26 Weeks

Dates: April 13-April 19

Baby is the Size of a: scallion (approximate length and weight: 14 inches, 1 2/3 pounds)

How I'm Feeling: Still grumpy. I'm going to blame it on the pregnancy hormones, but really it's a whole combination of things. Zahara has been extra challenging lately, which just throws everything else off. She's the Jekyll and Hyde of children: extremely happy and adorable one minute, and a whining, kicking, spitting mess the next. She's been struggling to go to bed at night and has been waking up in the middle of the night. That means Dan and I are tired and strung out from all the tantrums. Add the hormones and the ligament pain, and it's just a lost cause.

The good news is that she has really honed her survival skills--she knows our limits and makes sure to act super amazing and cute after bringing us to the brink. As with anything when dealing with a small child, I try and remind myself that this is just a phase and that it will pass.

How I'm Changing: No huge changes this week...I'm just bigger and slower :)

What I'm Eating: All carbs, all the time. Since next week is Passover and we abstain from eating leavened products (like bread), we're living it up this week.

What the Baby is Doing: My belly is non-stop action. It's really distracting to keep seeing and feeling the movement while I'm running meetings at work.

Read about my first pregnancy:
My Pregnancy
Week 26

Week 25

Dates: April 6-April 12

Baby is the Size of a: rutabaga (approximate length and weight: 13.5 inches, 1.5 pounds)

How I'm Feeling: Honestly, a little grumpy. I am feeling really big and slow and frightened that I still have so much longer to go. I know I should stop comparing to my last pregnancy, but I don't remember feeling this sore this early.

How I'm Changing: Just bigger...same old story

What I'm Eating: Nothing too unusual

What the Baby is Doing: I think baby is starting to get hiccups just like his big sister did. I feel little shakes that last only a couple of minutes. I really freaked out my co-workers who had no idea that babies move that much in the womb, or that you can see the movement from the outside. They're both in their early twenties and single, so I can't blame them, but it was hilarious how they reacted.

Read about my first pregnancy:
My Pregnancy
Week 25

24 weeks

Dates: March 30-April 5

Baby is the Size of an: ear of corn (approximate length and weight: 12 inches, 1.25 pounds)

How I'm Feeling: Pretty good this week! I'm officially 6 months pregnant. I had a doctor's appointment where I was tested for gestational diabetes. This was totally new to me. In the UK where I had my last baby, they only test for GD if there is cause (family history, baby measuring big, etc.). Here in the States, everyone gets tested between 24-28 weeks. I read about it in advance and it sounded awful! I had to drink a disgusting sugar drink within five minutes, wait an hour, then get my blood drawn. In reality, it wasn't that bad. Yes, the drink was pretty gross. But other than that, it was fine. While I was waiting I saw the OB who said that I am measuring on track and baby sounds great (and very active!). I got the results a few days later and I'm in the clear.

How I'm Changing: I told the doctor that I was feeling much bigger this time around. She told me that it is just that--a feeling. I am gaining the exact amount I should be and baby looks great. That was so awesome to hear. I think I'm just carrying this one so differently. My old maternity clothes fit differently and the comparative pictures of me week-to-week make me feel bigger. I've still only gained about 10-12 pounds, so I know I'm doing OK. It was nice to get medical confirmation of that though.

What I'm Eating: Nothing too unusual. And, at least I remember to take my prenatal vitamins (most nights).

What the Baby is Doing: Distracting me during work and keeping me from going to bed at night!

Read about my first pregnancy:
My Pregnancy
Week 24

Week 23!

Dates: March 23-29

Baby is the Size of a: large mango (approximate length and weight: 11+ inches, 1+ pound)

How I'm Feeling: Pretty good. I had my first physiotherapy session for my SPD this week. I'll start going twice a week from now on. I have a few new exercises to do at home to strengthen my inner core muscles, which will hopefully alleviate some of the pain. I guess I'm cautiously optimistic?

How I'm Changing: I'm definitely slowing down. I don't remember feeling so slow this early in my last pregnancy, but apparently I did (thanks blog for the reminders!). It is definitely reaching that point where bending over is a chore.

What I'm Eating: Hamentaschen! This week was the Jewish holiday of Purim. It's a really fun holiday where kids get dressed up, adults get drunk, and everyone gives each other gifts of food. What is not to love? This year we made several varieties of hamentaschen, including home-made apricot, home-made poppy seed (mohn), strawberry, cherry, and kaya (coconut jam!). It is really fun to be in the kitchen as a whole family. Z is getting to an age where she can actually help, and she loves it!

Gratuitous kid shot

What the Baby is Doing: Still moving tons! I feel like a broken record at this point saying that, but he is just so active all day and night.

Read about my first pregnancy:
My Pregnancy
Week 23

Cherry Blossom Festival 2016

There are few greater things than springtime in Washington, DC. The air warms, the trees bloom, the tourists horde. Ok, maybe that last part isn't so great, but everything else is pretty spectacular. People just seem happier in the spring. The kickoff to spring, for me at least, is the Cherry Blossom Festival.

Every year botanists and meteorologists predict when the hundreds of cherry blossoms will be at their peak. This year it was Friday, March 25. The next day we packed up the family and headed to the Mall to see the spectacular blooms.

I was worried that it would be an absolute madhouse with all the locals and tourists swarming the Tidal Basin. And it was, but it was so much fun! We brought some food and spread out near the Washington Monument for a picnic and dancing.

We ended our outing with some ice cream! I had one of the best root beer floats of my life. The trick was that they nearly filled the cup with soft serve, added a tiny bit of root beer, and then blended it before adding more ice cream and root beer. Heavenly! Dan and Z enjoyed their soft serve too. What a great day out!

Family Vacation to Mexico

As I mentioned before, my family went on a vacation to Mexico last month. Sadly, due to the threat of the Zika virus, I chose not to go. It all worked out in the end, since I got to see my friends in Harrogate, and Dan and Z still got the beach vacation they had been looking forward to.

Since I wasn't there though, I can't really give a recap of the week. I'll just post some pictures instead.

Getting There:
My parents were amazing and surprised Dan and Zahara with an upgrade to FIRST class! I'm so jealous!

The Resort:
The family stayed in Raintree's Club Regina in Puerto Vallarta. I was so jealous of them swimming in the gorgeous pool with the beach right in the background.

Puerto Vallarta
The city looked beautiful!

The Beach
This was one of the main reasons we didn't want to cancel the trip even when it was clear I wouldn't be able to come. The beach is Zahara's happy place. I can't say I blame her.

Family
More than anything, this was an amazing opportunity for Z to spend some time with her grandparents and aunt. And, of course, to get some quality daddy-daughter time. Thanks so much for a wonderful trip, family!

Week 22!

Dates: March 16-22

Baby is the Size of a: spaghetti squash (approximate length and weight: 11 inches, 1 pound)

How I'm Feeling: Incredibly grateful that I have a healthy baby inside me, and that aside from some relatively minor aches and pains, I am also healthy. It's easy to get lost in the day-to-day, but I know how blessed I am.

How I'm Changing: My belly button is ridiculous. I don't know how much more of an outie it can become. I'm hoping this is it.

What I'm Eating: I had an incredible veggie sushi bento box with my friend Dani. It was HUGE and delicious! Don't tell anyone, but we also split a salmon and avocado roll. I was on the fence about whether I should eat raw fish, but I just can't find any legitimate medical reasons why not to. Yes, listeria is a concern, but there have been very few (if any!) confirmed cases of listeria due to sushi in the United States in the past several years. I think this sushi avoidance issue comes more from America's sue-happy culture than from science. That said, I guess better safe than sorry? I won't be making an every-day habit of this, but every once in a while I might indulge. Chipotle though...that's a whole 'nother story.

What the Baby is Doing: I am starting to see baby move from the outside. As Dan described it, it looks and feels to him like I have the hiccups.

Read about my first pregnancy:
My Pregnancy
Week 22