Baby #2 Lately

I'm sad I haven't been keeping up with this but I figure as I near the halfway mark I will be better at it.  Most of the first half is uneventful anyhow.  To be fair, I really wasn't great about doing these with my first pregnancy either so its not just second child syndrome! So I will catch us up until now :)

How Far Along: 18 weeks, 19 tomorrow

How Big is Baby: The size of a bell pepper; about 6.5 inches from head to hiney

Weight Gain: About 2 lbs

Sleep: I have been having more pregnancy related poor sleeping nights.  My number one symptom this pregnancy has been a stuffy nose and I hate breathing through my mouth when I sleep so if I wake up when I sleep and my nose is stuffy I can't go back to sleep and I toss and turn.  I have had to break out the old lady nose strips and vicks.  It definitely helps but the whole deal is rather frustrating.

Diet/Cravings/Aversions: I kept waiting for the morning sickness to hit this whole time and it never did.  Week 7 was a little queasy but basically as long as I keep food in me I'm good and the times I do feel a little queasy is usually at work around 3 am when my 11pm lunch has worn off and I'm due for a snack.  With L I was horribly nauseous and sick for 20ish weeks and had a major oral aversion to having food in my mouth.  This time not at all things are so so different in this department.  As far as cravings it varies, I have been craving ethnic food mostly asian though and mostly stuff I can't get here in the states :(

I'm really just not a big eater, I love food but not a lot of it and I often find myself having to have a reminder to eat something or else I will go too long and start to feel crappy.

Movement: YES! Just in the last week have I started to feel more movement. I Started to feel little flutters at 16 weeks which is the same as with L but nothing real consistent until this week, its such an amazing feeling!!

What I'm Loving: Naps, Naps, Naps I have been so tired this pregnancy like more than I remember being with L.  They say my hematocrit is ok but I guess I just need to drink more water and eat more fruits and veggies both of which I have been lacking

Symptoms: Like I mentioned, I am so tired, and have this annoying stuffy nose.  I have been having more headaches which I think is from lack of caffeine and water intake.  I really usually only drink coffee or soda when I'm at work and I think not having any on my days off is whats causing my headaches.  My hips have started to be sore too if I am in the same position for too long.  But honestly this pregnancy has been so easy there are honestly days I forget I'm pregnant.

What's different: This pregnancy has been so crazy different than with L.  My face hasn't broken out as bad, I haven't been nauseous at all (queasiness doesn't count I have never felt like I was about to vom any minute like with L...TMI sorry) I have been way more tired, and I have been able to exercise where I didn't at all with L.  I would not have dreamed of doing a half marathon during my pregnancy with L and I was able to this time around at 10 weeks.  Was it easy? Heck NO but I was able to do it and still have energy the rest of the day.

Also, what they say about showing faster the second time...so true! I thought for sure I could avoid that phenomena but oh no I feel like as soon as I had two pink lines my clothes were tighter.  That was actually something that led me to believe I may be pregnant because I had started to run more and usually when I do that my stomach shrinks pretty fast and this time it wasn't.  I never bought much in the way of maternity clothes with L but this time they are a must.  none of my pants fit anymore but I think its gonna be all about the skirt this summer!

Boy or Girl?
We don't know yet and will be finding out on July 13th at our gender reveal party.  People ask if I have a feeling one way or the other or if I want a girl or boy.  Honestly, my "feeling" changes daily.  Some days I really think it's a boy other days all I can think of is that it's a girl.  who knows?! As far as what I "want" well really I want a healthy baby.  I think a boy would be so fun because L would have a brother kind of close in age and I already have boy stuff.  BUT a girl would be so fun and I can't wait to be able to dress up a little girl!