24 weeks, 2 days.

My baby is as big as an: Eggplant, Ear of Corn.

Weight Gained: I weighed myself at the gym. It STILL has me at 132 (7 pounds gained). I am sure this is wrong, thinking more like 10 plus.

Symptoms: I find walking up a flight of stairs can take my breath away. I don’t really notice it as much when I am working out. Maybe I am more conscious of my breathing at the gym?

Food Cravings: Apple Cider. I must have had 3 boxes of the stuff over the holidays at my parents house. I keep forgetting to pick some up here. PS Mom, you’re out of Apple Cider.

Food Aversions: I still get a little weird around red meat. I can eat it, but I can’t prepare it.

Sleep: The bathroom dreams are back!!! I was getting them in the first trimester. The theory that if you go to the bathroom in your dream, you will pee the bed is a flat our lie. The dreams consist of me either constantly using the bathroom or searching for one. I get so frustrated because there is no relief when I finally do find a bathroom. Eventually the urge to pee wakes me up and I drag my belly to the bathroom.

The most annoying part about this is I can’t fall back asleep. Luckily my 5:30am full bladder wake-ups have been on the weekend so I have been able to catch some z’s between 7:30am and 10:00am. I am dreading the work week.

Miss Anything? My baby hairs are back all of a sudden. It’s like I’m 13 again! Hello Headbands.

Looking forward to: Mexico!!

Belly Button in or out? Still half and half.

Happy or moody most of the time? Happy.

Maternity Clothes: One of my good friends was pregnant in the summer and lent me a ton of dresses to go through. I am so grateful. We are going to Mexico for a wedding in a couple of weeks and I was freaking out about finding summer dresses (in January, in Canada)  to accommodate my growing belly.

Exercise: 

Monday – Rest
Tuesday – BodyShred
Wednesday – Rest
Thursday – Pilates Mat & 15 min Elliptical
Friday – BodyStep
Saturday – Rest
Sunday – NTC* Arm Definer

*NTC – Nike Training Club App. I downloaded this like 6 months ago but have never used it. Th 15 min workout was hard. I loved it. If I out in any gym time in Mexico it will be with this glorious app.

New Baby Items: We got a stroller! It was a gift from my mom and my step-dad. It is our first big baby item and it really makes things feel real. I’ve had my eye on the UPPAbaby VISTA for a while. I have had a few friends recommend it so when we started looking it was the first one I started to play with. I absolutely fell in love with it.

Pros

• Bassinet included – This is my favourite part of the stroller. I have heard (more research required) that a baby should not be in a car seat for more than 1.5-2 hours as it can hinder their development. I love the bassinet option for long walks in the spring. PLUS we can use it in our bedroom for the first few months.
• 5 in 1 – This is a stroller we can potentially grow into. The forward facing option was a must have.

Source

• Shocks – Another “must have” was the ability to stroll on gravel roads. The front road at the cottage isn’t paved and we walk it A LOT in the summer. Plus it’s nice to have the option to off-road a little.
• Storage – An obvious must have feature. The basket on this baby is huge.

Cons

• Running – We had to make a decision about what type of stroller we wanted. The BOB Revolution SE was in the running (No pun intended). Realistically, I just don’t see myself running with a stroller and a baby. Running is my time, I will leave the baby at home.
• Travel – Not recommended for travel. The sales lady looked at me like I was crazy when I asked about flying with the UPPAbaby. After doing some research online, I found out they sell a travel bag that comes with a guarantee. If this is available in Canada, it is a must have for us.
• Car Seat – I love the MESA car seat (in beige) but it isn’t yet legal in Canada😦

** Please keep in mind the Pros and Cons list is based on our buying experience and the features of the stroller. We have never actually USED the stroller…

_______________

What were your “must-haves” when buying a stroller?