Second trimester recap - baby #2

I'm almost 29 weeks now, so we've hit the third trimester! This pregnancy seems to have gone on forever and yet fast at the same time. I've said this before, but it is SO different the second time around. I hardly have time to think about sweet baby #2 and yet he just keeps on growing while I try to keep up with his big brother.

Let's see... the first few weeks of the 2nd trimester I felt pretty good, apart from falling down our stairs (while holding Judah!) and spraining my ankle. Fortunately Judah and the baby were just fine, though it scared me half to death... and I had to wear an ankle boot for a couple weeks. Christmas time was magical and lots of fun with Judah. The beginning of the new year is kind of all a blur in my mind... it was freezing and we were stuck inside a lot. Then February came around and the plumbing in our house went kaput, so that was another blur of a couple weeks with plumbers and yucky machines being dragged through our house into the basement, and then having the entire backyard dug up to fix it. Somewhere during that disaster, before we knew it, I was 20 weeks pregnant and we had the highlight of the anatomy ultrasound and finding out that baby #2 is a boy! Fortunately all the plumbing nonsense was fixed just in time for Judah's 2nd birthday and we got to have a fun weekend with Aunty Laura visiting :)

By the end of February we were house-hunting full swing and I was starting to feel uncomfortable at 23 weeks. I got so much bigger so much faster with this baby. I blame winter for making it impossible to get out and exercise... (I know, I know, there's plenty I could do inside). Also, food is yummy. And I've been worried about doing too much because of all the pre-term labor stuff  I had with Judah. Around 26 weeks I started having more contractions, which is the same time it started with Judah. So we're just trying to be careful at the moment. Back when I had the 20 week ultrasound, we also had a consult with the perinatologist (pre-term labor specialist) and everything looked good back then. She warned me to not lift anything heavy, including 30-lb Judah (which is impossible not to do sometimes), and told me that I have an "irritable uterus"... haha.

By mid-March we found a house, and we will be closing on it on April 11th! Which is this Friday. And we're moving this weekend. I seem to have a history of moving while heavily pregnant... we moved 3 weeks before Judah was born! Obviously, I won't be able to help much with the moving part but I'm trying to get boxes packed up. It's amazing how everything takes twice the effort with a baby belly in the way. Even just rolling over in bed.  I remember it being the same way with Judah, but it seems to have happened much sooner with this baby. I find it hard to imagine that I still have up to 11 weeks to get bigger and more uncomfortable. This kid is already up in my ribs, and takes joy in kicking me in the lungs and ramming his head down the other way. Ouch.

We didn't have a name for Judah picked out until later in his pregnancy (well, we had two and then chose one when he was born)... this sweet baby will be lucky to have a name when he is born. Thomas is so busy with work and grad school, and then add on all the house hunting and buying process (oh and a 2 year old)... well, the poor baby hasn't gotten much of our attention. Hopefully once we settle into our new house and Thomas finishes his semester, we will have more time to "nest" and talk about this sweet little boy who will soon be here.

So... this 2nd trimester update ended up being more of a life update... but that's kind of how this pregnancy has gone! It's just been a tag-a-long to this crazy life. This baby is sure making himself known recently, though. He is so active, I think more so than Judah was. Judah LOVES to watch baby brother bounce around in my belly... he gets so excited when he sees the baby move, and I love feeling him move around inside me. And it's pretty hard to forget I'm pregnant now that every movement takes extra effort! I have some SPD (symphysis pubic dysfunction... quite common during pregnancy) which basically means lots of hip/pelvic pain... so even just walking is sometimes quite painful. Poor Judah is always saying "come on, Mama!"... I don't move fast enough for him, haha. I will start going to a chiropractor soon, I did that during my third trimester with Judah and it helped so much. I'm also convinced that it helped my labor go so quickly and smoothly - my weekly chiropractor appointment kept my body aligned... hips, pelvis... all very important during childbirth.

Little baby boy, we are so excited to meet you and welcome you into our [crazy] life. Your big brother asks every day "baby come out now?"... he can't wait to hold you. I'm sure it will be an adjustment, but we will welcome it all with open hearts. Stay inside until you're full term, though, ok? :)