• Life,  Pregnancy

    Pregnancy Update: Weeks 29-35

    Okay, I may or may not have had Baby Zin 2 already. 😉 See this post if you want a sneak peak, but I want to share the end of my pregnancy before sharing my birth story. But spoiler alert, we are all doing so well!

    I’m going to be sharing the end of my pregnancy updates today and tomorrow and then hopefully soon I will be able to get a post up of Riley’s birth story and an update on how we are all doing now.


    30 weeks

    Size of the baby: At 29 weeks baby was the size of an acorn squash – 2.5 pounds and 15.2 inches. And at 35 weeks baby was the size of a pineapple – 5.3 pounds and 18.2 inches.

    Total weight gain: 29 pounds

    Sleep: At week 30 I was having a hard time sleeping and waking up a lot during the night. I was needing to take a lot of naps that week to make up for lack of sleep at night. At 31 weeks I was starting to feel the toll of the extra weight and needed to take more breaks in between trying to get things done.

    35 weeks

    Best moment this month: Getting the house ready for the baby. We made a lot of progress this month and it feels so good. We took out an outside door that was in our bedroom and put in a window. We also opened up Shane’s closet to make room for a dresser in his room. Everything is really coming along!

    Symptoms:

    29 weeks: Started having some acid indigestion but it only last a day or two.

    30 weeks: Started feeling really big, a little swollen, belly feels huge and up higher than it was with Shane. Belly makes it harder to breathe. Feeling so overwhelmed with how much we need to get done before the baby comes with no help because of the pandemic.

    31 weeks: Feeling my belly is very big and heavy. Super emotional this week. Been resting a lot on the weekends in between getting things done. Basically been out of commission for one day a week or so.

    33 weeks: Still feeling pretty big but am able to move around a bit more easily. Belly doesn’t feel quite as big and stretched (although it is still very big). Had a doctor’s appointment this week where they checked me for COVID antibodies but it came back negative.

    34 weeks: Feeling kind of crampy and uncomfortable in the mornings. Feeling super tired towards the end of the week. Not really able to get stuff done too much.


    Moral of this month: Feeling large, tired, and wanting to get things done despite those symptoms. 🤣

  • Baby,  Life,  Pregnancy

    Pregnancy Update: Weeks 19-28

    Even though I turned 34 weeks this week I still wanted to update how my pregnancy was during the weeks that I missed writing about it here.


    20 weeks

    Size of the baby: At 19 weeks baby was the size of a mango – 5.98 inches and 8.5 ounces. at 28 weeks baby was the size of an eggplant – 14.8 inches and 2.2 pounds. Holy growing!

    Total weight gain: 19 pounds.

    Sleep: Around 25 weeks I was waking up around 4 or 5 most nights and not being able to fall back asleep. I remember this happening with Shane too. I think it’s a combination of pregnancy hormones and my brain not being able to relax about things that need to get done. At 27 weeks sleep started to get a little better but I was still waking up to flip over a lot.

    24 weeks

    Best moment this month: Finding out we are having another sweet boy! I’m so excited to meet him and learn his personality. I’m also so excited for Shane and this baby to have each other. They will be exactly 2.5 years apart so it will be really special to see them grow up together.

    28 weeks

    Symptoms:

    19 weeks: Feeling extra tired this week. Acne seems to be clearing up a bit. Still craving sugar but not as bad.

    21 weeks: I got super sick for three days. I had to take Tylenol basically around the clock to keep the fever down. I didn’t have much of an appetite, but I could feel baby moving around like crazy the whole time I was sick, which was very reassuring.

    22 weeks: Really no symptoms which is such a blessing! I am so so thankful! Baby is moving around and its so much fun to feel! Gums are sensitive and swollen again.

    25 weeks: Baby moves so much more than Shane did. (I also had an anterior placenta with Shane and don’t with this baby so that could be why.) Gums are still sensitive and swollen. (Comes and goes.) Having a hard time sleeping. Can’t get comfortable. Feel very sore. Wake up around 4-5 most nights and can’t fall back asleep. Trying to eat more greens. Back is killing me after working on Etsy all day.

    26 weeks: Sharp pain under ribs a few times. Sides of abs feel really sore and like they’re stretching a lot for a day or two. Sleep is still hit or miss. Always waking up to flip over.

    27 weeks: Feeling pretty big. Sleeping slightly better. Still waking up to flip over a bunch though.

    28 weeks: Feeling very tired this week. My body especially legs and feet can really feel the extra weight. I had my first in person doctors appointment this week since the pandemic started. I got my Tdap shot, got checked for gestational diabetes (didn’t have it woohoo!), and found out I’m not anemic! It was weird being at the doctors with a mask on and being a little scared of getting sick.

    And just for fun, here is my pregnancy updates with Shane during this time period: 19 weeks, 20 weeks, 21 weeks, 22 weeks, 23 + 24 weeks, 25 + 26 weeks, 27 + 28 weeks.


    Things changed a lot these ten or so weeks. At the start of it, I wasn’t feeling too big but over the course of the weeks going by I started to really feel the extra weight. Also the pandemic started during this weeks, which was a little scary. I had one or two video appointments instead of going into the office. They just asked me to check my weight and blood pressure at home. This pregnancy has dragged on a lot because of being quarantined at home for so long. I will be back soon to update you on weeks 29-34 soon!

    If you’re pregnant too let me know how you’ve been and how it’s been being pregnant during a pandemic. I’d love to hear from you!

  • Coffee Dates,  Pregnancy

    Let’s Have Coffee | Vol. 19

    If we were having coffee, I would most likely share with you why I’ve been MIA last week. Our house got hit with some nasty colds. On Thursday I was completely out of commission and had a fever all day. I decided to go to an urgent care and make sure it wasn’t the flu (which it wasn’t thankfully). I started to feel better on Friday and then woke up on Saturday with another fever and started feeling more and more sick as the day went on. Shane had also started a fever either Friday or Saturday (it’s really all a blur now) and was super sick with me all day Saturday and Sunday. I think the fact that the coronavirus is going around at the same time as all of this really didn’t help with moral and I was really scared with how sick we were. Fortunately our fevers finally broke on Monday and we are on the mend now and feeling much better!

    If we were having coffee, I’d probably mention how scary it is to be sick while pregnant. I would feel bad about talking about being sick for so long, but would really want to process everything I felt with someone. I know that Tylenol is “technically” safe for pregnant women to take but I had to take it basically around the clock for three days to keep my fever down (plus when I was sick around 14 weeks for a day) and it does scare me a little bit. In the grand scheme of things I do realize though that everything will be okay and I am just so thankful that we are healthy now and not needing medicine anymore! 😅

    If we were having coffee, I would likely want to change the subject to something much more positive! I’d share that another reason I’ve been a little less active on the blog is because our Etsy shop is doing so well right now! We are so excited and thankful because it really came at a time where the extra money is very helpful. It has been so fun and satisfying working on Etsy lately.

    If we were having coffee, I would share about how I will be 22 weeks pregnant on Thursday and how I can’t believe how fast this pregnancy is going! It’s so true how they say it’s so different than your first. There is just so much less time to think about being pregnant because of taking care of your first baby and everything else in your life. I would share about how we are thinking about having Shane and the new baby share a room when the new baby is around 6-8 months old. Shane will have just turned 3 at that point. I would ask if you have any advice on room sharing with a baby and a toddler. I am hopeful but also a little nervous about it because Shane is a very light sleeper. We do have a third bedroom, but it is upstairs so we could move Shane up there if all else fails.

    If we were having coffee, I would share that I am starting to feel a little bit overwhelmed with all the things I want to get done in the house before the baby arrives. I’m trying to remind myself that things don’t need to be perfect but it’s so difficult to really believe that!

    If we were having coffee, I would ask how you’ve been this past month and apologize about how I’m sort of all over the place right now. That’s just how my brain is at the moment. I’d love to hear what is new with you though!


    Linking up with LecyJoin us every second Tuesday for a coffee date!

  • Pregnancy

    Pregnancy Update: Weeks 14-18

    Hi friends. Today I’m sharing how weeks 14-18 went. If you’re pregnant too, leave a comment with how you’re feeling and how far along you are!


    How far along? I turned 19 weeks today so this will be from 14 weeks to 18 weeks.

    Size of the Baby: Today he/she is the size of a mango – about 6 inches and 8.5 ounces.

    16 weeks

    Total Weight Gain: 10 pounds so far.

    Symptoms: Gum pain/swelling. Breaking out. Tummy issues. Pregnancy insomnia. Dry eyes. Really fun stuff lol. But other than that I had a lot more energy, especially in the beginning of the month. During weeks 14-15 I didn’t even feel pregnant because my belly was still small and I had so much more energy. As I’m progressing and my belly has definitely popped, I don’t have quite as much energy as I did, but still not too bad as long as I get a good nights sleep.

    Missing: My favorite Italian takeout that closed down! I crave foods so much while pregnant and I so wish I could order their baked ziti or chicken parm.

    Maternity clothes: I just ordered basically my first maternity clothes. I somehow made it through my pregnancy with Shane with none. The only thing I bought was two dresses with him. I ordered a pair of leggings, jeans, a cardigan, and two short sleeve tops. I’m expecting some of it not to fit though and that I’ll have to return some things. I’m so excited though because nothing fits right now. 😳

    Sleep: It’s really hit or miss. Occasionally I’ll wake up to pee and not be able to fall back asleep. I’ve made it through the night without having to pee at all a few times. Most nights though I wake up once to pee and then am able to go back to sleep.

    Best moment this month: Feeling the baby move for the first time! There was a few times around 15-16 weeks where I was pretty sure I felt the baby move but I wasn’t 100% sure. The night before I turned 17 weeks though I felt the baby move for sure and was able to poke back and the baby kept moving! It was so cool and I felt super connected to the baby.

    18 weeks

    Food cravings: Uh everything! Mostly carbs of course. Pasta. Pizza. Sugar. Nothing healthy lol. I’ve been eating something sweet after dinner every night. I was the same way when I was pregnant with Shane. I’m usually not really a sweats person but pregnancy really brings it out of me.

    Looking forward to: Our anatomy scan is next Wednesday! We are definitely finding out if the baby is a boy or girl and we are so excited. I’m also excited to get the house more in order. I’ve been nesting like crazy, I’ll have to share what I’ve done so far. Yesterday I basically changed everything around in our house. I moved Shane upstairs to his new room and made him a little playroom. I can’t wait to keep working on the house and see the progress.


    And just for fun, here are some of my pregnancy update with Shane: 14 weeks, 15 weeks, 16 weeks, 17 weeks, 18 weeks, + 19 weeks. My bump was so much smaller. I’ll share about baby’s gender next week for sure! I can’t wait!

  • Pregnancy

    First Trimester Recap: Weeks 3-13

    Hi friends. Today I wanted to share with you how my first trimester went with this pregnancy. Overall I would say it was a little bit easier than with Shane’s pregnancy. (Although I also had it easy with him when compared with how hard others have it.) I do not take this for granted and am so thankful for the blessing that this pregnancy and babe is.


    I thought it would be fun to just copy and paste how I’ve been tracking my symptoms. I’ve just been keeping little notes in my Notes app on my phone.

    Finding Out:

    But before we get into that I wanted to give a little bit of background. We were very fortunate to get pregnant very quickly. We had only been trying for one month. Since we were actively trying I started taking pregnancy tests very early on and found out at only 3 weeks, 4 days!

    Then I took these cheap pregnancy tests until I ran out of them lol. I took my first bump picture when I was ten weeks. It’s definitely true you show faster with your second.

    Symptoms:

    Inside my mind during the first trimester of pregnancy:

    3 weeks- a little more tired than usual. craving pizza and potatoes. sometimes feel like twinges of queasiness if I’m really hungry but nothing serious.
    4 weeks- craving salad?? Sent tommy out for a crispy chicken Cesar salad from BK. Feeling a little tired but able to push through if I have to. More hungry than usual.  Switched to decaf coffee for second cup
    5 weeks- had a few days where I was extremely tired but not debilitating every day. Not too many cravings this week. Nachos one night and Cesar salad again. Not any strong aversions which was weird because I had some last pregnancy. Still drinking coffee surprisingly as well. Dropped the second cup because decaf has tons of chemicals in it. A day or two I had a small cup in the morning so I could have another cup in the afternoon. Feeling relatively normal though. 
    6 weeks- very tired, slightly nauseous on day 1. 6.5 weeks super nauseous one morning. Had a really hard time sleeping a few nights and couldn’t stomach coffee. Next day feel a lot better though. Also taking naps almost every day. End of week felt relatively normal. Mild nausea but nothing crazy and wasn’t super tired. 
    7 weeks- first day or two felt pretty good. 7w2d woke up at night super nauseous and with a headache and couldn’t sleep. Had to eat goldfish and wait for nausea to pass before going back to sleep. Stopped drinking coffee this week. Was only drinking a couple sips anyway. 
    8 weeks- still exhausted. Craving French fries. Nothing tastes good though. Not even baked ziti. 8w4d- have been feeling relatively normal the past few days. Coffee hasn’t tasted terrible and I have had like no nausea. Belly hurts if I try to eat too much though and still not eating meat. Ultrasound went perfectly!! Baby measured right on track with a heart rate of 180! Had some gas pains and tummy issues. Some foods just really don’t taste great. Made cheesesteak quesadillas tonight and was able to eat it but it didn’t taste very good. Have still been tired but seems to be lessening a tiny bit but still am very unmotivated to do anything 
    9 weeks- first day super nauseas. Couldn’t eat much. 9w1d feel normal, sort of worried. 9w4d yesterday I felt completely normal, was able to drink coffee and this morning I also don’t feel pregnant. Hoping everything is okay. Still having terrible nursing aversion though. 9w5d occasionally still feel pregnant. Mostly just my belly feels off. Nothing really sounds that great to eat. My belly is getting bigger. Craving yellow starburst today?
    10 weeks- feeling more normal this week. Still taking naps though and have been feeling mostly unmotivated. Food aversions have been a lot less too. Starting trying to drink coffee but still not totally enjoying it
    11 weeks- almost normal but still feel unmotivated and tired a lot. Still taking some naps and sleeping a lot at night (9 hours). Still haven’t wanted to drink coffee really. Been drinking tea for the caffeine. Food is starting to taste more normal though. Having trouble drinking water still and my skin is super dry
    12 weeks- FINALLY FEEL NORMAL AGAIN. I woke up on the first day of 12 weeks and felt GREAT! I drank a cup of coffee and cleaned the house for the first time in forever. Day 2 of week 12, also drank a cup of coffee, enjoyed pasta and sauce, and chicken and broccoli, which are things that I haven’t enjoyed in a long time. I craved Chinese food on this day too so Tommy brought it home for lunch! Also had a craving for onion dip and chips and Tommy went out one night and bought me some. Took a few naps this week because I just couldn’t stay awake. But was able to consistently drink coffee each morning and even had a second cup one day.
    13 weeks- I’m only 13.2 but so far this week has been pretty mild still. I was a little more tired than usual but nothing crazy. Still drinking and loving my morning coffee again. Didn’t think that would happen. I have an appointment this week. I can’t wait to hear the heartbeat again. Ever since feeling more normal, I don’t feel like I’m pregnancy anymore. It feels super weird. Got super sick this week. Had a low fever for 24 hours. Took Tylenol twice to keep it down. Was scared something happened to the baby. Ended up being okay. Had my doctors appointment at 13.5 and heartbeat was 151! 💗 It made it feel more real and I’m actually going to allow myself to get excited. Haven’t had really any pregnancy symptoms this week because I’ve been so preoccupied with my cold symptoms which have been terrible. Shane’s 2nd birthday was this week and I weaned him completely off breastfeeding. The end of this week I’ve been having to wake up early morning to pee and have been having a hard time falling back asleep.

    So all in all, the first trimester wasn’t that bad at all. I’m very fortunate that Tommy comes home around lunchtime most days so I was able to take naps when I needed to. I also stopped waking up early and just woke up when Shane woke me up. I definitely was going to bed earlier than I normally did too. I couldn’t make it past ten, which is super rare for me.

    Now that I’m in the second trimester, I don’t feel pregnant at all anymore. It’s very nice to have my energy back and have motivation to get things done. But mostly I’m thankful for a healthy, growing babe. I’ll be back in about a month to do another update. Thanks for following along! 🙂

  • Baby,  Pregnancy

    Baby Zin: 37-39 Week Bumpdate

    Hey friends! I had a rare moment of actually really wanting to blog today so here I am. It’s been really hard to find the motivation amidst such a huge change in my life. I am technically 40 weeks pregnant as I write this, even though I’m not recapping this week, and we are still waiting for baby. I am only two days past my due date but we are hoping he’ll come soon. Please pray that I don’t have to be induced and that labor and delivery would go well. I am quite nervous about it. Thank you for all the support you guys give me as well. It means so much to me!


    Size of the Baby: At 39 weeks baby was the size of a pumpkin – about 7.23 pounds and 19.9 inches!

    Total Weight Gain: 32 pounds as of last Wednesday!

    Doctors Appointments: At my 36 week appointment I was tested for GBS and that came back negative, which I’m really happy about because I hate antibiotics.

    At my 39 week doctor’s appointment my doctor checked to see if I was dilated at all and I wasn’t. I also had this done at my 36 week appointment, which didn’t hurt at all but at the 39 week one it hurt so badly. I’m really hoping I go into labor before Wednesday so I don’t have to have that done again. 😵

    Symptoms: Nothing too much that’s new to be honest. I have had Braxton hicks contractions still, most of them coming at night but nothing to get crazy about. After my 39 week cervical check, I had a lot of them the next day and I could have sworn I had my bloody show, but now that it’s been 4 days I’m thinking it was only because of the cervical check and didn’t actually mean baby was coming.

    My hips have been really sore at night. Mostly early morning. I will wake up every hour or two after like 4 or 5 am and have to switch sides because they ache so badly.

     

    Stretch Marks: Nope!

    Nursery: I know I mentioned that I was going to do a nursery reveal and I really hate to be the blogger who says they will do something and then falls flat on their words. I still have every intention of sharing his nursery (and name!), I’m just not exactly sure when at this point. I want to say this week but it is baby week so I don’t want to make any promises! Even if I end up sharing his nursery after he’s born, I will definitely still be creating a post about it.

    Tommy is: patiently waiting for baby along side me.

    Best Moments: Probably Christmas. We had a great Christmas this year at my in-laws. They are all just as excited as we are to have this baby come. Tommy also made me this really thoughtful gift – a bulletin board of all of our special moments during this pregnancy. I love it so much.

    Looking Forward To: Baby Zin’s birth! I still am in shock that it is just around the corner to be honest.


    If you don’t already follow me on Instagram and don’t want to miss out on his birth announcement, then click here and wait patiently (or not so patiently if you’re like me) for when he’s born! I’ll definitely be updating over there first before I’ll get to show up here.