Second Trimester Recap!
Two Down, One To Go!
12/19 – at my baby shower and 26.5 weeks
I can’t believe I’m already 27 weeks pregnant!!! The second trimester flew by so fast, and that’s probably because it’s been quite pleasant. It has been such a nice change from the seemingly never-ending hard days of the first trimester. I’ve had more energy, less nausea (yay to eating veggies again!) and can workout more consistently again! Since I last wrote here, I’ve had some major updates, like finding out the gender (watchout, there’s a new princess coming through) having a great anatomy scan, and feeling baby’s movements for the first time (which are now, pretty rambunctious and consistent too). Joel’s also gotten to feel her roll around in there (it’s a lot more than just kicks) and we’re so close to finalizing her name!
anatomy scan at 18 weeks
The Gender Reveal
09/17 – the moment joel found out!
IT’S A GIRLLLL!!! Baby MoJo’s health is all that matters, but knowing the gender makes me feel like i know her more (ahhh, i can say “her” instead of “it” now!) All along I thought I was having a boy but somehow Joel ~knew~ it was a girl.
How I told Joel:
I got the call from my doc about her gender that morning (and genetic testing results – everything came back normal and healthy yay!) I sobbed from joy – finally knowing her gender made me feel like I knew her more. I was only 14 weeks so I hadn’t felt movement and I wasn’t showing, so this just made me feel closer to the baby. Joel was at the office and I was home alone and got to bask in the good news, but it was killing Joel not knowing all day (he is literally the most patient man but had 0 patience with this haha). So as soon as he got home from work, I arranged to surprise him with the news in our yard with a powder/confetti cannon (I bought them on amazon in both colors so I’d be ready when I found out) This photo is a still from the video I took (lol Obie) and it was such a special moment. We video called our family to share the news and it was fun to see their reactions! Because of this awful pandemic, we didn’t get to share the news with anyone in person. As hard as it is missing out on things like that, it just reminds me that our health is what matters most.
Maternity Clothes/Accessories
The physical changes are becoming more apparent and a lot of my old clothes don’t fit anymore (hellooooo baby bump)! And side note – it was so fun celebrating my 29th birthday being pregnant. No I couldn’t enjoy copious amounts of wine like I used to but I felt so loved and celebrated, and I got some amazing maternity related gifts that I loooove! I’ve included them in my holiday gift guide, but wanted to share them here too. I’m sure I’ll have more to add to this list as the weeks go on but I’m excited for these ones!
11/15/2020 – my 29th birthday and 21.5 weeks
Mama Necklace by Ana Luisa
Cozy Tunic Sweater from World Market
Oh Yeah Slippers from UGG
Brown Leather Diaper Bag from Fawn Design
I’ve also liked these Aerie Offline Real Me High Waisted Leggings and the Aerie Soft & Sexy Tee – they fit well over the bump but not too tight (honestly, I only wear pants when it’s cold). My sister gave me her Dwell and Slumber dresses which have been soooo comfy and cute! And of course, my comfy robes from Pottery Barn and Anthropologie (they don’t sell it anymore so I can’t link it, but it’s made of sherpa and sooo cozy!)
Kindred Bravely sent me some of their awesome products to help me fit my growing bump! Their nursing dress and nursing bra are incredibly soft and comfy, and while it’s great for pregnancy, they will be even more useful when baby is here. I also like their high waisted leggings (so supportive) and under the bump undies. Comfy is key these days!
Kindred Bravely’s Nursing Dress, at 24 weeks
The Baby Shower, COVID Style
What an incredible day of love and celebration! Joel and I feel soooo supported, loved, celebrated and blessed. Our people really know how to give us all the feels! We had a very small outdoor shower so that we could still celebrate this momentous time in our lives, but also be safe and socially distant. Mama Llama Balloons generously gifted me this incredible balloon installation and it was just beautiful!! They’re a fantastic women-owned small business that you should definitely check out 🙂
12/19 – with baby daddy at 26.5 weeks preggo
TBH I stressed myself out so much with making the entire spread… why did I do that? Because I love food and making people happy. But this was dumb. I should’ve just catered it instead of trying to cook it all. Because hi I’m pregnant and large and tire super easily. But my sisters and brother in law were super helpful with getting everything together, and it did came out beautifully and people seemed to enjoy it. I was also sooo stressed about the weather – we’ve had perfect weather for weeks but that morning it started pouring and didn’t stop until about 1.5 hours before the shower! It cleared up and turned out to be a beautiful day and for that I’m thankful.
12/19 – with my sisters who helped throw me the best baby shower
I tried to keep the food and drinks simple and easy to grab to prevent people from touching shared surfaces. Almost everything was individually wrapped or placed apart on a platter so that it was easy to grab. The spread included homemade olive oil and sea salt popcorn, frosted animal cookies, glazed cream puffs with pink sprinkles, chicken salad on croissants, and goat cheese/pear/walnut/honey crostinis. We had canned Sofia sparkling wine and Karbach beer too (it’s almost our namesake, after all.)
12/19 – the spread!
We split the party into two time shifts so it was less than 10 people per hour to limit exposure and it worked out great! I didn’t do any of those silly baby shower games – there’s nothing wrong with them but I haven’t seen most of these people since February so I wanted to actually talk to them. We did have out “advice and wishes” cards for people to fill out which was the only activity (besides eating and drinking). Seeing so many of our closest friends was incredibly soul-filling and life-giving and I won’t forget this momentous day – and baby girl will hear all about how loved she was before she was even born.
12/19 – with the love of my life
Hashimoto’s Update + Health Stuff
In my last post I talked about my thyroid flare up and how awful and scary it all was – well things have finally leveled out! My TSH 0.37 free T3 and T4 are well within optimal range and TPO antibodies reduced by 50%! I’m going to continue getting it checked every 4 weeks, but wow it’s such a relief to have those numbers under control (and feeling better too!) I guess it helps that second trimester is supposed to be the honeymoon stage, so that might have helped my numbers, but I’ll take it!
Two things that I’ve been taking daily to support my health: ENERGYbits spirulina and chlorella algae and Cassie Green Health elderberry syrup. The ENERGYbits have definitely increased my energy and focus, which I definitely need help in pregnancy (and I have a 20% coupon code – atxeatsandtreats). And the elderberry syrup boosts your immune system (which we all need these days) and it doesn’t have any fillers or preservatives like typical drug store ones.
I’ve had some cravings – carbs, cheese, and all things sugar! But really the sweet tooth has been real. I need chocolate or some sort of baked good everyday. My gestational diabetes test is in a few weeks though so I’m trying to keep it under control… Lately I’ve had some restless legs (and arms too) and hoping it dies down soon, but it’s just another side effect of the raging hormones. And the emotions, oh so many emotions. Christmas is in two days and I’m already emotional about it. As well as every other thing. Like dog commercials, and this show I’m watching called A Million Little Things. But other than that, the pelvic pain and back pain have been intermittent but bearable. Staying active is so important and even when I’m huffing and puffing on a stroll around the neighborhood, I know it’s doing me a lot of good.
The Nursery
The nursery is still very much under construction, but we’ve made some progress! We got a gorgeous refurbished French Provincial style dresser/changing table from a local business called All In White Designs, and some pretty floral decals from Lamb & Ivy up on the walls (the crib will go under the decals so that’s why there’s an odd empty space). The nursery is actually filled with awesome gifts from my sister and brother in law (like the MamaRoo, an infant playmat, and loooots of clothes) as well as so many awesome baby shower gifts (like these Burt’s Bees hooded towels, these swaddles/blankets from aden + anais, this Inglesina highchair, this Manhattan Toy stroller toy, the famous Boppy pillow, the Haakaa, these bandanas, and so much more that I’ll talk about in the next post). I promise to do a full nursery reveal when it’s properly ready and share more about must-have baby and mama items. These pictures are not fancy but thought I’d give you a little sneak peak!
floral decals by Lamb & Ivy
dresser from All In White Designs
A Few More Thoughts
This pregnancy has been so wanted, fervently prayed for and long awaited.
Being pregnant in the middle of a pandemic has been lonely – I always imagined sharing the news with my friends over dinner when they all noticed I didn’t have a drink in my hand (bc let’s be honest I used to always have a drink in my hand lol). I imagined going shopping with my mom and picking out registry items at the store with her. I imagined Joel being at every pregnancy appointment, especially for the big moments like the anatomy scan. But none of that has happened, none of it has gone as planned, and it’s been a little hard.
But despite all of that … I’m incredibly grateful for this life growing inside of me. And that’s what’s important – that I’m going to have a sweet baby girl in just a few months. The pandemic has crapped on everyone’s lives in one way or another, but it hasn’t taken my joy. It’s changed the way I live, but it can’t take away my goofy big smile and my overflowing heart. The next time I write to you, I’ll be at the end of my third trimester… Wow. I can’t believe it’s just 3 months away. See you when I’m about to pop 😉
right after joel found out we’re having a girl, ~14 weeks
