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 :)

Spring Transitional Must-Have: Sheer duster

Hey guys! I wanted to share one of my most favorite recent wardrobe purchases: the sheer duster. It's still pretty cold here where I live, so I pretty much freeze outside with just this on, but I know I am going to get so much use this spring and even summer and fall with these two pieces. I picked up mine from Forever 21 in black and taupe (exact linked below, but taupe is sold out online right now so check in stores). I have a pretty monochromatic wardrobe, so I knew these two would be able to mix and match with almost everything I own. Since I am currently 29 weeks pregnant, I also knew that these would be awesome with dresses in the spring before I have the baby! I think one of the cutest outfits for spring is a tight, body con dress with one of these over the top! I also think it would look super cute with denim cutoffs and booties for more of a boho look. Check out some of the ones I linked below :)

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!