Sassy Southern Blonde

Because I covered everything about my first trimester HERE and HERE, I decided to start my pregnancy update at the end of my second trimester! Even though it’s been 6 months, I still can’t believe I’m having a baby. It’s SO surreal, and I probably won’t fully process until Baby B is born. Only a few months to go! 🙂

Since my last post, I figured out my thyroid was actually causing my swollen face and lack of energy! I normally recognize the symptoms very quickly when my thyroid levels are off, but I blamed it on being pregnant. Luckily, my new doctor in Jackson caught it immediately in my blood work! No joke, I noticed a difference within 24 hours of being back on my medicine. (Side note- I only stopped taking it in September *per my doctor’s orders* because my levels were normal, but pregnancy hormones threw them WAY off)

I turned 26 weeks today, so I will be entering my third trimester soon! My next doctor’s appointment is the end of March, and I’ll be taking the dreaded glucose test. After that, I’ll start going every two weeks until baby B arrives! My due date is June 24th, but he was measuring a week bigger at my last ultrasound. Early or late, I have a feeling he’ll join the party on his own time, though! Lol.

From week 13 to week 26, I gained back most of the energy I lost in the first trimester, and I still haven’t had any morning sickness! I always feel bad saying (or typing) this out loud, but I’ve been extremely blessed with an easy pregnancy. Hopefully, this pattern continues! Especially during the birthing process because I am TERRIFIED of that! Haha. I did post a poll asking y’all what you wanted to know about my pregnancy, so I’m answering those questions below!

What have been your pregnancy cravings and aversions?

In the beginning, I LOVED salty foods. Especially McDonald’s French fries! I normally have a major sweet tooth, but for the first time in my life, I turned down dessert quite a few times! Lol. I have also been enjoying sour candy lately, specifically blue Sour Punch straws. Other cravings include ice cream sandwiches, blueberry bagels with cream cheese, and chips with dip! I didn’t have any major aversions besides coffee, mainly Starbucks. The thought made me want to gag! Haha. I actually wanted an iced coffee from there a few days ago but drinking it on an empty stomach made me feel super sick. I don’t mind a plain, hot coffee with a couple Splenda packets, though!

When did you start to show and feel baby kick?

I *think* I felt him flutter for the first time around 18 or 19 weeks! Now that I’m 26 weeks, I can see and feel actual kicks. They don’t hurt yet, but sometimes they’ll surprise me because they come out of nowhere! Baby B is definitely most active at night and in the morning. I guess he takes the afternoons off! Lol.

So I started to notice a small bump around 14 weeks, but even now, I can wear loose clothing and not look pregnant! However, throw on a tight dress and Baby B is popping! If y’all watch my Stories, I’m sure you’ve noticed when I share sideview shots. From the front, it’s not nearly as noticeable! 

Have you decided on a name yet and will you share before he’s born?

Funny story! My #1 favorite boy name got axed pretty quickly by Bo because someone famous that he doesn’t like also has it. Then, we decided we’d just use the name we had picked for a girl and spell it differently! (Truthfully, I never loved it for a boy) So after calling this poor child the name for 2 months AND me buying a couple monogram outfits, Bo randomly tell me we can go with my original favorite. Normally, I would have been annoyed since I bought monogrammed onesies, but what’s $32 dollars compared to a person’s name for a lifetime?! Hahah. Needless to say, I love the new name! It still starts with a B and we’re keeping the same middle name. I haven’t decided if we’ll share before he’s born, so that’s TBD!

Any pregnancy symptoms you’re dealing with right now?

My lower back used to ache at night, especially if I had been more active during the day. Now that I’m thinking about it, my back has felt 100x better since buying a pregnancy pillow to sleep with! That thing is a total game changer. I was also having mild neck pain when I woke up, but again, the pregnancy pillow helped it too! Other than being overly emotional sometimes, that’s really the only symptoms I’ve dealt with up until now.

What have been your pregnancy essentials so far?

I’ve already raved about the pregnancy pillow, so it’s my top recommendation no doubt! Besides that, I have been living in THESE leggings (Size: XS short) and applying THIS body oil all over my stomach every night to help prevent stretch marks!

How have you handled weight gain?

The last time I was at the doctor (2 weeks ago), I had gained 10 pounds! Everyone’s body holds weight differently, so don’t think you’re doing something wrong if you’ve gained more or less. I’m just sharing my experience! I have been making a point not to overeat or indulge too much, though. My doctor told me I only needed an extra 200-300 calories a day, and I remind myself that binge eating a bunch of junk isn’t good for me or the baby! Ask me this again in June when I’m waddling around, and I might not be as positive. Haha!

Are you buying maternity clothes or just sizing up? 

The ONLY actual maternity clothing I have purchased are THESE shorts, and they are freaking amazing! Since I’m not due until the end of June, I still wanted to have at least one pair of shorts that fit. I was so impressed with these! I ordered my usual size XS, and they don’t even look like maternity shorts! The biggest selling point for me was the 2.5 inch inseam. I’m not ready for actual mom length shorts! 😉 Other than that, I just plan on sizing up in regular clothes. Right now, I can still fit in most smalls! Especially dresses.

Will you share Baby B’s nursery soon?

I’ll let y’all in on a little secret… we’re actually in the process of buying a house, and we’ll hopefully be closing on it mid-April! I AM SO EXCITED. I can’t wait to share more details because it’s the cutest house and exactly what I wanted! God really worked his magic on this one! 🙂 So to answer the question, I will share his nursery as soon as we move in and set it up. I know what theme/colors I’m going with, and I’ve already ordered a few small things! The larger pieces are in my shopping cart until we have a definite closing date!

Where are you registered at? How did you decide which products you wanted?

Truthfully, I asked my best friend Allie for help with my registry a lot because she just had her baby girl in August! I was also already familiar with several popular baby products from seeing other bloggers and friends share them. I won’t go into much detail on the specific products until I actually get to use them, but I’ll link my Amazon registry HERE and then Buy Buy Baby registry HERE. I promise I will post my favorites and the ones I end up using the most when Baby B arrives! 🙂

XOXO

Kels