A photo so that when I share the link to Facebook, it doesn't default to me in a sports bra 🙃
When 2025 hit and it ticked over into "baby year," I'm not gonna lie: my main emotion was some blend of shock/fear/horror. I didn't realize that I'd been holding a buffer of "it's next year," but apparently I was. I've been making notes and populating timelines for months (years, in some cases), but many of my to-dos were labeled as things to take action on in January.
Well folks, it is January. And the amount of time I've been pregnant? That's approximately the amount of time I have left before we meet Miss Metertot in the flesh. So like, what I was doing at the end of August/beginning of September? You know how recent that feels? That same distance forward is all that's separating me from being a mom, forever.
It's all good. It is ALL good. But it's also just plain HUGE.
Anyway, here's what's been going on baby-wise for the last eight weeks.
Week 14
Symptoms: couple of bad heartburn evenings. Gabe realized he can feel my uterus from the outside, and he gasped and looked at me all starry-eyed :) The next day I felt it too. I don't know why I didn't just reach down and feel it when he did.
Cravings: None
Week 15
Symptoms: I CAN EAT TUNA AGAIN. I'm happy, talkative, socially comfortable. It's like I'm ovulating all the time. Boobs are huge. Also I have to nap at some point between 1–3pm. Have to. It's like I pass out.
Cravings: None
Week 16
Symptoms: feel like my body smells bad all the time
Cravings: virgin Bloody Mary?!
For the record, it tasted like the single best thing I've ever, ever, EVER eaten or drunk in my life. I doubt I'll ever have such a perfect experience as that ever again.
Week 17
Symptoms: little bit constipated maybe. Gabe says I'm glowing :)
Cravings: None
Week 18
Symptoms: continuing to feel like I smell bad all the time.
Notes:
- Struggling to reconcile my wardrobe of cropped sweaters with my paneled maternity jeans.
- Packed away all the clothes that aren't comfortable right now and I'm finally excited to get dressed again!
- Boobs are HUGE. They are an accessory. Gabe was like "HOLy crap" when he saw me in a normal scoop-neck shirt.
- Ate an entire carton of blueberries in one day. Half a day, actually.
Week 19
Symptoms: pregnancy brain (in fact, that's been going on for a little while now), fingernails breaking more than usual?
Cravings: blueberries/yogurt with blueberries, chocolate milk
One day this week, my pregnancy app's daily tidbit was something like, "Your hair and nails are probably growing long and strong these days! However it's also normal for your fingernails to miss the memo and become brittle. If that's the case, make sure you're getting enough calcium."
Well, my nails have gone the slightly brittle route, so it looks like another case of my body being ahead of the game with its cravings :) Bodies are so cool.
Week 20
Symptoms: nothing so far, but I'm only one Day 1!
Cravings:
Basically the second trimester has been incredible so far. I would be able to forget I'm even pregnant if it weren't for the fact that I feel noticeably BETTER than I did when I wasn't pregnant. As I start to get bigger, I know the discomfort is coming, but right now I'm just having a really great time :)
~ Stephanie
