Bump-date {Month 4} -

Hi, y’all! It feels like it’s been much longer than a month since I shared about the bump! (and there is one now!) As of today, I am at 17 weeks, and exactly 3 months since my positive pregnancy test, so we’re going to call it 4 months!

When we last left off, we’d just gotten through (what we thought was) the first trimester, and had announced on social media about Baby Smith. Now, it has definitely made it’s little presence known! It was just a pretty good pudge from weeks 12-15, and then the past two weeks, there is definitely a bump!

I was fairly certain the first trimester ended with week 12, but apparently it ends at week 14, which would explain why I still felt fairly crummy through 12 and 13, and then magically felt better at 14. I had so many mamas tell me that I would feel so much better in the second trimester, and it was so disappointing to still feel gross during those weeks, but once I really got to the second trimester, I will say it felt just like the miraculous light switch everyone made it sound like. And without the nausea, I definitely got my appetite back!

Starting around week 10, I’d gotten a lot of sinus drainage that caused me to develop a cough. You aren’t allowed any OTC antihistamines or decongestants, especially in the first trimester, so I had to just live with it. But it just kept getting worse. And after a few weeks, the cough took on a life of it’s own, and it sounded like a barking seal followed me around all the time. Like all day and all night.

Normally, Steven is fairly hands-off as far as medical treatment (which is ironic, considering he’s a physician. Or maybe that’s why?), but after a few weeks of this, even he suggested I go in to my doctor and get some treatment (whatever that might be) because he thought it could be turning into bronchitis. So, I called my PCP with internal medicine, and was told they would not see me because I’m pregnant, and all treatment would be through OB. So, I called my OB’s office to make an appointment, and they took a note of my symptoms and said they’d call back if the nurse/ OB decided I needed an appointment. A nurse messaged me through the patient portal later advising plenty of liquids and Vick’s vapor rub, and that was it. I asked if this would help with the non-stop cough, and my OB replied no, and offered a z-pack. I put this off for several days because I didn’t want to take antibiotics just to take something, and there was a chance this was viral and that antibiotics wouldn’t even help. But, I ended up taking it, and was better within the week. I still have the cough occasionally, but it seems to be more tied to my heartburn than anything at this point.

And yes, once the nausea settled down, the heartburn came back with a vengeance. I think Baby must be close to fighting fire breathing dragons down there. I did fairly well with Tums from 13-15, but I started maxing out on Tums by week 16, and even that wasn’t coming close to touching it. So, I ended up on Zantac. And then Extra Strength Zantac. Twice a day. Remember last time when I said Baby was going to come out looking like Chewbacca??

Other than that, my symptoms have subsided– no nausea, and my appetite seems a little ferocious at this point. I’m right at the opening of the window to start feeling it moving, but I don’t really know what I’m looking for (and no one really has a great description of it), so I don’t really know if I’ve felt anything yet. I’ve felt things that are somewhat new, but I have no idea if that’s it, or something else. We are just two weeks away from finding out the gender, and we are so, so excited! We still have our guess, but only time will tell. It had a heartbeat between 140-150 at my 14 week appointment, but she couldn’t get an exact number because it made her chase it with the Doppler.

I’ve seen other pregnancy blogs do some prompts like these questions, so I thought I’d throw them in just to have a little consistency through the rest of the months. I’ve touched on a few on these already, but here they are a little more concisely!

How far along: 17 weeks/ 4 months

Total weight gain: I’m back at pre-pregnancy weight– 125. I’d lost about 5-7 pounds during the first trimester with the nausea. It’s time to start working out again now that I’m feeling better!

Maternity clothes: Not yet, but I’m choosing the roomier regular clothes I already have. I can still do my regular dress pants/ jeans with the Bellaband from Target, or with a hair tie to keep them closed. Some flowy tops will just straight up hide the bump, and some tighter ones make it look like I just have a nice beer belly, not a really defined baby bump, so I’m still in that in-between phase. And all maxi dresses make me look straight-up bumpin’. So, I look varying degrees of pregnant depending on what I’m wearing!

Stretch marks: None yet that I know of, but I’m hitting the cocoa butter like crazy. I’ve read that it doesn’t really help, and that they will happen if they are going to happen, but I’m not taking any chances.

Sleep: Well… not great. Not terrible, but not great. I wake up several times in the night to turn over, and I have very vivid dreams, so I tend to dream about something worrisome all night, and continually wake myself up about it. Like, when I was concerned that sleeping on my stomach was bad for the baby, and I kept waking up to get myself to move. And then my OB said that was fine (that I just eventually won’t be able to, but it’s not bad for the baby), but that it is bad to sleep on your back because the shifting back of the uterus can restrict your blood supply. So, one night I continually woke up to find myself on my back and make myself move. And in my dreams, I kept reminding myself to ask my OB about when it is officially bad to sleep on your back. It may be time for a pregnancy pillow. And to calm down.

Best moment of this week: Technically, I should probably do for the month, but we had a really great moment just this week. On Wednesday, Steven had to take an all day exam instead of report for med consults, which meant he actually finished up work earlier than he normally would have (it makes you excited for test days, which is so backwards, right??). We packed everything up super fast, and headed out with Ruger and Gump to the dove hunting lease, which is a portion of a 9000 acre ranch about 25-30 minutes away. We got set up there at about 6:00, and just enjoyed the cooler weather (it was in the 70s and AMAZING!), and being outside. On our way home, we stopped for cobbler at one of our favorite BBQ restaurants (Steven may or may not have gotten second dinner with a full sausage plate, but my cobbler was almost bigger than my face, so I think it evened out!). It was such a great night, and I can’t wait to do it again tonight!

Miss anything: Well… feeling like my clothes fit like they should. I know my body will go through changes and all, and I’m so excited to be a mom, but I’m not just openly loving the growth happening. I know it’s necessary and healthy, but it’s a little hard to get used to, that’s all.

Movement: Maybe? Who knows! But I’m hoping it becomes more obvious soon!

Food cravings: Oh, sheesh, everything! There are very few things I will not stuff in my face at this current time. Sweet, salty, sour, anything. Almost everything sounds good.

Anything making you queasy or sick: My nausea has definitely gotten so, so much better, but I am having a slightly hard time stomaching red meat right now. I do fairly well with burgers, but I don’t really have an appetite for steak, which is unusual because it is a pretty big staple in our house.

Have you started to show yet: Yes, to varying degrees. I’m kinda ready to just be showing and it be obvious!

Gender: We are so close to finding out, but haven’t quite yet (2 weeks from today!). We (I) are (am) 90% sure, but will be ecstatic either way. Just maybe a little surprised if it’s the 10% we aren’t expecting 😉

Belly button in or out: In!

Wedding rings on or off: On, and still fairly loose, especially if my hands are cold. Which is often.

Looking forward to: Finding out this baby’s gender! I’m super ready to know if it’s Henry or Olivia bouncing around in there!

I don’t have a ton of pictures from the last month (that aren’t of our fur children), so it’s hard to see a progression. I haven’t committed to taking weekly pictures or anything like that, so just know that I’ll suddenly pop up looking like an elephant on here one of these months with no prior warning! 😉

This was at 12 weeks, and my top was hiding the bump, but there really wasn’t much of one at that point. I looked a little chunky right after eating, but I could still actually button my pants (with no additional assistance needed), so it was pretty small still then.

And this is last weekend at 16 weeks. I’m pretty sure that is actually the exact same pair of jeans, but they are definitely held together with a hair elastic here. You can see a bump with my t-shirt now!