bébé numéro deux | 21 weeks
progress & countdown: 21 weeks down & 133 days to go!
baby size: the length of a carrot
food & drink: i am officially the lamest when it comes to cravings. not much to report in this department. in fact, i have a love-hate relationship with my meals right now. i get super-duper "feed me now, mama" hungry but i fill up so fast with that growing baby bump squishing my digestive system and such. i am trying to drink a ton of water and i drink lots of kombucha and probiotic super food protein smoothies to get some good nutrition in before my belly says, "STOP!" i feel like meals have gotten smaller and smaller...but i am trying to get them to pack as much healthy punch as possible and plan on more snacks throughout the day. green juices are yum and fruit is my friend. i mostly snack on nuts and seeds with some cheese or hummus with crackers mixed in. dinner is all about some tasty protein and plenty of veg. and we are trying to keep the burger consumption to under once a week...while my love of super spicy food and guac rages on. and amazingly enough, the sweet tooth isn't too bad! every so often i enjoy some raw chocolate or a dessert when we are out but that's pretty much it. i munch on golden berries when i get a hankering for something sour and sweet instead of diving into candy...but i do have some big plans for valentine's day candy this week. whole foods just stocked their bins with all kinds of "healthy" sour treats and i am going to stock up! hey, you gotta give baby something splurgetastic so he knows that while i am all about the organic superfood stuff, mama has a fun side too.
bump stuff: my gosh. seriously growing. i am starting to see my reflection or shadow and wonder who that pregnant lady is? and that belly is also starting to get rather itchy toward the end of the day and i have to remind myself to refrain from scratching and lotion up instead. stretch skin, stretch! we are getting pretty darn close to that "baby will grow about a quarter to a half a pound every week" stage of pregnancy which means my collagen needs to get ready for some action. and so do my ligaments. i know that papa is hoping for a strapping young lad but mama is kind of hoping he saves some of that big and strong stuff until after he arrives so that my belly doesn't become ginormous and cause me to weeble-wobble and topple forward. be kind, little man. this is your mama talking...and i know that you can hear me in there, the pregnancy app says so.
highs: feeling consistent kicks throughout the day. + elinor lifting my shirt to poke my belly button and say, "hiiiiii baby brudder" before giving him a big kiss. + brainstorming about fun memorabilia and heirlooms for ridley's room.
lows: i hate side sleeping. i used to be a tummy sleeper before babies and then i learned to love back sleeping...but i am trying not to do that as much. so, that's where we are with that. being too aware of my sleeping position which causes me to wake up and adjust and then decide that i should probably get up to go to the bathroom because i am drinking a ton of water. the pregnancy cycle. at least i am able to sleep but it is really becoming much more of a production than i'd like. plus, i am attempting to do the pillow between my legs thing to help with any potential sciatic nerve stuff as my hips start moving all around and stuff (thanks relaxin. but really, thanks relaxin. you are amazing stuff.) and that hasn't really been successful. pillow on the floor every morning.
new developments: baby now weighs roughly three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10.5 inches long. as baby grows and gets stronger, the kicks and punches not only strengthen but noticeable movement patterns emerge. in other developments, baby's eyebrows and lids are present now!
meaningful moments & hormones & feelings: feeling good. i am content but eager for june to arrive (only a new baby would make me say something that crazy as an arizona dweller). i am trying to make the most of each day. guarding and planning my time, working away, starting some nesty-ness, trying to love on elinor and prepare her for what's ahead, and scheduling plenty of dates my hubby.
superficial stuff: still fitting into my pants and skirts and such but they fit a little differently now. there are so many great things about the second trimester but for me, dressing the bump is not one of them. it is easy for me to conceal the bump and dress normally during the first trimester and by the third trimester you are just embracing that ball of baby and letting it shine. but second trimester is kind of awkward no-man's-land for me. the bump isn't crazy prominent but it doesn't really go unnoticed anymore. what to wear? what to wear? and it doesn't help that it is still technically winter but arizona has decided to be 80 degrees so i have a closet of winter clothes (because i refuse to give up on the cold weather this soon and switch over to the spring/summer wardrobe) that need to work in 80 degree heat and over a bumpy thing. tricky business.
looking forward to: valentine's day weekend with my man.