20 Week Update

This week marks that halfway point in this pregnancy! Isn't that insane? It probably does seem crazy since I've hardly said a thing about this pregnancy on the blog. It has gone SO fast and I have to say I've been pretty non-attentive to the whole thing this time around. I mean I've been aware that I am pregnant but I haven't been hyper focused on it like I was with Kip. Now that I'm halfway, it is starting to really "feel" like I'm pregnant.

I just looked back at my 20 week update with our first pregnancy and holy wow, past experience really makes a difference! So many things we don't have to do this go around. No need for birthing classes, no need to "find" a pediatrician, we had a girl name picked out years ago so no fuss there, already have a breast pump, no reason to create a registry, consider childcare options, or do a hospital tour. Sort of so much less stressful in a sense but also I feel like I haven't really savored the pregnancy and built the anticipation as much.

This time around I also have a different Gynecologist. With Kip I had a woman who was fine but I always felt stupid asking her questions and she had zero bedside manner. The doctor that delivered Kip was actually another physician in the practice (she was the one on-call that day). When my doctor moved away, I switched to the one that delivered Kip. She is really supportive and sympathetic and it is so much easier to talk to her. I'm really glad I was able to switch without having to tell my former doctor that "I quit your services."

I didn't do a first trimester recap like I did with Kip so I'll just do a quick summary.

Dan and I decided to start trying to get pregnant starting in July. Our window was July-November for conception because I really did not want to have a baby in the dead of winter. It was a no-go with our July attempt but our second chance was our anniversary weekend in August. Fitting. I was near certain that one wasn't going to take but mid-September I took a pregnancy test and it was positive!! I feel really blessed that it happened quickly and simultaneously really guilty because I know it's not that easy for most people.
 
I went in to see the doctor that week to make sure it wasn't ectopic (I'm high risk for this) and it was still too early for her to even see if the egg was viable so I did blood work and came back a week later to have another ultrasound. We were incredibly blessed that the baby was already growing!

We went to the hospital at the beginning of November for the first official ultrasound and screening and the baby waved at us! 

We told our parents and siblings right away but didn't officially announce anything until we got past 12 weeks. By that point we had gotten the results from the genetic testing and that is how we knew it was a girl. I was absolutely elated to find out it was a girl. I would have loved another boy, no doubt, but Dan and I only plan on having two kids so I'm really grateful we have a girl this time.

Earlier this week we went to the anatomy ultrasound and got to see her again. She was so snugly and sweet looking, I can't wait to hold her.

Symptoms
So far I've felt pretty good and handled the pregnancy symptoms better this time around. Not sure if that is because I am prepared better in terms of what to expect or if the gender really does make a difference.

- No real morning sickness. I had some days of feeling sick which I didn't have with Kip at all, but I never actually got sick. Thank God!
- My trainxiety came back FULL swing pretty much immediately and it's been slightly worse this time around.
- I had really bad tailbone pain with Kip and I've only had it on occasion this time, and only if I stay in one position for too long.
- Restless leg syndrome (so annoying)
- Heightened sense of smell (big time)
- Constipation and bloating (always bad, excessively worse)
- Fatigue (worse now on account of having a two year old at the same time)
- Frequent urination (like this ever left after Kip)
- Irritable (typical)
- Enlarged ladies
- Knee pain (this is new this time and I'm not sure it is pregnancy related)
- Some occasional round ligament pain
- Started feeling very tiny and subtle movements last week (still hard to distinguish for certain)
- Mild acne (no more than my usual...with Kip it was HORRENDOUS)

The Bump
I feel like I started showing immediately but that was probably just bloating. Since I felt so large so early, it seemed like I was trying to hide for a lot longer. My herniated belly button doesn't help as it is already popped out so my midsection looks like a cherry sundae from day one. I started wearing maternity clothes pretty exclusively now although I have a few shirts that still fit. The majority of the office knows I'm pregnant now but I felt like it happened sooner last time and I forgot how awkward it is to have people stare at you and not say anything. Once they hear or have the nerve to ask, they all say they "suspected," which annoys me because it makes me feel self-conscious.

But here is a picture of the bump for documentary purposes only.

Cravings
I think I had more cravings with Kip. This time I've only truly craved a cinnamon raisin bagel with cream cheese once and Dan satisfied it for me. I've had a "taste" for a lot of things but no deep cravings. I still really like sour cream this time and over Christmas I really wanted lots of bacon. I would like a deli meat sandwich but I have to avoid those so that is really just something I miss. Otherwise, I've had a lot of cheese, dill pickle, and chip sandwiches but I'd eat those even if I wasn't pregnant.

Aversions
The only aversions so far this time are baked egg dishes (egg casserole, quiche, etc.). But I'm fine with plain eggs like fried or scrambled. And it's not a true aversion like I won't touch it...I just don't care for it if I have a choice.

Purchases
We've restrained ourselves pretty well so far and we don't need much, just keepsakes and essentials.

Bump for Joy book
This is the same pregnancy book I had with Kip and it's a super easy way to do a little documentation and save all the ultrasound photos as well.

Document notebook
We have a little notebook that we used with Kip to keep track of his nap and feeding schedule when he was a baby. We actually still use it (creatures of habit). I found another notebook at Rite Aid when we found out we were pregnant, but it was sort of girly. After we found out the gender, Dan went and got it.

Pumping supplies
I used a lot of our leftover FSA money at the end of 2019 to get a bunch of milk bags on Amazon. Did you know they have an FSA shop on Amazon?? Pretty cool. I got some pads and replacement parts as well.

Baby clothes
Just a few articles of cute clothes we just couldn't pass up. Mandy buys Kip SO much clothing. Having a girl is going to make things exponentially worse because I can't resist a cute girl outfit either. There are SO many more options for girls!

What's Ahead
I feel like a lot of our preparation in the next 20 weeks will be with Kip. Getting him transitioned to a big bed, working on potty training, talking more about the baby, etc. At work I need to solidify my maternity leave plan but the policy has changed since I had Kip and the paid time off is exceptionally more generous now which is exciting. Mandy and I are working on making Kip's room "sharable" even though the baby will be in our room to start. And the only major purchase we've discussed is a new stroller, otherwise we have all of Kip's baby gear to use again.

It's hard to imagine how things will shift with a second baby but just like with the first, we will plunge into the deep end and figure out how to doggy paddle eventually. Hopefully this time we have experience on our side.