Weeks 5 - 11

So now that our big news is OUT, I thought I'd publish this post I've been working on the past several weeks--ehh, almost 2 months! haha!  Yeah, I've been document this kid's cookin' already because a few things that I regret not doing when I was preggo with Patrick was:

1. blogging

2. keeping weekly updates (which would be oh-so-handy right now to look back and seeing how I was feeling/looking!)

3. weekly belly pics

So as soon as I found out that #2 was on his/her way (okay, that's a lie, about a week after we found out!) I got right on documenting the bump (as my lovely friend Tiff calls it from when she was preggo with her main man Huck)...which, side note, Mike is calling "Cletus the Fetus" again this go'round (same thing he called Patrick...cause he's convinced it's a boy again!).  And since we were being hush-hush about it (besides close friends and family), I didn't do these posts below as weekly posts...but now that we're "out" I figured I'd post these first several weeks all as one, and then do weekly (or try to! haha) posts from here on out.  Honestly, if no one reads them I don't care--I just want something to look back on for #2's pregnancy, and if/when #3 (or more!) comes along I'm able to compare and contrast with actual text evidence between the two!  And since we don't find out the gender, I always love to play the speculation game and see what things are like this go'round as opposed to last time!  Anyways, here's my last several weeks of posts, combined in this one handy dandy post.  Enjoy.

August 7th, 2014

We broke the news to our family earlier this week--we figured we'd go ahead and tell them right away this time because 1. my sister-in-law Erin's wedding is fast approaching and I didn't want to impede on her wedding excitement 2. everyone (uh-hm, MOM) has been speculating anyways, so we figured we'd just tell them 3. in case I start feeling horrible (which would be way different from Patrick's pregnancy) we need family to know that I'm not dying, just growing a human.  So we went by each of our parent's houses (and some of our siblings, other siblings we elected to call cause they were at work/too far away) and Patrick was wearing a t-shirt similar to this:

They all flipped.  It was great.  Total excitement and happiness--I wish I'd have had recorded it!  Anyways, they're all super excited for us (as are we!) and Patrick has no idea what's coming.  Yes, we've told him, but shoot, he's 15 months old.  He doesn't get it...and probably won't until he sees him or her.  Stay tuned for that.

I've been feeling pretty good--kind of tired (but heck, I'm ALWAYS tired!) but I have started back at work so that may have something to do with it too.  The reality that in April we're going to have 2 kiddos under 2 is just starting to sink in...I'm sure once we have our first ultrasound (in a couple weeks!) it'll hit us even harder.

August 14th, 2014

HOLY MORNING SICKNESS.  Remember how I said last week I wasn't feeling bad, just tired?!!  Um, OMG.  That has definitely changed.  I feel so so so sick allllllll day long (so yeah, not just "morning" sickness!).  It's been challenging cause I'm back at school full time, and no one at school knows yet, so I've had to hide how I've really been feeling.  But boyyyyy, it's been rough.  A few times I've literally had to sit down on the cold bathroom floor and try and breathe and suppress the urge to puke.  I have not actually puked...yet...but boy, the feeling is sure there.  I kinda wish I would already because maybe it would give me some reprieve.  Chugging water has helped (and then I have to pee ALL THE TIME then! haha), so I try and drink drink drink as much as possible.  This is so new to me because I never felt like this with Patrick at all, but boy, it's hit me like a wrecking ball with #2 (yeah, yeah, maybe that means a girl?!!  We'll find out in 33 weeks people! haha).

Looking at last week's and this week's pics, I'd definitely say I've popped out a bit!  It's funny cause this kid is like the size of a small seed, but dang, I know I have definitely started to poke out.  They say you show earlier with your second+ kid(s), so I'm sure I really am starting to show already.  Probably won't be able to hide it till 12+ weeks at work like I was hoping!  Oh well, guess I'll have to get on telling them sooner than later then, huh?!!  I'm sure they'll be excited...eekkk! I hope they will be!

August 21st, 2014

AHHHHH!  So so so excited: tomorrow is our first doctor's appointment and ultrasound!  Judging by the way I've been feeling the past couple weeks, I know there's gotta be something in there growing, but boy, it's reassuring to see/hear that little one's heartbeat on the ultrasound.  Needless to say we're excited is an understatement!  So that's been really helping how I'm feeling: NOT.  Nausea + anticipation and excitement = Alex feeling like crap.  Still chugging away like crazy on the water!

We've told a few more close friends and family members...once we (hopefully!) have a good report at the doc tomorrow, we'll tell a few more!  I'll probably end up telling my work next week, just because I feel like I'm starting to show already and to give them a nice heads up that come April I'll be gone!  We'll probably share our news on Facebook sometime in late September or early October...definitely after my sister-in-law's wedding and closer to the 12 week or end of the first trimester mark.  So we'll see on that.

August 28th, 2014

We went to my amazing doc last Friday and got to see our little squid on the ultrasound!  He/she looked great (per the ultrasound tech), and had a nice strong heartbeat at 109 bpm.  Once we saw that little flutter of a heartbeat, it just became very real that this kid was on his/her way and that all of the sickness and misery I'd been feeling is for a little teeny tiny human growing deep in my belly!  I go back to the doc at 11 weeks for my next appointment, so that'll be exciting to hear the little one's heartbeat again on the doppler.

We ended up telling a bunch more of our friends and family, now that we know that this isn't a phantom pregnancy, but the real deal!  They're all super excited for us (which makes us happy :), and we're happy we can share the news with them.  I also told my work earlier this week and OMG, talk about happy and supportive!  So amazing, and such a nice feeling!  I absolutely love my job and the people I work with, so having them genuinely excited and happy for us with our big news is such a blessing and a relief!  Ahhhh, I feel so much better that they know and are praying for the development and growth of our little lady or fella!

I've still been feeling like crap.  Super tired (I do remember that from when I was pregnant with Patrick!) but nauseous ALL.THE.TIME.  I KNOW I did not feel like this with Patrick, besides being tired, I felt awesome all the time with him.  Total opposite now (cue "maybe it's a girl!" response...I get this ALL THE TIME when I tell people! haha!).  Don't get me wrong, I'm very thankful that I am pregnant, even though I feel like crap (so I'll happily feel like this if it means a sweet little baby after 9+ months), but I'm still documenting that I feel this way.  My doc gave me a daily over the counter regime last week that I think has been helping, and then some (what I've deemed) "emergency" nausea magic pills that I take when it's really bad (or getting really bad).  These have helped, but some days, like today, I feel like nothing but chugging water qualms the "I'm gonna puke" feeling in the back of my throat.  I still haven't actually thrown up (which might be worse: no reprieve from the nausea!) but boy, I feel like doing it all the time.  I'm sure I'm just a bag of fun to be around.  Sorry Mike.

I totally caved and ordered some new maternity clothes too--I thought I could hold out a few more weeks without having to break them out, but I don't think I'll be able to.  I have tons of baggy tops (cause that's how I roll anyways), but pants--eeek.  A different story.  For whatever reason, anything but a maxi dress does NOT feel good on my tummy, so I decided to get some (and start wearing ASAP) maternity capris and shorts to sport the rest of this warm summer and fall.  Don't judge.  At least I'll be comfortable, even though my baby is the size of a raspberry.

September 4th, 2014

Yeah, not much has changed in the constant nausea-feeling department since last week.  I think I've learned to just tolerate it, and actually even appreciate that a little tiny olive-size baby is growing in my tummy and sending me daily want-to-puke reminders that he/she is in there!  My "What to Expect" app reminded me today that my fatigue levels and nausea are probably starting to peak--so I should hopefully be feeling better in the next few weeks...let's hope so!  On that fatigue note, I remember when I was pregnant with Patrick feeling this overwhelming, all-encompassing, I-could-fall-asleep-standing-up tired feeling ALL THE TIME.  While yes, I'm definitely noticeably more tired than I was this summer, I definitely don't think I'm the same kind of tired I was my last go'round.  They say each pregnancy is different, and oh boy, are they right!

Mike and I have been concocting ideas for our #2 announcement.  We've both got some good ones (and of course, I've seen like a thousand I love and would like to replicate!) so hopefully in the next couple weeks we'll hammer down the one(s) we want to do to share with our friends and family.  I'm sure we'll do more than one, considering I've seen so many I'd love to replicate, and maybe in the coming weeks I'll whip up a blog post (as I type this I realize you'll probably have seen said blog post before you even see this one! haha) with our favorite announcements.  Another excuse to take family pictures, right?!!

I'm currently praying the new maternity clothes (pants especially) get here SOON.  My current pants situation is less than comfortable, and I'd love for a nice big stretchy waistband right about now to slide into rather than these button up capris.  USPS guy: hurry up.  Mama needs her new clothes! 

September 11th, 2014

First off, huge success: my new maternity capris came in the mail over the weekend and OMG.  They're amazing.  I've worn them ALL WEEK LONG (and actually washed them after each use.  OCD, I know) and actually am really hoping the other 2 pairs I've ordered are at home when I get home.  There is NO WAY I'm squeezing back into regular pants for another (at least) 30+ weeks, so I will only be sporting anything with an elastic waistband, because, dang, my stomach is already growing.  I know I've said this before, but wow, you sure do show way earlier with your second kid!  I don't think I was think big until like 15 or 16 weeks last time!

One thing that I shockingly haven't done, despite my growing belly, is actually gain any weight these first 6 weeks since I found out.  I.AM.SHOCKED.  Seriously.  But I guess it makes sense; I am eating, but definitely not pigging out like I recall from doing day 1 of my last pregnancy, and the morning sickness and nausea, still ever present, has been going on all day everyday (some are better than others), so that's not driving my desire to chow down either.  Plus, I'm at a new school, my office is on the third floor, and all morning I spend going up and down 3 HUGE flights of stairs to get to other teacher's rooms and back to my office.  So maybe that's helped me stay at my current weight?!!  Who knows.  And even if I'd have already gained 15 pounds, that wouldn't bother me either.  I'm a firm believer that your body gains EXACTLY what it needs to to keep the baby cookin' and growin', so whatever I do gain it a'okay with me.

On the morning sickness front, I totally ate my words: a friend asked me last weekend how I'd been feeling and I told her, "Actually, a lot better.  Not as nauseous all the time all day like I was."  I literally woke up the next morning and felt awfullllll...and the next several days after that.  I actually went home early from school one day this week because I felt so awful.  Today hasn't been great either...I keep chugging water and trying to ignore the gurgling churning my stomach and throat seem to be going through.  And, side note, everyoneeeee I talk to tells me to either do this or try that or eat this...or tell me because I'm sick I'm having a girl...and it's hilarious.  Buzzfeed came out with this a few days ago and I died laughing...SPOT ON.

Ohhhh!  And, even though I'm writing this on September 11th but when you read it it'll be way past this date and you'll probably have already seen this...but whatever, anyways, we came up with (well, Mike did!) our photo announcement we're going to post on Facebook in a couple weeks (see below).  I love it.  So creative.  

Although I'm sure I'll whip up a few more "Big Brother"-esque pics too for a blog post as well, cause I just love baby announcements, and can't just have one!

September 18th, 2014

I am officially showing.  Like whoa.  I swear I wasn't this big last time around until week 20.  Wearing full-blown maternity clothes ALL THE TIME NOW (which are way comfier and are way more flattering to the little (or big) bump figure than regular clothes, that just make you look fat). In case the above pic wasn't evidence enough for you, check this one out:

HUGE for almost 11 weeks pregnant, right?!!  Right. Sheesh.  By the time this kid comes I'm sure I'll give Shamu a run for her money.

Anyways, as week 11 is upon me now I'm actually starting to feel better!  I know as soon as I type these works I'm gonna jinx myself, but in all honesty, the past several days I've actually felt better than I have the past couple months!  Yahooooo!  Hopefully I'm at the tail end of this morning sickness (or all day sickness) run and I can just focus on eating eating eating (what I do best, and what I've been seriously missing).

I do remember from when I was pregnant with Patrick that I was SO.DARN.TIRED. until like week 17.  Like going to bed at 6pm tired.  Although I am definitely tired this go'round, I have not felt that overwhelming tiredness like I did with #1.  Maybe that's because I know I can't feel that tired and just go to bed at 6pm (thank you 6 weeks of Mike working nights or wayyyyy late past Patrick's bedtime) because I have a toddler to chase around, but I definitely have liked that I seem to have a wittle more energy than I did the last time around.  (Unrelated, or maybe completely related, I did start taking Juice Plus again late this summer, so maybe that's helping my energy levels too?!!  Who knows.)

I did snap some more announcement/big brother pics this past weekend too...which, by this point you've probably already seen the original post with these there.  Whatevs.  I'll share them again here anyways because they're adorable.

probably the "real" version of what's gonna happen when we bring #2 home.

So that's really about all that's a'happenin' for week 11.  My sister in law Erin's wedding is on Saturday (eeekkkk!! so exciting!) and I can.not.wait.  I'm sure I will have a blog post detailing all about it at the end of the weekend...because I'm totes bringing my big canon to capture some wedding pics too that I can share with Erin and Curtis immediately so they don't have to wait for their hired photographers pics to get back (which always feels like an eternity).