Baby #2: 12 – 14 Weeks

I think I have announced everywhere – but here! Excited to announce that I am expecting Baby #2! We are due on Thanksgiving day, November 24, 2016. This was absolutely planned and we are so excited to grow our family again! Just thinking about Ben having a sibling makes my heart so full! This pregnancy has been pretty similar with my pregnancy with Ben, but also different at the same time. I lost weight with Ben at first, and I seem to be doing the opposite this time around. Didn’t have a huge appetite with Ben, but now I feel like I could eat everything in sight and still feel hungry. I was nauseous with Ben and have been nauseous with this one too, thankfully haven’t actually been sick.

How far along are you: Today I am 14 weeks and 0 days pregnant 

Gender: Don’t know yet, but we will be finding out!

How big is the baby: size of a lemon! 3 1/2 inches big. 

More from Baby Center:

This week’s big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he’ll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you’re having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb. In other news: Your baby’s stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon — and he weighs 1 1/2 ounces. His body’s growing faster than his head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, his arms will have grown to a length that’s in proportion to the rest of his body. (His legs still have some lengthening to do.)

Total weight gain: 3.7 pounds. This whole gaining weight after reaching my lowest weight is HARD. My starting weight with this pregnancy was 142 lbs.

How I am feeling: I have been really struggling with exhaustion and headaches the last two or three weeks. The headaches throb and get worse when I lie down. I do find a cup of coffee in the morning, sitting upright and lots of water helps a little bit. Nothing helps 100% though. I remember having headaches with Ben too, but not this bad. Other than that, I am struggling with how I look. I don’t say this fishing for compliments, I say it because it is the truth. It is mentally tough to go from the best shape of your life to instant bloat, muscle loss and weight gain – especially when I lost weight with Ben at first and I seem to be doing the opposite this time around. I built so much muscle with Hammer and Chisel and I feel like I have lost so much of it, mostly in my lower body. Cellulite is creeping in and it is really hard to watch. 

Maternity clothes: I have been rocking my maternity jeans since 9 weeks pregnant and frankly should have pulled them out sooner. I bought a couple pairs of pants from Destination Maternity and bought a couple maxi dresses from Pink Blush that fit amazing. My tops still fit fine, just the pants that have been too tight. I bloated right away with this pregnancy and have looked pregnant for several weeks. I think it is just now turning into an actual bump verse bloat. I am still in that awkward stage of ‘is she fat or is she pregnant?’.

Favorite workouts: This week I have been rocking Insanity Max: 30 and I have been loving it. I have been modifying it and I am definitely sore from it! 

Stretch marks: None yet! Fingers crossed they stay away!

Cravings: I haven’t had any specific consistent cravings. I was craving sugar in the beginning like cupcakes and chocolate and now I am craving saltier things – basically all things carbs!

Food aversions: Meat and plantain chips. Just typing plantain chips makes me want to barf on my laptop. Very random, I know. I ate an entire bag of them on the way to my first prenatal appointment and ever since, just thinking about them makes me want to hurl. For a while, hot coffee was making me want to hurl too.

Sleep: I am sleeping really well, but waking up very early. Once I am up, I am up for the day. 

Best moment this week: Finding the baby’s heartbeat on our doppler at home. I made the mistake of trying to find the heartbeat on my own around 10 weeks and completely freaked myself out. I finally decided to give it a try last week and I found it right away! Such a sweet sound.

Belly button in or out: In! Not sure it will ever go out!

What I miss: I miss my abs. I miss being able to push myself 100% during workouts and I really miss my energy.

What I am looking forward to: I am looking forward to getting some of my energy back in the next few weeks – and praying these carb cravings go away too!

Baby buys: Nothing! We probably won’t buy anything until we find out the gender! If we have another boy, we really don’t need anything but a new toddler bedroom set for Ben and then a double stroller!