The weekends are going too fast, I swear! I'm embarrassed to admit how many hours it took me to get my address book and contacts all up to date this weekend so that I could get our holiday cards in the mail! But thankfully, it's all done now. I wish I was more organized and had my shiz together so our cards (first of all would have been mailed by now), but two: would have pretty Christmas stamps and festive return address labels, but I only now ordered them, so those will have to wait until next year.
I had to keep reminding myself that it's the sentiment, thoughtful note inside, and just getting the cards into our friends and families hands that mattered, not how the envelopes looked! I'm vowing now to be ready for next year by November! ;)
PREGNANCY UPDATE
Since my last pregnancy update at 20 weeks, we've found out It's a GIRL, completed her lavender nursery, and even decorated it for the holidays! I'm officially in my 3rd trimester now at 28 weeks, with exactly 3 months to go! I think the next two weeks will go fast with the holidays and all, but then things may slow down in the new year. I'm pretty comfortable now, but I know I still have lots of growing to do.
bump progress
At 20 weeks we were delighted and a little shocked to find out we are having a baby girl. When I was pregnant with my son, I admit I really wanted a girl and actually felt guilty for feeling disappointed to learn he was a boy. Did any of you experience that? It feels bad inside to be hoping for one and then learn it's another and to top it off you feel bad for your feelings. Like a bad mom before they're even born. And then, of course, as it turns out, I LOVE being a boy mom and believe our son is exactly perfect for our family. I wouldn't have changed it for the world.
And now that I'm having a girl, I feel like I don't know what to do with a girl. Crazy, right?! Even though I'm a girly girl myself. I'm sure it won't even matter at first because all babies just need the basics anyways and the gender differences might not reveal themselves for awhile. I'm mostly so interested to see how my son and daughter's personalities differ or are similar. I know we've been blessed with an almost too-good-to-be-true delightful experience with our son, so who knows what's in store with our girl. They say when one's an angel, you better watch out with the second!
I continue to just feel blessed beyond measure and so giddily happy to be pregnant! Many of you know that I really didn't enjoy my first pregnancy all that much, but this one feels so different. My body has changed lots for sure, but because I've continued to work out and eat (mostly) healthy, my weight hasn't skyrocketed like last time and I'm still feeling good. I think because I'm older and more experienced, and having a baby at 40, I know what a true blessing a pregnancy is and I'm so thankful everyday for a healthy baby.
More on my food and exercise below, but first, here's the bump progression from 22 weeks to 27 weeks! You can see my first bump update here (13 weeks), and the second one (20 weeks) here.
22 Weeks :: Maxi Slipdress | similar heels
22 Weeks :: Shirtdress XS (on sale) | jacket (newer version) (on sale) | similar jacket | similar boots
23 Weeks:: jacket - Small | similar necklace (similar here & here) | top - XS) | jeans | bag bag
At this point, if I wore a looser fitting top, like above, it's still kinda hard to see the baby bump. But with a fitted top like below, the bump shows for sure. Especially from the side.
23 Weeks :: top (on sale) | reversible tote | necklace | ring
23 Weeks
24 Weeks :: similar sweater
I'm so short that I have to sit close to the steering wheel and I'm fearful I'll actually be touching it soon!
24 Weeks :: cardigan (on sale) | boots | tank
Above is a perfect example of my little secret what's hiding under the cardigan. :)
24 Weeks :: cardigan | top (Medium)
But at 24 weeks pregnant, I'm so loving the bump! It makes it even more real that there's a baby in there when your stomach starts expanding. And you're feeling those kicks! She kicks a ton!
24 Weeks :: jacket (XXS) | top (Medium) | similar necklace | boots | jeans
26 Weeks :: best soft cozy pants ever - XS (also in non-maternity)
I told you before that I live in those GAP pants above. I bought them at 15 weeks pregnant and I'm pretty sure I've worn them nearly everyday since. Expect when they're in the washer! I still fit in XS, and I'm wondering if I can make them last the whole time.
26 Weeks :: top - Medium (on sale)
At 26 weeks, the bump is big enough that my regular size Small tops aren't long enough to totally cover underneath, so in a few things I've bought size Medium. I have a few maternity tops, but I'm like anyone else and don't want to spend my money on clothes I'll only wear for a few months.
26 Weeks :: dress
I'd like a fitted dress to wear to the Baby Sprinkle my sweet sister-in-law is hosting for me next month. I'm thinking a sweater dress like this maybe since it will probably still be cold out.
And because I love before/after shots, here are a couple of those too! I didn't realize it at the time, but I got pregnant while training for my second bikini fitness competition. I continued to train hard probably 5 days a week until the competition, and I found out I was 5 weeks pregnant, 3 days before the contest! Talk about a surreal moment! Suddenly, the contest didn't seem to matter at all and I was overjoyed to find out I was pregnant!
Prism sports bra & leggings
Isn't it just amazing what our bodies can do and how they can change?!
exercise
I've continued working out this whole pregnancy, albeit at a much lower pace and intensity. I sometimes only got two days of exercise in in a week, but mostly it's 3 and occasionally 4. When I train with my trainer, we lift weights and do plyometric exercises for an hour, but we take it easy and don't go fast or too heavy. We also talk a lot more in between sets, whereas before, I was too busy just trying to breathe!
Around Thanksgiving, I added in cardio (because I was barely doing any), so I try to get in 30 minutes of walking on the treadmill at a 3.5 pace a couple times a week. That's my trainer, John Sherman, in the picture below. He has been such a Godsend for me. He's trained me for 2 bikini contests and is now training me to be healthy and fit during this pregnancy. We've gotten really close over the last couple of years and I count him as one of my good friends now.
If you want to train with him (even online or get an online nutrition plan), you can email him at johnjsherman@sbcglobal.net I've worked with several trainers over the years, and he is by far the best!
20 Weeks
25 Weeks
It occurred to me recently that I can still wear my wedding ring! I don't recall at what point I couldn't wear it in my first pregnancy, but it seems like it was really early on. I bought an inexpensive fake ring in a bigger size to replace my real one and I even outgrew that one!
It is getting more difficult for me to bend over or go about my daily business without my belly bumping into things. I have lots of Braxton Hicks contractions and tons of baby kicks. Occasionally, my lower back hurts, but if so, I'll put on this maternity brace at the end of the day and it helps. I've only had to wear it a couple of times.
I mentioned in my last update that my skin was breaking out, but it's much better. It was weird, not really like acne, but more like a bumpy rash on my forehead. I've just been using Cetaphil cleanser and Seabreez for sensitive skin and that seems to be working.
what I'm eating
I eat mostly similar to how I ate on bikini prep during the week, but what I mean by that is that I eat every 3-4 hours, about 5 meals a day, and I try to mix in a healthy balance of protein, carbs, veggies, and fat. We rarely eat out during the week, but usually go to a restaurant on Friday or Saturday and I'll splurge more on the weekends.
I've noticed that my weight has been increasing an average of 1 pound a week (but I might gain 2 or 3 pounds just on the weekends, and then it goes back down during the week). If I've eaten too many desserts during the weekend, I eat more strictly the next few days with lots of water. I try to just keep it balanced and not go too far in either direction. I weigh myself every morning to monitor how I'm doing and I'm right on tract to gain 35 pounds this pregnancy, which is my goal. My doctor said a gain of 25-35 would be healthy for me. Compared to last pregnancy, I'm about 7 pounds lighter at this point than I was last time.
I'm a stay-at-home mom & blogger, so I have access to all the food in my house with the luxury of being able to cook fresh meals throughout the day (although I still meal prep and always keep things like grilled chicken, cooked ground turkey, and steamed rice in the fridge). In the freezer is always a variety of frozen veggies and I just microwave a cup at a time for 2 minutes and they're cooked through.
Here are some examples of meals I've been eating lately:
Grilled chicken or shrimp stir-fried rice and veggies. I just heat up my pre-cooked chicken and rice and add a cup of veggies and fry it all up with one egg, seasoning with low-sodium soy sauce.
Grilled fish with rice and veggies. I'm hooked on these sauces from the Asian aisle of my local grocery store - Wasabi sauce and Sweet Soy Glaze. Mmmmm! I buy frozen, individually packaged mahi mahi or salmon and put it in a bowl of cool water for about 10 minutes to thaw it. Then, I just cook it in a pan with cooking spray and Mrs. Dash salt-free seasoning. It only takes a few minutes on each side to cook through.
Chicken, rice, roasted brussel sprouts. Boring, yes, but I don't always worry about what I "want" to eat, just what would be the healthiest choice for that meal. And I actually do like this meal.
Chicken quesadilla - Since I always have grilled chicken on hand, this is super easy to make. I measure out about 4-5 ounces of chicken and cube it up, dice up a little onion and add a bit of store pre-made pico and sauté it in a pan for a couple minutes to heat everything up. Then, I spray cooking spray onto my tortillas, fill it with my toppings and low-fat cheese, then flip when it's nice and crispy on the first side. I eat this with low-fat sour cream. I'm hooked on these lately!
But, don't get me wrong. I love food and especially a good cheesehamburger! I happen to think Christian's Tailgate (a real hole in the wall) makes one of the best burgers in Houston (pictured below).
For our Anniversary lunch recently, we had a rare couples-only meal at Carrabba's Italian restaurant and I ordered the Chicken Texas Bryan which comes with a side of fettuccine alfredo. One of my all-time favorite dishes!
And I have a major sweet tooth! The chocolate chip cookies at Common Bond were beyond delicious!
I'm so lucky to have a great group of women in my neighborhood who get together for dinner, drinks, company and bunco once a month, rotating between each of our homes. Every week the host prepares the main meal, and everyone else brings drinks and dessert. These get-togethers never disappoint! Aside from the camaraderie, the food is always so good! Case in point!
And I haven't given up coffee this pregnancy either. With my doctor's approval, I'm happy to say a cup or two a day is fine! Thank God!! I just make sure to drink lots of water so I don't get dehydrated. This is from Tout Suite, a wonderful local coffee shop and eatery downtown.
If you made it to the end of this post, thanks for sticking with me! I appreciate you letting me gush over this pregnancy! :) xoxo!!
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