14 Weeks

How Far Along?  14 weeks (and 1 day)! I just saw a thing that says I'm in the 4th month, which feels much further along (and makes me feel a little better about this big bump I have). 

Size of the Baby? A lemon! Our baby is growing so much. It's officially 3 days ahead on growth, so I'm pretty sure it's going to be big like its brother. Average right now is 3.5 inches and 1.5 ounces. It's turning into a real baby :). 

Sleep? Eh. I can't seem to get the timing right here, between having to get up to use the bathroom and Evan waking up, the sleep is pretty chopping from 4 hours in, onward. I'm hoping it'll get better at some point, but I'm not holding my breath. 

Eating? I've been doing a pretty good job getting my eating back on track and I've been feeling less sick, except when I forget to eat an afternoon snack. So long as I eat every 3 hours, though, I'm pretty good :). I've been hungrier lately, so I'm thinking baby might have been going through a growth spurt. 

Exercise: Great! I've been trying to go on walks most days, plus I tried out my first local prenatal yoga. It was really lovely to do yoga in a class again. It was small, just 3 of us, and didn't have quite the baby/birth focus of the Arizona class, but it was incredibly relaxing and I'm still sore two days later. I'm looking forward to making this a weekly event!

 What I Miss? I still miss my energy. I've been really tired this week, and it's been hard to balance just wanting to sit on the couch and soaking in my last real week of summer with Evan. 

Best Moment? Seeing our baby! Technically this happened in the next week, since I'm a little over 14 weeks, but since it was this morning I'm putting it here. Ed and Evan came along and it was amazing to see how much our baby has grown in the last 7 weeks. It looked like a real baby, and we even got to hear the heart rate. Of course, Evan was petrified of the heartbeat and afterwards kept saying, "Evan all ready to go!" It really is starting to soak in that we are actually having a baby. 

Milestones: Hitting the 4th month! No question that I'm in the 2nd trimester, and no question that I'm pregnant by looking at me (at least from my opinion). I'm excited to share the news with coworkers next week.

Mommy Update: Good! I'm enjoying all my Evan time the last two weeks and glad to be a bit healthier and more active. 

Big Brother Update: Evan has been super cute lately. He's says "no, no, that's okay," whenever he doesn't want to listen/do something. For instance, when we tell him he needs his diaper changed or when we give him food that is too hot to eat. Also, super proud parent moment, we've been reading this butterfly book that he picked out and he's totally figured out the concept of the chrysalis. He can identify it in the book and when we were out for a walk and saw a butterfly, he said it came out of a chrysalis. Such a fun age with so much learning going on!

Baby Update:

Baby continues to be wonderful. I'm still feeling those little baby movement sensations and I'm going to believe they are the real deal until proven otherwise :). 

How Far Along?  13 weeks (technically 13 weeks 4 days - I've been a slacker this week :) ). 

Size of the Baby? A jalapeño. Baby is 3 inches long and weighs almost an ounce! 

Sleep? Well, it was a rough week for sleep, but because we were on a trip and Evan got sick. This meant 4 nights of bedsharing with a restless toddler and no solid sleep for me. Luckily since we've been home, Evan has either slept through the night or only woken up once, so it's been much better.

Eating? I definitely wasn't feeling great at Tahoe, mostly because I was altitude, which generally bothers me a little. That plus not sleeping meant it wasn't surprising I didn't feel great. Still, I'm able to eat pretty normally, and am looking forward to focusing on healthier eating once all of our traveling is done this next week. 

Exercise:  I've definitely been a little more active than last time around, with hiking at least a few times a week. I got to hike twice at Tahoe, which was beautiful. My goal is to get out walking or hiking most every day, and I am planning to sign up to walk a 10k in October. I always wanted to do a race while I was pregnant with Evan and never did, so I don't want to miss my chance this time around. 

 What I Miss? Well, I took sushi off that list because after some additional research, I decided to indulge. Other reputable countries (like the UK) have no issues with women eating raw fish, and the risk of getting sick is only 1 in 2 million, versus 1 in 250,000 eating chicken. It was lovely, but of course ended up not sitting great (see still having morning sickness). Still probably won't indulge that often, and will probably stick with simpler dishes, but it was tasty. I did miss getting to indulge in wine on vacation, and of course feeling rested. 

Best Moment? Sharing Tahoe with Evan for the first time, and, just like at Yosemite, thinking about future trips as a family of 4. 

Milestones: Reaching 2nd Trimester! Today is the "official" day that I am over 1/3 done, as long as this little one doesn't go late. I'm definitely showing, even in loose fitting clothes, and am ready to tell coworkers when I see them in a couple weeks. Non pregnancy milestone is that we are done traveling for the summer! I am thrilled to be just enjoying being home with my boy, especially since this is the last dedicated time I'll have just with Evan for a very long time. I have my NT scan on Tuesday and am nervous/excited so see our baby. 

Mommy Update: I'm generally feeling pretty good! I was definitely feeling exhausted from all the trips (I was only home 9 days in the past 6 weeks!) but it was a great summer. I'm still more tired than not, but hopefully as I keep getting further in the pregnancy and Evan keeps sleeping better, that will change. Now I'm just trying to get back into the swing of work things and getting everything Evan will need to start his new daycare in less than a month!

Baby Update:

I'm sure Baby Lyly is doing great. Just like last time, I sometimes I imagine I can feel it moving around in there. I'm sure I'm just feeling muscle spasms or something, but it's fun to pretend. Of course, last time I didn't feel anything until 23 weeks, so I'm not holding my breath :). Baby can now start sucking it's thumb, which is incredibly cute. Also cute, it can now make facial expressions, including frowns, grimaces, and squinting. More organs are working, including the kidneys, and it's getting lugano (fine, soft hair) over its body to keep warm. Keep growing little one!

12 Weeks

How Far Along?  12 weeks! So exciting to be in the last week of the first trimester :). 

Size of the Baby? A plum! Coincidentally one of Evan's new favorite fruits. Baby is over 2 inches long and about half an ounce. 

Sleep? This week has been pretty great for sleep, in large part because I've been Evan free! I'm out in Alabama visiting my wonderful friend and living the kid free life, staying up until after 11 and sleeping in until 8 or 9. I haven't had any insomnia this week, *knock on wood*, so we'll see if that lasts. 

Eating? How funny - I just looked and apparently last time I was also really in the mood for Indian food. No wonder Evan loves indian - hopefully this baby does too! The morning sickness has kicked up a little this week, and I think it's because I've been spending less time outside. Or morning sickness is just fickle. Unlike last time, proteins have been the winning foods for me, so I've really been enjoying steaks, among other things. Still not eating as healthily as I should, but I blame vacation :) 

 What I Miss? Not pregnancy related, but I miss my boy :(. It has been 4 days since I've seen Evan and I miss him so much! It has been such an amazing time here in Alabama, but it definitely reinforced that I wouldn't change my life with my sweet toddler for the world. I just love being a mom and I can't wait to get home and I can't wait for this new little one to arrive and complete our family. 

Best Moment? Getting to share our news with my friend and celebrate her upcoming baby boy!

Milestones: I had my first appointment with a midwife and am excited to be able to use midwives a second time. She seemed optimistic about my having a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) and was reassuring about my not having pre-eclampsia again (only a 20% chance). I also got all my bloodwork done for the 12 week scan and am looking forward to the actual scan in a couple weeks. I also have been identified as pregnant by three strangers since arriving in Alabama, so I think I'm definitely showing. 

Mommy Update: Once again, I am feeling very happy about life. I am so thankful to have the overlap of summer and the first trimester so that I can soak in these early days and get extra rest when I need, plus time with family and friends. 

Baby Update:

Baby can now react to pokes on the outside. It's almost done developing all the major body parts and is moving into the "growth and maturation" phase. This is considered a turning point in pregnancy, as the organs will now start to work and just work on getting stronger. Baby is also opening and closing its fingers and curling its toes. It's brain is also developing quickly. So exciting :)

11 Weeks

How Far Along?  11 Weeks! 

Size of the Baby? A lime. This seems so much bigger than last week :). Over 2 inches long and a third of an ounce.

Sleep?  It was a rough week for sleep last week, but it wasn't the new baby's fault. We were out of town and Evan never sleeps well away from home. On the plus side, because I've been so tired, I haven't really had much insomnia. 

Cravings? Sour food has still been a go to, especially for all the traveling. I've gotten to enjoy indian a couple times, which has been super yummy. I also keep wanting sushi, which so far I've been resisting. 


 What I Miss? Just feeling like an energetic mom. I am officially on SAHM duty, and I feel a little sad that I just don't have the same energy I used to. I was still able to do most of what I wanted with Evan in Santa Cruz, so I'm glad for that at least. 

Best Moment? Being in Santa Cruz for the 3rd summer. It's so special to have a place that we've gone every year since Evan was born. We also shared the news with Ed's coworkers, which was really special. 

Milestones: Another quiet week, but I have my next appointment tomorrow! I am excited to meet one of the midwives and check on the little one. 

Mommy Update: I've been afraid to jinx things, but I am, in general, feeling better! Still super tired, but the nausea has definitely faded a bit. Last time I felt really sick until 18 weeks, so I'm really thankful to have had such minor morning sickness this time around. 

Big Brother Update: Evan's language has really blossomed this week! It's been amazing to hear him speak complete sentences, play pretend, and just be so much more interactive. His current biggest love is "choo choos" and it was so fun to get to take him on a steam train while we were in Santa Cruz.

Baby Update:

Baby is moving around a lot in there, which I can't wait to be able to actually feel. It's growing hair follicles and fingernails and is looking much more like a little person. It also has no more webbing between fingers and toes, so goodbye to amphibian baby. It's getting tiny toothbuds and bones are hardening. Keep growing, little one!