16 weeks | Baby 2 .0

What's new?

Peanut can finally hear my voice! I love that he (??) can ear me yelling at the dogs singing and reading books to Ellie all day long.

Baby's hair, eyelashes, and eyebrows have started growing. 

Baby has started forming taste buds. In fact, today Baby was craving Trader Joes honey wheat pretzel sticks dipped in TJ cookie butter, followed by TJ spicy peanut vinaigrette.
Happy Baby = Happy Mama.
Peanut's head is starting to look more like a baby -- ears and eyes moving towards their final placement.
Baby had tonenails and even pumps 25 quarts of blood through its heart a day!!
 



How far along? 16 weeks
 

Baby's size? avocado- about 4.5 inches in size
 

Total weight gain: 6 pounds

Maternity clothes? Yep. I'm officially wearing maternity clothes about half the time.

Sleep: Ehh.. I'm almost giving up at this point.

Best moments this past week: I had a great appointment on Tuesday. We got to hear Peanut's heartbeat! Baby is as healthy as can be. :) JP and I also had a date night, sans the baby and it was amazing! Honestly, all we did was go to dinner at the Keg, but you forget how much you enjoy an adult only dinner out!
 

Miss Anything? Nothing in particular.

Movement: I still feel itty bitty flutters when I'm laying down, but there haven't been any indefinite kicks just yet.
 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope. Still struggling to really enjoy food most of the time though.

Labor Signs: Technically, no. I still get a few Braxton Hicks contractions most days though. I'm trying to drink a lot of water to keep them at a minimum.
 

Gender: Still 110% positive it's a boy according to my mama instincts. :) We'll find out for sure on July 16th!

Symptoms: BH contractions, occasional nausea, and I *think* the headaches are slowly going away. **knock on wood** I'm finally reaching the point of loving pregnancy again, just like I did with Ellie.
 

Belly Button in or out? It's on its way out - about half way there.

Wedding rings on or off? on

Happy or Moody most of the time: I'm really happy overall, but this week my hormones took on a whole new level of crazy. It was an emotional week, y'all!

Looking forward to: Celebrating JP's 32nd birthday tonight with friends and our annual 4th of July vacation to the cabin in Flagstaff. 

16 weeks
 

Despite the size of my belly, I can assure you: I am 16 weeks, not 26.

15 weeks | Baby 2 .0

What's new?

All of Peanut's joints and limbs can move now.

Baby's body is becoming more proportionate.

Baby's eyelids are still fused shut, but they can sense light.
Not much else is going on, other than rapid development!
Grow, Peanut, grow!



How far along? 15 weeks
 

Baby's size? orange- about 4 inches in size
 

Total weight gain: 5 pounds

Maternity clothes? Yep. I'm officially wearing maternity clothes about half the time.

Sleep: HORRIBLE.

Best moment this past week: Date night with my little family tonight. It was perfect and just what I've needed.
 

Miss Anything? Nothing in particular.

Movement: I still feel Peanut on my left side on and off all day. Movements are faint and definitely there, though not visible from the outside.
 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope. Most food pretty much always sounds gross though -- unless it's a smoothie or almond chocolate milk.

Labor Signs: Technically, no. However, I started feeling occasional Braxton Hicks contractions this week, which is WAY earlier than I ever felt them with Ellie. They're usually similar, though more painful, than regular cramps. Last weekend it was real bad though-I couldn't move, breathe, and I was crying. No fun!
 

Gender: Still 110% positive it's a boy according to my mama instincts. :)

Symptoms: Just the occasional BH's, still occasionally nauseous in the mornings, but the dreadful migraines are the only thing I'm really hating at the moment.
 

Belly Button in or out? It's on its way out - about half way there.

Wedding rings on or off? on

Happy or Moody most of the time: I know teaching like the back of my hand, so learning my new role as an appraisal underwriter is a bit stressful. My plan is to only work about 10 hours or so a week, all from home, but I'll feel a lot more at ease when this too comes naturally. Other than that, happy! :)

Looking forward to: My next appointment on Tuesday.

15 weeks

  

14 Weeks | Baby 2 .0

What's new?

Peanut continues to wiggle all around.

Baby's lanugo has started developing all over its body that will help to keep babe warm!

Baby's working on his or her facial expressions, which if they're anything like Ellie's expressions lately, we're in for a REAL treat.

Other major body parts - kidneys, spleen, liver, etc. continue to develop.

Technically, Peanut should be able to suck its thumb by now, but given my last ultrasound, this genius baby is already ahead of the game. :)



How far along? 14 weeks
 

Baby's size? lemon - about 3.5 inches in size
 

Total weight gain: 5 pounds

Maternity clothes? Yep. I'm officially wearing maternity clothes about half the time.

Sleep: The insomnia is still slowly, but surely getting the best of me!

Best moment this past week: Celebrating my mother-in-law's birthday was really fun, but just the week overall was really relaxing. I LOVE spending so much time with my sweet girl.
 

Miss Anything? Nothing in particular this week - maybe feeling normal.

Movement: I still feel pretty frequent movements, particularly on my left side. Over the last couple of days they seem like itty bitty baby kicks, but still can't be felt from the outside. I can't wait to feel those indefinite big kicks, definitely my FAVORITE part about pregnancy! There truly is nothing in this world quite like feeling your baby move around and getting cozy inside of your body. Absolutely nothing.
 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing in particular, but the overall nausea has kicked it back up a notch. :(

Labor Signs: nope!
 

Gender: I don't know what happened, but over the past week I have an overwhelming feeling telling me it's a boy! I think I felt girl before simply because of already having a girl. It was never a strong feeling though, nothing like how sure I was with Ellie. This boy feeling though, the more and more I think about it, the more absolute I become. And now I feel guilty for referring to baby as a girl for the past month!

Symptoms: My first tri symptoms seem to be making a comeback. I'm back to feeling nauseous most mornings and late at night, occasionally throughout the day. The headaches, though not daily can be really rough. This exhaustion though - it is no joke!!! Where's the second tri energy I was expecting to feel by this point???
 

Belly Button in or out? Definitely in, but the inside part is already popping a bit. Seriously. I'm 14 weeks. What the heck!

Wedding rings on or off? on

Happy or Moody most of the time: Super happy, just overwhelmed with how exhausted I am some days.

Looking forward to: Father's Day tomorrow - I love spoiling our main squeeze. :)

14 weeks


 

 

13 Weeks | Baby 2 .0

What's new?

Peanut is working on her vocal cords, which if they're anything like Ellie's, we're in BIG trouble!

Teeth are forming.

She already has little unique fingerprints.

She's about 3 inches long and weighs in at a whopping ounce! :) 

 

How far along? 13 weeks

Baby's size? peach - about 3 inches
 

Total weight gain: 4 pounds, thank you California

Maternity clothes? Yep. I can still wear all of my normal clothes, but I continue to wear the occasional maternity shirt. I busted out some of my maternity shorts as well; not my proudest moment at 13 weeks.

Sleep: Hit or miss. Some nights great, others not so much. Ellie has started sleeping in closer to 7 though, so that's a plus, right?!

Best moment this past week: My NT scan on Friday was great! Peanut was super active, sucking its thumb, picking it's nose (total BOY says JP - we shall see!), and wiggling all around. She measured a few days ahead, but all measurements were perfect and baby is healthy!! :) Here are a few pictures!



 

Baby was flipping us off picking its nose.

 

We threw my mom a 50th surprise party tonight as well. We were expecting about 35 people and close to 30 showed up. Everyone had such a great night and we enjoyed celebrating her big day! Pictures to come!
 

Miss Anything? Still missing my daily deli meat sandwiches big time!

Movement: I definitely feel Peanut wiggling around. It's more than the little butterfly movements and more like legit moving and kicking around, though still not visible from the outside.
 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really. Smells are still super intense though.

Labor Signs: nope!
 

Gender: I'm thinking girl (if my she/her comments aren't a give away), but it's obviously too soon to find out. I'm beginning to think that maybe it's just subconsciously though since we already have a girl. I'm not nearly as positive as I was with Ellie at this point.

Symptoms: I'm still really tired every single day all day long. The headaches are pretty rough, but luckily not daily and the nausea is few and far between. Though 1st tri was a definite struggle and very comparable to 1st tri with Ellie, so far none of the symptoms have been as bad.
 

Belly Button in or out? Definitely in, but it's already popping out a big on the inside..since I basically look 25 weeks pregnant.

Wedding rings on or off? on

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!!!

Looking forward to: A non-stressful/busy week - the first one since school has been out. We don't have many plans and I love it!

13 weeks

In my defense, while I am looking far too pregnant in general, this was taken at 10pm at night, after stuffing my face during my Mom's surprise party for 5 hours.

Please vote for us! :)

 

 

12 weeks | Baby 2 .0

What's new?
Peanut has developed reflexes and will likely move if I start poking at my belly.
I may or may not have already tried this.
Peanut can open and close its hands and wiggle its toes.
Her* brain is rapidly developing and her eyes and ears are in place.
She's even weighing in at a whopping half an ounce!

 

*Disclaimer: Guys. I'm trying really hard to not refer to baby as a she/her, but it's becoming increasingly difficult. So, please bare with me. I'll apologize (who am I kidding - probably go back and edit) later if I'm wrong. :)



How far along? 12 weeks
 

Baby's size? plum - a little over 2 inches
 

Total weight gain: Not sure since we're on vaca, but I have a feeling at least 3 or 4. Eating out for every single meal and nightly dessert does not do a body good!

Maternity clothes? Yep. I can still wear all of my normal clothes, but I continue to wear the occasional maternity shirt.

Sleep: Hasn't been the greatest. I have pregnancy insomnia and it sucks. Bad. The blackout curtains in Ellie's room are hardly working, so little Miss is up by 7am which is always fun.

Best moment this past week: My appointment with Dr. Reuss was SO great. Peanut was moving, bouncing, kicking, and waving like crazy! I don't ever remember seeing Ellie be so active on the u/s screen. Our Cali vacation (which we're currently on) has been pretty great so far as well! Seeing Ellie on the beach for the first time tops the list. The girl loooves the water. And the sand. And the birds. And eating the sand. And touching and stepping on everylittlething.
 

Miss Anything? I haven't really missed alcohol up until this point, but I could reeeally go for a nice little cocktail or a cold Dos Equis on the beach right about now!

Movement: I'm becoming more and more convinced that I feel some swimming like movement inside. It reminds me of when Ellie would move from one side of my belly to another, only it's not visible from the outside or nearly as strong. It's not the jabbing sort of feeling, but just wiggly little movements inside. It's weird, but with how consistent and frequent it's been, I just know it's baby. :)
 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really. In fact, I've had my random red meat cravings (I normally despise red meat) like I did with Ellie. I've had two cheeseburgers so far. WEIRD.

Labor Signs: nope!
 

Gender: I'm thinking girl, but it's obviously too soon to find out.

Symptoms: My biggest one at the moment is exhaustion. I'm SO tired all.the.time. yet I also have insomnia and struggle sleeping. There are a few other random symptoms, but I'll spare y'all the details. The good news is that the nausea seems to be fading!! Hallefreakinglujah!
 

Belly Button in or out? Definitely in, but it's already looking a little different inside. Not a fan.

Wedding rings on or off? on

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy, with a slight case of moody. Or maybe anxiety is a better term at the moment.

Looking forward to: Our NT scan on Friday, though I'm nervous! As long as all goes well, we plan on announcing this little Peanut.

12 weeks

| taken on the beach since I'm not home to take a chalkboard picture |

Between staying home and being pregnant again, I definitely plan to focus on my blog some more. So, help a Mama out by voting, will ya?

 

11 Weeks | Baby 2 .0

 What's new?

This week Peanut is moving around like crazy.

P has started developing tooth buds, hair follicles, and nail beds.

Although P's skin is still transparent, it will start to develop color soon.

How far along? 11 weeks
 

Baby's size? lime - over 1.5 inches in size
 

Total weight gain: 2 pounds

Maternity clothes? Yep. I can still wear all of my normal clothes, but I continue to wear the occasional maternity shirt.

Sleep: Slightly better, only waking up once a night to pee. Although the 5 am sun is for the freaking birds. The sunlight has enabled Ellie to wake up at the crack of dawn. I just ordered blackout curtains for her room and paid an arm and a leg for them to get here by tomorrow.

Best moment this past week: Finishing my school year. This year was seriously the MOST difficult in my entire 6 years of teaching. I'm embarrassed to admit there were a couple of times I seriously almost walked away, but I didn't. I held out and I'm so glad I did. I learned and grew more as a teacher than any other year. My kids, whom came in the lowest, continued to grow like rockstars. I just found out 91% of them met or exceeded on the AIMS math test and 86% on reading. Considering where they started, that's AMAZING. Mind seriously blown and I'm SO, SO proud of them. It was a great ending (for the time being) to a career I loved, and onto the career I've always longed for, a stay at home mom.
 

Miss Anything? Deli meaaaaaat. I forgot how difficult it is for an addict me to give sandwiches up during pregnancy!

Movement: I feel lots of little twinges and what feels like fluttering movements inside (not legit kicks by any means), but I don't know that it's actual baby at this point. I know 2nd time moms often feel things a lot earlier, but even as a STM, I think it still might be too early.
 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not in particular. My sense of smell has really heightened, which I don't remember with Ellie. Some smells gross me out (mostly condiments, cigarettes are a million time worse than normal-I swear, I can smell them 5 cars away from me) , but it doesn't necessarily make me queasy.

Labor Signs: nope!
 

Gender: I'm thinking girl, but it's obviously too soon to find out.

Symptoms: Most everything is the same. I'm still nauseous every morning, but it continues to fade by the afternoon/evenings. My boobs also continue to grow by the minute, but I don't think anyone's complaining. ;)
 

Belly Button in or out? Definitely in!

Wedding rings on or off? on

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!!

Looking forward to: My next appointment on Tuesday, getting my hairs did on Wednesday, then our vacation to La Jolla!

11 weeks

I'm well aware that my lime looks more like a lemon, but I swear I use green chalk!

Peanut is the size of a lime. LIME.

 

And really, there is only one lime in there, despite what my bump may lead you to believe.

 



 

10 weeks | Baby 2 .0

(originally written 5/17)

 

Well, here we go again!

 

I loved documenting my pregnancy with Ellie. Everything was so fresh in my memory at the time and I thought I'd never forget a single detail. Yet, here I am with a near 16 month old baby and I feel like the details are creeping further and further back in my memory.

I may or may not have started reading old baby bump blog posts and possibly even Ellie's birth story.

 

So, I couldn't imagine another pregnancy without the same documentation!
 

Honestly, it's really for my benefit, but I also enjoy sharing it with family and friends, both near and far. For those of you that take the time to read through the weekly posts, enjoy! :)

So, what's new?

This little Peanut's (sometimes referred to as P from here on out) vital organs are fully developed and starting to function. It's joints are beginning to move and P has already started to kick away, although it will still be some time before I feel it. P can swallow and both fingernails and peach fuzz are starting to appear. Finally, hands and feet are no longer webbed and more finger/toe like. Graduating from tadpole status. :)
 

How far along? 10 weeks
 

Baby's size? prune - a little over an inch in size
 

Total weight gain: 1ish pounds

Maternity clothes? A tiny bit. Y'all, it's UNREAL how much more quickly I've started to show with this baby. I mean, I know it's only bloat early on, but it's been ridiculous and so incredibly hard to hide. I got far too many questions from coworkers before I was ready to share the good news (at like 6 weeks!). With Ellie we didn't share the news until 14+ weeks, but this time it's been impossible. I've just recently started admitting it when people ask. I feel like it's more acceptable to wear a maternity shirt with a blump (half bloat, half bump) than a regular shirt in which it looks like I've eaten far too many donuts.

Sleep: Sucks. I wake up to pee a lot and it's hard to fall back asleep. I also wake up before my 6am alarm clock which is of course fabulous.

Best moment this past week: Date night with my little family was perfect! We went up to  the Scottsdale Quarter to eat at Grimaldi's, out for yogurt after, followed by splash pad fun for the babe.
 

Miss Anything? Feeling like myself. Normal sleep.

Movement: Nothing yet!
 

Anything making you queasy or sick: I was nauseous the night before I found out I was pregnant this time AND we found out very early (3.5 weeks). I've been nauseous just about every single day since, though I *think* it's starting to ease up a bit. Food typically doesn't sound good, but there isn't one thing that seriously grosses me out. With Ellie, I couldn't stand the thought, smell, sight, or taste of chicken. I'm happy to say I've not had that problem this time around!

Labor Signs: nope!
 

Gender: I'm thinking girl, but it's obviously too soon to find out.

Symptoms: You name it, I have it. Though it's beginning to lessen, I was nauseous every morning/night, and it would come and go throughout the day. The oh so lovely headaches are back (definitely the worst part about pregnancy for me!). The bloat that started at like 6 weeks. The peeing. The constipation (I'm sure you wanted to know that part, right?). And I've got to get my level of irritation in check. I swear, some moments, I feel like a ticking time bomb!
 

Belly Button in or out? Definitely in!

Wedding rings on or off? on

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy, but anxious. I just don't feel like myself, which has been getting to me because I don't want it to affect my time with Ellie.

Looking forward to: This is the last week of school and I will officially take on my new stay at home mom title! :) AND I *think* I'm getting a slight glimpse of the end of the first tri tunnel.

10 weeks

I still can't believe I'm showing this much already. I had juuuust barely
started bloating at this point with Ellie. Ahhh!

And for comparison:

 

IS THIS REAL LIFE?

BIG NEWS!

Well, here we go again!

 

Baby Mullan 2.0 is due 12.13.14.

 

 

We once again found out super early and it's been SO hard to keep this news a secret for over 2 months! For those of you that have seen me, it's definitely not a very well kept secret given my HUGE belly that did not exist this early with Ellie.

 

Ellie and Peanut will be about 22 months apart and I can't wait to see Ellie be a big sister, though she's going through a super stage 5 mama clinger phase, so let's hope she simmers down by December. :) Christmas will be not so quiet quite busy this year, but we're super excited!

 

My chalkboard posts will be back and I'll be posting weeks 10-12 shortly.