Living with a Preggo: Second Trimester

Second trimester is often called the 'feel good' trimester for the women. This is because, while they're still not all that much bigger, most of the nausea and low-energy feelings commonly associated with the first trimester is gone, and they're getting a nice surge of happy hormones.


For us guys, however, there is limited feel-good in the second trimester. Because the ladies' surge of can-do is almost always focused on dragging you around to every store that sells baby stuff within a fifty mile radius. At least twice a week. And you've got at act like you're loving it.

Most guys, I think, actually do want to be involved in 'building the nest', so to speak, if for no other reason to limit the sort of stuff that's going to end up spread all over the living room, and/or to make sure their son doesn't end up with a wardrobe full of frilly yellow frocks. But really, I think there is a certain amount of deception when it comes to a guy's involvement in the registering-for-baby-gear process. Which is to say, a gal wants to believe a guy cares about this stuff, and the best way they have to test this is to quiz you. I'm willing to bet most guys with kids had a conversation similar to this, during the registering process:

Gal: Which of these high-chairs do you like the best?
Guy: I like the wooden one.
Gal: Really? Do you think the wood would be too heavy?
Guy: Um... no?
Gal: It might be a little dark for our dining room.
Guy: Um, okay....
Gal: I think we should get the plastic Graco one. Do you like the fuschia or seafoam one better?
Guy: The what? I... I guess I like the green one. That's seafoam, right?
Gal: Yes, but it doesn't match our drapes. Let's the the fuschia one. [scans it]

So in most cases, when she asks, "which one of these do you like the best," your job is to guess which one she likes best. It's like a game! And if you perform well, you'll probably get back to your Xbox and/or football game a lot earlier. Personally, I'm okay with it. She's the one that has to haul the kicking bowling ball around for quite a few months, she should get to pick out most of the stuff.

However, there are exceptions. Those of you expecting sons- it is certainly your sacred duty to protect them from excessive lace, and/or the notion that colors such as light purple and pastel yellow are 'gender neutral' colors. They, of course, are not. I was pretty stoked to see a reference in Juno to that effect.

Save for the 'stuff' issue, second trimester is mostly a breeze. Enjoy it while it lasts, because third trimester gets a heck of a lot more.... interesting. More on that later, of course!