The downside? I’m starting to FEEL pregnant. Everything is stretching, organs are shifting, ribs are spreading, bladder is squishing. Just as of today I started feeling short of breath and the sciatica is starting to flare up. Pretty soon I’m sure the heartburn will rear its fiery head and the hernias I developed in my first pregnancy will pop out again. Fun fun.
The upside? I was standing in a long line for the loo at a concert last night and the ladies at the front of the line insisted I go ahead of them. My situation wasn’t even urgent but I guess I should enjoy the perks of pregnancy where I can.
Even though Orion’s second birthday is still a couple of weeks away, we are in the thick of two-year-old-ness.
Aside from the steadily increasing tantrums, stubbornness and other daily tests—as well as the awesome things about having a two-year-old, such as more laughing fits, more spontaneous displays of affection and better communication—Orion has suddenly changed from the kid who would eat anything to Mr. Finicky McGee. Some days are a challenge to get him to eat much of anything at all, and I’m thinking I’m going to have to start sneaking veggie puree into the few foods he still likes to eat.
~Preschool. I’m, like, OBSESSED with the idea of preschool lately. I want him to start in the fall, when he’s 2.5 and The Little Lady is about three months old. I used to think I would just send him to whatever preschool is within walking distance, but that idea has morphed into HE MUST GET INTO THE BEST PRESCHOOL IN THE CITY. He’s currently on waiting lists at several schools, and I’m just waiting to hear back from them. More on this later.
~Labor and delivery. Oy. I hate that I’m fixating on this again already, but the memory is still pretty fresh from last time. I plan to have a natural birth like I did with Orion, and now the memory of the pain is washing over me in huge waves.
~Chocolate and other desserty things. I gotta have it every day. My sweet tooth — usually nonexistent — is out of control with this pregnancy. I should just go ahead and name her Clementine, because I’ve been eating several of them each day for the past few months.
~Nesting. My second trimester hormones are right on track — I’ve been going crazy cleaning, purging, reorganizing and decorating the house. I plan to feature some photos of my nesting madness in the very near future.
~Orion’s second birthday, which is in a couple of weeks. Total disbelief.
I believe I’ve mentioned once or twice here how excruciatingly nauseating the first trimester of this pregnancy was for me. I could barely eat a damn thing — thank god for green smoothies, or this kid would have received zero nutrients during her first few formative months. It seemed like I went days, and even weeks, without a single morsel of food passing my lips. (With the exception of Popchips, aka pregnant lady crack.)
Luckily fate intervened. Right at my peak of illness, I was contacted by Reed’s Inc. — makers of the awesome Reed’s Ginger Brew that I have been enjoying for years — to review their new product, Reed’s Rx, an all-natural anti-nausea elixir comprised of ginger, honey, lemon and vitamin B6 that offers relief of pregnancy nausea, motion sickness and upset stomach. (They don’t come right out and say this, but I’m guessing it would make for a swell hangover helper as well. Not that I would know.)
And, lo, it was good. Each little can of bubbly, gingery Reed’s Rx offered me a very welcome (albeit temporary) moment of reprieve from my relentless urge to purge, and was tasty to boot. (I liked it over ice, which tamed the sweetness a bit. I’m not a fan of sweet drinks.) If you know anything about me all, you know that I’m a big fan of natural remedies, so Reed’s Rx was exactly what I was looking for.
Not only is Reed’s Rx is offering a $1 off coupon for a 4-pack of their magic tonic, but I have three 4-packs to give away to readers. Simply leave a comment before Jan. 28 to enter. Good luck!
For any man who’s wondered what childbirth is like and just how painful it truly is, this video is a must-see. Obviously his opening statement “when it comes to pain, research shows men can withstand a whole lot more than women” is total BS (I mean, we all know dudes who get the mildest of colds and act like they’re on their deathbeds), but by the end of this labor simulation experiment the good doctor has a change of heart. This is definitely fascinating viewing for fathers and anyone else interested in seeing just how intense labor pain can be. (Of course, this doesn’t even touch the surface of the pain experienced pushing, tearing, healing, breastfeeding, etc. but it’s a start!)
Despite being so nauseous for the first few months of this pregnancy, it truly has flown by. I sincerely intended to document this growing belly week-by-week. But alas, here I am halfway through my voyage already and this is the first time I bothered to snap a shot of my ballooning midsection. She’ll probably be here by the time I think to take another one.
By the looks of my 20 week belly, I’m going to carry this baby girl exactly the same way I carried Orion — that is, low and torpedo-shaped. I’m already steeling myself for the inevitable, “You look like you’re ready to pop!” comments starting at seven months.
What a difference between this pregnancy and the last! Aside from my symptoms this time being 100% different than the last time, my attitude in general couldn’t be more opposite.
When I was pregnant with Orion, I was hypervigilant about everything — including obeying the impossibly ridiculous recommendation of sleeping only on my left side, avoiding a long list of foods deemed unhealthy for pregnancy, yada yada yada. (This time around, I may or may not have thrown caution to the wind and indulged in sushi and soft cheeses, among other things. So sue me.)
Another difference: during my pregnancy with Orion I had the luxury of spending hours upon hours poring over pregnancy books and websites exploring each minute detail of the maternal experience. This time, I’ve spent approximately .5 seconds reading What To Expect, not because I don’t care, but because I chase a toddler around 15 hours a day.
That’s why I love this app: Sprout. Instead of completely blowing off the miracle that is unfolding inside my body, I can check in via my iPhone to see the developmental progress my bambina is making, as well as what is going on in my body. The graphics are pretty cool, and include 3D animations and detailed info on the week’s big developments. There is also a weight tracker, kick counter and contraction timer, as well as checklists and other things. It’s the perfect resource for this second pregnancy while my What to Expect-type books are collecting dust on the shelf. Sprout $4.99.
