Weeks 19 & 20

How far along are you: Almost 20 weeks!

Cravings: Nothing in particular. I really like cereal right now, and mostly fruit. Green grapes and Granny Smith apples are my go to. The occasional scoop of Ben and Jerry’s sneaks into my belly – it would be really awesome if we could get the new Jimmy Fallon flavour, The Tonight Dough, in Canada.

Weight gain: 11-12lbs. I gained 40lbs when pregnant with Odin despite the fact that I exercised regularly and maintained a fairly healthy diet. I started at a lower pre-pregnancy weight this time, but have also been able to exercise more throughout this pregnancy – probably given the shape I was in when I got pregnant (I had just completed a rigorous training cycle for a half marathon I ran at the end of September, got pregnant at the end of October).

Maternity clothes: Not yet. How I still manage to button up my jeans is beyond me (said jeans are not pictured).

Movement: Yes – finally! I have felt some lovely ‘baby flops’ and can sometimes see my belly move when the baby does. With Odin, my placenta was at the very front, so I barely felt movement (I never even felt Braxton Hicks when pregnant with him either!), so it’s pretty exciting to feel the baby this time around!

Gender: Waiting until delivery to find out. Gut feeling: boy.

Best moment this week: Finally getting to see my OBGYN. I’m seeing the same doctor I had throughout my pregnancy with Odin. I have a crazy attachment to this doctor for some reason. She just gets me, and she is the perfect match for me. I am so fortunate to have found a doctor like her. We booked my next (and likely final) ultrasound and it hit me that this could be the last pregnancy-related ultrasound I ever have, as we are stopping the baby train at two.

Running: This week I had some really good days and a couple of bad ones. I had one run in particular where I felt like I just need to cut back, but then bounced back with a great run the next day – but running is like that; pregnant or not. Between Monday and Friday I managed to run everyday for a total of 48km in 5 days. Not shabby for halfway through my pregnancy. At this point with Odin, I think I was averaging 3 runs and barely 20km a week.

Week 18

I felt like the first trimester was NEVER going to end. I had weekly doctors appointments and blood work, I was extremely sick and keeping the pregnancy a secret over the holidays isn’t an easy task. But we managed, and here we are, two weeks away from being halfway there!

How far along are you: 18 weeks.

Cravings: Billy Miner pie from The Keg. When I get a craving, it’s always very specific.

Weight gain: 7-8lbs, differs based on the day and time.

Maternity clothes: I still can’t believe I’m typing ‘no’ right now. The bump is finally starting to make an appearance though:

Movement: Not much. The occasional flip or flop, but that’s all. It was the same way with Odin. I rarely ever felt movement or Braxton Hicks, even though both of those things were happening.

Gender: Waiting until delivery to find out.

Best moment this week: Finally getting into a routine. With the move and starting a new job, the last month has been pretty hectic. We also FINALLY got our fridge delivered – it was a very long debacle and I’m so glad it’s over. We also got to visit with Ryan’s grandmother and some of his uncles, and my family got together for dinner at our new home on Sunday. It was nice to have everyone together, and of course, Odin loved showing off his new big boy room.

Running: This week my blood pressure (which is pretty low to begin with) dropped even more, and I’ve developed anemia again with this pregnancy (it’s amazing how the second trimester is a mirror image of my pregnancy with Odin), which had me feeling a bit sluggish for a couple of days. I still managed to run 5 of 7 days for a total of 57km. At this point in my pregnancy with Odin, I think I had dropped down to 5km per run and was maybe running 4 times a week. However, back then it was a really hot summer and I didn’t have a treadmill like I do now. It’s been absolutely freezing here, so my weekly mileage would likely be a big fat zero if it weren’t for my treadmill (too icy and slippery – too afraid of falling).

Week 17

I’m going to do my best to commit to weekly, more likely bi-weekly, pregnancy updates. I did a terrible job documenting my pregnancy with Odin, and haven’t done a great job so far this time around either

We finally broke the news around week 13 that I was pregnant:

How far along are you: 17 weeks with baby #2!!!

Cravings: Chicken Pad Thai…All. The. Time. Apples. Grapes. Really cold fruit in general.

Weight gain: 6-ish pounds. I was really sick for a lot of weeks, and my appetite is finally getting back to normal.

Maternity clothes: Not yet – still able to wear my jeans and regular clothes (I still can’t believe this!).

Movement: None that really sticks out. The occasional flutter, but with Odin, the location of my placenta made it difficult to feel movement, so the same thing could be happening this time too.

Gender: We are waiting until delivery just like we did with Odin. If I had to guess, I’d say boy again, but I really have no clue.

Best moment this week: I’m going to say still being able to run and still being pregnant. It was such a rocky road to get here, and I’m so thankful for it everyday. I am also happy that IPS tests came back clear and I am off of weekly doctors and blood work appointments (I was closely monitored for 13 weeks based on my miscarriage history).

Running: I’m going to add this in each week since running is still an option for me 🙂 I had a lot of great runs, but one on Friday that just didn’t feel right so I stopped. Also, fellow Oiselle Flock Member Emily Hess over at Pages of Miles posted an Instagram photo of a shirt she had gotten that was a pair of running shoes made to look like a set of lungs. IT was super cool and I needed to know the meaning behind it. In a nutshell, it’s in support of the Let’s Rock CF campaign to raise funds and awareness for Cystic Fibrosis Research. You bet I ordered one immediately!

Worst moment: I think I’m going to leave this out in the future. I find it hard to come up with something for this – and I don’t really like thinking about these types of things.

We are finally getting settled into our new home, and I’m adjusting to my new job where I am fortunate to be able to work from home now. These two things make life so much easier now and we’re so blessed with the opportunities 2015 has given us – and it’s only February!

I wish I had done a better job at documenting running through pregnancy #1 to compare to pregnancy #2. I feel a lot better running through this pregnancy, and last time I stopped running around the 6 month mark. I think the fact that it’s winter and I have a treadmill in my house have made this easier, as when I was pregnant with Odin, I was pregnant throughout the summer months. It would just be nice to compare the two experiences since running is a huge part of who I am.