17 weeks!
Over the last year or so I’ve really been reading about body neutrality and using it in our home. The idea is to respect your body, do what you need to do to feel healthy and well but that the body isn’t something we are always thinking about/talking about positively or negatively. My friend Megan D says, “Our body is the least interesting thing about us” and I truly believe that. I do still say positive things about our bodies once in a while but the focus is more on everything but our bodies and I’ve loved it. Less focus on our bodies= less thinking about our bodies = more focus on everything we are doing/learning/accomplishing.
But there is something during this pregnancy that I’ve LOVED talking to Brooke especialy about concerning our bodies—> How they are always changing. I point out different things that are changing on my body during this time of life and how amazing it is that we are constantly changing in each season of life to help us with whatever we need it to do. I hope that I can help my kids to understand that it is NORMAL for our bodies to constantly be different and evolving rather than think that we should always be able to fit in the same pants we did in college etc. Media has sure made it seem normal to never fluctuate or to ‘bounce back’ or to avoid aging but I just hope that I can help my kids to see that our bodies are amazing instruments (not ornaments) that help us to do amazing things and that they will always be changing.
I love finishing up a run, sitting on my front porch and staring at my growing belly.
*I think I am getting closer to needing a belly band again for my runs. I call my belly band my sports bra for my tummy during pregnancy and I’m sure it will spend many many miles with me over the next few months giving me the best support possible. The one I use isn’t sold anymore but this one is very similar.
*I’m very grateful that my second trimester (less sick and more energy) is happening during my favorite time of year. It’s been so fun to go to the pool and have more energy than I did during the first trimester with the kids now.
This is what homeschooling looked like during the first trimester and the couch made a great desk for us.
*Running is still happening. With both girls I was able to run through my entire pregnancy and hopefully I will be able to with this one too but I’m just taking it a week at a time. My sister could not run during her pregnancies (for other reasons than her back) and I know many many women that also cannot run through their pregnancies so I think I am more of the exception. My sister and I actually have had very different pregnancies. She never threw up during her pregnancies and that is not the case for me. My mom did get very sick but back then they had a medication that was allowed that took her morning sickness away!
*I THINK I FELT BABY FLUTTERS THIS WEEK! It felt amazing and I can’t wait to feel more (and it might have been all in my head but I’m going to pretend it was real).
*Just one of the searches from my phone lately… I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO EAT 85% of my life lately.
*Things that do currently always sound good: any and all fresh fruit, cookies, salty foods and that dang salad from 180 Tacos that I think about all day long.
*I exchanged my oranges obsession for peaches.
*I still have some nausea at night so I plan my day around being in bed about the same time the kids go down ha but I’ll take that compared to what it was like a few months ago.
*I read somewhere that allergies are even worse during pregnancy? Has anyone else experienced that because my allergies are insane right now.
*With 51 cousins it is making coming up with a name hard ha…. Everything we love has already been used and we need to come up with a boy and a girl name since we are waiting to find out the sex. We would love to use another one syllable name but we are not sure we will because we are having a hard time finding one unused in our family ha:).
*Our wonderful and new hot tub… For the first few weeks I would get in it (we keep it at a safe temperature for our kids and for pregnancy) but now you couldn’t pay me to get in. The idea of taking a hot shower or being in a warm hot tub sounds terrible. Being hot is miserable and even thinking of being in the hot tub makes me very unhappy.
*I miss sleeping on my stomach.
*Brooke and Knox were both 5 when Skye was born! Skye will be 2 (almost 3) when this new little one is born so I have a feeling it is going to be a bit different. I have a feeling we will be going less places and hanging out at home a lot this winter!
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Have you been able to run through your pregnancies? Until what point?
Any one syllable boy or girl names that you love?
If you have multiple children, what are their age gaps?
82 comments
Anne
There is 8 years between our two boys. We wanted 3 or 4 children with two or so years in between. Well, after our first one I didn’t get pregnant… didn’t get pregnant… when he was four years old I thought “okay, God blessed me with a baby and I’m going to be thankful and content” and I got rid of all of our baby stuff that I was saving. Soooo… when our son was eight I missed my period. What!!?! No way; no way I could be pregnant. I was pregnant. We have eight years between our children (there are definitely pros and cons to the big age gap.) It wasn’t my plan, but it was God’s plan for our lives. We named him “Will” because he is God’s will.
The Hungry Runner Girl
Your story gave me goosebumps. That is the perfect name and I love that you decided to focus on gratitude and then you were blessed with Will years later. Thank you again and I bet your oldest was just so thrilled to get a little brother (Knox will be 8 when this baby is born and I know he is hoping for the same:). Have a great day!
Anne
William Andrew is a great name for a boy. You can call him “Will.”
Hailey
I love body neutrality and focusing on our bodies as instruments not ornaments. Have you looked into Beauty Redefined? That is basically their mantra. Love the work they’re doing.
The Hungry Runner Girl
YES YES YES! I love them so much and listen to every podcast and TED talk of theirs that I can get my hands on. I hope you are having a wonderful afternoon Hailey.
Rae
If you have a girl you can name her Rae. I absolutely love not having a very common name.
Tracie
My son’s name is Graham, so I’m obviously a big fan of that one :) I also like Reed for a boy.
The Hungry Runner Girl
You just added two names we haven’t thought of yet… THANK YOU!!
Claire
Hi Janae,
Glad to hear you are feeling better in the second trimester, that is so nice you get to enjoy it in the summer. I had my baby boy last August so the third trimester +heat = not so fun haha. I love the name Tate for a boy (although I know it can be a girl name too) and Grace for a girl. Hope you have good rest of your week!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Thank you so much Claire and oh I bet the heat was KILLER for you last year being in the third trimester. Oh I love both of those names too, have a great day!
Anne
I really like the name “Claire” for a girl.
Joan
I wasn’t able to run my last pregnancy (our baby is just 6 weeks so haven’t started running again) but my other pregnancies I was able to run slowly until about 5-6 months, then it was just too uncomfortable. Lucky for you to keep doing what you love!
I am not a fan of using same names as cousins or family members. I like when each person can be their own individual. My husband and I are fans of one syllable names as well, which is why we have a Gage, Kip and Kaya. Have fun with the name game, I enjoyed that part of being pregnant!
Emily H.
Hi Janae! I am 36 weeks pregnant with our first baby..a boy! Kudos to you and Andrew for waiting to find out what you are having! I always liked to think that I wanted to wait to find out, but I am such a planner, that I couldn’t do it. Maybe for baby #2!
I am currently still running anywhere from 3 to 5ish miles 6 days a week (with plenty of walk breaks thrown in), but I am really starting to notice a difference this week! I’m not sure how many more runs I have in me, but I’m so incredibly thankful to have made it this far with my running. I didn’t think I would make it past about 20 weeks, so each run has been a gift!
Anne
I like the name “Starr” for a girl.
The Hungry Runner Girl
Oh I love that one too! THANKS ANNE and that would be so cute with Skye:)
Ingrid
Hi Janae !
Don’t tell me all 51 cousins have a one syllabe name ! Haha :)
I like Kim for a girl, and Matt for a boy
Claire
Um, I’m stuck on the whole 51 cousins thing. That is insane!! My kids have 5 cousins…
My kids are 22 months apart. It’s nice now (7 and 9), but it was crazy when they were small. My son’s name is Colt, so I’m partial to that one syllable name. My nephew’s name is Tate. When I was growing up no one was named Claire, and I hated it. Now it’s back in style, but I feel it’s overused.
Melissa
Our second is Bryce :) Good luck, names are so hard! I hope the nausea continues to go away!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Oh I love the name Bryce! Thanks for the help and have a beautiful rest of your day Melissa.
Jessey
With 51 cousins I don’t think it is fair that you can’t repeat. My dad has 18 cousins, 2 of which share his name.
My mom had 24 cousins but yet they didn’t name my brother what they really wanted because one of her cousins had named her son the same name (but they would have had different Knick names).
We never really did the name game – before we even started dating I told him my daughter would be Elizabeth but we chose an non-conventional nickname with Ellie. We both knew a son would be Jack but per my parents request made it more formal with Jackson never thinking we’d call him that but both became so popular that he goes by his full name due to how many Jacks are in his class. We did pick out a girl name for him and occasionally I’m sad we never got to use it.
My kids are 2y7m apart. Me and my brother are 5 years and that is hard. We never played together :(
Andrea
My daughter’s name is Bree and my son’s name is Chase. Big fan of one syllable names :)
Nadya
“I just hope that I can help my kids to see that our bodies are amazing instruments (not ornaments) that help us to do amazing things and that they will always be changing.”
SO BEAUTIFUL! I wrote this down in my quote journal and attributed it to you:)
Ali
Names sourced from my family and friends’ kids: Jack, Jett, Boone, Cole, Wright, and Hutch. Sorry, no girl names! I love Eleanor (go by Elle, Ellie, Nora, or Eleanor) but obviously that’s not one syllable. Picking names is SO hard but I know you’ll find one!
Amy
Do you have a Lindy in your family? We’ve only met 3 or 4 others, and it’s always kind of exciting. A coworker yesterday was telling me that her son is “Titus”, and she’s only met 1 or 2 others
Caren
Allergies during pregnancy are awful! I’m 19 weeks right now and have never had worse allergies. If you’re struggling with nasal congestion i would recommend using a neti pot (might sound gross but what a relief!).
Glad you’re keeping well, I don’t have the energy to run most mornings between it being too hot or being starved when I wake up. Glad you’re keeping well!
Jessica
With my first I was able to run up until 32 weeks. With my second I stopped around 24 weeks due to a pinched sciatic nerve (I could barely walk from the car into the house, it was so painful!). That’s the awesome thing about running- it’s always there for us to come back to.
My oldest is named Mia- technically 2 syllables (I think??), but still short and sweet!!
Laura
My kids have no cousins haha!
My dad was Reid and I LOVE that name, and the Reed spelling too. I love James, Cole and Hugh.
When we were expecting my husband was into Jane or Anne and I thought they were too simple but now they’ve grown on me! I also like Liv, Reese, Maeve, Quinn and Sloane for girls.
All three of your kids have a K in their name, are you trying to keep that going? Blake, Lark, Kate, Mark, Jake?
Maeve
Have you considered the name Kai? It’s a lovely one-syllable name I’ve always liked (and fits in with the ‘K’ theme your kids have too!) but my husband never particularly liked it so we haven’t been able to use it. Either way, I wanted to say I love getting to read about your experience and appreciate you sharing them – it’s such a hopeful and uplifting thing to get to follow during these dark times!
Erin
I was lucky to be able to run all the way through both my pregnancies. My girls are almost 4 years apart which has been good in that our older daughter is able to care more for herself but unfortunate in that they can’t really play as much together. They love each other soooo much though so I wouldn’t have it any other way! My favorite one syllable name for a girl is Rae and for a boy is Will?
Kristi
My son’s name is Max- so I’m a big fan of that one. I’ve always loved Brynn for a girl. I love hearing about body neutrality and am super excited to read more about it. Thanks for sharing. I love the thinking that our bodies are instruments instead of ornaments. This is something I need to remember and practice.
Renee
We have a Finn (boy) and I love the girl names Claire and Kate, but never got to use them because we had four boys! All of our boys are about a year and a half apart. Crazy but also super fun because they are best buddies and playmates. However, I won’t lie….the first year after each was born was tough because you essentially had two babies. I had about six months after having my third where I had three in diapers.
Teresa
I’ve aTeresalways loved both Dean and Paige!
Cari
I love baby/kid names! Rose, Kate, Paige, Jane, Blake, Iris, Lee, Knight, Lynn, Eve, Max
Can’t wait to follow the rest of the pregnancy!
Christina
My oldest daughter’s name is Ysa. Pronounced Eesa. It’s unusual and we usually have to help people with how to pronounce it, but she has always loved her name (she is 19 now) and how unique it is. I’ve always loved it since I heard it the first time too. ;)
I’m so happy for you and your little family. I love that you have found your best friend to share life with and your dream of more children is coming true too. So many blessings and you deserve every single one. :)
Mindy
I don’t have any girl names because I have all boys. Ha! We actually loveD the name Brooke When I was pregnant but that obviously doesn’t help you ? But my boys are all 1 syllable! Dane, Cole, and Nash. I am a fan of one syllable too! I kind of think you’re having a boy but how would I know ?
Liz
Hi Janae,
I’m so glad you’re feeling better now! Some of these names were already mentioned, but how about Nash, Cole, or Rhett for a boy? I love Quinn, Sloan, and Reese for a girl! I hope you continue to feel better and have a wonderful day today!
Stephanie
I have been following you for years! We’ve been pregnant the same time every time! Brooke is the same age as my oldest daughter Ada and Skye is the same age as my Holly. We are expecting girl number 3 in September! I love following along with you every time! ? We’re having a hard time with a name this time too, my husband has a HUGE family and we feel like everything has been used already too haha ?
Jenny
My son (who shares a birthday with Skye!) is named Paul. Sounds like kind of a blah name, but we literally NEVER meet any other kids with that name! So it’s actually kind of unique. I know someone else already mentioned it, but my friend has a girl named Brynne. Sounds like you’ve gotten a lot of good one-syllable suggestions!
Julie
If you are trying to keep the “k” also, Kate, Kit, Blake, Jack, Luke
My daughter is Claire.
Corey
So happy to see the belly :)
I’m pretty sure I stopped running in the 2nd trimester with each pregnancy. With the last 2, I did a water walking class that felt great!
One of my favorite names is Shea, and I’ve known of both girls and boys with that name. I also like Cole, Miles, Paige, Drew (though that might be confusing with Andrew). So fun to imagine who this little person is going to be :)
My oldest is almost 22. We had several losses before her sister was born 4.5 years later, then their brother was another 5.25 years later.
Jackie
Not one syllable names but my daughter is Iris and we also considered Ivy. Both are short, simple and unusual.
Kristin
I LOVE what you say about body neutrality–that’s not a term I’ve heard, but it’s how I’ve been trying to view my own body lately! I think body positivity is great in a lot of ways, but it still puts so much focus on how you look, and thinking about how you look. I feel much better about my body when I’m treating it well and not obsessing over appearances! It’s amazed me, as an adult, how much your body still changes–even if I weigh the same that I did 5 years ago, the same pants don’t fit me, because I’m not the same shape! That was pretty surprising, and something I wish we talked about more. Our bodies do so many amazing things.
I LOVE the name Kate for a girl! I like Hans for a boy, or Sven!
Diane
For a girl, I love Bette, Grace, Kat, Lark, Maeve, Wren, Rain and Sage.
For a boy, Blue, Jack, Leif, and Sam :)
J
Ben
Layne
Matt
Elle
Ash
Trey
Whitt
Jen
So glad you’re feeling better now! My kids are almost 3 years apart and the transition for our son was pretty smooth. He was old enough to be a “helper”. Our daughter’s name is Grace so I’m partial to that one ?. Healthy body image is so important, way to go!
Dorothy
HI! Names – Bliss, Dawn, Faith, Joy, Belle, Dell, Gage, Dean, Lance, Wayne. So wonderful to imagine and choose! Big hugs!
Loribeth
here’s how my mind works, Skye and Brooke have an e at the end, so maybe if it’s a boy, then something ending in an x like Knox………Max, Jax, Rex.
And if it’s a girl, maybe another nature sounding name…Eve or Wren. Just thoughts, you’ll pick the perfect one!
Linda
I don’t have kids, so I don’t have anything to contribute there. But I wanted to share a resource about body neutrality for you – Steph Gaudreau. She’s really started to get into that subject in the recent past and has shared her struggles with body image. She has a podcast – Listen to Your Body – and she’s had people on there that talk about how to teach body confidence to kids and how to, basically, have grace with yourself.
Allison
My youngest daughter is named “Quinn”. It can work for a boy OR a girl! Love reading your pregnancy updates!!
AmandaM
I was wondering if you would use a one syllable name! I think it would be so cool if you did. And Brooke, Knox, and Skye all have natural qualities to them… so I feel like it has to be along the same theme. I’d love to brainstorm for you on my dog walks. I’ll send you any that come my way :)
Sara
I’m going to suggest my runner up girl name Sloan. Grant for a boy.
When I was pregnant with my son I used to have to throw up every time I showered. It was miserable!!
Liz
Yay for another baby post!
My allergies are actually a lot better when I’m pregnant. I didn’t realize they could get worse until I read your post. Difficulty breathing is never fun, so I hope your allergies go away.
I have five kids and they’re all about 3 years apart. Only one of them was potty trained (I tried to potty train the others before the next was born, but I was so unsuccessful. I have stubborn kids. I think that stubbornness could be good when they’re adults, but right now…… not so much. Ha!) when the younger sibling was born and changing two kids’ diapers was hard!
For boy names, I love Wayne, James, and Troy. For girls, I love Jean and Elle. I do love that all three of your kids have Ks in their names. We started naming our first three kids with names that started in vowels, A, E, and I. Then we gave up on that trend because we couldn’t find any U names we liked! ?
Lauren
Morning!
For a girl’s name maybe Jade because it is flows with Brooke and Skye (found in nature, ends in E). I also love Anne, Quinn, and Elle.
Boy names: obsessed with James and John. You could use John James and refer to him as Jay or JJ :)
Dani
One syllable names I love:
Girls: Drew, Maxx, Elle, Paige
Boys: Jax, Ash, Tate, Blake, Chance
Rachel
I have always loved the name Bryn for a girl! (pronounced “Brin”). Also Rose, Blake or Sloan.
For a boy I love Jack or Max.
Congratulations :) So excited for you and I hope you keep feeling better!
Mollie
My daughter’s middle name is Bryn, after my aunt who never had kids. I love that name. :)
Angela
I LOVE the concept of body neutrality! I’d actually never heard of it before since the body positive movement is what’s dominating the conversation now (which is also awesome). I’m definitely going to look more into it!! I was able to run until 36 weeks with my first pregnancy 2 years ago and right now I’m still running in week 32 with baby number 2.
Angela
Also I’m just so so so happy and excited for you! I wanted to let you know you were such a postpartum inspiration for me and after having my first boy in April 2018, I ran my fastest half marathon that November and then ran my first ultra (a 50k, not the 50 miles you did!) last September. Thanks for proving that being a mother only makes us stronger!!
Anne
girl: Jewel
Jules
boy: Will (William Andrew)
Shannon
Hope, Elle, Laine, Brett (for boy OR girl), Reese (for boy or girl), Tate, Ash, Luke
Torrie
51 cousins!? My kids have 2 and they won’t ever have any more. That is just so crazy to have 51! My kids are just shy of 3 years apart (probably the exact same age gap as you’ll have between this new baby and Skye!). I love their age difference (currently they are 4.5 and 20 months) and I hope you like it too! One syllable name possibilities: Beck for a boy and Quinn for a girl!
Whitney
I ran until 34.5 weeks with my second and 30 with my third. Our second daughter’s name is Scout (from To Kill a Mockingbird) and it is such a fun name.
Katie A
Ooh – body neutrality. I’ve never heard of that phrase. With a daughter, I and a personal history that was not so neutral, I am eager to learn more about these types of things. Body changes were a challenging part about pregnancy for me, even though I focused on how amazing it is that our bodies can grow babies!
I could not run through my pregnancies, though I did a TON Of walking with both. I kept up run-walking for at least the first trimester.
51 cousins is amazing. I love my cousins, and hope my kids will someday have cousins too.
You have probably gotten good experience (& gathered activities) hanging at home during COVID that should prepare you for having a newborn around with bigger kids. Our two kids have about a 24-25 month age gap, so my first (Max) had just turned two when my daughter was born. If we hadn’t named our second Eleanor, our second choice was going to be Violet. So many great names to choose from! I had a tough time finding boy names I liked. Good luck with the name hunt!
Sydney ?
Looking good at 17 weeks! This pregnancy seems to be zipping by!
?
I want to apologize to you for suggesting a gender reveal party last week. It was brought it my attention that gender reveal parties are against the religion of some. I’m not sure if that applies to you but I wanted to say sorry just in case. Please know I was only thinking along the lines of having fun with cake maybe and imagined your kids enjoying this!
For names I like Grace, Zach or Zack or Zeke, Joy, Eve, Blane, Drew, Elle, Jade, Paige, Mae, Cole, Josh and Dax. Hah I have a few ideas I guess ??
Jessica
I knew a great man named Troy. I also like Tom. Sam is good for a boy or girl, IMO.
One syllable girl names are so pretty. Eve, Jane, May… You could also have a multi syllable name with a one syllable nickname: Gabriel/Gabe. Jacob/Jake. Benjamin/Ben. Etc.
Choosing names can be hard. Good luck :)
Amy D
That’s so many cousins! No wonder you’re having trouble!!!
Just a few suggestions to add to your pile… Gray, Nell, Flynn, Meg, Ray, Beck, Chase, Grant, Gus, Gail, Mark
I actually just saw the name Rayce and that totally would fit you!!!
Amy D
Is it bad that I spent all weekend thinking of names for you? How about Joy, Todd or Birch?
Tess
I mean, Tess is a one syllable name but I’m not biased or anything. ;) We don’t have kids, but my husband has 20+ nieces and nephews on his side so I can only imagine how hard it is picking names!
Kelly T
My votes:
Miles or Chase – boy (you’re a runner after all – ha!)
Penn – boy
Dove – girl
Drew – girl
Reese – girl
Taylor
I was backwards with my running and pregnancy. I was recovering from 2 metatarsal stress fractures when I got pregnant and I didn’t start running again until 14 weeks. It did not feel great ha!
I have twin boys so their age gap is zero :)
Oh man, names are tough especially with that many cousins!! I’ve always liked Cole, Scott or Colt for a boy. I haven’t spent much time on girls names so I’m not much help there!
Tracy
My boys are named Mitch and Luke!! (I also have a Patrick and Bridget)
My 4 kids are super close in age. The oldest 2 are 21 months apart and the second and my twins are 19 months apart. My twins are 2 minutes apart!! :)
Tamlin
Hi Janae,
I was wondering what strength workouts you do while pregnant. Thanks!
Sarah
So excited for you — I’m hoping it’s a boy!! I have two boys and since my husband’s name is Sam and his brother is Ben, he said he’d like our sons’ names to be 3 letters. While deciding on our first, I liked both Leo and Max… But Max got very popular and I had friends who used that name, so we went with Leo. When boy #2 came along, I had a hard time until I saw “Rex.” I thought it was a great alternative to Max, since it’s easy to pronounce, but less common than Max. Then I found out that both “Leo” and “Rex” mean King. So it was perfect! Good luck, it’s tough to decide!
Becky
I’m 35 weeks pregnant and our son will be named Luke Andrew. It sounds perfect for you guys too!
Maegen Stokes
Hi Janae! Congrats on your pregnancy!
My daughter’s name is Grey, which could be used for a boy or a girl. I am obviously partial and love it :)
Irene
How about Kruz for a boy..and Lake for a girl…Love the body neutrality concept..
Emily
Hi Janae!! What about these: Blake, Quinn, Kai, Finn, Gwen, Reese, Wren, Chase, Gabe or Tate?
Congratulations on a new little one! I’ll be sending prayers and good vibes for a continued healthy pregnancy. I love following along with your running adventures and family!!
Emily
kati
I love short names (sometimes two syllables though!), but here are some you’ve probably already thought of :)
Blake
Sam
Elle
Claire
Faith
Grace
Kate
Liz Ferguson
I am so excited that you are not finding out if you are having a boy or a girl! We have a girl and a boy and both times we did not find out. There are such few surprises in life that It makes it so much more exciting I thought. Luckily I was able to run through both of my entire pregnancies-even the days I delivered! For names my daughter is Summer and my son is Huck (full name Huckleberry). Congrats again!
B
My first three pregnancies I was active, worked out, ran enjoyed everything right up until early deliveries. THis time I have had a whole host of complications . It messes with my head not to be able to keep up with my kids nor exercise. Enjoy it while it happens bc you just never know what tomorrow will bring.
Amanda Mc
Oh wow! I had the craziest dream last night that you announced that you were having a girl whose name was going to be Dolly because it is a family name and you both have Dolly Mae’s in your families. I was so excited to find out the name so I could make your thank you gift for the shoes with all the kids names. Knox. Brooke. Skye. And Dolly?!? I’m not one to give unsolicited advice, but please don’t name your baby Dolly Baron. *insert face palm emoji*
a
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