Weeks 13-26

In all honesty, the majority of the second trimester was awesome.  My energy was much better, I had an appetite for quality food (like my old self!), and I got in a decent amount of regular exercise.  But it definitely had it’s annoying parts, too.  I almost feel like weeks 13 through 26 of pregnancy should be further divided into three parts – the beginning, the middle, and the end – because they were so different.  For me, at least.

The beginning. Reaching week 13 of pregnancy was a big deal (even though it really wasn’t).  Nothing necessarily changed physically, but my emotional and mental state shifted.  It was like I had reached a milestone.  Starting the second trimester may seem an arbitrary marker to some, but to me it meant the pregnancy was real.  We finally shared the news with the rest of our family and friends (we had only told our parents and my sisters).  Symptom wise, I still had the same dizzy spells and lingering days of nausea.  The nausea went away by the 14-15th week, but my episodes of overheating and faintness pretty much hung around until week 18 when some cooler weather finally came along.  I still wasn’t showing, so physically I just felt big and unattractive, as opposed to pregnant and glowing.  I also had a completely unpredictable appetite for this beginning portion – alternating between starving and stuffed without any relation to portion sizes. 

The middle of the second trimester was my golden time (I’ve heard it called the honeymoon phase of pregnancy).  By the 16th week, I had pretty much perfected my eating patterns and felt really good about the variety and diversity of food I was eating at each “meal” (slash snack).  My exercise routine hit it’s stride during these weeks too and at certain points I almost felt like my old self.  Aside from the belly.  My physical change during these weeks was probably the biggest deal for me.  Seeing an actual belly on my own body was surreal, but it also made everything feel REALLY real.  And just before the 19th week arrived I began to feel him kick.  Kyle felt a few too.  It was mind blowing.  There’s no way to describe it.  That little (but monumental) act definitely changed everything in my head.  I had a little boy growing inside of me and he was letting me know he was there.  Frequently.  It was soooo cool.  Even though I still felt like a whale and was feigning annoyance at my growing body, my attitude was definitely different now.  My earlier moments of body issues were completely gone.  I also finally got clothes (and bras) that fit during these weeks (why was I so resistant to pregnancy clothes?!).  Basically, these glorious weeks were the fun ones, how I imagined pregnancy to be. 

The end.  The final part of the second trimester was up and down.  I definitely got in the best exercise during this time – sometimes running a full 20-30 minutes consecutively.  But it’s also when my belly started to become big enough to hinder my comfort level.  I mean this in terms of sleeping, sitting, working, and very basic movements (like putting on socks – oh how I hate putting on sock!) and shaving my legs.  My diet was pretty rock solid, consisting of diverse hippie eats with a few treats (but minimal crap).  Of course this was also the phase that my glucose test woes appeared.  Fortunately, that’s over and I have moved on.  My appetite was all over the place again though (similar to the earlier part of the second trimester).  Sometimes I felt like I wasn’t possibly eating enough because of how quickly I got full (so annoying for someone who likes to eat).  Other days I felt ravenous and even after a few small breakfasts I still felt like I needed more food.  In spite of my appetite’s confusion, it definitely seemed like this was the start of a mega growth spurt for our junior hippie.  His little kicks turned into strong movements and what used to be sporadic taps turned into coordinated body rolls.  I can now feel him squirming around at all hours of the day and night, taking up my entire abdomen.  It’s amazing.  Even though I thought I had accepted my pregnant physique earlier in the second trimester, it wasn’t until these last few weeks that I actually started wearing clothes that showed off my belly.  No more baggy shirts.  No more bulky sweatshirts.  I gave up the disguise and became “the pregnant girl” in public.  People stare; and smile; and stare some more.  And yet, for some reason, it still surprises me when strangers acknowledge my pregnancy.  I forget it’s not a secret – it’s clear just looking at my physique.  I think I like it, but I’m still unsure.  I guess it depends on my mood and who is engaging in conversation (most of the time I love talking about all things pregnancy, but sometimes I just want to be left alone). 

In any event, I’m shocked that the third trimester is already here!  We’ve made very little progress in the nursery (aside from setting up the crib) and there are some things on the checklist that definitely need attention sooner rather than later.  Coming up in the next month or so – birthing classes, a tour of the hospital’s maternity unit, and a meeting with an HR person to sort out maternity leave.  And a baby shower!!  😀

It is so crazy how much I love this boy already. 

[Here’s a 3D image of his face (slightly covered by his hands) – even though he was being shy and uncooperative you can still make out his nose and lips]