Pregnancy: Weeks 13-15

I'm praising God that this pregnancy is at least a gazillion times easier than my last, since I've got a busy 11 month old sucking the life force from me. Actually, I think part of the reason I find it easier this time around is that I'm too occupied to feel sorry for myself and my headaches (this time I have a prescription instead of physical therapy) and my widening hips (I'm doing a little better weight-wise than I did with Reese) and my limited social life (I'm used to it by now).




(There's little Reese! The best reason for being a busy bee.)

(13 weeks.)----------------------------------------------->


It's an ideal time of year to be pregnant. Hello, sundresses and a sunkissed glow!

I think I felt the baby move twice yesterday and once today. I think it's a he. We'll see. I'm a little more patient than last time about finding out. I'm too busy to spend hours daydreaming about baby stuff; plus, I've already GOT a baby. (Never in a million years did I think we would have two kids so close together, but sometimes there are problems with prescription coverage and sometimes there are romantic vacations and sometimes there are sexy posh hotel rooms in downtown Cleveland and sometimes there are too many room-serviced Knob Creek & Diets, and...well.)

(14.5 weeks)--------------------->

<--(15 weeks. At right, Little Honey standing dangerously in her high chair.  You can see the sunkissed Pebbles-style pony. )

Craving-wise, I'm super hungry during the day and not so much at night--but not for really bad stuff. I could survive on avocados and olive oil and blueberries, but today I DID have a hankering for an Oreo McFlurry and I DID let myself have it, and I was glad the girl at McDonald's really skimped on the amount of ice cream in the cup because I DIDN'T need it. I am usually really good at preparing my meals and snacks in advance and bringing them pre-portioned to work. I don't always get to leave at the same time for lunch, or sometimes even at all, and even in my not-pregnant life I'm an eat-every-three-hours kinda girl, so I've found this works best for me. Once my blood sugar drops, I'm eyeing the fundraiser candy bars on the front counter; to combat this, I MUST have a complex carb/lean protein combo in the right calorie ratio for the time of day. I told myself I'd stick with this lifestyle during pregnancy, but to be honest it's just not as easy as it normally is. I turn my nose up at foods I usually love (like wheat berries and chickpeas), and crave things I normally can take or leave, and am hungry at different times of the day, etc. So I'm just trying to be patient with myself and do the best I can.

 I did P90X2 and Turbo Fire Advanced during my first trimester and only gained two pounds, but the last couple of weeks I've been much more fatigued (total reversal of my pregnancy with Reese!) and have settled for a long walk with Reese most days, plus a short strength training workout when I can muster it, which usually is 3-4 days a week. I WANT to do more, and I'm struggling with the sudden pregnant belly emerging from what two months ago were the solid abs of HARD work after giving birth last June. But I have to "listen to my body," as they say. I'm not giving myself license to be a pig or to sit around and bemoan my fat knocked-up ass, but I do need to occasionally honor the need for a catnap...or an ice cream cone.

(15 weeks, with my 11 month old baby girl! Am I crazy or what?)

lindsey.