Weeks 17 and 18

17 Weeks (March 14)

even in black, that belly is out - no doubt

no point in hiding it anymore!

Word has slowly been getting out at work. There have been talks (preliminary) about what to do for my replacement. There is a girl in our Philly office who we like and is super smart that they want to ask to do it. Many issues - mostly with logistics, so we'll see how that goes. But regardless, now it seems the gossip is spreading. When I've told people they say things like "yeah, I figured..." (aka I noticed you getting chubby). I've also noticed my favorite thing - people staring to get a look at my belly. It's HILARIOUS. If I felt like having fun I would say something like "Yes?" but instead I choose to ignore.

Cravings:  Sweet Tarts.  Chips and Salsa.  Mashed Potatoes
Aches/Pains:  none really. Some belly ache, which just means things are growing.  Random attacks of jumpy-leg, but with religious heating bean bag use I seem to avoid bad, unstoppable jumps so far.
Sleep: (should this be in the "don't ask don't tell" category with Anna's sleep? maybe)  I am passed out at 10, up once for a pee break [some nights I can shift and ignore], able to get up at 6 and walk most mornings.
Maternity Clothes:  Wore my first pair of maternity pants to work today and it was a glorious, fabulous decision. I still have a few pairs of regular pants that fit (albeit not the most comfortable) but the difference is night and day. I wonder if there is no turning back now.........   Otherwise, on the weekends I am wearing a lot of leggings, yoga pants and pjs pants in my spare time. I did buy a couple pairs of maternity skinny jeans so maybe I'll break em out this weekend.  WILD PLANS GUYS!
I do need to clean out my closet and reorganize and figure out what pants can be put away for the foreseeable future. It's such a mess, I hate it in there.
Movement:  Occasional and sporadic and light and sometimes makes me think "was that something...?" but nothing that screams "OH definitely a baby right there!"  Can't wait for that.

All blood work from the previous weeks have come back and everything looks great. 1 in 10,000 chance for "bad" stuff, doctor was very pleased with numbers.

Last time, for fun.

Gratuitous Big Sister-to-be Pics:

What, do I have something on my nose?

I'm just gonna chill here and eat my after-dinner banana.

Week 18 (March 21) -- HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRAM :)

A nice, flowy shirt hides the evidence

WOAH a rare bare belly shot..
while we're still "cute"

This shirt was so hard to "show" the belly
I just look falsely enormous

So the fun part of this pregnancy is happening right now. I am feeling pretty... well, gross. I don't know if it is just this awkward 'belly is growing but not huge but definitely bigger and nothing fits well or makes me feel good' phase or what, but I am just generally...off. Those "awesome" maternity jeans I bought are hideous. After trying to wear both pairs last weekend, I almost ended up in tears.They are appalling. I think part of the problem is I'm not used to having to wear all these PANTS. Last time I was home free in dress after dress after dress at work and play. This time, the highest temp so far has been 55, hence pants.  I had to find something to wear to my cousin's bachelorette party this weekend and that was another mess. I had been looking online for weeks with no luck, so I went to the mall hoping for success. I found none, just more morale-sinking failure. I did stop in another store on the way home and found a top I liked and I think I can make the whole thing work and it doesn't scream MATERNITY! which always bothers me. The shirts with the empire waists and ties and bows and STRIPES. Anyway. I'll likely be decked in all stripes soon anyway since literally that is all that is offered, anywhere. (Hilarious, as I'm wearing stripes today! Not a maternity shirt, but a generous loan from my mom to help me round out my work wardrobe right now)

I am trying to work past it. I am gaining weight, I am growing a baby. It's normal and it's good.  I kept track last time of my weight gain but can't find the papers where I did so. I know I saw them recently but I haven't been able to locate. It may be a good thing, for some reason I feel like my numbers are way different this time. I am ALWAYS hungry. I have been exercising in the mornings and I feel good about that, but still, I can't help this helpless feeling. Once spring and summer arrive in earnest and the fruit and veggies arrive, I will feel better. More sunshine, more outside time, more fresh/healthy food... it will be good for me all around.

This week I have felt the baby move a bit more on a few occasions. Mostly at night when I get into bed I feel some activity, although slight and occasional. It has definitely picked up in intensity this week though. I cannot wait to feel it with regularity, it's my favorite thing.

My back is hurting a bit more this week while I'm at work. By 8pm I am SO ready to rest on the couch.

Is Easter really a month away? That's a lot of time for delicious candies in stores, is all.

This week, last time around.  (Sorry Noreen, it's the hairy potato week.)

Don't wanna gyp number 2 already!

As a follow up to yesterday's post about how I was feeling in the very beginning stages of pregnancy, I decided to start keeping track of what I was feeling/looking like after week 13. With Anna, starting at 12 weeks I was writing lengthy detailed updates on what was going on with the baby's development, my progress and anything else that was going on.  I was keeping this as a draft till I made sure that most everyone who read the blog was 'in the know' before going public, and also so I wouldn't forget what happened a month ago! (easy to do)

So, for the sake of all things being equal (HA), here's a rundown of the past few weeks....

13 weeks (February 14)

excuse my angry looking face

I remember looking in the mirror that morning and feeling like my belly seemed more out there than usual. Definitely by no means LARGE, I even texted Lisa saying "Is this all pizza or baby?" The answer remains to be seen. (I say pizza)

At this point I am feeling more normal, still tired but not dragging all day. My belly isn't hindering my clothes yet and I'm still able to hide at work with no issue.

Found out this weekend that Doug's cousin Katie & her husband Joe are expecting only 4 days after us! SO exciting!!! I love that I have a pregnancy buddy, too bad she is hours and states away :( Thank God for email and texts!



14 weeks  (February 21)

Ah, the return of the ol' work bathroom selfie

This isn't a great shot, so excuse it - but I am still in stealth mode and God forbid someone came in on me shooting this, that'd be fun.

I am definitely feeling more pregnant by the day. I think it was this week that I did something and Doug looked at my belly like "where did that come from??" My belly is starting to itch, which definitely means there's growing going on. It sometimes takes all my willpower not to claw at it, but I didn't scratch last time and I am trying to maintain some consistency in what I do here. Lotion, lotion, lotion!

Most of my jeans are uncomfortable now and that's no fun. Since I was pregnant in summer last time I didn't need jeans and only bought a couple pairs toward the end. They are both appalling (read: huge). I am wearing leggings for now.

Also, my weight is holding steady. I have maintained around the same 3-pound range from the beginning (+/- those pounds every few weeks.) I started walking 3-4 times a week in the morning too. Until the weather turns even just a little bit warmer, I have to get some exercise in somehow. I decided to give the show "Scandal" a try on Netflix and now I'm hooked. It is an awesome distraction while walking & I look forward to getting up to watch.

For posterity - here's what happened at 14 weeks last time around.




15 weeks (February 28)

Feeling plump.

with bonus- hugging baby! 

So this time around, I was feeling majorly scared to tell Ken the news and I had given myself a deadline of the end of February to spill the beans. Doug had been in San Francisco all week for work and come that Friday I was dreading going to work. The job had to be done, I was starting to get bigger and a lot of my work clothes just weren't fitting correctly and I knew I couldn't hide it much longer.

So with my plan set, I came in and told him. I won't go into it all but it was NOT a good day. He was shocked, and didn't hide his displeasure. Again... I don't want to go there because I am trying to put what's in the past behind me, but it was not great.

I spent the weekend fuming and came in on Tuesday and told my other (higher-up) boss the basics of what had happened. I didn't want it to be something I just had to "accept" as some little girl, so I got it out and the next day when Ken was back in the office he apologized and we are going to move forward.

As far as how I'm doing, I am feeling well. Very itchy belly. Neti-pot use 2x a day every day without fail. Over the weekend I developed the worst stuffy nose situation (that has been coming on for weeks with tons of sneezing) which apparently is a side effect of pregnancy I avoided last time. It's super fun!! Still keeping up on my walking, drinking tons of water, craving sweets like Sweet Tarts and Twizzlers. (Trying not to give in to that one too frequently)  Other weird things I'm noticing and don't know if it is due to the weather (which is miserable, cold, snowy and downright unwelcome) but my skin and hair are SO DRY. I'm itchy all over and my hair feels like hay. Major difference from last time, my hair was always on the oily side of regular.

As of 15 weeks - almost everyone is in the know. Miss Sandy and Ken and Steve (no one else at work really, but I am weird about that stuff), most of our friends - still a few that need to know and I think we're just gonna have to admit we won't be able to tell anyone in person now and move on.

Had a doctor's appointment this week and everything seems to be on track. Growing just like I should, blood pressure was good at 104/70, baby's heartbeat strong at 144 bpm.   Have to give blood again next week and then my next appointment is April 2 for a routine appointment, then April 8 for the 20 week/anatomy scan.  And again, we're not finding out the sex......so another fun ride we're all on (Sorry Jane!!)  Start placing bets now :)

15 weeks last time




16 weeks (March 7)

more plump

 I look mostly "normal"

Until I pull up my shirt, that is. 

So, most of my "regular" pants don't work for me anymore (all jeans and some work pants).  Of course the ones I'm wearing today fit just fine, but yesterday's pants were unbuttoned and held up by a tight tank top all day. Doug and I are going shopping tomorrow and I hope to find a couple things to help me through this awkward middle phase. Since last pregnancy was at a different time period (I didn't even find out I was pregnant till the end of March last time), so my clothes are all off. My jeans are all way too big, my long sleeved shirts are all enormous and WHY...WHY did I buy so many things with stripes?? I think there is a weird thing about pregnancy clothes because everywhere I look online, the majority of the items are STRIPED. All that does is call attention to your belly, whether you want it or not. I plan to take a more subdued approach this time if possible so hopefully I'll be able to find some solid color gear tomorrow.

According to my blog "last time", we are around the size of an avocado... MMMM my favorite.

So reading back it seems like at this point last time I was having a lot of problems with food which I am certainly not experiencing this time. Have really had no problems at all in that aspect.. and eating salads is actually preferred which is awesome!!  Not that I'm a saint, I still love chocolate and sweets too. I am however still falling asleep on the couch every night. By 9:30 my eyes are rolling in my head and I tend to take a 20-45 minute nap on the couch before prying myself off and going upstairs. What's with that?!



So that brings us up to date, as of this Friday 3/14 I will be 17 weeks. Hope to bring you another thrilling installment of work bathroom selfie shots from here on out ;)   And of course, I will still be blogging about our favorite toddler extraordinaire, Anna Banana.

The Secret that becomes so Secret, you forget you're keeping it..

Well.... surprise!  For those "in the know", this is old news and something people have probably been expecting me to write about for a while!  For anyone else.. welcome to the fun! We are EXPANDING (in more ways than one) and Anna will be a big sister!  While I am (very) excited, I just don't want this to be a big 'thing' on Facebook or social media. I'm just not really that person and I really don't feel like having everyone else's opinions in my face, as it's so easy to do on social media. So we move on to the fun stuff, between friends!

I feel like I wasn't very good at keeping track of the early stages of this pregnancy (but now looking at it before posting, maybe I was..)  Possibly because I have a two year old, a full time job (well 2 of them, technically), and still have all the responsibilities I've always had like cleaning, cooking, etc. Life is busy!

On one hand, I like that. It has certainly made me feel 100% more laid back. I am busy and not just sitting around thinking about all the WHAT IFS and possibilities and OMG let me google that immediately!  That has most definitely been nice.  I have also done this once before and remember some of the feelings, pains, etc. that I went through are normal and not everything means something horrible on the horizon.

For posterity's sake... (sorry for repetition, I would come on here sporadically and add things I was thinking of. Sometimes they sound similar) Notes from weeks 8-12:

• This time around, I found out I was pregnant and instead of calling the doctors office the next morning, I waited a couple weeks. I knew they weren't going to see me until at least 7 weeks so why rush it. That way, when I did call, I only had to wait a few days to go in.
• Funny enough, I spent a lot of that early time feeling pretty gross - nauseous and just BLAH.
• Haven't had any food aversions this time, but have wanted hot sauce on everything and really into salty. I keep thinking about salt & vinegar potato chips.  Even bought some salt & vinegar almonds for work. MMMMMM.
• I don't really feel BLEH about any food, but I don't ever seem to have a stomach for greasy/bad food. Fries, burger, etc.... not up my alley. Smells terrible. I have been wanting crunchy and cold. Salads are good and cucumbers and this is all so weird!  Last time the very idea of salad made my stomach turn.
• Thankfully my desk chair hasn't been making me want to cry all day like it did in the beginning last time. Maybe I am better prepared - have a pillow and foot stool this time (have been using both since the last time!)  It does hurt at the end of the day, but not at the same level.  I also chalk this up to my body kind of knowing what's going on.
• I go through days where I am exhausted and feel like I could sleep sitting up ALL DAY.  I come home and want to nap at 5pm (but don't, obviously). Then it's time for bed and I toss and turn and can't fall asleep. Go figure.
• Having weird dreams pretty much every night.  I don't share them every day. You're welcome Doug.
• Don't know if it's the time of year or just my body again, but I am constantly COLD. So cold. So annoying.
• Also unsure if this is pregnancy related or sinus related but I am still constantly battling headaches (7-10ish weeks). I try not to take Tylenol too often, not really sure why, but it feels wrong to be pumping myself full of medicine daily - so when I do break down to take it, it does actually work.
• Compared to last pregnancy, I was so much more sick this time (with colds!) I got a terrible cold just after Christmas and it stuck around for 2 weeks before turning into a sinus infection, complete with a 10-day prescription for antibiotics (which, of course, I cleared with my OB before taking). Like I said, the first time around I was so paranoid to even take a Tylenol and this time I'm not only taking that but a 2x a day prescription for antibiotics.  Tried to remember it was for the best and the pros outweighed the cons. (Thankfully after the 10 days I was feeling much better).  Still got another mini-cold before it was all done. Stupid low immune system!
• Heart palpitations come and go. Some days/nights they are intense and make me want to constantly take deep breaths.  I read that has something to do with extra blood production.  Still not enjoyable.
• Was priding myself on not feeling "crazy" about every single feeling (or non-feeling) and then the doctor called saying one of my numbers was "a little low" and they put me on a prescription to take through my 12th week. Nothing like that to jumpstart your anxiety.  (After my Jan 20 doctor visit everything looks fine, baby growing well and he was not worried about 'low' number at all.)
• Had to go to a wedding where only 2 people knew of the situation and I had to wing it without getting outed. Thankfully most people are into their own thing & either didn't notice or had the decency not to call me out on it!  It wasn't as bad as I thought, I had a lot of fun and I was able to dance and even lasted till midnight before my sinus headache got the best of me.
• I've been very weird about telling people. I guess because this was a surprise to us, maybe I didn't feel "ready" so it doesn't feel "real"? Not sure. I think part of it is that I mostly (99% of the time) feel normal with no intense symptoms, so it kind of feels like 'regular life'.  I feel like I am just gonna kinda go with it and as I get big maybe people will figure it out. Definitely not doing a big huge Facebook reveal or anything. Not my style. Certainly not telling Ken until I am FAT and he is forced to ask. (No, Doug I don't want to hear how wrong I am)
• The only noticeable thing about my emotional state is that I find myself crying a bit at things I normally wouldn't. See: Titanic, Pearl Harbor, 13 going on 30, "Mom" commercial about the Olympics. It really seems to be something about "mom" or mom relationships that get me. 
• After 10+ weeks, I am down 3 pounds. I think this happened last time too and I really honestly think it's all due to not drinking. How gross is that?  But awesome to know an "easy" way to lose a few lbs without trying (HAHAHAH EASY)
• This pregnancy on a whole has felt so different so far. In the beginning with Anna I was greasy immediately. My skin was an oil slick and my chin and hairline was a war zone of pimples. I had huge, major food aversions (chicken, anything on the grill, most meat in general, salads, broccoli).  Battled pretty bad heartburn and constipation.
• This time around the only things I can really complain about are:  TIREDNESS! I'm always tired. I could sleep at 7pm until morning I think. I want to nap at work. I can barely get out of bed in the morning. Battling some pretty awful, awful headaches. I looked back and saw I didn't take a Tylenol till 21 WEEKS last time. That is amazing and laughable. Not sure if I have just loosened up a bit or the headaches have been that bad. Probably both.  I have also been battling lots of sinus issues - dry, painful, stuffy, etc. Could be the time of year but I realize I need to do my NetiPot 2x a day for relief or I feel it.  Haven't really been bad with 'cravings' per se, but definitely need to eat every couple hours or I feel it (both nauseous and just bad).  
• I am worried about the fact that I don't feel any aversions, I really don't want to gain a ton of weight. Hard this time as I have a full-time job, I have Anna the rest of the time and not a lot of free time at all. It's winter and the snow and crap never ends. I am so tired, I just want to lay or sleep.  I know last time it was spring, I was "alone" and free to do what I chose.  I want to be more active (more than just chasing Anna around/picking her up, etc), but haven't found the right schedule for that yet. I know I can get up and walk for a bit in the mornings (and I will force it, next week) and I have prenatal yoga DVDs I can do.. I just need to DO IT.  The end.  
• I still really want sweets. 
• My new prenatal vitamin came with such a strict set of rules that it's amazing I am getting any nutrients. You can't have any food within 15 minutes of it (might be longer). No dairy, caffeine, citrus... something else within 2 HOURS.  No laying down for 10 minutes after taking.  The list is much longer but those are ones that stick with me and make me laugh.  I have been taking it at night just before bed (10 minutes before I lay down, of course). 
• At appointment yesterday (2/10), we got to see the baby [Kerm v2.0] bopping around, lounging with arms up and legs kicked back.  It was awesome! I still feel skinny and "normal" and boom, a BABY in there!  Heartbeat strong at 154 bpm and measuring on target for an 8.22.14 arrival!
• At my cousin's bridal shower on the 16th I was "outed" to a group of ladies and the fun officially begins. We are slowly telling friends as we see them and the group of people 'in the know' grows a bit. 
• I am starting to get more and more round and as of today (2/21), I am 14 weeks pregnant and I definitely am going to need to stick to my self-inflicted deadline of telling Ken by the end of the month (in just 1 week). I am trying to 'hide' this as best I can but some days I just feel like it's quite obvious. Last time I remember feeling the same way and I was certainly not this round then, so they may actually be onto me. (I doubt it though.)  I have a plan that includes glazed donuts and finishing a much-anticipated project to help cushion the blow.  I'll let you know how it works out....

So there it is!  Hopefully I will be able to keep up my updates and photos and all, but likely not in as much crazy detail as last time (Just being realistic).  Let the games begin...again!!  (Another update to come with pics ;)