#2 - 13 Weeks

I write this post at 17w2d, but am pulling the stats from my 12 week and 16 week  appointment since I fail at blogging.

How far along: 17 weeks + 2 days

Total weight gain: I had gained a little bit of weight, but was still down overall (-3.5 lbs. at the 12 week appt and -2.5 lbs. at the 16 week appt) from when we started.

Maternity clothes: Kind of - I wore some this weekend and pulled all of my clothes from E out of storage. I feel like I'm only a few weeks away before I'm in maternity attire 100% of the time.

Stretch marks: No - well, not any new ones. A baby and two abdominal surgeries will leave their marks.

Sleep: I finally bought a pregnancy pillow and it's amazing. I am really trying not to get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. If I get out of bed, I'm up for 2+ hours. So annoying. I do wake and switch sleeping sides a lot, but 

Best moment of this week: Not being totally exhausted at work. I'm still a bit nauseous though.  

Miss anything: Working out hardcore. 

Movement:  Yes - I think.  I could have sworn I woke up in the middle of the night around 13 weeks and felt a flutter. However, a few days ago I was sitting on the couch and felt a flutter/popcorn feeling. I felt it again last night while we were putting E to bed. Now I'm just trying not to be crazy and imagine it. 

Food cravings: No cravings. It's more like trying to find things that I don't hate. Food aversions are the worst. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: I'm still queasy, but it has gotten better. I am able to eat more food (selection wise and quantity wise).

Have you started to show yet: I'm pretty sure I'm just looking fat. Ha. There is a girl at work who is due around the same time as me (pregnant with her first) and she is popping  like nobody's business. Super cute. Being my fourth pregnancy and horrible abs, I'm just smushy. 

Gender: We just want a healthy baby! I am 99.9% positive we have another girl on the way.  And yes, baby BRAM (Britney or Cam?) is back. The HR was 169 at the 12 week appt (ultrasound) and 155 at the 16 week appt (by doppler). Time will tell...

Labor signs: Gosh no.

Belly button in or out: In.

Wedding rings on or off: On.

Happy or moody most of the time: Chill, but don't let me start crying. It won't stop. 

Looking forward to: Finding out the gender, telling E (yup, she still doesn't know) and making our news public. I also just want lunchmeat. Pub sub, Jimmy Johns, heck, I'll even eat Subway. 

#2 - Nine Weeks

It's been a while blogger friends1 

As I sit here and type today, I am 9 weeks and 5 days pregnant with bambino number 2! I cannot blog throughout the first pregnancy and not do it for the second. Heck, I'm already nervous about another baby book since I didn't complete the first. #momfail

Prepare yourself - it may only be baby posts from here on out. 

How far along: 9 weeks + 5 days

Total weight gain: Down 5 lbs. - literally the ONLY benefit to being nauseous ALL day. 

Maternity clothes: No! Although I bet I will be out of my old clothes by the end of the first trimester. I have some maternity clothes from my last pregnancy with E, but will probably buy more. There are many cute options now!

Stretch marks: Just some left over ones. :sigh:

Sleep: Give me all the sleep. I try to get 8 hours every night. If I don't get enough rest, I feel so much worse the next day. I've only recently started waking up once to use the bathroom. Sometimes I actually get up and other times I try and go back to sleep until my alarm goes off. I sleep well, but do switch sides quite often. I never had a pregnancy sleep pillow, but think I might splurge this go around. 

Best moment of this week: Hearing the heartbeat at our FOURTH doctor's appointment today! Yes, you read that right. Around 5 weeks I went in for a confirmation appointment (my yearly check up was already scheduled so it worked out perfectly), which consisted of bloodwork. Due to a history of miscarriages, the doctor wanted to see me back at 6 weeks for an ultrasound. We came back at what was thought to be 6 weeks, but they couldn't detect a heartbeat and the baby measured at 5 weeks + 5 days. So, we went back to the doctor two days later for another ultrasound. This time a heartbeat was found! We were also able to hear it, which I didn't know was possible through a vaginal ultrasound. 118 beats per minute! Today we went in for a regular ultrasound and Baby Bram (yes, I'm bringing back the Britney + Cam reference) had a strong heartbeat of 176 and was super squirmy. The baby was curled up like a cat and seemed to be measuring smaller, but started moving and stretched out to confirm that we are measuring right on track. 

Miss anything: Going to the gym and coffee. I've been sick since the end of week 5 and it has continued. 

Movement:  Just what we could see on the monitor today. 

Food cravings: The only thing I can really tolerate this week is Chipotle - a burrito with a little bit of steak, lettuce, sour cream, and cheese, please! Apple juice is pretty good too. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Everything. I feel like I can eat more with this pregnancy, but I am still ill. I force myself to eat and it changes weekly. Bananas, Ritz crackers, Larabars, quesadillas, potatoes, and bagels have all been in the rotation, but I cannot finish an entire meal. La Croix, Ginger Ale, and Peach/Ginger tea are about the only fluids that I can stomach. 

Have you started to show yet: My fat is just fatter. :) 

Gender: I just want a healthy baby!

Labor signs: Gosh no

Belly button in or out: In

Wedding rings on or off: On

Happy or moody most of the time: Quiet. That's my mood. If I talk I want to puke. :) Not moody though. Just calm and silent, which I'm sure J appreciates.

Looking forward to: Telling people. Seriously. It's a hard secret to keep!

Look What You Made Me Do

I know you are probably sick and tired of hearing about Taylor Swift, snakes, reputations, etc.

If you fall into this category, then this post is not for you.

You have been warned.

If you have been reading this blog for any length of time or know me in person then you are aware that I am 100% Team Britney. That hasn't changed.

However, over the years I have become so intrigued with the hidden messages in Taylor's albums (I first mentioned this on my blog here regarding Speak Now) and the cleverness of her marketing team. Plus, I can't get her catchy lyrics out of my head and always enjoy when someone crosses the dark side into pop music. I'm sure there are many fan sites that analyze each release of her albums and if you have time, I encourage you to research the secret codes for every one.

That being said, I was totally jazzed about her recent blackout on social media and the clues her team began to release in anticipation of her upcoming single. I woke up on Friday morning and downloaded Look What You Made Me Do while I was still in bed. You can read my initial thoughts about this jam in my weekending recap post.

Have you seen the video that accompanies this pop melody?

Good news! I have it right here for you:

Upon your initial view (or maybe the first few times), a few things may stick out to you about who the song is about. However, I am willing to bet that you missed the majority of the details displayed in her music video. Don't worry, you can read all about the shade she threw in this production. It's glorious, intriguing, and gave me hope that her album will live up to the hype.

Check out all the hidden elements in Look What You Made Me Do on Buzzfeed.

Here's to hoping she asks me to join her squad.

*Linking up with Lindsay's Sweet World