25 weeks and reflections

Woohoo. Another week down, only 15 left to go! Despite being sick for the past 10 days, I’m slowly on the mend. I’m hoping that come Monday, I’ll finally kick this cough and be back to 100%.

Guess what came in the mail today? My kettlebell plushie! Janie from Janiexy.com was kind enough to change the back wording from 1 ton to 1 pood, which made my day when I opened the package.

This kettlebell is really the only splurge I’ve purchased for Baby Hobson. I’ve avoided buying clothes and toys, though I’ve definitely given my opinion when my mom picked out clothing in Hilton Head. I keep thinking, if he’s anything like his daddy, he’ll be running around in just a diaper for a couple years. Hobson men hate wearing a shirt!

Reflections on Pregnancy

So I’ve wanted to do some reflections on pregnancy for a while now, just to get down my thoughts about what I love about pregnancy and what I won’t miss when I’m no longer pregnant. Overall, I’ve had a great and somewhat easy pregnancy, and for that I am very thankful.

What I won’t miss:

• Heartburn: I had this early on (maybe because I was craving chili) and it’s been bad at night the past couple weeks. Twice, it was so bad I thought I might vomit. At night, I’ve learned to use two pillows to prop my head and shoulders up at an incline. So far, this has alleviated it.
• Limited medicine: Last week was the first time I’ve gotten sick while I’ve been pregnant. Only being able to take Tylenol has made it hard to get better. I’m just hoping I don’t get sick again this fall.
• First trimester nausea and fatigue: Though many women experience this, I’m sure it’s never fun. Luckily, I only threw up twice, and for the most part, I could curb the nausea if I ate every 1.5 hours. The fatigue was almost worst than the nausea since it was harder to manage with a full time job. But by the time 12 or 13 weeks hit, I was in the clear with both of the symptoms and have felt normal through the second trimester.

What I love:

• Movement: Feeling that first flutter around 17 weeks made me wonder if it was Baby Hobson or just digestion. By 19 weeks, the little kicks and punches were obvious, and like they say, they made everything all the more real.
• Working out: Many people shy away from working out while pregnant, worrying it will harm their baby. Luckily, I have no reservations about working out. My plan has been just to listen to my body. If something is too heavy or too hard, I scale back. Just this morning I did a 155lb front squat, and I felt fine. Then when I got to pullups, I decided to use the small band, even though I had done 30 without the band recently. I just do what feels right for me at that time.
• The right to say no: Don’t get me wrong, I love being social and hanging out with people. But I’ll be honest, a part of me thinks it’s nice being able to decline certain social engagements or leave early because I’m pregnant. Maybe it’s just because I really value my sleep!
• Daydreaming about our little family: Going from a couple to a family is a big leap, with many changes–some I can predict now, and I’m sure many I’ll discover along the journey. I’ve always been a family person, and luckily I’ve got a great one to thank for that. As a new family, I can’t wait to go to the beach, play at the park, celebrate holidays, etc. I also can’t wait to see what James will be like with a baby. I think he’ll be a great dad and very doting.
• That pip in my step: Though I may not always have that pregnancy glow that everyone talks about, I do feel like pregnancy gives you a new, bigger perspective on life. Even when it’s a rough day at work, I’ve still got something going for me. Even when I’m sick, I can still be happy thinking about the future. 
• Nesting: I think I’m just now starting to get the nesting instinct. In the past few weeks, I’ve cleaned our place from top to bottom, thrown out 10 trashbags of stuff and donated 4 trashbags of clothing. I’m getting our place ready to paint the nursery and put in all the baby furniture. I’m working on crafts for wall decor, reading empowering childbirth books, planning out bulk freezer meals and also getting into canning. As domestic as all this may sound, I absolutely love it and can’t imagine focusing on anything else.