My Pregnancy Journal for #2 : Week 22

Baby at 22 Weeks:

Baby BOY is as big as a papaya!

Now that little boy has more developed eyes and lips, he's looking even more like a newborn! He's sleeping in cycles (about 12 to 14 hours per day, which are probably the times you don't feel him kicking).

My Symptoms:  Itchy belly, getting to be slower in movement (getting up from sitting on the floor or getting out of bed), lots of baby kicks :) 

Maternity clothes? Almost in full swing! This is so different from last pregnancy when I had to be in maternity clothes from like week 14. I am still able to wear my regular jeans (I just use a hair tie to fasten them and a belly band to keep it covered) and I can still wear regular t-shirts and camisoles. I still love to wear my maternity jean shorts, though, as well as the hand-me-down pink and mint green skinny jeans my sister sent (such a spring outfit!). One of my friends even had me take home some of her maternity shirts she was done using (she had a baby in Decemeber). I feel much better this pregnancy when it come sot style.

Sleep? The only complaint I have with sleep is having to get up to use the bathroom at least three times a night :( And there are also some hip aches when I'm completely on my side. BUT, the wonderful body pillow I have allows me to kind of sleep on my back (just slants me a bit so that blood flow isn't jeopardized).

Best moment last week? This past Sunday was our first family day in quite sometime due to Paul having to study for his test (he took the test Saturday and passed!! yay! I think he has 4 more to go for this particular certification; the CLU). We went to the natural food store after church and browsed a bit (getting some yummy drinks) and then went to the park. It was great to have him with us out and about instead of indoors studying. 

Movement? So much, it's wonderful! This morning, Paul and I lay in bed for a good 15 minutes, with Paul's hand on my belly, feeling baby boy doing summersaults. Baby boy was very active this morning.

Weight Gain: My last appointment was March 4th, where I weighed in at 142 lbs. I've gained about 12 lbs so far this pregnancy... not bad.

Cravings: Finally gave in and bought a tub of neapolitan ice cream last week. I'm on my second tub now :P But I have been doing better with drinking a LOT of water (got up to 96 oz. in one day the other day... woah!). I'm just trying to keep eating and drinking as healthily as I can until the night cravings of ice cream kick in.

Food Aversions: Cilantro... from last pregnancy, and now Basil. I made this the other night (which called for Basil) and it just overpowered the entire meal. I even put less of what the recipe said to :( Paul loved it, though.

What made me cry this week: A show, probably. I can't remember which one, but I shed a few tears :)

Medical Stuff: All seems to be going well. Baby is growing and looking "normal" and healthy, from what the US tech said.

Something I am excited about: My brother's wedding!! 3 weeks away. I'm also excited for Easter. Last time I was pregnant (due two weeks after Easter), I was large and from the pictures, very unimaginative when it came to dress wear :P I'm excited to have options this time around!

My Pregnancy Journal for #2 : Week 21

Baby at 21 Weeks:

Baby is as big as a pomegranate!

At 10.5 inches and 12.7 ounces, baby is big enough now that I can feel movements... kicks and punches. As baby's digestive system preps for the outside world, he's manufacturing meconium (the tarry black substance that's found in their first dirty diaper. 

My Symptoms:  I still feel tired... but I'm not too sure it's the pregnancy. I guess I'm just a tired soul :)  I feel more pregnant. I have to maneuver my way out of bed and I'm not looking forward having to do this with getting up from the couch or just from a sitting position.

Maternity clothes? Bottoms, yes (except I can still wear one of my pairs of jeans by using a hair-tie to fasten them... love that trick). I can still pull off my looser t-shirts so sometimes I wear those but I have been fortunate enough to be loaned some very cute maternity clothes by my sisters and one of my friends who just had a sweet baby girl in January. I also bought some maternity jean shorts for the summer. I've already worn both pair and am hoping they don't get too tight by the time I'm bigger and summer actually hits ;)

Sleep? Ever since I got that body pillow, sleep has been way easier and my hips don't suffer as much as they did the last pregnancy. I am able to roll a little unto my back, but still have a pillow under me to slant me to the side a bit (very nice!). Apart from having to use the restroom a few times a night, sleep is great!

Best moment last week? This past week, Monday the 9th of March, we found out we are having a BOY!! So exciting! I knew it.. I just feel so different from last pregnancy. I don't feel as bloated or as big as last time and I just feel around better. 

Movement? Lots and lots! Baby boy is kicking and punching like crazy and I'm nervous as to how strong these kicks will get in the coming weeks.

Weight Gain: My last appointment was March 4th, where I weighed in at 142 lbs. I've gained about 12 lbs so far this pregnancy... not bad.

Cravings: Not a fan that I am craving sweets.. especially during Lent. I will continue to get my chocolate fix with Hot Cocoa; I guess it's better than eating a chocolate bar.

Food Aversions: Cilantro... from last pregnancy.

What made me cry this week: I needed a good cry last night. Paul might have triggered it, but I needed to get it out :) much better today!

Medical Stuff: All seems to be going well. Baby is growing and looking "normal" and healthy.

Something I am excited about: July and meeting this boy!  I'm also excited for the warmer weather :)

My Pregnancy Journal for #2: Week 17

Baby at 17 Weeks:

Baby is as big as an onion!

**17 W+3D 

Baby is now 5.1 inches long and 5.9 ounces and growing meat on those bones- putting on some fat. Baby is growing a stronger, thicker umbilical cord, too.

My Symptoms: I'm still tired every day!! When will the energy kick in? Some common pregnancy symptoms are weird dreams but my dreams are always weird so it's not really different. 

Maternity clothes? Some. I can still fit into my jeans and that's all that really matters right now. Tummy is not sticking out too much ;)

Sleep? I have begun to get used to not sleeping on my back anymore. My new snoogle pillow has been helping with that. As long as I don't have much to drink right before bed (like my nightly glass of milk), I don't get up to use the restroom as much... just a couple of times now. Sleep is getting better, though. 

Best moment last week? Noticing just how big Agnes is getting. She is becoming such an opinionated little girl. At only 21 months, she can say so many words, and is learning so much. Also, I got to spend a lovely Valentines night with my sweetheart after putting Agnes to bed. We ate chocolate and watched Steel Magnolia. It was a nice low-key date :)

Movement? I think I've felt some kicks when I am reading in bed... I'm still not sure, though, since I don't think I've felt any fluttering this time around.

Weight Gain: From last doctor's appointment, I gained 6 pounds. The next appointment is March 4. We shall see how much I gain then.

Cravings: Yummy salty, sweet, pickled, somethings... this is the part where I have no idea what I'm craving, but there is a need for good food. Frustration!

Food Aversions: I don't think anything except sometimes I can't eat what I cook for dinner.

What made me cry this week: Nothing.

Medical Stuff: Nothing new.

Something I am excited about: Finding out the gender!!! Ahhhh I'm so excited!!

My Pregnancy Journal for #2: Week 16

Baby at 16 Weeks:

Baby is the size of an avocado!

Now, Baby's about 4.6 inches long and weighs about 3.5 ounces. Baby's listening to your voice, thanks to tiny bones forming in her ears. They're growing hair, lashes and eyebrows, forming taste buds.

My Symptoms: Still a bit tired. I have a definite belly bump. Can't say that I have glowing skin... more like face acne and dry skin :(  

Maternity clothes? At home I will wear maternity tops but I've only worn a couple of maternity clothes out in public (a pair of cute pink pants and also a dress my sister sent me). They fit now because she is petite, but once summer comes around, I will have to get some more maternity clothes.

Sleep? Ugh, I drink so much water (with lemon, lime, or calamansi juice in it) that I have to get up at least four times a night. Also, maneuvering my leacho snoogle pillow is a pain (but I love that pillow!) 

Best moment last week? My leacho snoogle total body pillow came in the mail and I LOVE IT!!! I don't know how I survived last pregnancy without this big fluff of Heaven.

Movement? I might have felt some flutters but I am up and moving around so much that it's not like last pregnancy where I was sitting at a cubicle working. Sooooo, I think I'll just have to wait until the real kicks come for me to really be sure it's baby.

Weight Gain: 6 pounds. I am 136 lbs now and I'm thinking that's a good gain so far :) not too dramatic (I'm determined not to gain 60 lbs this time around!).

Cravings: Sweets... more specifically, chocolate. And I satisfy this craving with my mommy stash :)

Food Aversions: Cheese bread. Paul's grandmother makes this yummy italian cheese bread... Panera Bread cheese bread smells the same way and now I can't take the taste or smell :( I'm so bummed. Cilantro (never got over it from last pregnancy), and sometimes what I make for dinner I can't eat.

What made me cry this week: Nothing :)

Medical Stuff: Everything seems to be going well. Heard baby's heartbeat again 140-150 bpm and very active. Gained 6 lbs so far and that was before I started drinking water all day every day so I'm excited to see on March 4th (my next appointment) the weight gain then.

Something I am excited about: I'm so so so so excited for March 9. This is the day we find out the gender!!! Woohoo!

Here We Are... AGAIN!!

Well, I am writing this while I'm 5 weeks and 2 days pregnant. Yesterday morning after Paul left for work (nowadays he goes in at 7:00am), I had this weird dream about a girl that was wondering if she was pregnant. I went over her charting with her and as soon as she was about to take a pregnancy test, Aunt Flow visited. It felt almost as if I was the girl and I was going over my own charts. When I woke up, I looked at my chart and realized I was a few days late in charting. The day I thought I was supposed to get my period had come and gone, and then add a couple days. SOOOOO I took the only pregnancy test I had in the bathroom cabinet and two lines appeared. The weird thing was, however, was that the control line (the second line) was really really faint and the test line was very dark. So after getting Agnes up, fed, and ready for the day, after her play group, and after we stopped at Kohls to get a sweater (Yeah, my patience was awesome yesterday!), we stopped at Walmart and picked up a few things like another pregnancy test and prenatal vitamins.

As soon as we got home, I took the test immediately and, again, the control line was really faint but that test line was dark. I took the first test at 8:00am. The second test I took at 12:30pm. Now it was time to tell Paul. He usually gets off at 12:30pm for lunch and comes home to eat. That particular day, it happened to be at 1:20pm. Oh my goodness, my patience was tested waiting for him to come home. He eventually came through the door and I unintentionally prepared him for bad news. I guess I was just nervous since we had only, in passing, talked about how Agnes needed a sibling. Paul hugged me for the longest time and that night, after working 11 hours that day, came home with a single rose for me. Even though this puts added stress on him, he could not be more loving, supportive, and excited for when this little one comes. We are praying for another smooth and healthy pregnancy.

Since I am 5 Weeks, I will start My Pregnancy Journal for #2

Baby's the size of an Appleseed!

The embryo is now measurable-- though at week five, it's a wee .13inches-- and she is gearing up for much more growth. In fact, in the next week, she'll almost double in size. Grow, baby, grow! 

The embryo doesn't look like much more than a tadpole right now, but at five weeks, she's already starting to form major organs (heart, stomach, liver, kidney) and systems (digestive, circulatory, nervous).

My Symptoms: None. Being tired is nothing new for me :P I nap about every other day when I don't have anything pressing to do.

Maternity clothes? Not yet! I'm hoping not to gain 60 lbs this time around!

Sleep: Agnes sleeps through the night (from 8pm-7:30am) so this mama is getting a good amount of sleep each night for now. No discomfort!

Best moment last week? Talking about how Agnes needs a sibling to play with but how we wouldn't be able to have another one with so many unknowns with this next year... You are an awesome God, God! :D

Movement? Nope, too early.

Weight Gain: Not yet. I'm starting at 130 lbs.

Cravings: Never noticed... so, so far, none.

What made me cry this week: Hahaha, I love that this is in my journal. Nothing made me cry... except maybe I shed a tear when Paul hugged me so long after I told him.

Medical Stuff: Went in for my first prenatal visit. Apart from the fact that I am shrinking in height... I went from 5'9" to 5'8.25"... depressing, everything seems to be fine. Until my blood work comes back, I don't have anything to worry about :)

Something I am excited about: Telling people! I have lots of announcement ideas!


**Below are posts of the pregnancy up to 12 weeks.**

My Pregnancy Journal for #2 : Week 12

Baby at 12 Weeks:

Baby is the size of a plum!

Baby is about 2.1 inches long and .49 ounces. Most of Baby's critical systems are fully formed; they're about to enter the growth and maturation stage, in which Baby's organs and tissues will grow and develop rapidly. Baby's now developing their reflexes-- if you poke Baby's body, they'll likely move. Baby is opening and closing their finger and curling their toes, too. Their brain is developing fast!

My Symptoms: Still tired. Round ligament pain at times. Regular bathroom trips keep me up and about (as well as Agnes the toddler). And I am starting to get a bump!

Maternity clothes? Still in my regular clothes! But my skinny jeans are getting tighter than is comfortable.

Sleep? Going to the bathroom a lot during the night keeps me up, but other than that, no discomfort during the night.

Best moment last week? Returning home from Colorado, spending time with the hubby and also Agnes and I hanging out with our family friends again!

Movement? Nope, not yet!

Weight Gain: Still at 130 lbs. the last time I was weighed (January 6th at a prenatal app.) 

Cravings: Coca-Cola... I know, I'm horrible. Nothing this past week.

Food Aversions: Anything I cook for dinner, it seems.

What made me cry this week: Nothing, yay!

Medical Stuff: Heard baby's heartbeat for the first time on January 6!! It was so strong with 165 bmp. So exciting. Other than that, things seem to look good with my blood work and everything else. 

Something I am excited about: The upcoming nuptials of my one and only brother to one of my best friends in April! Just booked the hotel today :D

My Pregnancy Journal for #2: Week 11

Baby at 11 Weeks:

Baby is the size of a lime!

Baby is about 1.6 inches long, with a head to body ratio of 1:1, and weighs in at .25 ounces. Baby is moving fluidly and gracefully in there and even though the skin is still transparent, baby is well on the way to looking more like a baby.Tooth buds, hair follicles, and nail beds are formed and baby's fingers and toes aren't webbed anymore.

My Symptoms: Still tired, but not as completely exhausted as I was before.

Maternity clothes? Still in my regular clothes!

Sleep? Sleep has been fine :)

Best moment last week? I had my first very serious pregnancy craving... Vienna Beef. And my future sister-in-law and brother stopped on the way back (from an appointment they had) to get me my yum yums! Oh my goodness, it was the first time I've ever felt like a craving was satisfied. Last pregnancy I couldn't pin point what it was I was craving so I never got that satisfied feeling. It was glorious!

Movement? Nope, not yet!

Weight Gain: The last time I weighed myself, I had been getting over a very bad cold so I had been drinking tea and fluids like crazy... eating little but still eating. I lost about 4-5 pounds since my last weigh in. 

Cravings: My favorite Chicago hotdog and spicy fries... and it's been satisfied. I also like pickles.

Food Aversions: Nothing comes to mind.

What made me cry this week: Nothing, yay!

Medical Stuff: Nothing new here.

Something I am excited about: Returning home to see my lovely husband after 3 weeks of being away from him. Agnes and I visited Colorado for Christmas this year while he stayed behind (he couldn't get off work, it was sad).