How Far Along: 36 weeks.
Weight Gain: As of my appointment last week, I've gained an even 30 pounds. Fingers crossed I can keep it under 35 by the time this little guy gets here!
Cravings/ Aversions: This month I haven't really had an appetite. Most nights I skip dinner because I'm not hungry or I simply don't know what I want to eat. The one thing I have pretty much stuck to this month is Mexican food and pancakes. Weird, right?
Exercise: Ha! What's that?!
Stretch Marks: None so far. I've started applying lotion every few days just for the simple fact that my skin is getting dry due to this NC weather so hopefully that'll keep them at bay.
Maternity Clothes: Just two pairs of maternity jeans. Otherwise, I'm still wearing my low-rise pants, tunic tops, cardigans, long tanks, and swing dresses. The styles these days work great for prego gals!
Wedding Rings On/Off: Still wearing them. I took them off for a few days this month thinking my fingers might start swelling soon but since they didn't, I decided to put them back on and just keep an eye out.
Sleep: I'm definitely starting to feel tired more often. Each day around noon and 4pm, I feel like I can barely keep my eyes open and it's all I can do to fight through it. Yet, when night time rolls around, I'm wide awake and can't wind down.
Movement: This month our little guy started moving more during the day than he ever has before. Not sure if it's simply because he's ran out of room so every movement I feel thanks to being sucker punched in the ribs, lungs, or bladder. We did have a little scare this month when he refused to cooperate at the doctor's office and wouldn't move. I ended up being sent right away to have a stress test done and as soon as I was hooked up to the monitors, he went CRAZY! He was not a fan of being confined to all those bands around my belly.
Gender: Boy.
Symptoms: Major acid reflux. Some days I feel like I'm a fire-spitting dragon; whereas others it makes me cough so much I sound like a smoker. Either way, it's the one symptom I'm looking forward to disappearing once this pregnancy is over. Also this month I've been having contractions pretty much daily. Sometimes I barely feel them whereas others I'm sort of panicking that I've yet to pack my hospital bag because I'm wondering if he's coming early!
Best Moment This Month: Celebrating our little guy with two baby showers. I'll share all about those soon!
Looking Forward To: Meeting our little guy this month! (:
How Far Along: 32 weeks.
Weight Gain: Not quite sure what happened but I actually lost weight over the holidays despite the million and one homemade desserts I ate. When I stepped on the scale over the weekend I had gained right at 20 pounds. Not nearly as much as I had thought I would have gained at this point but definitely not complaining (;
Cravings/ Aversions: I am still loving pizza! I could eat it all day everyday. No shame. As for aversions, I'm finally able to eat steak again; however, I can only handle it in small quantities.
Exercise: The only exercise I've got time for these days is chasing Harper around and running all around the house cleaning and weeding out every space I can find!
Stretch Marks: So far there are none in sight. I still haven't started using cocoa butter but I'm thinking I should probably grab some next time I'm at the store just to be safe.
Maternity Clothes: I finally pulled out my maternity clothes bins but haven't actually started wearing the clothes that are in them. With Boston being located behind my placenta, I'm not nearly as round as I was with Harper which has allowed me to wear leggings and tunics much longer than I had figured possible. At this point, I'm curious if I just might be able to make it the entire time without them...
Wedding Rings On/Off: Still wearing them!
Sleep: I'm still suffering from insomnia. I'm exhausted each night but by the time I get Harper in bed and our things laid out for the next day, I'm wide awake. But on the bright side, it's allowed me time to tackle cleaning and weeding out without Harper trying to mess with everything!
Movement: This little guy is quite the wiggler at night just like his sister. Needless to say, I'm already preparing myself for him to have his days and nights all mixed up when he arrives.
Gender: Boy.
Symptoms: My acid reflux is still hanging around. I've finally figured out that it tends to be worse when I drink sweet tea and Coke. Needless to say, I've had to cut back on those which hasn't been easy but my throat sure thanks me for it.
Best Moment This Month: Finishing up little guy's nursery and having our maternity pictures taken.
Looking Forward To: Our baby shower this month! So excited to see all of the sweet outfits and items that will line his closet and shelves!
How Far Along: 28 weeks. Hello third trimester!
Weight Gain: As of my appointment yesterday, I've gained right at 20 pounds. Looks like the holidays are catching up with me (;
Cravings/ Aversions: I am obsessed with McDonald's pancakes. I could seriously eat them every.single.morning which is totally weird because I am by no means a pancake eater nor do I care for sweets. But hey, what the baby wants the baby gets! As for aversions, I still haven't touched a steak. The thought makes me nauseous.
Exercise: Just chasing after a toddler and trucking laundry up flights of stairs on a daily basis.
Stretch Marks:None so far. I still haven't applied the cocoa butter yet but thanks to this weight gain, it's probably about time.
Maternity Clothes: I'm still in regular clothes. I had plans to purchase maternity clothes during Black Friday but didn't get around to it. Most of my sweaters are tunic style tops so they're working great right now. However, my jeans and pants are getting a little tighter in the belly which means a trip to Motherhood may be in order pretty soon.
Wedding Rings On/Off: On
Sleep: This month the insomnia hit. Come 4pm each day I am exhausted but by the end of the night when I get Harper laid down and fast asleep, I can't seem to wind down. By the time I finally fall asleep its nearing midnight or later. I'd like to say I could sleep in but by 5am, I'm usually bright eyed and bushy tailed.
Movement: Our little guy is finally making his self known in there. He wiggles and squirms more throughout the day than he did initially which makes this mama happy as I know he's doing okay in there.
Gender: Boy!
Symptoms: My acid reflux is back with a vengeance. I pop Tums like they're candy and Zantac 150 is never far from me. But if this reflux is any indication, our little guy should come out with a head of hair like his sister.
Best Moment This Month: Passing my glucose test and ordering Boston's bedding from Restoration Hardware. Thank you Jesus for holiday sales!
Looking Forward To: Getting Boston's nursery in order and planning our baby shower that will take place in January!
How Far Along: 24 weeks.
Weight Gain: As of my last doctor's appointment which took place last week, I had gained a total of ten pounds. I nearly had a heart attack when I found out I had gained five pounds in just one month. But in looking back at my pregnancy with Harper, I guess I should be relieved it wasn't more! haha
Cravings/ Aversions: I'm still loving pizza and sweet tea. New this month was chicken nachos from a local Mexican place. It appears that Boston is going to be like his big sister and prefer salty things over sweet. As for the aversions, I still have no desire to eat steak. The thought of it makes me want to gag.
Exercise: Just continuing to chase my rambunctious toddler around. That seems to be all the exercise I need and have time for these days... unless you count carrying loads and loads of laundry up and down the stairs as weight training?
Stretch Marks: So far so good on that front but I'd definitely say it's time to start applying the cocoa butter beginning this month.
Maternity Clothes: I'm still in regular clothes for now. I've been living in dresses, tunics, Piko shirts, leggings, and stretchy pants. However I do have maternity pants on the top of my Black Friday shopping list. My normal pants are starting to get a little tight around the waistline and I'm not brave enough for the rubber band trick.
Wedding Rings On/Off: On
Sleep: No changes here. I'm still sleeping like a baby. As soon as my head hits the pillow, I am out like a light.
Movement: Our little guy is finally moving around a bit more these days. He still keeps his movement to evening times. I'm guessing since I walk around all day, he's constantly being swayed to sleep. However, come 6pm-11pm, I feel him constantly.
Gender: Boy!
Symptoms: I tend to be more tired than usual but it's hard to tell if it's from the pregnancy, chasing Harper around, or dealing with my crazy class of kiddos around the holidays. Either way, I find myself needing a nap each day shortly after noon.
Best Moment This Month: Kevin finally got to feel our little guy move! The grin on his face made the wait worth it. Also, we started buying things for the nursery which is always one of my favorite things to do when it comes to babies!
Looking Forward To: Starting work on Boston's nursery this month. My guess is by Christmas I'll have it complete. I'm just that antsy to get started :P
How Far Along: 21 weeks.
Weight Gain: At this point I've gained about five pounds. Yes, just five pounds. Needless to say, my doctor had some words to share with me at my last visit. Yet, I reminded my doctor that I tend to wait until the end to gain all of my weight so I'm hoping I can hold off gaining excessive weight until at least next month! Because have no fear, I'll have gained 40+ pounds by the end.
Cravings/ Aversions: I have been craving some sweet tea and pizza! I could seriously eat pizza every.single.day. It's a good thing the husband has spent most of his nights working this month which means he could venture out and expand his dinner menu. However, Harper has been happy to oblige so it works for us girls (: As for aversions, the only thing I can't do is steak. I tried eating just a taste of Kevin's steak recently at dinner and with just one bite I had lost my appetite.
Exercise: What's that? haha I've come to the conclusion that working out isn't going to happen this pregnancy. But I have been wearing my fitbit each day and have been meeting my daily goals so for that I'm thankful and we'll chalk it up to a win-win.
Stretch Marks: Not yet. Let's hope it'll stay that way friends.
Maternity Clothes: I'm still wearing regular clothes but I did manage to break out a few pairs of maternity jeans. I've worn them a time or two but my belly hasn't quite gotten big enough yet to hold them up so on the few occasions I've worn maternity jeans, I've spent most of the time pulling them up over and over which can be rather annoying.
Wedding Rings On/Off: On
Sleep: I'm still sleeping like a baby. As soon as my head hits the pillow, I am out like a light. One thing has changed since last month and that's that I'm no longer waking up in the middle of the night to go potty. Our little guy apparently decided he no longer liked laying on my bladder. Thank you Jesus!
Movement: Our little guy definitely doesn't move around as much as his big sister did which often leaves me worried. However, each night he reminds me he's still hanging in there. It seems he's going to have his nights and days mixed up! Fingers crossed that we can get that changed before he decides to enter the real world.
Gender: Boy!
Symptoms: At this point, the only real symptom I've got going on is my growing belly! Nausea has disappeared; I've finally gotten some energy back; and I'm not running to the bathroom every ten minutes. You have no idea how excited these three little things make me!
Best Moment This Month: We got to see our little man this month when we went in for our anatomy scan. From the looks of everything, he's perfectly healthy. At 19 weeks he was weighing in at just around 9 oz. and was about the size of a small cantaloupe. He's apparently going to be just like his big sister and refused to show us his face but we managed to get a quick sneak peek before he could cross his arms over his face. From that little glimpse, it appears he's going to also look like his big sister. Those Holt genes sure are strong.
Looking Forward To: Kevin getting to feel our little guy wiggle around in there and working on Boston's nursery!
For the last few weeks, I've been contemplating how often to do pregnancy updates, or bumpdates if you will, for our little guy. With Harper, I did them weekly and it just became so monotonous. When I look back at them I feel like I said the same things from week to week. With that said, I knew this go round I had no intention of doing them weekly. Yet, I felt it would be unfair to our little guy if I didn't record this pregnancy in some way. So after stumbling across Elizabeth's blog, she inspired me to share monthly updates which I think is just perfect. So since today marks 16 weeks with our little guy, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to give you a little insight into what's been going on in this pregnancy almost four months in.
How Far Along: 16 weeks.
Weight Gain: At my last appointment, two weeks ago, I had finally gained 2 pounds this pregnancy. My doctor was rather pleased. I just didn't have the heart to tell her it wasn't due in fact to my pregnancy. It was due to the fact that I returned to work and was back to eating three meals and a snack each day. But hey, whatever keeps her happy (; I know come my next appointment, I won't be as fortunate and I'll be looking at almost double digits in the weight gain department.
Cravings/ Aversions: This pregnancy has been very different from my first in that I don't really crave anything. However, I never have much of an appetite which means when it comes time to eat I never know what I want. There have been many occasions that we've gone to dinner and I have ordered something only to bite into it and realize I did not want it at all. Which means lots of dinners have been wasted.
Exercise: I had big plans to return to the gym once I got back into my work routine but so far that hasn't happened yet. Other than walking around my classroom all day and chasing a toddler at home, that's as far as the exercising is going. Better luck next month...
Stretch Marks: None so far. Hoping I can keep it that way.
Maternity Clothes: Not yet. I'm still in my regular clothes and unless something surprises me, I should be able to stay in them for another few months.
Wedding Rings On/Off: On
Sleep: Oh geez. This mama is exhausted nearly all the time. Come 7pm each night, you can best believe my body is winding down and my eyelids are getting heavy. That said, as soon as my head hits the pillow I am out like a light. Yet sometime around 3-4am I am up and making a run to the potty. After that, there's no sleep for this girl. Or at least, no peaceful sleep. It seems once I get up to pee and lay back down, my mind goes on full alert and my dreams are non-stop that I feel like I never actually go back to sleep. And can I just add... these dreams are so weird!
Movement: Over the last week or so I've been able to feel our little guy move around when I'm laying in bed. It's amazing how much sooner you recognize those precious little movements so much earlier in your second pregnancy.
Gender: Boy!
Symptoms: Mostly exhaustion. Yet, sometimes its hard to know whether it's from pregnancy or just trying to get back into the groove of returning to teaching and chasing a toddler around. And occasionally I have some abdominal pain. It worried me quite a bit in the early stages of my pregnancy but now I have less anxiety about it as I'm sure most of it is due in part to all the stretching taking place in there.
Best Moment This Month: Finding out and revealing Baby Holt #2's gender! We are so excited to be adding a boy to our little family. Boston Grey Holt is going to be one loved little man.
Looking Forward To: Our anatomy scan in a few weeks. I can't wait to get a glimpse of our little guy since the first (and last) time we saw him he was nothing but a little blob. I'm also looking forward to Kevin being able to feel our little guy wiggle around in there.
