number 2 [week 27]

Symptoms: I can't believe this was the last week of my 2nd trimester! I feel like my pregnancy has just been flying by, even though I also feel like I've been pregnant forever. This week was just another week full of back pain, leg cramps, fatigue, heartburn and acid reflux, and cute baby hiccups. And for additional fun, I've also had worse nearsided vision (from what my doctor says is extra fluid in my eyes due to pregnancy - why am I even surprised) and caught the return of the linea nigra. I'm grateful for it all, but sometimes I feel like the medical conditions are just piling on top of each other one after another!

Cravings: Chocolate and pizza. Wesley is seriously undermining my attempt at healthy eating habits.

Aversions: I'm over chicken. This mama wants steak.

Missing: It's all the same! Alcohol, sushi, cold meat. I'm counting down the weeks.

Mood: Still happy. Looking forward to meeting my baby bear and already way too excited for Christmas. It'll be our first as a family of four and I'm super giddy!

Sleep: It's been rough the last few nights. I've been tossing and turning more often and feeling uncomfortable. I'm not using my pregnancy pillow and I have no idea why. The more frequent cramps in my legs make it all worse every time I change positions.

Dreams: I had this odd dream that Simon was swimming laps in his bath tub like a little Olympic swimmer. The odd thing was that even though he was swimming underwater, he wasn't holding his breath and was instead breathing in water. It scared me that he was swallowing so much water, but he didn't act bothered one bit. In reality, Wesley is the child of mine who is currently breathing in watery amniotic fluid and flipping laps in my uterus. I wonder if my subconscious transposed my two boys?

Movement: On Saturday, Wesley was seriously a constant wiggle worm ALL. DAY. LONG. He barely slept at all and repeatedly beat on my belly hour after hour. It's wasn't painful, but instead cracked me up as I couldn't believe he was so full of energy. My tummy continued to go crazy well into the evening and even tickled Daddy's face as Eric rested his head upon my bump to talk to his little boy. Wesley's movement has been back to normal since, but Saturday was quite the exciting day for some silly reason.

Best Moment: We made our annual "Fall" trip to Apple Hill on Sunday. While we're still a few weeks out from the first official day of Autumn, it is already officially Apple Hill season with most growers open. We brought my dad along with us as a thank you for all of his help around the house, and Jen and her family also met us up there for fun and treats. We packed a lunch and visited 4 different apple growers, indulging only in fudge, apple donuts, and fresh Early Fuji apples for home. My dad bought an apple crisp to share, and we were barely able to make a dent in it. The weather was so beautiful and breezy, a preview of the Fall temperatures for which I cannot wait. We had so much fun, and Simon had a blast running around with Bliss and Brydon.

Pregnancy Purchases/Baby Buys: Still nada, but I did sell the last of the maternity clothes that I didn't want to keep and the owl wall decals I had framed in Simon's old nursery (sad to see them go, but he's outgrown them). It's great clearing things out and getting some cash back!

Other News: Eric will be out of town in Tahoe this upcoming weekend for Levi's bachelor party. He'll be gone two nights, Friday and Saturday, returning Sunday. I'm not worried about being on my own with Simon, but I do see myself being quite tired by the time Eric gets home.

Looking Forward To: It's a secret, so I can't tell. There is something exciting happening that I'll get to share next week!

Brydon, Bliss, & Simon

our family of almost 4

silly poses with Cho-Cho

number 2 [week 26]

Symptoms: Feeling as well as I possibly can. I haven't noticed any major changes since last week. Wesley's started having hiccups, almost daily, which is just so incredibly adorable and funny. I feel super large and waddly and am trying to keep hydrated and moisturized as much as possible.

Cravings: Momma finally got some Oreos! I may have been feeling particularly stressed after a long day and sent my darling, loving husband out to the store at 9:30 pm. He returned with a package of Double Stuffed sweetness. That man is truly my soulmate.

Aversions: Not really an aversion, but recently I had been eating too much snacky food before lunch and was becoming too full to finish my lunchtime salad a few days in a row. I felt guilty and asked Eric to make me smaller salads in better hopes of finishing them. So far it's been a success.

Missing: Sushi. I've probably already mentioned that, but come on... it's SUSHI.

Mood: Still really happy and eager to meet my next boy. I feel pretty crummy in the evenings when my energy has peaked out and my back can no longer tolerate being upright. That part's a bummer.

Sleep: I fell asleep early a few nights this week. I think I'm still sleeping pretty hard. Cramps have been giving me a break!

Dreams: Before my baby shower I dreamed that Erica RSVP'd "no" to the event, which makes no sense in real life because she was one of the hosts. It was super silly, and I almost didn't realize in the morning that the memory wasn't real!

Movement: Wesley has been moving higher and higher. It's uncomfortable sometimes if he's in a particular spot, squishing my internal organs. He pushes my belly out in odd directions more often and continues to dance every time I eat.

Best Moment: My baby shower was this past weekend! Jenny and Erica hosted it at our house. It was penguin themed, after Wesley's nursery, and included cute touches like penguin cupcakes and a waddling diaper toss relay. My hosts, along with additional helping hands, did a great job putting everything together for what was a fun event. Wesley was loved on with many wonderful gifts, for which I am so thankful.

Baby Buys: I made a few exchanges from the shower, and I've also got some gift card money to spend. I'm going to hold off for the time being.

Other News: I was so mad to find out that the soonest available installation appointment for the carpet in Wesley's room is OCTOBER 21. I can't fully set up the nursery if we're just going to have to move all of the furniture out again for the install. The inside of the closet still needs to be painted and can be organized once finished, and I guess I can hang stuff on the walls as well. This just puts stress on my Halloween deadline for the nursery being done. Hopefully I can still meet it!

Looking Forward To: The upcoming 3-day weekend! Eric doesn't have to work, and we've got nothing planned. Hello relaxation and fun!

penguin cupcakes

my hosts, Erica and Jenny

Wesley's sign

number 2 [week 25]

and...

my 100th post!

Symptoms: My hair is getting so long! I've basically been growing it since the A-line cut I had when pregnant with Simon, but lately it's felt super long. Can I attribute it to my daily intake of prenatal vitamins? I don't know; my hair has always grown very fast. 

Cravings: Remember how I said I was craving Oreos? I decided to hold out until this past weekend's camping trip to give in to my craving. I love to use Fudge Creams for s'mores in place of Hershey's chocolate, but my regular grocery store (where I've purchased them before) did not have them on the shelf! I didn't have time to look anywhere else after buying our camping groceries, so I did not enjoy my favorite campfire treat. So my craving continues!

Aversions: My dad mentioned mayonnaise the other night and my stomach flipped. Which is weird, because I have no issues with mayo.

Missing: The ease at which I used to be able to move. Getting dressed inside a tent was quite interesting!

Mood: Still feeling really upbeat! I decided that every time someone asks me how I'm feeling, I'd respond and ask them the same question in return. I thought it was funny. How you're feeling is just as important, too!

Sleep: Still having some mid-slumber cramps and charlie horses. Luckily, I was able to sleep pretty comfortably while camping with my pregnancy pillow in tow. We usually stack our two air mattresses on top of each other, so comfort isn't normally an issue when we camp.

Dreams: I had the break-up dream again. I was at my baby shower, which was co-ed, and several male friends/guests asked where Eric was. I knew he was gone playing hockey instead of being at our baby shower, and our guests had no idea that he wasn't there because he wanted to leave me. I was quite upset and keeping the news to myself, thus being completely miserable and not enjoying myself at all. Stupid dream.

Movement: Simon got to feel his brother move! He was sitting in bed with us for his bedtime story and had an arm resting across my belly. Suddenly Wesley kicked, and we both looked at each other with surprise! Simon was so excited to feel his brother, who kicked a second time and left Simon smiling and proud. We've been waiting for the two to make contact, and hopefully it will happen again soon. 

Best Moment: CAMPING! We spent two nights up near French Meadows Reservoir for the birthdays of our friends Levi and Jeff. Simon was a big boy and slept on his own in a sleeping bag at the end of our air mattress. Eric and I were so proud of him for sleeping through both nights independently. He was pretty tuckered out at night (even with naps!), so sleep came very easy for him. We were lucky with warm weather during the day and tolerably cold temperatures at night. It was so nice to relax and visit with friends. Eric was a huge help with Simon since I'm not moving too fast these days and took on most of the loading and lifting without letting me help much. I do most of the packing anyway, so I guess it evened out!

Baby Buys: Shower gifts are starting to arrive! I'm trying to hold off on purchases until after my baby shower.

Other News: My dad has been over helping out big time with house projects. Since my baby shower will be at our house, there were a few things that I wanted to do before hosting a house full of people. Along with putting the finishing paint touches on Wesley's room, I wanted Simon's bathroom and the playroom wall painted. Hopefully we'll have enough time for everything to be finished before the shower. Eric and I have appreciated my dad's help so much since he's been busy at work and I can't tolerate the smell of the paint/lift anything heavy/climb a ladder safely to help.

Looking Forward To: My baby shower this weekend!

French Meadows Reservoir

our camping cutie

view at the campsite

number 2 [week 24]

Symptoms: Still having lower back and hamstring pain after periods of sitting. Both are becoming a part of temporary daily life. I think my hands have swelled a little bit since my wedding rings are still fitting tighter at times. At this point in my pregnancy with Simon I had removed my toe ring, but I don't think I'm quite there yet this time around.

Cravings: CHOCOLATE!

Aversions: Still not put off by anything. *Yes!*

Missing: I feel like it's just going to be deli meat again and again and again for the next 16ish weeks.

Mood: Really actually feeling fantastic!

Sleep: I got my first middle-of-the-night charlie horses this week, wooot! (Not.) I also had some cramps in my toes the other night before bed. When I have to roll over at night I end up completely waking so I can readjust my body pillow.

Dreams: There hasn't been anything exciting enough for me to remember when I wake up. I have, however, completely daydreamed about salami. No joke.

Movement: Wesley is still a busy little bee. He might be starting to get used to our back-to-school schedule, as I'm feeling him a little earlier in the mornings now.

Best Moment: Thanks to our wonderful friend, Renee, Simon now has his "big brother" bed! There is officially no longer a baby in the house, especially with no crib currently in use! For now, the crib is broken down and hanging out in the living room so it's out of the way for carpet measuring in the nursery. Simon's new bedding and sheets look great on his new-to-him twin size bed, although I still need to find a mattress cover and bed skirt. His room just became way more grown up, and I cannot believe how big my first baby is becoming right before my eyes.

Pregnancy Purchases: Nothing exciting this week, except for a refill on my prenatal vitamins. Yippee.

Other News: I had my 24-week prenatal appointment. My doctor and I discussed birth control options for after Wesley is born and my options and different choices for my childbirth experience this time around. I don't remember if I mentioned that Eric and I signed up for the 'Preparing for Childbirth' class offered by Kaiser. I'm looking forward to learning some breathing and relaxation techniques to ease labor and delivery and my different options for pain management. I would like to deliver naturally this time without an epidural and as little medical intervention as possible, and I really want to have more control over this birthing experience.

Looking Forward To: Sharing about this summer's camping trip! Our last one as a family of three!

first night in his "big brother" bed!

number 2 [week 23]

Symptoms: Although Eric says he doesn't notice a difference, I think I've had a little bit of swelling in my feet. It's completely normal at this stage of pregnancy, and they already hurt all the time. My hands also sometimes feel tingly, and I've noticed my ring sometimes feels a little tighter, but that might also be attributed to the heat. Pregnancy-induced carpel tunnel is a thing, and I'm wondering if I'm in the beginning stages of experiencing it.

Cravings: Still thinking about Oreos nonstop...

Aversions: Nada!

Missing: Eating whatever I want. I can't stop talking about everything I want to eat after giving birth.

Mood: I've been a little hormonal and emotional lately; we've been busy bees with a lot going on.

Sleep: It's still been really great in our luxurious bed. Being able to make it through the work day back at school has been a worry of mine!

Dreams: Really random mixes of totally weird stuff. Nothing stands out, except that food has been recently prevalent in my non-waking thoughts.

Movement: Wesley remains totally active. There are times that he moves so suddenly and powerfully that I yelp out loud or make a funny expression in response. It's been entertaining to those around me.

Best Moment: PAINTING IN WESLEY'S ROOM OFFICIALLY BEGAN! On Saturday Eric and I moved the last of the furniture and boxes out of the room, he removed nails and patched the countless holes and dings we found in the walls, and I removed the outlet and light switch covers. My dad and Ashley came over on Sunday and helped Eric paint the ceiling and walls. Simon got to help paint a special section of wall under the window and was so excited to help. The shelving unit needed lots of sanding before paint, so my dad has been working on that during the last few days. So far I am absolutely in love with the color I picked out, and the room already looks completely transformed. The door, door frame, closet, and closet doors still need paint, and unfortunately carpet orders are backed up and we won't be able to get an install for 3-4 weeks. On the bright side, we're having measurements taken next week and will have plenty of time to paint and install new baseboards since the old ones were no good. It's slowly coming together!

Pregnancy Purchases: Do our maternity photos count? We got them done with Jamie of Jamie Scobee Photography, a close family friend of our friend, Brett. Simon was a ham the whole morning, but we had a great time with Jamie and felt really comfortable during the shoot. I've already seen a few teasers and can't wait to see the rest!

Other News: Summer is pretty much over for me. I had my back to school training on Tuesday and got a taste of what it will be like going back to work for the next 3 months. It was nice to see coworkers and colleagues and have delicious In-N-Out for lunch (another craving). We'll see how I fare after the first week back.

Looking Forward To: I am helping out with a co-ed baby shower for our friends Jordon and Brianna. They are expecting their first child, a daughter they're naming Allison. The shower is this Sunday and it should be a lot of fun!

Wesley's room empty and prepped for paint

Big brother helper!

teaser from our maternity session

number 2 [week 22]

Symptoms: I've been feeling pretty good, but also pretty huge. I'm trying to not worry a lot about my body image, but it's a difficult task when every part of you is constantly changing. As is common with second pregnancies, I began showing sooner this time around than I did with Simon. On top of not being at as low of a pre-pregnancy weight as I was back in 2012, I just feel bigger all around. I tried comparing myself to my last Week 22 belly picture, and Eric thinks I look the same size. I think I look bigger, but I just have to remember that this is a different pregnancy and a different child. Our health is all that really matters.

Cravings: Oreos so bad! I didn't buy any during my last grocery shopping trip because I wanted to be good, but being bad sounds a lot more fun now.

Aversions: Nothing has been particularly bothering me. Woo hoo!

Missing: While I'm trying to appreciate my pregnant body, I am at times still missing my pre-pregnancy self. I recently went through some photos from the beginning of this year, a time when I didn't feel great about myself. I can't believe I felt that way, because I look at those photos now and wish I looked like that now!

Mood: More and more excited to meet my little one, Wesley! He has a name!

Sleep: We finally got a new bed frame, and I'm in heaven! Our bed has been on the floor since we moved into our house. It was completely fine until my belly started getting bigger, and I knew pretty soon that it was going to become more difficult for me to get out of our low bed. Now that our mattresses are raised I'm in total bed bliss, and I feel like I've been sleeping better, too! I would live in this bed all day if I could.

Dreams: I had a weird nightmare that had nothing to do with people I know or places I go. I was just somewhere with someone, and people were trying to capture us. My subconscious didn't like it and thankfully woke me up out of the dream, but I couldn't go back to sleep and was awake for an hour and a half. Mommy was a major grump that following morning.

Movement: Wesley is still as active as ever. I'm starting to wonder if it's a boy-thing, because I remember Simon being the same way. I love feeling Wesley's constant moving in my tummy, as it leaves me rest assured that he's happy and healthy.

Best Moment: Eric and I made a plan to finally paint the nursery this weekend. The room is empty for the most part, with the exception of some baby items and furniture and some empty boxes. My goal has been to get this done before going back to work and have the room as put together as possible by my baby shower at the end of the month. As long as I continue to stay on top of things, we'll have this nursery completed before Halloween so I can relax and wait for labor!

Baby Buys: I found a hamper for Wesley's room at Home Goods, although I may swap it out with Simon's (they're exactly the same, but differ in color). Eric and I also went out to Buy Buy Baby and Target to add items to my Babylist. I was disappointed to not like both store's options for specific things we were looking for. Eric called me picky, but I think I'm just being choosy.

Other News: My summer break is quickly coming to a close. School starts next week, so my days home with Simon are numbered. It's been so nice getting things done around the house and enjoying my nesting mode. Despite Simon's nap refusal, it's been fun being at home together and developing our own daily routine. He's been such a fantastic helper every time we go out shopping for home and/or baby items. My big boy is seriously going to be the best brother ever.

Looking Forward To: Sharing photos of the painted nursery!

a boy has a name

From the moment we named Simon, I knew that having another boy would be a problem for Eric and me. 

We really didn't seriously consider too many choices when it came to naming Simon. There were literally no other names we both liked, so making our final decision was relatively easy. I believed that because of this, coming up with a second boy name for a second son would be a challenge without having any backup names stowed away. I ended up being exactly right.

I began researching names early in this pregnancy. Knowing it would be a difficult task regardless of gender, I didn't want to put off gathering ideas until learning if we were having a boy or girl. I needed to be prepared this time, which is a constant feeling I have regarding this child. After hunting through some websites I found a boy name that I liked, but Eric wasn't really digging it. I didn't think I'd heard a definitive "no" from him, so I held onto the name while continuing my search.

When we learned Baby's gender, admittedly one of my very first thoughts was, "Oh crap, what are we going to name him?" I still hadn't come up with any other ideas, and Eric only had a handful of suggestions that I unfortunately didn't like. I felt that name burning in my pocket again, but kept pouring through boy name lists hoping to find something that Eric would feel stronger about. One afternoon I stopped upon that name again, and suddenly a wave of emotion came over me as one of Eric's former suggestions popped into my head and clicked as the perfect middle name companion to my idea. Tears immediately came to my eyes, and I knew it was the one.

With nervous excitement and a heart full of emotion, I went to Eric and formally put my name decision on the table. I explained that while I knew his feelings, I couldn't help but have a strong connection with this name and an instinct that it was the right one for our new son. Eric's reaction was still the same, but he agreed to "try the name on" to see if his mind would change. A few days later Eric used the name out loud, and I excitedly asked him what he thought and if he was sure over and over and over again. He said yes, and with that Number 2 had finally been given a name. 

Wesley Adrian

Wesley - "Western meadow"

Adrian - "Dark sea"

I feel so incredibly happy to have a name to call my second little boy by. Simon welcomed the news of Wesley's name very happily and goes back and forth between addressing him by name and calling him "Brother." The more that the three of us use Wesley's name, the more real he becomes. I am so eagerly excited to meet our next son and cannot wait to share this little one with the world. A little kick from inside my belly tells me that he's looking forward to meeting you all, too!