Well, good morning!

Based on how I look, I definitely feel like I should be closer to 20 weeks but 16 it is.

Congestion- continues to plague me!  I took a Benadryl on Saturday night and it was bliss.  I am not going to make a habit out of popping something–during my first pregnancy I took nothing other than prenatal vitamins, B6 (supposed to help with luteal cycle length and apparently morning sickness, doc approved), and a few FiberCon in the last few weeks of the third trimester–so hopefully it goes away on its own.

My runny, itchy nose has kept me up overnight more and more in the last few days and I have been able to catch up on some quiet reading.

3:30 AM

Ears- frequently throughout the day I feel like I am underwater based on the feeling I have in my eardrums.  Does this sound made up?  It does to me.

Exercise- wow am I ever slowing down.  This is especially noticeable during my treadmill runs twice a week since I can look at my speed for the 36 minutes I am running.  (Not that I do.  A towel covers the monitor until the last five minutes of my run.)Pre-pregnancy I was running between 7.1 & 7.2 MPH and in the last month I have slowed down to between 6.7 & 6.8 MPH.  This week’s runs were 6.6 MPH.

Stretching- many mornings I wake up with a sore core like my skin is stretching.  If I work out that morning, I can really feel it for the first few minutes of the workout (gross) but then it seems to subside.  I don’t know if this is Round Ligament Pain?

Cravings- recently, I wanted some Bottle Caps but couldn’t find any.  Ice cream sounds amazing but the price plus lack of will power is keeping me from purchasing it frequently.  A box of Russell Stover’s assorted cream chocolates doesn’t sound too shabby either.

I made Mama Pea’s dough balls yesterday and discovered a new talent courtesy of my protruding stomach.

A powdered sugar shelf.

Excitement/Enthusiasm- Overall, I am feeling more and more excited about the idea of another human being entering our family.  As I begin to show and as time passes, the more real this pregnancy/baby feels.  One of the things that sparked our desire to get moving on Baby 2 was our wish for Lula to have a sibling.

I am extremely close to my sister (as is Pa with his) and I could not imagine growing up without her.She is my best girl friend and other than my husband, she gets me like no one else does.

I thought Caitlin wrote a really interesting post about her experience as an only child and I can definitely see the perks.  However, I love the idea of Lula having someone to play, bond, connect, and complain with!

Each time we are at story time or playing at the park and she comes across other children, she is fascinated and SO excited to interact with them.  It just melts my heart and I can’t wait to see what she thinks of her baby brother or sister.And I’m totally blocking out what her reaction will be at 3 in the morning when said brother or sister starts screaming for a diaper change/more food.  :)

Ultrasound next Thursday- we aren’t finding out the gender until Baby 2 makes his/her entrance into the world but I am still excited to see how the little one is progressing!

Have a wonderful day!