Second Trimester Favorites

My absolute must haves for my 2nd trimester favorites.

First and foremost, my absolute necessity to survive this pregnancy has been a supportive husband. I have a lot of respect for someone going at this alone and I don't want to take him for granted. There are more limitations for me now, I can still do everything as before but it might be more difficult or slower than before. I'm also really tired some days and he is able to pick up my slack. R has given back rubs, helped with leg cramps, assisted me getting out of bed, and taken on extra chores and cooking these past few months.  I'm blessed to have him and I can say with certainty that he will be he very best daddy to our nugget.

From the top right, going down:

Trident gum.  I have a pack a week habit.  It helps me get work accomplished at my desk so I'm not tempted to sit and eat all the time.  There is something with the cinnamon that I've been craving.

Zantac 75.  I take 2-3 of these per day because of reflux.  I can not function without them.

Crane Humidifier.  We originally bought this to get ready for nugget's arrival as a humidifier is recommended to help lower SIDS risk.  I'm so glad we decided to go ahead and use it.  Both R and I were waking congested and this thing is incredibly efficient at moisturizing the air.  We have both found relief since using it.

My bumpnest.  I've already blogged about this, I haven't tried any other pregnancy pillow but I can't imagine one being any better than this.  It's not just for laying down either, you can use it to prop yourself up to read or relax.

From the bottom, left to right:

The Lacie.  No shame in my game, these appear to be sassy lingerie, but they are a pregnant girl's BFF.  One size fits most, super stretchy, cut low under the belly, and beat out ugly maternity underpants any day!

SheaMoisture coconut massage oil, I highly recommend!  This stuff smells great and is extremely moisturizing.  I haven't used it on my bump yet, it does take a while to dry and I've got some stretch mark creams for that instead.  But for leg cramps and back pain this is the jam.

Pea in the Pod V Waist Lounge Pants.  Ah, comfort!  These are my favorite pants and I wear them often.  As often as I possibly can.  I will very likely get another pair of them soon.

Target Liz Lange Tank Tops.  These are essential, I own multiples in each color available. I wear one daily underneath my clothing and I enjoy wearing then to lounge or sleep in at home.  I will probably buy these even when I'm not pregnant, they are the best undershirt I've ever owned.

Lots of favorites this trimester, up until this point there hasn't been a lot of trial and error but I have a strong feeling that I will need to get creative to survive the last three months.  Now that I'm "filling out" my maternity clothing and having more discomfort I will probably have to try a few new products out for relief.  My "honeymoon" trimester is at it's end and now I'm starting the last leg of my journey.

Bumpdate: Week 26

Here I am, in my final hours of my second trimester and it feels so surreal!  We celebrated Christmas this week and we are days away from celebrating 2015 - the year I see my daughter's face!

Size of the baby: An eggplant, approx 9 inches and 2 pounds.

Total weight gain:  15 pounds

Maternity clothes:  Nothing maternity but I received some nice pajamas for Christmas sized up to accommodate my belly.

Gender: Our baby girl.

Nursery: Progress stalled the week of Christmas but we have a plan in place starting with painting the walls this weekend.  I'm hoping to get a crib mattress by the end of the week so we can go ahead and get the linens out.

Sleep:  Great! I wake up a few times in the middle of the night but I can fall right back to sleep in a few minutes.

What I miss:  Festive cocktails would have been nice but I tried some nonalcoholic wine on Christmas Eve that wasn't terrible.  It's not wine so I would never tell someone to uncork a bottle expecting wine but it was better than no option.  I also missed a good cheese tray, my husband baked some brie so I could enjoy it and we changed our Christmas Eve dinner from our usual mussels to shrimp for safety.

Cravings:  Orange juice.  Halos.  Our peanut butter balls and my mother in law's haystacks which I have been gobbling by the handful.   I was out of cinnamon gum this week but I wouldn't turn it down, ever.

Other symptoms:  Reflux, oh dear God it's awful.  I'm taking 3 zantac every day and still occasionally have to use tums.  I've mentioned before that I'm carrying low so I get some lower back pain and pressure on my lower belly, mostly at the end of the day.  Santa brought some Mama Bee foot lotion and body oil in my stocking and I certainly would not turn down a foot and leg massage though I haven't had any real swelling.  Leg cramps are happening several times a week and a leg rub is both painful and helpful.

Best moments:  Christmas!  I had two busy days at work before we could start our holiday but the vacation has already been fantastic. We had the very best Eve and a happy Christmas Day that I will likely post later in the week.  Our girl has been active and I think she is fond of Christmas music!  Even though she isn't here yet we still received a few gifts for her.  My mom wanted to set us up for the big guy in red next year with a mug and plate for milk and cookies and a quilted pillow book of The Night Before Christmas.  My sister in law gave us a set of newborn onesies and a little pink bear that my nephew insists the baby will love.  My mother in law had a hooded towel monogrammed for us along with a little mermaid doll, a book, and a BlaBla Kids mobile for the nursery.

I will likely not make it to midnight on New Year's Eve but we have made some low key plans.  I'm working that day and I didn't want to shorten anyone else's evening or be a total buzzkill if I fall asleep.  It's going to be great to have two long weekends in a row and we plan to get a lot of nursery items ticked off our list.

Our Christmas Home Tour

I realized that I haven't posted our holiday decor this year!  We set out maybe half of what we typically decorate with and I've enjoyed the simplicity.  It was just enough without being overwhelming and this pregnant mama worked hard all afternoon to decorate with the items we chose.  

Our side table nativity with a photo of our own little babe.

 Christmas cards, we usually just use some ribbon and clothes pins to display them.

 A pinterest inspired chalkboard message.

 Our reindeer friend, we move him around each year and he gets a new perch.

 Our sleigh candy dish, we didn't fill it with sweets this year but we put our bells from the Polar Express inside.

 Holiday candle and some greenery on our coffee table.

 Our 2014 tree.

 Mantle display and stockings.

Some special ornaments, new to our tree. This is our annual Lenox Santa.  Unfortunately the company had some issues in manufacturing so they sent them out twice without the date.  I've been assured they are correcting the problem and everyone will get one with 2014 stamped on the hat but he won't be sent until mid January.

 This one is hard to see, it's a 2014 mirrored ornament with our first ultra sound photo from August.  This is by far the most special memory from this year.

 I've been wanting a "J" ornament on our tree.  I couldn't find one that I loved so I made one using a shatterproof ornament and vinyl letter.

 Lady's ornament since she is new to our family, it's a personalized porcelain bone from Lenox.  Every time we show it to her she thinks it's a treat.

 My mother in law gifted this glass ornament to us last year in my stocking so it's his first year on our tree.

 And this folks is a picture of Lady on Christmas Eve morning.  We camped in front of the fire and tree overnight with our tv set for a Christmas movie marathon.  It was glorious, and she got to join us for the fun.  She doesn't get to sleep with us in bed so this was a huge treat and she loved laying on her daddy.

I'm sure I'll be posting our holiday fun later in the week.  Until then, I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas!

The Polar Express Experience

A couple of weeks ago we had the Polar Express experience at the NC Museum of Transportation. My mother in law treated the whole family to the early evening train ride and we had a blast.  It is a family event and much of it is geared toward children and the young at heart.  The storyline follows the movie pretty closely, it's about an hour long with some events set up for kids in the gift shop afterward.  We went early and walked the museum - my husband was such a big kid, he enjoyed the round house, especially the train cars we were able to tour.

We started our afternoon with a visit to Lexington Barbecue. We Eastern North Carolinians are always a bit suspicious of "red sauce".  I'm happy to report that it was delicious and we will definitely stop in again if we are in the area.

Our museum tour:

 All aboard at 4pm.

After we boarded our train, the actors served us hot chocolate (in really nice travel mugs) and chocolate chip cookies.  They also sang carols and we read the Polar Express together.  The conductor came around and clipped letters into our "golden tickets".

 The North Pole!

 The big guy!  He came around to each guest and hand delivered a bell.  The guests also received little bags of treats  for coming on the ride.

 R and I aboard the train.

It was a Christmas treat to be able to enjoy the ride together.

I would recommend the Polar Express ride in the future.  I think this was their first year and the actual train ride isn't as long as some others that are available, but it's good fun and the production is very good.  I think everyone in our crowd enjoyed it.  The kids were able to see Santa afterward and the staff had a few goodies set up in the gift shop so no one had to hurry home.

Bumpdate: Week 25

Look at that belly!

Size of the baby: a rutabaga, about 1.5 pounds

Total weight gain: 13 pounds

Maternity clothes: No new purchases but I've been reading up on pregnancy support belts.  I'm carrying so low that one may help my back on days when I have to do a lot of walking.  I think I'll buy one after the holiday (when it's safe to go into a mall).

Gender:  All pink over here!

Nursery:  Our crib is assembled!  Our stroller is assembled!  And we are buying paint samples on Tuesday, R plans to start painting the weekend after Christmas.  I also bought several baskets so I can start organizing her closet.

Sleep:  I'm sleeping well but I'm congested in the mornings.  It may not have anything to do with the pregnancy since R has been congested too.  We have started using the Crane humidifier that we bought to use when the baby is born.  Oh it makes such a difference.  We will need to get our own once nugget moves into her nursery.

What I miss:  Nothing really this week.  It would be nice to bend over comfortably.

Cravings:  Cinnamon gum.  Milkshakes.  Buttered grits. I can't wait for our Christmas even dinner!

Other symptoms:  My belly button is still "in" and I haven't developed a linea nigra...my belly is just a belly so far.  I'm having a bit of back and round ligament pain.  Numb hands in the mornings, it can be difficult for me to turn my alarm off.  I get easily frustrated which is definitely a hormone thing.  Oh and I lost my taste for food a couple of nights...I can still eat, no problem with my appetite but I can't tell you what I want to eat (this is R's pet peeve).

Best moments:  I feel her move all the time now!  Even R has felt her several times.  Seeing her crib put together and getting to test drive her stroller.  We've planned our Christmas eve and we have a game plan for Christmas Day...it's going to be exhausting so we have planned nothing for the Friday after.

I can't believe the third trimester is almost here.  She's getting bigger and I can feel her getting stronger every week.

Meet my little friend...the Bumpnest

In just a week I will complete my second trimester and I'll be sharing my favorite items of the last thirteen week.  There is one item that deserves it's own post, the infamous Bumpnest!

Here's Bumpy....

So many people suggested a body pillow to me and I've owned a body pillow in the past that I never cared for...it was too round and didn't "form" to my body.  This pillow is perfectly candy cane shaped for belly and back support.  It's also not too cushy under my head, I absolutely hate that...when pillows are so fluffy that they strain my neck.  I started using this pillow at about 13 weeks when I had no bump to speak of and it took a few nights to get comfortable with it.  I sleep with the short side out toward the edge of the bed so I can easily get up in the middle of the night but sometimes it still takes a few "rocks" to get my out of my nest.  Even R loves this pillow and steals a snuggle with it if I'm not in the bed.  The best part is the entire pillow and the cover are machine washable...in fact washing it keeps it fluffy.  There are several covers to choose from, I picked the most neutral.  And they use the scrap material to make newborn caps to donate and they included one in my purchase.  My biggest tip is not to toss the plastic case in comes in, I've used to to travel with this pillow at least four times and it keeps it clean and contained in the car.

The only downside is the expense.  It is a bit pricey compared to other body / bump pillows that are available.  Truthfully I almost went with another brand for that reason alone.  I couldn't decide if it was really worth it.  I think that I'll use this pillow even after I'm pregnant, it's super comforting and for these winter months, it helps keep me warm.  I may not use it nightly after the baby is born but I can definitely see me taking a nap with it - if naps even exist in my future :-)

Five on Friday

This is the 2014 holiday edition of my five on Friday.  I'm not sure I will post much next week and I wanted to document some snippets about our holiday season so far.

The Meadow Lights and Christmas Candy.

We go to this light show every year and it's not Christmas until I've seen it.  We rode the train and stopped by the Old Fashioned store for some goodies.  I was a hungry preggo who should have eaten dinner first because we racked up on sugar.

Christmas presents.

They are all wrapped with bows and tags.  I'm finished thank goodness!  Every year I choose a different color scheme and I love the red and metallics of this year's Christmas paper.

Candles.

We chose some new holiday scents and rotate which ones we burn every night.  I usually get different candles every year but some of these could easily be seasonal winners.

New stockings.

Well not really new ones for R and I, but for our pets!  I bought these on sale over Black Friday and I love how they look with our Ballard Designs plaid stockings.  Lilly and Lady each got their own so there will be no fighting come Christmas morning.

New wreath.

I didn't make many decoration purchases this year.  I already feel like I have holiday decor coming out of my ears.  But I did buy two stockings for our pets and this boxwood wreath from Target.  I'm hoping it will last if I store it properly.  I love the pop of green in our small hallway.  I was worried about the quality since this one is so economical and most boxwood wreaths are pricey but I'm very pleased!

I hope to blog some this weekend so I can have a few scheduled posts.  I think Christmas entries are my favorite ones to write.  Be sure to check out some of the blogs linked this week because most of them should make for festive reading!