Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Pregnancy update 3: baby #2

How far along: 18 weeks
Total weight gain: five pounds (at least); probably more by now, considering how much sugar I've been consuming lately. Gulp!
Maternity clothes: all the time, it seems. That's not really true, but I definitely have a belly, which requires clothing to be flexible and somewhat loose. I really love the two new maternity Ts I got from Old Navy, as well as my gray maternity jeans from GAP. In the photo below, I'm wearing this incredibly flattering maternity dress from Target. 


Pregnancy symptoms: Increased energy from the first trimester & no more nausea!, general discomfort, some middle of the night insomnia, difficulty carrying Charlotte, shortness of breath, some anxiety about changing care providers at 28-30 weeks.

Thoughts: A blogger I really like just announced she is also pregnant with her second child. In the baby announcement post, she linked to a post she wrote when her daughter was four weeks old. The words really resonated with me, as I reflect on the early days with Charlotte, and as I anticipate what October will be like... adjusting to this new little life joining our family. The first few weeks with Charlotte were so.dang.hard. And scary. And lonely. And overwhelming. I distinctly remember feeling trapped by my own child... She needed me and cried more than I had expected. And I put such terrible pressure on myself to do it all right. 

I expect October to be hard, too. Charlotte will be adjusting, and we will be tired and overwhelmed. We will be in a different city, far from our loved ones. Joel will be busy with a new job. But this time, I have different expectations and far fewer fears. I know a little bit about breastfeeding and newborn care and surviving on little sleep. I know that I won't ruin the baby by nursing him/her to sleep sometimes. I know he/she will snooze anywhere and everywhere at first, so I should make Target runs and go on dinner dates while I can. I know Joel is an amazing dad and a perfect partner for me, so I'm relaxed knowing we can tag team our kiddos. Basically, I'm pretty excited for October!

Just for fun: 18 weeks pregnant with Charlotte. :)

No comments:

Post a Comment