Post Partum Must Haves

It's funny how going into labor this time, how much more well prepared I was for the post partum period this time around.  Last time was like a cruel joke I wasn't a part of.  Let's be honest...post partum is kinda gross and there are certain pregnancy books that are super vague and don't really tell you how things are when it comes to all things post partum.  Like that 'uterine massage' you get immediately following birth?  Yeah...didn't read about that in any book and it sure as heck didn't come with a fluffy robe and sparkling water.  So this time, I made sure I was well prepared for all the awesome stuff your body throws at you once you have that little baby in your arms.



| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |

1) So you've just popped a tiny human out from your nether regions.  To say they're feeling a little rough is an understatement at best.  If you're lucky, you had no tearing.  But even then, it still feels like you took a baseball bat to your under carriage.  This Earth Mama Angel Baby New Mama Bottom Spray will help immensely!  It's all natural and I much preferred it over the Dermoplast stuff I got at the hospital when I had Selah.

2) Speaking of under carriages, your hospital should give you one of these peri bottles and if they don't...find a supply closet and snag one to take home.  This innocent looking plastic bottle was one of the best things I brought home from the hospital and I made sure I had one in my birth kit this time.  If you're not sure what the heck you use this thing for and don't want to Google it, you basically fill it with warm water and use it to rinse your lady bits off after you use the bathroom instead of wiping with toilet paper.  The last thing you want to be doing is dragging what feels like bark across your 'area' and that warm water is welcome.

3) Know what terrified me most post partum?  The thought of having to go poop.  Ask most moms what they thought of having to do numero dos and they'll probably tell you pushing another baby out probably ranked lower on the fear scale than pooping.  Since you certainly don't want to avoid doing that, make sure you have some stool softeners in your toiletry kit to bring to the hospital with you.  Nobody said having a baby was glamorous.

4) I had a really rough start with breast feeding Selah.  Since she was born so early and so small, she had a horrible latch and that caused some seriously painful issues for me and led me to pump exclusively for the first 3 weeks.  The hospital gave me some lanolin ointment to use to try and help but I was not impressed with it.  This time, I bought the Earth Mama Angel Baby Nipple Butter beforehand and liked it a lot better.  That and the lanolin left grease-stain looking marks on a couple nursing tanks that I could never get out and had to end up tossing them because if there's one thing that's a fashion don't, it's huge grease marks on the ta-ta area of your shirt.  The butter is all natural and you don't even have to wash/wipe it off before putting baby on the boob.

5) Besides the awesomeness of the peri bottle, another magical thing I discovered were what I called the Padsicles.  They're basically ice packs for your hoo-ha.  And they are glorious.  When I had Selah, my hospital was super stingy with them so I ended up making my own (recipe to follow soon) once I knew I was going to deliver at home.  Make sure they give you plenty of those.

6) This last one may weird some people out but 2 weeks in and I can honestly say it's a must-have for me: placenta encapsulation.  Aaaand cue the raised eyebrows and eye rolling.  No you don't have to be some raging dreadlocked hippie to have your placenta turned into pills and no we didn't take part of it and plant it in the backyard.  I did get the weird look from Dan the first time I mentioned it to him but when I explained the reasons WHY I wanted to do it, he was all for it.  Well, as all for it as a guy can get when it comes to ingesting something your body made.  Placenta pills can help with post partum depression, blood loss, those wacky hormones, breastfeeding, iron levels and energy levels.  And these pills look just like any other herb capsule you might take and if you didn't know what it was you were taking, 'placenta' wouldn't be the first thing you'd guess they were.  If you're in the Denver area, I highly recommend contacting the awesome lady who did mine here.  She lives down the road from me but does pickups and deliveries in the metro area.

7)  Just when you thought you could ease up on drinking ALL that water while pregnant, turns out you still need to chug the agua after baby gets here if you want to have a successful go with breastfeeding.  I bought this mug a few months ago when my blah looking hospital mug bit the dust.  3 of these a day and I'm good to go!

Yes, the post partum period can be gross and a huge drag but adding these items to your home can help you feel a little better and hey, even just a little bit can help a whole lot.

And Baby Makes Four

This blog has been all sorts of silent lately.  I blame that on my feeling huge and uncomfortable, almost 2 weeks worth of false labor driving me mad and oh yeah, our little boy made his arrival a week ago today!  Harrison Daniel was born at 4:40AM on Sunday December 14th weighing 8 pounds 4 ounces and 20 inches long.  I'll be working on his birth story soon and will have some non-horrifying photos from the birth photographer to go with it as soon as I get those back.  But in the meantime, here's one from when he was just a couple hours old.
He is such a sweetie and loves to snuggle and so far, seems pretty chill.  Fingers crossed!

And one last bump pic.  I actually took this the day before I went into labor with him and right before we headed out to get some Santa photos done...hence the snazzy dress Selah has on.  And her judgy look.


Weekly Pregnancy Updates : 34 Weeks


How Far Along:  34 Weeks
Maternity Clothes: Yes, with the exception of a shirt here and there.
Stretch Marks: No, fingers crossed.
Sleep: Still having a couple insomnia riddled nights a week but much better than the every night run I was having.  I suppose I need to get reacquainted with sleepless nights again sooner than later.
Best/Worst Moment This Week: Best: Selah is doing really great with potty training.  I guess I was expecting it to be much more traumatic for both of us but now that we're a week and a half through it, I'm glad I waited to tackle it full-time.  Worst: buying Depends at Walmart this morning but the post partum 'issues'.  Nothing knocks your pride down a peg or two like buying a package of those bad boys.
Have You Told Friends & Family: Yes.
Miss Anything: Not feeling like my stomach is going to explode from stretching.
Movement: Apparently he still has room to move around in there because he's taking full advantage of it.  Ouch.
Food Cravings: I caved and made cookies for the husband.  I'd prefer not to admit how many I actually had today.
Anything Make You Queasy or Sick: Anything in the kitchen trash can pretty much.
Have You Started to Show Yet: Doesn't seem like I have room to get any bigger but it is possible.
Baby Is A: BOY!
Wedding Rings On or Off: Still on comfortably.
Belly Button In or Out: Still out but at the present moment, it's gone back in.  Weird.
Happy or Moody:  Had some hormonal moments but gimme a break, I'm making a person.  It happens.  
Labor Symptoms: Braxton Hicks make their presence known once evening rolls around.  No real contractions...at least that I'm aware of.
Looking Forward To: Meeting the little guy.  I'm willing to bet he has a lot of dark hair like Selah did and I bet he looks just like dad...those Brown genes are strong!  Thanksgiving dinner.  He better not come that day because I'm a labor puker and I'd be seriously bummed to waste my favorite meal of the year.

Weekly Pregnancy Updates : 33 Weeks

 | Shirt | Leggings (similar) | Boots |

So yes, I realize the dresser behind me is sort of a catchall for a random mess o' stuff but in all fairness, I just finished painting the wall behind the crib and the dresser is holding a bunch of stuff that was just...laying elsewhere.  And pay no attention to the haphazard drawer pull...the ones on that drawer are getting replaced and these 2 are just hanging out until those arrive.  This photo totally makes me look sloppy and lazy but whatevs.  And does the potential of little man being here in a month freak anyone else out but me?!?


How Far Along:  33 Weeks
Maternity Clothes: Yes, with the exception of a shirt here and there.
Stretch Marks: No, fingers crossed.
Sleep: It's actually been semi-decent this week.  I wake up a few times but at least I'm getting right back to sleep.  I'll take what I can.  That and a few mornings where Selah has slept in an extra hour have been awesome.
Best/Worst Moment This Week: I started Selah potty training this week.  I'm sure I'm getting a few raised eyebrows for doing this at 8 months preggo but with all the colds I've had in the last couple months, I needed to at least give it a real go before D Day.  And she's totally rocking it!  She's had 3 accidents over 4 days and I'm so proud of her.  And me too...let's be honest.
Have You Told Friends & Family: Yes.
Miss Anything: A better immune system.
Movement: As I described to a friend recently, it feels like I have a 6 foot long octopus in my stomach some days.  Yeowch!
Food Cravings: I've been trying not to bake or bring any desserts into the house lately because I have zero self control.  That being said, I've been wanting a little sweet something at night so the 5 pound bag of chocolate chips I bought at Costco has been helping with that.  I grab a small handful (yes, handful...don't judge) of those in a little bowl and eat those after Selah's gone to bed and that helps with my sweets craving.
Anything Make You Queasy or Sick: Our dogs' smell.  Yep...can't really stand to be around them.
Have You Started to Show Yet: Onward and outward.
Baby Is A: BOY!
Wedding Rings On or Off: Still on comfortably.
Belly Button In or Out: It's definitely visible through my shirts.  Can't wait for that to go back.
Happy or Moody:  I'd say pretty good for the most part.  I'm surprised at myself for not losing my mind when it came to potty training as I'm sometimes not the most patient person around....cough cough.
Labor Symptoms: Still Braxton Hicks and an occasional cramp here and there but still okay.
Looking Forward To: Making it to Thanksgiving with little man still IN my belly.  37 weeks is the magic number in order to deliver at home here in Colorado so that is my personal goal.  Not sure just how much past that I want to go ;)

Fall Burlap Wreath Tutorial

No big shocker that I've been dying for fall weather to roll around here so I can not only start wearing cool weather clothes and stop being a miserably hot pregnant lady but also so that I can do some fall decorating.  I'm not sure what's up with Colorado's weather lately but it's seriously disappointing.  We've had a couple of awesomely cool and rainy days but then it will stay in the upper 70's and sometimes 80's for days.  Sorry but what the crap Colorado!  If I wanted to still be wearing shorts (not a good look right now, trust me), I'd be in Texas or Florida!  Anyway, enough of my hormonal tirade about the weather.


We're much more of the decorate for fall and not Halloween type of decorators around here.  Classy fall, I like to call it.  I had a few items that I picked up last year at Michael's that I knew I'd be using again.  I seriously love the white pumpkin look and you can get 3 different sizes of these plastic (?) white pumpkins at Michael's, along with the super cute scarecrow too.  I grabbed the straw bale from our local feed store and the 4 different orange pumpkins from our grocery store because they were way cheaper than getting them at the pumpkin patch.  Yes, we go to the pumpkin patch at least a couple times to do all the fun thing there but I have an issue spending $20+ on 1 single pumpkin.  Yes, I'm a cheapskate and Selah doesn't care where they come from as long as she has one.

So while I was loving the front stoop decor, I knew I needed a new fall themed wreath for the front door.  Because we certainly don't want some summer themed wreath wrecking the fung shui up there.  How declasse'.  Just kidding.  I scoured trusty Pinterest for some ideas of what I'd like to have and decided that I definitely wanted burlap and I figured I'd get accent inspiration while browsing the aisles of Michael's.

 
And this is what I came up with and it was pretty easy if I do say so myself!  Never mind the Christmas wreath hanger on the door.  It's not a Santa so it works.

So what do you need?  I grabbed an 18" floral frame wreath, a sprig/branch/twig/whatever the heck you want to call it of faux fall leaves, a roll of some fall-ish looking ribbon and a 20 foot roll of burlap.  I should've grabbed 2 while I was already at Michael's but truth be told, I 'knew' I had another roll of burlap floating around the house somewhere and would use that.  Yeah...never found it so I had to run back to grab another roll.
  • Wreath: $4
  • Leaves: $3
    • Burlap: $7 x2.  I had a 50% coupon for one of these.  Michael's regularly has 40% off one item coupons on their website you can use.
  • Ribbon: $3 (I believe but it wasn't more than $4)
  • Total cost (minus the hot glue gun burns): $24.  There are lots of places online that sell similar wreaths for $50+.

First start by wrapping and weaving an end of the burlap around the wreath frame.  See?  Technical photo showing my professional weaving ;)

Then, just weave in and out or over and under on up the frame, jooshing and fluffing as you go. 

Once you've made your way back around to the starting point, just weave the ends in and secure as best you can.  You can see that there's a bit of a spot that's not as full as the rest but since I was going to be adding the leaves, I wasn't too worried since I knew they would cover that area.

Busting out my handy glue gun, I just arranged them in a way I liked and glued them in to the burlap and frame as best I could.

Okay, now the bow.  I will be the first to admit that I have no idea how to make a full, fancy bow.  There were pre-made bows at Michael's that I could have bought but again, my cheap side won over and I grabbed the roll of ribbon for $3 to make my own and saved a few bucks.  I seriously had no idea what I was doing but just kinda rolled and folded and hot glued the bow until I was happy with how it looked.

So there ya have it!  A fall wreath that is somewhat idiot proof, affordable and has your door lookin' good!

Weekly Pregnancy Updates : 31 Weeks

 | Shirt | Jeans |

I've had so many tragic run-ins with hair stylists that I've long been doing my own hair because I can't find anyone that hasn't screwed it up in some form or fashion.  I had a great hair stylist 3 years ago but she stopped doing hair and I've been playing Stylist Roulette ever since.  Had a trim that took 2 years to grow out because it looked like a dog chewed on it?  Yup.  Had a severe brassy orangey-blonde ombre look when I clearly asked for (and brought a very clear photo) that I wanted subtle balayage?  Another yup.  So I got a wild hair and decided I wanted to add some more balayage to my hair.  Yes, I was a bit nervous because I've done it in the past and got a tad crazy with how long I left it on.  This time I was much more conservative and it turned out exactly how I wanted it!  Might have to do a tutorial next time I do it...hmmm.


How Far Along:  31 Weeks
Maternity Clothes: Yes, with the exception of a shirt here and there.
Stretch Marks: No, fingers crossed.
Sleep: That dang insomnia is back at it again.  Really wish it would go away so I could go some sleep before little guy comes and then it's just up multiple times a night.
Best/Worst Moment This Week: The cooler nights but having highs in the mid 80's one day was a little ridiculous.
Have You Told Friends & Family: Yes.
Miss Anything: A decent night's sleep; taking a deep breath; energy.
Movement: This boy is growing and my insides can tell...oy!
Food Cravings: I've had a thing for Ritz Bitz cheese crackers recently. Let's just say the Target brand crackers are better than the name brand.
Anything Make You Queasy or Sick: Our dogs' smell.  Yep...can't really stand to be around them.
Have You Started to Show Yet: Onward and outward.
Baby Is A: BOY!
Wedding Rings On or Off: Still on comfortably.
Belly Button In or Out: It's definitely visible through my shirts.  Can't wait for that to go back.
Happy or Moody: A little moody, let's be honest.  I'm not feeling awesome or comfortable and I'm just anxious to be more flexible/mobile/energetic again.
Labor Symptoms: Still Braxton Hicks and an occasional cramp here and there but still okay.
Looking Forward To: Our family/maternity pictures this weekend!  I've had our outfits planned for, ahem, awhile and unfortunately the weather is proving to be a little warmer than I'd like so I will be thinking cold thoughts while sweating in my fur vest.

Yummy Fall Pumpkin Glazed Cookies

So it's no big shocker that fall, and all things fall, kinda get me all jazzed up.  Throw in temps in the 50's (like they're supposed to be) and I'm set.  It was the perfect morning yesterday to hit up the local pumpkin patch but the heavy rains the day before kept it from opening so I decided that getting our fall fix at the grocery store would have to do.

We hadn't even actually made it into the main part of the store before it looked like fall had thrown up in our cart...your normal, run-of-the-mill pumpkins for carving, fat squatty Cinderella pumpkins for our front porch fall display, apple cider.  I think you're getting the drift here.  Oh, and I can't forget the massive straw bale in the back of my vehicle for the aforementioned front porch display.  I'd found a couple recipes online that I wanted to try and of course, I needed some pumpkin puree for them.  As much as I wanted to go all nuts and whip out every pumpkin recipe I had, I decided to start with the Pumpkin Glazed Cookies and they don't disappoint.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup pumpkin puree {canned pumpkin}
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (I added a little extra...can't have too much pumpkin pie spicyness!)

Glaze
3 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (again, 1/4tsp didn't seem like quite enough)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with wax/parchment paper.  This kinda goes against what the recipe says but I used my KitchenAid mixer to mix everything together instead of doing it by hand.  It does a better job of mixing things and is faster at it so that's a no brainer.  I combined the butter, oil, pumpkin, sugars, vanilla and eggs first. Then I added the dry remaining dry ingredients.  Go slow with the mixing because the bowl will be full and you don't want to be cleaning it off the counters and floors!  I used an ice cream scoop to scoop out the 'batter' onto the baking sheet and then flatten to 1/2 inch thick using the bottom of a glass. Bake 8 minutes.

Go ahead and mix the the glaze ingredients while the cookies are baking since this only takes a couple minutes.  Once you pull each batch of cookies out, let them cool a couple minutes on the baking sheet before moving to a cooling rack or, if you're like me and have a too small cooling rack, a long piece of foil on the counter.  Take spoon and kinda joosh and smear (yes, those are technical terms) glaze over each warm cookie.  Let the glaze harden on the cookies at least a couple hours before moving them to wherever you plan on storing them: cookie jar, container, cookie jar, etc. 







Try not to eat them all at once and enjoy!

Weekly Pregnancy Updates : 30 Weeks


How Far Along:  30 Weeks
Maternity Clothes: Yes, with the exception of a shirt here and there.
Stretch Marks: No, fingers crossed.
Sleep: That dang insomnia is back at it again.
Best/Worst Moment This Week:
Have You Told Friends & Family: Yes.
Miss Anything: A decent night's sleep...and we all know that ain't coming back any time soon; taking a deep breath.
Movement: This boy is growing and my insides can tell...oy!
Food Cravings: None recently.  I'm running out of room in the stomach area and it's a fine line between being full and being in pain from the lack of room and getting kicked because Little Man does not appreciate his digs being encroached on by a burrito.
Anything Make You Queasy or Sick: Our dogs' smell.  Yep...can't really stand to be around them.
Have You Started to Show Yet: Onward and outward.
Baby Is A: BOY!
Wedding Rings On or Off: Still on comfortably.
Belly Button In or Out: It's definitely visible through my shirts.  Can't wait for that to go back.
Happy or Moody: A tad irritable because I can't get around physically like I used to and I wish I had 1/2 the energy that Selah does.  She's in this sort of defiant stage and loves to test us.  Not good for the waning patience.
Labor Symptoms: Still Braxton Hicks and an occasional cramp here and there but still okay.
Looking Forward To: The weather staying fall-like.  We get teased with a couple cool days and then it's back to 80.  Not cool.  And of course we're in the home stretch with 10 weeks to go!  Holy cow...the time has flown by!

Prenatal Health...AKA How Many Pills Can You Cram in Your Mouth

Ask most women what vitamins they're taking while pregnant and I bet at least 75% of them will say a prenatal vitamin of some sort but that's usually about it.  And that's exactly all I was told to take while I was pregnant with Selah.  So this time around, I had started taking them when we first started trying to conceive bambino numero dos but was in for a healthy surprise upon my first appointment with our midwife.  Turns out, just a prenatal isn't all you should be doing for you and your baby during those 9 (actually 10) months.

So let's face it...not all vitamins are created equal.  I personally really like the Rainbow Light line of vitamins.  Selah takes the Kids' One Star chewable vitamins and I take the Prenatal One Multivitamin.  It's a one-a-day vitamin that's gentle on the stomach and you don't have to take it with food to avoid the nausea that some prenatal vitamins are known for.
These vitamins are food based, which you'll find in your better quality prenatal vitamins.

Next up, iron supplements.  Pregnant women can have a tendency to have low iron levels and you certainly don't want to have blood issues in the middle of delivering your little one.  These pills are super tiny and super affordable.  I learned the hard way last week when I'd gone a couple days without the pills because I'd run out that having low iron levels can make you light headed and you know, faint 'n stuff.  

I found these Omega 3 fish oil at Costco and for $21 for 180 pills, they're a good deal.  DHA is really important for the development of your little one and has been shown to help lower preterm labor risks so given my history, they're a good idea :)


I had already been taking these Vitamin D3 before I got pregnant this time and I've just continued taking them, obviously.  Vitamin D is good in that it not only helps develops baby's skeletal system but it's also good for the immune system.  Win win.

And last but not least, Natural Calm Plus Calcium powder.  Calcium is really important for mama because baby is pretty much just leaching it out of your bones which can contribute to osteoporosis...and we don't need that.  My midwife recommended this one in particular because it has Magnesium in it as well which is great for calming nerves and helps with muscle relaxation.  And since the uterus is kind of a huge muscle, we don't want it getting all uptight too soon now do we?
 
Yeah, this is a lot to swallow (that's what she said) but whatever I can do to help the little man grow strong and healthy and keep him in long enough, I'll do it!

Weekly Pregnancy Updates : 28 Weeks

| Shirt (and on sale!) | Jeans | Paint |

So there was a seriously long stretch of zero blogging from me because I was feeling like near death.  I picked up a cold at the beginning of the month and just when I was thinking that I was better, I picked up that fantastic respiratory virus that was sending lots of kids across the country to the hospital with breathing issues.  I had a couple of asthma attacks and it really affected my breathing and stamina.  It has taken me awhile to get my strength back up and I think I can say (fingers crossed) that I am finally starting to feel more normal.  You can find me indoors with a can of Lysol until after this kid pops out.

In between illnesses, I painted 3 of little man's walls.  The wall behind the crib is going to be a different color, which I will get to sometime soon.  We decided on Benjamin Moore's Chocolate Truffle for the main color and I can't say enough good things about Benjamin Moore paint.  It covers so well and the colors are always awesome.  I'm loving the rich brown!

How Far Along: 28 Weeks
Maternity Clothes: Yes, with the exception of a shirt here and there.
Stretch Marks: No, fingers crossed.
Sleep: Some days are actually decent.
Best/Worst Moment This Week: Not sure if it's a Best moment but finally feeling well enough to clean the house!
Have You Told Friends & Family: Yes.
Miss Anything: Having energy, not being worn out at the end of the day.
Movement: I'm getting nice shots to the ribs when I lay on my side...such a weird feeling.
Food Cravings: None really.  I had zero appetite while I was sick so now I'm just eating to regain the weight I lost while sick.
Anything Make You Queasy or Sick: Sometimes a cooked chicken breast just gets to me...weird and random.
Have You Started to Show Yet: Starting to get uncomfortable.
Baby Is A: BOY!
Wedding Rings On or Off: Still on comfortably.
Belly Button In or Out: In but it seems like the top wants to pop out any second and the bottom is still laying low.  It's weird.
Happy or Moody: I've been seriously irritable lately with having been sick for over 3 weeks.  It's draining physically (obviously) and mentally.
Labor Symptoms: Still lots of Braxton Hicks but everything else appears to be good!
Looking Forward To: The weather actually acting like it's fall.  Seriously...what the heck is up with temps being 90 lately?!?

Fall Fashions for All

So we all know I've been looking forward to fall for months now; it's my favorite season hands down.  While I'll be dressing a little differently this year as opposed to last (hello preggo weight gain and booty galore), I've still got a few things that will be getting Selah and I through the glorious fall months.


| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |

1) I was hunting for some new, dressier brown boots for awhile and these are so perfect!  I was worried they'd be a little tall for knee high boots but they're exactly what I was looking for and with the red zipper and gold studs on back, they're quickly becoming my new favorites.
2) I love hoodies.  Who doesn't really though?  That being said, you have to be careful about hoodies making you look like some slobby college student if that's all you're ever in so I was looking for a hoodie that was not only long enough to wear over leggings but had a little something extra.  The little pop of leopard print in the hood is just enough to dress it up a little and not so much that the husband will start calling me Janice a la Friends.
3) I foresee a lot of leggings in my future this winter.  They're cute, comfy and will be sucking in all that post partum baby weight until I can get back to working out.  So why not this cute camo pair and add a simple black sweater of it?
4) I was purusing eBay recently (no big shocker there) and saw this really cute faux down jacket.  The big fur hood and cable knit sweater accents make it more than just a plain ol' down jacket.  Now if I could only justify bringing it home with the slight jacket hoarding issue I have.

 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |

1) Trying to find cute, fashionable things for Selah while not breaking the bank can be difficult at times.  I like her to look cute (what mom doesn't) but I have a fundamental issue with spending $80 on a single pair of pants for her.  So when I saw these boots online, I couldn't add them to my shopping cart quick enough.  
2 & 3) Both of these are going to be part of her outfit for family/maternity pictures next month.  I bought the jacket earlier in the spring and while it was a tad big at the time, I'm hoping it looks okay for photos.  And at least I know she'll get to wear it for awhile.
4) I'm thinking this shirt needs to be part of the winter wardrobe stat.  Little girls in buffalo plaid...can't get much cuter I don't think.


| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |

1) I already know that dressing a boy is going to be much different than dressing a girl but I'm going to try to go with it.  Since the little man will be coming in (hopefully) December, he's definitely going to be needing a hat for when we go out.  I've never been a big fan of the fleece hats and since I can't knit to save my life, this hat is perfect.
2) This little outfit by Carter's is so cute!  I love little boy sweaters!  I think he'll be rocking fisherman sweaters during the colder months.
3) Plaid button down with chambray roll-up sleeves.  'Nuff said.
4) I saw this cardigan onesie before we'd found out we were having a boy but I can say for certain that at some point, our little guy will be wearing this for some sort of photo session.

Weekly Pregnancy Updates : 24 Weeks

 | Dress

The hubby and I went out to dinner the other night and I realized that I had nothing really dressy enough for this place that would cover both the baby bump and my butt.  The bump has a funny way of hiking the hemline up a few inches into trashy territory.  So I pulled out this dress I bought last year that worked for the time being.  And then after we got home, remembered I did buy a nice black maternity dress a couple months ago so at least I have something for the next time we go out.

Picked up a lovely cold over the weekend and was promptly knocked on my butt.  Being sick and pregnant really sucks because you can't take anything.  Talk about serious nasal congestion!  I've somewhat seriously considered using Selah's Nose Frida on myself to get the serious snot out of my sinuses but can't quite figure out how I'd do it.  Laugh all you want...I'm feeling like crud and desperate to feel normal again.  Well, at least as 'normal' as I was last week.


How Far Along: 24 Weeks (These are a week behind so I'm really 25 weeks this week.)
Maternity Clothes: Yup. I've finally given up on making non-maternity work.
Stretch Marks: No, fingers crossed.
Sleep: Slightly awful with the cold I've had this week.
Best/Worst Moment This Week: Going to the mountains for the day with mi familia was awesome.  The awful cold I caught the next day was definitely not.
Have You Told Friends & Family: Yes.
Miss Anything: And I thought I was having nasal breathing issues before this cold...ha!
Movement: Little guy's restful moments are few and far between.
Food Cravings: Pretty much anything chocolate.  
Anything Make You Queasy or Sick: Still have that hyper sensitive Bloodhound nose going on.
Have You Started to Show Yet: You don't say?!
Baby Is A: BOY!
Wedding Rings On or Off: Still on comfortably.
Belly Button In or Out: In but it seems like the top wants to pop out any second and the bottom is still laying low.  It's weird.
Happy or Moody: Being sick kinda depresses me.  And not being able to really take anything super potent for it sucks.
Labor Symptoms: Still lots of Braxton Hicks but everything else appears to be good!
Looking Forward To: The changing leaves up in the mountains.

Being Sick and Being Preggo...How to Deal

I just got knocked down a peg or two (or fifteen...let's be honest) with a cold over Labor Day weekend and let's just say, being sick and pregnant really sucks.  Why?  Well, there's really not a whole heckuva lot you can do for a cold while pregnant because everything is pretty much going to cause serious harm to the baby and since Tylenol is pretty much useless, you're left with...not much.  So that makes it really fun for us mamas to suffer through lots of nasal snottiness and coughing...especially when you're also looking after a 2 year old.  So what the heck are we supposed to do besides roll over and bemoan the fact that we feel like death?  Go back to nature...in a way because most of nature isn't trying to kill us or our unborn baby.

*Please keep in mind that just because something is natural doesn't mean it is necessarily safe for a pregnant woman.  There are a lot of essential oils that a pregnant woman shouldn't take so please do your research but these are all deemed safe for use while pregnant. 



| 1 | 2 | 3
| 4 | 5 |

1) Eucalyptus oil...can't really say enough good things about the stuff.  It's a great anti-bacterial and good stuff nose opener.  I will also put a few drops of it into a humidifier when Selah has a cold.

2) These shower tablets are awesome.  You just pop one on the floor of your shower and when the water hits it, voila!  Awesome eucalyptus vapors get all up in your snotty face and help you to breathe better.  Or if you're more the DIY route (like I plan to do with these once I get back on my feet), you can make them yourself as seen here.

3 & 4) Ahh, the Neti Pot.  I'm not sure I can ever really get used to using one of these but if I'm really struggling in the breathing department, these bad boys will help.  They're insanely gross and I'm sorry but the photos of people using them does not accurately portray what has ever happened to me.

5) Lemon oil is another great anti-bacterial that is great for helping with a cold.  I've been using it on my lymph nodes to help drain out the some of the gunk that is hanging out in my sinuses.  Trust me, I've actually thought about shoving a garden hose up there to really get things moving on out quicker but I decided to go the more reasonable route of Lemon oil.

Will these make you miraculously better in the blink of an eye?  Probably not.  And if they do, I may want to smack ya.  But they will certainly help you as opposed to just laying around doing nothing and being more miserable and we all know that sometimes, mind over matter is a good cure too.

Weekly Pregnancy Updates : 22 Weeks

| Shirt | Scarf |

Pay no attention to the awesome bruise on my leg.  Who knows where it came from...probably a wall/corner/door/table/chair/any of the million things that are around the house. I bruise easily...what can I say!

How Far Along: 22 Weeks (These are a week behind so I'm really 23 weeks this week.)
Maternity Clothes: Most of them are at this point.  They're just more comfortable, especially since I carry so low.
Stretch Marks: No, fingers crossed.
Sleep: Sleep has actually been somewhat decent this week.
Best/Worst Moment This Week: The awesome chocolate cake that a friend brought me a huge slice of.  I tried to make it last longer...but I did not.
Have You Told Friends & Family: Yes.
Miss Anything: I'll be honest...not gaining weight.
Movement: Little guy's restful moments are few and far between.
Food Cravings: Chocolate cake.  
Anything Make You Queasy or Sick: Still have that hyper sensitive Bloodhound nose going on.
Have You Started to Show Yet: You don't say?!
Baby Is A: BOY!
Wedding Rings On or Off: Still on comfortably.
Belly Button In or Out: In but it seems like the top wants to pop out any second and the bottom is still laying low.  It's weird.
Happy or Moody: The chocolate cake put me in a good mood :)
Labor Symptoms: Still lots of Braxton Hicks but everything else appears to be good!
Looking Forward To: Summer bidding itself adieu!

Weekly Pregnancy Updates : 21 Weeks

 | Jeans | Swing |

Nothing majorly exciting happened this week and clearly you can tell by what I'm wearing.  I finally reached a point where I decided it was time to hang up the non-maternity shorts.  I can get the zipper all the way up but because of how low I'm carrying, the zipper cuts right into little man's living quarters and not only is it super uncomfortable for me, I'm sure it is for him too based on how much he kicks when I was sitting down in them.  I could bust out my belly bands (and I still may) but for now, I'm just going with all elastic baby!  I did find our swing though, which I'm pretty pumped about.  I'd really contemplated back and forth for awhile between the Graco Sweetpeace swing and the 4Moms Mamaroo and it really came down down to a couple things: I'd heard of a few babies hating the Mamaroo and its movements and we had borrowed the Graco swing from a friend and Selah looooved that thing so I went with what was successful before.  And hoping that this baby is a swing lover like big sister was.

How Far Along: 21 Weeks (These are a week behind so I'm really 22 weeks this week.)
Maternity Clothes: All maternity bottoms now but I can still wear non-maternity tops...just depends on my mood.
Stretch Marks: No, fingers crossed.
Sleep: I started taking Valerian on the recommendation of my midwife and it's helping but would probably be a whole lot more effective if I didn't have that gawd awful nasal congestion.
Best/Worst Moment This Week: Finding the swing!  Yes...it's the little things.
Have You Told Friends & Family: Yes.
Miss Anything: Breathing through my nose.  And cool weather.
Movement: Holy cow, yes.  It's definitely more movement than not with this guy.
Food Cravings: This week it was chocolate cake.  I wanted thick, gooey chocolate iced cake and just grabbed a chocolate cake from the bakery section at our local store.  And was a little disappointed in its quality and lack of icing.  But not enough to keep eating it of course.
Anything Make You Queasy or Sick: Trash in general but who doesn't really hate the smell of garbage?  
Have You Started to Show Yet: You don't say?!
Baby Is A: BOY!
Wedding Rings On or Off: Still on but I have the fake wedding band I wore last time on the ready.
Belly Button In or Out: In but it seems like the top wants to pop out any second and the bottom is still laying low.  It's weird.
Happy or Moody: A few stressful moments this week but trying to maintain a good attitude! 
Labor Symptoms: I've been having Braxton Hicks for a few weeks but they're usually in the morning and nothing too bad.
Looking Forward To: Any guesses what I'm gonna say? ;) Fall...still fall.

What I'm Loving Lately

It's only the 2nd week of August and I'm all summered out.  We didn't do anything spectacularly awesome this summer other than more home renovations but when I say I'm summered out, I mean I'm done with the hot temps.  I'm just not meant for hot weather...especially when knocked up.  I've tried to keep my complaining at bay unless it's around the husband because he hates the heat as well so he gets it and can commiserate.  But, with August comes fall just around the corner and I'm in absolute heaven and I'm not so patiently waiting for it.  In the meantime, here are some things that have been brightening my days lately.

Continuing on the fall trend, I made a very quick dash into Walmart this morning to look for something in particular and headed to check out the candles because all of ours ran out at once.  I got my go-to vanilla scent and the pumpkin spice was the only fallish scent they had that this preggo nose could stand.  Some are a little too funeral parlor slash 1980's Elizabeth Taylor perfume for my taste.  And at $5 a piece, you really can't go wrong with these.

I normally get a small caramel Frappe from McDonald's about once a week but decided to give their chocolate chip one a try today; mainly because a small person who shall remain nameless likes to swipe my drink when I'm not looking and the last thing she needs is more caffeine/energy.  It's muy bueno and I kid you not...a whopping $1.09.  Put your credit cards away people.


I bought these shoes off eBay and they arrived this weekend.  I like little accents of leopard prints here and there and these shoes fit the bill and under $13 too!  I normally wear a 9 but these were big...definitely should've gone with an 8.5. I plan on picking up a couple other colors too.

So I'm no makeup guru by any means but I was looking to jazz my routine up a little bit (and help me look less tired...let's be honest) so I finally purchased the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette and love it!

What I'd really love?  A freak August snowstorm :)

Weekly Pregnancy Updates : 20 Weeks

 So I'm halfway through this pregnancy and while it doesn't feel like it's been 5 months, it still feels like forever away to D-Day!  But let's be honest, if I actually make it to 40 weeks this time, I'll be abundantly shocked.  My goal is 37 weeks...my midwife mentioned she'd like me to get to 38 so we're a hopin' and a prayin' over here for Little Man to cook long enough!

I bought the maxi dress I'm wearing at Forever 21 a couple months ago and let's just say, I'm not impressed.  I washed it recently in cold on the Delicate cycle and air dried and the bottom shrank up about 4 inches so it's now that super flattering between your ankle and calf length.  Trying to decide if I'll whack another few inches off to make it knee length and a little more attractive.  The belt, however, is one of my faves and I really should wear it more often.

| Belt | Dress (similar) |

How Far Along: 20 Weeks (These are a week behind so I'm really 21 weeks this week.)
Total Weight Gain/Loss: I haven't even checked this week.  Is that bad?
Maternity Clothes: I'm still wearing a few pairs of regular shorts unbuttoned but by the way I'm getting karate chopped from the inside, I'm guessing that the occupant does not like the way they cut into his space when I'm bending over.
Stretch Marks: No, fingers crossed.
Symptoms: No more morning sickness!  Double fist pump.
Sleep: Don't even want to go there.  Add a couple night time bloody noses to the mix.
Best/Worst Moment This Week: The all day rain we had!  It was awesome and I didn't want it to end and all those people complaining about the rain can just shut it.  Not everyone in Colorado likes that it's a desert here.
Have You Told Friends & Family: Yes.
Miss Anything: Decent sleep.
Movement: Holy cow this kid moves A LOT.
Food Cravings: Still waiting on that Panera Mac 'n Cheese.
Anything Make You Queasy or Sick: The garbage can.  
Have You Started to Show Yet: Yes and I'm carrying the same way I did with Selah.
Baby Is A: Boy!
Wedding Rings On or Off: Still on.
Belly Button In or Out: Still in...barely.
Happy or Moody: Pretty good although a certain dog of ours has been on my List for awhile due to her spiteful peeing on the floor outside Selah's door.  
Looking Forward To: Fall.  I'll keep looking forward to fall until it's here :)

Weekly Pregnancy Updates : 19 Weeks

| Tank | Cardigan (similar) | Skirt (similar) |
So if you couldn't tell from the picture (or can't read), we found out this week (last week really) that the bun in the oven is a little boy!  To say that we were surprised is a bit of an understatement because I'm pretty sure we'd resigned ourselves to the fact that this one was going to be another girl.  However, the ultrasound and a few very obvious photos proved otherwise.  I had a couple days where I was a little daunted by the thought of having a boy because as I put it, "I don't know what to do with a boy!"  But I'm sure I'll figure it out soon enough ;)

How Far Along: 19 Weeks (These are a week behind so I'm really 20 weeks this week.)
Total Weight Gain/Loss: Still on the high end of normal but whatever.  I'm sure I have a few weight gain induced melt downs in my future.
Maternity Clothes: I'd say they make up 20% of my wardrobe; still wearing regular clothes.
Stretch Marks: No, fingers crossed.
Symptoms: No more morning sickness!  Double fist pump.
Sleep: That dang pregnancy nasal congestion is still here.  As is the insomnia.  Thank goodness for naps.
Best/Worst Moment This Week: Finding out baby is a boy!
Have You Told Friends & Family: Yes.
Miss Anything: Decent sleep.
Movement: Oh yes...this baby is a mover.
Food Cravings: Still waiting on that Panera Mac 'n Cheese.
Anything Make You Queasy or Sick: Cleaning out the crock pot from last night's ribs was almost too much for me.  So gross.
Have You Started to Show Yet: Definitely not a food baby anymore.
Baby Is A: Boy!
Wedding Rings On or Off: Still on.
Belly Button In or Out: Still in...barely.
Happy or Moody: Pretty happy but ya know, little hormonal 'moments' (that's the nicest way to put them) happen here and there.
Looking Forward To: Fall.  It's cooled down here a bit but I'm still praying for an early fall.  I'm ready for boots and sweaters. And pumpkin patches.

Weekly Pregnancy Updates : 18 Weeks



| Shirt | Pants (similar), (similar) |

So I bought these awesome palazzo pants last year and unfortunately bought them in a size too big and they were all out of the smaller size so they just sat in my closet until now.  They're super comfortable and while I wore 4 inch sandals with them, I was still stepping on about 2" of them.  Apparently you can trim the hem yourself which I find kinda weird because you're chopping part of the design off.  Have yet to decide what to do about that.  First world problems I know.

We moved the crib into the baby's room when we made the big girl bed switch and Selah wanted to check it out for this week's photo.

How Far Along: 18 Weeks (These are a week behind so I'm really 19 weeks this week.)
Total Weight Gain/Loss: I'll just leave it at...I'm within the normal range to gain between 25-35 pounds.
Maternity Clothes: Some.  The shirts are still huge and baggy on me and that's just not a good look.
Stretch Marks: No, fingers crossed.
Symptoms: No more morning sickness!  Double fist pump.
Sleep: I've been getting more insomnia which drives me nuts and leaves me exhausted all at the same time.
Best/Worst Moment This Week: Finding out the HOA will allow us to keep our window AC in for the rest of the summer if I get a note from our midwife!
Have You Told Friends & Family: Yes.
Miss Anything: Decent sleep.
Movement: Oh yes...this baby is a mover.
Food Cravings: Still waiting on that Panera but we just discovered a new Panera opened up nearby that may be closer than the other one.
Anything Make You Queasy or Sick: Nothing this week...fingers crossed.
Have You Started to Show Yet: Yes but not real big changes, at least to my eye anyway.
Baby Is A: Not sure yet...next week!
Wedding Rings On or Off: Still on.
Belly Button In or Out: Still in...barely.
Happy or Moody: We started potty training this week for Miss Selah.  She's doing well but man, is that tiring!
Looking Forward To: Finding out what baby is at the end of next week!

A Realistic Look at Pain

As many pregnant women know, you have to drink a lot of water during those blessed 9 months (actually 10 months but that's a whole 'nother post) to make sure Junior has enough water to back paddle around in.  I found that I was not getting enough water when I was just drinking out of glasses during the day so I decided to pull out my trusty plastic jug that I got from the hospital when I had Selah because it A) is huge and shows the number of ounces in it and B) telling myself I only needed to drink 3 of said jugs of water instead of 8+ glasses was easier for me to wrap my mind around.  No, it's not aesthetically pleasing at all and Selah is way more interested in drinking out of the long straw than out of her own cup a mere inch away but, I've always found the pain scale on the side of it to be mildly humorous.


It's also a little, unrealistic, shall we say.  If I'm at a 10, you can bet I'm going to have more than a couple measly tears and a frowny face.  And yes, an 8 does in fact, Hurts Whole Lot.  I'm guessing these illustrations weren't critiqued for grammar.  Nor do I need to know the foreign words for pain.  Although it may come in handy next time I hit up my local nail salon and they get a little crazy with the cuticle nippers.  Hmmm.  Anyway, I laugh at this jug pretty much every time I use it reminded me of this awesome, more realistic pain scale someone sent my way right after I'd had Selah.  Behold the best pain scale ever known to man!
Slap this puppy on the side of hospital jugs and you'd be selling these in the gift shop.  I'd say #10 was more accurate for my car ride to the hospital just a few minutes before Selah popped out.  Yes, there was most definitely a bear mauling me in the truck during those 30 minutes.  Okay so maybe it wasn't that bad but way better than some Hurts Whole Lot and a face who looks like he maybe just has bad heartburn.