End of the Second Trimester

Pregnancy Update (last few weeks of the 2nd trimester):

FITT Exercise Program: I am LOVING the FITT program at ECU. I am still going 3 days a week and someone works with me each time I go. I am on my last stretch of planks! My front and side planks have gotten harder as my belly grows, so I’m excited to be done with that particular exercise. I definitely have more energy on the days I go to FITT and I feel so much better than I did the first 15 weeks of my pregnancy. Exercise has really made a difference in how I’ve felt!

Symptoms: My back is what has given me the most trouble. My back hurt before I got pregnant, but it has gotten much worse with the extra weight. Some mornings, I will wake up and have a shooting pain in my lower right back, but it just depends on the position I slept in and how Holland situates in my belly. Matt also has to help me get up from the couch. He has started giving me an extra boost when I’m getting up from sitting or laying down. I can’t imagine what he’ll have to do in the next 12 weeks!

Cravings: I am still craving Krispy Kreme doughnuts (glazed with chocolate icing and sprinkles) and really anything sweet! I always crave sweets, so I’m not sure if it’s the pregnancy or just me being myself. 🙂 I have also had a major craving for strawberries! I can eat a whole basket a day, or more if they’re available and you let me!

Maternity clothes: I was able to wear my normal tops up until about 27 weeks. I am still squeezing into a few of my non-maternity clothes, but definitely not pants! All of my small t-shirts are not covering my belly anymore, so I’ve had to go up to bigger sizes in those. I actually don’t mind maternity clothes at all. They’re really comfortable and I’ve been able to find really cute stuff. My favorite maternity clothes have come from Kohl’s, Old Navy, and Pink Blush Maternity online. I don’t expect my Old Navy maternity clothes to last more than this first pregnancy, but at such a low cost, it won’t matter. The tops have been about $8-10 and the pants are about $25-30. I think that the pants I’ve gotten from Kohl’s will hold up much better than the ones from Old Navy. My two pair of jeans have come from Target and Old Navy, and those have been perfect!

27 Weeks

Amanda and Dallas came to visit for the weekend. Amanda did a Jamberry party with a bunch of my girlfriends! We went to eat at Winslow’s and grilled out after church on Sunday. Wish they lived closer so we could hang out all the time!

27 Weeks

Almost done with the second trimester! This was at the Holloman’s house during Life Group.

 

25 Weeks

Matt and I walked 3 miles on the greenway on a Saturday morning (March 22). The weather was perfect and it felt so good!

24 Weeks and 4 Days

How Far Along: 24 weeks and 4 days – I can’t believe how fast time is flying by! It’s been over 6 months!

Size of Holland: She should be about 1 lb and the app on my phone says that she is the size of an ear of corn this week.

Maternity Clothes: Same. I’ve been living in one pair of black Old Navy pants, a black Old Navy dress, and my stretchy workout clothes! I bought a few clothes for summer time this past week too! I got a pair of shorts, a few shirts, and a maxi dress. I will be needing lots and lots of stretchy maxi dresses over the next 3 months!

Movement: I have definitely been feeling her move; but, it is very inconsistent. I’m ready for her to be more consistent with her movements. Yesterday, I barely felt her one time and then today, I have felt her throughout the entire day! I’m not really sure what makes her more active on certain days. She gets especially active when I lay down to go to bed at night. We haven’t been able to see her move from the outside of my belly, but Matt is able to feel her with his hand on my belly! I love feeling her and I’m excited for her to get stronger and more active!

Sleep: I sleep like a rock! I don’t wake up for anything and haven’t even felt the urge to immediately use the bathroom in the mornings. It has gotten more difficult to roll back and forth. I feel significantly larger and it takes more effort to roll with a large belly. In the next 3 months, Matt is going to have to literally pull me out of bed in the mornings.

What I Miss: I’ve been missing and craving coffee lately. I could probably satisfy my craving with decaf coffee, but I’ve tried to avoid coffee altogether. I haven’t had any over the past 6 months, but I definitely plan to drink quite a bit come July.

What I’m looking forward to: I’m looking forward to warm weather! I want to go for a walk outside and wear spring clothes! I would love to not freeze as I’m walking from the school to my car and my car into our apartment.

Cravings: Doughnuts and fruit (pineapple, strawberries, bananas, apples)

Symptoms: I’ve been feeling really good! The only symptoms I’ve had are random tiredness and back pain. My back will ache towards the end of every day (around 1-2pm). I am not looking forward to how much worse my back pain will get as I get bigger.

Best Moment of the Week: Our friends, Hadley and Bennett, had their little girl!!! She was born on Sunday, March 2 at 12:04pm. She weighed 7 lb, 8 oz, and was 20.5″ long. She’s absolutely adorable!

22 Weeks

How Far Along: 22 weeks and 1 day

Size of Holland: She is the size of a papaya (about 10.5 in and 12.7 oz.).

Movement: Matt and I felt her kick last Saturday (2/22) night! It was the first time I had felt her at all and she kicked me hard! She kicked hard enough for Matt to feel it! I haven’t felt her kick like that since last Saturday. Throughout the past week, I think I am feeling her, but it feels like my food is digesting. I can’t distinctly tell that it’s her yet. I’m hoping that her movements will become more obvious very soon.

What I’m looking forward to: Our friends, Hadley and Bennett, are having a baby soon!!! We are SO excited to hear that Anna Bennett has arrived and go visit her! They live in Goldsboro, NC. I’m also excited to continue decorating Holland’s nursery. I don’t know what to do with myself when I don’t have a project to work on or something to accomplish for the nursery. My project over the past few days has been to figure out what I want to do on the wall over her crib. We have a pretty good idea of what we’re going to do; I just need to order everything we need to make it happen!

Cravings: Well, I asked Hadley the other day what snacks her and Bennett would like for the hospital and she said Keebler E.L. fudge cookies. SO! When buying them for her, I started to crave one and I ended up buying two packs and inhaling one pack over the past week. Thanks to Hadley, I am now craving a cookie that I usually never eat!

Symptoms: Still trying to prevent stretch marks! I am feeling great and haven’t had any major symptoms. I’m still able to keep the “using the bathroom” under control and it isn’t waking me up at night.

Best Moment of the Week: Our crib arrived and we put it together!

 

21 Weeks

 

How Far Along: 21 Weeks – Over half way there! 

Size of Holland: She is the size of a large butternut squash. 

Movement: I’m not sure what I’ve been feeling this past week. I have felt pressure in random spots, which I am starting to assume is her in weird positions. Sometimes, I will feel the pressure near my belly button or to the sides of it, and at other times, I will feel pressure a little bit lower than that. I definitely have not felt kicks or flips yet! Hoping to feel her make some obvious movements soon. 

What I’m looking forward to: I’m looking forward to Saturday!!! Matt and I are getting a couples/prenatal (for me) massage on Saturday at Miller Motte College. The college has a spa, where you can have students give you a massage, for a lower rate. I have heard 3 different people, who are not connected to each other in any way, say that it is amazing and worth every penny! We are going at 10am and will have a 60 minute massage. We are both counting down the days because we have never had a “professional” massage. We are also going to Wilmington this Saturday for lunch and to pick up a few baby things from my cousin. We will get to visit my cousin’s family for a few hours and we will be bringing home our changing table and some other baby items she is giving us! 

Cravings: Lately, I have been craving bagels with cream cheese and Grande Soy Chai Tea Lattes from Starbucks. My favorite bagels are whole grain bagels with honey walnut cream cheese from Panera and poppyseed bagels with plain cream cheese from Boulevard Bagel. Over the past 2 weeks, nothing has tasted better than that latte from Starbucks! Tonight before Life Group, Matt just HAD to take me to get one! We ended up ordering and getting stuck in the line for about 8 minutes, so the lady gave it to us for free!!! I’d wait 8 minutes in line every day if I could get a free one! 

Symptoms: I haven’t seen any stretch marks yet, but I’m starting to get worried about them coming! I bought Palmer’s Cocoa Butter a few days ago and have started using it every morning and night. I’m really hoping that it will help prevent them! My belly has grown significantly this week. People are not really questioning or unsure of whether I’m pregnant or not; it has become pretty obvious that I am!

Best Moment of the Week: Valentine’s Day was this past week. Matt bought me a card, hydrangeas (just like the ones from our wedding day), and chocolate (my favorite!). He took me to an early dinner at Rucker John’s to get my BBQ Chicken Salad with Ranch and Honey Mustard on the side. We got there about 5:45 to make sure we didn’t have to wait long at all. We were seated in less than 3 minutes and were home by 7:30! We were able to celebrate and relax on the couch before it got super late! 

Random Thoughts: We are so thankful for our Life Group. I absolutely love the LG we are a part of and I can’t imagine not being a part of it. We love the relationships we’ve built and the new ones we are currently building. Having this community is vital for our accountability and growth. I am very thankful to be a part of it! 

19 Weeks and 4 Days

How Far Along: 19 Weeks and 4 Days – I can’t believe I’m days away from half way there! This pregnancy is flying by.

Size of Holland: She is about the size of a large tomato (8.5 oz and 6 in in length). Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch.

Movement: I haven’t felt anything! I’m SO excited to finally feel Holland moving around. I’ve been reading articles about baby movement and today I saw where some first time moms don’t feel anything until 23 or 24 weeks. I’m hoping it will be before then though.

Sleep: Sleeping like a baby and enjoying it while I can! I am a back and left side sleeper, but I have stopped sleeping on my back. About a week ago, I realized that my back sleeping days were over for a while. I mostly sleep on my left side, but I like to adjust to my back sometimes in the morning. My belly is getting to heavy for that!

What I Miss: Not really missing anything. On most days, I drink one caffeine soda (Coke or Pepsi), so I haven’t really missed that. I have switched over to regular soda to avoid the aspartame that is in diet drinks. I am starting to think I will never go back to drinking diet. I had one tonight and didn’t think it was as good as regular, which is crazy for me to say because I’ve always loved diet!

What I’m looking forward to: Alone time with Matt. I’m starting to realize that our time by ourselves is coming to a quick end. I’m very excited to meet Holland, but I also know that everything will change and we will have new responsibilities. I’m very much looking forward to the next 5 months with Matt!

Symptoms: Is my growing belly a symptom? (Haha!) This is the first week that I have truly felt pregnant. During my first trimester, I felt nauseous and sickly, but not as “pregnant” as I do now! Holland MUST be growing more quickly now. I am having some lower back pain and abdominal pressure, but I think they are all just due to the changes going on with my body. Exercising at FITT every week has definitely helped me feel more energetic and healthy.

Best Moment of the Week: We went to Morehead City last weekend to spend time with my parents. The Sochi Winter Olympics started on Friday and I LOVE the olympics!!! I grew up watching both the summer and winter olympics, so I still absolutely love watching them! Matt has been a really good sport and has let me watch them every night this week. I was disappointed tonight when Shaun White didn’t win the gold medal in the half pipe, but maybe he’ll be back in 2018.

Random Thoughts: This winter has been crazy in Greenville. We had our second snow today. We were out of school the other week from Tuesday-Friday because of the snow. Then today, we got another 4 inches! We are out of school tomorrow and aren’t sure what will happen for Thursday.

Matt and I enjoying the second snow of the winter!

Working on Holland’s Nursery

 The time has finally come to work on Holland’s nursery! We moved to our two bedroom apartment in November and have been staring at our second bedroom for months just waiting to get started. Like any spare bedroom, that room caught everything that didn’t have a “place” that it belonged. We always keep our living room pretty clean, so we decided to drag everything out of Holland’s room and into the living room. We knew that we would clean up our living room more quickly than we would if we left stuff in the bedroom!

We have been waiting to find out if we were having a boy or girl before we continued planning out the nursery. When we found out that baby G was a girl, we were so excited and ready to begin looking for paint colors and start getting ideas for her nursery!

Here are a few details from Holland’s nursery so far:

These are the knobs we picked out that will go on Holland’s white dresser.

This is a mirror we got to hang above Holland’s changing table. We are working on painting it pink!

This is our attempt to figure out exactly which shade of teal we want to paint her nursery. We knew that we wanted to do teal walls and light pink, white, and grey accents. It only took 3 paint samples for us to figure out the right color! (Both of these are not the color we ended up choosing!)

Making some progress on the painting. This picture makes the color look more green, but it is actually more bluish teal. It is Sherwin Williams (50%) Aquaduct. Can’t wait to get the white furniture in here!

IT’S A GIRL!

How Far Along: 18.5 Weeks

Size of Baby: Holland is the size of a sweet potato (8.5 in). Her ears are now hearing sound! The sonographer measured her today and told us that she was 8 oz.Maternity Clothes: I need maternity work out pants and I’m busting out of my t-shirts. I will have to buy clothes to wear at FITT very, very soon. I’ve also noticed that my jackets are getting tighter and don’t zip as easily.

Gender: IT’S A GIRL!!!

Movement: Not yet! I am so ready to answer “yes” to this question! My doctor told me I would probably feel flutters or kicks anywhere from 16-20 weeks and I still haven’t felt anything at 18.5 weeks! When I wake up in the morning or go to bed at night, I lay very still and try to see if I can feel anything. I have my fingers crossed that I will be able to feel her in the next week!

Sleep: Most nights, I am not waking up until my alarm goes off. If I do wake up, it is around 5am to use the bathroom.

What I Miss: So thankful that I’m not missing anything this week!

What I’m looking forward to: Painting and decorating Holland’s nursery! Matt and I chose a paint color at Sherwin Williams and are ready to begin! We are going to paint the room a light teal color and then use white, grey, and light pink accents/decor. We haven’t had any big projects to work on in quite a few months, so I’m so excited to have a project to start working on over the next 5 months.

Symptoms: I have had low abdominal pressure over the past week. My belly has grown significantly, so I’m assuming the pressure is due to my growing uterus! I’m beginning to use the bathroom more often too!

Best Moment of the Week: We had our ultrasound appointment today!!! It was originally scheduled for last Tuesday, but Greenville got 4 inches of snow, so everything shut down for 3 days! Our appt was rescheduled for February 4 at 8:00am! I had one ultrasound to check for early signs of pre-term labor and then a normal ultrasound to check for everything else. During the first ultrasound, we realized that “Baby G” was head down (which meant that we couldn’t see the gender immediately!). The sonographer told us that my cervix was extremely long (which is a good thing) and that my placenta was 1.6cm from my cervix (they prefer that it be 2.0). [We will be getting another ultrasound to check on that measurement in 2 more months.] We then switched to the normal ultrasound! The sonographer immediately started laughing at the baby’s awkward and uncomfortable position. She said that our baby would definitely be a gymnast. At first, it was impossible to see the gender and it took about 15-20 minutes and a pack of Ritz crackers to get baby to move around and eventually show some signs of boy/girl! We were so excited to find out that Baby G is a GIRL!!! We are very thankful to report that Holland was healthy and the sonographer was able to see everything on her long list!

Here are a few pictures from the ultrasound today!

our little gymnast with her chin tucked and legs thrown over her head

it’s a girl!

this was the cutest! she turned on her side and was looking right at us with her little hands on her face!

the sweetest profile. hoping that little nose is just like her dad’s!

17 Weeks

 

How Far Along: 17 weeks 

Size of Baby: Baby Goetke is the size of an onion (5.1 in, 5.9 oz). Baby G is able to hear now! For weeks, we’ve been talking about when he/she would finally be able to hear sound. Matt will most likely try to get our baby hooked on good music before he/she even arrives!

Maternity Clothes: Oh yeah! I’m wearing maternity pants all the time, but still able to wear both my regular shirts and maternity. My belly has gotten significantly bigger in the past week though! 

Gender: We find out if Baby G is a boy or girl on TUESDAY! Matt and I talk about our predictions every. single. day. We are SO EXCITED to start correctly referring to our baby as he or she! 

Movement: Nothing yet. I’m so excited for the week that I can finally say I’m feeling movement. I will lay very still in the mornings and try to see if I feel anything, but I haven’t yet! 

Sleep: Sleeping is my absolute favorite. I love sleeping and can’t get enough. I’m not exhausted or feeling fatigued anymore, but I will always love my sleep, regardless of any pregnancy symptoms. I haven’t been waking up to use the bathroom anymore. I’ve started drinking less at night and using the bathroom numerous times before bed. 

What I Miss: My appetite. I’m still not loving food, but I’m eating better than I was last week. Some things that I’m able to eat are cereal, chips, yogurt, fruit, and vegetables. 

What I’m looking forward to: TUESDAY! We go for our one and only ultrasound on Tuesday afternoon at 2:30pm. We are anxious and ecstatic! Matt and I both think we are having a boy! We’ve loved hearing all of our family and friends predictions. 

Cravings: None

Symptoms: My growing belly and an unsettled stomach. 

Best Moment of the Week: I came home from work today (Friday) and Matt had cleaned and organized our home! He hung curtains, made our bed, organized our pantry, organized our kitchen cabinets, cleaned the dishes, and cleaned up laundry. I am the luckiest pregnant wife EVER!!! He has taken such good care of me and done so much to make everyday easier for me. He is my favorite!

16 Weeks – ECU Pregnancy Exercise Research Study

How Far Along: 16 Weeks

Size of Baby: Baby Goetke is the size of an avocado (4.6 in, 3.5 oz).

Maternity Clothes: I am still wearing my regular workout pants and capris to the gym, but I can feel that they’re getting snug. I will definitely need to invest in a new pair very soon! I wear the t-shirts I’ve always worn to the gym, but they are starting to pull around my belly. I will probably start wearing a size up in the next few weeks!

Sleep: I’m sleeping GREAT! Nothing has changed about my sleeping. I try to use the bathroom as much as possible before I get in bed at night (so that I don’t wake up needing to pee!).

What I Miss: My appetite. I haven’t been wanting to eat lately. Nothing sounds good and I don’t crave anything at all. I only eat when I’m actually hungry, which is new for me. I would usually eat just because I was bored or told myself I was “hungry.”

What I’m looking forward to: I’m looking forward to finding out the gender of the baby! Matt and I are so ready to get in the nursery and start painting and decorating. We also are excited to name our baby!

Cravings: No cravings at all.

Symptoms: Constipation has turned into the opposite and I dislike food in general.

Best Moment of the Week: Matt’s 24th Birthday! We celebrated Matt’s birthday this week at Plaza Azteca with a few of our friends. Mexican food is his absolute favorite, so I sucked it up and watched everyone eat way too many chips and salsa! 🙂 Matt turned the age he will be when Baby G is born!

Research Study: I joined a pregnancy research study at ECU. It has been amazing and I feel so much better already! They drew blood, had me complete a fitness test, took my body comps, and created an individual exercise plan. I choose 3 days each week to go to FITT and exercise. Each time I go, one of the grad assistants or interns takes my blood pressure before and after my workout and also has me wear a watch and heart rate monitor around my chest. They also set my weights and record my progress throughout each workout. I wasn’t working out before 15 weeks, so I have felt SO much better in the past 2 weeks of exercising! I’m so thankful to be a part of this study and to build some muscle. I will be very grateful come July!

14 Weeks

Matt was cracking me up. It’s pretty hilarious to take pictures of yourself getting bigger, but it’s exciting too! 🙂

How Far Along: 14 weeks and 4 days

Size of Baby: Baby Goetke is the size of a navel orange. About 4.5 inches and 2-3 oz. Matt loves keeping me updated on what vegetable or fruit the baby’s size is comparable to.

Maternity Clothes: Oh yes! Very soon after we found out the good news, I started wearing maternity pants. I have two pairs of maternity jeans and one pair of black pants. I’m still able to wear normal tops, but I’ve started wearing a few maternity tops as well. I am loving maternity clothes! They’re so comfy and I love the elastic waistband.

Gender: We find out on January 28!!! YAY!

Movement: I haven’t felt anything yet. Our midwife said that I could expect to feel the baby fluttering around 20 weeks, but I’m hoping it will be sooner! I’m hoping I will know the difference between feeling our baby and every other way my stomach can make me feel.

Sleep: Up until last week, I was sleeping through the night. This week, if I wake up at all, I immediately have to use the bathroom. Some nights I am sleeping through the night, but usually I have to get up at least one time. I have had very strange, vivid dreams recently. About a week ago, I dreamed that soldiers in Afghanistan were dressed up as safari animals and riding sand mobiles in the desert. Just the other night, I dreamed about snakes, dogs, and our family cat we had growing up named “Dawn.” Hoping the dreams don’t continue! I feel exhausted on the mornings where I’ve dreamed a lot.

What I Miss: I would have to say I miss feeling energetic. I used to come home from work ready to hang out, play a game, or do chores around the house. Lately, I just want to come home and pass out!

What I’m looking forward to: Our next appointment on January 28! We are so excited to have our first ultrasound and to find out whether Baby Goetke is a boy or a girl!

Cravings: Anything that sounds good. Most food grosses me out and makes me feel nauseous, so when something sounds good, I want it immediately! One thing that I haven’t wanted AT ALL is meat.

Symptoms: Constipation (and we will leave it to that!)

Best Moment of the Week: One day this week, I didn’t feel good at all and wanted to come home from work and crash on the couch. Matt went to the grocery store, cooked dinner, and took care of everything! He is the BEST “pregnant woman’s husband” I could EVER ask for!

12 Weeks