November 2014 was when our lives first changed. Two little lines.
July 2015 those two little lines were welcomed into the world - our Henry Wallace.
November 2015 two more little lines showed up.
And in July 2016 we will welcome our Tater Baby 2.0
Yep. Two kids. One year. I think I know what exhausted means, but I'm 99% sure I don't have a clue!
Here's how this pregnancy is similar to my pregnancy with Henry and how it's different...and all the fun stuff!
1. Incontinence.
Y'all I have never in my life experienced it this bad. When I was pregnant with Henry, I would have a bout here and there (with a BIG sneeze or a forceful cough), but this pregnancy is different. I feel like I could keep Depends or Always in business with how much of their product I buy! And I know the factors that cause it...having a baby 8 months ago and being knocked up again. And the weight of 2.0 pressing on EVERYTHING!
2. Sciatic pain.
I had this while pregnant with Henry, but it was not nearly as debilitating as it is now. Some days I can move with ease and pain free and some days I need a forklift and prayer to move this butt. I've tried all the "tricks" you read about, but they don't work for me. The only thing that slightly helps is our neighborhood walk everyday. I feel like it keeps most of the pain away (or at least makes it bearable) to where I can function like a normal human being.
3. Exhaustion.
When I was pregnant with Henry, I could come home from work, tell Tay I was tired and rest on the couch while Pizza Hut delivered our dinner. Not anymore. Well, I mean, Pizza Hut can deliver, but my relaxing time on the couch is severely limited to when Henry is napping or is already in his crib for bedtime.And normally when that happens, dishes have to be washed, picures have to be edited, or I want to spend a few mintues with the hubs before I pass out and drool all over his arm.
4. Insomnia.
NEVER IN MY LIFE. I am tired. I go to bed. Henry stirs in his crib. I check the monitor, and stay up for 3 HOURS not being able to go back to sleep. I get up. And do house chores. The never ending laundry, the bottles, the dishes...and then I start to feel tired again and go lay down. And then Henry wakes up for real and my moment to sleep has passed. And technically, you can take certain sleep aides while pregnant, but with an 8 month old, I don't trust myself. I'm afraid I would sleep for 14 hours and not hear him cry :( So I relish my 2 caffeine drinks I get a day.
5. "Morning" sickness.
Let's be honest.. if you've actually experienced this, you know it can occur at any time of day and it doesn't always subside after the first trimester. With Henry, I was only sick for the first few weeks and then the last few weeks..and delivery day. You can read more about that HERE
With this pregnancy, I was sick from about week 6 till about week 15. And it wasn't only in the morning. But I am over that now, thank the Lord, and pray that the sickness doesn't rear its ugly head again in the 3rd trimester, we shall see.
6. Leaky boobs! I never leaked during my first pregnancy. Ever. People would ask me, "Have you started leaking yet?" First of all, what an odd question to ask someone you barely know, and secondly, me and my boobs are NONE of your business random stranger! But to answer that strangers question, "No. I have not started leaking yet. Not all women do, but thank you for your concern over my breasts." This time around...I am leaky city. You're welcome. If Henry cries or stirs or falls or does anything that babies do, my body responds. It feels the same as when I was breastfeeding Henry: baby cries + hormones = milk. Typically, the leaking doesn't occur this early in pregnancy (24 weeks), but it is considered normal. I am hoping/wishing/praying that this is somewhat indicative of how my milk supply will be when 2.0 comes and I won't have to struggle and take supplements to feed him or her like I did with Henry. Prayers y'all! Breastfeeding him for 3 months was amazing, and I'm hoping for a longer breastfeeding relationship with our 2.0.
7. HUGE feet.
Lord have mercy. Pre-pregnancy my shoe size was a 10. Now, I am limited to sandals and flip flops because none of my shoes fit. And it's not swelling, they are genuinely larger...we shall see if these flippers return to normal size when we take a break from being pregnant or if I will have to replace ALL OF MY SHOES...first world problems, y'all.
As always, this is just my experience. I aim to keep things real and honest. And trust me, I could go into many more symptoms, but I think a little bit of privacy is necessary. Now, once you experience these things and want to chat or know what I do to solve/ease these problems, then let's talk!
Some good things about this pregnancy that are different...
So far, my blood pressure has been normal, like running in the 110/70 family. Y'all, that's incredibly low for me, but I am NOT complaining. I am happy. Maybe it's the two miles Henry, Norman and I walk everyday, maybe its a second pregnancy thing. I don't know, but I am not going to question it!
At this point in my pregnancy with Henry, I had several high BP readings and had to do the 24 hour urine test...Boo. So far this time, nothing like that, hooray!
Braxton Hicks contractions started a bit early this time around and are a smidge more noticeable/painful than I remember. But I relish them because it means that my body is preparing to delivery a baby...in 16(ish) weeks. Baby is moving and doing somersaults and cartwheels ALL DAY. I love to just have a quite moment with my hands on my belly feeling that sweet baby boy or girl move around. I think the best moments are when I'm feeding Henry and he'll squirm or kick my belly and little 2.0 will kick back in response...ah, the future; foreshadowing perhaps?
Weight gain. Let's go there. Want to get real honest real quick? My average normal weight is between 165-175. That's my healthy range. If I get much thinner than that, I look sick, honestly. And I'm typically happy in my size 8's or 10 for a fat day. On delivery day with Henry I weighed 208 pounds and was down to 175 4 weeks later...breastfeeding helped me get rid of the weight, just another reason to give it a shot! Right now at 24 weeks want to take a wild guess at my weight? 200 pounds! I'm only 8 pounds shy of what I was at 41 weeks with Henry. Lord help me I will honestly be an absolute WHALE in 16 more weeks!
So far, I have NO swelling and it's fantastic! I'm still wearing my wedding rings and some days I even have some wiggle room with them; small wins.
If you need me, I'll be avoiding sugar and cheeseburgers and all things that I love/crave for the duration of this pregnancy and will be crying in the corner :(
And of course, the obligatory (Holy Moses I'm fat) picture.
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