Second Trimester Diaries: Weeks 14-20

Week 14 –

During week 14, I flew to Wilmington, NC with Luke to visit my sister Emma. I definitely started feeling like my energy was coming back and I was more like myself again, which felt really good after the first trimester. My appetite also kind of went back to normal. After living off carbs and whatever sounded easy in the first trimester, I’m now randomly craving things like fruits and veggies again! It just feels a little more like me again. This was also the first week I really noticed a tiny baby bump starting. My clothes are getting tighter and getting dressed has definitely started to feel different than it did a few weeks ago. While we were there, Luke and I decided to do our baby announcement photos on the beach. We did them at Wrightsville Beach at sunset and it was so much fun & we had the perfect weather for the shoot! We can’t wait to get the photos back in a few weeks!

Week 15 –

In week 15, I officially finished my baby registry and started planning my baby shower! I decided to use Babylist for my main registry, and I’ve been loving how easy it is. I also created a registry with Pottery Barn Kids because their store is just too adorable to resist. We have a Pottery Barn Kids at the Galleria of Mt. Lebanon in Pittsburgh, and I’ve already made several trips there for nursery inspiration. It’s just so fun to walk around and see all of the cute baby items, if you’re pregnant – this is a must! It’ll make you even more excited for your baby!

I also started looking at strollers… and wow, that’s been a whole journey. There are so many options, and choosing the right one feels impossible sometimes. It’s definitely been one of the hardest baby items to decide on! I’ll be sure to keep you updated on which stroller we finally end up choosing.

Week 16 –

During week 16, we celebrated the Fourth of July by visiting my parents in Conneaut Lake, Pennsylvania. It’s such a wholesome little town, and one of our favorite things to do is take their pontoon boat out on the lake. It was the perfect way to spend the holiday! At this point in my pregnancy, I still don’t really have a baby bump, just a little bit of a bloated belly. I’ve definitely been embracing oversized tops and comfy shorts all summer, and they’ve been perfect as my body slowly starts to change. I’ve been feeling so incredibly good during my second trimester, and I’m really thankful for that. My energy is back to 100%, and I haven’t been dealing with many pregnancy symptoms at all. I had another OB appointment this week, and my doctor reminded me that it’s completely normal to sometimes “not feel pregnant” during this stage. It was reassuring to hear that everything is progressing well and that baby is doing great.

Week 17 –

Out of nowhere I started to feel uncomfortable trying to fall asleep at night during week 17. I decided to buy the momcozy pregnancy pillow & it’s been a lifesaver for me! I can’t imagine sleeping without it at this point. I’ve also been taking low-dose baby aspirin every night since around week 13, as recommended by my OB. It’s commonly prescribed during pregnancy to help reduce the risk of preeclampsia and support blood pressure. I also switched my prenatal vitamin to the SmartyPants gummy prenatal, and I’ve been taking it at night. My stomach just wasn’t tolerating the other prenatals I tried (Needed, Ritual, and Thorne). I tested so many different brands, but this gummy version is the only one that doesn’t upset my stomach, so it’s been a great fit for me! Other than that, I’m still feeling really good & I’m looking forward to my anatomy scan at the end of July!

Week 18 –

Okay, I’m officially not fitting into a lot of my old clothes… haha! This week, I really noticed my belly growing, and I’m finally starting to look pregnant instead of just bloated. Luke and I also announced our pregnancy online, and it has been so special to finally share this journey with everyone. Personally, I was so ready to stop keeping it a secret! It’s been amazing connecting with other moms and reading all of your sweet messages & advice. Since I’ve been feeling so good during my second trimester, I’ve had the energy to make a lot of progress on the nursery and organize all of the baby items we’ve picked up so far. We’re going with a neutral, Ralph Lauren inspired theme featuring plaid curtains, dark wood furniture, and classic, timeless touches. I can’t wait to share more as it all comes together!

Week 19 –

This week, I had my anatomy scan, and leading up to it I was so so anxious. Every single day, I found myself praying that we would have a healthy baby. The morning of the appointment, I actually cried because I was so worried about what we might find out. Thankfully, Luke was by my side the entire day. As soon as we arrived at the hospital, the staff and nurses were so kind and reassuring. They immediately put my nerves at ease, and I felt so much more comfortable. The appointment itself lasted about an hour and a half. My anatomy scan was done “live,” meaning one of my doctors was reviewing the ultrasound images in another room while the sonographer performed the scan. If they had seen anything concerning, we would have found out right then instead of waiting for results afterward. I have to say, the technology behind ultrasounds is amazing. We were able to see everything so clearly, I could even count our baby’s tiny fingers and toes on the screen! We watched his heart beating, saw his spine, brain, and all of his little features. It was such an incredible and emotional experience for both Luke and me.

The best part of the day was hearing the words we had been praying for: our baby boy is healthy. We truly couldn’t be happier. It feels like such an incredible blessing, and hearing that everything looked great brought us so much peace. I’m sure there will always be little worries along the way, but for now, we’re just soaking in the joy and feeling so incredibly grateful.

Week 20 –

I’m officially halfway through my pregnancy… how did that happen?! It’s crazy how fast time has been flying. I don’t have too many new symptoms to report this week, my biggest update is that my belly seems to be growing bigger by the day! It’s been so fun watching my bump finally come in. I have truly been loving my second trimester and have been feeling so amazing. There were definitely moments during my first trimester when I wondered if I would ever feel like myself again, so if you’re currently in those early weeks and struggling, this is your reminder that it really can get better. Everyone’s pregnancy is different, but getting my energy back and feeling like myself again has been such a gift! I’ll keep these pregnancy diaries going as the weeks continue, and I can’t wait to look back on these memories one day. Thank you so much for following along on this journey with us. I feel so lucky to share this special season of life with all of you 🤍

xo, hannah