Bumpdate: 18 Weeks

It's hard to believe that I am nearly halfway through this pregnancy. It seems to just be flying by. That's probably because life with a toddler is a whirlwind and I never know whether I am coming or going!

HOW FAR ALONG: 18 weeks (on Friday May 22)

ABOUT BABY:  Baby is approximately the size of a sweet potato, measuring about 5.6 inches long and 6.7 ounces. 

SLEEP: I've been sleeping better that I was. I am now back to sleeping through the night most nights, which is perfect. But this whole past week, I have been dozing off on the couch between 9am and 10am while Palmer watches Dora or Sesame Street. 

SICK OR QUEASY: These feelings are mostly gone now! WOO HOO! The odd time I feel nausea but it's much better than it was. 

MOVEMENT: Still feeling little flutters in there. Have not been able to feel movement on the outside yet. I'm sure once that happens, Palmer will start to understand that this baby is a little more real.

CRAVINGS: Fruit. All the fruit. Like some fresh, cold oranges. So delicious. I am loving that it is warm out and fruit is fresh. And watermelon. Yes please! 

MATERNITY CLOTHES: Not yet. I have been wearing mostly leggings and my regular shirts. I think I am going to have to purchase a pair or two of maternity shorts though, because my regular ones are certainly not going to fit me for the summer! I think this summer will be all about leggings and maxi dresses! I have my eye on this one. And, I won a $60 gift card to Preggo Leggings on Instagram last week, so I scooped up 2 leggings and a shirt for super cheap! Score!

Our Transition to a Big Girl Bed

With Baby Lowe #2 due to arrive this Fall, and Palmer being nearly 2.5 years old, we knew it was time to make the switch to a Big Girl Bed. I wasn't quite sure how it would go as Palmer is often playing around in her bed after she goes down. Sometimes its just a few minutes, other times it's an hour. So, for me to think she wouldn't stay in her bed without us having to go in again and again and again, I thought was a pretty safe bet.  I had been told, if she's not climbing out, don't switch her. Keep here there as long as possible, but buying a new crib just sounded ridiculous. 

We had a bed in our spare room that we had planned to use for Palmer, so one afternoon, I asked her if she wanted to nap there. I tried to talk it up "Big girls get to sleep in beds like this." "Your other bed is for the baby." "We will make this one into your princess bed." She fell for every line I fed her!  That afternoon, she napped for nearly 3 hours. Success! 

That evening when Mitch came home from work, she was excited to tell him she slept in her big girl bed. So, that night at bedtime, we tucked her in once again, to the big girl bed. This was going much more smoothly than I had ever envisioned.

Palmer and Mitch took off for the weekend to visit Grandma and Grandpa while I worked nights, but while I was home all weekend, I decided to get Palmer's bed ready for a cute surprise for her.

I used chalk paint to re-do the headboard and I couldn't be happier with the way it looks. (If you've never tried chalk paint before, you must. It is seriously so easy. No prep. Very little work. And it looks great!)  I picked up a cute duvet cover for cheap and got the bed all moved into her room. 

When she got home Sunday, I told her there was a surprise for her up there. Her reaction was priceless. "OH, WOW!" 

Melt my heart!  

Palmer was obviously ready for the big girl bed because it has seriously been a breeze transitioning her. I was worried all for nothing. We have had no issues at all with her not sleeping through the night, getting out of bed when she's suppose to be sleeping. Nothing. Just perfection! 

That Friday Post

Well, it seems as though I am kind of back on track with this stuff. Now that I am not beyond exhausted every second of the day, I am loving getting back to reading and catching up on all my favorite blogs. So, when you see an influx of comments from me, that is why! 

one

Today marks 17 weeks into this pregnancy! I cannot believe how quickly this is going by. We are almost at the half way point and we couldn't be more excited! We have our 20 week ultrasound booked for June 12, but I am still unsure if I want to find out the gender or not. I like the idea of a surprise, but the planner in me wants to get things organized! We have buckets upon buckets of baby girl clothes that I need to sort through. 

two

We transitioned Palmer to a big girl bed this week, and I am surprised with how well it has gone. She's been sleeping through the night, and nap times were a breeze! Girlfriend doesn't seem to know she can get out of it herself! The other morning I woke up to, "Mommy! Mommy? Good morning!!!" We ended up just using a spare bed we had rather than buying a new one. We have plans to use chalk paint to match the dresser and make it look like her princess bed!

three 

The forecast for the next few days is calling for rain again, which I am OK with for a few reasons. I love the smell of rain in the spring, and I love that it makes everything green and fresh. I also love the fact that when I am on nights, like I am this weekend, sleeping during a gloomy day is much easier. Palmer and I were out for our daily walk to the mail box and enjoyed puddle jumping and counting all the earthworms on the sidewalk. She liked them from afar but was pretty cautious about getting too close!

four

I have been searching for new baby things; mostly nursery items and ideas. I am getting excited to start getting everything together. I am hoping to find a paint colour soon and get that started. I have been browsing Amazon too for cute items. I am hoping to do this nursery on a small budget, so I've been browsing Pinterest for ideas on DIY! 

five

  I have been searching for landscaping ideas because our yard is pretty basic right now. All we have is grass in the back yard. It needs some sprucing up, especially since we will be outside a lot more in the summers to come, playing with the kids!  I would LOVE to have a garden but I'm afraid the dog would get into it and eat it all! I think I might do a little planter of some fresh herbs and definitely get some flowers planted. Anyone have ideas for someone who's not the best at keeping plants alive?!? I'd love to hear your ideas!!

That's all for me today, folks!! 

Happy weekending!! 

Bump-Date: 16 Weeks

First off, I want to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone for all the support and kind words on the announcement of our Baby #2. We are over the moon excited! You can see our announcement post here.

 Many people ask me if Palmer understands what is going on or not. Definitely not. We can ask her "Where is baby?" Sometimes she will answer "in Mommy's tummy." other times she will lift up her shirt and point to her own belly. And when we ask her "Do you want a baby" she more often than not, replies with "no." Oh boy. She will be in for a surprise. 

HOW FAR ALONG: 16 weeks (on Friday May 8)

ABOUT BABY:  They say baby is now the size of an avocado (approx 4.5 inches and 3.5 ounces). At my last Dr appointment, baby's heartbeat was 160bpm. Our 20 week ultrasound is booked for June 12. 

SLEEP: I have been sleeping well. I have passed the point of complete and utter exhaustion and am into my normal exhaustion mode again. Working fulltime and chasing after a 2 year old is no easy feat when you are growing a little human inside you! The first 14 weeks were so beyond tiring, I can't even begin to describe it. I was going to bed just after Palmer went down. I was napping when Palmer napped, and sometimes, on days off, even snuck in a morning nap! 

SICK OR QUEASY: This time around has been much worse than when I was pregnant with Palmer. I am still having days of just feeling really blah. There were many days early on that I felt horrible and laid on the couch as much as I could. Even still, there are many days after work that I just feel kinda crappy. I am really hoping this passes soon so I can enjoy all this beautiful weather! The two worst things during the day though, are brushing my teeth and taking my prenatal vitamin. I gag every. single. time. and it is so horrible. 

MOVEMENT: Yes! I have been feeling little flutters going on in there since about 13.5 weeks. Definitely feeling baby much sooner than last time. Baby is most active around supper time and in the early evening!

CRAVINGS: Not too much. More so having aversions than cravings of any sort. 

OTHER STUFF:  I am already starting to have my rib bother me again. It started popping out when I was pregnant with Palmer, and I had no idea what it was. Now that I know, I have been going in to get it popped back in, almost on a regular basis now. I'm also having some pelvic girdle pain that comes and goes. Oh the joys! :)

Saturday Spotlight: Volume 17

Welcome back to the Saturday Spotlight!

Featured Posts This Week:

Eating Healthy While Dining Out on The Queen In Between
Personality on Display with CanvasPop on The Bex Factor
My Mother's Day Wish LIst on Sweet Little Ones
How I Feed A Family of 5 on $70 a Week on Before The Blessing

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