Trimester in the Second

The dear, loyal readers of the world might remember my grim tales about the dreaded First Trimester.  For those same readers who have been here from the beginning, you might be shocked to realize that the beloved Second Trimester has almost come to a close.  As I embark upon week 26, I shall take a moment to remember the greatness of the second trimester and hope some of its perks stick around for the rest of my trek.  Grab the Puffs Plus, people, it's been a great three months.  I hate to see it go.

AA-like token found here

As you might imagine, this whole journey has been quite the roller coaster ride with ups and downs that have taken my breath away.  While this trimester has mostly been filled with ups, there have been a few not-so-awesome bits.

 First up, weight gain.  Oh yeah...it's a vital part of growing a human, but whoa.  Not the most fun.

strangest website ever

While I've closely followed my doctor's conservative (20-25 pounds total) weight gain suggestions, it has still been a bit of a struggle to watch that scale go up..and up...and up every month.  There are some things you just have to discard with pregnancy and vanity is at the top of the list.
Maybe you think there's nothing worse than weight gain.  That's fine.  I'll let you think that...for now.  But one day...one day, friends, you might have a little run-in with the WORST part about pregnancy--REGISTERING FOR BABY ITEMS.  Oh. dear. Lord. in. Heaven.

Luckily, I've been able to keep the preggo meltdowns to a minimum the past few months, but a monster meltdown ensued when I tried to register.  I felt absolutely helpless and completely lost.  I mean, I loved registering for wedding stuff.  "Oh, I want that!  Oh, this would be nice! Yay! Yay! Yay!"  Yeah...there was none of that with the baby registry.  Instead, I sat on the couch with my trusty Mac and said, "Wait a minute, I don't have a single clue about what I need for raising a baby."  Scary.

image from here

So, I did the only thing I knew to do.  I reached out to some friends and, well, friends-of-friends who have been here before.  Their willingness to help a new mom-to-be was amazing.  I received Fbook messages and e-mails filled with so much helpful information that my head was spinning.  Honestly, I felt like a part of a little mommy club or something.  I want to take a moment to thank Rachel, Tara, Raluca, and Jessie for sharing so much knowledge with me.  You gals are awesome, and I truly respect what you do on the daily.

Ok, that's it!  Those are the only bad things about the second trimester.  Now to the amazingly awesome parts of being preggo.  Wait for it....Maternity clothes.  Oh, I see you over there.  You're turning your nose up like you're better than those huge, stretchy panels.  I thought the same thing.  However, when my belly really began to...ahem..."blossom", those stretchy panels were the best thing to ever happen to me!  See how hip these girls look??

image found here

I can't believe all of America hasn't made the switch to the stretchy panel.  No buttons, no zippers, and they stretch with you when you eat.  What more could you want?  Don't judge.  Unless, of course, I wear this.  If you ever see me wearing something like this....please help me and judge all you want.

yes, that's a maternity romper.

Another great part of the second trimester?? FOOD.  For the first time, food actually tastes good around month 5 or so.  Fave cravings? Watermelon, watermelon, more watermelon, and tomatoes.  Luckily, my cravings have been on the healthy side (for the most part).  This may change, I know.

watermelon love from here

Lastly, and maybe the best part of the Second Trimester--energy.  The first few months of pregnancy, I struggled to get off the couch...ever.  I've had Mono before, but this was worse.  I just felt zapped all the time.  Then, like a light switch flipping, one day I felt like SuperWoman.  In fact, on most days Frank says I'm wearing him out.  Ha!  I have so much energy that I want to start new projects, do 5 loads of laundry, go for a walk, and cook supper in a 3 hour span of time.  I hear the energy dwindles quickly in the Third Trimester, and I really am dreading that if it's true. 

I know I said I would only upload one bump pic, but alas, I'll give you ONE more.  And this is seriously the last.  So, don't tell anyone.  Fbook just can't handle this belly.  Forgive the construction (and the green cat toy) in the background.  There's a major project going on, ya know.

Well, ready or not, I'm on the cusp of the third trimester.  Leggo!