Pregnant State of Address

This week is the end of my second trimester of pregnancy. For realz. Next Tuesday, I'll be 7 months pregnant with only 12 weeks to go until we meet our baby boy. (It's also 12 weeks until wintertime and the craziness of the holidays which I'm trying to simultaneously plan for and shove out of my mind for a little bit longer).

To say this pregnancy has gone quickly is an understatement. I learned I was pregnant with Baby #2 at 5 weeks so you'd think time would be dragging along but it's been quite the opposite, actually. ZOOM goes the Year 2013!

I shouldn't be surprised because nearly everything about this pregnancy has been different for me. With Tory, I felt like I was pregnant forever. I thought of nothing else but the growing baby inside me. And of course, this time I've got so many other things to focus on; namely, an active toddler. The small day-to-day pregnancy changes my body is experiencing aren't as big of a deal this time around. I'm expecting things to happen - my clothes to fit differently, growing pains, emotional changes - and referring to my old baby blog posts to give me insight into the coming weeks of maternity.

Other ways pregnancy #2 has been different for me -- mild wafts of nausea throughout this journey, especially when I'm riding in a car or pushing it too hard with activity; less frequent baby movements, due to a more chill baby, my anterior placenta, or both. At this point in my pregnancy with Tory, I felt like she was beating her way out of me and Baby Aden is generally much calmer with flutter-like movements. I'm hoping this means he's a calmer baby outside the womb, too, but Andi's not convinced we're capable of producing such a child. I'm carrying this baby differently than my first pregnancy. Most of my favorite demi-panel maternity pants from last time cut awkwardly across my belly now.

One second trimester pregnancy symptom similar to last time is leg soreness and the beginning signs of feet swelling. I started wearing some tres attractive compression socks this week and they're already helping my legs feel better. With the second pregnancy, it's so much easier to adapt to symptoms and body changes. Overall, I'm in less shock about what's happening and more preemptive in doing something about it.

Compression socks - a pregnant lady's best friend

One of the biggest differences with Baby #2 is my sense of calmness. During my entire sixth month of pregnancy with Tory, I was an emotional mess. I cried about everything. I felt horrible about the way I looked and was sure Andi would stop loving me. I worried about child care, how I'd breastfeed, not getting enough sleep and the physical act of giving birth. I worried about setting up the nursery and I worried about ... well, everything. I worried, I worried, I worried. This time, I know we'll be just fine. If if I come up against a road block, we'll figure it out.

Last weekend at the lake as we cruising around on the pontoon boat, Andi turned to me and said, "Adding a second kid to the mix is really going to turn our life upside down, isn't it?" "Nah," I told him, "everything will be fine." I can't describe why I feel so calm about this life change before us, but honestly I'm not worried about life with two kids. I know there will be a transitional time. I know there will tears and a few hard moments, but I also know we'll get through it. We'll adapt and find our new normal. If anything, I'm anxious and excited about what's to come.

I'm feeling confident about my preparedness for Aden's arrival. My goal is to finish the musical rooms project by the end of September and so far, I'm on track for completion. Everything is ordered and once it arrives, I'll move the play room downstairs, then work on Aden's room, then finally move Tory into a big girl bed. By mid-October, I'd like to have all my Christmas present purchased. Andi and I are signed up for a refresher infant CPR/first aid class this month and scheduled for a labor and delivery tour at a potential hospital.

More than anything, I think being a stay-at-home-mom has really helped me stay calm and prepare for the arrival of Baby #2. This is what I do -- I'm a mom. I'm ready to enjoy these last few weeks of pregnancy with the reward of meeting my baby boy at the end of this journey.