the second trimester (…is over. OMG.)
Hi! From the looks of the above I should be taking nice long time cleaning up our bedroom at the moment but instead I’m writing a bunch of junk on the internet in the form of an annoyingly large block of text about what it’s like to be knocked up with horrible quality phone photos because I don’t have the energy to get into a forty minute fight with my husband on how to use the iphone camera. So I’m here! Run on sentences and all.
I realize that I haven’t written much of anything regarding pregnancy in the entire second trimester, and thankfully that’s because things have been totally normal. Well, and I’ve been swamped with work and life – which may contribute to things being normal. I’ve had approximately zero time to obsess which is fantastic for a headcase like myself. Like I don’t even know if I’ve been nesting. Would I know if I’m nesting? Maybe moving has prevented nesting or the nesting has been overshadowed by (sort of) unpacking and living in a new space and doing those things, which otherwise would be nesting?
I know. I make no sense. This is my life.
The pregnancy has gone by so so super fast. Besides those first few weeks when I was a ball of depression and felt like every day was a year long, it’s been FLYING. I’ve felt like my normal self for the most part, aside from a few moments where social interaction seems like the worst thing ever and I want to strangle anyone who speaks to me about anything. Apparently there is this thing called hormones?
But let’s see. Here are the highlights:
A few nights ago I looked at Eddie almost in tears and said… “I feel like we are never going to be able to go to the movies again at the drop of a hat.” He looked at me like I had ten heads and said “uhhhh, when do we ever go to the movies now? We go like maybe once a year.”
He is right. We never go. I’ve had mini freakouts over a few ridiculous things like that in relation to our lives changing. I look back and find it hilarious. All I can think of is Sweet Home Alabama and the scene YOU HAVE A BABY. IN A BAR.
Then I feel better.
We are still completely stumped on if they baby is a boy or a girl. I mean, not that we should know, but still. Remember back when I had all those boy dreams? I haven’t had any since and I’m sort of in girl-mode right now, thinking maybe it’s a girl. It feels ridiculous and so impersonal to call the baby “it” so sometimes I say “he” or “she” and then everyone around me is like OMG YOU SO KNOW WHAT YOU’RE HAVING AND YOU JUST SPILLED THE BEANS! YOU’RE LYING TO US.
No. We have no idea, we didn’t find out, we turned our heads during the sonogram. NO CLUE. Best surprise ever. If I’m lucky enough to have more kids I don’t think we will find out… like ever.
I will tell you that one day I walked into our room and Eddie looked at me and said “so I don’t want to sound like an asshole and obviously my first hope is for a healthy baby, but lately I’ve really been hoping we have a girl at some point.” I’m like WHAT. Who are you? For years he’s talked about how he would be scared to have a girl and not know what to do. It was super adorable. Then he’s also had moments like that about boys. I want both boys and girls and just have lost all notions on if this babe is a he or she. I cannot wait to find out. If I was ten years younger I’d want to have like six kids.
(Eddie probably needed the Heimlich after reading that.
Since we still don’t know, I haven’t bought one piece of clothing or anything. On Friday I did buy some nursery furniture (and a ridiculously comfortable glider/rocker/chair thing), and ummm… thank goodness I did since it won’t be here until the beginning/middle of November. Other than that, we’ve still been trying to get settled in the new house (which is a freaking joke because, uh, hello – we won’t be settled forever since I’ve been home for about ten minutes all month) and figure things out here. If I start to come unglued over that, Eddie looks and me and shouts WOMEN USED TO BIRTH BABIES IN CAVES.
I need to write that on my head in sharpie then look in the mirror.
I have done a teeny bit of research on things like strollers and whatnot, which has mostly ended up in major meltdowns because why do people in 2014 have like 13 different strollers for one child? I’M SO CONFUSED. Please feel free to leave your input on strollers below – which will probably make me even more overwhelmed but I’ll still love you. I really REALLY love the idea of the UPPAbaby stroller that my brother’s fiancé told me about. I’m still looking into it and yes I realize it’s like Beyonce-priced. Apparently I’m carrying a Blue Ivy in my belly. (p.s. sidebar: please tell me you watched the Jay-Z/Bey concert special on HBO last night? UGH SO GOOD.)
My appetite is still weird as heck. I’m rarely hungry for anything but I feel the hunger once it gets bad – there just isn’t much I want to eat. I still always have granola bars with me because they are the quickest and best option. I do a ton of fruit, lots of apples and berries and bananas. At 22.5 weeks I felt like a bottomless pit, but it only lasted for two days and has never returned. I can’t eat nearly the amount I used to. I’ve loving hummus and those big fat sourdough pretzels for a snack. I drink a ton of water and kombucha – and need a few sips of carbonation here and there. Mostly in the form of the passionfruit la croix.
Otherwise… food is weird.
While we were on vacation in August, I realized that it’s nearly impossible to lie on the beach while pregnant. I couldn’t really be on my back for very long and obviously couldn’t lie on my stomach. Does that mean I should throw my body on it’s side? That’s weird and makes it difficult to read. The only way beach life was comfortable was with a chair.
I feel the baby move alllll the time now. It’s so wonderful. The crazy thing for me was that I didn’t feel it move the first time until almost 22 weeks. I was dying. First of all, to be honest, I was pissed and nervous. Many of my friends felt their babies move by week 16 or 18. I was sad that I had to wait so long. I felt like I was missing out. I was also still at the point where I was afraid to be happy and think it was REAL, even though we’d had the anatomy scan. I thought feeling movement would help my fears. My doctor said that it was most likely because I have an anterior placenta so I couldn’t feel movement until the kicks were a little stronger? And I know I’m not super lean or anything, but even at my 20-week appointment she walked in and was all “so you probably feel the baby all the time now, huh?” with a huge smile on her face. I pretty much wanted to wail NOOOOOOO! Because I didn’t.
I do suspect that I could have felt a bit of movement before 22 weeks, but we were moving and I was packing up our entire house while still doing work for the blog and book stuff. I rarely had a second to sit down and focus, and once we moved in to the new house is when I finally felt the kicks for the first time.
While on vacation, we saw the kicks on the OUTSIDE of my stomach, which was so cool. They still aren’t pronounced or anything but we can definitely see the baby bouncing around.
Seriously, sometimes I’m like WTF is he/she doing in there? It’s like a crazy manic dance party. No idea where that would come from… cough cough.
(I have visions that there is a personal soundtrack in my stomach complete with 90s Mariah, Whitney and Backstreet Boys. Obviously.)
I’m still not tired. If you haven’t read my previous updates… I’ve never been tired. I’ve kind of been the opposite. Sometimes my body feels a bit lethargic, or just like I can’t do the things I once did, but I’m so very rarely tired that it’s annoying. I can get by on 5 or 6 hours of sleep easily and not need a nap. I’m always awake.
I should have prefaced this, however, by saying that I am also a lunatic, my mind is always going a million miles an hour, I’m a light sleeper and not big on sleep to begin with. Yeah I know. Let’s see what I have to say in December. HAHAHAHAHAH. Not.
My activity level hasn’t dwindled much, but in the last three weeks I haven’t done a lot of “formal” exercise. From the time of my last update, I was still working out, walking a bunch, doing yoga at home and moving a ton. It was tough to strike a balance while I was packing the house because I didn’t want to overdo it with 12 hour days of moving and running up and down steps, PLUS exercise. It was all fine though. The first day we were in Michigan, I worked out and then we did our usual we-walk-everywhere-all-day routine and that night I felt it. We probably walked eight or ten miles that day and I just ended up sort of… sore? I didn’t feel overexerted until after, which is frustrating because I never know what’s too much. Other than that I really just listen to my body as best I can. These last two weeks I didn’t pack any sort of workout clothing for book tour trips. I knew I’d be walking all over NYC and on my feet a lot and not getting a huge amount of sleep. That was definitely the best choice for those locations. And now I’m playing it by ear depending on my schedule for the day. Some walking and yoga is always a must.
With the traveling and being-on-my-feet thing (and still wearing heels… ) I was initially concerned with swelling. Thankfully I have not had any yet, but in order to help that issue, back in August I bought a pair of compression socks. I actually just bought the running ones (I got a pair of socks and sleeves) because Eddie has used them for years and I was familiar with them. Of course, I got neon pink ones. While traveling, I put them on after (fairly short) flights and at night for a few hours while I do some work in my room. At home I wear them during the day occasionally while cooking. I love ’em.
On Friday while my mom and I were shopping, it was the first time that people were commenting on me being pregnant. Nearly every store I went in to, people asked either her or me about it. I loved it! It only took until 28 weeks. Sheesh. And no, no one has touched my belly yet or even come close. I don’t know if it will bother me if they do. Even though I can be insane at times, I don’t get worked up over things like that.
When it comes to what I’ve been wearing, I’m going to do a separate post about that this week. Is that cool? Or dumb? Had I not had book events to do, I probably would have lived in the above outfit for my entire pregnancy. But since I actually had to be somewhat professional and go places and have my face seen in public, I found a lot of great outfits that worked and I took (horrifyingly embarrassing) photos of all of them so far on hotel mirrors. Like actual OUTFITS. Not just yoga pants. OMG. Some pics are like the craptastic quality mirror shot above but others are a little better.
AND I also want to tell you about the other clothing items that have been lifesavers, like my old lululemon crops and new athleta stuff, plus the places that I found completely worthless for maternity clothing. I’m looking at you, Target. Stay tuned.
That’s that. I may do these a little more frequently now… or I may not. It depends on if I have things to say. Or at least – things to say that I deem important (hello: everything. not really but kind of.). I’m going to at least talk about some more things I’m loving as the weeks go by. Thanks for making it through all 2000 words because we are sooooo exciiitttted! Eeeee.
107 Comments on “the second trimester (…is over. OMG.)”
We have one kiddo..a girl.. We are totally in love.
My tip for baby gear…check safety ratings of the car seat if you get the travel system. Also can you handle the stroller one handed? Trying out baby fear at Buy Buy Baby was a godsend.
I picked a travel system that came with a light stroller I can open and stow with one hand while holding kiddo who is no longer in a carrier.
Good luck…you look amazing
loving these updates! Also OBSESSED with your messy top knot!! Tutorial please?!?
YOU LOOK FABULOUS!! And that top knot is spot on!
Dying laughing over “women used to birth in caves”, bahaha!
Cannot wait to see the outfit posts, I bet you look great!
Glad to hear you’re feeling well! xo
so excited for you! being a mom is the best/hardest/most frustrating/most rewarding job in the entire world! as for strollers — totally get the uppababy. i got it when i had my first in 2010 and i’m still using it now with my second. the bassinet part is super helpful in the beginning when the baby is super tiny, and the big wheels and suspension make it so you can literally take the stroller ANYWHERE without it falling apart. you should also definitely get the snap in piece that allows you to snap the car seat in — super helpful when the baby is tiny and can’t really sit in the stroller seat unsupported. the only other stroller i ever had was the uppababy g-lite, which is a super lightweight umbrella-type stroller, but you wouldn’t need something like that until the baby is bigger. that one is good for when you go places real quick, mall trips, etc where you don’t want to lug out the big uppababy. they are a great company, too. i had a problem with the wheels on the vista at one point, and they sent me a whole new set, no questions asked. great customer service. the vista is definitely on the pricier end when it comes to strollers, but totally worth it. the basket underneath is HUGE compared to other strollers (again — important when shopping) and it really is the best stroller for tall people. have i convinced you yet???! good luck!!
You look so incredible, Jessica! I do high risk ultrasound for work and love it when patients decide to wait for the gender. There’s so few surprises in life.
I hate that anyone made you feel like you were missing out on feeling movement because you didn’t feel it by a certain time in your pregnancy. All pregnancies are different -As I explain to patients, the placenta is like a cushion-the baby has to kick through that hard enough before you’re able to feel it. Lots of women who have anterior placentas have the same experience as you. I’m glad you’re able to feel movement now and you’re enjoying the pregnancy.
Good luck on the rest of your book tour-I’m glad you’re able to enjoy that and you have the support of your family behind you!
I love your post! Even if it is in HUGE BLOCK FORM ;)
Seriously, you could write like 370 pages and I’d eat it all up.
I love the real-ness of your posts.
I can’t wait to see your post on clothes!
I’m so jealous. I can’t wait to be pregnant. :)
My two cents on strollers- we have a baby jogger and I love it. It’s so easy to collapse- 1 handed! I can literally push it with 1 finger! And it has a huge sunshade which was a requirement for me. And my 5 year old still fits in it, not that she will! Sit in it. My suggestion is this: if you plan on more kids, get a double stroller from the start. You can use the other side for all your crap and not have to worry About getting a double later.
You look great! Life does change- and you’ll be great parents! Enjoy you last few months!
Yayy! This post makes me happy. SO much to look forward to!! And I have no idea how you’re doing so much at this point in your pregnancy!!!
Uppababy vista! To quote my sister “it drives better then my car”
Honestly its so easy to operate, the bassinet can be used for the baby to sleep in the first few weeks (hudson slept in it between us in bed), there is a car seat that is compatible as well called the mesa (i didn’t try that because its not available in canada yet)
We got a AWESOME deal for ours online for black friday last year, amazon and peppyparents had it for much less then buy buy baby
Anyhoo, i kinda love it in case you can’t tell :)
Love this post! I have 4 babies of my own and you just brought me back 13 years for my first and 7 for my last. Sniff, sniff. Thanks for the sweet return of those memories. No stroller advice here as I’m out of that loop but enjoy this time as It truly does fly by in an instant. I hate to tell you but the lying down thing only gets worse before it gets better!! And here’s hoping the baby is born on November 15th – my bday. How Sweet that. would be!!!! PS – you look fantastic!!
Eeeee!!! I love it ALLL!!!
If you feel like you can’t bear to spend Beyoncé dollars on a stroller, I highly recommend the Britax system. My daughter is 7 months old and we got the B-Agile stroller (with the B-Safe car seat). My husband did a LOT of research on strollers, and this stroller was what he chose. As the one who uses it 99% of the time, I’ve been super happy with it. It’s light and folds up pretty tightly so fits in the car great, and it’s quick to open and put away – one button, pull and done. Also it is great since you’re a runner – it has a lockable front wheel. I’ve used it for both indoor and outdoor stroller fit (do it when you can, I’m in my third session of stroller fit!) and it’s held up amazingly. It also comes in a bunch of nice colours. I kind of wanted lime green but my husband convinced me to go red… We didn’t know gender either, had I known we could have gone purple but then again if we had a boy whenever we get around to a second it wouldn’t work… Haha. Anyway, I hope my review is useful if you’ve managed to read it all! Best of luck figuring it out, all the baby gear is quite overwhelming for sure.
This is the best. I’m not preggers and I don’t have any kids but I love reading your updates. And I’m literally counting down the days for you to come to Richmond. I’m nervous you’ll think it’s boring here! Since it’s up to me and all…But seriously. The passionfruit La Croix? I have gone through 4 packs of it this weekend. 32 cans. Well, my husband had a few too. But that’s normal, right?
I had no idea what I needed for a baby. I asked a lot of friends with babies, spent a ridiculous amount of time on Google (still do), and used the Baby Bargains book. The book helped a lot. I just took it to the store with me. When I got closer to the end, not knowing the gender was tough because of all the cute newborn clothes. Gahh. I ended up buying two coming home outfits and gave away the girl one afterwards. Friends and family will give you a bunch of clothes anyway. My baby wore a few white onesies in the beginning but now he has a ridiculous amount of clothes just from gifts. Enjoy the last trimester!!
I’m so excited for you! I have a friend who is blogging her way through her pregnancy too and she’s a little bit ahead of you (I think she’s due next month?!) and I think the two of you have really similar senses of humor. In that you both make me giggle constantly. Here she is: http://motherhoodwhat.com/
What an amazing update and I think being busy and jetting around the country on the book tour, on the heels of moving, probably great b/c as you said, less time to obsess, thus the time is just flying by! Strollers. I had a Bob and my daughter rode in that thing til she was like 4 years old! I put a good 300 miles a month on that thing, for FOUR YEARS with running and race training and those things are built like brick sh*thouses and will last forever. If you need a true machine to work out with, that’s the one. If you need an easy in-and-out to the grocery store thing, that’s not the one. Wear your baby, will save you SO MUCH TIME. At least for me it did. Congrats on looking fabulous and doing so amazing!
Love it! So much empathy and agreement going on with you in this post as I have just entered my third trimester. I feel like random people now feel safe in congratulating me on my pregnancy, rather than thinking that maybe I just ate a big lunch and better not risk it. Can’t wait to see your outfit posts!
I love this!!!!
My 4 pregnancies were some of my favorite times of life!!!! I loved never knowing what we were having (it is the greatest surprise ever)!
Being 7 years past my last baby, I’ll give you my “probably dated advice”: get a stroller that pushes easily, and has a cup holder and snack holder for you….that is really all that will really matter…seriously. As long as it’s smooth and can hold a drink, keys and tissues, you’ll be fine…I promise.
Get the best breast pump possible if you plan to nurse….worth every dime.
All you need are sheets, onesies, diapers , wipes and Jammie’s when baby comes; we wanted all gender specific bedding so we picked bedding for a boy and girl and my hubby bought it as soon as baby was born (had painted walls a color that would go with either bedding)!
Great call on an awesome glider!! Did you get an ottoman too? You must…must, must, must!!
Birth is not as scary as you fear….it’s amazing and you will think your body ROCKS when you are done!! It is incredible…. I pray you are able to get a smooth delivery and the doctor is not anxious to push things too fast…. You can and will deliver this baby; you were made for it!!!
Soooooooo excited for you Jess!!!!
I have a 13 weeks old and I’m on my second travel system. We started with Britax Bob car seat and stroller, but the car seat was SO heavy and big, even in our Lexus GX. I don’t run so the stroller was a waste with ginormous wheels. You will NEED a snap n go for car seat years. It is one of my fav purchases hands down. The new stroller we got is the Baby jogger City Select. It will grow with your family and for far less money than the Bey-J priced Uppa. Plus, the seats are stadium seating style for more than one. We don’t even use a car seat adapter. We face the seat towards us and lay it down and our little gal just chills!
Do me a solid and ignore any jerks who might start making rude comments during your 3rd Tri. You look amazing!
I didn’t nest, but I was teaching kindergarten and doing grad school, so maybe it was a time thing?
More updates would be awesome! I’m on the other side and can remember very vividly how I felt, but I wish I would’ve documented it more. I love to look back at Preggo pics, eventhough I didn’t particularly care for being pregnant. You’ll probably love looking back on this time.
Girl – get yourself the BABY BARGAINS BOOK, like, right now.it comes in book and website form. All the ratings, testing, etc that you can handle. And I love their rating system: good, better, best, and grandma’s buying. That thing was our bible for all baby purchases for our now 1 yr old (OMG i am so not ready to have a toddler!). Can’t wait to see you in San Fran!
I had the UPPA and looooooved it, but it kinda sucks as a double stroller. I just sold it and bought the City Select, which is awesome as a double. If you’re planning to have two some-what close together I wouldn’t get the UPPA. Even the new one (which won’t be out until spring 2015) isn’t as good of a double.
Just some food for thought!
The city select is also awesome as a single stroller. It’s not a side-by-side double.
When i was pregnant with our oldest, i cried almost every night the last few weeks because i was so sad that our life of just my husband and i was almost over. I was so excited to meet our daughter but the transition is real. It’s no joke. The first month after she was born, i was so surprised by how much i felt like i missed my husband. Our marriage and love grew sooo much stronger as we became parents but there is definitely an adjustment period.
My tip for a stroller is if you are planning on having another baby close in age to this one, get a stroller that can be converted to a double by purchasing an extra seat. Otherwise you will buy and expensive stroller now and then you will buy an even more expensive stroller then. With out second baby we ended up having to buy a new stroller to accommodate both kids. I don’t like the side by sides and a lot of front/back strollers feel like a bus. We went with a Phil and Teds navigator and purchased a second seat and a car seat adapter for the bottom position. I wish we would’ve had it for our first baby and that I didn’t have a second stroller collecting dust now. It handles awesome and pushes and turns easier than our single stroller even with both kids in it. The second seat pops on and off easily and it feels no bigger than a regular single stroller with the second seat off. I’ve heard the Britax B Ready is also a really good choice for this situation. Good luck’
Lucie’s list – best baby blog ever!! I was so overwhelmed, like why the hell are there so many options? She lays it all out, couldn’t have done it without her!
Hi Jessica,
Congrats on the baby and looking fabulous! I’ve made a few recipes from your cookbook amd I’m loving it! As far as a stroller goes, I LOVE the Bumbleride Indie! It is compatible with a lot of different car seats and it is awesome for running and shopping bc it is not a wide stroller. I’ve used mine for both of my kids- 8 & 4 now. My 4 year old still rides in it when she’s home amd I want to work out. It’s not cheap, but not Beyoncé price either ;-)
I’m currently pregnant with baby #2 and got a baby jogger city select with a second seat (it’s not a jogging stroller, that’s the brand name). Anyway, it’s got a crazy price also but so far it seems worth it because it can be a single or double stroller and has a million configurations. When I had my first baby two years ago, I got a britax. B-agile which is kind of in between an umbrella stroller and a full size stroller. The infant car seat clipped right into it nd it was small and light weight. It’s definitely a great choice too! I’m keeping them both (of course…) But definitely got by just fine with just one stroller the first two years. I know a lot of people that love the uppababy too and I would say the city select is a comparable stroller.
Love this post!! I’m kinda obsessed with babies at the moment, so hearing about babies and pregnancy amplifies it times a million. SO my SIL has the Uppababy stroller and SWEARSBYIT — totally worth the price tag, as it has so many functions –is lightweight, durable, AMAZING, etc. Also, even though I’ve never been preggo myself, the whole baby moving on the outside of the belly is insane. I’ve seen it with my best friend, and it seriously looked like an alien was moving around in there. Congrats on being through trimester two!!
Strollers are super personal I have found :) every mom uses them for different purposes, and has different uses in mind for them so I would start there when deciding what you need. Personally (just about to have our third baby, my older ones are 3 and 1) I prefer a carrier for my tiny babies and really only use strollers when my baby starts to get too heavy for comfortably wearing over an hour or so. We use our stroller for mall shopping, the zoo, and aquarium. We do not like traveling with a stroller or using it in the city or festival type settings/sporting events since it is so much of a hassle to push one in crowds. We prefer our ergo carrier and a backpack/diaperbag. When they are little they nap just fine in the carrier and are easier to load and unload when sitting down at restaurants and such. With the older child we either hold her hand and let her walk, or she briefly rides on my husbands shoulders. Our stroller is the UPPAbaby G-LUX umbrella stroller. I absolutely adore it, I can push with one hand if needed, my feet never kick the basket, and it reclines and has a super nice shade on top. It is big enough to be sturdy and small enough to be super portable and maneuverable. I think you only need a jogger if you currently run or if you do lots of walking on gravel paths. Best of luck finding what works best for you!!
You definitely don’t have to have 13 strollers, but you probably eventually will have more than one. When I was pregnant with my first (we now have three – kids, not strollers!) I was obsessed with finding the one perfect stroller that would meet all our needs. I settled on the bumble ride indie. It’s a great stroller and I still love it, but full disclosure we have a total of four strollers. The bumble ride, a Maclaren umbrella stroller (great for the mall, airport etc but more for when they are not an infant), a bob double stroller, and my most recent purchase was a snap n go. If I were you I would only buy the snap n go. They are super light weight, fold with one hand, your car seat snaps in, and did I mention cheap!? Then when you guys figure out how much and for what purposes you’ll be using a stroller or strollers you can buy more once baby is here. Just my 2 cents!
YES, please share about the clothes!
I have a 3 month old and so far I am LOVING the uppababy vista! I don’t have the uppababy car seat because they don’t sell it in Canada, but I have a peg perego one that works great with the vista. Check out wisebaby.com for baby gear review… I found them very helpful when deciding what to get!
Also movies night still be in your future! Where I live the movie theater has what they call “stars and strollers” once a week. It’s badically a matinee and they lower the volume and moms and dads can go with their little babies! It’s meant for before your babe is no lie, and they play current movies. Maybe there’s sonething like that in your area!
City mini or city mini GT strollers. Or,since I think you are a runner…the BOB revolution. Log onto lucieslist.com, she is awesome have knows ALL THE TINGS about baby gear.
We must be due like the same day – I am 28 weeks today! When we had our first son we bought the UPPAbaby Cruz and we LOVE it!! Completely worth the price in my opinion. Right now, with baby #2 on the way, I am sort of wishing we got the Vista because it can be used for two with the rumble seat, but the Cruz is amazing. If you are thinking about UPPAbaby I would go for it!
You will not regret the uppababy vista!! We bought ours in 2010 for our first son & it is still pretty much as good as new! We’ve since had a second so we have all the attachments & still use it almost everyday, it’s the best! We also have the g-luxe for travel, also great. We love the Honest Company for all the diaper etc essentials. The only other can’t live without tiny baby accesories in my opinion are the luna lullaby nursing pillow, Aden & anais blankets, glamourmom nursing tanks & a baby carrier ( we love our sollybaby wrap & Sakura bloom sling & the ergo for when baby is bigger) Such an exciting time!
It is such a good feeling to be out of the woods of the first tri and well into your second yay!
Just curious and not being snarky at all, but were you cleared by your doc to drink kombucha? During my last pregnancy I found conflicting info online and asked my doc and she said not to drink it to be on the safe side but maybe it’s fine???
You NEED the uppa baby stroller. We’ve had ours for 4 years and have used it every day. It converts to an awesome double and the ride-on board is amazing. You look fantastic! Love your book and your site! Congratulations!!!
Everybody and their brother has “the BEST stroller ever”, so instead of agonizing over all the conflicting advice you’re going to get, check out this website: http://www.babygearlab.com it helped me SO much when deciding which brands to buy for all things baby!! Good luck!
I agree with everyone who has recommended a stroller that can convert to a double if needed. We have the Baby Jogger (brand) City Select (model) – a four wheeled stroller that can seat either one or two, in multiple configurations. Our two are 16 months apart (#2 was unplanned…) and we’re so glad we got the City Select for our first baby as it was simple to make it a double when #2 came along. it’s really sturdy (as opposed to 3-wheeled strollers we looked at), easy to maneuvre, and has heaps of room in the basket. You can also buy a bassinet (DEFINITELY worth it when baby is little), and a car capsule as well if you want that flexibility. We bought our City Select more than 2.5 years ago and it’s still just as good as new and we use it ALL the time. Enjoy the end of your pregnancy – it’s such a wonderful part of life. Feeling your baby move inside you and having him/her so close to you during pregnancy is precious. It will go too fast!
Great post! No kids yet for me, but love reading about what your experience has been so far! And to echo to everyone else, you look fantastic!! (PS – Fail on Target with the maternity clothes! I know that must be devastating for you :))
I have been reading for a long time but comment infrequently but the baby stuff just is so exciting! The Uppa Baby is great and I don’t think you would regret it- as long as you can wait for the new one, which frustratingly means you would probably miss out on using the bassinet. The City Select is fabulous as well, and I like or more than the similar Britax one since the configurations for a double are better.
If you get one of this strollers though I vote you skip the snap and go style. If you decide on one that doesn’t have a removable seat though it’s probably worth getting one.
Borrow or buy used whatever you can if it falls into the category of easy to disinfect and used for a short time. Exersaucers and other similar enormous toys they use for four to six months are high on the list (snap and go too).
I am 37 weeks with our first but have been a nanny for 12 years so I have had the fun of trying out most of the baby gear on the market. If you have any questions I am happy to help. I look forward to seeing your post on clothes even though I can’t possibly justify buying more yet this time around.
I love this! I don’t know anything about pregnancy or having babies but I feel like I’m going to keep all of this in mind for when the time actually comes! Women don’t talk about what it’s like to be pregnant/give birth/etc enough, or at least the ones I know (maybe I’m just not QUITE old enough yet?), so I feel like posts like these are such a good resource!
Also: I have twin brothers who were born when I was almost 8 years old. I had literally spent every year of my life starting when I could talk begging my parents for siblings, but there was definitely one night when I turned to my parents, crying, and said “it’s never going to be just the three of us ever again!!” Your story with Eddie made me think of it.
You look absolutely beautiful… I wish that we thought to wear such beautiful outfits when we were pregnant so many years ago… it was all of that oversized, make you look like you’re wearing a tent look… and while I loved every minute of being pregnant, I couldn’t wait to get back into regular clothes.
I’m at the opposite end of the spectrum…my kids are all grown now… and I can go to the movies at the drop of a hat. I can just pick up and go…. and if it’s any consolation to you… We rarely do. I think it was two years ago that we went to the movies!
You’ll find that nothing really changes… ok, yeah, there is another person in your life now, and they’re quite demanding….but it will be as if you’ve never been without him or her. You’ll try to remember life without kids… and it will be just a distant memory.
It’s all good. Life is good. <3
PS…I'm so happy you chose not to find out if the baby is a boy or girl…. there is nothing like that moment when the doctor holds that beautiful baby up and says: "You have a Michael"…. it's the best surprise in the world. <3
Congratulations on your pregnancy! You look beautiful. You wear that “baby-bump” very well. I am glad you want to be surprised and don’t want to know the sex of your baby until birth. This is very special. I am keeping my fingers crossed that you continue to be healthy throughout the remaing weeks. Hugs to you1
Susan
I “named” my babies before I knew if I was going to have a boy or girl, which removed the need to say “it”. I could say “When Tidbit is born….” or “Snippet kicked all night!” or “I could rest if Smidge wasn’t using my bladder as a trampoline”. Made it personal without gender.
Ahhh, tell me all your maternity clothes secrets. I’m already REALLY showing, and I have a few things from Motherhood Maternity that I like. But I ordered a bunch of stuff from Old Navy Maternity and all but 1 shirt are…blah. Like, I look like a blob instead of looking cute-pregnant. So they are all going back. I don’t know where else to go, because Target isn’t that impressive either! Argh.
:) sounds like everything is going just lovely – enjoy ever second of it!!
The trick for the beach is to dig a belly hole!!!!!!
Can’t wait for the outfit post. And seriously Target…no. Thanks for sharing! I’m 24 weeks and love hearing about your baby bump!
If you can afford an awesome stroller (don’t mean that to sound weird) then you WON’T regret it. We lived in Dubai when I was pregnant with my first and all the moms had chic European strollers…I had major stroller envy! For me a baby carrier is a must, especially for grocery shopping and the first few months. My baby is 6 months old and we really are just now using the stroller for him (although I would have before if we had a nice one or lived by a good mall! We just don’t have places to walk around and shop like that). A baby carrier is sooo helpful to be hands free and keep your baby close at the grocery store, plus you can clip them in and out quickly instead of getting the stroller out (impossible to use with a cart anyway). I used the Moby (any wrap) for the first 4 months and then the Ergo, which is awesome. Just beware of ‘crotch danglers’ that don’t support the baby’s hips! They can contribute to hip dysplasia (and look super uncomfortable for the baby) but are still really popular for some reason. A plus of babywearing is that people won’t touch the baby or ask to hold it if you’re not ready for that yet, and it’s a lot less exposure for the baby when they’re small.
I was thrilled when you said in a previous update that you’re reading Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth. That book hugely impacted both of my births in a good way, and it’s a subject I’m really passionate about. Mine were at home but the same principles will help whatever route fits you best! Another favorite is Secrets of the Baby Whisperer. Soooo helpful for just understanding your baby and getting on a routine without doing anything that makes you uncomfortable (like a lot of crying). I didn’t read it beforehand and wish i had.
I love your updates, whatever the topic!