And then there were two...

18 weeks- Bay of Fundy

I haven't written very much about my second pregnancy, and it's time to devote some time to our precious wee one.

The first trimester was definitely tough; going back to work full-time for the first time, being a mom of a toddler from 3:30 on in addition to some not so pleasant symptoms for the first three months. I found that I didn't have the same amount of time to focus on my pregnancy,and I felt really guilty about it. At the same time, I felt so much more relaxed than I did the first time. There were no surprises, I knew what to expect, and being pregant felt really natural to me. The first time I felt anxious to be constantly educating myself on my state and writing down unknowns to be answered by the midwives. This time feels much more organic.

In my first trimester I wasn't as tired as I was with Sophie, but I definitely had more morning sickness. Much more queasiness throughout the day, although if I kept grazing it usually kept the nausea at bay. Not too many cravings or food aversions--I wanted to drink lots of milk (as I did the first time), not really interested in sweets and strong non-food smells often made me sick (diesel, cigarettes, perfumes, etc).

At three months the nausea left and I started feeling more energy. Unfortunately my skin has been pretty awful this pregnancy. My skin resembles a hormonal pre-teen. It has been challenging for me to ignore this, as it is pretty darn bad. I am very close to going to see a dermatologist. My last pregnancy my skin was a non-issue! This time it will start to clear up and then will flare again--all I am hoping for is that when this little monkey comes out it will be back to normal.

This little one is a mover and a shaker. I first felt a strong (and I mean strong!) kick the second week of July when we were at the cottage). It was such an exciting moment. I think because I had been so busy with school and Soph the pregnancy hadn't sunk in until I felt movement. I fell in love at that moment. Now I feel movement frequently during the day. This one is much more active than Sophie ever was. At night there is lots of belly boogie-ing going on.

We had our 18 week ultrasound at the end of August and that was a wonderful chance to get a sneak preview of our new little one. It was so incredible to see the baby. I had been leaning towards finding out, but Brett didn't want to, and I'm really happy now that we didn't. (You heard it here first that my guess is BOY). Sophie lay down on the table next to me during the procedure and watched the 'baby on TV'. As soon as I can figure out how to use our scanner at school I will post our picture. All was healthy in their results. They also moved my due date a week earlier based on the ultrasound, which I have been sensing since I first felt movement.

And I am officially starting to 'nest'. All morning I have been scrubbing, cleaning, organizing and trying to get dirt out of every nook and cranny of our house (and believe me, there is LOTS there).

It's still surreal to me all the wonderful ways that our family is going to change in only a few short months. That in January we will not be able to imagine our lives without our new addition.