10 Weeks

Baby #2 is already 10 weeks along. 10 weeks, 4 days, officially.
Time to start the belly-photos.

Note Papillon in the bottom left of this picture. She really wanted to get in on this belly-shot action.

Officially I don't think I have gained as much weight so far as I did by 10 weeks with Papillon. But, I didn't quite make it back to my pre-pregnancy weight from last time (just shy by like 2 lbs!) so between starting a smidgen higher, and this being baby #2 and my body being more than willing to make space for the baby immediately, I think I am "showing" a little more this time than last time.

That said, I can totally still wear my normal clothes. And as long as nothing is super-fitted, I don't think I am officially "showing" at all yet. Which is fine, on the one hand, I am super excited to "look pregnant" cause I really do enjoy that. But on the other hand, I am aiming to gain less weight this time than last time. 43lbs with Papillon was fine...but I really don't think more than that is necessary.

Unfortunately, as with last time, the first thing that goes out the window when I am pregnant is my self control. I do truly enjoy food, and with a baby on the way, its really hard to say no to food....ever. Hopefully we can keep the excessive snacking under control this time.

While we are here, some other pregnancy notes and thoughts.

I have been significantly more sick this time than last. Still nothing super terrible. But its not really morning-sickness. It's more like whenever-I-try-and-sleep sickness. We could be laying in bed watching TV before bed, and I feel fine; but as soon as we turn off the lights to actually sleep it hits like a ton of bricks. This makes sleeping tricky. Most of the rest of the time though, I feel totally fine, so I really can't complain.

People told me when I was pregnant with Papillon and very excited to be pregnant, that 2nd pregnancies were very different. That one often even forgets one is pregnant with baby #2. I didn't believe them. But it has proven true. I don't feel like its cause of being extra busy (though I am busier now than I was pre-Papillon). I think it more has to do with contentment. I was incredibly restless pre-Papillon. I was ready for a new phase of life - ideally a non-working, baby-loving phase. I am blessed to have that now; but also I think recently I have learned a lot about contentment. Being content with today. Being content with life as it is. I am very blessed, and I don't doubt that God has even more awesome blessings planned for us later in life. But I am happy with what I have now. Not perfectly, mind you; I am still a work in progress. But much more so than during my first pregnancy. So I am not as anxiously, desperately, waiting for this baby's arrival and so from time to time I forget he/she is there. And it is not that I am not excited, on the contrary, when I think that he/she really truly is there and really truly will join the family in March I feel as though I am more blessed than I can handle. Even just waking up every morning is more blessing than I deserve, but a second baby, now that is a crazy amount of blessing.

There are a number of things that I am hoping go a little differently this pregnancy than last. A less crisis-labor would be good, a better experience breast feeding would be good, etc. But one of the main things that I am hoping for is more movement! Papillon was not a mover. I was first confident I felt something at 20 weeks, but it was sporadic and not consistently every day until 30+ weeks, and even then it was infrequent enough that I would stop what I was doing to enjoy the few moments of movement that she gave me. Movement is so wonderful and reassuring to me, that even though people tell me I may regret wishing for it when my ribs are bruised from kicks from the inside, I say, bring on the movement! I want a wiggler this time.

There are more thoughts I could share, but I will refrain for now. Belly shots will likely not be as frequent as they were with Papillon, but I promise there will be some. For now, here is my little 10 week belly: