Expecting Baby #2 (13 Week Update)

Helloooo friends! I apologize for being so MIA lately. Life just happened and then there’s the fact that I found out I am expecting!  HOOORAY!!!!  The morning sickness has been so uncomfortable for me that I have been doing the BARE minimum to get by each day so that meant time away from social media and blogging.

BUT, I am happy to report that I am (hopefully) turning a corner with this yucky nausea and wanted to recap my 1st trimester experience (as well as compare it to my 1st pregnancy because there were quite a few changes).  Although we were trying with this one, it turned out to be somewhat of a surprise for the both of us because my 1st at-home preggo kit tested negative so I just figured it didn’t happen.  (However, looking back, I think I may have tested a little too early for my hCG – human chorionic gonadotropin – to be detected.) We used the Clear Blue Ovulation Kit to help us detect my best days for getting pregnant. Since I am pretty irregular, I started testing as soon as my menstrual cycle was ending just to be safe.

It wasn’t until a couple days before Father’s Day that I began feeling slightly nauseous, but again, I didn’t think anything of it. If anything, I was working out so hard I thought that may have been the cause.  Well, I tested again the morning of Father’s Day while my husband was at work and it said PREGNANT!  That evening, he opened his gifts, along with this little surprise and it was the greatest surprise EVER. Even Miss M kept saying “I have a baby in my belly.” LOL

PREGNANCY SYMPTOMS
With Marli, I knew I was pregnant almost right away. The top 3 symptoms I felt right away were:
(1) I was INCREDIBLY tired and wanted to sleep all day long
(2) My boobs hurt….a lot
(3) I would get these spells of what felt like hot flashes

It wasn’t until about 6 weeks into my pregnancy that the nausea set in and it lasted until Week 12 or so. I never threw up, but it was such an uneasy feeling in my gut ALL DAY, especially after I ate (which made me NOT want to eat at all). Also, I had some cravings, but my body could not get enough of watermelon. I think I ate 1 a week.

NAUSEA: With this baby, I didn’t feel ANY symptoms until about Week 6 – the nausea.  And this morning sickness has been WAY more intense. I haven’t actually puked, but my body sure has tried. Cooking meals has probably been the worst experience ever. The smell of all the ingredients cooking/baking made me LITERALLY lose my appetite and want to barf. I felt terrible for making my hubby eat some of the things I made because I’m sure it wasn’t very good. Haha!  The only thing that seemed to help my nausea was laying down and/or going to sleep, which leads me to my next symptom.

FATIGUE: I have also been WAY MORE tired with this pregnancy.  Maybe it’s the fact that this is my 2nd baby and I’m trying to keep up with a high energy 2 1/2 year old all day, but man, I am so grateful that Marli still takes her midday naps because that’s when I would sleep also.

CHILLS: My hormones have been ALL out of whack! For the record, it has been 90-100 degrees in Houston for past month or so, but I have been getting thess cold spells throughout the day, especially at night.  I remembered my mom giving me crazy looks before we told her the news because I’d show up at her house wearing a top and sweater in the 90+ degree weather.  There were even some nights I would l sleep in my pjs AND robe in addition to a fleece blanket, sheets, and quilt in our bed. Everything is so much better now, but if you experience chills PLUS a fever, I would definitely suggest you call your doctor.

FOOD CRAVINGS: Oh the cravings. So much more intense this time around.  I haven’t craved anything crazy (like pickles with ice cream), but when I have an urge to eat something, I CANNOT get it out of my mind until I eat it.  I have definitely indulged a little more with this one, but ironically, my weight gain is still the same as when I was preggo with Marli. Plus, I have continued working out which helps 🙂  I will say that this baby definitely favors more salty foods over sweets.  I still love eating fruits, but not so much watermelon this time…this nugget can’t get enough of cantaloupe. Ha!  And, I crave my mother’s homecooked meals more than anything else.

BREAKOUTS: Ugh…because my hormones have been all over the place, I have been breaking out like crazy!  The same happened with Marli, but it finally calmed down in the 2nd trimester so let’s hope it’s the same this time around.  I am looking for better skin care products that are preggo friendly so any advice is appreciated! 🙂

And lastly, they didn’t lie when they say you start showing earlier with your 2nd!  I didn’t “pop” with Marli until Week 20, but with this little bean, I “popped” at Week 12….and it’s even more evident by the end of the day.  Before the big announcement, I was wearing a lot of loose/flowy shirts to hide my growing belly, but man, I am SO happy the secret is finally out. No more hiding The Belly!

MARLI’S REACTION: I’m not sure if she FULLY comprehends what will happen next Feb when we welcome a new addition to the family, but she has been pretty excited and so sweet thus far that momma is having a baby. She keeps rubbing my belly and saying “Baby baby baby!”  She loves kissing and talking to my belly and she tells people SHE has a baby in HER belly which is so funny. She even has a little stuffed animal she carries EVERYWHERE with her and calls that “her little baby.” She is such a momma’s girl and is literally my shadow because she follows me everywhere! In all honesty, I am a little nervous about her having to share the spotlight with her sibling because she gets so protective/jealous of me when someone else touches/hugs me so I am trying to teach her it’s ok to “share the love.” I will need to read up/talk to other mommies about this, but I am probably just over worrying myself. Ha!

I’ll post another update in a couple weeks after we meet with our doctor for a checkup.  Thanks for reading, sweet friends!