Baby on the Run: Week 13

Hello from the second trimester!

I always thought the second trimester started at Week 12, but yet again, I am learning as I go. Some books and apps went with the Week 12 theory, while others said the second trimester hits at Week 14. I officially entered Week 14 today, so now I’m confident I’ve completed the first big chunk of this pregnancy. Cool!

I will say, I felt pretty drastically different during Week 13. Whether or not I was “technically” in whatever trimester, I felt less tired, my appetite changed a bit, and I generally felt more like myself again. Here’s a look back at Week 13!

BABY IS THE SIZE OF A…

peach, lemon, or pea pod. The apps really disagreed this week! But I took my weekly Whole Foods picture with a peach.

HOW I’M FEELING

As you can see, my skin continues to look even bumpier than my stomach (I now have loads of different pregnancy-approved products to try — thanks for all the suggestions!), and after I snapped my peach photo, I immediately thought, “PREGNANCY FACE!” I think my face has popped a bit, and I have that full-looking face many pregnant women tend to get.

But like I said, I mostly felt good this week. I felt like I had more energy and wasn’t desperate for daily 4 PM naps. I didn’t think I felt bad during those first few weeks, but I do feel noticeably better now. Just not as tired, not as nauseated (especially right when I wake up), and livelier overall. And I feel less sensitive to certain smells, like the Peter Thomas Roth face stuff I started using early in my pregnancy. The smell made me want to cry for a while, but I powered through because I’m such a warrior. Now it still doesn’t smell like flowers, but it’s NBD.

Oh, and all that bloating that was icky and painful early on has mostly gone down. I’m still a little gassy when I wake up (sorry, bedmates) and my stomach gets noticeably bigger by nighttime, but it’s fun to watch.

Brian and I went out on Sunday night (we saw the movie Blockers, which I thought looked so stupid, but I actually kind of loved it and I laughed the whole time and I cried at the end), and when we were walking to the car, Brian said it was the first time I really looked pregnant. A few other people have also commented that I “have a bump,” which I am still convinced is mostly just food, but I’ll take it.

And I can’t stop peeing.

WHAT I’M EATING

No major changes this week. Still digging carb-y stuff (plain pasta is still hitting the spot) and fruit. Still not loving most vegetables, but I’m into broccoli. Nothing fun to report here.

ON THE WORKOUT FRONT

Felt pretty good all week. I did a few Orangetheory classes and finished the Ultra Challenge (to run 33-or-something-IDK miles in the month of April), but mostly when I’m on the treadmill at OTF, I’m very distracted by my giant boobs in the mirror. I think any weight I’ve gained so far is 90 percent in there. My speeds on the treadmill are still a bit slower than they were a few months ago, but I haven’t had to make any crazy changes.

On Saturday, I ran seven miles and felt great. What a change from last week’s horrible five miles! I ran four miles down to Hoboken, then ran the Stevens Cooperative School 5K with Ellie. We had so much fun! Me and my two babies on the run! I was so happy the whole time, and still felt good enough after to spend the day at a bachelorette party. (A week prior, I ran five horrible miles and was dead the rest of the day.)

At the bachelorette party, a few people rubbed my little belly and I loved it. I know some people hate that, but I’m all about it. For now at least. (And they were people I know. Not strangers on the subway.)

I enjoyed a wonderful rest day on Sunday, and I’ll take this week easy before (hopefully) running the New Jersey Half Marathon on Sunday! The plan is to run nice and easy and enjoy it and take walk breaks and water breaks as needed. My only real goal is to beat my friend Laura to the finish, because I want to see her finish. (She’s running the full. I’m running the half.)

WHAT I’M WEARING

I’m at a point where most of my stuff, even my leggings, just feel a little too tight around the waist, but I’m not yet ready for most maternity stuff. (I bought a cute maternity dress and tried it on and I have a ways to go before that looks right.) My beloved Lululemon Enlite bras are officially too tight, and my boobs are busting out the sides of them. Plus, putting them on is a workout in itself. Thank goodness I work from home almost every day and can live in sweatpants and a bathrobe. This in-between period is weird when it comes to getting dressed.

WHAT I’M READING

The Pregnant Athlete, which my doctor recommended. I’m on page two, so check back next week for more on this one.

HOW I’M SLEEPING

Sleep is fine. Even with the pregnancy pillow (which Ellie enjoys more than I do), I still find myself rolling onto my back for most of the night, so I’m working on training myself to stay on my sides. And my dreams are still insane! Last night, I had a very real and very lovable dream about John Krasinski. And a few nights before, I remember having a dream that it was October 21 (two days before this baby’s due date) and Brian and I hadn’t purchased a single thing for the baby. No crib. No stroller. No car seat. So we are already really bad parents I guess. It’s fine.

WHAT I’M WONDERING

Brian and I had a long talk Friday night, which was really great. We talked a lot about how we were raised and what some of our biggest influences were, and talked about the most important values we want to stand by when raising our child. For me, it’s confidence. I want to help instill and nurture confidence in our child, and want to make sure to do that in the most effective way we feel possible. I was raised with a ton of praise. I was constantly told I was the best, the brightest, the smartest, the most talented. (Can you tell?) And that’s cool — I’ve never lacked confidence in many areas. But I’m also now afraid of failure and terrified by the prospect of letting people down or disappointing them. Brian, on the other hand, wasn’t raised getting a constant pat on the back. When his dad died before Brian even graduated high school, that left a huge void in many ways — namely that Brian has gone on to become super successful and will never get an “I’m proud of you, son” from his dad. (He told me this and my heart broke into a million pieces. Needless to say, it was an emotional, but really really good, talk.)

Next up: I have my next OB appointment this Friday! Always excited to see the little Wiggle up on the screen! And then hopefully running 13.1 miles on Sunday!

More Baby on the Run:

• Week 12
• The First Trimester
• +1 on the Run