Author Archives: leannemcwilliams

Pregnancy Journal #2: 32 Weeks

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How far along: 32’ish week
Due date: Even though I’ve consistently been measuring a full week ahead, we are going with August 11th because I don’t want to feel pressure to induce earlier
Gender: BOY!! Still not sure on the name yet. We have it narrowed down and I definitely have a favorite, but I think we’ll wait and meet him first.
Size of baby: A head of lettuce, weighing in at almost 4 pounds
Weight gain: At my appointment last week it showed I had gained 31 pounds, which is how much I gained throughout my entire pregnancy with Asher Wade. Yikes! Still have 8 weeks to go too.
Maternity clothes: Oh yeah. And they have to be comfortable maternity clothes. I feel like I’m carrying around a little heater, so the less fabric on me, the better. I recently bought several summery dresses from Pink Blush Maternity that are made of super lightweight fabric, and they have been my favorite. I’ve had to retire most of my heels and wedges thanks to swollen feet.
Sleep: Not great, but not terrible. It’s starting to get a little harder to fall asleep, where before I was pretty much passing out as soon as I turned my Kindle off. Then a lot of nights I wake up once or twice to use the potty, or if I sleep all night I’ll end up waking up really early. I’m tired, but I know I’m about to be really tired in 8 weeks or so!
Movement: Yes, still lots of big movements, like he’s stretching in there or something. He often turns “sunnyside up” which is not a good feeling on my lower back, but I can usually get him to flip back around with some cat-cow yoga moves. Exercise puts him to sleep for awhile.
Cravings: Nothing out of the ordinary. I have noticed that my appetite has gone down, maybe because I don’t have as much room in my belly. Still loving sweets, like cakes and pastries. Lately I’ve been on this scone kick and our cafeteria at work happens to have some tasty ones, which is a good thing and a bad thing. Also craving protein. I love to have anything cold, like fruit (especially pineapple), frozen yogurt (I’ve even been sticking a Chobani Greek yogurt in the freezer for an afternoon snack most days) and popsicles. I’m eating a lot of cereal for dinner as well. Lunch tends to be my most well rounded and filling meal of the day. I’m not overly hungry in the evenings and like to just snack or have cereal.
Aversions: Not really anything in particular, but there are a lot of times where things that I normally love, just don’t sound good at all. I feel like I rotate 10 or so things, and I’m pretty content with that.
Symptoms: Well, I wouldn’t say I’m terribly uncomfortable, but I’m definitely not comfortable. He’s really bearing down and I have a lot of pressure in my lower belly and sometimes in my lower back. I’ve Google’d “premature labor” on multiple accounts. There’s been several times where I’ll be walking through the hallways at work and I have to stop and grab the wall because the pressure takes my breath away, and kind of scares me for a second. Still having a lot of Braxton Hicks, and often my belly gets so tight I have to lie down to get it to relax. The swelling in my feet has gotten a little worse, and I’m still having a lot of pain in my ankles, shins and calves, although it’s primarily on my left side. This is also the ankle where I have the most swelling and spider veins. I try to wear compression socks to bed at night, but they make me even hotter than I already am, so I usually end up stripping them off at some point during the night. They do help though. I sweat a lot more, probably a combo of carrying around a mini furnace and the fact that it’s getting hotter outside. I’m also so tired as of late, and I don’t think this is entirely due to my inconsistent sleep. Yesterday at work I literally had to shut my door and lay my head down on my desk for a little bit. I contemplated going to my car, turning the AC on and taking a nap. I literally struggle to keep my eyes open. Otherwise though, just peachy, lol! Believe it or not, I’m still going strong at Orangetheory Fitness 4-5x per week. I’ve completely retired the treadmill, but I use the strider or spin bike and am still using the rower and doing most of the weight training, with a few modifications. Staying active makes me feel so much better.
What I miss: Wine and sleeping on my belly. I’ve treated myself to my allotted 4 ounces a few times so far and it was fabulous. I also miss being able to jog outside, or even walk more than 10 minutes for that matter, without the stupid pain in my ankles and shins. And I miss being able to get dressed and put my shoes on with minimal effort!
What I’m looking forward to: We have three showers this month that I am looking forward to. I know…how blessed are we?!
Best moment of the week: The 4-D ultrasound we got last week was pretty awesome. They even gave us some short little videos, which were really neat. Also happy to see a healthy, growing baby.
Thoughts on pregnancy: Well, it’s no secret that this pregnancy has been a lot harder than it was with Asher Wade. I remember when I was pregnant with him, particularly towards the end, and as excited as I was to finally meet him, I was so sad at the thought of not being pregnant anymore. I just loved it so much and never really felt uncomfortable. This go around? I would be perfectly happy if this baby came early. Like, really early. I mean, obviously his development and health is of utmost importance, but I’m just over being pregnant. I’m trying to enjoy it since this is likely my last baby, but it’s getting harder. I’m just ready to hold him, but in my arms instead:-)
Here are some pics…
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Motivation Monday

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I don’t know how I got so off on my MM posts. I promise I’ve been exercising! I always document what I do…I just keep forgetting to put it in an actual post. Although I’m still having ankle/shin/calf discomfort, I feel like it has maybe gotten a little better? Or I’m just getting better at improvising. I’ve started mixing in the strider for the treadmill at Orangetheory for at least part of the time, which has helped, and I’ve pretty much stopped walking outside. I can still jog on the treadmill for 15 minutes or so, but otherwise it’s the strider, the rower and definitely more focus on weight training. I still feel pretty good and can hang with my usual weights. The exercises I’ve really cut out are anything that uses my abs or core, other than planks (with my hands on the bench rather than the floor so I’m somewhat at an incline), and obviously anything that requires me to lie on my belly. I feel really strong and healthy, which I hope means BB2 is feeling strong and healthy as well:-)

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Stats from the week before last:

Monday: 10 minutes on the treadmill (5.0 mph) followed by a 45 minute Sports Drill class (cardio intervals alternating with some strength exercises)

Tuesday: 60 minute Orangetheory Fitness class

Wednesday: 60 minute Orangetheory Fitness class

Thursday: At least once a week I have a day where I’m just not feeling my workout, and today was that day. I usually will go down to the locker room on auto pilot, change into my gym clothes and at least try to do something in the gym. Today all I managed was a very slow 15 minute walk on the treadmill and then 15 minutes on the elliptical. Something is better than nothing.

Friday: 60 minute Orangetheory Fitness class

Saturday: Pretty much took a rest day other than a 20 minute walk around the neighborhood

Sunday: 60 minute Orangetheory Fitness class

Stats from last week:

Monday: 45 minute walk outside with a friend…the chit-chat distracted me a little from the ankle pain and shin splints

Tuesday: 60 minute Orangetheory Fitness class

Wednesday: 60 minute Orangetheory Fitness class

Thursday: 10 minutes on the treadmill (5.0 mph) followed by a 45 minute Total Body Training class (primarily strength training using free weights, with a few cardio intervals thrown in)

Friday: 60 minute Orangetheory Fitness class

Saturday: 60 minute Orangetheory Fitness class

Sunday: Total rest and relaxation day….Happy Mother’s Day to me!

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Told you it was a total rest day;)

On another motivational note, Matt ran a 25K trail run. While he’s done that distance before, this was his first trail run. And apparently it wasn’t like the “trails” we are used to with the clear, well defined paths. There were some very steep climbs up the mountain, lots of rocks and creeks to go through and very uneven terrain. He was struggling when he crossed the finish line, but he made it! Asher Wade and I were there waiting and cheering him on:-)

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Pregnancy Journal #2: 28 Weeks

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{I keep forgetting to post an update! This poor, poor second child…it’s already started.}
How far along: 28 weeks…hello 3rd trimester! Only 12 weeks left!!
Due date: Even though I’ve consistently been measuring a full week ahead, we are going with August 11th because I don’t want to feel pressure to induce earlier
Gender: BOY!!
Size of baby: A cauliflower, weighing in around 2.5 pounds
Weight gain: At my 4/24 appointment I had gained 22 pounds, so I’m guessing around 25 right now?? All I know is that I went back and checked my pregnancy update around this time with AW and I had only gained 14 pounds. Yikes!
Maternity clothes: Loving them. There’s a small handful of non-maternity clothes I can still wear, but that’s dwindling. I’m doing lots of sun dresses this go around. I’ve been burning up lately, which is weird because I am usually always cold. I had Asher Wade right before the weather warmed up, so this is all new for me. Thankfully work has a pretty casual dress code. I’m literally wearing a tank top and linen pants that are borderline pajama pants today.
Sleep: It varies, but for the most part sleep isn’t great. I’ll have a good night, and then several not so good nights. If I fall asleep and stay asleep all night, I’m good, but if something wakes me up I’m screwed and generally cannot fall back asleep. There have been several nights where I’ve just turned on my Kindle and started reading at like 2 a.m. because I’m wide awake. I also tend to wake up well before the alarm goes off.
Movement: It’s really picked up a lot lately, and I’m noticing more BIG movements in there. A lot of the time it feels like he’s repeatedly tapping me from the inside, like he’s playing the drums or something. I’m also feeling him roll over and flip around, which almost takes my breath away. Exercise puts him to sleep for awhile.
Cravings: Nothing out of the ordinary. Still loving sweets (all the cake). Also craving protein. I love to have anything cold, like fruit (especially pineapple), frozen yogurt (I’ve even been sticking a Chobani Greek yogurt in the freezer for an afternoon snack most days) and popsicles. I’m eating a lot of cereal for dinner as well. Lunch tends to be my most well rounded and filling meal of the day. I’m not overly hungry in the evenings and like to just snack or have cereal.
Aversions: Not really anything in particular, but there are a lot of times where things that I normally love, just don’t sound good at all. I feel like I rotate 10 or so things, and I’m pretty content with that.
Symptoms: Some swelling in my feet, which is really annoying. Most of my cute shoes are too tight:( Still having a lot of pain in my ankles, shins and calves, although it’s primarily on my left side. This is also the ankle where I have the most swelling and spider veins, so I’m not sure what’s going on. I talked to my OB about it at my last appointment and he said unfortunately it’s just one of the joys of pregnancy and that it will probably go away shortly after birth. He told me to order some compression socks, which I am waiting on to be delivered, so hoping that will help. Still having a lot of Braxton Hicks, and often my belly gets so tight I have to lie down to get it to relax. I sweat a lot more, probably a combo of carrying around a mini furnace and the fact that it’s getting hotter outside. Lord, help me during June and July. I wouldn’t say I’m terribly uncomfortable, but I definitely don’t feel comfortable;)
What I miss: Wine and sleeping on my belly. I’ve treated myself to my allotted 4 ounces twice so far and it was fabulous. I also miss being able to jog outside, or even walk more than 10 minutes for that matter, without the stupid pain in my ankles and shins. And I miss being able to get dressed and put my shoes on with minimal effort!
What I’m looking forward to: No change from last time…I’m so ready to have a weekend at home where we have nothing on the agenda so we can get some things done! We have had such a busy spring and I’m so ready for some downtime so I can start “nesting.” We have everything for the nursery and now we just need to pull the room together and put on the finishing touches. I still need to pull out all of Asher Wade’s baby clothes, wash and sort, and figure out what else we may need. I also still want to do some major deep cleaning throughout the house.  There are several other house projects I want completed before D-Day as well. We have another busy weekend coming up, but then I am hoping to slow down and start focusing on baby prep. And rest. Lord knows I need to rest. Also excited for Mother’s Day this weekend. Oh, and Matt and I have a little getaway planned for the end of the month! Definitely excited to lay by the pool and relax for a few days.
Best moment of the week: I’ve really loved the increase in movement I’ve noticed this past week. It really is one of the coolest things about pregnancy.
Thoughts on pregnancy: It’s funny how much more I get stopped this pregnancy compared to last time. I literally have people stopping me in the hallways at work, at the store, definitely at the gym, and really anywhere out in public, just to say something sweet about my belly. There’s been a lot more belly rubbing this time, which doesn’t bother me at all, but it’s kind of funny. People just seem to love a pregnant person!

Asher Wade’s 4th Birthday Party

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Although we did take Asher Wade to Chuck-E-Cheese on his actual birthday (his request, and I’ve decided that battle is not worth fighting, as much as I dislike that place), and he had a little celebration at school that day, we officially celebrated him turning 4 years old this past Saturday with a super fun, farm themed bash. My parents, Matt’s parents, my brother and his girlfriend all came in for the weekend, and we invited his classmates and several friends from church and the neighborhood, so needless to say, we had a full backyard! I have a sweet friend that owns a lovely farm and has a traveling petting zoo. She brought over lots of precious animals, including some babies (!!) and a pony for pony rides. The kids had a blast! We grilled hot dogs and I made several “farm themed” snacks (thanks, Pinterest). I love how everything turned out and I really loved watching all the kids laugh and run around and love on the animals. If you are local and ever need a petting zoo for an event, I cannot recommend Noah’s Little Ark enough. The animals are adorable and so well taken care of and Cindy and her husband are as nice as they come.

20 Birthday Question at 4 Years Old

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  1. What is your favorite color? Blue
  2. What is your favorite toy? Racecar Mickey tool belt
  3. What is your favorite fruit? Strawberries
  4. What is your favorite TV show? Paw Patrol 
  5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Lunchable
  6. What is your favorite outfit? Lightning McQueen t-shirt 
  7. What is your favorite game? Chutes and Ladders (Planes edition)
  8. What is your favorite snack? Cookies
  9. What is your favorite animal? Cow
  10. What is your favorite song? Paw Patrol theme song 
  11. What is your favorite book? Planes 
  12. Who is your best friend? Porter and Scout  
  13. What is your favorite cereal? Peanut butter balls 
  14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Slides
  15. What is your favorite drink? Chocolate milk 
  16. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas  
  17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Tiger 
  18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Waffles 
  19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Mac n’ cheese 
  20. What would you wish for if you were granted any 3 wishes? Paw Patroller, rocket ship, yellow helicopter

Bonus Question: What do you want to be when you grow up? Handyman

Click here to read his answers at 3 years old:-)

Asher Wade at Four(!!!) Years Old

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O.M.Geee. I absolutely cannot believe I have a 4 year old. Like, cannot believe it. These four years have absolutely flown by, and while they certainly haven’t always been easy, they have been wonderful and full of so much laughter and fun. And love. So.much.love. Lately I have really been reflecting on how much is about to change when Baby Boy #2 arrives, and I’m not going to lie, it’s been emotional for me. I just think about how for four years now it’s been just the three of us…the three musketeers. Mine and Matt’s world is about to be rocked for sure, but I don’t think it will be rocked as much as Asher Wade’s. Our family dynamic is about to experience a huge shift, and while this new baby boy is such an incredible blessing and addition to our family, and I know God’s timing is ALWAYS perfect, I can’t help but feel a little sad for what we are going to lose, or what I feel like Asher Wade is going to lose. I hope that doesn’t sound terrible, and bear with me as I’m sure I’m riding a hormonal and emotional roller coaster right now thanks to pregnancy and my first born turning another year older. I guess I’m just mourning the impending loss of my first “baby” in more ways than one. Anywho. That’s probably another hormonal post for another day; one that I’m sure I will write as we get even closer to BB2’s arrival. Right now it’s all about our big 4 year old!

Asher Wade, at 4 years old, here’s what’s going on with you…

 I’ve been saying this since the day you were born, but lawd you are still ALL BOY. You never slow down and I’m convinced you’d survive off 6 hours of sleep, although we do our best to make you get 10’ish. Like your mama, you are NOT a morning person and are very crabby until you have fully woken up and had your milk. You like to just chill and watch TV and not talk to anyone for at least 15 minutes. Once you fully wake-up though, you are going 90 miles per minute, all day long. You love to climb and jump and are quite the daredevil. You aren’t scared of much other than bugs. You are completely terrified of all creepy crawlers. Otherwise you love pretty much all animals. Cody gets on your nerves and we are constantly separating the two of you. He just loves you so much and always wants to play, but you are generally annoyed by him. You like Maddux since he pretty much just lays in his bed all day. You love Annie as well, and I swear she is the most patient cat on the planet considering how she lets you carry her around, often upside down or by the neck. I’m glad you have a soft spot for animals because you will likely always have them around you.

You can be somewhat of a homebody and you love to play with your toys up in your room. You love all of your toys, especially your Roadster Racer Mickey, Paw Patrol Mission RV and Patroller and Blaze Monster Truck. You’ve gotten into board games lately like Chutes and Ladders (although you do not like it when you don’t win), and you still love to read books. You love to play hide n’ seek and tag. Your favorite color is still blue. Favorite TV shows are Mickey and the Roadster Racers (this is the kind of birthday cake you requested this year), The Lion Guard, Blaze and the Monster Machines, Paw Patrol and Bubble Guppies. You loves movies, and lately it has been Toy Story (all of them) and Moana. Oh, and you will ALWAYS watch Cars given the opportunity. You cannot WAIT for Cars 3 to come out this summer. You also love to be outside, much like your mama. Whenever it’s raining you look forlornly out the window and comment how sad you are that you won’t be able to play outside today. You love to ride your bike and scooter, or just investigate around the yard. You like to dig in the dirt, jump in puddles and get muddy. I hate when it rains because I know you will inevitably come home with muddy shoes and pants. You love to go to the playground or any sort of park. You are so inquisitive and you love to investigate. Lately you are really into “fixing things” and “working” as you call it. You use your little tool box and tools that PawPaw got you for Christmas and “fix” your bike and your toys. You always want to help, which I have to remember to be patient about.

Your favorite foods are hot dogs, mac n’ cheese, yogurt, Clif Bars (the kid sized versions), string cheese, grilled cheese, bagels with cream cheese, Chikfila, fruit, pretzels, scrambled eggs, waffles and PB&J. For treats you like marshmallows, popsicles, pieces of chocolate and vanilla ice cream with M&M’s. You pretty much just drink milk and water, and the occasional apple juice or Sprite if we’re at a restaurant. You’re still pretty picky, although it has gotten better. Basically we make you sit at the table until you finish, and at least try new foods. You have slimmed down so much and hardly have any of that cute baby fat anymore. You used to always wear a full size up in clothing, but now you are right on par. For the most part you are in a size 4t, with some 5t’s mixed in. You weigh around 45 pounds and are about 3-1/2 feet tall. You are still incredibly healthy and it is very unusual for you to get sick. You actually came down with some nasty croup like symptoms over the weekend and had to miss school yesterday, I honestly think that is the first day you have missed due to sickness this entire school year. Even if you come down with a cold, you get over it really fast. I am so thankful you are so healthy, especially considering how much I stress about you not eating enough veggies or getting enough vitamins.

You can be a little shy at first, but you warm up within minutes. You aren’t crazy about grown-ups, but you adore your little friends. You say your best friends from school are Scout and Porter (although you guys fight like cats and dogs sometimes) and your best friends at church are Heidi, Harlow and Hudson. You love to have friends over and Thursday night small group is one of the highlights of your week since some of your friends come over to play while the grown-ups do their lesson. You are constantly asking if your teacher, Mrs. Dunmore, can come over to play;) You like to pray for your friends and teachers every night, and usually you throw in one other random request. Last night you wanted to pray that your birthday cake arrived safely from Kentucky, lol! Daddy or I usually help you say your prayers, but lately you have done it all by yourself a couple of times and I always have to hold back tears as I listen to your heartfelt requests. You have such a sweet and genuine heart, and that is a trait I am so proud of and hope you never lose. You are still very loving and will regularly bury your head in my chest and say “I love you SO MUCH mommy.” You like for me to tell you that “you’re my favorite little boy.” Not sure how I am going to handle this when your baby brother gets here;) Overall, you seem excited about getting a baby brother. You are always patting my belly and asking me if I feel OK. Your buddies are fascinated by my big belly and you proudly inform them that your baby brother is in there, getting big and strong, and he’s going to pop out real soon:-)

Some of your biggest strengths are your intelligence, your leadership, your athleticism, your desire to help others (especially kids that are smaller than you), your empathy, your persistency, your energy and your excitement about life in general. Your teachers are always commenting how you have so much passion and just generally love really big. They also comment on your intelligence a lot. You’re the type that completely surprises us with what you know and recall. You’ll do things out of nowhere that we didn’t even know you could do. You have a crazy good memory and don’t forget anything. Some of the struggles we have with you are also related to your persistency, high energy and leadership. You don’t like to sit still, ever, which is obviously problematic when you’re in situations where you have to sit still, like preschool or Sunday school. Your persistency means you are often hard headed and defiant when you don’t get your way. You don’t give in easily. Your leadership means you are very competitive and you want to be in charge, or as you call it, be the “leader.” You always want to win and get pretty upset when you don’t. Your competitiveness has gotten you in trouble a few times at school. Just last week you punched a kid after he told you that you weren’t as fast as him. Aye aye aye. A common goal of mine and your dad’s is to reign in some of those qualities without squashing them, since we know they can have some benefits, especially as you get older. You have a little bit of a temper, and while you don’t have a lot of temper tantrums per se, you get really upset if you don’t get your way, or if things don’t go how you had planned. We are working on how to get you to control your emotions and not act out. We haven’t quite figured out the best discipline for you yet, but it seems to be taking things away, like favorite toys, or removing you from situations. You don’t like to miss out on fun things. Usually a threat to call Daddy works too;) For rewards you LOVE to go to Target and pick out a toy. We have a “good behavior sticker chart” on the fridge and whenever the chart is filled, you get to pick out a new toy. Before the first sticker even goes on the chart you’ve already decided what you want, and it’s all you talk about until your chart is filled and you get your prize.

Asher Wade, I am so proud to be your mama. I thank God everyday for entrusting your daddy and I with you, and I only hope we help shape you into the person God has designed you to be. You are an amazing little boy, and you can go on to do amazing things. You just have to trust God, listen closely and walk the path that He has laid out for you. I want you to know God, trust God, and love Him with all your heart. If you do those three things, you will always be fulfilled, and I will consider my job as a parent successful. I know how much you like to lead and win, but remember, following God is how you will ultimately win. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Motivation Monday

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Not the best week for me exercise-wise. Y’all, I am having so much pain in my ankles and shins. It’s incredibly frustrating. I can handle about 10 minutes on the treadmill, and even less walking outside. Thankfully the elliptical and stationary bike don’t seem to bother me, but I’m not a huge fan of either. Guess we’re going to have to become better acquainted though. Strength training is totally fine, and I’m still able to handle the rower at OTF, although my belly is definitely starting to make that a challenge. So overall there’s about to be a lot more modification with my workouts. I talked to my OB at my appointment this morning and he basically just lent a sympathetic ear and told me it’s par for the course when you’re pregnant and while there’s not much I can do to help the discomfort right now, there’s also not anything I need to be concerned about, which is obviously a good thing. Basically I just have to endure. He did suggest some compression socks for when I’m working out, so I guess I’ll try those. I think I’m just frustrated because I love running, and the treadmill in general, but I guess I just need to come to terms with the fact that I’m going to have to improvise.

Stats from last week:

Monday: 60 minute Orangetheory Fitness class

Tuesday: 60 minute Orangetheory Fitness class

Wednesday: Tried walking outside, but made it 25 minutes and my shin splints were too bad and I had to come back in. Finished up with 15 minutes on the elliptical.

Thursday: 60 minute Orangetheory Fitness class

Friday: Really short on time today since we had plans to head out of town early afternoon, but I squeezed in a quick 30 minute workout between the treadmill and the elliptical

Saturday: Attended a marriage retreat this weekend, so did not have free time to workout, although we definitely had some outdoor activity

Sunday: Really unusual for me, but I took a total and complete rest day. I was signed up for the 12:30 OTF class, but between Asher Wade being sick, terrible weather outside, and generally feeling really worn out myself, I pretty much just laid around the house all day. Not going to lie…it was pretty nice.

Pregnancy Journal #2: 25 Weeks

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{I’ll tell you what’s crazy. When you see in your little countdown app that you have 15 weeks left! I still feel like this pregnancy is dragging, but overall, 15 weeks doesn’t seem that far off.}
How far along: 25 weeks
Due date: Even though I’ve consistently been measuring a full week ahead, we are going with August 11th because I don’t want to feel pressure to induce earlier
Gender: BOY!!
Size of baby: A rutabaga (no clue what that even looks like) and over 1.5 pounds
Weight gain: I have no clue since my last appointment several weeks ago (which showed a 15 pound weight gain), but I go this coming Monday so I’ll come back and update after that. I’m still primarily gaining in my belly, which seems to be sticking straight out more and more each week. **Update – Had an appointment today (4/24) and I’ve gained a little over 2o’ish pounds.
Maternity clothes: Oh yeah, pretty much all the time. I do have several non-maternity pieces, like tunics and loose fitting tops and dresses, that have continued to work, but for the most part I need more room in the belly area. Being pregnant in the warm weather is a whole new thing for me. Asher Wade was born in April and it was still relatively cool and I pretty much had all cooler weather maternity clothes. It’s already so hot for April this year and I’ve had to buy quite a few summer maternity pieces. I’m kind of obsessed with maternity shorts…so comfortable! My favorites are the Liz Lange brand from Target because they are the perfect length and have cute little cuffs on the bottom.
Sleep: It varies and I’ll have a few good nights, and then several not so good nights. If I fall asleep and stay asleep all night, I’m good, but if something wakes me up (usually Asher Wade as of late) I’m screwed and generally cannot fall back asleep. There have been several nights where I’ve just turned on my Kindle and started reading at like 2 a.m. because I’m wide awake.
Movement: Yes, pretty regularly. It’s still not as much as Asher Wade and he seems to sleep a lot more. I’ll get a random kick or punch every hour or so, just to remind me he’s there I guess. He’s most active in the evenings when I’m relaxing. Matt has finally been able to feel him move. For awhile there, when I’d have Matt put his hand on my belly during a particularly active spurt, baby would suddenly go completely still…almost like he just knew Matt was trying to feel him, lol. Asher Wade has been able to feel a few kicks as well, which is very entertaining for him.
Cravings: Really nothing out of the ordinary, other than maybe cake. Give me all the cake. Like, I’m talking we keep a full on cake in the fridge at all times. Maybe it’s just sweets in general, and definitely still fruity candies. Still though, it’s not like with Asher Wade where I was eating Tazikis and Panera for 90% of my meals. Most evenings I really just want cereal. Lunch has been my biggest meal of the day, and then I just kind of snack throughout the rest of the day. I can already tell that I’m running out of room in my belly because I get uncomfortable pretty quickly if I eat too much.
Aversions: Not really anything in particular, but there are a lot of times where things that I normally love, just don’t sound good at all.
Symptoms: Some swelling in my feet, which is new this go around, and really annoying. Most of my cute shoes are too tight:( Still having a lot of pain in my ankles, shins and calves, although it’s primarily on my left side. This is also the ankle where I have the most swelling and spider veins, so I’m not sure what’s going on. I’m definitely going to talk to my OB about it on Monday, just to make sure it’s nothing I need to be concerned with. It helps a lot if I can keep my feet elevated, but that isn’t easy to do at work. I may bring in a small ottoman or something. My belly tightens up a lot to the point where I have to lay down, especially in the evenings, and I’ve been having a lot of Braxton Hicks, something I didn’t experience much with Asher Wade. I wouldn’t say I’m terribly uncomfortable, but I definitely don’t feel comfortable;)
What I miss: Wine and sleeping on my belly. I’ve been wanting a glass of cold wine so bad lately and I ended up treating myself to 4 ounces the other night while sitting on my neighbor’s back porch. It was fabulous. I also miss being able to jog outside, or even walk more than 20 minutes for that matter, without the stupid pain in my ankles and shins.
What I’m looking forward to: Having a weekend at home where we have nothing on the agenda so we can get some things done! We have had such a busy spring and I’m so ready for some downtime so I can start “nesting.” We have everything for the nursery and now we just need to pull the room together and put on the finishing touches. I need to pull out all of Asher Wade’s baby clothes, wash and sort, and figure out what else we may need. I also have this urge to do some major deep cleaning throughout the house.  There are several other house projects I want completed before D-Day as well. We are out of town this weekend, and then we have family in town for Asher Wade’s birthday party next weekend, but starting in May, I am planning to slow down a lot and starting focusing on baby prep.
Best moment of the week: Kind of random, but the other day when I went to pickup Asher Wade from school, several of his buddies were standing with him and they are all so fascinated with my belly and always want to touch it and ask about the baby. (Most of them have never seen a pregnant person up so close and personal and they just think it’s the most interesting thing in the world, while I on the other hand feel like a science experiment). Asher Wade just stood back, hands on hips, with so much pride, telling everyone “Yep, that’s my baby brother. He’s getting really big and strong and he’s going to pop out soon.” He truly sounded like a proud, big brother, and I just thought it was the sweetest thing.
Thoughts on pregnancy: I’ve started thinking about how much things are going to change, particularly our family dynamic, and it has started to make me a little emotional. I guess I never really considered how different it will be to divide time and energy between Asher Wade and the new baby. I mean, it’s been just Asher Wade for 4 years now. He’s gotten all of our time, love, energy and attention, like any only-child, and now that is about to be completely rocked. I almost feel a little (ok, a lot) guilty about how much things are going to change, knowing that he doesn’t even realize it. I could go on and on about this, and it probably deserves its own blog post at some point, but it’s been a very emotional process for me lately as I think about the changes coming and how Asher Wade is about to lose his only-child title. I guess I just worry about how I’m going to divide my time between two kids, and give them both everything they deserve. I will say this, I am SO GLAD we waited to have a second, mainly because I’m happy that Asher Wade had all this time to himself, and that Matt and I were able to devote so much to him. I don’t feel like he missed out on anything. I know we will start creating wonderful, new memories as a family of four, but I’m so thankful for the 4 years of memories we created as a family of 3. Long live the 3 musketeers:-)
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Motivation Monday

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We spent Easter weekend in Gatlinburg with Matt’s side of the family (pics to come tomorrow) and while we had a wonderful time, I definitely indulged on too many goodies! I have been craving sweets so much lately and unfortunately (fortunately?) Easter seems to bring out the plethora of sweet treats. I have GOT to get back on some sort of healthy eating track pronto or baby boy is going to come out addicted to Cadbury eggs and Starbursts.

I accidentally threw my beloved FitBit away several months ago (don’t ask….stupidest move on my part and one that I totally blame on pregnancy brain), but Matt surprised me with an Apple Watch a few weeks ago and I’ve enjoyed tracking my steps again and using it to gauge my general activity level throughout the day. I particularly like how it reminds me to stand every 20 minutes, especially on those days when I’m stuck at the computer working on some project. So even on those days where I don’t feel like I got in a good workout at the gym, I can at least make sure I get in my 10K steps and move throughout the day.

Stats from last week:

Monday: 60 minute Orangetheory Fitness class

Tuesday: 35 minutes on the elliptical

Wednesday: 60 minute Orangetheory Fitness class

Thursday: 15 minutes on the treadmill (5.0 mph) followed by a 45 minute Total Body Training class (primarily strength training using free weights)

Friday: Left early this morning for Gatlinburg and while I didn’t “officially” workout, we did walk around Dollywood for several hours and I at least got in my 10K steps.

Saturday: Headed outside for an hour long walk. Shin splints are still so bad, but the weird thing is that if I can just push through those first 1-2 miles, the pain starts to subside. That first mile though….so painful!

Sunday: After we got home I headed to the gym at my office (thankful it’s open on the weekends on days like this where I’ve overindulged and really need a good workout) and did a full body strength workout using free weights, with several 5 minute cardio bursts thrown in between sets, using the treadmill. The other good thing about going to the office gym late in the day on a Sunday is that no one is there to see me busting out of my workout top that I obviously didn’t realize was too small until I got there;)

Motivation Monday

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Lots of Orangetheory Fitness classes have been mixed in my exercise routine lately because I have some terrible shin splints and ankle discomfort going on right now and the most comfortable surface for me to run or walk on is the treadmill at OTF (they are cushioned well and generally just amazing). I have no clue if it’s pregnancy related or what, but I am assuming it is. I think my body, specifically my legs and ankles, are trying to adjust to the extra poundage I am carrying around. It’s really been a struggle and I’m hoping it subsides soon.

Stats from the week before last:

Monday: Went for a 4 mile run outside with my running buddy and it was a struggle. I don’t know if it was because I just hadn’t given my legs enough rest time since the half marathon, or if it’s because running is just becoming difficult with my 22 week (now 23 week) pregnant self. I was so out of breath, my belly felt ridiculously heavy, and like I mentioned above, I have shin splints from hell. Just overall not a good experience. I’m going to give it another few days and then try again, or maybe I’ll just stick with the treadmill, which doesn’t seem to bother me as bad.

Tuesday: 60 minute Orangetheory Fitness class

Wednesday: 60 minute Orangetheory Fitness class

Thursday: 50 minute walk outside along the river…shin splints are still awful:(

Friday: 20 minute run on the treadmill (5.0 mph) and a 30 minute Step class

Saturday: 60 minute Orangetheory Fitness class

Sunday: Took Cody for a 60 minute walk outside at a local greenway. I had to take several breaks to stop and stretch my ankles and legs, and generally walked a lot slower than normal, but I still feel like I got a good workout in and it was an absolutely gorgeous day.

Stats from last week:

Monday: 30 minute “Chisel” class (all strength training using free weights) and 15 minutes on the treadmill (5.0 mph)

Tuesday: 60 minute Orangetheory Fitness class

Wednesday: 60 minute Orangetheory Fitness class

Thursday: Wasn’t feeling it today, but I bucked up and did 20 minutes on the elliptical followed by about ¾ of a 45 minute Total Body Training class (full body strength workout with some cardio intervals thrown in)

Friday: 60 minute Orangetheory Fitness class

Saturday: 60 minute Orangetheory Fitness class

Sunday: Pretty much a rest day other than taking Cody for a stroll around the neighborhood