Modern Wife Life

The second trimester has been GREAT so far!  Here is my 15-16 week update on mom, dad, and our little boy.

How is baby boy doing?  Baby boy is the size of a dill pickle!  He is moving like crazy, waving his hands, making faces, and his precious heart is pumping 24 quarts of blood every day. He can now sense light, so if I shine a flashlight on my tummy he will move and turn away from it.  He can also hear my heartbeat, our voices, and music, so I love talking to him throughout the day.  Our doctor said that in just two weeks he will be fully formed and all he will need to do is grow grow grow!

Total weight gain/loss?  I'll be real honest here. Yesterday's weigh-in at my 16 week appointment had me in tears.  Yes, I was the pregnant lady who was crying as she got off the scale.   I was +7lbs from my pre pregnancy weight. I don't think I'm fat by any means, but it was a super sudden jump, and I've never weighed this much.  It made me scared for what's to come. Yeah, I might be a little crazy, but I know I'm not the only one who has dealt with this.  Adjusting is a process!

Maternity clothes?  There's no way my normal jeans will button, so I've been using a Belly Band around my waist/hips to keep them up without having to zipper/button them.  Luckily it's been sunny and 70's-80's here in San Diego, so dress season has arrived!  I'm so relieved.  Dresses are 1000x more comfortable and right now more comfort equals a better mood.

Sleep?  It's been AMAZING.  I don't think my husband has much room left in our bed with all my pillows, but the sleep has been glorious nonetheless.   I see a King size in our future.

Best moment these weeks?  Our 16 week ultrasound was incredible.  I was really nervous going into this appointment because I had felt our baby move twice two weeks ago but I hadn't felt anything since then.  My first time mom paranoia combined with the miscarriage in our last pregnancy had me fearing the worst.  But when the doctor showed us our little boy on the screen a sense of peace washed over me.  He looked like a real baby!  He was waving at us and we could see so much detail... his cute little ribs and spinal cord and his beating heart.  He is perfect.



Symptoms?  Headaches, daily exhaustion, and uncontrollable hunger.  This is a total breeze compared to the first trimester nausea.

Food cravings?  Wentzel's Pretzels (seriously), Panera Chinese Citrus Cashew & Chicken salads, corn on the cob, and fruit... all the fruit, please!

What I miss?  Nothing!  I was never really an alcohol or sushi girl, so I haven't had to give up very much during this pregnancy... except for Diet Coke.  That's a toughie.

What I'm looking forward to?  I am so excited to feel strong kicks, but I'm even more excited for my husband to feel them.  I'm also excited for when we choose his name! Wes and I are brainstorming ideas and it's so much fun.

Bump? My bump is starting to round out, and I'm so excited!  I cannot wait to style it in cute fitted tops and dresses.

How is my husband holding up?  My husband says that the pregnancy has gotten better for him in these past two weeks, too!  He is relieved that I'm no longer feeling sick all of the time, and he legitimately said that I've been less emotional than he expected me to be (wait, what!?). I think both of those factors took a toll on him earlier in the pregnancy, so I'm glad he's getting a break!  He deserves it.  From my perspective my husband has been a total SAINT, completely selfless, always thinking of ways to help me get through the day whether that means helping me with my Etsy shop, sending me a surprise Edible Arrangements fruit bouquet, cleaning the house, filling up my car with gas, or giving me a Panera gift card so that I will be more likely to go out for lunch.  He thinks of everything.  Seeing how Wes handles me, our challenges, and our decisions makes me so happy that we are having a son. I would be so proud to have our son turn out like Wes.

It's officially the second trimester! YAY!  Baby boy has been growing, and BOY can I tell!  Here is my 13-14 week update.   I will try to stick to updates every 2 weeks.

How's mom?  

Nausea has eased up and now it's more of an annoying mosquito in the background than a bee sitting on my arm.  Basically, I'm managing.

The exhaustion, however, is another level.  It probably doesn't help that I've had ~70 items ordered this past week on my store, Begonia Rose Co.... but they say entrepreneurs are the only people who work 80 hours a week to avoid working 40 hours a week.   Sounds about right.  Luckily my husband has been a LIFESAVER and eagerly helps me every night when he gets home from work.

I gained 3 lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight. Maybe it was the McDonald's double hamburgers or maybe it was the Girl Scout cookies, but I'm realizing that these pounds are here to stay.  It's slightly uncomfortable since I've weighed the exact same for about 8 years, but I'm mentally adjusting.

I officially have two stretch marks.... on my butt.  I'm telling myself that these were preexisting from my days of gymnastics, dance, and sprinting.  Regardless, I'm now using coconut oil all over every night after I shower.  Hashtag booty gains?

My favorite pregnancy craving that I could eat for EVERY meal is Panera's "Chinese Citrus Cashew Salad with Chicken."   Get it before it's gone, people! It's incredible.  Order the sauce and the dressing on the side because otherwise it comes with a lot.

My little baby bump has grown a lot, but I'm still wearing my non-maternity clothes... barely.   I am so excited for the weather to warm up so I can pack up my jeans.    I'll probably regret saying that when I'm 8 months pregnant in July.  However, I did just purchase two dresses from Asos maternity that I am super excited about! They're both midi-length and I think I'll be able to wear the blue one postpartum, too, since it's super flowy.  Great deals, too!   Check out the red dress here and the blue dress here. 




How's baby?  

Baby boy is now the size of your fist!  WOW!  Other apps say he is the size of an apple or a peach, roughly about 3.5 to 4 inches long.   His weight doubles every week.   Holy buckets!

Baby boy is also moving a TON and I felt him rotating around for the first time!  It made everything feel so much more real.   I told my husband it felt like rice krispies snapping, crackling and popping all at once.   I cannot wait until my husband can feel him, too.

Baby's body is now becoming more proportional with his arms and legs lengthening.  He is also testing out his facial muscles, making faces and even sucking his thumb!

What are some 2nd Trimester goals?  

1.  Remember to pray for baby boy throughout the day.

2. Focus on nutrients and food groups.

3.  Get back in the gym now that I'm not as nauseous.

4. Get more sleep so I can do #3.

5. Plan a romantic trip with my husband.

6. Shop for great deals on baby gear.

7. Sign up for classes on infant care, breastfeeding and child birth.   We will probably take these early/mid-3rd trimester.













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My husband and I had been planning to have our first child while we are here in San Diego with him on Shore Duty.  During this two year window he actually has a "normal" Monday-Friday job, he has weekends off, and he doesn't have to go underway on a submarine.  Hallelujah!

After a heartbreaking miscarriage in November, we were blessed with another pregnancy in December.  It was God's little Christmas present to us and our families.   We were cautiously optimistic until finally we had our first appointment at 8 weeks and saw what we were hoping for... a strong, healthy heartbeat!  It was the most beautiful sound.

I feel like pregnancy is a time where God is visibly working in your life... testing your faith and giving you strength, all while designing the most intricate, one of a kind, perfect Child.  I feel lucky to have the opportunity to bring this little one into the world.   And I feel even more lucky to have the best husband and partner to share this with.

I've decided to do a pregnancy blog to create a lasting memory of this experience.  It will be so fun to look back on in the future to if/when we have baby #2.   Not to mention, I have been that lady googling "9 week pregnancy update," "10 week pregnancy update," etc. each week to see what others have experienced, so hopefully this will be interesting to other moms-to-be.

Here we go!  The first trimester has been a huge blur of nausea and exhaustion, but I'll give highlights of each week to cover the first 12 weeks, and then I'll do more regular updates from here on.

Week 4: My husband and I were in Minnesota for Christmas and I had been super tired, hardly able to keep my eyes open.  Sure enough, on December 20th we found out why-- we were expecting!

Week 5: We were back in San Diego and had the pregnancy confirmed at the Naval Medical Center.  I was hoping for blood tests to monitor my HCG levels like they did during the miscarriage, but they said they didn't need to see me until the 8 week appointment.  Symptoms: Exhausted, dizzy, craving chocolate chips.  Great combo.

Week 6: This week we told my husband's family!  This will be the first grandchild in both of our families.  Biggest symptom this week: NAUSEA.  It hit me like a wall.  Part of me was so happy about it, because it reassured me that the baby was developing normally.   I only got sick 3 times, but it was a daily struggle.  We tried all the tricks in the book-- Preggy Pops, Seabands, Ginger tea, Pink Stork tea, sour candy, ginger chews (yuck), lemonade Vitamin water.... All I could eat were saltine crackers and chicken noodle soup.

Week 7: We went on a hospital tour for expecting parents this week.  I felt slightly out of place since the other moms looked to be about 7+ months pregnant, but I like to be prepared.  Symptoms: Nausea, exhaustion and food aversions.  I couldn't stand chicken, beef, breakfast foods, salad, vegetables, Mexican food, Chinese food, or sweets.  Nothing sounded good.

Week 8:  Nausea continued this week, and at this point I felt so guilty for being no fun.  My husband was incredible as usual, picking up my slack and helping with Etsy orders, doing the dishes, vacuuming, cleaning, etc.  I felt like I was functioning at 10%.

Week 9: The nausea was more manageable this week, and I had moved on to apples, cheerios, graham crackers, pb&j sandwiches, and macaroni and cheese.  I ate like a 5 year old.  We had our first ultrasound and got to see the baby and hear the heartbeat.  We met our Dr. for the first time and she was super nice.  Every other word was "sweetie" and "honey." Due to my sister's congenital heart defect our doctor ordered an extra blood test for us for 12 weeks to look at the baby's chromosomes as well as gender!  Our due date was August 30th.

Week 10:  I was officially wearing my "fat pants" with the button undone.... yikes.  My stomach was starting to protrude a bit and it was rock hard.  The nausea was still in spurts and I seemed to alternate between good and bad days all week.

Week 11: We took a trip to visit some of our extended family and the travel definitely put my nausea back at full force.  I was eating nonstop every 2 hours on this trip to try to keep the nausea at bay... literally 2500+ calories a day.  Despite all those calories I actually lost weight.
Week 12: This was the big week! I had a special blood test that would look at the baby's DNA to determine the gender and look into specific chromosomes for potential issues.  We found out that all of the chromosome testing came back negative! And we found out the Baby Jahraus was a BOY!!!  My mom also came to visit this week so we got to take her to the 12 week appointment and the doctor did an extra ultrasound for us so grandma could meet her little grandson.  Baby boy was jumping around a lot and it was amazing to see how much he has grown!  His heartbeat was 166 bpm.  This week we also announced it to my sister via FaceTime and she was SO excited!  She will be the best auntie.  Now it's time to start thinking of names for our little boy...!

Well, kind of.  We're moving down the street to a different apartment.  Why?  We've lived in our current 2 bed x 2.5 bath town home apartment for about 8 months now and it's pretty safe to say that we don't use the second bedroom or bathroom.  The extra space is nice, sure!  It became my Etsy crafting space, bursting with fake flowers and baby mobiles.  Necessary?  That's debatable.
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This past June, a couple of days before our wedding, our wedding photographer met up with us to take some pre-wedding pictures and get to know each other.   We chose to take these photos on Berryhill Farm, where I grew up in Watertown, Minnesota.  It's 160 acres of beautiful rolling hills, lush woods, and Mud Lake (emphasis on the "Mud").   I have fond memories of growing up there, taking the motorboat around Mud Lake, riding our horses through the wooded trails, and cruising around on the golf cart with friends.  It was really special to be there with my husband.   It is a peaceful, sacred place to visit.  I can't wait to go back there in just a few months!

We are nearly two months into our marriage and it has been an amazing.  Honestly, it has been way better than I expected it to be.  And I had high expectations.

The idea of taking my husband's last name was really important to me.  I didn't know what that name would be until I met Wesley, but I always knew that there would be a day when I would no longer be Dylan McCann.  I loved my old last name and I felt like it represented my Irish roots quite nicely. And then there was the time where my high school math teacher and football coach kept calling me "McCann't."  Isn't high school fun?

When Wesley proposed last February it finally became real to me.  Dylan Jahraus.  Dylan Maureen Jahraus.  DMJ.  Oh, I was excited.  I started looking into the name-changing process.  I started buying "J" items to decorate our home with.  I created a new email address. And I started shopping for "J" and "Jahraus" motifs for wedding decor.  This was So. Much. Fun.

Everything was flowing smoothly until we hit Michael's one Sunday after church when they were having a sale.  Go with me on this one.  It was an incredible sale.  All of their "Alphabet Soup" items were 70% off, plus another 15% off with military ID.  The "Alphabet Soup" were home decor and craft items that came in every letter of the alphabet.  You could piece the letters together to make your own words or initials.  Basically, it's wedding planning heaven.

I found these really cool 3-D 7" galvanized metal letters that you could stand up on their end.  First, I found an "A", then an "S", then a "R"....  The vision hit me.  We should find all of the letters to spell our last name "Jahraus" at our wedding!  Yes, yes we should.

Unfortunately this store only had 4 of the 7 letters, but that wasn't going to stop us.  We drove to or called every Michael's in our vicinity... Point Loma, Clairemont, La Mesa, Santee, Poway, El Cajon, Chula Vista, Encinitas, and several more, even calling the ones in Minnesota.  We tracked down every other letter except for the "U", that darn "U".   We couldn't find it.  I toyed with the idea of dropping the "U" and calling it an oopsies, but that wouldn't leave a good impression on our wedding guests.  Wes thought he might be able to make one by soldering some metal.  Oh boy.  Should we just scrap the idea and return the letters?

On our last phone call to the Michael's in Carlsbad we found the "U."   It was two days before we flew to Minnesota for the wedding.  I was running around like crazy and packing everything into suitcases (including all of our flowers and wedding decor). Driving in traffic to Carlsbad would take me over an hour each way.  Ugh. It was the last thing I wanted to do, but I had to do it.  I had to go buy that letter "U."

The drive gave me some time to think.

First I started thinking that I was nuts, like maybe I was being a psycho bride.  I asked myself why I was so obsessed with completing this metal "Jahraus" sign.  Was it really that critical for the wedding?

And then I remembered that in just a week I would be marrying the love of my life and taking his last name.  To me the "Jahraus" sign wasn't just a decoration.  It was a way to honor Wes. It was a way to honor his family.  It was a way to showcase the family name.

I knew that our guests probably wouldn't remember the sign.  It probably seemed super insignificant.  But in my heart this sign represented so much more.  It represented honor, respect, unity, and the blessing of joining his family. I am so glad we found that letter "U."