Baby bump status: This past week my belly seemed to pop out even more (it seemed to happen at the same time with Cedric!). I definitely feel like I have a baby bump but when I look in the mirror I often look smaller than I feel. There's plenty of time to feel and look big so I'm not worried. :) I got the "Oh my gosh you're pregnant!" from two people at the boys' school this week who hadn't known previously that I'm pregnant. I think it's fun to be noticeably pregnant so I'm enjoying it. No unsolicited belly rubs yet to report. I've noticed that it's getting harder to hold the boys either in my arms or in my lap as my belly gets bigger.

How I'm feeling: Great overall. I feel pregnant but not huge with one exception: my breasts. I wouldn't normally bring up my breasts in such a public way but in the name of honesty I'll share that this is not my favorite pregnancy change. I don't love having to buy bigger bras...and then bigger bras again. Sports bras have not been as easy to get in and out of. To stay comfortable I'm buying my favorite everyday bras in the right size and just bought more of my favorite sports bras too (currently on sale!). Other than feeling busty I can lodge minor complaints about heartburn/acid reflex and pubic bone pain, especially after some workouts. I'm thrilled to report that my ankles are still their normal size and I haven't had any swelling.

Baby movement: This girl is active! Chris, Dash, and Cedric have all been able to feel her move. The boys will lean down and talk to my belly which is the sweetest thing. I feel her kicking throughout the day and especially when I lay down in bed at night. I remember this being an active time for Dashiell and Cedric too. Unfortunately sometimes she also wakes me up in the middle of the night and that's not as fun. But it's an incredible feeling to have a baby kicking inside of me again and I've marveling at it and savoring it. She's kicking around right now as I write this. Hi, baby girl. :)

Eating and exercise: Maybe feeling a little bit more hungry over the past couple of weeks? I'm trying to fill up on big salads, protein (like eggs, veggie sausage, and yogurt), and eat a bowl of cereal when I crave something sweet. With the holidays upon us there's plenty of indulgent sweets too but I feel like I have a good balance in my diet. I'll take my glucose test in early January. I've passed on the first test with my previous two pregnancies and hope it'll be the same for this one. I try to manage the timing and spiciness/acidity of dinner so that I don't end up with heartburn.

I'm still exercising three times/week and jogging at Orange Theory. I'm modifying more of the treadmill workouts to go slower and I'm not doing many hills. One factor is that I bought myself new running shoes and they were killing my feet! So I returned those (bought them online) and went to a local running store to buy different (and more expensive) shoes. My feet feel much better but I'm also wondering if some foot pain might be part of my workouts now? I hope not. Maybe my new shoes just need to get broken in/my feet recovered from those bad shoes. I've also switched from the rower to the stationary bike at Orange Theory and modify ab exercises.

Sleep: Good on most nights. Sometimes the baby will be kicking and wake me up after which it can be hard to fall back asleep. If I'm up long enough my stomach wakes up and then I have to eat a bowl of cereal. Sometimes as I try to fall asleep I have minor restless legs which is such an annoying feeling. I remember having this during my pregnancy with Cedric. Hot baths help and since it's winter I should probably make that a more regular routine.

Preparing for another baby: We were gifted some sweet baby clothes, blankets, and washcloths at our early Christmas with Arizona family. But otherwise no progress on this front other than working on a mood board and blog post for the baby's nursery. I don't want to rush through the holidays but will be excited to get started on baby prep in the new year.

Looking forward to: Our trip to Austin to meet my new nephew and to enjoy being pregnant at Christmas with my family. I've been pregnant during Christmas for both of my other pregnancies and I love savoring expecting a baby in this festive season.

I can't believe that I'm already into the last four weeks of the second trimester!