24 weeks

Whoa belly!

Each week is making such a difference at this point in the pregnancy!

How far along? 24 weeks + 1 day

Total weight gain: 19 pounds

Maternity clothes? in love with the two pairs of jeans I bought! I still have a number of shirts (that aren't maternity) that I'm still able to wear. 

Sleep: sleep. is. great. our new mattress is so, so comfy and Brandon and I are both sleeping so good on it! I still use my pregnancy body pillow every night and it really helps me sleep in a comfortable position. the pillow is quite big, which makes Brandon SO thankful that we have a king sized bed!

Best moment this week: Thursday was great. We were able to spend some time together as a family (Brandon tries to take Thursdays off whenever possible- life of a realtor!) and then later that day we stopped by to see close friends of ours who had a sweet baby boy not quite two weeks ago. There's nothing like a newborn to make your 20 month old look HUGE!

Current symptoms: a strange one that I've never experienced prior to the last 10 days or so... (not when I was pregnant with Harper either)- some nights I've been waking up in the middle of the night feeling super nauseous. I never have to throw up, but I have to sit there for a few minutes, eat some crackers, and then I'm able to fall back asleep (most of the time). I don't ever feel nauseous during the days and I never suffered from morning sickness. so it's a weird one for me, but thankfully it isn't too hard for me to manage!
Miss anything? turkey sandwiches still. but I'm able to have them if I heat the deli meat up in the microwave when I get home and then put it back in the refrigerator for later. it's so worth doing, because sometimes that is all I want for lunch! and man does it taste good! :)

Movement: yes. lots of movement lately! 

Food cravings: I guess you could say turkey sandwiches :) specifically- whole wheat bread, Boar's Head chicken breast (from the deli), Tillamook sharp cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, a little bit of mayo, and a dill pickle spear on the side! oh yeah, and still loving those reeses peanut butter eggs. it will be so good once Easter is over so that I can no longer buy them!

Happy or moody most of the time: happy. but I have been a bit more hormonal/emotional these last few days. so if I cry around you, don't think too much of it ;)
Looking forward to: we f i n a l l y decided on a crib + dresser!! it's taken awhile and a lot of looking to find exactly what we've been wanting. but I am so excited and hopefully we'll have all the pieces here in the next few weeks so that nursery decorating can really begin!

Xoxo

-Brittney

follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth

Get baby/toddler on a schedule- or not?

a schedule. "get your baby/toddler on a schedule." we've all heard it.

as mothers we strive for what is best for our children. but as a first time mom, there are so many things I have learned and to be honest, often there is too much advice out there. what about those God given mother instincts that we all have? let's listen to those a little more!

Harper never really got on a true schedule until about 8 months old.

I tried sooner (5-6 months or so), but it became more of a fight in trying to schedule her and I found that our days ran more smoothly when I just followed her cues. and that's how we did it for the first 8-9 months. having only one child to care for, it was great. for both of us. 

our schedule/routine started to form naturally when she was about 8-9 months old. I promise- it wasn't anything I did intentionally. it just happened. by paying attention to her needs, at that point she just naturally fell into a routine. and we have been on a routine ever since.

being on our routine has been so great for the both of us. when we can really stick to our 'regular', the days go better and her and I are both happier from morning to night. we just need it.

BUT this week I have realized that for how wonderful our routine/schedule really is (I mean really, I love it!), there are still those days/times where I need to remember to listen to what she is trying to tell me- like I did those first 8 months!

not every day is 'normal'. not every day is without 'other' challenges.

some days are just different.

that's when following the 'rules' is over, and following my mothering instincts trumps all else.

Monday.

we didn't have anything planned for the day (and it was rainy out) so it was a day of being home and working/playing around the house. Harper has been going though a growth spurt and teething (off and on). those darn two year molars have been slowlllly working their way in here and there over the last couple of months. come on already!

we started our morning like any other and Harper woke like normal on Monday at 7:30am. the morning had its ups and downs. moments of happy, giggling, running the house. and then moments of dragging her blanket around, whinning/crying, asking for her paci (which she only gets for sleeping times- nap and bed). 

throughout the morning I continued telling her, "no paci. not until nap time" (which is at 1pm). we were hours from nap time! 

around 10am I thought, maybe she really is tired and is asking me to put her down...

but in my head... 'that will throw off the day's schedule!' and 'she just had a good night's sleep, no way she can really be tired.'

the crying and paci asking escalated.
it finally clicked for me! so at 10:15am I put her down for a nap. when I looked at the monitor 5 minutes later, she was completely passed out! and from there took a 2.5 hour nap. I'd say she was tired and what she needed was a nap ;)
there isn't anything in the world like a sleeping child! so precious!

sounds so simple, but in the moment it was such a challenge because I couldn't let go of our 'normal' schedule.
I am thankful for this experience and to be reminded of the importance to listen to my child and follow her needs. and today she needed me to NOT follow our typical daily routine and instead just stop and listen to her.

we both ended up having a happier rest of our day.

routines are so, so great! but having that balance, remembering to listen to my little Harper, and giving myself permission to follow her needs, can lead to even better moments :)

and she woke up as her happy self!

Xoxo

-Brittney

23 weeks

We had such a great start to this week :) and it feels like Monday was just yesterday. 

As a stay-at-home-mama, how is it that the days blend and before you know it, it is Friday again!?

Monday we had a check-up appointment with my midwife, Susan.

I look forward to every prenatal appointment during pregnancy! Right now we're still on the every 4 week appointment schedule, but I am eager for the point when we get to go more frequently :)

We talked about a lot of things during this appointment. and it felt great to get so many topics covered!

We talked blood glucose test (which is to come in a couple weeks), turkey sandwiches, nutrition (specifically protein and electrolytes to prepare my body for labor), circumcision, my blood volume doubling over these next few weeks and what to expect there, and the bit of nerves I've sometimes felt about natural childbirth for this second time. 

No joke when I say I feel I have the best midwife around.

She is such a good fit for me. Direct and straight to what I need to know, while also being reassuring and reminding me of what I have in my favor this go around.

We heard baby's heartbeat and it was nice and strong at 150 bpm. Based on the old wives tales, you would guess we were having a 'she' :)

It's still lower than Harper's ever was. Her heartbeat was always around 160-170.

banner / hooray everyday

cardigan / white plum

jeans / motherhood maternity 

How far along? 23 weeks + 1 day

Total weight gain: 18 pounds

Maternity clothes? yes! I  f i n a l l y  did it and went to the mall on Friday! I picked out two pairs of maternity jeans and they are oh.so.comfortable! I seriously regret that I didn't go sooner! (like two years ago sooner when I was pregnant with Harper) I've been living in them since I got them.

Sleep: I've been a lot more tired this last week. At my prenatal appointment, my midwife said that's due to my blood volume working on doubling and it may be that way for the next few weeks. Thank goodness Harper naps well and most days I've been sneaking in a little nap for myself too.

Best moment this week: our appointment and hearing little one's heartbeat.

Current symptoms: the biggest things this week have been the tiredness and still feeling extra thirsty. which again, Susan said those both are related to my body increasing its blood volume. I'm doing my best to listen to my body and give it what it needs in those areas.
Miss anything? having more clothing options. trying to figure out what to wear for Eater next week and due to this belly :) my options are limited.

Movement: aw yes! the movements are getting bigger and bigger and I love it! he's actually kicking around right as I type this :) I'm still thinking he is more active than Harper was.

Looking forward to: a week with little planned and enjoying my time spent with my Harper girl and hubby :) Maybe a trip to the zoo (since we just got zoo passes!) if there's some decent enough weather.

xoxo

-Brittney

follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth