I’m Pregnant! Pregnancy Update & Milestone Cards

Hey guys! It’s been SO long. I have been so bad about blogging my pregnancy with Baby #2! Oh and surprise! I’m pregnant with another baby boy - currently in the third trimester. It has gone by soooo fast this time since I have a wild little toddler to chase after. We found out in August that we would be expecting another little baby. It seemed like the first trimester lasted forever for two reasons: I felt so crappy and also we found out at 3 weeks so I think just waiting to tell people felt like forever. I’ll kinda break down the trimesters so far.

1st trimester is always the roughest for me. I would way rather have a big belly and be uncomfortable than be tired and nauseated all the time. I started to feel sick at probably 4 weeks. A lot sooner than with my other son. I also realized how much easier it was to be pregnant with my first than second! The first I could come home from work and just lay in bed the rest of the night, but when you already have a kid or kids (shout-out to people who have like 5 kids and are pregnant like holy cow how do you do it?!) I napped almost everyday during Luke’s nap on days I wasn’t working, which I NEVER do. Did not do any sort of exercise at all during the first trimester either and craved carbs only. Fresh, cold fruit and plain starchy foods like toast, crackers, bagels and grilled cheese/quesadillas. I was convinced I was having another boy because I felt identical to how I did with Luke. At the end of my first trimester I had to do an early glucose test since I had gestational diabetes with Luke and I failed again! So, they didn’t make me take the 3 hour one because my numbers were so elevated and I just had to start back up with watching my carb intake and testing 4 times a day. It seems like I’ve literally been doing it FOREVER at this point. I have such a respect for diabetics because it really is a complete lifestyle change and also I feel like my life revolves around obsessing over carbs and food (which is not something I prefer to do). Nonetheless, I am very grateful that I have been able to manage it with diet and exercise alone and hopefully I will have another average sized baby with no complications! 

2nd trimester was the best! Did not feel completely huge, got my energy back, felt those sweet baby kicks, found out the gender...so many fun things! I really tried to take advantage of the energy I got during the second trimester and started back up doing things I enjoy like actually getting ready for the day and wearing cute outfits, exercising a few times a week and just doing a better job keeping up around the house. The first trimester I basically apologized to my husband ahead of time that I was going to be the worst as far as cleaning and cooking go. I also was forced to cook more because of my diabetes. The most exciting thing happened during the second trimester and we found out we were having a baby boy! My mama instincts were spot on! We found out at a 3D ultrasound place called Sweet Pea Imagery in Spokane. It was so special just finding out the two of us, which is exactly how we did it last time as well. I highly recommend Sweet Pea if you are in the Spokane or Tri Cities area! We also decided on a name in the second trimester. It was sooo hard picking out another boy name! Girl names are so much easier for us and we haven’t used any 😂 Head to my Instagram if you want to see our name reveal! It’s hard for me to say when I started feeling baby kicks because I want to say it was really early, but then I felt like I didn’t feel anything for weeks after so I’m not sure if I did or not. I really started to feel them around 20-22 weeks I would say. I think a part of it was that the last I remembered for the feeling of kicks was at the end of my last pregnancy and they were obviously really strong and a lot more powerful. Regardless, they are always so reassuring when you can start to feel them. I started using my little belly sound machine thing that I posted about in my previous pregnancy! I really feel like I popped around 24 weeks and ever since then I just feel so much bigger than I did last pregnancy. I’m trying to embrace it because this might very well be our last baby, but guys, sometimes it’s just really hard getting larger lol. I think it is harder too because I’m lugging around a 30lb human half of the time and my belly is always getting in the way haha!

3rd trimester has been alright so far. I’m over the diabetes, but I’m trying to stay positive and I know everything happens for a reason and I’m trying to use it as a way to get more creative with cooking, which I totally have! I’ve been Pinteresting a lot of low carb recipes and actually have even baked a few low carb items as well. Cauliflower rice, zucchini spirals and the Keto Fat head dough have been great replacements in some of my favorite meals. Follow me on Pinterest if you need some ideas and are in the same boat :) One thing I really have not been following through with is the boys’ bedroom situation! We are planning on keeping the nursery as is and just converting our second guest bedroom into our older son’s big boy room. Assuming the new baby won’t sleep in his crib for quite a while, we want to keep big brother in there as long as possible so we don’t have to buy two cribs. Plus, Luke hasn’t tried or showed any interest in trying to escape his crib so I think we are good for a while. The new room is a pretty blank slate and we are actually having someone come tomorrow to give us a bid on some woodwork for a feature wall, so I guess that’s a little bit of progress! I’m starting to realize we don’t have a lot of time left though and need to start accumulating pieces for the room! I’ll post more on Instagram so make sure you follow me!

I’ve been so terrible at posting bump pictures and updates, but I did take some a few weeks ago after I was sent some adorable milestone cards from @babynotebook . They are so dang cute and I wish I would have used them earlier in my pregnancy! You can actually get your own for FREE if you sign up on their email list www.babynotebookapp.com! I also LOVE that they are based out of Seattle (Washington local here :)) Hope you guys enjoy this little update and let me know if you have any questions! I really want to start getting back into blogging more regularly!

What's in my hospital bag?

I packed my hospital bag around 34 weeks, just to be safe! I asked around to friends and did some research to see what I actually needed to bring. I feel like I ALWAYS overpack, so I wanted to try to keep it simple. I also only live about 10 minutes from the hospital I will be delivering at, so if needed someone could always go grab something for me! I've heard from a lot of people that the hospital provides a lot of things like mesh underwear, pads, diapers and more disposable things, so I didn't really bring any of those. First, I used my diaper bag as my hospital bag for me and the baby. I'll link which one I have below, but it's super functional and actually holds a lot! Plus, it's a backpack, which I always find so easy to grab and go. It's the SkipHop Chelsea bag in black with gold hardware.

For me: I picked up a plain, waffle jersey-knit light-weight black robe to wear (I have a really nice white Hotel Collection one Chris got me for Mother's Day, but I thought white might be a little risky at the hospital). I picked it up from Wal-Mart for $12 and I think it will be perfect because I can just tie it up and don't really have to be wearing anything else if I don't want to. Plus, I know I'll use it all the time after! I also picked up two comfy nursing bras from Wal-Mart. For pants I just did my Lululemon Align leggings and a pair of jersey-knit pajama pants from Old Navy. It's going to be super hot I'm assuming so I just brought two loose tank tops to go with them and I guess I'll just wear one of those combos home. Like I said, it takes like 10 minutes to get there so I didn't really put a lot of thought into a "going-home outfit" or anything like that. I also packed my Adidas slides as my sole pair of shoes. They have good enough traction on the bottom for walking around and I could wear them in the shower too since they are waterproof. I packed a washcloth and a travel size face wash I already had (I figured it would be easiest to just do travel sizes of things instead of grabbing all of my regular sized things that I will be using up until I go into labor), a washcloth, face wipes, dry shampoo (my hair is such a pain to wash/dry), a pack of elastics for braids (I think braids will be my go-to to keep my hair out of my face and not have to deal with washing/drying my hair at the hospital), a comb, a travel toothbrush and toothpaste set, floss, a razor (we will see how much I end up caring lol) and then I will just grab my makeup bag on the way out the door. I keep deodorant in my purse so that will be included as well. The most exciting thing for me to pack was a couple of snacks haha! I haven't been able to eat many carbs or any candy or anything from my Gestational Diabetes, so I stocked up on some protein bars (figured they would be more beneficial than just a candy bar) and my favorite Black Forest Organic Gummy Bears to eat as soon as I pop that baby out! Chris has the phone chargers in his bag too. I think I will pick up a pack of gum/mints too to throw in there for when I have visitors hah. That's pretty much it though.

For baby: I really didn't pack much. I packed two outfits (cross your fingers he can fit into newborn sizes lol). If you have seen any of the clothes I have bought him you know I really only like white, black, gray and blue, so the outfits are super neutral. I also packed two cute little newborn beanies and a muslin swaddle blanket. Also, our carseat is on it's way to our house (see last post to read what happened there), but obviously I will be packing that as well. That's really it for him. Let me know if you feel like I am missing out on anything!

Pregnancy Update: Weeks 34-37

Sorry for the lack of updates over the past few weeks! I have been super busy and SUPER tired. I have been taking naps every day when I get home from work, and have been enjoying every second of them while I can :) At week 34 I had another doctor's appointment, which was quick and easy. Then, I went back to the Dr. at week 36 for my final 2 week appointment. At that appointment I had the Strep B test (google it if you don't know what it is lol). He also checked to see if I had dilated at all for the first time. I wasn't at all. After that appointment he said he wants to see me every week until the baby comes, which I think makes the time fly so much faster, the fact that I get to go in every week now and hear/check on the baby. I can't believe he's coming in 3 weeks or less! I think I told you guys a while ago that because I had gestational diabetes he had said at my diagnosis that he would likely not let me go past my due date for that reason. I am not sure if that still stands, I'll have to ask him when I go back in! The only reason why I am wondering is because I have been managing my diet so well and haven't had to do anything extra or any kind of stress tests or anything like that for the GD, which I know isn't always the case. My blood sugar has been great! Honestly, its really hard! But, I am the kind of person that when you tell me instructions on how to do something, I follow it to a T! As hard as it is to stay away from carbs, my health/the baby's health is so much more important to me. Plus, I already packed my hospital bag and put in some of the foods that I have been craving for after I have him! Kind of like a little celebration :) Speaking of hospital bag, I packed mine at around 34 weeks and so did Chris. I think I'll do a next post on what is in my hospital bag and then after I have him maybe I will go back and let you know what I actually used!

I actually got into a minor car accident this past week on my lunch break at work. Someone rear-ended me, but it was honestly such a low impact she pretty much just tapped my car. It freaked me out thought because it could have been really bad. I called my Dr. to let them know and they said it is protocol that you have to come in after a car accident, especially since I was 36.5 weeks at the time. The good thing was that I got to do a practice run of going to Labor and Delivery haha! I could still feel the baby moving around and stuff after the accident, but I wasn't sure if the tightening of the seat-belt did anything or if it hit my stomach against the steering wheel. I went to L&D and they hooked up one of those band things around my belly to monitor everything. They said my blood pressure was fine and the baby seemed fine too, but wanted me to stay around for a couple of hours to make sure nothing changed. She also told me I was having contractions, which I had no idea I don't even notice. They sent me home after a few hours and told me to just keep my normal appointment for the next morning with my Dr. I definitely feel extremely blessed that no damage was done during the car accident!

Symptoms: Just feeling huge! My stomach actually hurts towards the front because it is stretching and I can feel the baby pushing on it. No stretch marks so far, so hopefully I am in the clear! I feel like I am kind of waddling now and my feet/ankles are feeling worn out from the extra weight I am carrying around. I don't think it helps that I don't wear the most supportive shoes most of the time when I am at home. I have also been waking up with really bad charlie horses in my legs and luckily if I flex my foot they go away after a few seconds, but they seriously hurt so bad!! I think I have been nesting like a crazy person too, which I don't know if it is a "symptom", but I thought I would include it anyways. Over Memorial Day Weekend my husband and I deep cleaned the house and changed out the air filter, finished painting, cleaned out all of the vents, all of the drawers and cabinets. It felt really good! Now we just have to keep it clean until the baby comes! I also washed all of his clothes and blankets. I put together his bouncer seat and organized all of his drawers. We ordered his stroller  and carseat over a month ago and just got an email this week saying they cancelled our order because it is no longer available. That was annoying! Luckily I found the same deal somewhere else and it shipped the next day, so I need to at least hold onto this baby until June 14th because I don't have a car seat lol. We ordered a basinet that I put together and set it up in our room! Chris picked it out, which was really cute :) It's super easy to assemble and comes with a carry-bag so you can bring it with you if you travel so I'll link it below in case anyone is interested! Also, we have a name picked out, and most of our friends already know, but I will wait to announce it when he is born!

Cravings: Basically everything that I can't eat! Any kind of sweets and tons of fruit! Unfortunately, when I have too much fruit my blood sugar is too high, so I usually stick to one or two Halo oranges a day or half of an apple. Peanut butter has been my savior! I can eat as much peanut butter as I want without my blood sugar spiking. I have sadly gone through 2 giant Adam's Crunchy all natural peanut butter from Costco over the past few weeks (I'm pretty sure they have like 60 servings per container hah!!). I try to stay away from things that are "sugar-free" because I know the artificial sweeteners are not the greatest for you, but my one "bad" thing that I eat is the Danon Light and Fit yogurts (I think they are made with sucralose or something). They have 12g of protein and help cure my sweet tooth, so I figure if that's the one thing I splurge on this pregnancy, who cares! Another thing that I like to have now that its getting super hot out is sparkling waters. My new favorite is the Cascade Ice Organic Sparkling Water in Pomegranate Mango. It's sooo good when it's ice cold.

That's pretty much it as far as an update goes. Here are the bouncy seat, basinet and travel system that we got. I obviously have never used them before, so I don't know how they are going to work for our baby, but they are all really good quality and decent prices. It's so easy to spend sooo much money on baby, especially being a first time mom. But, I have been trying to find good deals on decent quality things. Hope you enjoy!

Pregnancy Update: Weeks 31-33

Baby month is next month! I have a doctor's appointment this week with my doctor (last one was with a midwife) and I want to confirm this, but the midwife told me because of my gestational diabetes they usually don't let you go past your due date. So, since my due date is June 30th, I won't be having a July baby. I had an appointment at 32 weeks and then I will have another at 34 and 36, then every week until the baby comes! That's what he had told me before I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes, and since I haven't seen my actual OB since then, I am not sure if that is going to change. The midwife said we will talk about that at my next appointment. At my 32 week appointment it was pretty quick and easy, I had to bring my log of all the food I have been eating and what my blood sugar has been over the past few weeks and they scan that in for their records. She said I have been doing great and there is no need for further intervention at this point! Which is really great to hear because I have been working really hard to keep my blood sugar low and have been passing up all of the delicious foods that I have been wanting! They checked the baby's heart rate, which is always so relieving to hear. It usually is around 140 or so. They measured me to make sure baby was growing correctly (I still don't get how this really tells you lol) and just asked if I had any questions. Another exciting thing that we did over the past few weeks is get another 3D/4D Ultrasound! We went and did this at an imaging place at week 14 to find out what we were having and she told us it is really cool to come back around weeks 28-32 (when the baby is looking close to what it does at birth, but still has enough room to move around so you can actually see everything). So, we went last weekend and it was honestly the coolest thing! We got to see our baby boy and his chubby cheeks and HAIR. She said she was actually surprised at how much hair he already has considering I still had 8 weeks left at the time. So weird, I never would have imagined us to have a baby with lots of hair hah! I wonder what color it will be!

As far as symptoms go, nothing really new. Honestly, I have been so blessed to have a pretty great pregnancy and still have been enjoying it for the most part. There are hard parts about it, but I just feel so lucky to even be able to become pregnant that I try not to focus on the bad so much. Seeing your body change and get bigger is always a hard thing for a woman, I think, but it's only temporary and you get the greatest gift out of it. It's definitely getting a lot harder to workout (OMG the motivation is really lacking here), move around and pick up things off of the ground. I have been taking a nap almost every day when I get home from work, and then after that I go straight to working out because it seems to be the only thing that gives me a boost of energy so I can actually get stuff done around the house. Shaving my legs or putting any kind lotion or anything on them is really awkward. My stomach feels like it can't stretch anymore and is as hard as a rock. It changes shape all the time when I move around and stuff and I can really feel different limbs and body parts of the baby! I woke up yesterday from my nap and it looked so weird I had this giant bulge on one side and not on the other. I was slacking with any kind of stretch mark butter or lotion over the past few months, but I have started to ramp it up because of how much I can feel it stretching. My belly button officially looks weird, too. I am wondering if it will ever go back to it's original state haha. I can see the linea negra now when I look in the mirror (no way I can see anything below my belly button without a mirror at this point), but I think it looks extra visible because I am so dang white! I haven't had any near-fainting experiences since I have been tracking my blood sugar, which is awesome! I have pretty much nailed down what I can and can't eat and eat mainly the same thing every day just to keep everything in check. I am really running out of things to wear as before I could get away with all of my tops, now they just look stupid because they stick out at the bottom. I bought a couple of maternity basic tees and tanks to layer underneath stuff and that seems to be the best! I like the stuff that doesn't have ruching (that looks so weird, but I googled it and it said that's how you spell it lol) on the sides because I know I can wear it postpartum as well; and I think it just looks more seamless. Also, since it is starting to get nice outside I can start to wear dresses, which are so much more comfortable than jeans! I went to Ross recently and found a bunch of really simple, soft, non-maternity dresses that I LOVE and were so inexpensive (like $9-13). I really like the midi and maxi lengths, I find them the most flattering! Again, I know I can wear them after the baby too, so I don't mind buying them. I'll link a couple of cute and affordable ones below! Also, I had my first two strangers mention that I was pregnant! I know this sounds stupid, but I was so excited. I was in my work uniform and the shirt is skin tight so it's kind of hard not to notice haha. They were both so sweet and cute though, it made it seem really real!

I also had my baby shower and maternity photos at week 31! My sisters and Mom threw me a shower over in my hometown and it was soooo perfect! I will do a blogpost with pictures and details about it after my sister gets done editing them. Also, if you need a photographer my sister is seriously amazing! Not just saying that! Check out her photography instagram @jennifernoellephotography . She has the best style and makes awkward people (me) feel really comfortable and basically tells you what to do! I only have a few things left to purchase for the baby and would love if anyone has any last recommendations :)

Pregnancy Update: Weeks 29-30, Gestational Diabetes?

Hey guys! Less than ten weeks left! I wanted to update you guys on whats been going on and how I have been feeling the past few weeks. First, as you can tell by the title, I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes. I never thought I would get it. I have been being cautious of what I have been eating for the most part throughout my pregnancy, with some crackers or a treat here and there and I have been exercising at least 5 times a week throughout my entire 2nd trimester and into my third! So, I was really bummed when I failed the 3-hour glucose test. Last time I updated you guys I was waiting to go back for the 3-hour. I went this last week and honestly it was really bad. Not the drink or anything, but I felt TERRIBLE throughout it and almost threw up and passed out multiple times because I felt so awful. I kind of had a feeling I wasn't reacting well to it and might not pass just based on how I felt the whole time. I mentioned before too, I have had multiple times at work where I just feel really light-headed and weak and then all of the sudden will get really nauseous, sweaty and my brain just can't focus on anything. They called me the day after the test and told me my levels were elevated for 2 out of the 4 blood draws (they draw your blood fasted, then an hour after the drink, then another hour after the drink, then another hour later). So, because it was elevated for more than one, they consider me to have Gestational Diabetes. The good thing is that at least now I KNOW what was going on with me recently and have an answer as to why I have been feeling so bad, plus I only have 10 weeks left so I know I can do it! They scheduled me with a registered dietician a few days ago and she taught me how to change my diet and check my blood glucose levels 4 times a day (just like a diabetic...prick your finger, log your food, the whole 9-yards) and I have to bring my log into all of my appointments so they can check to see if my levels were okay. I have my next appointment in a little less than 2 weeks and I think they start monitoring with ultrasounds at that point. I honestly felt like a failure finding all of this out, but after talking to the dietician, she explained it to me that sometimes you really just can't control having it. She was explaining that your placenta produces all of these extra hormones and they can attack your insulin, leaving extra sugar in your blood stream. I didn't really think I was eating that many carbs, but after a full day of tracking I realized there are certain foods that just spike my blood sugar so at least this way I am monitoring and trying to not make that happen! As far as my bump goes, I feel like it is getting bigger everyday! I still have yet to have a stranger ask if I am pregnant though, which is so hard for me to believe! But, maybe people are just scared to say the wrong thing :) It's getting a lot more uncomfortable to sit straight up in a chair, that is probably the worst position for me to be in, which makes me get kind of antsy at work. Sleeping is going well, no complaints besides my dog waking me up at 4-5 am every morning. I still make my pillow fort with pillows on either side of me to make sure I don't sleep on my stomach and that really seems to help and be comfortable! Still feeling the baby move around mostly at night and in the morning when I am laying down in bed. The movements are seriously the best feelings ever and make it seem so real! I need to make a checklist this week of all of things I need to get done before the baby comes, just because it is really coming up quickly! I wasn't going to do a birth class, but after really thinking about it and looking into it I think it would be a really good idea and I know they teach you more than just birthing. I am going to look into that and a hospital tour the next few weeks. I also have my baby shower this next weekend, which I am so excited about seeing all of my friends and family. That is one of the hardest things is living so far away from all of them, so I am really looking forward to it. The baby's room is really coming along and I will post pictures once it is finished! We got our rocker this last week so now all we really need is an ottoman, some wall decor and a few baskets to organize some stuff and we will be set! It is sooo cute I can't wait to post pictures of what it looks like done :) I LOVE home decor and furnishing rooms so this has been so fun for me to have an excuse to do so! That's pretty much it as far as an update goes! Talk to you guys soon :)

Pregnancy Update: Weeks 26-28

 Hey guys! So, I started to actually feel "pregnant" over the past few weeks. My bump is definitely stretching and growing bigger and I am feeling all of the lovely side effects of that :) I started to feel baby move all the time and can definitely see the movements from the outside too now, which is really cool! I am currently 28 weeks right now and I actually think the movements have decreased a little since last week, which I read is normal because there isn't as much room right now. At 26 weeks I swear I could actually feel a limb or hand/foot once when I put my hand on my lower stomach, which was really cool/weird! I feel most of the movements pretty low still and I feel some pressure like I can feel him turning around below my belly button too. At 26 weeks he was the size of a butternut squash and now at 28 weeks a coconut (according to my personal favorite app, Ovia pregnancy). I can't believe he's that big, so crazy! It also says at 28 weeks he is about 16 inches long and weighs about 2.5 lbs!! How exciting! Little tasks like putting on my shoes, bending over to pick up things off the floor, shaving my legs, etc. have all become so much harder over the past few weeks, but I know I am just in the beginning for that! Still have a ways to go! Last week (27 weeks) was Easter and I think I overdid it with the Easter candy. I have actually been really good at not eating too many sweets until the last month or so, which is weird for me because I always have such a sweet tooth. I went to work on Tuesday of last week and felt really off. I got really light-headed and dizzy and started to get the sweats and feel like I was going to throw up so I had to lay down & ended up having my husband come pick me up. I called my OBGYN office and they said I should come in. I went in and they checked the baby's heart beat and everything looked fine, but they said they were worried I was maybe not getting enough protein and that it was possibly my blood sugar being off. I was supposed to come back two days later for my 28 week appointment and glucose test and they said I should wait until then to do the glucose test since it does tend to make people feel a little off anyways. That morning I had eaten a breakfast of literally all carbs, and the midwife said your body metabolizes carbs so much faster during pregnancy so to make sure I am getting protein in with every meal. I went home and coincidently think I got the flu because I was in bed for the rest of the day, plus the day after with the chills, nausea and a fever. I forgot to mention too, the night before I kept waking up every hour or so with the worst back pain and could not get comfortable for the life of me! They said this was probably just because my back is arching more with my belly growing and to try stretching and pre-natal yoga (I have yet to try it because it actually went away, but I want to start adding that into my workouts for sure!). I went in 2 days later for my glucose test and 28 week appointment with my doctor and the appointment went great, it was super short and easy. He said he will see me for one more monthly appointment at 32 weeks then 2x a week until 36 weeks, then once a week until the baby comes! So exciting :) The glucose test: definitely tasted way better than I expected; I picked orange and it tasted like flat orange crush to me! It was really cold and also really tiny. I didn't feel sick or shaky or anything after I drank it and just waited the hour before I got my blood drawn. For anyone that doesn't know what I am talking about: they have you drink a high-sugary drink quickly and then after an hour they draw your blood to test for gestational diabetes, as well as a few other tests I think. They called me the next day and said I failed the test (I was super bummed and felt a little defeated, but I know that it doesn't mean I for sure have it, I just have to go back in a week to do a 3 hour test and then they will let me know). I am hoping that I just overdid it with the Easter candy the previous days. They also told me I am anemic and need to up my iron intake, which I have read is pretty common for pregnancy as well. I will keep you guys updated on this in my next post! As far as working out: I have kept up about 5 times a week doing a workout in my basement (nothing crazy, but 20 minutes on my elliptical and some light weights and it really makes me feel so much more energized and keeps my endorphins up for sure :)) My mom came this weekend and totally cleaned out the nursery so it actually looks like a baby's room now! I was so thankful she came and helped with that because it was making me a little stressed out. It still isn't done, but the dresser and crib are the only pieces of furniture in there now (before it was a dressing room kind of for myself) and we purchased a super cute rug at Home Goods for $59 yesterday and it fits perfectly! Now, we just need the rocker and some few other little pieces and we will be good to go! I also started working on my registry since my shower is coming up in a few weeks. That has been a little overwhelming because there are sooo many things! I don't know where to start, but if you have any recommendations please let me know :) Another thing, any stroller or carseat recommendations are totally welcomed! We are wanting to buy ours next month. I am linking some of my favorite affordable baby clothes that I have recently picked up because I have had a few messages asking where I have found everything! That's pretty much it for the past few weeks, though. Thanks for reading! ;)

Pregnancy Update: Weeks 22-25

Sorry for the delay! I feel like not much has been changing over 2 weeks so I went out an extra week and I am now 25 weeks pregnant! I'll update you guys on how I have been feeling between 22 weeks until now. At exactly 22 weeks my husband felt the baby kick for the first time!! Soooo exciting. It was so cool seeing how excited he was. I think it must be hard for guys because they don't get to experience any of the symptoms (both good and bad) so they don't get as much of that connection, so this was really exciting for him and made it seem so much more real! Now he feels him all the time. I have noticed some patterns in when I feel him move around: he goes crazy when I use my BabyPlus (see last post to see what I am talking about), after I eat, and whenever I am sitting or laying down still. When I am moving around and super busy I don't really feel him and I read that it can be because they are almost getting rocked to sleep by your movement. Makes sense if that's true! I also started about a week ago to see his kicks from the outside of my stomach. I hear people talk about their babies having hiccups...how do you know if your baby does? One of my apps told me to be on the lookout, but I have no idea what to look for haha. It took me long enough to even realize he was kicking :) I also had my 6 month appointment, which was super quick and easy. They did the normal pee in a cup, weight, blood pressure, asked if I had any questions, listened to the heart beat and measured my fundal height (it supposedly measures to see if baby is growing normally in size since they don't do ultrasounds). Everything went great, so I felt very thankful! Every appointment I seriously get so thankful to be at this point, it's unreal! I finally started to feel tired and have been lacking motivation for sure. The only thing that gives me energy is surprisingly working out, so I have been working out at night actually and it seems to give me the motivation after to do laundry and clean the kitchen, even pack my lunch sometimes (shocker for me haha). I started to feel like my belly is getting big finally too (I know this is just the beginning and haven't seen anything yet). I finally bought some maternity work pants after I ripped a hole in the butt of my regular ones haha! I looked everywhere and was so sad they had absolutely no maternity sections at all at so many stores! I ended up getting them at Motherhood Maternity and they feel like pajamas they were so worth it! Probably over the past 2 weeks I have gotten an EXTREMELY huge appetite and mostly for sweets! This is brand new as I had a major sweet tooth before I was pregnant, but since about 6 weeks I haven't craved chocolate or anything sweet (besides fruit). I also had a couple of decaf coffees from the coffee stand/Starbucks, which I wasn't craving before at all either, but I shortly regretted those after my face broke out terribly! Before I was pregnant I stopped drinking coffee because it was making my skin break out so bad and I don't know why I thought it would be different now, but it's been about 2 weeks and they are still there! We got our crib and dresser for the baby's room! So exciting! I now need to fully clean out everything in that room. I am lucky enough that my parents got the crib and dresser for us (so thankful for them!) and I couldn't be more happy at how pretty they are, I can't wait to share! We are pretty set on a name, but I think we will probably wait until he's here to finalize it...I don't know though maybe not because we don't have any backups (boy names are soooo hard!). I am sharing my favorite maternity jeans below, I have been wearing them nonstop! Get a size down from your regular size and I highly recommend the crossover panel compared to the stretchy sides. I have one pair with just the stretchy sides and I honestly can't stand them I can pull them on without unbuttoning the and I feel like I always have my underwear hanging out and I feel like I have a 24/7 muffin top (way too big in the waist and I got the smallest size). The over the belly panel just kind of holds everything in! Plus, I always preferred high-waisted pants prior to being pregnant.

Pregnancy update: Weeks 20-21

Hi guys! I am now 22.5 weeks pregnant & I say this every time, but I can't believe it! I have been so blessed in the fact that I have had such an amazing pregnancy so far. The first trimester was a little rough, but I continue to feel great throughout the second trimester. I was super tired during both of these weeks. Probably the most tired I have been throughout this entire pregnancy and fell asleep around 6pm every night after work, which is why I didn't take a picture at 20 weeks, whoops! I think it's part baby, part weather-related. It's so freezing cold here in Washington and it seems to make me more tired. I have continued to feel more movement from the baby. It still felt like little gas bubbles or twitches during these weeks and I mostly noticed it in the morning and at night. I haven't had Chris try to feel yet just because it seems like he is not around when I notice the movements, but I am sure he will be able to feel soon. On some days I don't feel anything, which kind of freaked me out, but then I will feel it the next so I am sure it is just because he is still pretty small and I have been so busy/not really "looking" for it. I had absolutely no energy after work during week 21 so I don't think I worked out a single time, which I am totally fine with. I know with pregnancy it is really important to listen to your body and since I was so tired and really didn't feel that great before working out, I knew I needed that extra rest. I have continued to wake up multiple times in the middle of the night. Part of it has to do with my dog, who has started pacing around at 2am and ONLY waking me up (not my husband). I guess he's just getting me ready. I am still getting full really easily and especially if I eat out I feel like I need to lay down afterwards! I know your digestion slows down during pregnancy, so maybe this has something to do with it. I always bring lots of snacks to work and try to eat something every 2 hours instead of eating bigger meals. As far as other symptoms like pain or aches or anything like that, I haven't had anything. Still sore in the chest area, but that's been since about week 6 so I am used to it. I have continued to use lotion and belly rub as often as I can remember, but probably not every day. My favorite pants have been my Lululemon Align pants. They are sooo comfy and stretchy and are really high-waisted so they come up way over my bump. It has been really nice being pregnant in the winter because I can wear leggings pretty much every day I am not at work. I have continued to do the hair-tie trick with all of my jeans, but I am getting a little sick of it and think I will need to get some maternity pants sometime here soon. I picked up this tank top from Target in black and it is seriously amazing! I wear it under everything and it just kind of smooths everything and comes down long enough to cover my unbuttoned pants! I like that it isn't rouched on the sides too and it just a really nice, luxurious material. They have it in grey and white too! (linked below) The last thing I wanted to talk about is a product that a friend of mine recommended to me. It's called the BabyPlus In-Utero Education System. It's pretty much a little noise machine that goes inside a fanny-pack looking thing you wear around your waist 2x a day for an hour each and it makes a noise that sounds like a drum or heartbeat. It's supposed to be really great for brain development and if you are interested I would highly recommend reading about it! I started mine at week 19 and I think they say about week 18 is when you can start. It seemed kind of weird to me, but after doing a lot of research I felt like it was worth the investment! I notice the baby moving around more during those 2 hours too, which is really cool. If anyone is interested I linked it below and you can read about it in the product description. That's pretty much it for my update! Thanks for reading :)

Pregnancy skincare essentials

Hey guys! As some of you know, I have slowly switched over to more natural beauty products and I wanted to share which ones I have been loving so far during my pregnancy! I have mentioned before, but I really love the Think Dirty App (free to download) where you can type in or scan different beauty and skincare items to see what their ingredients are and which ones are harmful. I have felt extra inclined to use it since I have been pregnant too. These have been my favorites:

1. Honest Face and Body Lotion & Pacifica Island Vanilla Body Butter: I switch between the two of these depending on which scent I want. The Pacifica one is thicker, but I feel like my skin retains more moisture with the Honest one! Both are such good every-day body lotions! They smell super good and leave my skin nice and soft. Sometimes putting a belly butter on every single day just seems a little excessive so this stuff is perfect for in between. I find the Honest one in the baby section of Target and it's around $10 and rates really low on the Think Dirty App. The Pacifica one you can get at Target or Ulta. Same thing with the Honest body wash! Smells really good and does the job.

2. Honest Co. Organic Belly Balm: This stuff has such good, moisturizing ingredients, smells good and makes my little growing belly feel super soft. I put it on at night (not every night) and by the time I wake up in the morning it feels soaked in, but still moisturized. I think it will be really nice for when I really start to stretch and my stomach is itching!

3. EOS Mint Chapstick: I have mentioned this before, but it is my favorite chapstick ever. It has natural ingredients, feels so cooling on your lips and leaves my lips smooth when I apply it. I have had SUCH dry lips during pregnancy and have tried a bunch of different ones and this always seems to be the one I come back to. The stick form is key (I don't like the little ball ones).

4. Pacifica Dreamy Youth Day and Night Face Cream: One of the first things I switched out were my face products because they seemed to have the worst ratings on the Think Dirty App. I am not an expert, so always check with your doctor on everything, but this has great ingredients and is nice and hydrating! It also smells really good, kind of floral-y. I put this on my neck too every night!

5. Coconut oil: Such a good multipurpose product. I use this under my eyes and on my neck and chest a lot! You could literally use it all over your body, but I just find it pretty greasy so I stick to smaller areas. Also, SO CHEAP.

6. Pacifica Sea Foam Face Wash: Has been my favorite for a while now. Smells so good and is super gentle! I have really sensitive skin when it comes to certain fragrances in face washes and my skin will completely dry up and crack. However, this has never done that and takes all of my makeup off as well!

7. Coola Face Sunscreen: My foundation has SPF in it, so this hasn't really been necessary for me, but if you are going on vacation somewhere or need an SPF under your foundation this is an amazing one!

8. Pacifica Essence Hydro Mist: My sister, Chloe, got me this for Christmas and I LOVE it! I use it as a safer "makeup setting spray" and it just feels really nice and makes the powders on my face set in nicely. You get a lot of product in the bottle and the sprayer has a really nice, even mist! It would be really great for girls with dry skin to spray on before applying makeup too I think!

I love trying out new products and am trying some different ones right now, so as soon as I have used them long enough I'll share some more good finds!!

Pregnancy Update: Weeks 18-19

I can't believe I am halfway through my pregnancy! I am currently a little over 20 weeks and feel like this second trimester is flying by. I definitely see why people say it's the "honeymoon phase" of your pregnancy. I have so much more energy and honestly don't even feel pregnant right now. I am still LOVING being pregnant (I know that sounds dramatic, but I feel like it is such a blessing and really am embracing it and enjoying it a lot). Over the past two weeks (week 18 and 19) not much has changed. My belly has grown quite a bit, definitely has grown the most dramatically so far. In the morning it sometimes still looks pretty normal, but halfway through the day it seems to have grown a lot. I still am waking up at the crack of dawn (2 am and then 4 am) every day. I usually just stay awake at 4am because it is so close to when I actually have to wake up to get ready for work and I can't go back to sleep for the most part anyways. I have been working out around 4-5 times a week (I try to just do it as part of my weekly routine during the weekdays and have a break on the weekends) and it feels great! I just do light workouts, but it gives me an energy boost and I feel good before/during/after (which is great according to my doctor). I did notice I have been really "veiny" over these past two weeks on my legs and chest (I am sure my fluorescent white skin makes that a lot more obvious than usual). I had a couple of people ask me what prenatal vitamins I have been taking and I take the Rainbow Light Prenatals (they come in a box with two containers: one for the prenatal and one for a DHA vitamin). I get them at Target and they have a good amount of DHA in them, a lot higher than most of the ones I saw. I still haven't bought literally anything yet! I don't know why haha I need to get on it it's going to sneak up on me! I picked out my crib and will be ordering this weekend, so I will show you guys after I get it! I started feeling the baby! I started to get freaked out because people kept telling me it was really "weird" I couldn't feel the baby yet. I was expecting some crazy, distinct movement, which is why I never really noticed. I honestly don't know if I would have noticed if I didn't start looking for it. It feels like a tiny little gas bubble popping or a twitch in my stomach, but the doctor said that's the baby! So that was super exciting and I can't wait for it to be stronger and for Chris to be able to feel! I am still craving cold fruit, especially apples and chips. At my 20 week anatomy scan my doctor did say I need to start stepping it up in the weight gain department, so I have been eating a lot more this past week (it's so hard because I get full SO quickly since I have become pregnant...not sure if anyone else has this same problem, but I have been trying to eat small meals every 2 hours to help with this). That's another exciting thing too, we had our anatomy scan! We already knew it was a boy, but it was confirmed at that appointment. We had an ultrasound scheduled and then a follow-up to go over everything with my doctor afterwards. I think I was 19 weeks 2 days at this appointment. I was initially really super excited for this appointment, but the closer I got the more nervous I was for it. I am so thankful I have such a supportive husband who made me feel so much better leading up to this. The ultrasound was almost an hour long and definitely the coolest appointment yet! They literally count every finger and toe, check the heart to make sure there aren't any defects or anything, check the spine, the stomach, the head, measure the femurs, so much stuff! Everything looked good and I honestly could not thank God more for that. I will continue to pray everything goes well, but it was definitely the most excited I have felt coming out of an appointment and the most real that everything starting seeming to me. If you are a mom, what are some of your must-have items for a new baby!? I would love to know and need to start getting a little collection going. I hope you guys enjoyed this post!

Pregnancy Update: Weeks 16-17

So I am currently 18 weeks pregnant and I thought I would do updates every 2 weeks! I feel like not much changes between 2 weeks and it might be kind of boring doing every single week, so I'll start with every 2! I am going to post a picture at each update of where I was at the beginning of each of the two weeks, but because I didn't take one at 16 weeks I will just do 17 for this post. At week 16 and 17 the baby was as big as a pickle and a pomegranate! This is measured from head to "rump" so you have to imagine adding some limbs too. I feel like these two weeks have definitely been the best so far! I started working out again. I am not by any means someone who is super dedicated to working out, but before I was pregnant I would workout in my little at-home-gym in my basement (elliptical, yoga mat, free weights and resistance bands) because it is really good for you and makes me feel good! I don't like going to the gym, so this really works for me. I have read really great things about staying active throughout pregnancy and how it benefits both you and the baby, so since I have been feeling better I have really been enjoying workouts again. I can't wait until it gets nice out to start going on more walks, but it's currently in the 30's and on/off icy and snow, so I haven't been getting outside much. Everyone makes fun of me when they see my elliptical (I don't have the pink, but it's the same one!), but I have had this thing for 2.5 years and it does the job and is really affordable if you are wanting to stay active during a winter pregnancy especially!

Symptoms: My skin had been really great up until about 15.5 weeks and then all of the sudden it broke out and has been breaking out until about 2 days ago. It's always on my chin, which I am sure is hormonal. I have actually been using Tom's toothpaste at night to try up my breakouts and it's surprisingly worked. I couldn't really find anything else that was "safe" to use (in my opinion). I started being more religious about putting on lotion and belly rub all over during these last two weeks because I can really start to feel my stomach stretch (especially around my belly button it feels really itchy and tight). Still have not felt the baby, which I know is nothing to worry about, but I have seen so many people say they felt it at like 16 weeks so I am just waiting for that awesome moment! I started waking up every single day at 4am on the dot and cannot go back to sleep! It started with my dog waking me up to feed him...I am not sure when he decided he eats breakfast at 4am, but I guess he is just getting me ready. Now, I just wake up at that time every morning, it's so weird, but I guess I have been going to bed at like 8-9 every night too so it's not like I am missing out on much sleep. I have also been using the hair-tie trick on my jeans and living in my Lululemon Align pants! 

Cravings: I wouldn't really say I have any cravings right now. My appetite feels exactly like it did before I got pregnant, but some things I have been loving are: the Nature's Path Gluten-free Oatmeal packets for breakfast with honey, cold apples, Kashi pesto pita chips, Gardein mandarin chicken with cauliflower rice and strawberry Zevia soda! I still have not been drinking any sort of coffee and chocolate has not been on my radar either (so weird for me, I was literally obsessed before I was pregnant!)

I'M PREGNANT!

Hey guys! So, if you didn't see my post from last week my husband and I are expecting our first child in June! Right now, I am currently 16 weeks and some change, but I wanted to do a recap on my first trimester! Was it a surprise? Technically, no, because we were "trying", but still it is always a surprise and exciting when you find out even if it was planned! I actually found out when I was only 3 weeks pregnant, and usually you wait until the day you are supposed to start your period, which is at 4 weeks. I was having really weird cramps and just felt off I guess. So, I took a test (one of the cheap pink strip ones from Amazon--which I highly recommend for anyone trying to get pregnant because they are so much cheaper than buying at the store!) and I saw a light pink line! My husband was actually hunting that week and had limited cell phone service, which made it so hard because I wanted to celebrate and he wasn't there! Anyways, I really didn't start to feel anything at all until about 6 weeks, which is the same time I coincidentally got a terrible virus. So, the morning sickness snuck in along with the fever, chills, cough, sneezing and other lovely symptoms I had during the virus. For me, the morning sickness was the worst in the afternoon, kind of around the same time I would have lunch, and would get worse the later in the day. It actually kind of worked out perfectly (trying to be positive here) because I work from 6:30 or 7:30 am to 4 or 5 pm and I really only felt awful at the end of my work day. After a few weeks I honestly got used to feeling hungover all the time and was able to manage it, but I know a lot of women literally throw up every day of their first trimester, or even their entire pregnancy! So, I definitely feel lucky that I wasn't to that point. I ended up getting another virus about 2 weeks later, which made me super nervous because I am such a worrier about medical stuff, I didn't want to be harming the baby or anything! I did have 2 days where I got sick probably 15 times and couldn't keep any food down, which was a little scary! But, it went away. Not sure if it was pregnancy related or just a stomach bug, but I NEVER throw up so it was a little weird. Besides the typical feeling nauseous and having sore boobs, the other biggest "symptom" that I have had is sneezing. I have no idea if this is even related to being pregnant, but I have been sneezing so much more than I normally do.

Appointments:

I had my first appointment at 8 weeks and a few days, but after getting the ultrasound there they had recalculated it to be 7 weeks 6 days, which they told me was totally normal and sometimes you miscalculate or you don't ovulate on day 14, which is how most apps and everything calculate how far along you are. Anyways, first appointment was super easy just did the ultrasound (at my office they usually schedule that out after you are seen for the first time, but I had really bad cramping for a few weeks when I had called to schedule so they wanted to do one first just to make sure everything was okay) which was so fun and then some blood work, family history questions, kind of boring stuff. It's so exciting to get the ultrasounds especially when you don't "look" pregnant because sometimes I would forget I even was and it didn't seem real so it was cool to actually see that something was growing in there! I am not exactly sure, but the doctor said that you are seen every 4 weeks for most of the pregnancy, and then towards the end they start bumping it up. So, the next appointment was at 12 weeks. At that appointment they started out with the fetal doppler to heart the heart beat, which is a little nerve-wracking at the beginning, but reassuring when you get to hear it! They couldn't find it, which the tech said was normal because I was only about 11 weeks 2 days at that point, so she had the doctor bring in his handheld ultrasound device. He found the baby right away, and said it was because it was moving around so much they couldn't find it with the doppler. It was cool too because I got to see the baby again and it looked so much more developed than it did at the last appointment, which was crazy! After he found the baby, he just asked if I had any questions and that was pretty much it. I still was feeling sick at this point, but I was hopeful the end was in sight! I actually didn't start feeling better until about 14 weeks, which is a little later than most people I think. We had our last appointment about a week ago, which was the 16 week appointment. It was super easy again, just checked the heart beat and weighed me, asked if I had any questions and that was pretty much it! The next appointment is the anatomy scan, which is at 20 weeks and that is when most people find out what they are having.

Finding out the gender:

We really wanted to find out the gender a little early if we could and I had friends who had done the genetic testing to find out what they were having at like 10 weeks, so I had asked the doctor to do it, but after talking to us we decided not to find out that way and instead went to a 3D/4D imaging place that can tell as early as 14 weeks. Since he recommended them, I felt comfortable doing that. The place we went to was called Sweet Pea and it was seriously amazing! It's not something that insurance will cover because it is an elective ultrasound, but it isn't super expensive or anything I think around $150 and she said you can come at anytime after 14 weeks to find out the gender. It's not guaranteed just because the baby actually has to cooperate to be able to see, but we lucked out and found out right at 14 weeks! It was sooo exciting right when she put the probe on my abdomen you saw the baby on the huge screen and she was like "Oh! I already know what it is!" and she asked us what we thought it was going to be. Both of us thought boy the whole time and we were right! I started crying my eyes out lol it was seriously the most exciting thing finding out! We are both pretty private people and I really wanted to just find out with my husband and not in front of a bunch of people because I am pretty shy! The baby wouldn't really cooperate for any of the 3D/4D stuff to see his face, but that was okay it was cool enough to find out and just see his little body! Also, really reassuring to have between my 12 week and 16 week appointment.



Food cravings/aversions:

When I was feeling super sick around weeks 6-14 I was really craving cold, fresh fruit, popsicles and CARBS! I wouldn't really say I had a lot of food "aversions", but the smell of my husband cooking ground turkey makes (still does) me want to gag and anything to spicy or too flavorful makes me feel a little sick. I also haven't been able to eat a lot of food at once. I feel like whenever I eat a big meal it makes me feel so sick and just super full and uncomfortable, so I have been sticking to just eating small snacks all day long and that really seems to help. Oh ya, another thing that really does sound good that I normally love is anything sweet like chocolate. I typically have a separate full appetite for sweets and would prefer to eat them over savory foods, but I definitely have not been in that mindset since I have been pregnant. My husband brought home a box of white fudge covered Oreos probably 2 months ago and they are still in the freezer, which they would honestly have lasted me two or three days prior to being pregnant! Lastly, coffee sounds gross to me. I stopped drinking coffee a month before I found out I was pregnant (worked out to be good timing haha!) because my skin was terrible and I could not figure out what was going on. I cut out coffee and it completely cleared up after a few days! Not sure if it was the acidity of it or just the caffeine, but it worked. I know that doctors say that you can have a cup or so of coffee a day when you are pregnant and it is safe, but to me it just sounded disgusting. I had 2 decaf coffees from coffee stands around Christmas time because I love holiday drinks, and I drank like a 1/4 of each of them. Some foods that I have been obsessed with throughout my pregnancy have been cold honey crisp or granny smith apples, Halo or Cutie oranges, pineapple, bananas, Annie's white cheddar shells mac and cheese, bagels (with avocado and tomato or cream cheese), plain chips, crackers and peach outshine popsicles!

Let me know if you guys want to see more of these kinds of posts, I personally love reading them! Also, let me know if you want me to do weekly updates or just every trimester if you like them! I am planning on working on a pregnancy skincare post next to show you things I swapped out to be safer for pregnancy!