Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Birthday Foto Fun

Mom & Dad, Dolores & Chris, threw a combined birthday party for their two kids, Sammy (4) & Matthew (2), this past weekend that I'm sure made all the kids on the block jealous.  How cool is it to have your own bouncy house & inflatable water slide?  I was secretly jealous too.  When Sammy walked down the stairs in her pink princess dress, I knew she was ready to be the star for the day!  Let me set the stage for this photo shoot...95+ degrees outside & a 27.5 weeks pregnant photographer.  Hopefully I wasn't too off my game, but I think we all made it work and got some great shots.  















366: Week 21




Saturday, May 26, 2012

Family Photo Shoot

As my two beautiful nieces continue to grow, their family photos always need updating.  Last weekend, I did a mini photo shoot for Bob, Dina, Alex, & Reese in their front yard.  Hard to believe that it was almost 85 degrees out at 10am when I shot these photos.  I also used some of my new post production edits for the final product.  Here are some favorites:













Week 26 Wrap Up



How far along?  26 weeks.  Baby is as big as a Hothouse English Cucumber
Total weight gain: 21-22 lbs
Maternity clothes? Yes.  Currently narrowing down my decisions for my shower dresses
Stretch marks? Sure, why not.
Sleep: Challenging. I did attempt sleep for 12 hours straight last Friday.  I'm pretty sure that I got about 8 hours in there somewhere. 
Best moment this week: Prenatal Massage.....aaaaahhhhh
Miss Anything? Not really
Movement: Yes - tons!
Food cravings: Nothing crazy this week, just the same stuff as always.
Anything making you queasy or sick: No.
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks action late in the week
Symptoms: Nothing too crazy
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy
Looking forward to: Warmer weather so I can rock my cute summer maternity gear. 

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Week 25 Wrap Up




How far along? 25 weeks.  Baby is as big as a Rutabaga.
Total weight gain: 20 lbs.
Maternity clothes? Yes.  Currently on the hunt for dresses for my baby showers.
Stretch marks? Who wears a half top anyways?
Sleep: Horrible :(
Best moment this week: Celebrating Mother's Day
Miss Anything? Diet Pepsi
Movement: Yes.  Best moments of the day
Food cravings: Chocolate Poptarts & Skim Milk
Anything making you queasy or sick: No.
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: No
Symptoms: My neck...my back...heartburn
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy
Looking forward to: Prenatal Massage this weekend.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Pregnancy Must Haves

I looked at the Baby Countdown Clock today and saw that it said 100 days until New Baby!  It got me thinking that I should make a list of my Pregnancy Must Haves...while I can still remember them.  Yes, Pregnancy Brain...Baby Brain...whatever you want to call it has set it.  Many of these "must haves" have come from various sources - friends, blogs, and even Pinterest.




1. Pregnancy Boppy
My BFF Sarah bought me the Boppy Prenatal Total body pillow right after my first trimester.  She was a few months ahead of me in her pregnancy and swore by this pillow.  She was right!  I'm especially thankful for it now that I'm getting bigger.  A pregnant gal can never have enough pillows or support!

2. Seamless tanks
Buy these in every color possible!  These tanks are a maternity basic.  They provide extra support and coverage right when you need it.  It's impressive how much they stretch because they fit just as great now at 25 weeks as they did at 12 weeks. 

3. Lotion
There have been times during this pregnancy that I have seriously felt like an alligator because my skin was so dry.  I noticed that as my belly started to grow that my skin got really itchy from time to time.  There are tons of different brands of lotions to pick from but I've found that anything for dry skin/sensitive skin is a winner. So when you walk past that huge pump bottle of lotion at Costco, buy it.  Heck, buy 2.  If you're looking for a sure thing, pick yourself up a bottle of Mother's Friend.

4. Pregnancy Apps for your phone
Nowadays, everyone is busy and wants information RIGHT NOW.  Having a few pregnancy apps on my phone has been great.  I downloaded the "What to Expect When You're Expecting" & "Baby Bump" apps.  They both have daily & weekly tips and updates about your pregnancy.  It has been a great and easy way for me to know what to look forward to as well as learn some helpful tips.  

5. Fun-spirited Mommy blogs or twitter accounts
I have joked many times that your two best friends when you are pregnant are - paranoia & fear.  I have gotten overwhelmed and anxious on almost a daily basis with all the different things to do/not do, eat/not eat, or buy/not buy.  I have come across some really funny blogs or twitter accounts that have "calmed the crazy"in my head and made me appreciate the lighter side of being pregnant.  

6. Fruit Snacks
Fruit snacks were my "go to" to fight the chronic nausea I had until 14-15 weeks.  It is so important to find out what your magic snacks or drinks are during that first trimester.  In addition to the fruit snacks, I lived on Easy Mac, Peanut Butter & Jelly, Gatorade, & Ginger Ale. 

7. Good pair of Maternity jeans
Every girl has their favorite pair of jeans that make them feel skinny or just simply more confident.  You need the same thing when you are pregnant.  I found my favorite pair at Kohl's!

8. Dove Clinical Strength Deodorant
Pregnancy = Sweaty.  Enough said. 

9. Bra extenders
Your boobs get bigger and bras are expensive.  Spend $5 on a package of bra extenders to make your current bras last a little bit longer.  You're dropping money here and there on everything else, so save some money this way. 

10. A BFF that is pregnant too!
The reality is that you need a support network of other women who will tell that, "yes, that is normal." You need someone who will give you the real deal when it comes to weird symptoms, aches & pains, and childbirth.  Sometimes it really is better than all the pregnancy books out there.

366: Week 19




Sunday, May 13, 2012

Week 24 Wrap Up




How far along? 24 weeks.  Baby is as big as an Eggplant.
Total weight gain: 18 lbs
Maternity clothes? Yes. Looking forward to warmer weather!
Stretch marks? Plead the 5th...
Sleep: Rough nights - weird dreams & potty breaks
Best moment this week: Getting flowers & candies from Laura for my 1st Mother's Day
Miss Anything?  No.
Movement: Yes.
Food cravings: Peanut Butter
Anything making you queasy or sick: No.
Gender:  Girl
Labor Signs: No.
Symptoms: Back aches
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy
Looking forward to: Mommy's Night Out with my Mom on 5/11