Pregnancy Diaries | The Second Trimester

I can't believe the second trimester has come and gone already. We got to see her sweet face at the 20-week ultrasound and I feel her move all the time now! This trimester definitely seemed extremely long though. They say the second trimester is a breeze and, for the most part, it was. I really can't complain. But it was also when I started to feel increasingly uncomfortable.

Aches and Pains

These probably make up most of my complaints. First it was hip pain on the right side at night, which is my favorite side. And then I had a few days where it felt like my groin was out of socket and it was painful to walk. That suddenly stopped after I started sleeping with a pillow between my legs. But then it was my left side, and this is still an issue. Whenever I lay on my left side, I feel a strain in my lower right abdomen. The only thing I can compare it to is when I had an ovarian cyst. I guess it could be that or just the joys of pregnancy. Oh, and charley horses. I had them fairly often in the second trimester. They would wake me out of a dead sleep and it was almost impossible to stand on that leg to get it to release. I even had them in both legs at the same time once.

Emotions and Stress

I started out the second trimester pretty emotional and irritable. It would come out of nowhere and I would cry for no reason at all. I imagine part of that was due to lack of sleep, which is still a problem. But I just think I'm getting used to it now...haha.

Maternity Clothes

At 18 weeks, I could still fit into my regular clothes, but I caved and gave into the comfort of maternity clothes. I've purchased a few pairs of jeans, a few dresses, and some tops. My favorite purchase has to be a pair of denim shortalls though. They are so comfortable! I've been living in them all summer. I can also still wear some of my pre-pregnancy dresses and tops so I'm just mixing and matching here and there. I actually really like maternity tops because they're longer. Other than being longer, they're just stretchier. Nothing about them screams "maternity". I only have one top that has the ruching on the side, but you can't even tell. I'll probably keep some of the tops after to add to my daily wardrobe. I wore the jeans a lot at first but now that it's the "dog days of summer", I'm most comfortable in the shortalls and dresses. But I'm not gonna lie. I can't wait to wear real jeans again and my regular clothes. I feel like I'm just renting a wardrobe right now...haha.

Hair, Nails...and Gums

It seems that my hair and nail growth has slowed down. And my hair is feeling a little more dry and brittle. I did run out of my conditioner and haven't been able to find it in stock anywhere so that *could* be the reason for the dry hair. I'm hoping that it's restocked soon so I can find out. But after going to the dentist, my gums have almost completely stopped bleeding when I brush and floss. My hygienist told me they probably would, so I've been happy about that.

Appetite and Weight Gain

I never got the increased appetite that you hear about...or the cravings. I still enjoy sweets more than I used to, but I don't crave them by any means. I didn't gain any weight in my first trimester, but I gained 11 lbs in the second. I'm pleased with that. Baby girl is going to be doing a lot of growing this last trimester though, so we'll see what I total out at.

Must Haves

Bio-Oil and Palmer's Massage Cream for Stretch Marks for sure! I use the Bio-Oil before bed every night and the Palmer's after I shower in the morning. I've done this daily since around the beginning of the second trimester. And SO FAR, no stretch marks. I don't know if it's due to these products, genetics or just plain luck, but I'm not going to stop!

It was a busy 13 weeks! We celebrated lots of birthdays for JP, Sydney and my dad, as well as Mother's Day and Father's Day! And my friend Heather and I took an overnight girl's trip to 30A and stayed in an awesome Airstream. We're in the home stretch now!

Pregnancy Diaries | The First Trimester

I found out I was pregnant in early December but, sadly, we lost the baby on Christmas Eve at 7 weeks. I wasn't too surprised because I hadn't been experiencing any symptoms and even expressed this concern to JP. So when it was confirmed, we were definitely disappointed but I felt like my lack of symptoms had prepared us for the possible loss. We decided to wait the recommended 3 months before trying again but God had other plans because, lo and behold, I was pregnant again less than 2 weeks later. Since I hadn't had any symptoms the first time, I really didn't know what to expect. I think I had mostly logged horror stories so I've been pleasantly surprised at the course my pregnancy has taken so far! As I read through each week in my pregnancy apps, I find myself noting that most of the ugly symptoms don't apply to me...yet. ::knock on wood:: So, what did the first trimester look like for me?

Ta Tas

BOOBIES! It was the first thing I noticed. They immediately got bigger and heavier. Like an achy heavy, especially on the sides. I dreaded taking my bra off, it hurt so bad...so I just didn't. And while the pain is less now, they're still growing. I'm in awe each time I look in the mirror. And I never take my bra off now, unless it's to put a sports bra or maternity bra on when I'm ready for bed. They are something to behold at a whopping 32DDD and I honestly hope they go back to their regular size post baby girl.

Fatigue, Nausea, General Blah

I lump these together because they all occurred around the same time. I started feeling pretty tired around 5 weeks. But it wasn't a fatigue like women usually describe, where they can't keep their eyes open to save their life. I remember a solid 2 weeks where I was good for nothin'. I'd get home from work and climb in bed and just lay there or watch TV. I never actually slept. I just had absolutely no energy. I felt so bad because JP was making dinner every night and doing laundry. And I felt like I wasn't really present for the girls when we had them. That lack of energy was coupled with a general feeling of just blah, almost like a hangover or like I was recovering from being sick. That was followed by a handful of random days where I was a little nauseous. Those were the darkest days for me. So, about 3 weeks total of that and my energy was back in full force before I was even out of the first trimester.

Appetite - Or lack thereof

I'm a foodie. I literally get so excited about eating. JP and I have a similar palette and our cravings always seem to be in sync. So, he was visibly bummed when he started suggesting things that I normally love and they sounded unappetizing. My beloved chicken milanese was one of the first to go. No chicken was safe really, except Chick-fil-A. It was really frustrating to be hungry and nothing sound good. The thought of most foods made me feel like they possibly could make me sick so I just didn't go there at all. I ate a lot of sandwiches and had my fair share of smoothies. Most cooked meats and veggies sounded gross. My appetite is slowly starting to come back but I don't have any crazy pregnancy cravings. I've noticed I've been eating a little more sweets than I used to but that's about it. Before I was pregnant, I would choose chips and dip over ice cream any day. And now chips don't excite me like they used to.

Hair, Nails...and Gums

My hair's always been on the thinner side but I've noticed it's been getting thicker. Not a huge amount but I can definitely tell a difference when I grab it all in one hand. It's certainly shinier. And my nails are growing at an annoying rate. What I didn't know is that your gums can bleed easier when you're pregnant due to inflammation. Mine act up when I floss.

Emotions

JP might disagree but I feel like I've been pretty even keel emotionally. I've had a handful of days where I was extra sensitive but it helped that I knew exactly why I was feeling the way I was. I had a day-long meltdown one Sunday because I wanted to snuggle and JP was busy. I immediately burst into tears that didn't stop until that evening. And it was so frustrating because I knew I was being irrational and that the tears weren't justified, but I just couldn't help it. A few other silly things have set me off, but not to that extent. I still get a little weepy sometimes but I can tell it's when I'm overwhelmed. I can usually snap myself out of it and it passes quickly.

As far as symptoms go, that's about it. I feel really lucky so far. I somehow seem to have skipped out on the full-blown morning sickness, constipation, acne, gas and heartburn that I've heard plagues the first trimester. I understand these can rear their ugly head later on, so I'll enjoy this while it lasts. I also thought I'd start showing much sooner. I remember thinking at 5 weeks that it was just a matter of weeks before the cat was out of the bag. But I didn't gain any weight during the first trimester. I'm not excited about getting bigger, as I've always been pretty body conscious, but I know it's what's best for the baby and I'm just trying to keep my weight gain in check by not going crazy with the food and staying active. I find that power walking is an easy way to get my heart rate up and get some endorphins pumping. I'm just trying to listen to my body and enjoy the ride. She'll be here in no time!

Its...ANOTHER GIRL! Gee, I wonder who wanted a baby brother...lol. And poor, outnumbered JP is running for the hills...

OH, BABY! Look out, world. We're shaking things up this September!

Christmas DIY

Pinterest has a way of making everything look so easy, like someone accidentally whipped the project up in 2 hours tops. So, naturally I thought this project would be simple. Props to the original creator! Our take on this Pinterest find was a year in the making. We started before last Christmas with every hope of finishing it in time for Christmas. Sadly, it didn't get finished until after the holidays. But, then it fell face-first onto the garage floor and a handful of the bulbs broke. Last week, JP wanted this thing done already...lol...so we bought a new staple gun and I yanked the stand-in painter's tape off the back and went on a stapling frenzy, re-routing extra bulbs to the holes of the broken ones. Finally, voila!

How did we make it? Well, we had a board that just happened to be the right size lying around the garage and we used flat white wall paint that we already had as well. The hubs painted the board and drilled all the holes through the board and the letters for me. Good man, I say! I then used gold craft paint for the ampersand and Mod Podge to put the gold craft glitter on the remaining letters. The lights are basic white string lights that you can find anywhere this time of year. The craft paint, glitter and cardboard chip letters can all be found at Michaels. I'd say it was more time consuming than difficult. But I'm thrilled that it's finally propped up on the piano and it really brings our living room to life!

Honeymooners

We spent our honeymoon in gorgeous British Columbia and were absolutely blown away by the beauty we experienced there!

Our Kauai Elopement

I'm coming in a little late on our wedding post, well any post lately. But I'm excited to share our Kauai destination wedding with y'all. Before JP and I even got engaged last November, we had planned a trip with my parents to Kauai in February. We agreed that there couldn't be a more perfect place for us to get married. And an intimate, no fuss ceremony really resonated with us. Of course, we'd celebrate with friends and family when we returned but we were going to get married in paradise!

Planning even a small ceremony from half-way across the globe presented its own challenges. I spent a lot of time on Pinterest looking at locations and vendors. There were lots of emails fired back and forth between our photographer, officiant, florist, makeup artist and myself. And with most weddings being planned a year out, we were definitely in a time crunch. But everyone I reached out to was so kind and eager to answer my questions and put my mind at ease.

So, on 2-16-17, in the presence of my mother and father, JP and I got married on the small beach at Moloa'a Bay. The morning rain let up and our incredible officiant, Kelvin Ho, led us through the most beautiful, spiritual Hawaiian ceremony of Aloha!

Officiant: Kelvin Ho
Photographer: Rachel Thurston
Makeup: Lulu Lush
Flowers: Flowers by Emma
Haku: Elvrine Chow