Second Trimester | Q+A
Friday, July 31, 2020
We decided to do a little 'Gender Reveal' party with family just after our 20 week ultrasound and it was so much fun! I was so nervous to find out and share the news with everyone. A few people kept telling me they were having dreams I was expecting twins, but NOPE just one in there ;) I wrote a blog post about our party here if you'd like to read more about our celebration!
I've mentioned this a little bit on my Instagram, but we might be selling our home! We would love to move closer to our families once baby comes so we thought it might be a good time to list. There were a few things we needed to get done though before then so we had new carpet installed throughout the upstairs and we painted the entire interior to have a cleaner modern look. It was definitely exhausting moving furniture back and forth but we were able to get a lot out and really started to declutter our home - early nesting! Now that everything is done, our home is officially listed! We're in a great position where we don't need to sell our home but it would be nice to sell before the baby comes so we can get situated before then.
UPDATE: After being on the market for less than a week, we're in escrow!! Feeling so thankful and blessed.
During our painting and carpet install we took the time to get out of the house a do a little "staycation babymoon" at Green Valley Ranch. We would have loved to travel somewhere out of state, but just to be safe we stayed close to home. When we got married (almost 4 years ago!!) we stayed at Green Valley Ranch so we thought it would be fun to stay there again. Seth booked us a room that overlooked their vineyard with an outdoor patio. So we enjoyed breakfast out there in the morning and even did take out dinner one night so we could sit outside again. We took our First Look and Bridal photos in that vineyard so it was extra special to be back and feel all the feels again! We also decided to test our luck in the casino and ended up walking out with an extra $700! It seemed so weird to think that would probably be the last time in a while where we were alone "traveling" at a hotel. But we can't wait for baby girl to arrive so we can travel with her and bring her to our favorite places to create new memories as a family.
At my 26 Week doctor's appointment we did another ultrasound so they could check on her spine. She wasn't cooperating at my 20 Week ultrasound so they just wanted to double check again and they said everything looked great! Soon after the nurse walked in with the dreaded ORANGE GLUCOSE DRINK. I've heard so many horror stories about the Glucose Test and how horrible the drink tastes, but to be honest it really wasn't bad! I was kind of surprised. It tasted like a flat orange soda. I had to finish the drink within 5 minutes and then wait an hour for them to test the glucose levels in my blood. I felt like that was the most annoying part was sitting in the waiting room. We weren't prepared so we didn't bring anything with us. So future moms - bring a book or something to pass the time! If you don't know the blood Glucose Test is a way for doctor's to check if your blood sugar levels are in a normal range which can determine if you'll have Gestational Diabetes. There's really no "trick" to passing this test from what I've read. It all just depends on how your body handles it while pregnant.
UPDATE: I passed the test! Woohoo!
Overall my Second Trimester was a dream! My bump was growing more so it was fun to see her start to poke out. I did start buying more clothes in the next size up and I grabbed a few maternity options that'll hopefully get me to the end. She's definitely moving a lot more! I'm not going to lie... before I was pregnant the thought of a baby moving around inside me made me nauseous. It seemed weird to think of another human growing in my belly but as I've gotten further along all I want to feel is her move! Seth has even felt her multiple times. We think she loves when he sings to her! :) She also seems to like chocolate covered raisins LOL but we love feeling her move! We're just getting so excited to meet her and see who she'll be.
From 15 weeks ... to 15 weeks left!
Next up on our journey is to take some online baby courses! Since the hospitals aren't offering these right now (thanks COVID) we have to get a little creative. I reached out to my fellow mamas and these were the most suggested:
Local In Person
HypnoBirthing Las Vegas | They are still offering in person class options! HypnoBirthing is a technique for achieving a satisfying, relaxing, and stress-free method of birthing
Online Courses
Taking Cara Babies | Online sleep courses for newborns to 2 years old
Tiny Hood Baby 101 | Courses for breastfeeding, sleep, safety, and newborn care. We took the breastfeeding course and it was extremely helpful - plus it was free! If you purchase any other classes use code AQN8WW for 15% off.
Lactation Link | Breastfeeding and pumping source
Pampers Childbirth Education Free Classes | 9-part series - from contractions and stages of labor to breastfeeding and check-ups
Baby Bump Life Podcast | Nurse Whit discusses tips for new mom and dads - easy quick little episodes I've been listening to on my walks
Questions + Answers
Here are some questions and answers about my Second Trimester...
Eating, Working Out and New Cravings?
I feel like the Second Trimester is when things finally go back to normal. I haven't had any cravings or weird food aversions - which is amazing! I've been trying to keep up on my workouts with Obé Fitness and taking Poppy for walks. It's so warm out now so we've been having to wake up earlier so I don't always make it but I try to go at least 4 times a week. I'm still not super comfortable going to the gyms so I haven't done that since I was about 9 weeks pregnant. So far I've gained about 20 pounds!
Have you started your nursery?
Yes and no... We have picked out a few things for her nursery like the glider, foot rest, crib and rug. We also purchased a shelving unit for her closet and dresser from IKEA but we haven't put it together yet - knowing it's going to take over 3 hours we keep putting it off. With the possibility of selling our home, we don't want to get too far into decorating just to take everything back down.
Have you decided on a name?
If you haven't seen my social media post yet - YES! I've had an ongoing list in my iPhone notes section forever! Doesn't everyone? Seth and I have always had a top girl name - Merloe. We loved the idea of the name being similar to mine and felt like it was unique, but so beautiful! As for her middle name, we decided to use my maternal Grandma's name - Charlene. My grandma is one special lady! Seth and I both felt this would be an amazing way to honor her and carry on her legacy. I can't wait for them to meet, hopefully soon after she's born.
Maternity Wear
This has been so tricky lately. "Luckily" I'm not working, so I can be pretty casual at home with my loungewear that I already had. Otherwise I'm just sticking to dresses. I've found most of my favorite pieces through Amazon, Pink Blush Maternity and my favorite - Lululemon. I've also been wanting some jeans but I didn't want to invest in an expensive maternity pair so I just purchased non-maternity jeans from American Eagle and then I wear a belly band or tank top over the zipper/button area to keep them from falling down.
Book Recommendations
Seth and I both have a small stack of books on our nightstand that we're trying to go through before baby girl makes her appearance! Here's a list of what we're reading:
Here are some questions and answers about my Second Trimester...
Eating, Working Out and New Cravings?
I feel like the Second Trimester is when things finally go back to normal. I haven't had any cravings or weird food aversions - which is amazing! I've been trying to keep up on my workouts with Obé Fitness and taking Poppy for walks. It's so warm out now so we've been having to wake up earlier so I don't always make it but I try to go at least 4 times a week. I'm still not super comfortable going to the gyms so I haven't done that since I was about 9 weeks pregnant. So far I've gained about 20 pounds!
Have you started your nursery?
Yes and no... We have picked out a few things for her nursery like the glider, foot rest, crib and rug. We also purchased a shelving unit for her closet and dresser from IKEA but we haven't put it together yet - knowing it's going to take over 3 hours we keep putting it off. With the possibility of selling our home, we don't want to get too far into decorating just to take everything back down.
Have you decided on a name?
If you haven't seen my social media post yet - YES! I've had an ongoing list in my iPhone notes section forever! Doesn't everyone? Seth and I have always had a top girl name - Merloe. We loved the idea of the name being similar to mine and felt like it was unique, but so beautiful! As for her middle name, we decided to use my maternal Grandma's name - Charlene. My grandma is one special lady! Seth and I both felt this would be an amazing way to honor her and carry on her legacy. I can't wait for them to meet, hopefully soon after she's born.
Maternity Wear
This has been so tricky lately. "Luckily" I'm not working, so I can be pretty casual at home with my loungewear that I already had. Otherwise I'm just sticking to dresses. I've found most of my favorite pieces through Amazon, Pink Blush Maternity and my favorite - Lululemon. I've also been wanting some jeans but I didn't want to invest in an expensive maternity pair so I just purchased non-maternity jeans from American Eagle and then I wear a belly band or tank top over the zipper/button area to keep them from falling down.
Book Recommendations
Seth and I both have a small stack of books on our nightstand that we're trying to go through before baby girl makes her appearance! Here's a list of what we're reading:
- The Danish Way of Parenting
- So far I've really enjoyed this book! I might do a full post about it because I feel like it's really informative and gives new parents a different outlook on how to raise your children.
- Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family
- Einstein Never Used Flash Cards
- I've heard good things about this book so it's in my Amazon cart for when I'm ready!
- What To Expect When You're Expecting
- The First Time Dad's Pregnancy Handbook
- Seth has loved this book. It takes him week by week along my pregnancy, let's him know how I'm feeling, and what I'm experiencing. It also gives him advice on how to help make me more comfortable so he really enjoys reading it each week.
- The Expectant Father
- Promptly Journal
- This has been so nice to have and document my pregnancy journey! It also gives me a spot to add photos at the end of each trimester. It actually takes you through 18 years of age for the child, so it should be fun and hopefully I can keep it up over the next 18 years!!!
