I considered myself “in the second trimester” once I hit 12 weeks, but some people don’t consider the second trimester until you’re past 13. So by whatever definition you follow, I’m most definitely in the 2nd trimester – woohoo!!!! I’m not going to lie, my mind is much more at ease than it has been so far (but I’m still a nervous wreck).
I need to work on getting a better picture every week. I have been waiting until Monday nights to get those pictures taken, and by the time I get home from work all I want to do is put on my pajamas and not wait for the Husband to get home to take my picture. Note to self – take pictures on Sundays right after church. That’s my new goal!!
Gosh, every single week I can’t help but laugh at my belly. How is it that big already and I’m only 14 weeks?!?!? I seriously cannot even fathom at how big it’s going to get – and I’m TALL!! I’m telling you, these babies are coming out giants. 
Weight Gained: I’ve been fairly consistent in this past week. I’ve been eating like crazy again, but I’ve maybe gained a pound. Maybe. Trying to pack them on!
Symptoms: Honestly, this past week has been great. I was so convinced last week that I was going to just be feeling horrible for the rest of the pregnancy and that I would never feel better. Thankfully, it has passed. I’ve still had a few bumps in the road this past week, but nothing too big! I am even able to stay awake past 9:00 PM some nights - that’s quite an achievement!
Random waves of sickness: This is seriously so odd. I cannot for the life of me pinpoint what makes me sick or when it’s going to happen. Lately, it has been in the afternoon/evening. It comes on fast, and after I get sick, I immediately feel better. Better than feeling horrible all day!
Cramping: This had gone away in the past few weeks, but it’s baaaack. The cramping I’m experiencing is super mild, and they feel like really light period cramps. They typically last anywhere from 1-2 minutes and then they’re gone (until they come back again of course). I find that drinking a huge glass of water typically helps.
Aches and Pains: My back has been feeling a lot better, as has my round ligament pain. My lower back still hurts on and off, and one of my hips has been bothering me. However, it hasn’t been a big deal - I’m okay with it! I’m making sure chiropractic care and massage therapy are a major part of my life these next few months, so I’m sure that will help.
Hunger: IS BACK IN FULL FORCE! Woohoo! I am so excited to report that I am finally eating like crazy again.
Movement: Nope, none yet!
Food Aversions: Not quite as many as last week. Peanut butter is back in my life, and so are a wide array of vegetables (I even made brussels sprouts for dinner last night). I’m still not liking the thought of a burrito bowl from Chipotle, but the thought of Mexican food in general is appealing. Oatmeal is still kind of blech too.
Sleep: A lot better than last week. I’ve still been waking up usually once a night to go to the bathroom, and then I realize I’m also hungry. But other than that, i can fall right back asleep. WOohoo!
Stretch Marks? None.
Miss Anything? Not really – I’m just taking it all in!
Looking forward to: finding out what these two are! I can’t wait to know whether they’re boys or girls.
Belly Button in or out? In
Happy or moody most of the time? I’ve been much happier this past week. Okay, I take that back. One day (Thursday), I thought I was going to turn into a puddle. You heard about it on Friday. I’ve also been kind of snappy to the Husband. I always feel horrible after the fact - my tolerance levels need to increase pronto.
New Baby Items: We bought our cribs!!!! Well, our parents did anyway. The Husband is going to be picking them up sometime this week and dropping off a piece to his uncle’s shop (who is refinishing a changing table/dresser for us). I am also planning on buying the mattresses soon. We’re ordering them off of Amazon - got to love those good deals!
Exercise: has been so-so. I got a few walks in towards the end of last week. I’m hoping to get in a few more walks and some strength training in this week as well. I’m definitely not going to be a pregnant high intensity worker-outer. I’ll talk about that more in another post.
Baby and Bowser
i’m sure i’m biased, but i swear he is the most beautiful dog i’ve ever seen!
I have actually been very surprised up until this point at one common reaction that people have had immediately after telling them we are pregnant.
“What are you going to do with Charlie?”
My response?
“Ummm, nothing?”
I don’t know if it’s a pretty common practice for couples to get rid of their pets when they are expecting children, but it is definitely not something we want to do. When we adopted Charlie in December 2010, he became a forever member of our family.
We are so lucky to have a dog with one of the most loving, easy-going temperaments I have ever seen. Charlie is quite a lover, and we have never had a problem with him being territorial or aggressive in any manner. Charlie is also wonderful with children of all ages. Our three year old nephew LOVES Charlie, and he has been “rough housing” with him since he was one and a half. I put rough housing in parentheses because Charlie is excellent at knowing the appropriate time to play roughly (ie: with the Husband – those two are ridiculous) and when to be extremely gentle (ie: with children and his mama ).
The only thing I worry about is Charlie getting overly excitable when people come over to visit/help once the babies are born. He is a crazy dog for approximately two minutes when people walk through the door because he LOVES people. In fact, I think he thinks other people were put on this planet to pet and love on him – no other reason. Charlie is very food driven though, and we’ve found as long as we bribe him with treats, he pays no attention to our visitors. My little peanut, Aubrey, is a scaredy cat, and she doesn’t give Charlie much of a chance. She loves him, but if he gets within two feet of her to sniff her or lick her, she freaks. Understandable too – he’s bigger than her! I don’t really worry about him being overly excited with the babies though because once he is used to “visitors”, he is very laid back and wants to do nothing more but cuddle with you on the couch or by your feet.
I have a feeling Charlie is going to love these two babies, and I can’t wait until the day when they are all able to run around and chase each other. I do know, however, that sometimes things are unforeseen and can’t be predicted. Animals are animals, and I will never leave those babies alone with a dog, Charlie or not. We plan on just making sure we give Charlie a lot of extra love and attention once these two arrive since he thinks he is the center of our universe.
Questions for moms: How did you handle bringing a baby home to your pooch?
PS – Thank you for all the prayers and thoughts going out to Ashley and her handsome boy. I’ve been in constant contact with her since Friday, and I can tell you she is so appreciative and blown away by all of your support and love.
{ 84 comments… read them below or add one }
Charlie will be great with the two babies!
My dog Axell has truly become best friends with my son and I promise it will melt you heart when you see all your babies together!!
Charlie will adjust just fine!
I can’t wait to your belly grows so we can belly bump lol - seriously, mine is OUT OF CONTROL!
Bring a hospital blanket home before bringing the babies home so Charlie can smell their scent
Yeah we’re planning on doing that - and I need a side view picture of your belly!!!! And then we can bump. I”ll come over especially for that.
love your belly bump pictures!! you’re going to have such beautiful babies!! i’ve heard of people bringing baby dolls home to try and acclimate their dogs…. (??)
haha we’ve talked about that, but we both have agreed we would feel ridiculous. I think Charlie is smart enough to know that it isn’t real!
So yes, you might be a LITTLE biased, but he sure is a pretty doggy!!
And you look so cute!! Pregnancy definitely fits you well
.
No Chipotle burrito bowls? For your sake I hope that craving comes back to you!
Me too - it’s been an aversion for a couple of weeks now!
Charlie will be fine! He sounds exactly like my dog - not surprising since he appears to be a pitt mix (?). They’re SUCH nice dogs with great temperaments (and so misunderstood). Anyway - my Gloria loves my son (he’s 10 months now) and gives her kisses and my son loves to pet her, pull her ears, etc. Of course, we tell both of them “gentle” so they start to learn what that means as my son gets older and stronger.
One thing I will suggest is to let Charlie into the nursery while you’re pregnant. That was a great thing for Gloria. She loved to take a snooze on my son’s fluffy nursery rug and felt like the room was a safe place. Getting Charlie used to the new furniture and smells will make him feel more at ease. We chose not to let Gloria in the nursery once our son was born so that we had at least one room for him that was hair-free, but Gloria still sits right outside the door and watches us when we’re in there. We also were very conscious not to scold Gloria once our baby was born for sniffing him or getting close (always supervised to this day, of course). She knows he’s part of the family and a little lick on the head was okay with us from day one. We didn’t want her to think that she was in trouble every time the baby was around.
Good luck - I’m sure you won’t need it though. Charlie seems like a sweetheart!
He IS a pit mix! Best dogs in the world - seriously, so misunderstood.
I definitely do things to Charlie that a baby would do - pull his ears, pull his tail, stick my hands in his food. All he does is look at me like “woman, could you please stop that now?” We definitely won’t reprimand him around the babies when we bring them home. That would be the worst thing to do!!
I think from what I’ve heard, dogs are typically great with new babies! When I was born, my parents had a dog at home, and before they brought me home from the hospital, my Dad brought my hospital cap (the little hat they give you when you’re born) home for my dog to sniff…so when I came home, my smell was familiar to her! My parents said that she was always very protective of me.
You look beautiful, btw! Congrats!!
We’re planning on doing that with a hat or a blanket or something so he gets used to their smell!
Just make sure to bring home a blanket from the hospital for the dog to smell…and make it a priority to let the dog know the BABY comes 1st. Everything will be fine and YAY for baby bumps!
Love the bump! Charlie is just adorable. I’m sure he will adjust fine.
So glad this week was great for you! You look gorgeous! I’m pretty partial to my Max, but Charlie is a really good looking pooch!
you look gorgeous!!
As far as I know it’s not common to get rid of your dog when you have a baby…? he’s part of the family!
My thoughts exactly!
You are adorable with that baby bump! Most people I’ve talked to said their dogs adjusted great to new babies! I’m sure Charlie will be the same way
Charlie is adorable! I don’t have kids but how could you plan to get rid of them? I’m sure Charlie will be a great big brother! Glad peanut butter is back in your life
Right?!?!
Hahahaha Molly is the same way as Charlie - people were put on this planet to love and adore her! I’m sure Charlie will be great with your babies, and I can’t wait to find out if they’re girls or boys either! (I think one of each
)
haha I do love Molly!
(ps: John just admitted he thinks it’s two girls or one of each. He’s out of his “wishful thinking for two boys” phase
)
I can’t believe friends/family would ask you if you were going to get rid of your dog!! I would probably break down crying in my pregnant hormonal state right then and there
I’m so happy you are confident that Charlie will be fine with your new babes!
hahaha! I just kind of look at people like they’re crazy when they say that.
We got that same question too! (What are you going to do with your dog) When we brought our babies home our dog wouldn’t go near them for a couple of days, I don’t think he could figure out what they were, human? puppy? LOL But then he came around and would be very gentle and loving to them. Sniff their heads, lay beside me when I nursed, etc.
That is too funny! Charlie was around our new niece when she was only about two months old, and he loved her.
You are absolutely glowing in your photo!!! SO happy for you! I agree with Melissa, bring blankets that the babies have been wrapped in home from the hospital. My mom thought our German Sheperd was going to eat my oldest son when we brought him home!!! Prince became his biggest protector!!!
I agree - we are going to do that! Melissa is my cousin.
I don’t know how long you’ve been reading, but she is my goddaughter, Mia’s, mama!
So glad you are feeling better! Your bump is precious!!! I’m tall as well and my bump grew very quickly as well. Horray for big belly’s
We have two dogs that are our current babies and plan to keep them once the babies come. I could not IMAGINE having to give them up once the babies come, that is just out of the question. We are going to have someone bring a baby blanket that the babies have used home while we are in the hospital for the dogs to sniff out. Then we come home for the first time from the hospital we plan on quietly making an entrance (with treats in hands!) and letting them sniff the babies while we give them treats. I’ve been meaning to look up more ways to make the transition easier so it will be interesting to hear what others say. We will also make sure to give them lots of snuggles as this will not only be a transition for us but for them!
I read through your posts last week after you commented - I feel so bad you’ve had a rough go at it the past few months! Are you on modified bed rest or are you supposed to be on it all the time? I am DREADING having that happen to me!!
I’m on modified bed rest, so it’s not horrible. It’s not awesome obviously, but at the same time I’ll do anything for these babies!!!! The sacrificing for our children starts very early! I was VERY shocked to have to go on bed rest so early b/c I’ve been feeling nothing but awesome. One word of advice when pregnant with multiples is to have no expectations for your pregnancy and don’t plan much. At the drop of a hat things can change onto unexpected territory. The only plan is for us to have healthy, happy babies
Sounds like you’re doing great! You look gorgeous in that picture
Thanks Allison!
The family I used to nanny for had a Boxer that wasn’t neutered. He was a handful to say the least! Once they brought their baby girl home, the new mom made her husband take the dog in to take care of everything. He was much milder after that
. You look beautiful in that pictures. So radiant!
hahaha! Charlie boy is neutered, so he’s definitely a lot less “energetic” than he would be!
Girl, look at the bump!!! I love seeing it grow.
You are stunning as always my love.
I actually don’t know how people have kids and NOT have a dog. They are the best vacuum cleaners ever. Not to mention, I feel a billion times safer at home all day with Punky by my side. She would rip somebody’s arm off if they came to hurt Adrienne or I.
Ha! Yes! BLW would have been much more of a challenge without Koda to clean up
hahha - I sooo agree with that one! The less I have to vacuum, the better!
And I don’t know if Charlie would hurt anyone. He would probably lick them to death or jump on them to death because he’s so excited.
You look great!! We just rescued a lab mix about 2 months ago. He is now 5 months old and just graduated from his puppy class. I just read through all your old posts about Charlie. Isnt it crazy how obsessed we are with them? They really do become our children! I think a big thing that is hard enough with 1 baby, not to mention 2, is to make sure he gets enough love and attention. Your lucky that you have a yard to put him in so he will get enough exercise. Im sure he will let you know if he is feeling like he is neglected! Something will be chewed or destroyed
We were debating a lot about letting Wilson on the sofa. People were telling us not to do it but I honestly can’t imagine not cuddling with him on the couch. I know it will be hard when he is 70 pounds but I truly feel like we have bonded so much that way. Nothing like having your new “baby” sleeping right on your chest knowing he found a safe home. Ugh…I seriously love that dude. Anyhoo…Do you think letting Charlie on your couch will cause any trouble later on? Wilson is all puppy now so im thinking by the time we have kids he will mostly grow out of his running around the house, crazy jumping on the couch phase. Im just worried about our (future) kid getting knocked over or jumped on. What do you think about that?
And what would a cute puppy comment be without some cute puppy photos! http://www.flickr.com/photos/magkrzy/
Such a handsome boy!!!!
We actually used to ALWAYS let Charlie on the couch when he was a little pup ( always on a blanket, never on the actual couch). Then about a year ago when we started trying for babies, we decided we wanted to break him out of the habit. His pathetic puppy dog face was the worst at night when he wanted to cuddle, but after a few days he realized he needed to stay on the floor. Now he comes up on the couch if we invite him to cuddle, but he never just jumps up in an excited manner that would surprise/hurt anyone on the couch. Oh, and he sneaks up there when we’re gone. We flip the couch cushions up, but that smart boy figured out how to nose them back down. He’s hilarious when he’s “caught”. He lays there and pretends like he’s invisible and that you don’t know he’s there. It’s hilarious.
My MIL also asked us what we were doing with our Eddie when the baby comes. What the heck?! Why would we do anything with him? He’s our first baby. I’m confident that he will adjust to the baby just as my husband and I do. He’s such a sweetie that I don’t anticipate any problems. We do plan to get a doll and start paying attention to it, holding it around the house, etc, just so Eddie understands that we still love him even if we have a baby!
You look gorgeous! I love the little bump. I’m glad your hunger is finally making a comeback.
I’m glad Charlie won’t be going anywhere, I can’t imagine giving up a pet because a baby comes into the picture, I’ve actually heard from others that they are extremely helpful and loving when babies make an appearance!
I bet Charlie will love them a ton!
Thank you - and I’m glad the hunger is back too!!!
Charlie is so cute! I can’t believe people assume you will give him up. We have a dog too, and I’m honestly not 100% sure how we will introduce her to the baby yet. But my gut feeling is that she will be protective of him. I hope I am right!
I always see Bella on your instagram posts - she’s such a cutie! Does she have pit in her? I am sure she will be just fine. From what everyone has said and from what I have researched, we are planning on having the Husband bring home a blanket from the babies. When we get home, we’re planning on having me go in first alone to say hi to him and let the excitement of “mom” being home die down before the Husband brings in the babies.
We have a dog, Beef, and he is the best big brother to our son. My husband brought a baby blanket home from the hospital so Beef could smell it. He already had the scent when baby and I came home. I let Beef smell him right when we walked in. Beef hasn’t left Jacks side in 4 years
That’s probably the best name for a dog I’ve ever heard - what kind is he?
Ha! Thanks. Beef’s a 9 lb Miniature Pincher. He was a shelter dog with the sweetest disposition. I wanted to give him a tough name. Somehow I ended up with Beef. Funny since I haven’t had red meat in over 25 years!
Sounds like Charlie will be great around your babies. We also have 2 dogs that get really excited when visitors come over, but they’ve always been great around kids, so we’re not really planning to do anything special to introduce them to our baby (other than make sure the dogs don’t step on her during tummy time!). I’ve also read a few blogs of women who have dogs and recently had babies and the dogs are very protective of the babies.
haha - Charlie has a tendency to want to step all over me when I lay on the ground. Hopefully he’ll be different with the babes!
Your bump is so cute!! I bet you’re glad that a lot of that sickness/quesiness seems to be gone!
I don’t know anything about animals & babies…..but I am sure he’ll do fine!
Ooooh, your bump is looking great! Glad you’re feeling better this week!
I can’t stand when I see ads listed for pets people are getting rid of because they’re moving or expecting a baby… You wouldn’t give up a child so that you could get a dog, so why is the reverse ok? My dog is part of my family!
I can’t even believe people would get rid of their dog just because they were having a baby! How terrible! I grew up always considering our pets as part of the family. Getting rid of one would be heartbreaking. As a child I grew up with dogs and cats…my mom was a huge animal lover and rescued a lot of them
My boyfriend and I adopted a dog in August and we fully plan to have her in our lives forever. It is a long time before we even think about kids, but I think our pup will be great with them.
I have heard that someone should bring home a baby blanket to the dog so the dog gets used to the baby’s smell. Seems like a good idea!
We’ve always been dog people too!
Charlie will be great! He sounds just like Koda- a big softy with energy for people. Koda was probably a little bummed when H first came home from lack of attention, but they are BEST friends now and watching them play and H go hug her just melts my heart.
Love reading these updates!
I love seeing pictures of Hailey and Koda!
You just reminded me of Marley and Me! Love that movie! You should keep a snack beside your bed like nuts or some raw energy balls for grabbing during the night!
That’s a good idea - but cereal in the middle of the night is sooooooo good.
Aww your description of Charlie so so adorable! Sounds just like our dog Logan…LOVES people and is so happy all the time!
Looking gorgeous, girl!!!
And I would always have my husband take my weekly picture on Sundays before we left for church. It was just a tradition … once you start doing it each week, it will become easy to remember. 
You look amazing Chels! I’m so glad you’re feeling better and that your appetite is back!
We would never think twice about ever getting rid of our dogs either. Ryan sounds a lot like Charlie, so like you said, his excitement makes me a little nervous. But I think they’re going to end up being Hunter’s best friends.
Thank you again for everything Chels. Love you!
Your pups are going to do great once Hunter gets home. And you do not have to thank me for ANYTHING!!! Like I’ve said, I wish I could do more. The least I can do is check in on you every single day and love on your awesome updates. Crossing my fingers you got to help with bathtime tonight!
You’re looking great girl! I’m glad you seem to be doing better. And hurray for PB being back in your life.
I don’t know much about dogs & babies, but I seem to remember Caitlin at Healthy Tipping Point writing a post on it!
People have actually asked you that? The things people ask pregnant women never cease to baffle me.
haha omg - people ask the most ridiculous things. And I’m sure it will only get worse the bigger I get. And then I’m sure it’ll be even better when I walk around toting two carseats. I’m a pretty open book though, so I’m okay with it.
Well that’s good!
I’m so glad you are starting to feel better! Charlie is absolutely precious. I’m sure he will be great with the babies!
I could never imagine giving up our dogs…it makes me so sad when I hear about people who just give up on a pet because something changes in their life.
I had a similar post on my blog about doggies and babies and the responses I got reassure me it will be fine! Many people suggested bringing a hat that the baby wears from the hospital to the puppy before they meet so he/she can sniff it and get used to the baby’s scent!
When we brought home Em from the hospital we kept her in her car seat and Chris carried her in while I greeted the dogs. Then we put her seat on the couch and let them sniff her from there. It was a controlled and safe introduction. Luckily both our dogs fell in love with Em immediately and they are all BFFs to this day
I can’t believe you’ve had Charlie since December 2010!!! I swear you got him yesterday lol. We don’t have any animals, but if we did, I know it wouldn’t have been a question of getting rid of them either! Plus, you could never get rid of that cute face (so yes, you’re not biased! He is that cute…and photogenic!)
Hi Chelsey,
I have been reading your blog for a long time, and now I am in the same boat as you. I just found out I am expecting 2 babies in early November. It’s my first pregnancy. Since I am a few weeks behind you, it will be great to have someone to compare what I am going through or about to go through. It’s going to be a crazy ride!!!!
You mentioned reading books on twins…can you recommend certain ones you’ve liked? Thanks!!! And, by the way, you look great!!!
yaaay!!! How exciting! I read “When You’re Expecting Twins, Triplets, and Quads” by Barbara Luke. It was a great read!!!
You look adorable!
It sounds like your furball will get along perfectly with your babies! We had to give our dog away to family, but we already knew he had an aggressive personality. We worked a lot with a trainer before we brought Wyatt home, but he became so depressed anyway. I kept trying to give him more attention and hope he’d get used to the baby, but one day he bit Wyatt. I miss my dog so, so much and feel so guilty, but giving him away was the right decision.
I was so sad for you when you had to give away your puppy. I can’t even imagine how hard that was. Regardless, Wyatt comes first for sure! We’re not anticipating any problems, but if charlie does show aggression to the babies and gets close to biting (again, I cannot even fathom that with his temperament), we will come up with a plan. Didn’t your pup go to your parents? At least you know he’s being loved!!
I wanted to comment about you worrying. Listen, take it from me, who is now 40, but I was 37/38 when I was pregnant. It’s OK for you to worry. You are a Mommy now. You will NEVER be free from worrying about your babies even after they are born.
I always had people say eh, you worry too much. Not true. Now try not to worry about every little ache or pain. But it’s normal for you to wonder how the babies are doing and hope they are ok in there.
I find I actually worry MORE now that my child is almost three. I wonder too about her throughout the day. How is she doing at daycare? Has she peed in the potty? Has she pooped? Has she been biten or has she been mean to somebody? These are all things that will continue on for you for years!
Sorry for the rant! haha! I just remember those days of me wanting to make it through each trimester and people being annoying about the “you worry too much!”
Just adding the note about bringing home the baby blanket/hat for your dog to smell….we did that with our 2 dogs each time our 2 kids were born. Also, we made sure to give the dogs lots of love. It was so cute to see how protective the dogs are of the kiddos. We are such “dog people” and they are not just pets but part of our family as well
So glad your back is feeling better! You are the most gorgeous Momma!! Pregnancy definitely agrees with you!!
I’m BEYOND excited to find out if you are having boys or girls..or both!!!!!!!!!!
Just so you know these weekly updates are my favorite- especially because you are having TWINS!! AHHH!! Just thrilled for you & your hubby!!!
Love your crib choice! I am 20 weeks with just one (that I know of - sonogram coming soon!) and we went with the Graco Stanton mostly for its price…but I am so tempted to do the whole nursery in PB Kids!
I’m due in November but this is already on my mind. We have a jack russell mix and he is like our little baby now. Always the center of attention. And, while he’s been good with kids so far, he likes his routine and getting all the loving. So, I really don’t know how he’s going to react. But, I’m like you. He’s a forever member of our family, and I couldn’t imagine not having him in our lives.