Approaching 27 Weeks

Not that I expect people to be keeping track but lately everyone seems to have been surprised when they hear how far along I am, as if it were only yesterday we were announcing our news. While I've mostly felt well, (I've been called a 'good breeder' on more than one occasion now) there have been little differences which sometimes lead me to suspect it could be a girl, but do remind me that this child isn't Leo. 

It's difficult to resist comparing your pregnancies if you've had more than one and I anticipate it will be difficult in the early days not to compare this new baby to baby Leo. While I've been a mum for 18 months now, and have some idea of what to expect during pregnancy and the first year, I have been doing my best to approach everything as if for the first time. If there's one thing this pregnancy has certainly taught me it's to surrender to the unknown and the unexpected.  

A few things that have been different this time round:

• I've been super sensitive to smells. Cutting raw meat, anchovies, serving Hector his wet food have all at one time or another made me feel physically sick. 

• And tastes. I nicked my finger while cutting an onion and immediately sucked the blood before having to stop because the taste made me sick. I also took a bite of my avocado on toast and the piece just happened to have a little too much salt. Again, I had to stop, get up and take some deep breaths for fear I'd bring it all up. 

• Morning sickness has lingered. Despite pushing 27 weeks, I can still have the odd day where I'm sick. Consequently, I've learnt to wait a while before having breakfast and always keep a clear path to the toilet, kitchen or laundry sinks.

• Sleeping has been hit and miss. I've had nights where I've had a hard time finding a comfortable position to sleep in and other nights where I've woken up and not been able to get back to sleep and lay awake for hours, only to finally drift off as Leo stirs. 

• Heartburn hit early and seems to be sticking around. I bend down to pick something up off the floor- heartburn, I eat a mild curry for dinner with yoghurt- heartburn, I lay down in bed- heartburn. Heartburn sucks.

• It doesn't matter how often I go walking or stretch, I still have this funny pain that can make it uncomfortable to sit or walk at times.

• I've felt more self-conscious of my appearance. I get pregnancy eczema and broke out in my first trimester (as opposed to my third with Leo). It took me a while to find a product that keeps it at bay but doesn't make me break out, so for those first few weeks after finding out I was pregnant again, I felt like I looked like this. I also carried comparatively small with Leo and while I'm still carrying on the small side, my bump is certainly bigger and being past the halfway mark at the beginning of the warmer months makes for a fairly limited wardrobe. 

This is starting to read like a series of complaints but I assure you it isn't suppose to (expect maybe the heartburn). I just don't think the list was that long with Leo. 

What never ceases to be wonderful though is feeling those kicks and remembering that our family is going to have someone new join us very soon. Littlest is already so loved and longed for and my heart swells at the thought of Joel holding a baby again and Leo becoming a big brother. This is what gets me through any discomfort. I have never doubted my little family's capacity for another little soul to fill their hearts and share life with, Hector the cat included.