As we are getting close to beginning another trimester soon (yay!), I wanted to wrap up everything that has been happening and answer the most FAQ’s about our pregnancy so far here within the second trimester. Things are moving right along and now with us approaching the final trimester soon, we are officially starting to prepare our hearts, minds and home for this new little blessing.

We still have a little bit of time left in this trimester, but I don’t plan on the main things changing really so I thought I would get this post up and done. If any changes are made, I will add them in here.

While this worldwide pandemic is happening and we’re making history as we speak, it’s also been a realistic time when wearing sweats is absolutely acceptable, no makeup is needed, and even brushing my hair most days is rare. Finding the simplicity of life during this time more than ever, as honest and hard as it’s been, has been a lifesaver for me somehow. I can’t stress enough how much this baby has been our ray of sunshine and hope through the timing of it’s arrival.

OUR UPDATE ON THE SECOND TRIMESTER

Sleep is hard for me. I’ve just come to terms with that. I’m tired just all of the time really and will catch up through naps with Owen in the middle of the days and on the every other weekends when the kids are at their other parents -#blendedfamily here. I find that that is the time when I get the most sleep actually, mainly because Owen isn’t here for me to be able to check his camera, go into his room to have to fix him or his CPAP or worry about any seizures that may be happening. It’s literally just the only time when my mind is at ease because it’s honestly, just out of my control…

My extreme nausea has really subsided this trimester and I’m so glad. I still get it once in a while, but it’s more controllable now. I’ve gotten a lot of my energy back as well, except for just the sleep that I lose and need to catch up on. I’m not craving anything specific still, just food in general or when something sounds good at the time. When baby or mama is hungry, we are ready to eat! Ha. Potty breaks have seemed to cut in half during the middle of the night, so that has been nice as well.

I’ve been absolutely loving my belly as it grows and I love being able to show it off more now than the first trimester. I’ve always seemed to feel comfortable and confident in being pregnant. I’m absolutely loving all the strong movements inside but could share with you that I definitely don’t remember Owen moving this much! During this time in the world, this pregnancy has been such a reminder that simplicity is everything and it has shown Randy and I the joy that life can bring first hand during the hardest times in life. I honestly don’t know where I would be mentally if I didn’t have this babe growing with me through this time in our life. It’s been such a bright ray of sunshine and something to look forward to within any kind of darkness that is sent our way. I felt the baby move for the very first time on my birthday back in February, week 18 is when daddy felt babe move on the inside for the first time and week 20 is when mommy was able to see the babe move from the outside of her belly for the first time. It’s all feeling so real now! Ah!

Daddy + Mommy got to go out on their first real bump date since being so ill from morning sickness. We got all fancied up, went to Adult Prom and danced the night away. It was the first time I got to really show off the bump and it was fun. Dancing while pregnant (and the bigger the better) is probably one of my favorite things! hahaha.

This pregnancy seems way different than my last one and seems like there is much more going on and things to learn about with my body as it changes to prepare for this baby. The first trimester had it’s own moments and this trimester I’m dealing with things like a consistent red pregnancy rash on my face that hasn’t even faded away in the slightest, sensitivity to light at times, bleeding gums, extreme acid reflux and heartburn and round ligament pain, um, ouch! My beautiful, faint, white stretch marks that Owen left behind in his pregnancy are coming back around my belly area as well. They are bittersweet to look at for me and I don’t mind them one bit.

Continuing to take bump photos of our progress, getting dressed, doing my hair once in a while and adding a little bit of makeup has helped (when I feel like it, because let’s be honest, Corona…) to make me feel even a little human and has helped me mentally. Taking the time to just lay down and rest just to feel the baby move has given me such a sense of relief, calm, gratefulness, appreciation and simplicity during this time. It gives the reminder that life is still happening, still growing and always helping to prove in some kind of way that there is still hope in the times when we start to lose it most. Within our journey right now, that little bit of hope that God knew we would need at this time in our life just happens to be growing inside my belly.

’Whooooa, we’re halfway there!’ I did a little dance on my Instagram feed here to celebrate 20 weeks while ‘Livin’ On A Prayer’ - that was a fun little moment on that day.

The pandemic officially started to get more strict during the beginning of our second trimester and Owen had his first set of cluster seizures on the day that we had our baby’s anatomy appointment. The one thing I held onto that day was just getting to see our baby on the screen and pray that in that moment, it was healthy.

Oh, we are still praying. Please baby be strong and healthy.

Our 19 week Anatomy Appoitment:

On this specific morning after being up all night, I put on Owen’s tee to help my mind to know that we have strength. ‘It’s okay and we’ll make it through another day...’ It was a heavenly reminder when I needed to know that He is beside me and guiding me to my highest strength in my every days.

I needed to wash my hair, but I put makeup on for the first time in almost two weeks. I felt like it was a start. Seeing this little love wiggle and smile was a beautiful start to my day as a mama after emotionally nurturing my other child’s special needs. It’s a nasty mind challenge and a form of a gut punch everyday dealing so close with both life and death under one roof and somehow I’m still here, knowing that my purpose is to continue to share our story.

So, at 9:15am I sat and waited my turn in the waiting room, under the photo that I took as a birth photographer. The Lord really does know how to show up somehow in my life every day to remind me of what my purpose is and to encourage me to keep going, even when it’s so dark that I can’t see.

Owen was on this day and is now, okay. Baby is measuring and looking healthy and continuing to grow. My husband is amazing and the older kids are, without even knowing, my path to comfort. Things are okay. And somehow we still have hope to help us choose to get through another day. I’m honestly just looking forward to a long nap today to rest my heart and mind.

I keep wanting to start our family vlog, you guys. I know it will be so fun overall and so beneficial for many reasons. But all I seem to do these days is want to cry, and I don’t need that on camera over and over again because... you get it. It’s another reason that I know I haven’t been online as much to chat lately, as I’m one to really take in emotions and feelings as they arise and allow my body to accept them before moving on. So maybe someday after I document and just allow my body continue to “feel” then we will start to share more of our story through video. We actually may be starting just ‘in the now’ to share more of the baby journey with you all first and look back on other moments later. Sometimes in life plans change, ideas or thoughts change and just things just don’t go the way that you imagine that you planned or wanted it to.

I’m here to tell you that it’s okay. There are no rules when it comes to that. You create your own happiness.

We are just simply living right now and I will never really understand the “why” in our journey. But thank you, as always, for being by our side in this life to help remind me of my purpose in all of this along the way.

xx

You're on the right path, you're doing great.

Baby Lyon: The Second Trimester

— ONE DAY AT A TIME —