Well there goes the second trimester! Boy did I love you, second trimester. My bump was more than just a few big burritos for lunch. My baby started giving me little high-fives. My energy came back. We got ultrasounds and the gender and projections of what our babe looks like – finally something humanoid! Second trimester, you’ve just been great.

Bump + Latest Reads + Glucose test at 28 weeks

Towards the end, though, I am starting to see why everyone complains about pregnancy all the time. My breezy pregnancy hit a few (small) (predictable) (not scary) bumps around week 25 and now it’s an active battle to not be a raging grump all the time. This growing-a-human-thing really is hard, you guys, and it’s easy to fall into a negative, pessimistic downward spiral.

I’m really worried about this third trimester. I feel like there’s not a whole lot I can do at this point to slow or ease my discomfort or pain. Sure, I can deal, but the lack of control is what puts this Type A girl on her witch’s broom. School is tough. I’m tired and achy. I’m still trying to keep up with responsibilities and a social life. I know, I know. Whine, whine. I just look ahead to these months of my third trimester and realize with a jolt how BUSY and UNCOMPROMISING they will be. The holidays are the best! The Revolutionary War is my absolute favorite thing to teach! But man is this gonna get busy and crazy and FAT.

12 Weeks (plus a little extra, probably) to go? Now THAT makes me excited. So do pictures like this one:

We babysat my cousins adorable babe this weekend and it was so much fun! I was beyond relieved that it was enjoyable. Part of me worried that I’d hate it or be miserable, but it was honestly the highlight of my week playing with this cute baby and watching her cuddle up to my bearded (and ponytailed !!!) husband. 🙂 Plus Glen Coco was a fan. Always comforting.

Anyway. Second Trimester was mostly great and saw a lot of changes. Here’s my list of favorites for Second Trimester Survival:

This Target Dress! It’s amazing. No surprise my most stylish friend Eliesa found it and recommended it to me. I bought it immediately and I’m going back for the navy version. Thing fits like a dream. Having a one piece, no-brainer, classy, easy outfit has done wonders for me on those days where I feel like a beached whale. Throw on this dress, a statement necklace and cute shoes = professional work/church wear. Rock it with sneaks and a utility vest = casual cute! It’s seriously a home run. I can’t recommend it enough.

Heating Pad – I have had some pain in my back, hips and pelvis since about early September. It got worse and worse, and my OBGYN said it’s SPD. All I can really do about it is the stretches my dad showed me, tylenol, heat and rest. Still, it’s largely inescapable and impossible to completely stop once it’s started throbbing. I drape a huge blanket over my space heater (safely) and lay under it for some heat relief, and now I’m on the heating pad train!

Belly Bands – these are great for those pants you can’t quite button, or that have to ride extra low under the bump now. They also function as shirt extenders, and I usually just wear them under tight maxis or tunics to smooth out the garment/legging lines. They’ll control the belly button once it pops, too, allegedly.

Grahamfuls Smore’s – because I’m 6 years old. My hunger is at least a little normalized now, but I still need a 9 am snack (gross). Sometimes a 3 pm snack. Sometimes a 5 pm snack. Ok so I eat a lot of snacks. And these are delicious.

Old Navy Maternity Leggings/Pants – I buy a few packs of the full-panel black maternity leggings every time there’s a sale or I’m within a mile of the store. And you know what? 100% worth it. I have a pair of dark wash flare trousers that I LOVE for school, as well as some gray skinnies that are great for school or casual wear. Cheap, comfy, necessary. EMBRACE MATERNITY PANTS LADIES.

H&M Maternity Tops/Sweaters – These are a little pricier than Old Navy, but they look like real clothes. The one pictured above is my favorite maternity top! I’m no expert but I feel like I can wear them after Baby Holdy, which is always a nice option. Make sure to get something that gathers along the sides – this flatters the bump and makes me feel feminine and intentional about my outfit. #notatent

 Tylenol PM – my doc approved this stuff and I’m not sure I could function without it. I don’t use it every single night, obviously, but on painful days it makes my life so much better. Just make sure you can get at least 7 good hours or you’ll be groggy all day!

Zantac – heartburn is freaking miserable. I would probably only rate it like a 3/10 on the discomfort scale but because it was so constant and made me never want to eat/drink anything but ice water I just felt like my life was over. This stuff works great when I take it consistently!

**DO NOT BE AFRAID TO TAKE MEDICATIONS YOU NEED. AS LONG AS YOUR DR IS COOL WITH IT YOU SHOULD DO WHAT YOU NEED TO FEEL OK. YOUR BABY WILL BE FINE. You are not better than anyone else because you don’t take any pills during your entire pregnancy.**

Mother’s Special Blend – No (new) stretch marks yet! I try to put this stuff on anytime I get out of the shower. It doesn’t have much of a smell, but it feels good and I haven’t had any of the itchiness or stretchy feelings.

Other Tips/Tricks

• Sleeping with a body pillow/rolled blanket between my knees.
• Sleep when you can sleep, wake when you’re awake. Seems simple, but there’s times it’s counter-intuitive. Seems like a bad idea to nap at 6 pm, but if I’m tired I nap and I feel way better. If I’m suddenly wide awake at 3 am, I pinterest until I’m back asleep rather than lay there and stress about being awake.
• Having a water bottle ALWAYS. I’m constantly thirsty & dehydrated.
• Fighting Pregnancy Brain with 1000 lists. I use my planner, Wunderlist, Evernote and about 10 post its a day. So far I’m not any more ding-y than usual.
• Kneeling. I spend an hour or so each evening on my knees with my arms/torso on the couch as I blog, watch TV, hang with Glen Coco. It really helps my hips and back.
• Stocking up on diapers and wipes – I buy a pack of each every time I get groceries and we’ve got a nice little pile goin!
• (Almost) Daily Walks – a few times a week after school I walk with Glen around the park by our house once or twice. Even though I waddle/limp and it makes my hips hurt more, I really feel like it keeps me mobile. I feel like as soon as I stop moving I’ll die.
• Once-a-week full beauty prep. I cannot shower/wash my hair/shave/lotion/scrub/moisturize/manicure/pedicure/full makeup every single day. I’m huge and gross and tired. BUT. I started spending a good hour or two on lazy Sunday mornings taking care of myself. I look and feel better during the week, even if I roll out of bed and leave for school within 20 minutes. It makes a difference.