With Maddi, the first trimester lasted an eternity. Yes, this could be because I spent most of it trying to avoid the scent and sight of food and sleeping 18 hours a day. But it was also because I had nothing but time.
Now, I’m short on time. Instead of worrying constantly about the baby, I’m worried that I forget to worry constantly about the baby. Not only have I done this before, and am having a much more comfortable pregnancy, but I’m so busy chasing a certain nap-hating toddler around the house that it’s hard to find time to catch my breath and feel for kicks.
Somehow, I’ve entered the second trimester without really even trying. Good things do come to those who wait, although this pregnancy has been so easy (save for the bleeding and reduced activity) that I’m not sure what I’m waiting for. After we heard the heartbeat at 10 weeks, the chances of miscarriage were much slimmer than they had been, and that was a great load off my mind. As far as my personal physical comfort, I can’t imagine a pregnancy getting much better than this! There were times when I was carrying Maddi when I thought, “Boy, am I a whiny wuss!” But you know what? This is exactly what, long ago, I expected pregnancy would be like. A little barfing, a little fatigue, but nothing I couldn’t handle. I think I’ve thrown up fewer than 10 times this pregnancy and I only need an hour or two more sleep a night (and my starting requirement was a five- or six-hour sleep, so it’s not bad at all!).
As for the baby, all its parts are fully formed by now. Its chances of being carried to term are greatly improved over the period in the first few months where I was bleeding. And many people are finding out at 14 weeks along exactly what color to paint the nursery. (Unfortunately, we have to wait a bit longer for that here in B.C.)
As busy as I am with Maddi (and currently Kaija), I am still looking forward to getting the nursery ready for baby. If it’s a girl, she’s all set. Maddi’s pink and purple butterfly theme will do just fine when she moves to her big-girl room, and Daddy has even purchased the baby a pretty pastel onesie. If it’s a boy, we’ll need to cover the pink trim on the crib and gather an awful lot of non-pink clothing. Daddy is pretty convinced it’s not a boy, but I’ve been scouring the Web’s selection of baby-boy wear just to be on the safe side.
I can feel our little wiggler pretty regularly after meals and when I’m resting at night. So far as I can tell, this will be another active one like Maddi. I only hope we will still be welcome in playgroup with two crazy babies!