2nd Trimester recap

And just like that we have made it through 2nd trimester! I can't believe it! This babe is going to get here before we know it!

It feels like so much happened in this trimester!

You're a girl! We found out you were a girl at 16 weeks. We went to Fetal Fotos as a Christmas present from our parents because we all wanted to know what you would be! Granted, I always knew you were going to be a little girl so when they told me, I was relived that my intuition was correct! Your daddy teared up a little bit in that moment. You moved soooo much during that ultrasound! I didn't feel your cute kicks until much later, probably because I had an anterior placenta that served as a buffer from all your movement. It's crazy to see you! You really do exist! We loved that moment so much!

We told TJ's parents after we got back from China, week 13. We came over to tell everyone and no one was there except grandma Traci and Bret. We had just had family photos done and Traci wanted a new one for the living room so I printed a few out with the last one as one with us holding the ultrasound. She looked at it for a while and then finally said "Wait, what are you guys holding?!" The next night we came over and showed the family photos from China and threw the picture below. They were all super excited! Your uncle Conner named you Jimmy at that point (before we knew you were a girl.)

We officially announced you to the rest of the world at 21 weeks and got so much love from it. We posted this series of photos.

                 

Bump: I didn't really start showing until week 19. I didn't even take a bump photo til week 18 cause there was nothing to show! Although I did still wear my maternity jeans I got for China because why not?! They are so comfy! After that you slowly slowly started showing. Although you love to move around so sometimes I wouldn't have a bump at all and then other times I would totally have a little bump. Week 28 I went to the clinic to work and I showed up with a week 20 bump but by the end of the day I had my 28 week bump back. You love to sit in my back which makes my back hurt! 

Sleep: Around week 18 I started to not sleep very well and shortly after that I started snoring. Poor TJ. Sometimes he ends up our on the couch. Although recently (week 26-28) I am sleeping much much better. I fall asleep so fast but wake up a few times in the middle of the night to pee. 

Movement: We felt you for the first time at 22.5 weeks! It was 3 AM and I woke up to this kick on my left side. It woke me up and I laid there to see if I was really feeling what I was feeling! You kicked a few more times and I grabbed TJ's hand and he was able to feel your cute kick! After that you have never stopped moving! The other day (week 28 day 1) you seriously moved the entire day and not just kicks, full on turns and flips! They feel like nice punches to the gut! Makes me nauseous a bit. You always know when it's time to go to sleep because that's when you're the most active! I hope that's no indication of your sleep schedule... 

Exercise: I was able to start going back to the gym although not with much energy. You don't like to run very much. Anytime I would start to run, it's like you put your heel in my side and I literally couldn't walk. At week 27, you turned and loved laying on my bladder so anytime I'd think of starting to run, it was a no go. So we have been doing a lot of walking and biking.

Tired: ALL THE TIME! Second trimester hit hard and I have been tired all the time! It has gotten worse the farther along second trimester got!

Food Cravings: Nothing from week 13-week 26. Which has been very disappointing for your father. He was hoping we would get some good food out of this. Week 27, by the end of the day all I want is slushies or smoothies! It can't get enough liquid in me!  Sonic has been a frequent stop for us!

Sickness: I got over the nauseous soon after second trimester started which was very nice. Although I would still get awful migranes for the first little bit. Then half way through the acid reflux has kicked in and it has just gotten worse! I hope the midwives tale is true and you have a lot of hair because this acid reflux is killing me! Tums and Zantac have become my best friend. My skin has also turned into a teenage girl again! 

Weight gain: I probably didn't start putting on the weight until half way through second trimester. And now I'm right on schedule in the weight gain department although it's all starting to show in my face. Pretty soon, we're gonna weight as much as daddy! 

Ultra Sounds from Week 20 appointment: You are healthy with a strong heart and good looking brain! It's amazing how much they can see at 20 weeks! Please stay that way :)

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BEIJING, CHINA 2017

Over Thanksgiving in 2017 we went to Beijing China with my cousin Lauren and her husband Alex Chandler. It was amazing, beautiful and cold. I went half expecting it to be somewhat like Tokyo but boy was I wrong. It wasn't colorful or bright but instead muted and monotone. At one point Lauren reminded me that we were in a Communist country. She said it looked just like Ukraine, where she served her mission. I am so happy to go though because the buildings were beautiful and the Great Wall of China was incredible.

 

We flew in and stayed our first night in an Airbnb near the hotel. We went out to eat at a local place that was very similar to Shabu Shabu in Japan. We were all okay except for TJ who spent the night puking. I was thinking it was the 14 hour, being messed up on time that did it or his lack of a foreign stomach because the rest of us were fine and we all ate the same thing. I was really worried about food going into the trip seeing that I was 11 weeks pregnant but we did great! Thank you modern medicine that probably greatly contributed to that. The food wasn't amazing and we found ourselves eating at McDonalds or Pizza Hut on a few occasions.

The next morning we woke up early and hopped on a plane to Xi'an where the Terra Cotta Warriors are buried. WOW! How cool! Amazing how old this country is! We had a wonderful guide which was very handy. They picked us up from the airport, took us to a few sights and then dropped us back off at the airport. 

  

 

  

  

  

That night we flew in late to Beijing and got a taxi to our next hotel which was more centrally located. The cab driver did not know where our hotel exactly was because he dropped us off and said just down there, which was a long dark alley at 11:30 pm. So we walked and walked and there was no hotel. Luckily there was a hotel along the way that we could get directions from. We were no where near. So we walked the rest of the distance and thank goodness found our hotel. We stayed there for the next three nights. It was a great locations. The next two days we explored Tianamen Square and the Forbidden City and took a tour up to the Great Wall of China which was spectacular!

  

We were so lucky and only had one really bad day of smog, which was really bad.

Paid a visit to Olympic Square and the Birds Nest

  

On Thanksgiving Alex suggested we get Peking Duck in honor of the Christmas Story. It was very interesting and definately an experience. 

  

The last night we stayed in a SUPER nice hotel because hotels are super cheap over here. For the first two hotels we paid like $37 a night. This last one we only paid $118 for it. I am in love with nice hotels! It was wonderful!

One night we went to see an acrobatic show which was pretty cool! 

We had a 7 hour layover on the way back in San Francisco so Dad came and picked us up and took us around the city cause Lauren and Alex had never been. So great to see Dad. 

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