The Journey to Baby #3 {20 Week Update)

I am half way finished with this pregnancy and I can’t believe it!  It goes so fast when you are always chasing two other little ones.  I am really enjoying this pregnancy more so than the others and am soaking up every minute I can.  I love looking back and comparing all three of my pregnancies: not just how I look, but also how I feel and of course trying to figure out the gender based on everything.

This week is an exciting one as we have our ultrasound scheduled for Wednesday.  For me, I am a little anxious and just constantly praying for the health of this baby.Although we won’t find out the gender until Baby SK’s Birthday, we all have our predictions.  Last time I wrote I said girl and now I have no idea- this is pretty par for the course.  Josh is saying he is starting to sense another boy.  Either way, adding a third munchkin to our clan makes me so excited.

Last week I had to switch the maternity clothes.  I couldn’t quite get my pants buttoned anymore and when my husband got the bins down his comment was, “Enjoy these clothes, it is your last time.”  This made me quite sad and of course started thinking of all the ways I could convince him to go for one more.

Besides a cold, I am feeling great and feel extremely blessed.  Keep reading to find out what else has been going on as I am half way there to meeting our third munchkin!

Weight Gain

Whoa, did I ever pack on the pounds this month!  Baby is growing and I can feel it.  I have been so hungry too.  I have gained 14 pounds and gained 8 pounds just this month.  That means I gained more this month than I have so far and guess what? I am OKAY WITH IT!

To me, gaining weight means I am nourishing my body and baby is growing too.  I am not shooting to only gain a certain number.  I am listening to my body and doing my best to take great care of myself and baby.  Of course, I have had a few too many treats, but that’s okay.  The girl scout cookies are officially out of the house so I should be in the clear now (until my birthday at least).

You can read why I have decided to share my weight gain with my readers on my 12 week post here.

Symptoms

My tiredness is getting better as I gave in and started taking an iron supplement.  Although this week I caught a bad cold and have been trying to get as much sleep as possible.  Other than that, I feel awesome!

Workouts

I am still working out 6 times a week (besides this week, I took a couple days off with being sick).  I have been getting in 3 of my own workouts per week and am proud of that.  I am also teaching 4 days a week.  This means on Monday, I double up by teaching a class and hitting the treadmill for 20 minutes of HIIT.  It has been freezing so I have not been getting in anymore long runs, but that is okay because I have been spending that time adding in an extra heavy lifting workout with some rowing and I am loving that.

Food Aversions & Cravings

My aversions are officially gone and I just crave things now: like red meat.  I could probably have a hamburger or steak for every meal.  I am sure this has to do with my low iron.  I also have to have lemon in my water.  I go through about 1 full lemon every day.  C has caught on to this too and loves lemon in her water as well.

Goals

At this point, my goal is to just keep going.  I am feeling great and my workouts have been tough and I love it.  I would like to try and up my mileage if it gets warmer, but if not, I am okay with it.  There will be plenty of time for all of that after the baby gets here.

I do however feel pretty proud that at 20 weeks pregnant I hopped on the treadmill and to test myself and see how fast I could still run a mile.  Low and behold even with a cold, I still knocked out an 8:28 mile- I will take that.

Sleep

Besides the cold thing, the sleep is going well.  I love sleep!  And good thing I have an awesome husband who picks up the slack while I get in my 8+ hours a night.

Feelings & Fun

Overall I am happy and recently I have sprinkled in a little bit of sadness as I think about this being my last baby.  I know nothing can be set in stone, but I pretty sure this is it for our family.

It is so fun to watch C get excited about this baby and talk to SK.  In fact, a few weeks ago she decided to give the baby stickers.  (I love this picture because it really also shows how I really popped in just a week and a half.  M on the other hand does not understand but he does point to his belly and say, “baby”.

Well there you have it, we are half way there!  Thank you for reading as I document my journey to baby #3.  As always, please know that I write these posts and share my journey to encourage other women to have a fit pregnancy, listen to your body, and not compare yourself to the celebrities we see.  This is a real documentation: my true weight gain, my struggles, and what I am loving about adding to our growing family.

Oh and if you are wondering why I am referring to baby as SK now, those are the first two initials of the name we have picked out for boy or girl.  Any guesses?

Your turn-tell me!
Did you track your weight during your pregnancy?
Would you be surprised at the gender or need to find out?