I know, people...I have been the biggest blogging slacker ever. I really do intend to update the blog more often, and then other things come up and I put it on the back burner. But, I thought it was about time to give a little update on round 2 of pregnancy. So, here goes...
1. I think I can safely say that being pregnant is WAY better the second time around. When I was pregnant with Owen, it was literally the only thing I could think about and pretty much consumed all of me. All I could think about was what it would be like when he was born, what to do in his nursery, how I was feeling any given week, etc. Let me just say, it is SOOOOO nice to not be so stinking consumed with it this time. That's not to say that I'm not excited about this baby, because believe me, I am!! It's just that this new baby is not the only thing I think about right now. You know, I have a toddler that I play with and take care of, a house that needs tending to, a garden that needs to survive the desert summer, a husband that I enjoy spending time with...and then, oh yeah, I'm pregnant. It's nice to have this pregnancy be a side note to life instead of being life itself.
2. I don't think I feel as crummy this time around (yet...the 3rd trimester brought all sorts of fun treats last time so we'll see what's to come). Or maybe I do feel as crummy and I just don't have the time to sit around and feel sorry for myself about it like I did last time...but either way, I haven't been feeling too bad. Yeah, there's definitely some nausea in the evenings, but nothing horrible. So far, the throwing up has reached a grand total of 2 times which I certainly can't complain about.
3. I AM TIRED!!!! Everybody knows that the first trimester brings extreme fatigue as your body produces a baby and a big old huge organ that supports that baby, but whoa, having a toddler on top of that makes it a million times worse, I'm pretty sure. Seriously, for the moms out there who have more than one child to take care of while pregnant, props to you! The good thing is, Owen is still young enough for naps so you better believe I have been taking full advantage of napping with my little guy every day. And you really don't want to be around me on the days that I miss that nap, or if the nap is delayed by too long...which leads me to my next point...
4. Hormones. Now, I'm not really the world's most patient person even on my best days, but something happens to me hormonally while pregnant that brings out every ounce of irritability and impatience in me. I hate it. I hate not having my normal buffers to be able to handle stress and the struggles of parenting a 2 year old. I wish I had WAY more patience than I do, but my pregnant self doesn't do so well in that department. Thankfully, C.J. is VERY good about helping out and taking Owen when I've reached my last straw. I'm really hoping that this time around the irritable Jen only sticks around for pregnancy and not the year of breast-feeding that follows. Seriously, my breast-feeding hormonal self was almost as bad as my pregnant self last time. In fact, after I quit nursing Owen I had gotten together with a good friend for coffee and she said "Wow, you're back to yourself! I was wondering where the Jen I knew had gone." You know it's bad when the people around you recognize you're not your typical self. Is this just me? Or do other pregnant women find themselves being way out of whack hormonally and emotionally....which in turn leads to irritability? Just curious.
5. Juice. You have NO idea how extensive my juice craving has been. Now I need to point out that I seriously don't remember purchasing juice for our household (excluding for parties or something) since Owen has been born. I'm not really a huge juice drinker and don't really think that kids need the extra sugar on their teeth all that bad. But something happens the moment I get pregnant that screams "give me juice!" Same thing happened when I was pregnant with Owen. And let me just say, I seriously can NOT get enough. I have resorted to (this is really embarrassing to admit) making Kool-Aid with Splenda to avoid drinking umpteen extra calories every day that I don't need and I have been GUZZLING the stuff. If somebody out there has information that I'm not aware of that says consuming Splenda while pregnant is not good, then please let me know...because I should really quit this habit right now if that's the case (as far as I know, Splenda is fine...obviously, or I wouldn't be drinking it). But even better than this concoction is the all time best juice I have evern come across: Simply Limeade. Try it people, you will be addicted...guaranteed. Or maybe you won't be because you're not pregnant, but I bet you'll at least want to pour another glass.
And lastly, a tid bit about my lack of picture taking. I haven't quit, I promise. It's just that right now I don't have a ton of energy (see #3) and what energy I do have left-over hasn't been going into my camera. Instead, I've been taking Owen swimming, going for walks, watching movies with C.J., and doing a few other things that I enjoy. And for now, that has been suiting our family better. But believe me, I will pick up my camera again before too long...maybe next week when I'll be done with the first trimester. No promises, though!
