Pregnancy #1: Second Trimester

The second trimester was full of excitement as it became more real that we were indeed having a baby...and with that realness, we also experienced lots of changes.

• When John and I first moved to our apartment, our goal was to stay for a year. With our lease ending in July and the baby scheduled to arrive in September, we decided to stay where we are for now.
• Energy returned and I felt 'normal' again! However, my ever changing body made it hard for me to get used to me.
• I started looking pregnant closer to 20 weeks (5 months mark).
• I felt the baby move for the first time during the 20th week of pregnancy in the middle of the night...and I wanted John to be able to feel it so bad.
• I felt so hungry I thought I could eat a cow daily.
• We found out we are having a girl! John and I both thought we were having a boy and we had gotten used to calling the baby 'he.' We were so surprised to find out a little girl was joining our family. We named her Sariah Faith Nobile. The name Sariah is of Hebrew origin, meaning "Princess of the Lord." We pray that our daughter will grow up knowing how precious she is to her Father in heaven and that she will always choose to live by faith: "being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." We can't wait to meet her!
• I made a spreadsheet of "Baby Things To Buy" and tried to eliminate some things after asking family and friends what they thought were necessary or helpful items.
• I had to turn down the opportunity of photographing 8 weddings because lots of people decided to get married late in August, September and early October. I knew the baby was my first priority, but it was still VERY hard to say 'no' to photography.
• I attended a few Baby Consignment Fairs and quickly became overwhelmed by the amount of stuff present. I did still manage to find a few awesome deals! Ex: I found a Bumbo seat with tray for $15.
• My hips started to feel like they were going to fall apart anytime I exercised, but the hands' joints were no longer an issue.
• We started working on the future nursery! We chose a gender neutral theme (colors blue, green and yellow) so we can use our baby things with the future boys and girls that may join our family.
• I got tired of Tums and decided Fish Oil could not be nastier.
• John and I enjoyed our date nights and always tried to make 'us' a priority.
• By week 24, it looked like Sariah was practicing her martial arts skills in my belly. It was so fun to see my belly move around out of control. Sariah seems to like to show off to John because she always gets super active whenever he puts his hand on my belly and chats with her!
• I borrowed all of my sister's loose shirts because mine didn't fit me anymore. I always called my sister's shirts "maternity shirts" because they have the high waist and flowy material...and I am glad she has selflessly let me borrow a part of her wardrobe.
• I started to sleep with a few more pillows that helped me get through the night.
• I will forever be thankful to John, who often rubbed my aching back in the middle of the night.
• I felt pretty good most days and nights and could still hardly believe our little girl was growing inside of me!