Baby is officially fully baked and it’s go time!  Though I’m not sure baby knows this fact, as he’s still happily hanging out in-utero with no signs of making his debut anytime soon.  The planner in me is ready to explode not knowing when he will arrive, and yet I know in my heart he will be here when he’s good and ready … and most likely on the day we least expect him to arrive.

Any amount of stomach discomfort, no matter how small, makes me pause to assess whether or not I think it could possibly be a contraction.  I guess I’ve had a few Braxton Hicks, but I wasn’t even really aware of what they were until a midwife I was talking to told me it’s likely what I was experiencing.  One would have thought, given this is my second baby, I’d be a bit more in-tune with what’s going on.  #MamaToBeFail =)  I’m trying my best to stay active and keep busy, but I must admit I spend most of the day waiting/hoping/praying for labor to begin.  Come on baby … mama is ready!!!

Third Trimester: Weeks 38 & 39 in Review

Craving …

Homemade granola (modified version of this recipe) and lemonade!  Good lemonade is fairly hard to come by in Bangkok, but my friend recommended a place with excellent lemonade and I seriously can.not.get.ENOUGH!!!

Feeling …

Swollen and hot.  It’s almost as though my brain sent my body a memo saying “it’s time to retain as much water as possible before this baby come out.”  The not-so-glorious result is a very swollen mama-to-be.  My feet, ankles and hands seem to be taking the brunt of it, but my face is also starting to look … full … ugh! ;)  My body is running pretty hot, but Bangkok summer is upon us and making things a wee bit hotter!

Missing …

Sushi.  I’ve been craving sushi as of late and can’t wait to pop this baby out so I can go hit up one of my favorite sushi restaurants in Bangkok with the girls!

Wearing …

All maternity clothes plus a couple pairs of pre-pregnancy sweatpants.  Getting pretty excited to wear ‘normal’ clothes again, though I’m fully aware it will be awhile after baby is born before that actually happens.

Movement …

Lots of it.  My belly looks like it’s doing the wave sometimes when he moves from one side to the other.  Kiwi keeps one little foot about 5 inches above my right hip.  It’s fun to know that most of the time when I put my hand in that spot his little foot will be there.

Excited About …

Meeting this little guy.  I can’t wait to see what his personality is like and what he looks like.  My daughter is a mini, female, replica of my husband and I fully expect my son to look just like them as well.

Highlight …

Spending a day with my husband.  It was so much fun to spend a day just the two of us!  It’s rare we get more than a couple of hours alone so a full day date was really quite special.

Nervous About …

When/if labor will start.  Pretty much the same thing I was nervous about for weeks 36 & 37.

First vs. Second Pregnancy …

Checkout my recap of my 38 and 39 week with Jellybean.

Any pregnancy tidbits you care to share?  I would love to hear them!

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7 months pregnant and the baby is the size of a pineapple!  It is amazing how quickly these little people grow.  It’s exciting to be in the 3rd trimester and final stretch of the pregnancy.  It is crazy how quickly the pregnancy is passing by.  Sometimes I feel as though I’ve been pregnant forever and other days its like I blinked and the 3rd trimester arrived.

As I mentioned in my last pregnancy update I have been horrible about taking baby bump photos this time around.  The only photos I have from this month are of me from the chest up or family photos from the holidays where it’s hard to tell if I’m pregnant or just had too many hamburgers.  I really need to get my act together and take a few more bump photos before this little guy arrives!

Pregnancy Update: 7 months pregnant the 3rd trimester, pregnancy log | Life's Tidbits

Third Trimester: Month 7 in Review

Craving …

Oranges and milk chocolate.  Not together though :)

Feeling …

Generally pretty good!  I am starting to feel big, but I think that’s in part because so many people keep telling me my belly is huge.

Missing …

Sleeping through the night.  Baby boy likes to sit directly on my bladder, which mean frequent trips to the potty regardless the time of day.

Wearing …

Same as last month.  All maternity clothes with the exception of a few pairs of sweatpants and yoga pants.  The sweatshirt no longer comfortably zips over the bump so it’s no longer in the rotation.  I’ve also worn my non-maternity bathing suit for the last time.  It was my post pregnancy swim suit which I have now stretched to the ultimate MAX.

Movement …

Lots and lots.  This little guy, just like his sister, is a mover and a shaker!

Excited About …

Finding a doula.  We only met with two doulas, but I could tell almost instantly with the second woman she was a good match.  I very much appreciated her upbeat personality as well as her perspective on giving birth.  The doula we hired also came very highly recommended by a good friend of mine.

Monthly Highlight …

Jellybean has gotten really into feeling the baby kick.  She shrieks with glee “Mommy the baby kick”, “Mommy, Kiwi is saying ‘hi sister'” and other adorable things.  Sometimes when he’s not moving Jellybean will look at me and take deep breaths in and out.  The baby often moves more when I take deep breaths.  It’s precious to see Jellybean mimicking me in hopes of making Kiwi kick.

Nervous About …

Nothing really at this point.

First vs. Second Pregnancy …

Overall I think my energy and comfort level are much higher with the second pregnancy.  In part I credit being more active this time around as well as having a toddler to chase around and keep entertained!  I always wondered how these moms with baby bumps were toting their toddlers around.  Then I realized we do what we have to do, and if my 3 year old wants me to carry her, I do, because … I love her.  It’s hard not to when I know one day she won’t want me to carry her around anymore.  Got to soak it up while I can!  Check out the recap of the 7th month from my first pregnancy!

Any pregnancy tidbits you care to share?  I would love to hear them!

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Despite my best of intentions I’ve totally failed at taking bump pictures.  I had planned on keeping up my silhouette photos, however I haven’t so the picture below is the best I’ve got.  My sister asked to see the bump one day when I was at the gym so I took a quick pick with my iPhone.  I’m completely unable to explain that weird smirk on my face, but at least I have some kind of documentation of the bump during the 6th month!

6MonthsPregnant_SecondTrimester

Second Trimester: Month 6 in Review

Craving …

fruit {still}, ice cream and peanut butter.  Peanut butter on an English muffin in the morning is probably my favorite thing right now.

Feeling …

Pretty good!  I’m still in the sweet spot of the pregnancy and generally feeling well.  The bump is starting to get to a point of being a ‘substantial’ bump so definitely starting to feel bigger.  I was feeling a bit worn-out and decided to stop my weight training and kickboxing routine.  Instead I’ve been doing a lot more walking as well as starting a prenatal pilates class, which I’m really enjoying.

Missing …

nothing really.

Wearing …

all maternity clothes with the exception of a few pairs of sweatpants, yoga pants and a sweatshirt that oddly still fits.  The sweatshirt’s days are certainly numbered!

Movement …

So many little punches and kicks!  It’s really fun to feel Kiwi move and his movements seem to get stronger by the day.  He loves to party while I’m trying to sleep, which can sometimes makes falling asleep difficult.  I really don’t mind though.  I love feeling him move.

Excited About …

Moving into the 3rd trimester.

Monthly Highlight …

This month the highlight was our trip to Chiang Mai.  We had a friend visiting from the States and decided to take the opportunity to do a little exploring outside of Bangkok.  The mini vacation was a lot of fun.  We managed to cram a lot into the long weekend and even spent a morning hanging with the elephants!  I was a little hesitant to be do the elephants excursion while pregnant, but it was a highlight of the weekend and I’m SO glad we did it.

Nervous About …

Jellybean acclimating to life as a big sister.  We’ve been doing as much as we can to help prepare her for the change, but I know there will be an adjustment period.  That said, Jellybean is already so sweet and loving towards the baby bump.  Every night she kisses and hugs my belly before bed.  I’m not allowed to touch her while she does this … I’m told it’s ‘Kiwi’s hug’ not mine.  Too cute, right?!  She also loves to feel the baby kick and will sometimes tell me ‘Kiwi is saying hi sister’.  My heart melts EVERY TIME!  If you are on the lookout for a good big sister book we are loving Little Big Girl.

First vs. Second Pregnancy …

I don’t have the congestion or snoring that I had with my first pregnancy.  This could be in part because of the different climate, but it seems to be this is just a different pregnancy. Checkout my recap of my 6 month with Jellybean.

Any pregnancy tidbits you care to share?  I would love to hear them!

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Oh pregnancy.  I forgot how you are both glorious and yet terrible all at the same time!  I’m hear to tell you ladies that pregnancy amnesia is the real deal.  There are so many things I forgot happened when one is pregnant … both the physical and emotional changes.  I was reading Jellybean a bedtime story and got all chocked up.  It took everything I had not to turn into a blubbery mess in front of her.

We were fortunate to have a two ultrasounds during the first trimester.  It was beyond exciting to see Kiwi {nickname for baby #2} on the ultrasound machine.  I can’t say for sure what Kiwi was doing in the first scan because the baby kind of looked like a little blob, but Kiwi was very active during the second scan.   And seriously, there is nothing like hearing your baby’s heartbeat for the very first time!  GAH love that little swishing sound!!

Pregnancy tracker, first trimester, baby bump progress, 13 weeks pregnant | Life's Tidbits

**Note: This post was drafted in early September**

First Trimester in Review

Craving …

Fruit and green veggies! Watermelon and strawberries specifically are my favorites.  I admit craving green vegetables is definitely a strange ones.  Asparagus, yum!

Food Aversions …

Meat of any kind.  While it won’t make me sick to eat meat, I really don’t want it at all right now.  I could also do without eggs.  Do eggs count as a meat or just a protein?  Either way, yuck.

Feeling …

Nauseous ALL DAY LONG and headaches are the biggest first trimester culprits. The morning sickness has been pretty bad and unfortunately eating doesn’t fix the problem (with Jellybean I would eat carbs and feel okay for a while at least).  We did so much traveling in August, it was hard to tell what was exhaustion due to pregnancy and what was jet lag.  Either way, recovering from jet lag was a lot more challenging while simultaneously growing a baby.  Shocker.  I know.

Missing …

Wine. There.  I said it.  I missed wine for about the first 4 weeks of my pregnancy and then I decided all alcohol smelled nasty — with a capital N!

Wearing …

All my normal clothes.  Wardrobe go-to’s include: shorts, yoga pants and baggy t-shirts.

Random Tidbit …

The dog absolutely knows I’m pregnant.  Fairly early on – we are talking maybe a week after I found out – we were expecting Sophi started becoming extra clingy.  Though she has always followed me around the house she is now, well, attached to me.  She sits on me or next to me on the couch, always.  If I leave the room she’s never far behind and, dare I be so bold as to try to use the bathroom alone, she looses her mind.  It’s gotten so bad Jellybean has been telling Sophi to get off me because I’m ‘HER mummy’.

Excited About …

The nausea being over. Being done with the first trimester also means we’ve been telling people about our little bundle of joy that’s on the way.  The more people we tell the more exciting and real it feels that we will be a family of 4 in just a few short months.  Also, I’m looking forward to finding out if this little munchkin is a boy or a girl!

Nervous About …

Zika.  When we found out I was pregnant I was a bit concerned about traveling to the States where Zika was more prevalent than it was (or at least as I understood it to be) here in Bangkok.  No sooner had we arrived back in Bangkok did reports start surfacing indicating Zika had made its way here.  I’m trying to stay calm and lather the whole family in bug spray, but generally I feel very paranoid about it.

First vs. Second Pregnancy …

So far the my pregnancy with Jellybean was very different than the current one with Kiwi.  The only real similarity has been I was nauseous with for both pregnancies, though this time around has definitely been rougher.  I often hear each pregnancy is different, but it wasn’t until I experienced it myself did I truly understand it.  A review of my first trimester with Jellybean can be found here.

How does your first trimester compare? What was the best and worst part of your first trimester?

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Becoming a parent is totally life altering.  My pregnancy was spent reading, mentally preparing and buying things all in anticipation for the baby.  After 41 weeks of pregnancy, labor and delivery, my daughter was placed in my arms.  My heart melted and I was completely in love.

I now realize no amount of preparation could have ever prepared me for how much I would (& do) love my child.  There are, of course, the not-so-glamorous parts of motherhood that preparation plays no part in … like getting pooped on!  Believe me parents-to-be, you WILL be popped on.  =)

As we made the adjustment to life with a baby at home, navigating the waters of parenthood and attempting to get as much sleep as possible made the time passed QUICKLY.  Before I knew it the newborn stage was behind us.

Looking back through non-sleep deprived eyes, it’s easy to identify things I should have done (before and) after my baby arrived.

5 Things I should have done after baby arrived | Life's Tidbits

 

1.  Asked for and/or Accepted Help

There is a reason they say ‘it takes a village’.  While we might like to think we are super woman, hear me roar and all that … the truth is you now have a baby and simple things, like finding time to shower, become a little bit more difficult.

Family and friends want to help out after a new baby arrives, but asking for or accepting their help may be difficult.  I found myself not wanting to put people out by asking for help.  What I failed to see was that I wouldn’t be putting them out, and people are very happy to help!

If someone offers to help, ask them to bring over a meal, pick up a cup of your favorite coffee (coffee is an essential food group when sleep is so limited!), hold the baby while your shower, help you tidy up or just come over and keep you company for it little while.  Believe me, you will be glad you did!

2.  Nursed in Public

I know, this is controversial (for some) and people tend to lean one way or the other … there doesn’t seem to be a middle ground from what I’ve seen online.  In any event I was petrified to nurse in public and I’m not entirely sure why.  I’ve seen SO many moms nursing their babes and don’t think twice about it.  If I hadn’t been so petrified to breastfeeding in public then we probably would have gone out more (see #3).

3.  Gone Out More

Most of our trips out of the house were only for short periods of time.  In part this was due to having a winter baby and not wanting her to get sick at such a young age.  The other part was the fear of being in public.  What if she cried, pooped or wanted to eat (see #2).  The unknown variables were overwhelming to me and so we spent much of our time at home.

Little did I know the older and more mobile my daughter got the more difficult going out would be.  In retrospect, going out in public was not as daunting or difficult as I thought.  Though as luck would have it, be aware your baby will absolutely poop right as you are ready to leave … so be prepared – hehehe.

4.  Had Newborn Photos Taken

As I mentioned before despite all the research I did on newborn photographers, I never actually booked anyone prior to Jellybean’s birth.  After delivery newborn photos didn’t seem all that important.  I convinced myself all the pictures I was taking were enough, but the truth is they weren’t.  We have very few photos of the three of us during the newborn stage and had we done newborn photos there would have been plenty of cute shots of Jellybean and our little family of 3 (plus the fur baby makes 4)!

5.  Taken Time for Myself

I really struggled with the idea of being separated from Jellybean for the first several months.  Sometime after the 8 week mark my husband insisted I go get my nails done and spend sometime with a friend.  I somehow managed to tear myself away from Jellybean and headed to the nail salon.  After a little pampering and some girl talk I went home feeling rejuvenated!

So, what do you wish you had done after baby arrived?  Any lesson learns for those who are expecting?

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