Hello from California!

We just got back from our East Coast trip, and it’s been taking a little time to adjust and get back in the groove of daily life. Going out of town for three weeks is probably the longest we’ve been away from home. I don’t know about you, but the longer I’m away from “normal”, the more difficult it is to get my head back into all the things I was in the middle of doing.

This week I’ll need to set up my first official prenatal appointment with my midwife, get back to some work emails, and get this motherhood site all updated. If you’re reading this, then I’ve already gotten this site all updated.

Something I’m actually looking forward to since we’re back in town is going to our favorite spots (because most involve food…yum) and hitting up the beach. The great thing about loving where you live is even if you go on the most amazing trip, you’re glad to be back in familiar territory that you’re used to and that fits your lifestyle. Some will say California is a crazy place, but I really love it here. Specifically living in a bigger city because I’ve driven through very unpopulated areas of California and it’s just not my thing.

So much has happened that I’m trying to remember in the past two weeks. I usually keep notes in my phone for reference, but we were on the go a lot while visiting family. One of the cool things about having people you know scattered around the country is that you get to experience different parts of the US. I’ve never been to North Carolina before this trip, and the landscape of it is beautiful. Being in the mountains where my Dad’s property is was really nice because the whether was cooler and there was a lot more rain than I’m used to.

Even though I had some really rough days with throwing up and being fatigued, I was still able to experience bright spots of having outings, going on walks, feeding deer in the neighborhood, seeing fireflies, going to a drive-in movie, celebrating Petra’s 6th birthday and watching fireworks on the 4th of July. We definitely racked up a lot of precious memories.

Technically we visited two states because the tiny airport we landed in was in Tennessee about an hour and a half from our final destination. Coming back to that airport upon our departure, Petra was hugging my Dad and not wanting to let go. While we were trying to gently get her to say goodbye, I heard someone yell “Kytia?!”

I was thinking “Who could I possibly know in Tennessee?” Then I found out it was a sweet subscriber of my YouTube channel that recognized me while dropping off her parents at the airport. Small world for SURE. It’s really cool and kind of surreal to be able to meet some of you guys randomly in public and get to put real faces to those who support me online.

Getting back to the West Coast after a loooooong travel day, we pretty much went to bed once we got back home. The next day, we had to get some essentials and run some errands. One thing I’ve been looking for is cozy dresses. I’m so glad the malls are back open because being able to touch and feel the clothing and not just order everything online is kind of a relief to me. It’s also nice to just have some sense of normalcy back to life.

I still can’t believe I’m over half way through this pregnancy! The next time I check in will be at 24 weeks, and hopefully I’ll have some interseting things to share.

Until then, here are the stats for baby…

Age and size of baby:

22 weeks old, 11 inches long, 1 lb in weight.

Cravings:

Potatoes and meat. I feel pretty weak and nauseous if I don’t get enough meat. If it’s a dessert, chocolate is my go-to. I also really like olives in a dark leafy green salad. Things that have a ton of flavor are better on my stomach than anything bland.

Morning sickness:

Still having really puke days every once in a while. Sometimes violent puking that really surprises me at this point, but then I’ll feel fine the next day. I have noticed that if I’m laid out not feeling good, the baby is usually really active and my stomach has a huge growth spurt. So should we blame it on an increase in growth hormones during those days?

Stretch marks:

Fortunately no new ones. It’s good because I definitely am bigger during this pregnancy than my last one. This is pretty common for baby number two, but hopefully it doesn’t get too out of control during the last month.

Crazy hormones:

For sure when I don’t feel good, I’m very emotional. I just want to cry because of feeling so out of control of my body and how I feel. When I’m not nauseous and super tired, I feel like I can take on anything. I gotta say though, I already hate saying goodbyes when I travel to see people I love. The day we left North Carolina, Petra was balling and it also made me really emotional and I took several minutes to cry my eyes out in the bathroom by myself.

Sleeping habits:

Sleep was pretty good for a while, but there are certain times throughout my pregnancy that my back has been in a lot of pain. Perhaps it’s from a growth spurt and my spine adjusting to that growth. Yesterday and today, my back isn’t doing well and it could be from being on a plane for several hours and lugging bags through different airports. My husband’s shoulders and neck are sore too from carrying most of the luggage, so we’re a little jacked up right now. Other than that, once I actually get to sleep, I tend to stay asleep unless I have to pee.

So, that’s that for now.  Be blessed and take time to make your dreams into your reality.

-Kytia L’amour