baby files: 2nd trimester edition

Today marks the beginning of my third trimester... Twelve weeks left is still a fair bit of time, but in the scheme of a 40-week pregnancy, we're really getting there! The reality has really started to sink in as I've started to get constant comments from people (and have answered the chain of "when are you due? what are you having? do you have a name?" questions a million times), since I'm quite obviously pregnant now.

Overall, I think I really have been blessed with a fairly easy pregnancy and have been able to actually rather enjoy parts of it. But after doing a list of 1st trimester essentials, I thought I'd put together a list of the things that helped me power through this one too:

1. sensible registry/to-buy list suggestions: it's in this trimester you really start to realize this baby's going to need a lot of stuff - and freak out a little about buying it all, and which of the zillion options of everything to choose. I'd rather keep things as minimal and easy as possible, so some sensible guides, especially MJ's, Pregnant Chicken's, and Words of Williams' were really helpful in making a checklist and a registry.

2. pants extenders: the trick of looping a rubber band through button holes and then around the button was very useful for wearing my regular pants a ways into the trimester. This pack was especially handy because the colors blended in with my white jeans, denim ones, and black ones.

3. pants surrender: and then it becomes time to just give in to the elastic-waisted maternity pant - I skipped right over using a belly band to hold up regular pants and moved on to the maternity ones when we were about to take a 6-hour road trip. And it was oh so much more comfortable. I really love this pair from Gap in particular because they don't look like maternity at all and they go with everything (also I got them on clearance for about $20, which makes them even better).

4. pain relief: over all I really feel good, but the little aches and pains of pregnancy that I kept hearing about have definitely started to pop up sometimes, so my big bottle of pregnancy-allowed acetaminophen has been getting some use.

5. belly butter: no stretch marks so far... I don't know if it's really has anything to do with it (or will prevent any marks in the end), but I've been lathering on the Mama Bee lotion - if nothing else, my skin is nice and soft!


And a little recap of what's been happening: 

I've sort of neglected to take the profile bump photos for several weeks now - but I have a few 2nd trimester ones here, and for comparison purposes - because things have been growing! - here are a couple of shots from early (17 weeks) and late (27 weeks) in the trimester, in my favorite workout tanks:

Due date? October 21.

Lifestyle changes? Still recovering from those pregnancy hormone-induced ligament issues that put a stop to my running, though I'm much improved and even able to do the occasional easy run. Other than that I had felt so great, but I'm finally starting to realize there really are going to be physical limitations - such as I never napped during the 1st trimester, but now I'm noticing that long days (especially with work travel) wear me out a bit, and I've needed a few naps.

Symptoms? Sleep is starting to get a little worse, bending over is becoming harder, and middle of the night bathroom trips are very routine. Other than that, it is super obvious now that I'm pregnant - there's this basketball sticking out of my middle, and it moves ALL the time. Very active in there, which is always feel-able from the outside and often visible too. 

Cravings? Ice cream still always sounds amazing, but that's still nothing new in my life. Other than that, nothing really, except occasionally I get an idea in my head of something that really sounds good for dinner, and then nothing else will do - which is a problem when it's from a particular restaurant that turns out to be closed that day...

Aversions? Still none.

Maternity clothes? All the way. Luckily I have assembled a wardrobe of a bunch of things that I really love, like all these ensembles and this dress.

Best thing so far? Still hard to beat the 20-week ultrasound and finding out what we're having - but in the past few weeks a couple of great things were feeling the baby have hiccups for the first time, and having a baby shower was really fun too and so great to have so many people celebrate with me.

Looking forward to? Starting to put together the nursery now that I've picked out which furniture we're going to get, and of course getting to hold this little one in my arms! Still a ways to go, but it's seeming so much more real now, which makes me more excited to finally have him here.