Hi friends!
It's time I do an update on pregnancy number 2 with baby boy!
We just had our 19 week anatomy scan and confirmed he's officially a BOY! We did the blood test for Down's Syndrome/Gender early on and it said "male" but my OBGYN advised to wait for the anatomy scan to officially confirm.
My sister is actually pregnant with her 3rd girl, so I will be passing on my girl clothes to her. She got rid of all her babies clothes after #2 and then they decided later they wanted another.
We are so excited to welcome our baby boy at the end of March! My birthday is actually March 15th so we may have another sensitive pisces in the house. We'll see!
Fitness
The morning/evening sickness went away this pregnancy around week 13. Thank goodness! I have felt pretty good overall. I have worked out, although I have not been as active as I was with Brinkley's pregnancy. Another child definitely makes a difference. Somedays I am exhausted and she falls asleep right after school, so I just send my hubby to the gym. I am definitely committed to lifting and cardio several days a week though. It just makes me feel better to sweat and be active.
If you'd like to follow my pregnancy fitness plan with me, check it out here! CLICK
I was 15 pounds heavier this time when I found out I was pregnant. I was competing and doing photo shoots when we got pregnant the first time and gained around 34-40 pounds with Brinkley. This pregnancy at the half way point, I am up 16 pounds, so not bad. I feel pretty good but I feel HEAVY. It's funny people tell you "you look GREAT, so little" but you feel like you are carrying a ton of bricks and feel bloated! LOL.
I have seriously relied on my meal replacement shakes and bars to help curb my cravings. They taste like dessert. Feel free to check those out here. I am happy to answer any questions you have. My OBGYN approved them and they are free of artificial sweeteners, soy-free and gluten-free. They also have dairy-free shakes & bars if you are on a plant based diet. CLICK
Pregnancy is a funny thing! You just have to relax, enjoy the season and embrace it. If you are a first time mama, don't worry and don't obsess about the scale. You can get your body back after baby, you just have to do what ACTUALLY WORKS and you typically can't just eat anything and rely on your metabolism to be the same as before. Also, I noticed after had Brinkley that my body composition was different even after I lost the pounds. I had to work hard by lifting weights and doing some cardio to shed fat and actually tone back up. It IS possible so don't get discouraged.
Also, I have PCOS so I have never really (since age 19) been able to get away with eating or drinking just anything. I have to make a conscious effort to keep indulging under control. I'm okay with that.
Any Differences?
People have asked me how this pregnancy compares to my first and I'd say it's very similar. However, the stress is not here this pregnancy. With my first, I was in grad school, working and doing fitness events. There was a lot going on. While most mamas-to-be were reading pregnancy books, I was buried in an Accounting textbook. That was pretty stressful. With baby #2, I have been able to be more present and enjoy my last few months dedicating my energy to sweet Brinkley. She's a busy body and keeps me on my toes. I have still been working but I am more focused on the things that are IMPORTANT versus just "being busy."
Brinkley is four years old and will be five by the time he arrives, so I am hoping she will be mommy's helper. Plus, she will be starting kindergarten in the fall so I will be able to devote my time and energy during the day to our sweet little man.
We haven't started working on his nursery yet but will shortly! I plan to paint his dresser and crib white. We are reusing furniture we had from Brinkley because they only use it for a short time anyway.
We haven't officially decided on his name yet, although Brinkley has one special name she likes and already calls him by that name. We'll see.
Minimalism & Less Clutter
Something else I have been doing to minimize: I have been packing up my "smaller" clothes that don't fit me right now so that I can just grab and go! I don't like to spend time trying on clothes that are too tight, so I've packed up clothes and labeled them in big bins stored in our garage. Everything is organized so that as I lose my baby weight, I can unpack things as I go. I don't want to be overwhelmed with clothes and things that I can't use right now.
Luckily, I have found quite a few cute holiday dresses on Amazon and one at Target. I found some awesome maternity jeans at Target and I literally wear a pair every day. They are so comfy!
Overall, despite some sickness and days of moving slowly, I am grateful for this experience and that so far it looks like we have a healthy little baby coming!
Thanks so much for reading about my pregnancy journey and I will keep you all posted.
Love, Kelsey
Details:
Yellow maternity dress: click here!
Black maternity dress: click here or here.
Felt board with letters: click here!
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