halfway to baby!

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yesterday i hit twenty weeks of pregnancy, which means we are officially halfway to baby! that’s so crazy to me – it still doesn’t feel real that there is actually a tiny human – that is half ian and half charity! – inside of me. i have been feeling the baby move every day now though, which is so so cool. although pregnancy is not always super fun, i am really relishing this miraculous experience and am feeling a bit sad that it’s already half way over.

i thought the midway point was a good time to update the blog with some more bits and bobs about our pregnancy experience. this morning i attempted to take a mirror selfie of my baby bump to accompany this post, and i realized my single selfie skillz are pretty dismal :) we’ll get some good photos of the bump before the week is over so we can look back on the journey. i feel it is important and worthwhile to document this truly awesome adventure of growing a human … so here goes!

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my energy levels have gone up the past few weeks, but there are still some mornings and afternoons when i feel practically paralyzed by exhaustion – it hits me like a ton of bricks! i am feeling continually so grateful for the flexibility in my schedule that makes this pretty easy to remedy. and when i do lay down to rest, i can usually feel the baby wiggling inside! i am so excited for the boy to feel the movement some day soon-ish.

i have less food aversions in the past few weeks as well (but i still don’t want sweets, which is incredible and pretty wonderful!), and i’m finally starting to gain weight and look a little pregnant. it’s pretty scary to not really know how my body is going to change shape over the next twenty weeks, but mostly i am just totally amazed at the work my body is doing.

i get on random “craving binges” where i reeeeaaallly enjoy eating quite a few peanut butter filled pretzels or cheese and pickle sandwiches or glasses of tropical fruit juice – but these only last a couple of days and then i move on to something else!

to prepare for labour and delivery, i am: gathering advice and stories, reading books, doing kegels, interviewing doulas, drinking raspberry leaf tea, exercising (a mix of cardio, weight lifting and yoga), stocking up on fruits and vegetables, and hoping that the baby will decide to come during the daytime hours so we can labour and deliver in the hospital’s birthing centre (which is closed during nightime hours). 

there have been a couple of times when my skin is just suuuuper sensitive to touch. a simple hug or snuggle from the boy is a crazy sensory experience – way more than usual. it’s so random!

we get to see our baby on an ultrasound scan on thursday and we can’t wait! we’ll be finding out if it’s a boy or a girl on saturday morning along with some friends that we invited to come help us bust open a pinata filled with either blue or pink candy. i’m anticipating this bit of knowledge will make everything seem more real, kind of transforming the thing inside me from a creature that looks a little alien-ish to an actual real person! so excited.

i’m just entering the wide world of maternity clothes, trying to figure out how much i want to invest and what i really want to buy for the weeks ahead. it’s kind of daunting. it is also becoming more urgent for us to figure out how we are going to eventually get a stroller up our two flights of super narrow stairs and where we are going to eventually put a crib in our tiny flat. it will be an adventure :)

i am trying to savour experiences like going to the grocery store, sleeping in, traveling on an airplane, weekly dates and quiet time with the boy, and even every day tasks like curling my hair, cooking dinner and cleaning the bathroom. because i know that once there’s a little one around that depends on me for a whole lot, quite everything gets a bit more complicated!

sleeping has been both a challenge and amusement lately – challenging because i wake up doooozens of times in the night and amusing because i have the wildest and most vivid dreams (which are only occasionally nightmare-ish – mostly they are whimsical and kind of thrilling – and/or just hilariously bizarre)! i looove sleeping on my back, which is kind of a no-no past the first trimester, and i kind of hate that.

we both thank god in every single prayer, with so much earnestness, that we are able to add a child to our family at this time. we also pray hard, in faith, that our baby with develop perfectly in all aspects, and that we will be blessed with a little spirit that will best help our family to grow and find true joy in life. we are so excited to meet our baby and discover his/her divine nature. i am so, so, so glad that the boy is the father of our children, and i cannot wait to see him as a dad.

here’s to the second half of pregnancy! it’s about to get more and more real until july!

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Comments

  1. So fun. We can't wait to find out what you are having. I always dreamed that Hyrum was terminally ill during my pregnancies. He was always marrying me off before he left. It was really disturbing! With maternity clothes, I bought some dresses I could wear everyday and they always saved me at the end when pants were sooo uncomfortable. Invest in 2-3 dresses you can wear to church or out and about. They're great for post-partum too when you can quite fit into your old clothes and really hate your maternity jeans :) although that could just be me. If you're going to have more kids, remember this is an investment for much longer than just this four-five months. Good luck.

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    1. I had to laugh out loud because of your dream. At least he was considerate enough to care for you before he left!

      But I imagine that that dream was really disturbing during your pregnancies! Hopefully you can laugh now!

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  2. I am so excited for you! As to the stroller remedy, we used an Ergo carrier the whole time we were living in Glasgow. My Zoey practically lived in it for the first half of her life. Strollers weren't really practical for our flat and daily bus travel so for us the Ergo worked perfectly. We still use it back in the States (though not as often).

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    1. I second this. Strollers are not great for living in a city flat and getting around. Though I always liked to use a wrap (like the moby wrap) until the baby was bug enough for the ergo without the newborn insert. I just felt they were a little more snug in there. Then on rainy/cold days you just keep them close to you and you don't need to worry about their warmth/dryness. If you do get a stroller get the most basic, easy to fold, light one that you can push with one hand (ie., has one bar to push) we really love our nuna stroller but we bought it in the Netherlands. Maybe you can get it there too? It's long lasting, compact, reclines and easy to push&lift. We've had ours for 5 years and still love it.

      Honestly, simplify everything. Babies don't need as much as all the momma websites put there try to make you think they do.

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    2. thanks, blog reader friends! we aren't planning to get a stroller until our child is too big for baby-wearing :) these tips are appreciated! totalllllly agree jlh with the simplifying. it's so crazy to me what people think you "need" for a baby! :)

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    3. Oh man. There were a lot of typos in my comment! One more thing; since you guys love travelling so much. Don't stop once the baby comes. Our kids LOVE travelling and I think that is in large part because they did a lot of it. Once our kids were too big for wearing, the nuna pepp stroller was the perfect travelling stroller. It's survived many an airplane ride, cobblestone road, tube/metro stairs and unexpected journeys. But baby wearing is the best :)

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  3. Ditto to Heathers suggestions. Also keep in mind when picking maternity top/dresses, that if you plan to nurse, the transitional pieces for postpartum should have "easy access" tops. With my first kiddo I chose mostly tunic tops which weren't ideal for nursing. JM2C.

    So fun to share in the journey with you all.

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  4. congratulations on making it to the half way mark! I remember being happy to wear maternity clothes--certainly not that they were all that glamorous , but after a number of miscarriages, it felt like such a badge of success! I'm sure your sisters will have lots of good advice for you. There's a blog called Reading My Tea Leaves--a couple that lives 4 flights up in a tiny apartment in NYC--you might like of the ways she has managed with her baby. My children are grown--like you--ages 26 and 29--still doing grad school and med school, but I can't wait for grandchildren one day ! But being pregnant seems to be something that no matter how old you are, the memories feel so fresh and exciting still. It's fun to hear young moms-to-be share their journey. As far as clothes: I preferred dresses. I was hugely pregnant during the hot and humid summer days and remember sitting in the car with the AC blasting and flapping my skirt while my husband drove :) Enjoying your posts.

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    1. thanks for the blog suggestion and the tips!! i'm so glad i'll be really pregnant in the summer when i can just wear comfy dresses.

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  5. Try a pack and play vs a full on crib or even a baby hammock. Less space is required for both of those. We used a pack and play for one of ours for a year. It had the bassinet top that we used for the first 4 + mos. Love following along this story.

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  6. Try a pack and play vs a full on crib or even a baby hammock. Less space is required for both of those. We used a pack and play for one of ours for a year. It had the bassinet top that we used for the first 4 + mos. Love following along this story.

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    1. we are planning on just getting a small bassinet for at least the first few months. we'll cross the crib bridge when we get to it. thanks!!

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  7. Congrats! Let the fun begin as you prepare for your new babe!
    I loved my maternity clothing, and I was surprised how much I wore them postpartum. They were so comfortable, and elastic waist bands were awesome (think holding baby while using the bathroom-buttons and zippers are too hard one handed). Stretchy leggings with dresses worked great, plus you can always use leggings for yoga and exercising. The bust is ever expanding (your rib cage enlarges) so bra extenders were very helpful. A few pairs of maternity underwear was wonderful pre and post too.
    I was surprised when my first baby did not like a stroller until she was 6 months old. The next also just wanted to be held and close to me at all times too. I got into baby wearing using woven wraps, and it was a beautiful experience. I loved having my babies sleep on me or just nestle right up to me with such peace if they were upset. I could also just carry out my usual errands and household clean up. There are lots of baby wearing groups and its a great way to meet wonderful mamas. For a summer baby, you will likely prefer a light weight wrap as opposed to the ergo bc pre-fabricated carriers can get hot. Best Wishes from British Columbia, CA!

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    1. thanks so much emma! i am planning on being a baby wearer all the way. i'm pretty excited about that :)

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