Highlights of 1st & 2nd Trimester Bump to Baby Boy

We made it we are in the home stretch!! The third and final trimester starts at week 28! Before I start on what to expect going into the third trimester I wanted to look back and reflect on our weekly topics.

How far along? 
We are at the start of the 3rd and final trimester!!!

Total weight gain ?
32 lbs.

Maternity clothes?
In the 1st trimester I didn't buy any maternity clothes. The 2nd trimester is where I found that leggings were no longer comfortable and I wanted something more form fitting to fit my baby bump. It was a trial and error, going between brands and comfort. Here are a few of my favorite brands that I found were cost-effective and great quality while being comfortable.

• Motherhood Maternity- As my belly grew I bought most of my t-shirts from here, I eventually grew out of most of them in length. I still wear my leggings which have a built in belly band and wearing them every other day still have kept their quality.  here & here are what I have pictured.
• Old Navy Maternity- At the end of my 2nd trimester I found that they had more of a looser fit with an affordable price. I bought tops, low-rise leggings, and 2 dresses. here and here I have more information on the brand. 
• Asos Maternity- If you would like to venture out of your traditional t-shirt and pants in maternity style and dress it up a little more they have what you are looking for. Free shipping, great quality,  and they always have some sort of discount going on. *sizes run bigger so order a size smaller to your pre-pregnancy size. here is what I bought and you can see it will grow with me until the end of my pregnancy. 
• Here are a couple more maternity clothes that I have on my list to-buy, because finding clothes to fit your belly and yet look sexy and feel great it a challenge for us mommas.
• Hatch 
• Topshop Maternity 

Stretch marks?
From what I have read and heard and just experience through my 1st and 2nd trimester stretch marks are something that you can not prevent. I have not had any yet, but I know it is always a good idea to keep your skin hydrated with rich lotions and oils.  With what I have learned and experienced up until now. My weight has not jumped allowing my shin to keep up with my growing body, this and my mom never had any and these are two determining factors of why stretch marks could occur.
Products that I use:

• Palmers Cocoa Butter Massage Lotion
• Cocoa Butter Formula For Dry, Itchy Skin Soothing Oil

Sleep?
Here is a list of symptoms that effected my sleep, I decided to make a list rather then carry on in a detailed description.

• Fatigue
• Insomnia
• Restless leg syndrome (RLS)
• Heartburn
• Frequent urination
• Discomfort 
• Cramps
• Pains
• Ligament pains

Best moment this week?
Here are a few of my best moments thus far…

• Being able to see our baby on the ultrasound here and here. 
• Hearing his heartbeat. 
• Shopping for maternity clothes here here and here.
• Feeling the kicks for the first time.
• Our first baby classes.
• Finding out the sex of our BABY BOY here!
• Working on DIY projects for him and the nursery here here here here and here. 
• Planning for the nursery here and here 
• Buying the first pair of shoes for our little man they were a blue pair of moccasins here. 

Miss anything?
You would think no I shouldn't really miss anything this should be such a proud glorious moment to embrace… Then comes the uncontrollable symptoms, sleepless nights and just over all not feeling like your body and mind are no longer yours. Then on top of most of your social life changes, because you can't do much of what you did when it was just you. Here are a few of what I missed through begin pregnant. Most of it now I have come to terms with.

• Sleep
• Mind and body
• Going out and having drinks with friends, just being silly and carefree. 
• Wearing pre-pregnancy clothes and my high platform shoes.
• Being my old self.
• Sleeping on my stomach not just on my left side. 
• Not having cravings and being able to maintain my eating. 
• Not feeling so tired, out of breath and having some sort of pain in any part of my body. 
• Everything takes 2x as long by the this point; walking, showering, bending over…

Movement?
Feeling him move is the best feeling in the world. As I write this he is just moving all around in there. As he grows I can feel him kick simultaneously kitty corner in my belly getting bigger and bigger. He used to just rumble around above my lower hip.

• I felt some rumbling around at 17 or 18 weeks. It felt like little bubbles at first so I wasn't sure here. 
• My first real movement was felt at 19 weeks. It felt like a wave passing through here.

He is not much of a kicker. He is pretty calm most of the time. Most of my movements are in the mornings and later at night. Now that he is getting bigger he just started waking me up just tossing and turning around in my belly, I just love it. Now I can feel how strong he is and I can't wait for more.

Food cravings?
I have never been much of a foodie. I could have a small snack or meal and be good. Cravings were noting I have ever experienced before. Well, let me just say I have no limits when it comes to food now.

• I used to be a chips and salty kinda person and things like chocolate and sweets I would never indulge in. 
• Ice-cream is the best taste in the world its like the first time discovering sweets.
• Due to my heightened sense in taste I have been cooking a lot more meals. 
• Sweets
• Everything taste good… everything. 

Gender?
I don't know how some people could wait on finding out the sex. We just could not hold off not knowing for another second.
We found out at week 21 here.
BOY!!

Labour signs?
Nope

Symptoms?
Here is a list of what symptoms I have had to deal with.

• Fatigue, more like exhaustion. 
• Frequent urination
• Mood swings. I still can not tell you the definition of mood swing rather I feel like I am right in feeling this way at the moment. ;) The first trimester will get you, I was unbelievably sad, just be strong and it will level out for the most part.
• Heightened senses. My sense of smell rally played a role. 
• Acne during the first few months.
• Migraines
• Round Ligament Pain
• Leg Muscle Cramps
• Restless leg syndrome (RLS)
• Heartburn
• Breathlessness
• Body aches and pains.

Belly button in or out?
This is kinda crazy but I have been expecting my belly button to pop out until one day I just noticed I no longer had one. By now it is completely flat. I found out at week 23.

Happy or moody most of the time?
If you have been following my blog or even this post you will have your answer. :)

Looking forward to?
Most deffinatly looking forward to the baby shower. I have the most amazing friends and I can't wait for all of my family on both sides to beth together. It is themed around deserts, my favorite!!
More of my DIY projects!
Creating more art for the room and decorating the Nursery.
And of corse meeting, holding, kissing, feeling, our little baby BOY!! To see if he has a full curly head of hair like his father, a nose like me and just to see how big he actually is.

Thank you for allowing me in sharing this amazing experience with you. Feel free to ask any questions, leave a comment or just share a story. I love how unique each pregnancy is but so much the same all in one. 


Keep in-touch for upcoming post....