Monday, March 28, 2011

Round Two


We debated trying to have two kids, or being content—and settling into a routine that had gotten easier with full-nights of sleep, transitioning out of diapers, cruising around with a little dude—with one. Mark had wanted another kid since about the time we got home from the hospital with Sam (to which I said, "Don't even talk to me about that.") But, last fall, he seemed to change his tune, thinking one would be fine.

I had been on the mindset of not wanting to go through pregnancy again, and, wondering how on earth we'd manage two as active parents who like to travel. And I was getting back into racing, feeling pretty good.

But something in me changed. For one, I hurt my foot with an odd, acute case of plantar fasciitis-like pain from racing a sprint triathlon last September. Secondly, someone I know emailed me a picture of her sons—one Sam's age, and a baby brother a few months old—holding hands in the back seat of their car. It made me cry.

Not long after, we were pregnant (see pic of an early ultrasound).

I'm happy to say that we still are. I turned six months, or, 24 weeks, this past Thursday. It did take me a few weeks...months, maybe, to wrap my head around the fact that we'd be having two. And it'll still take me every moment—even once this baby is born—to truly get used to the newer, crazier life. But, we feel happy, and lucky, and know we're in for a new level of insanity and a new level of family love.

Aside from the first four months serving up daily afternoon dizziness, nausea and extreme fatigue, I've been feeling pretty good this time around. A couple of months ago, about when the afternoon-sickness was ending, I got really achy from a mellow 40-minute run in the snow. It seemed like the same lower abdomen and abductor muscles and surrounding ligaments giving me pains that I had at six or seven months...at least five months, and I was only at four months. That was a bummer.

I've since been mostly running slowly uphill, and hiking down...shuffling down or on flats when I feel like it. I do this once or twice a week, and that's been okay for me, as a runner. Other days, I'm swimming and loving that (though, wondering how long I'll do flip-turns), sometimes aqua jogging, riding a bike at the gym and lifting weights, and sometimes pulling Sam in the Chariot for a 45-minute ride around town. I'm also doing a prenatal pilates class, which seems to be helping me feel better. Occasionally, I do a prenatal yoga class, or do some moves on my own. I was skate skiing once a week, but it's been probably a month since I've been up to the Nordic center to do that (it felt great, though, when I did).

So that's the news. The fact that it took me so long to post it here is testament to how busy life has been...with just one child! I'll try to post more through the rest of pregnancy, and to report on how nutty it is with two!

(Sam turns three in May; Baby #2 is due on July 14.)

10 comments:

  1. Congratulations! I'm just two weeks behind you at 22 weeks. I was pregnant with my oldest when you were pregnant with Sam and was so encouraged by how active you were. My second is 10 months old and now that I'm feeling better with this pregnancy I'm starting to run again. Life is good.. you'll love have two! :)

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  2. I am so happy for you! You will be such a great mama to 2 children. You will not believe how much you love the new baby.....and Sam will love him/her too!
    I am glad you are feeling better. I felt AWFUL the entire pregnancy for all 5 of my children. I understand.
    I hope you can continue to be active throughout the pregnancy.

    p.s.
    I am running my very first marathon in 2 weeks! :)

    Have a great day!

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  3. Yay! I followed your first pregnancy on the blog and had my own little boy about six months after Sam was born. As I recover from a marathon and begin thinking about #2, I look forward to seeing how you (gracefully) handle adding to your family.

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  4. Congratulations to you & your family! I also followed your blog during your first pregnancy. As much fun as it was to hear all the details along the way, I know we all won't read that much detail this time around & for good reason. God Bless!

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  5. YAY! so glad you posted again... i, also, followed your blog through your first pg and the trailheads on RW... I had my first 7mo after you had Sam, and we're contemplating the 2nd. i also am LOVING feeling good (finally) with running, racing some longer distances, and getting strong... so maybe 2012 will be our year to add the +1. that will be all for me... but super fun to think of our little guy with a sib... and now that i've come back from pg1, i know i can do it again... and YOU can, too! we just have to keep reinventing our wheels! ;) Congratulations! and thanks for being willing to share with us in blogland!
    kz

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  6. Best wishes to you and your family! I followed your first blog and had my son about 9 months after you. You inspired me to run and swim throughout my pregnancy. Thank you :-) I was just thinking about your blog yesterday and wondering when we were going to hear about baby #2. I'm looking forward to hearing about your two little ones. Congrats! Sharon M.

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  7. Congratulations! My first was born about 3 weeks after Sam...and now I'm about 8 weeks with our second. We, too, seriously considered stopping with one, but I think we'll love having two. :-) I never made it back to fully running again after #1, because of some time-consuming special needs that she has, but I hope to be able to start running again after #2. Thanks for your inspiration!

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  8. Congrats. Like previous commenters, I have followed since you were pregnant with Sam. I was twoish months behind you and inspired. I knew for sure that I wanted two so that my son would have a sibling, because, when my mom died 10 years ago my brother was the single most important person in my life.
    For the sake of labor intensity, one would have been just fine for me. My husband and I agreed to 2, though before we got involved I thought 3 sounded nice.
    We had two. . . pregnancies. I have been the mother to 3 under 3 for ten months now (my son will be 3 in July and my twin daughters were due on his second birthday but came early).
    I am writing to encourage you that although you will be busier than you can currently imagine, remaining active and holding on to the parts of you that make you. . . you, is possible and doable. I just finished my third post baby half-marathon, and we get out and about a fair amount.
    Again, congratulations!

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  9. Congratulations! I followed your entire first pregnancy on Runner's World and it inspired me to keep running and being fit while pregnant myself. I'm now 28 weeks with my first and although I've had to give up running a little while back, I've been cycling, doing pre-natal yoga, and walking a lot. You were one of the first examples I found of someone actively retaining their love for excercise throughout the pregnancy, so thank you for that!

    I wish you all the best for this second pregnancy and am happy for you and your growing family!

    S.

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