Two Trimesters Down, One to Go!

I made it through the second trimester!  Can you believe it?  It is seriously ridiculous and impossible to believe that I'm already in the 3rd trimester.  Only 12-ish weeks until Rudiger arrives?!?!  WHAT!  But I don't have anything or know anything about caring for a newborn!  EEEKK!!

I always meant to do a recap of the 1st trimester and even started it, but at this point it seems unlikely that will ever happen.  So let's recap, shall we?  The 1st trimester SUCKED.  Want to feel nauseous all the time and have no appetite?  It's the best weight-loss tool in the world.  In fact, I lost 3 pounds in the worst month of the 1st trimester (around weeks 7-11).  Your husband knows something is wrong when you're refusing to eat peanut butter and ice cream.  Don't even get me started on the fatigue either. 

But after the *worst* trimester, Trimester 1, was behind me, I definitely started feeling better.  It was such a relief to finally feel hungry again and not sick 99% of my days with the thought of eating food being repulsive.  The fatigue stuck around a bit longer though.  In fact, although I mostly felt energetic during the day during the second half of the 2nd trimester, I still fall asleep on the couch EVERY-SINGLE-NIGHT by 9pm at the latest.  So in that way, the fatigue never left.  

It's a Rudiger!

My workouts were horrific at the beginning of the 2nd trimester (and the end of the 1st trimester), if not non-existent.  I BARELY went running, and rarely dragged myself off the couch.  The combination of incredible cold we had around here during January and February (for Seattle incredible cold means in the 20's, but it is unbearable for this gal!) coupled with the dark going to work and coming home, PLUS of course the intense fatigue I feel after work, left me with little to no motivation to work out.  When I did "work out" I mainly dragged myself downstairs to the treadmill (i.e., I didn't see the inside of the gym for MONTHS even though some elliptical time would definitely do me some good) and I WALK.  That's right folks, WALK.

This blog title should be changed to Ricole Sleeps.  And Walks (Sometimes).

 

BUT!  But, I am happy to report the 2nd trimester DID GET BETTER.  Much much much better, in fact.  I felt much more energetic during the work day and had enough energy to work out after work.  Although I still walk a lot, I also got some runs in, including several 7 milers and enough running that I felt confident enough to sign up for the Seahawks 12k.  I walked a TON while in Europe, probably 4-10 miles every day for a total of 30-40 miles all week.  I DEFINITELY feel like eating (and my weight gain shows it!).  And I'm DEFINITELY hungry all the time, which can be obnoxious at times. 

 27 weeks was a MAJOR pop-out!

Worst things about being pregnant: 2nd trimester version

• Being SO INCREDIBLY HUNGRY and not being able to ever satiate myself.  This has come in spurts but it started in about weeks 17-18.  Coincidentally, this is also when I started to gain weight and started to show.  
• CALF CRAMPS.  Oh my gosh, if I could never get another calf cramp I would be happy forever.  I swear, if labor is ANYTHING like a 24 hour calf cramp, I will DIE.  There is no pain in this world worse than a calf cramp.  I try to drink lots of water (though this is a tight-rope act when you don't want to pee 30 times every night) and eat at least half (if not a whole) banana every day, but I've still gotten a bunch of them.  Most of them have been in my right calf, which I predict is related to the extreme calf tightness I feel when running. 
• SLEEPING (or lack thereof).  I have zero problems falling asleep, ZERO.  But once I wake up to go to the bathroom, and I WILL wake up to go to the bathroom no matter how diligent I've been with drinking water close to bedtime, I just CANNOT go back to sleep.  It's the WORST.  I'll wake up at 3:30am and not be able to ever go back to sleep.  Talk about horrible.  Sometimes I play a fun little game of chicken and chance it by NOT getting up to pee since I can fall back asleep if I don't get up.  Hopefully (for JMan's sake!) I don't wet the bed someday...!
• Not Running.  Obviously not training / racing / running much but that goes without saying.  I may have been known to have had a few depressing melt-downs about some of the fun relays I'm going to miss this summer.  :-)  
• Maternity pants DO NOT stay up!  Maybe I'm supposed to buy better ones... but oh my gosh so annoying.  I've been wearing all my old pants just unbuttoned all this time (thus why sometimes my abdomen is very bumpy in those pictures above!), but it's finally impossible to wear the old ones.  ANNOYING.  It's also obviously annoying to buy new clothes you're only going to wear for a few months, which is why I've pretty much NOT been doing it, and have been relying on hand-me-downs and Goodwill.  But I also don't look that cute most of the time!  But that's really no different than my normal don't-care-about-my-clothes attitude!  :-)

So, that's the 2nd trimester for you!  Onto the 3rd trimester!  I AM starting to freak out a bit about not being ready or knowing what we're supposed to do or how to be parents.  ADVICE IS NEEDED!

Got any advice?  About childbirth / breastfeeding / nursery-making / nesting / 3rd trimester / parenting / ANYTHING??  Please please PLEASE share!!