33 weeks

How far along: 33 weeks
Total weight gain: 22 pounds 
Maternity clothes: Just rocking a belly band still. 
Stretch marks: None
Sleep: Not great, hip pain keeps me awake.
Miss anything: Not really.
Movement: Mostly she is stretching her legs out or trying to get comfy.
Cravings: Watermelon, strawberries, nectarines, peaches....just fruit in general. 
Gender: Girl 
Labor signs: None yet. I'm guessing soon though. 
Symptoms: heartburn is in full swing! It's amazing how much it will keep you up at night. Hip, pelvic, and tailbone pain like cray. 
Belly button in or out? Pancake flat. 
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time? Happy and excited! Just think, she will be here in 7 short weeks! 
Looking forward to: We have maternity pictures, doctors appointments and a baby shower coming up all within the next 3 weeks. Can't wait for it all!
Countdown: 49 days!

Nursery inspirations and progress

With just under two months till baby girls arrival we have really started to make some leeway on her room. It's still far from being finished so I don't have any pictures that show it off nicely yet. 

But I can show you some of the inspirations for her nursery. Because we are renting and will be moving approximately five months after she is born, we found it pointless to waste money and paint her room. So that's one thing checked off our list. 

She has a dresser similar to the one below. Its long with 3 drawers. This will be her changing table. Her changing pad will be on top and it will have a basket in top to hold creams and such. The first and possibly second drawer will hold her cloth diapers along with a few disposables that we will keep on hand for just in case situations. 

She is lucky enough to have two dressers which you would think would provide plenty of clothing space. Well with her long dresser being used for cloth diapers it really cuts down on space and she has a lot of clothes! So this is the idea with her closet. Rylees closet is bigger than ours, not fair but I'm getting over it. We're going to hang all of her clothes clothes. The drawers will be for sleepers, onsies, pants, and gowns. 

We'll have baskets on the shelf to hold her bibs, socks, booties, and other small things that are a pain to organize.

This was the main goal for her room, but since I can't paint it I can only pick and choose ideas from it. She does have poms hanging above where her crib will be. 

Since her room is the color of the picture below, we decided to go with a color combo of dark hot pink, light pink, and white. 

What we do have done in her room looks pretty decent so far but I want it to look better before I show it off. :-)

Water Park Fun

Today was a scorcher! It was so hot and I was tired of spending my summer in doors. So after my 32 week appointment today, my family headed to the water park for some splashing fun. I got this gorgeous new maternity suit from my mom. She has such great taste doesn't she?! I love the zig zag pattern and the colors! Plus it makes my bump look super cute! 

We spent a good amount of time on the lazy river going under the water falls and getting soked. And you can't hit up a water park without going in the wave pool! Probably my favorite part, but I had to be more cautious with my little girl hanging on for the ride in my belly. 

Just being able to spend quality time with my mom, aunt, sisters and brother was priceless. We all had so much fun. 

Side note: There was a woman there with her five month old baby and it got me giddy with excitement to think that will be me next year with Rylee. 

Some fun pictures to show how much fun we had. :-)

I'm a Granola Mom!!

What is a Crunchy mom? Below is a list of what most crunchy moms are or due. And because I don't like the term crunchy I am changing it to granola. People identify granola moms with granola mainly because its earthy, healthy, and nutty. People also like to use the term hippie-esqu. In the world we live in today every type of person has to have a "name" and apparently mother isn't good enough.  For some reason as women we cant accept the way other people choose to parent. There are wars between moms who think disposables are horrid and should be illegal and then theirs the moms who couldn't fathom putting poopy diapers into your washer. I for one could care less how another woman chooses to parent her child, unless of course it is harming and abusive in some way. We need to appreciate each other as women and understand that we are all doing the same job. Just because one woman does her job differently than another is no reason to put her down.

I really don't mind if someone wants to call me a granola mom or a hippie mom because to me its a huge compliment. I am choosing the path I think is best and right for my child.

This list is definitely not exclusive to all granola moms. Doing any one or two of these things is enough to get you the label in some circles. Other circles are more extreme and to be labeled as such you have to meet high standards. For me, personally, I will be doing all of the below.

1. Extended breastfeeding-usually beyond a year.
2. Cloth diapering
3. Drug-free birth
4. Baby wearing
5. Stay at home parenting. You can still go back to work and be considered a granola mom though. I don't think just because you choose not to stay home doesn't make you any less granola-esqu.
6. Co-Sleeping
7. Homemade baby food-usually all natural and organic
8. Homemade house hold products
9. Against vaccinations
10. Home schooling

My choices and views on 1-5:

I plan to breastfeed. I am actually very excited about having that bond with my child and that one on one time. I plan to breastfeed as long as I can. I am also going to be cloth diapering Rylee. I have many reasons for this and will do a separate post on it later-I'm not against using disposables once in awhile either. I plan to have an all natural drug free birth with the use of water as a pain reliever. This is just a plan, I am not above asking for that epidural if I really need it. I plan to wear my baby as often as possible, it helps with regulating so much in there bodies and allows momma to get some work done around the house. I will be a stay at home mom. This is definitely a luxury not every mom can afford. I'm sure at some point Rylee will be in our bed co sleeping with us. I do plan to keep her in her bassinet most the night because my husband is constantly moving or twitching in his sleep.

My choices and views on 6-10:

I like to cook and I think making my own baby food sounds fun. That's not to say I wont buy a jar of it here and there, but when I do it will be organic for sure. I already make my own house hold cleaning products so that is nothing new to me. I wont be vaccinating Rylee. Its a personal preference and each family has to decide for themselves what is best for their child. My husband and I have yet to decide on homeschooling. After all we have five years to figure that one out, but were not putting it past us. The world is getting worse and being "sheltered" isn't such a bad thing.

I find all these to be really exciting and for some parents its just not there cup of tea. And that is ok. We need to start supporting each other as moms and women and stop judging and tearing each other down.

Like I said there are a lot more parts to being a granola mom that I didn't include or else this post would never end, but this is the list of what parts of being a granola mom I will partake in.

32 weeks!

How far along: 32 weeks!!

Total weight gain? 20+ pounds. I have a doctor appointment tomorrow so I will know for sure then.

Maternity clothes: Nope! My belly band is working wonders! It has allowed me to wear ALL my pre-pregnancy pants so I haven't had to buy any. Score! 

Stretch marks: Still in the green. Praying it stays that way!

Sleep: I think I have finally come to terms with the fact that I will never sleep well again. 

Miss anything: Being able to lean against something without gravity pulling me down. Sleep. Being mobile and pain free. 

Movement: Lots! And I love it! She is running out of womb (see what i did there?? =) so now its more like giant movements. Sometimes I can tell if she is sticking a elbow out or a knee out. There is this one new movement that she just started today that doesn't feel good at all. It literally makes me hunch over when she does it. 

Cravings: Water for one. I just cant get enough of it. It tastes sooo good! And Jersey Mikes Subs. Good heavens it is delicious! 

Gender: Girl!

Labor signs: Nothing really. She did drop so she is getting ready and in position. More on that later. 

Symptoms: Heartburn mostly at night around 4 am after my snack. Pelvic pressure, hip and tailbone pain. I also start to waddle if I have walked to much. Hysterically crying over small things every now and then. 

Belly button in or out? It really depends on the day and how much I have eaten. At this very moment its half and half. 

Wedding rings on or off? On and loose. 

Happy or moody most of the time? Happy and excited all the time. Except for when I am being crazy and crying. But that only happens a few times a week. 

Best moment this week? Relaxing in bed with Casey and I was sitting in front of him while we were watching a movie. He had his arms around me holding my belly and she was going to town moving and rolling. It was so nice to just lay there and experience that with him. 

Looking forward to? I have a doctor appointment tomorrow. I want to ask my doctor if she can tell how much Rylee weighs again. She was 3 pounds at 28 weeks, which is the 65th percentile, and they say baby's grow half a pound per week until delivery so that would make her chunker butt around 5 pounds now. Which in turn would put her at 8.5 pounds at least by 40 weeks. I never saw myself having close to a 9 pound baby. 

Countdown: 56 days or less! I would love for her to come the first week of September. I don't really care though. As long as she is healthy. 

In other news. She has definitely dropped. I don't know if she dropped completely or if she has more to go, but I've been waiting for it. I woke up Friday morning with serious tailbone pain and hip pain. I literally looked like my 80 year old grandma trying to walk around all hunched over and shuffling my feet. I knew she felt lower because I could literally feel her down there. So I looked in the mirror and you can tell. Baby is low! I even did a side by side picture to see the difference. The first one is 30 weeks and the second one is 32 weeks. 

Baby shower #1

This last Saturday was my baby shower with Casey's side of the family. It was hosted by my amazing sister-in-laws and my mother-in-law. It was a sea of cute pink and white.

This "it's a girl" backdrop my sister made was one of my favorite decorations. I even kept it and hung it up in Rylees nursery. 

This is my mother-in-law and me. She is the best MIL anyone could ask for. 

Me and my sister-in-laws. They did a fantastic job at hosting and decorating. 

One of my closest girlfriends. She has been by my side through my whole pregnancy. 

The beautifully decorated hall. I love all the poms and the game table. Pink! Pink! Pink! It just gets me so excited!

This baby fruit bowl was my biggest surprise! I've always wanted one and they did such a good job on it!

Baby girl was blessed with lots of clothes and diapers. I can't wait to see her in all her cute outfits. 

Thank you everyone who came! It was great to see all our family and friends. And thank you Ashley and Jamie for decorating and hosting such a beautiful shower. Love you!

31 weeks

 

How far along: 31 weeks 
Total weight gain: 20 pounds
Maternity clothes: Nope, my loving mother gave me her belly band which is amazing! Wish I would have gotten one sooner. Really can wear all my normal jeans and shorts again. Bought some super soft stretchy V necks from Target. Just those few things have really expanded my wardrobe back to what it was pre-pregnancy.
Stretch marks: None yet, belly butter is working wonders! 
Sleep: it's okay, have to prop myself up now and I've been having some heartburn that keeps or wakes me up. 
Miss anything? Being comfortable in a bikini, being tan, and being able to bend over. 
Movement: Yes, she is bigger now so it's a lot of rolling and shifting. 
Cravings: None. 
Gender: Girl!
Labor signs: None yet. Won't be saying that in a few weeks! 
Symptoms: Aches from my hips and pelvis,  heartburn, and hard time sleeping. 
Belly button in or out: the top is out and the rest is flat. 
Wedding rings on or off? On and loose.
Happy or Moody most of the time? Happy and getting really excited for the birth of our baby girl.
Best moment this week? My in-laws threw me a baby shower and it was beautiful!
Looking forward to? My doctor appointment on Monday and my sides baby shower in August. 
Countdown: 60 days or less!

Monday ramblings

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you all had a great and relaxing and fun filled weekend!

I have so much going through my head and lists upon lists of things I need to accomplish before baby gets here. I have officially 10 weeks until my due date, but I'm counting on 8 because I think she will be early.

That gives me 2 months to get everything I need done. That's a daunting thought.
Especially since the next few weeks are full of events.

July

12th- baby shower #1
19th- family camping trip

August

9th- Logan's birthday party, Kylies birthday party, maternity pictures

16th- baby shower number 2

Not to mention doctors appointments every two weeks. I can't even list the things I need to get done. It's an endless list.

I'm feeling 22

Happy birthday to me! Last week was my 22nd birthday. We decided to hold off on celebrating until Saturday though because my birthday was on Wednesday and the Fourth was on Friday.

Saturday was a blast! We woke up and ran a few errands then went to dinner at Mongolian BBQ with my mom, dad, siblings, nana, grandpa, aunt, Suzanne, John, Stacey, Gary and of course my wonderful hubby. We never go out to eat and we never go to Mongolian BBQ because it's not close by.

We ate dinner, opened a few gifts and then had the most delicious cake ever!

Afterwards we got to go to my friends house who I never get to see and spend time with them. All in all it was a great birthday!

Fourth of July

Our Fourth of July was uneventful this year. We went to my mother in laws for fireworks and that's about all.

Fourth of July was my father in laws holiday. You know how everyone has a holiday where they go all out? It could be Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving..well the Fourth was my father in laws.

He would make a huge BBQ spread with brats, hot dogs, burgers, steak and chicken. We would have potatoe salad, corn on the cob, watermelon, macaroni salad and lots of yummy desserts.

We would all sit around outside and chat while the kids ran around playing in the yard. Then when it was close to dark, he and the men of the family along with his daughter would get the fireworks ready. It was tradition.

We always had the biggest and baddest fire works in our town.

This year was nothing like that and probably won't be like that ever again. This was the first Fourth of July since his passing last August. We weren't sure what to expect but it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

At least we still gathered as a family to let off a great fire works display. He would have been proud of us.

Hopefully next year will be better and we can thoroughly enjoy our holiday weekend without the emotional scars that are still so fresh. We love you Harry Jewell. 

30 weeks

I can't believe I'm already 30 weeks. I feel like this marking point is when everything goes by faster and gets more real.

How far along? 30 weeks 
Total weight gain: 20 pounds. I'll get my official weigh in tomorrow. 
Maternity clothes: I don't have any maternity clothes. I have been wearing allot of stretchy clothing though. I found some awesome new shirts at Target that are comfy, stretchy and stylish. I need to go pick me up a few more. 
Stretch marks: zero on my belly. Im really praying hard that it stays that way and using my belly butter religiously. I don't think my self esteem could handle stretch marks on my belly. 
Sleep: it really depends on the night. Sometimes I sleep great and other times my hip pain gets the best of me. 
Miss anything? Sleeping, being comfortable, walking normally.. 
Movement: yes, this is my favorite part these days. She is big enough to see through my stomach. She is constantly moving and I'm always curious to know how she is adjusting and in which way. 
Food cravings: none and it's rather irritating. I am always hungry but have no cravings. So it's like an empty hungry. That's worse because I don't even know what I want. 
Gender: baby girl :-)
Labor signs: none yet, can't wait till I'm posting her birth announcement here. 
Symptoms: hip pain, pelvic pain, back pain, my feet hurt, and that's about it. 
Belly button in or out? Still in limbo.
Wedding rings on or off? They are still on.
Happy or Moody most of the time: happy and super excited the closer September gets. I still get a few mood swings occasionally but hey.
Looking forward to: I have my appointment tomorrow where I go over birth, labor signs, when to call, and all that exciting stuff. I can't wait! Also this weekend is one of my baby showers. Eek!
Countdown: 69 days or less!

29 weeks

How far along? 29 weeks as of Sunday!
Total weight gain: 21.7 pounds. Gasp! I literally cried over gaining 7 pounds in a month, but I'm chalking it up to baby girl measuring on the bigger side. 
Maternity clothes: not really, mostly because I don't have any. Soffee shorts and tanks all day, every day. 
Stretch marks: none yet. As soon as I feel my belly get tight I run for my belly butter. 
Sleep: horrible! I always looked forward to bedtime. Now, not so much. I'm constantly rolling and shifting due to hip and pelvic pain. Hoping it goes away soon. Not likely.
Miss anything? Being able to sleep like a rock, walking with out waddling, fitting into my shorts, and being perfectly tan during the summer. 
Movement: Tons, she is very active. Especially at midnight. She is mommy's little soccer player already. Daddy likes to say she is practising her karate. 
Food cravings? Homemade strawberry jam is my jam. On toast, pancakes, ice cream, cereal...you get the point. :-)
Gender: Girl
Labor signs: Not yet. 
Symptoms: Mild back pain. Serious pelvic and hip pain. Rib pain. Tired, always.
Belly button in or out? The top is starting to pop out. Still in limbo for the most part. 
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Happy or Moody most of the time? Happy!
Looking forward to? My birthday is on Wednesday! Fourth of July is on Friday! So much festiveness planned for this week! 
Countdown: 77 days or less. Hopefully less. I like to say she has 60 days till she gets her eviction notice. :-)

I had my 29 week appointment on Wednesday and they said she is on track to be a 8 pound baby. Yikes! That's a little to close to 9 pounds for my comfort. With my doctors permission I will be trying to naturally put myself into labor starting September 1st.

Why I Opted Out of the Glucose Test

Did you know you had a choice in whether you took this test or not? I didn't. I thought it was just something you did. My cousin posted a link to her Facebook page about the risks of the glucose test and why you should think about opting out of it. I decided to read it with every intention of still taking the dreaded test. I wanted to read the article because I didn't know it was optional.

Once I had finished reading about all the risks and toxins in the drink, I knew I didn't feel comfortable putting that substance into my body where there was a direct feed to a tiny human growing inside of me.

Here is my list of why I chose not to have it done.

1. The toxicity. You thought this drink was just a pound of sugar and water, huh? Yea, me too. Turns out there is an ingredient called BVO in the drink. Whats BVO you ask? Its a compound used on furniture, clothes, etc to keep them from going up in flames. Yup, its a flame retardant. Not sure why it needs to be in such a drink given to pregnant women.

2. I am low risk. Also, I felt that since no one in my immediate family has had gestational diabetes (nana and mom) that it was unlikely that I would have it.

3. I am having as natural a pregnancy as possible. I have opted out of every test out there. I have only complied with two blood test.

4. Because of my diet, ingesting that much sugar would send my body into shock. Nausea, headaches, the shakes, vomiting, etc. I would be sure to get it all.

If you feel that your just not comfortable taking this test, just remember you don't have to. But if you feel you need to take this test, but don't want to put the flame retardant in your body ask your doctor about your other options. You could always try drinking a Mountain Dew instead or you can eat 25 jelly beans before hand.

Do your research and make an informed decision for yourself and your baby.

28 weeks

How far along: 28 weeks, 1 day
Weight gain: 14.5+ pounds
Gender: girl!
Maternity clothes: I don't have any maternity clothes yet. I have two shirts from my mom, but other than that I've been having a really hard time getting dressed. I live in yoga pants in the evenings when it's cool enough for them and sofee shorts during the day, but getting ready to go out is a whole different story.
Movement: lots! At my last appointment she was had down and sunny side up. So her movements have been lots of knees and elbows. She has been really active the last few days, I think she's getting it in before she runs out of womb. Haha.
Sleep: what is sleep? I used to look forward to bed time. I loved sleeping, I looked forward to it. Now u dread bed time. It's all thanks to back pain and rib pain and of course rhinitis of pregnancy.
Cravings: I had a serious craving for cheese pizza the other night. Unfortunately I had to substitute it with ramen noodles-yuk!, cucumbers, raspberries, and BBQ chips. Insert sad face here. On the up side I did get it the next day.
Most looking forward to: I have my 28 week appointment on Wednesday. It's a pretty big deal. I will find out my official weight gain, get my rhogam shot, learn about breastfeeding and options, go over my birth plan, learn what to expect for labor and the signs, and I get my hospital registration papers. I also need to find out about baby girls weight and height since she was already weighing in at 3 pounds. I want to know how that will affect me and her due date.
Labor signs: none yet, getting excited for when I have something to put here.
Symptoms: rib pain! Literally feels like someone is breaking my sternum. It hurts to inhale really hard which sucks because it's getting harder to breath especially after I eat. Lack of sleep. Story is it's your natural way of preparing for sleepless nights. I think it's very unfair since we'll be getting enough of that already. No need to start sooner than needed in my opinion.
Belly button in or out? Flat most of the day, but sticks out in the evening.
Wedding rings on or off? Still rocking the rock and band.
Countdown: 83 days or less! Hopefully less!
Wedding rings on or off?
Countdown:

Father's Day weekend!

This past weekend was our first Fathers Day. I ordered my husband's gift over a week before hoping it would be here in time. Of course, it wasn't. It came one day late. Boo! Which forced me to ruin the surprise and tell him. 

We woke up Sunday morning and went to church then grilled out. Poor babe spent most of his day working on his truck. 

He had Monday off because of doctor appointments and my ultrasound so at least he was home when his gift got here.

As you can see, I got him a zombie gnome. It's the coolest gnome ever. Definitely worth the money. 

His smile got bigger and bigger as he was unwrapping it. 

27 weeks

How far along: 27 weeks 

Weight gain: 14.5 pounds. I lost a few ounces since last week. Weird?
Gender: Girl
Maternity clothes: A few mixed in here and there. Mostly borrowing bigger sized shirts from family. Bought a maternity bra hoping that would help with the rib pain. No suck luck! Still using the rubber band trick on my jeans and trying to go bra-less as much as possible.
Movement: lots of it the last few days. Kicking and punching my insides. Sometimes she hits a sensitive spot but for the most part, I'm still loving every bit of it. You can actually see her kicking on the outside now.
Sleep: sleep, ah sweet sleep. It has been rough the last week. I've had a sinus congestion thing going on so between waking up to blow my nose, pee, etc it hasn't been so great.
Cravings: nothing weird. I kind of feel left out. No pickle and ice cream cravings over here. Baby girl must be going through a growth spurt because I've been eating like crazy.
Labor signs: not yet.
Symptoms: I'm starting to have a few. I had a wicked leg cramp the other night that woke me out of a dead sleep. It hurt so bad. I was yelling to Casey, "what do I do, what do I do!!" - "do I flex it or do I stretch it?!!" Literally freaking out. Legit couldn't sleep for the next two nights because I was worried of it happening again. In case you didn't know, when you have a leg cramp. The feeling lingers in your leg for a day or so. So you constantly feel like you may possibly get another one.

I just got out of my ultrasound so I can give you a more accurate up date on baby girl. She is measuring a week ahead so I'm measuring that of 28 weeks. She already weighs 3 pounds and is in the 65th percentile. 

I also had my blood work today. I decided not to do the glucose test. I'll write a post dedicated to that soon. Promise! Also, I will be filling you in on our first Fathers Day weekend. 

For now, I'll leave you with this sweet little girl. 

Fourth of July Mini Style

Happy Summer Babes! It has finally been consistently warm here in Michigan. We had the worst winter since the 1800s. A straight up Elsa winter and that's what I will call it for the rest of my life.

With July just a few weeks away it brings us my Birthday and Fourth of July amidst a slew of other events and shenanigans.

Since the day I found out we were having a girl, I've been eyeing little girls clothes non stop! It's even harder because Casey isn't letting me run wild and buy every single adorable glitterized thing. He is a very smart man indeed. But that doesn't keep me from looking.

Part of me wishes she was due in the beginning of summer. Have you seen all the rompers, swim suits, and sunglasses for tots? Holy cuteness overload!

Not to mention the festive Fourth of July gear. Since I won't be dressing baby girl up quite yet, I compiled a little festive out fit style board for you mommas with little chickies who need a festive ensemble for the biggest bash of summer.

                One.  Two.  Three.  Four.   Five.

26 weeks

How far along: 26 weeks! The last week of my second trimester! Rolling on into my third! 
Weight gain: 15 pounds. Not to shabby. 
Gender: Girl!
Maternity clothes: Yep! A few here and there mixed in with my normal clothes. I don't quite fill them out yet, but they are way more comfy and hide my pony tailed jeans. I did have to buy a maternity bra though. It's so much more comfortable. 
Movement: Still a wiggle worm, but she is slowing down with the bigger she gets. 
Sleep: Was horrible, but is getting better. I didn't wake up last night to pee, eat or blow my nose. I've had a sinus infection the last week so it sucks to breath. 
Cravings: Watermelon and cheddar brats. 
Labor signs: No
Symptoms: Nada
Belly button: it's a halfy! 
Wedding rings: On. I don't think I'll grow out of them. 
Looking forward to: Our next ultrasound on the 16th. Love seeing my baby girl. 
Mood: Mostly happy. Although I did have a tantrum in Target. It consisted of me leaving my cart with my stuff in it and going home. Pregnant much?!
Countdown: 98 days! I can't wait to meet our beautiful baby girl!

25 weeks

How far along: 25.3 weeks
Weight gain: 14.8 pounds gained
Gender: Girl
Maternity clothes: It's definitely time. We're going this weekend to look at nursing bras and some maternity tank tops. Trying really hard to stay in my pre pregnancy jeans and shorts. Also wearing allot of maxi skirts and dresses. 
Stretch marks: Still pretty lucky on this one. So far so good. 
Best moment this week: Hearing babies heartbeat at my 25 week appointment. 
Movement: Yep. Lots of little kicks and rolling. 
Sleep: Not so great. I'm having a hard time getting comfortable. I am constantly switching from hip to hip and trying to prop myself up in a reclined position. 
Cravings: Watermelon 
Labor signs: Not yet. 
Symptoms: nothing really, except the last two days I've been really feeling out of my head. Kind of like my sugar is dropping or something? Hoping it's just from not sleeping well. 
Belly button in or out? It hasn't decided. 
Wedding rings: On
Looking forward to: Baby Shower cake testing next Thursday. 
Mood: Happy

At my 25 week appointment my doctor  gave me my paperwork for the glucose test and blood draw. I have the option to refuse the glucose test so I'm highly considering it. I'll be sure to do a post on why I did or didn't do it

Nursery inspirations

One thing I have noticed through my endless hours of pinterest scrolling through nursery pictures is that I definitely am in love with the Jenny Lind cribs. It took me 6 months to convince Casey that we had to get this crib. He finally just agreed to it. Bless his heart! 

Another staple I want in her room is a very neutral color palette. I would love gray walls with accents of coral and mint. 

The nursery below is one of my favorites. It's so fresh and clean with gorgeous for pops. 

I also want to incorporate a lot of textures through pillows and rugs. Especially for when she can start telling the difference between all the different feels. I die over this rug, but unfortunately it's way out of my price range. It's like $800.

We're really back and forth on her room right now. We decided not to paint her room because we'll be moving within 6 months of her being born. We're sticking with the tan color on her walls and as of now thinking of a meadow and fawn theme. 

Guess we'll be saving the gray and pastels for her room in the new house. 

But I am getting my crib so all is well.

First trimester tips

With my first trimester being far behind me, I thought I would share some tips and tricks that helped me through the harder first few months.

I do feel pretty blessed because so far I have had a super easy pregnancy. I only had morning sickness for about two weeks and then some not so great headaches off and on.

I'm sure it will be a different story as I roll through my third trimester which is only a few short weeks away.

Let's begin:

1. Sleep as much as you can. If you have horrible morning sickness or even if it's not unbearable, try to sleep through it. You'll be tired anyway.

2. Graze dont eat big meals. This will help keep your stomach and throat calm. Feeling to full automatically induces vomiting.

3. Slowly sip water don't chug. I learned this one the hard way. I figured water was a safety no matter what. Not was I wrong. If you such it down, you will throw it up. This one was hard for me because I love love love water.

4. Get up slowly. You get dizzy a lot easily. I already had a problem with dizzy spells and fainting. Because I have dealt with it my whole life, I feel as I'm an expert. I know when they are coming and how to handle it. Last thing you want is to fall and hurt yourself or your baby.

5. No steamy hot showers. These make u dizzy like no other.

6. Mountain dew as instant headache reliever. Because the list if medicine pregnant women are allowed is so sparse and with what's on the list is now iffy, I have chosen to not take anything. Unfortunately I started getting killer headaches around 12 weeks. I literally couldn't function. My mom suggested a shot of espresso. I hate coffee so that was out of the question. She said drink a mountain dew instead then. That I could do because I was a big pop drinker once. I hadn't had pop in nearly two years.
Warning: if you stopped drinking pop and then start again, it's possible to gain 6 pounds in one month. Try to stay on the wagon!

7. Padded bra! Your nipples are super sensitive. Turns out they hate the cold. It literally feels like someone is taking a lighter to your nips and burning the shit out of them. 

Hopefully you mommas to be will find this list helpful.