Baby #2 is a……

We had our 20-week ultrasound at CDA Ultrasound last Tuesday and found out that we are having a little BOY! We are so excited to have two boys so close in age! It will be so much fun to watch our boys grow up together.

I’m so glad that our midwife told us about CDA Ultrasound, it is the nicest place! Adorable homey décor, huge viewing screen, wrap around couches so our whole family could join and WARM gel for my tummy.  Our little man was sitting Indian style for part of the ultrasound, which was so cute! Everything looked great and we got to heart the heartbeat again, which is Cash’s favorite part. Cash even said hi and bye to his little brother!

Nick has already started looking for three-seater ATVs so he can have both of his boys on the four wheelers with him while he plows. Needless to say we are overjoyed to be having another boy and we can’t wait to meet him!

20 Weeks Baby #2

How Far Along? 20 Weeks

Total Weight Gain: 5 pounds

Symptoms: I’ve had some hip pain and I feel like my hips spread a bunch overnight this week. I also have a major acne breakout on my neck! I’m not talking a couple small blemishes either, I talking full on, huge, angry, red pimples. It’s so frustrating! I remember breaking out on my chest and back with Cash but that was easier to hide and I don’t remember it being this bad. I currently use the oil cleansing method but I’m just switch it up to a raw honey cleaner with apple cider vinegar, coconut oil and tea tree. I’m also using apple cider vinegar as a toner and spot treating with jojoba and tea tree essential oil. Hopefully this all helps and these awful zits go away! I am also still really itchy all over. I think it has to be due in part to the cold weather but dang it’s driving me crazy!

Movement? Our little one is super active! Nick has been able to feel some pretty powerful kicks this week so that has been really fun!

Sleep? I’ve been sleeping pretty well this week and have even fit a few naps in but I’m still super tired all the time.

Exercise? None and I’m begining to not care too much. As soon as it warms up a bit I know we’ll start walking again but right now it’s just way too cold and most of the sidewalks in our neighborhood are covered in knee deep snow.

Food Cravings: I made some paleo chicken salad this week with shredded chicken, green apples, celery, fresh dill, paleo mayo and salt and pepper. I’ve been eating it over kale, spinach and swish chard. I think I’m going to make some different fat bombs this week to have on hand for a quick snack too. Nick and I are also stil enjoying lemon and raw honey tea a couple times a day. I keep wishing that I would start having some cravings but so far I really haven’t had the crazy pregnancy cravings like I did with Cash.

Food Aversions: Nothing, thankfully. I was able to handle some raw chicken this week and it wasn’t great but it didn’t make me gag.

Happy or Moody? I’d say a mix. When I wake up I have to eat right away otherwise I feel like I’m going to pass out so that can make me a little grumpy. Nick and I have also been working on taxes this week and that always makes me grumpy, but I’ve also really been enjoying feeling all the movement from our little babe-that always puts a smile on my face.

Miss Anything? Just my energy but that’s all. It’s definitely taxing on the body to be pregnant, nursing and a full time mom!

Best Moment This Week: Nick feeling some really powerful kicks! I love the look on his face when he feels our babe move. It melts my heart.

Looking Forward to: Out ultrasound on Tuesday!!! I CANNOT WAIT to find out if we’re having a boy or a girl!

20 Weeks Baby #1

Here's a fun side by side comparison...I think I'm bigger this time around 

 

19 Weeks Baby #2

How Far Along? 19 Weeks

Total Weight Gain: 4 pounds

Symptoms: My skin has been itchy this week, but it has been below zero and in the single digits this whole week so that may be a contributing factor. Any time I’m itching I use my Mother’s Special Blend Oil and/or some Tallow lotion to take care of it. I have also been really tired this week.

Movement? Our little one is so active! I feel him/her move all the time. I have noticed that our little babe is most active at night.

Sleep? I had a couple nights of insomnia this week but nothing too bad. We took a few family nap this week so that really helped me feel better.

Exercise? I think I should remove this category. It seems like the only exercise I’m getting is chasing around a bust 2 year old!

Food Cravings: No cravings this week except for lemon and honey tea. Nick and I have a mug every morning and evening together and it is really helping me not miss coffee as much! I really am curious if we are having a girl because this pregnancy is so different!

Food Aversions: No food aversion except raw chicken, cooked is fine thankfully! I do have a serious aversion to the smell of ANY perfume, cologne, laundry detergent and scented candles. It’s so bad that I can smell Nick’s hands after he washes them in a public restroom and it makes me want to throw up! It makes my stomach turn and gives me an instant headache!

Happy or Moody? I think I’ve been pretty happy this week. I feel like my milk is doing better using the marshmallow and nettle. Cash still only nurses about 3-4 times a day, but at least he’s still nursing!

Miss Anything? Energy!

Best Moment This Week: Nick feeling the baby kick for the first time! He was able to feel our babe a few different times. We have to try when Cash is sleeping because he doesn’t like Nick’s hands on my belly for some odd reason. He always moves his hand and then lies across my belly to cover it.

Looking Forward to: Our 20-week ultrasound! With Cash I knew from the start that we were having a boy and always referred to the baby as a “he”, but with this baby I’m not certain. I keep thinking that it’s a girl and Nick and I have each had dreams that it’s a girl but I honestly go back and forth daily! I have always pictured myself with 2 boys but I do want a girl also. I want the kind of mother daughter relationship that I have with my mom. Either way we will be ecstatic and CAN’T wait to find out!

19 Weeks Baby #1

18 Weeks Baby #2

How Far Along? 18 Weeks

Total Weight Gain: I currently weigh 114 so 4 pounds total gain. A big week for growth!

Symptoms: My skin has been a little itchy this week. I’ve been using lotion at Mother’s Special Blend Oil but I think it’s partially due to the cold weather. I’ve also had some SI pain but I’ve just accepted that it’s something that happens to my body during pregnancy.

Movement? My little one has been quite the busy bee this week. I can tell that I’m going to have another active baby on my hands.

Sleep? I’ve actually been sleeping well this week. We out a cool mist humidifier in our room and I think it helps us all sleep better at night.

Exercise? Ugh. None! Life has been so crazy! I need to just start doing some yoga in my living room; otherwise I fear I won’t get any in!

Food Cravings: No major cravings except for bone broth with Kelly gold butter and eggs in it. I’ve also been on a bit of a sauerkraut kick with our meat at dinner. Cash loves sauerkraut so we have polished off a bottle this week. I really need to start making my own!

Food Aversions: Nothing too bad except for the smell of fried food and I’m still not a big fan of raw chicken.

Happy or Moody? I’ve had a super emotional week. I can’t even begin to count the number of times I’ve cried. I feel like my milk is WAY down and I know Cash can tell too. He only nurses for a little bit and then he’s done. It also hurts like crazy when he does nurse so that hasn’t been fun. I feel like we may have a bit of a tough road ahead of us. I texted my midwife and she said I could take marshmallow root, nettle extract and dill tincture three times a day to help my milk. I’ve been doing that and drinking TONS of fluids but I feel like it has only helped a little bit. I know that pregnancy hormones can affect lactation but I’m having a hard time accepting it. It’s so frustrating when I want my body to do something it doesn’t want to do. I’m still hoping that Cash will continue to nurse until the new baby comes and then enjoy all the milk that will be here, but I really have no clue what our breastfeeding relationship will look like next week let alone 5-6 months from now. I’m just not ready for Cash to be done nursing at all so it has been really hard for me to come to terms with this change.

Miss Anything? The ability to produce as much milk as I want. Pregnancy hormones are kicking my butt this week.

Best Moment This Week: Cash has been super snugly this week so I’ve really been enjoying sleeping with him and cuddled up to me. He has also been falling asleep on Nick and night and snuggling up to him. I love to see the bond that my two guys share.

Looking Forward to: Finding out the gender in a little over 2 weeks! I can’t wait! I’m still saying “she” but I think that’s partially due to my wishful thinking. Either way we will be ecstatic!

Cash's Contemplations: Cash loves to kiss the baby and rest his head on my belly. He often says sister or brother ("brober") while he is resting his head on me. When we cuddle he likes to feel my belly. I can't wait for him to feel some movement too!

18 Weeks Baby #1