Baby #2: Weeks 23 & 24

Week 23

We left for vacation on Thursday night, so the first part of this week was just wrapping things up at work (including a presentation that I was super happy to get off my plate) and packing!

I hit the gym on Wednesday morning to get one last sweat sesh in before we left.

I probably could've done 65# for the clean and jerks, but 55# was fine by the time we made it to the 3rd or 4th round.  The next minute came around pretty quick!

Hit play twice.

For the WOD I did 5 cals on the bike, used a 10# ball, and did step ups.  I felt good overall, but did feel a tiny bit of cramping or something so I took my time through the second half.

We arrived in Cape May just in time for the hottest weekend ever.  On Friday we worked a half day in the morning, then my mom arrived and we actually opted to skip the beach to just veg and get ready for an early dinner at the Lobster House.

On Saturday we thought we wouldn't last long at the beach because of the heat, but being right on the water was lovely.  We only stayed 3 hours because we didn't pack lunches, but we really didn't want to leave.

We made up for it on Sunday and sat on the beach for 6 hours!  The breeze off the water and many cool dips in the ocean made it the perfect beach day, despite the crazy high temps.

My mom left Sunday evening, we had a really nice weekend with her and I love that my in-laws are so welcoming of her and my family in general.

Week 24

On Tuesday the heat finally broke and we took Vienna for her first trip to the zoo!  Cape May has a cute little donations only zoo and we had a great time checking it out.

The rest of the week was a blur of beach days, delicious food, and touring all the bars in town (and staying up way too late when my toddler does not care that I want to sleep in), with a trip to the Wildwood boardwalk, an epic sushi dinner, and even a few naps sprinkled in.  It was a wonderful vacation.  We are truly spoiled by my in-laws between all the rides, awesome meals, childcare, and more... and by Cape May in general.  It is definitely my happy place.

But it's always nice to come home!  I was counting down the days until I could visit the chiropractor and sleep in my own bed.  I was also looking forward to getting V back on her regular schedule, especially since I think she is working on a molar.  And I'm pretty sure I gained 6 lbs in 10 days so all the vacation treats needed to come to an end lol.

I'm not sure if it was the strain of carrying Vienna across the beach or how I've been rolling over in bed, but I've been feeling some discomfort in my pubic bone.  I know it can be common in pregnancy but I never really "closed out" my physical therapy (my therapist went out on a random leave before I got discharged and I never went back...) so I'm thinking about making an appointment.

I also had random knee pain on Monday morning that seemed totally out of the blue but I looked at my recaps from last time and apparently my left knee was bothering me (originally from an old ski jump accident from when I was young and dumb) right around this time too.  I'm guessing it has something to do with the hormone relaxin, which makes your joints nice and loose.  I also read that my feet were aching on a daily basis already so I'm happy to report that I haven't experienced that yet!

Only a few weeks left until summer is over and I'm in the third trimester... OMG!

Baby #2: Week 22

Almost forgot to take pictures this week, so here's my finest from Monday night at 22 weeks and 6 days.

I started off week 22 with some CrossFit.  Tuesday I went to the 5 pm class because I had a dentist appointment on Wednesday morning and needed to pick up some Kettlebell Kitchen meals I ordered.

I miss handstand push ups, but the L-sit dumbbell presses smoked my arms and shoulders!  I used 20# and completed 65 reps.  For the WOD I did 6 calories on the bike, 8 regular pull ups + 8 dumbbell row, 6 cal bike, and I used a 20# DB for the snatches.  I probably could've gone a little heavier with my DB, but oh well.  I finished in 19:30 and felt great.   I blew off the gym Friday morning because Dave's friend was in from North Carolina (just for the night, because he was in York for work) so I stayed up way too late!

We continued our Whole6 through the week and it went really well.  I never really adjusted to drinking my coffee black and I craved chocolate all week, but overall it was super smooth and uneventful.  I lost 4 lbs which was definitely a lot of bloat, I feel like my face got less puffy and my love handles chilled out a bit.  I'm trying to keep the good habits going (like not keeping a candy stash at my desk at work and choosing veggies over mac and cheese with dinner...) but also this preggo needs some ice cream!

I broke my Whole6 with a sushi dinner with the gals on Friday night.  We had the worst service ever, but it was still nice getting together.  On Saturday we hit Jenn and Jason's annual pool party!  We've been attending for the past 6 years and it's always the best time.  It was awesome catching up with everyone and the weather was absolutely perfect.  Vienna wasn't so sure about the puddle jumper I just bought her, but she did have fun being a little daredevil and going off the diving board!!!!!!

Let be known that we put her puddle jumper on her right after this.

I almost had a heart attack.

On Sunday we moved V into her new room and she seems to love it!  Earlier in the week, Dave was hanging out in there reading her a book and I was peeking in, taking a picture and she looked up at me and said "happy" and I just about died!

As soon as we moved her crib, she asked us to put her in it and then hung out for a little playing with her baby dolls and reading a book.  The blackout shade is amazing and I don't know why we didn't install them in her last room.  Dave and I moved both the dressers, with the full drawers in them because apparently they don't just lift up and pop out, and they were heavy AF.  It was probably something that a pregnant lady shouldn't have done, but I did it and felt completely fine.  I had to laugh because in my 23 week update from last time, Dave's dad wouldn't even let me help them with the furniture at all.  I did tell Dave I'm definitely not up for moving the baby's new furniture from the garage though.  The room still needs some decor and final touches, but I'm really happy with how it came out.

I'll take better pics when it's actually decorated!

In other random pregnancy news:

• I'm feeling the baby kick all the time now and Dave felt her kick for the first time too!
• I started listening to my Hypnobabies tracks before bed, they are so relaxing.
• I'm loving the second trimester, I feel fairly normal and I'm enjoying it while it lasts.

In other random non-pregnancy news... THIS HAPPENED!

Jennifer Mooney Photography

4 months to go and life is good :)

Baby #2: Week 21

Thank goodness it was a short week at work, because I was still dragging from our weekend down the shore.  V must be teething or something because she woke up crying at 3:50 am on Wednesday, which is very unusual.  When my alarm went off at 5:10 for the gym, that was a big fat nope, so I skipped.  I think my days of uninterrupted sleep are over for a while.  I keep waking up and having these crappy dreams.  They aren't quite nightmares, but they are unsettling and I wake up feeling like I did something wrong.

Vienna's big girl room is officially painted!  We got two paint samples but ended up picking Waterscape from Sherwin Williams and I love how it came out.

My dad came over on the 5th and helped Dave, they did a lot of prep work and then painted the ceiling and trim.  Dave did the primer on Saturday morning and then painted two coats of the color on Sunday.  He was a champ!    Vienna seems excited when we're hanging in the room and tell her it's going to be hers, but to be determined how she reacts when we actually move her in there.

After helping Dave for the afternoon, my dad took V and Mela home with him, leaving Dave and I kid free for most of the weekend!  We took advantage of the opportunity and went out for a dinner date at Sage in Phoenixville.  Apparently we only go there when I'm pregnant, because the only other time we've gone was when I was 38 weeks!  But we knew the food was good last time and we had a gift card to use.  We split the falafel appetizer and then Dave got an ahi tuna special and I got a giant bowl of seafood pasta.  My dish included shrimp, scallops, salmon, and crab meat over linguine in a pink lobster sauce.  It was all delicious.

Saturday I slept in and then finally went to workout at the Y.  Since we've joined I've gone for Vienna's swim lessons and to enjoy the outdoor pool, but I hadn't actually used the gym yet.  CrossFit has been my priority, but I did not want to set an alarm and I figured I'd go sit by the pool for a little after my workout.  I hit a few sets of heavy back squats, ending with 130# for 6 reps.  And then I did the strength metcon that I would've done at CF.

DL = deadlift, HPC = hang power clean, PJ = push jerk

I did 45, 50, 55, 60, 65 as the weight for my sets.  I intended on going heavier, but those weights felt plenty heavy and using a thick men's bar smoked my grip.  I was able to do the first two rounds unbroken and then the last 3 I took a break between the deadlifts and the hang power cleans.  I ended my workout with some bicep curls.  The Y gym was fine, but after 6 years of CrossFit watching people do nonsense at the Y was... entertaining.  Sitting at the pool afterwards was perfect.

Saturday night we attended Dave's cousin's wedding in Elizabethtown.  The ceremony was outside and it was intense.  I believe it was almost 90 degrees, but the sun and humidity made it feel like almost 100.  The chairs were way too close together and we were jammed in shoulder to shoulder.  Midway through the ceremony I had a moment where I started to feel ill.  Thankfully the sun went behind some clouds and the moment passed, but I was real happy when it was finally over.  The  rest of the evening was in AC and it was lovely.  The dinner was yummy, the flowers were gorgeous, and the band was awesome!  We danced all night and had a blast.  The drive home wasn't terrible, except my pregnant bladder forced us to stop at a random gas station only 30 minutes into the drive.

Sunday I got to sleep in again and spent most of the day catching up on some shows with some house tidying sprinkled in.  We started a "Whole6" so I made a sweet potato hash, bacon, and dippy eggs for breakfast and then Dave helped me put dinner in the crockpot.  We had beef, carrots, potatoes, and onion and it really hit the spot.  To be clear, I'm not trying to diet, I'm just trying to rein in my habits.  For example, we've been enjoying our coffee with tasty flavored creamer, it legit tastes like dessert.  But we really don't need to be drinking all that sugar.  That first sip of black coffee was a rude awakening!  I'm hoping that after the week is done, I'll be a little less addicted to sugar and some of the good habits will stick around.

My self esteem has been taking a bit of a hit lately... I thought I'd be able to avoid gaining so much weight again, but the past few weeks the scale has been climbing.  I feel HUGE and I know I have a long way to go.  I'm trying not to dwell too much because I know pregnancy can be different for everyone and the fact that I lost 30 lbs in the week after delivery tells me that my body may just need to pack on the pounds when I'm growing a human.  But I'm hoping I can get things under control a little bit and I certainly don't want to find out that I have gestational diabetes.

Ah the joys of pregnancy!

Baby #2: Week 20

Wow halfway!  I know the last 10 weeks or so will drag on, but right now it really feels like time is flying.  I cannot believe it is already July.

I forgot to mention last week that I'm finally feeling consistent movement.  It still mostly just feels like little flutters, but once in a while I get a big kick and it's all so exciting.  Feeling a person move inside of me has to be one of the coolest things I'll ever experience.

Week 20 started off with our anatomy scan ultrasound.  We already knew our little peanut is a girl, but this scan looks at so much more and it's really just amazing.  We saw her little heart beating away, saw her spine, her brain, other organs.  We got to see her grab her foot.  They estimated her at 12 ounces and said everything looked normal and reassuring.  She's right on track!

Not creepy at all right?  As you can see on the right, she was folded in half for most of the scan.  There may also be an alien behind her...

Here's a comparison shot of V vs. Baby #2.

Congratulations, it's a gremlin!

I also got the results back from my latest blood test, which screened for neural tube defects, such as spina bifida, as well as other chromosomal abnormalities, and it came back negative as well.  I feel so relieved to know that she is doing well in there :)

I debated skipping the gym on Wednesday.  I stayed up too late on Tuesday night and thought I could go on Thursday instead.  But then I woke up naturally at 5:15 am and figured it was fate.  Similar to last Wednesday, the focus was overhead squats.

The pause OH squats felt nice and easy and I worked up to 91#.  I did Nancy Rx except I rowed the 400m and I finished in 17:34.  My shoulder was bothering me a little bit when I snatched the weight, but once it was overhead it felt totally fine.  Why you suck left shoulder?!

On Thursday all the furniture was delivered!  I ordered the dressers from Wayfair and the delivery process was super smooth.  I was able to easily change my delivery appointment online, then the day of you can track the truck, see how many stops it is behind you and when they are expected to come.  There's a phone number for the delivery driver if you need to contact them.  They called me 30 mins before arriving, right in the middle of my 4 hour window, and when they showed up they were at my house for 5 minutes and delivered my stuff with a smile.  Oh and the shipping fee was only $20.

My buybuyBABY delivery was the complete opposite.  The delivery was through Pilot Freight Services and I would not recommend them to anybody.  I never heard from them all day and there was no way to track what was happening.  An hour after our delivery window, I called them to check the status and they said it would be another hour.  I was so annoyed, I was home all day and now they were telling me they were going to deliver my stuff right when I need to go pick up V.  And buybuyBABY's only option is to deliver with a signature, so they refused to just leave it in my garage if I wasn't there.  I rushed out of the house to try and grab a few things from Wegmans and get V early to get back in time, but I was in the middle of Wegmans when they called and told me they'd be there in 25 minutes.  I called Dave and he was able to leave work early to be there for the delivery.  When the driver pulled up 2.25 hours after our delivery window, he was short with Dave, didn't even offer an apology for being so late, and was smoking a vape.  I paid $99 for "white glove delivery" (aka the cheapest option on their website)... what the F!  I would've ordered the crib from Wayfair if it was in stock, but I was stuck with buybuyBABY.  I miss Babies R Us and the option to pick up the stuff at their store for free like we did last time.  I wrote them a super long nastygram on their delivery feedback and also wrote them a message in their contact us form.  I want a refund for the delivery fee, but I'm really not holding my breath.

Thankfully I was able to wash all my stress away with our weekend in Cape May!  It was super hot, which meant we were in the water constantly.  Vienna loves the ocean and has no fear.  My in-laws spoil us with childcare, delicious food, and rides everywhere.  We took Vienna to the arcade for the first time and she loved the stupid little rides.  We caught up with Karisa and Frank and their kiddos.  We stayed out way too late with Kay and Trip.  And we celebrated Dave's birthday!
  

I'm definitely still trying to catch up on sleep.  Staying out until 1 am (when I was pregnant last time) was totally fine when I got to sleep in and then nap on the beach.  Not the case these days!  I'm slightly worried about how I'm going to handle Folk Fest because not getting enough sleep just makes me feel terrible right now.  I'm guessing I'm going to get a little wild with some extra coffee.

In other pregnancy related happenings, I had my first real battle with heartburn on the way home from the beach.  I remember having it in the second trimester last time, so hopefully this isn't a regular occurrence now.  It sucked.

Deja vu!  20 weeks in both pics, 4 lbs heavier this time around.  I think my belly is a little bigger and I know my boobs are!  I kinda feel like a blimp.  I'm considering doing a "super healthy eating week" after the holiday weekend to get myself reigned in a little, things have gotten really loose as of late.  I'm thinking about doing a Whole7, but I'm not sure about being that strict, maybe I'll keep some cheese and rice or something.  I know I'd feel less tired if I was eating super clean and I'm sure it would help me avoid any heartburn too.

Painting is happening this weekend... so I guess I'll have a final decision on the color next week.  Stay tuned!