18 Week Bump Update – She’s Found Strength

Whew! Time is passing by with this pregnancy. In my last update, I touched on my 14 weeks pregnancy update. That was officially a month ago, and now I am 5 months pregnant. I have been taking time each day since those four weeks ago to love myself. 💛

Just baby bumping

Seriously! I wake up anytime between 6 and 7 am by the grace of God each weekday, and my husband, who just loves to be in a playful mood tussling the comforter from over my head so I can get out the bed. 

Our son Eli loves to sleep in our bed between us, even though he does have his own room and bed, and he wakes up with his dark brown curly hair smushed and full of energy and joy. All I can do is laugh and remind my husband Bruce that waking me “a morning bird” will be a war on the weekends if I wake up and hop out of bed before him. 

HOW FAR ALONG: 18 weeks! The baby is the size of a pomegranate [5.59 inches and 6.70 ounces].

💞DUE DATE: August 4th

SICKNESS: 

I’ve had a susceptible stomach to certain leftovers. I can’t have leftover pizza like I have tried. I would instantly throw it up every slice I would try to eat. 😩

My allergies have been intense, and I haven’t wanted to take any Benadryl because I dislike the drowsiness I get from taking it. 

CRAVINGS: 

The gender of this baby at this moment is still unknown until the next two weeks. However, I have enjoyed chocolate chip cookies, BBQ chicken, burritos, juicy cheeseburgers and fries, lots of bowls of cereal! I cannot get enough of the Cinnamon Chex with cold milk. Whew! I can put down some comfort and soul food too. 😆

AVERSIONS: 

I loved Greek yogurt during the very beginning weeks of my pregnancy. Now I just don’t eat it at all, and I am also having guacamole aversions because I ate it so much a few weeks ago. I still have a full container in the fridge, and I just can’t find the courage to open it up and eat it. 

PHYSICAL CHANGES: 

I have gained over 20 pounds in these 5 months since being pregnant. My face is more fuller. My baby bump is growing weekly. My skin is clearing up, and I still have an occasional pimple. Bye Bye hormonal acne (at least for now.) 

My boobs have been growing bigger than what they did when I was pregnant with Eli. Plus, my boobs are sore and heavy. My feet and ankles are swollen, and my secondary lymphedema in my left foot can cause the top of my foot to hurt after the end of a long day.

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Q: How far apart in age will your babies be?

A: They will be about three and a half years apart from one another. Eli’s birthday is in late October. Which is perfect for both my husband and me. 

Q: Do you have a name?

A: If we are having a baby boy, we have a name picked out already. My husband and I just must create a middle name. However, if we are having a baby girl, we will search for a name.😉

Q: Do you plan to nurse this baby?

A: Yes, I do! I am eager to see how this journey will go this time around. I want to do more pumping so I can have a little more free time to do things that I need to. 

When I had Eli back in 2017, I focused on skin-to-skin nursing and only pumped when my breasts were engorged. I had a semi-milk stash in my freezer. I just did not have enough milk stored some days to bottle feed him hours at a time or while we were out in public places. This time around, I plan to nurse and power pump to build a nice stash in our deep freezer. 🙌

Q: How has this pregnancy been different from your first?

A: This pregnancy, I am a more picky eater, and I have a more sensitive stomach than when I was pregnant with Eli. I can say I have also thrown up more in my second trimester in these past few weeks than what I did with my first pregnancy. 

I also was working and walking about 2 and a half miles to work Mondays through Fridays if the weather allowed. I didn’t pack on so many pounds as fast as I have this time around. Overall, my lymphedema is still very present, and I still have energy. I’m just chasing my 3 and a half-year-old son around and having fun with him while trying not to lift him too much because he’s a heavy and tall little guy for his age. 

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Overall, I am just blessed and thankful that God's grace has been so good to me in this pregnancy already. I can't wait to share week 20 of this pregnancy with you a few weeks. 

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