Oops! I wrote most of the a month ago, but forgot to add pictures and post. So here goes!
My goodness the time is flying. My first trimester felt like a series of waiting games– waiting to find out I was pregnant, waiting for the first ultrasound, waiting for the risk of miscarriage to decline, waiting for the right moment to share the news with family and friends. Not the case for my second trimester. Although I really pushed the limits on telling patients at work– so much so that one patient asked a coworker “Why is the Social Worker getting fat?” So much wrong there. Why is it so hard to learn someone’s name and, gracious, whatever happened to basic decency!?
I am relieved to say all nausea and fatigue mostly cleared up by week 11 or 12, and mostly I have had tons of energy this trimester. Daniel has kept me motivated to workout from home during quarantine. We’re streaming our favorite Les Mills classes (Body Attack, Body Step, and Body Pump) and most days we take a walk in the neighborhood. I reintroduced yoga in April and have enjoyed stretching and practicing connecting my breath to movement. I’m really hoping all this exercise is preparing my body for labor!
We started our birth plan in April and I feel pretty committed to the goal of an un-medicated birth. I watched a few positive birth stories on youtube and read a few books on natural labor and decided that seems right for me. I also know my plan may need to change, but it’s nice to have a goal in mind. We also hired a doula–just knowing I’ll have an extra support person has eased a lot of my anxiety about childbirth. I don’t know how other women experience pregnancy, but I felt worried Daniel might get left out of the shuffle during birth without a little extra TLC. I know myself– I will research childbirth obsessively because that’s how I cope with unknowns, but Daniel tends to stay quiet and worry to himself. I don’t want him to feel afraid when I’m in labor, because I won’t have the energy to comfort him! So for us having a doula will ensure that we both have the support we need (hopefully!).
As much as it has been sad to spend this time in quarantine, we have tried to make the most of it. Slowly but surely, I am cleaning out closets and preparing our home to welcome baby. We had slowed down on house projects when Daniel went back to school in the fall, but an empty social calendar has definitely freed up some time. So far we installed blinds in most rooms, fixed a missing baluster in the stairwell, and updated our outdoor light fixtures so they each have an outlet attached. We’re going to hang cafe lights on the front porch now that we finally have an outlet. In the yard we’ve been dividing perennials, mulching, and clearing overgrown shrubs. It’s been so satisfying seeing the progress in the garden over the last three years!
We were generously gifted many hand-me-downs from my sister and had a lot of fun sorting through baby clothes, toys, a crib, and more! The nursery is really starting to come together– we picked a woodland animals theme. It was a little sad that I didn’t get to shop in person for cutesy baby things, but I’m grateful that we remain healthy and financially stable during this crazy time.
Lastly, we had a lot of fun celebrating various life events– my first Mother’s Day, my birthday, our second anniversary, and Daniel’s first Father’s day. I enjoyed surprising Daniel with a new pair of “Dad jeans.” Some of you may remember the many arguments we had about the need to stop buying “relaxed cut” pants when we were dating. Four years into our relationship, I’ve relaxed my standards 🙂 While I expected to be spending more time out & about, for the most part I have enjoyed these low-key celebrations at home.
This quarantine pregnancy is definitely not what I imagined, but it has mostly been easy and filled with joy. I really can’t articulate how special it is to feel this wiggly baby growing inside me. As much as I am excited to meet our baby, I honestly think I will miss being pregnant. There’s something special about sharing my body with this sweet babe. Some of my favorite moments these last few months have been reading in my favorite chair before Daniel wakes up on Sundays. I feel so at peace drinking my coffee, reading a good book, and feeling my baby kick.
Thank you for reading and supporting us from a safe social distance 🙂
XOXO,
Kari