Another Pregnancy Update-- 27 Weeks

Took a picture right before I pig out for lunch

Thirteen more weeks to go! And it's the last week of second trimester, even though I look like I'm about to pop anytime soon.

Boy I am hugeeeeee!!! I had to emphasize that with the e's. I usually get sick around this time of the year and voila I got sick! Last night was discomfort after discomfort. I tried to fall asleep at 8pm because I had a bad headache, but it was difficult to fall asleep due to the headache. Eventually I fell asleep, but woke up at 2am (thanks to the headache). I suffered for hours until I finally fell asleep again. This morning I woke up with a nosebleed. I hope this headache ends today! I don't want to be close proximity to my bed all day... I want to be doing productive things.

So far the only productive activity that I've done today was yoga. It was only ten minutes, but better than nothing hehe.

Merry Christmas

My first Christmas tree. I think I did a good job ;)

To me, family is everything, and one of the things that I enjoy doing for my family is cooking (bought everything in this case haha). 

Cute mousse cake from Nini Bakery... tasted great too!

Pregnancy Blog- Second Trimester To-Do List

bump bump bump... wow I look huge for being 5 months.

16 more weeks till I pop. It seems like a long way to go, but five months of my pregnancy already went by. My linea nigra is getting longer and darker and I haven't found any new stretch marks yet. One more month and I will be in my third trimester. The vitamin D supplement that I am taking boosts my energy, and I am even more energetic than I was prior to being pregnant. So what better time to take advantage of this energy than now. Here is a helpful list of actions to take during this energetic time.

[] Plan baby shower- from theme to passing out invitations
[x] Schedule maternity photoshoot
[] Plan confinement food- this is the period of rest after giving birth
[x] Plan baby essentials- all the baby needs, but shopping will take place in the third trimester

I don't see why I need a lot of energy to do these things since it's mostly planning, but it's a good foundation for all else that follow.

Hot Tub Weather

It's been gloomy and raining here. Perfect for a nice hot bath.

Food Blog/ Kitchen Time- Home meals all day

I don't normally eat all three meals at home, but I'm trying to eat out less and cook more. I'm an [amateur] amateur cook. I have trouble making something with what I currently have and when relying on a recipe, I'm never 100% sure that I'm following it correctly. My mom usually cooks, and I would eat whatever she makes, but recently I don't have an appetite for her dishes. Perhaps it has to do with my pregnancy cravings. So I would order carry-out or dine out, but then I felt ripped off by the restaurants. I thought they're obviously making 10-fold off of you. And voila, now I spend most of my time in the kitchen.

Today, I've decided to prepare all three meals at home. These are quick and easy meals.

Breakfast: Fried egg (looks bad I know), avocados sprinkled with EV olive oil and chia seeds

Drink: Chocolate milk

This is my stable breakfast because it's packed with nutrients and super easy to make. Takes no cooking except the eggs.

Lunch: Egg, tomato and Chinese sausage noodle soup

I used filtered water, but it tastes better with chicken stock.

Oops forgot to take a picture of my dinner... but it wasn't quick and simple anyways.

On a new note, I'm making chicken stock for the first time. Also using an instant pot for the first time. I set it for two hours on pressure cook. Hopefully I didn't eff up. And yes of course I added water.. a generous amount too. A bit pessimistic as well, like what if everything ends up burnt and what if all the liquid dries up?

23rd Week Update

This pregnancy is moving so fast! I'll be 23 weeks tomorrow. Received fat comments from family and friends, don't care. I had my routine checkup this Wednesday and my doctor recommended I take probiotics and vitamin D. The probiotics did magic instantly-- my stomach [throughout this pregnancy] never felt better. I was constantly bloated and my digestive system just wasn't functioning smoothly prior to taking probiotics. I wish I had taken them in the first trimester because I had a horrific experience. I was only told based on my blood test that I was vitamin D deficient, which explains why I'm always tired (even prior to this pregnancy). It also explains the hip cramps. I'm also friends with fish oil because I'm too lazy to prepare fish. Wow that is a lot of supplements on top of my prenatal vitamins.

22 weeks, but this dress doesn't do my bump justice.

I picked up some maternity leggings at Motherhood Maternity during their Black Friday sale. Wasn't satisfied with the quality, but I subscribed to their mailing list and received all these coupons and gift cards. I feel like they're items that you don't necessarily need, but who knows... I will keep then just in case.

I've been in a war with caffeine the past weeks, and I would say it's a fair war. I stopped consuming coffee, but still drink tea. From my knowledge, tea is healthier and when brewed, contains less caffeine content than coffee. Even when I had coffee in my diet, the amount of caffeine is not harmful, but I would still like to limit caffeine as much as possible.

Being pregnant doesn't mean that I should be ignorant of my appearance. I don't think I should be gaining 40 pounds, and I feel like it will happen. I gained about this much in my first pregnancy because I was super underweight to begin with. But this time I started with a healthy weight, so I should be gaining about 30 pounds in total. I've already gained about 15 pounds and I am a little paranoid. I eat for two and I eat healthy, but I don't exercise. As a matter of fact, it's easier for me to quit coffee than to exercise, and I'm talking about the long-run. Perhaps I'm wrong, so my goal is to exercise... three times a week to begin with. Aside from maintaining a healthy weight gain, there are other benefits of exercising during this time, such as increasing energy and heart health. It also benefits the baby. Every step you take matters, and there is no harm in exercising, unless you harm yourself. I would really like to incorporate exercise in my lifestyle too, and this is a good time to motivate myself.

Second Trimester Updates

Currently 18 weeks pregnant with my second. Although discomfort is still present, it's mainly an issue in the evening. The first trimester was horrific as I was consistently bedridden, threw up twice a day, and did not have an appetite for any food because I struggled with food aversion. When I did eat, which was in small portions, I would throw up right after. Even water was a pain in the ass. Basically, nausea was independent of what I ate. I also tried every possible nausea remedy (except for acupuncture) and none worked. The only remedy that somewhat helped was sleeping, which isn't listed as an actual remedy, but it helped and getting lots of rest is crucial. And when I was awake, I had to suck it up.

My 10 week ultrasound

They all say your second trimester will be much better. But it felt so far away for me when I was suffering through the hormonal changes in the first trimester. My first pregnancy was a breeze and I thought this would be like my first pregnancy, but nope. 

On a brighter note, I'm in my second trimester and I found out the gender of my little bacon two weeks ago. For me, knowing the gender makes the rest of the planning a lot easier. I'm starting to eat a wider variety of food and drinking more water. Coffee has become a daily stable. I'm in the midst of quitting, but I have withdrawal symptoms. Still, will find a method to stop consumption. I also went back to drinking tea (green and black), which was off the list in my FT. Although I drink it in moderation, I do not plan on cutting off tea, but I will substitute with non-caffeinated versions.

Some days my bump shows more than others and I think it's relevant to how much I eat. I would look flat in the morning and 6 months at night. People would stare at my stomach, and I hope they think I'm pregnant and not that I'm fat. So far I've only taken one photo of my belly bump, and that was around twelve weeks. I think I'll start documenting my bump weekly starting at week twenty.

My OBGYN informed me that the baby will double in size in the coming weeks. This means it's the perfect time to start moisturizing the areas that are sensitive to stretch marks.

On an off-topic note, it's been over a year since I last blogged.