Symptoms?: Some bloating and fatigue, but it's not bad at all. 

Exercise?: I continue with my pre work gym routine, and I do my weekly cardio along with a plank challenge.  No sense in stopping what I currently do, although, I will no longer bench press, squats or dead lifts.

Movement?: Too early
Belly button?: Still in
What I miss?: An ice cold Diet Pepsi or a good cup of coffee
Labor signs?: too early!
What I'm looking forward to?: I am looking forward to the mild January weather and taking Aidan outside.  I also feel like I need to do more organzing and de-cluttering.

(Dear Aidan) Here We Go Again!

Dear Aidan,

It's time...time to share your secret! The secret you have kept so well for over eight weeks. I remember when I ran to your room to tell you the news and while you didn't quite understand my excitement, I think over the next 6 months you will become more excited.

You see, you already lift my shirt, say "baby" and point to my belly. You grab baby dolls, hug them, and say "baby." You also love to point out babies you see and want to run up to them! You seem excited to see babies, and I hope you feel the same way when your sibling arrives in September. You see, you're going to be a great big Brother! We could not be happier, and I hope you feel same. I know you'll probably have a hard time understanding that you must share mommy and daddy, but you're a quick learner. I also think you'll be quick to love on your little brother and sister. You'll be excited to teach him or her what you know. I can't wait to watch you be a big brother. You'll be wonderful.

Love,
Mom

 

Last time I was pregnant, I was able to start publishing my blog posts right away since I did not have followers - I began blogging because of my pregnancy.  But this time, I had to write draft posts and wait until we were ready to share the news with everyone, or at least everyone who reads this blog.

 

So you're reading weeks old posts, but I figured if I blogged about the first pregnancy, I shouldn't skimp out the second time.

I was charting (again) when I saw my temperature continue to rise, and I had a feeling that this cycle was it.  So while AJ was up and out of the house early, I slept in and tested when I woke.  I always used a cheapie test, and I swear I saw a faint, faint line.  So I tried another...same result, so I busted out the digital and saw the confirmation.  But I didn't want to call AJ and share the news, I had a surprise and was glad I could finally use it!  So I had to keep a secret, which I think I am good at, but this secret was not easy.

AJ awoke to this mug on the Keurig Sunday morning, and he was definitely excited when I confirmed daddy of 2 meant we were expecting our second child.  I swear he drank out of the coffee mug all week long - I sure hope he washed it out daily.