Good-bye, 2nd Trimester!

Oh, hey there, 3rd Trimester! You have certainly snuck up on us, but I am certainly happy to see you! I'm 26 weeks today, and we are officially in the home stretch!

The ever-growing baby bump!

2nd trimester was WAY friendlier to me than the 1st, and I got into my little groove and found myself really enjoying being pregnant...especially with the addition of a few comfort items!

I certainly had a major life-changing sleep moment with the addition of #1, thanks to my friend Kelly (who was so kind to let me borrow!). I kinda don't want to give it up, like ever! #2 has definitely been a must-have, and I try to apply it as religiously as possible (and swap between it and the Earth Mama Angel Baby Stretch Oil, which I might even like better!). And, whoa, holy thirst buds. I feel like I am thirsty all the live-long-day, so #3 became my new BFF.  It's completely natural to feel stressed or overwhelmed during pregnancy, what with growing another life and all, and my go to trick has been to dab a little of #4 or any lavender oil (we've also love the one we get at Whole Foods) on a tissue and just tuck it like a bib or rest it on my forehead (trick I learned from my guided meditation instructor!), and it totally helps me relax. I also finally broke down and bought #5 so I could stop wearing Kyle's boxers and feel at least slightly cute while lounging-- best $5 spent! And, towards the last few weeks of 2nd trimester I did start to notice a little swelling in my feet, so Kyle urged me to go ahead and invest in some #6 (a co-worker of his wore them all the time while pregnant!). I've just been putting them on for a bit before bed, and it's helped with the mild swelling. I'm sure I'll really be thankful for these in the 3rd trimester when the swelling picks up! Oh, and I forgot to include one major thing that helped make a huge difference in the excruciating hip pain I experienced while sleeping, which was the addition of a memory-foam mattress topper! This was not exactly an ideal way to spend the money we are so desperately trying to save, but I was miserable and barely sleeping from being in so much pain. It truly made such a huge difference! And, Kyle loves it too and says he's able to sleep much better since he doesn't feel me tossing and turning as much! #winwin

I've also been so thankful that my love of maxi-dresses the last two summers meant that I had a nice stash to rely on already, and with the addition of a few non-maternity ones from Old Navy (and 1 Loft) from this year, I've been pretty set on maternity teacher clothes. I also purchased a couple of cardigans from Old Navy in tall so that they'd be a little longer, which has helped make a lot of the sleeveless maxis appropriate for school! Add in a few basic tees & tanks from Gap Body (maternity) and Loft (non-maternity, ordered size up), a couple of pairs of maternity jeans,  and my loaner maternity clothes from my friends, Ally and Kelly, and I've been pretty pleased with how little I've had to spend while still not feeling like I've had to sacrifice on style! I've also been able to still wear some of my longer, more flowy non-maternity tops, which has been a life-saver, too!

I'll be back soon to blog about some of my favorite moments from the 2nd trimester!

Happy Saturday!