40 Weeks

40 weeks have gone by and our official due date has arrived. I was hoping we would have our baby girl by now, but God is teaching me a lesson in being patient and trusting that he will decide when she will be born. We are getting more and more excited each day and feel ready to bring our daughter into this world. We can't wait to share the exciting news with all of our family and friends when she finally decides to grace us with her beautiful presence :) Here are my pregnancy updates and a very large belly pic for the week:

How far along? 40 weeks

Total Weight Gain? 25 pounds

Maternity Clothes? Of course! My belly is quite large these days and needs all the room I can get in my maternity clothes. I have loved my maternity wardrobe but also looking forward to wearing regular clothes again in the near future.

Stretch Marks? Nope :)

Sleep? So so. Still tired most of the time but I have had a few nights of good sleep. At this point I am so used to not sleeping great that when baby comes, I will be trained in being tired and having sleepless nights.

Best Moment this Week? I indulged in the most amazing prenatal massage on Friday... it was heavenly! I only wish I had found this massage therapist sooner because I would have had a least a couple of prenatal massages this pregnancy.

Miss Anything? As our pregnancy comes to a end (hopefully soon), I will truly miss being pregnant and this amazing journey that I have been on for the past nine months. As much as I am ready for our daughter to arrive, I will miss my belly and having her with me all the time.

Movement? Yep! She still loves to kick and move and has begun settling down lower in my belly. I can feel a lot of pressure as she has begun dropping a bit.

Food Cravings? Cheese! I still go crazy for provolone cheese and love frozen yogurt!

Anything Making you Queasy? No :)

Gender? Girl!

Labor Signs? I have had a few contractions and pains but nothing that has stayed around for longer than a few hours. I can feel my body getting ready for labor but no official signs that things are starting. Hopefully soon though...

Belly Button In or Out? It has popped out a bit more this week and is visible through some of my clothes. Maybe it is a like a turkey timer button... it will pop out completely when she is all cooked and ready :)

Wedding Rings On or Off? Off :( I am still a bit swollen in my fingers and toes.
General Mood? It depends. I have had a few rough days of really wanting her to come and not feeling like we are anywhere close to her arrival date. I have tried to soak in these last few days of peace and quiet but most of the time I just can't stop thinking about when she is going to arrive.
Symptoms? Still having lots of back pain and achy at times. I have been really trying to rest my body and take it easy these past few days.

Looking Forward To? Our daughter's birthday! Can't wait for her to make her entrance in this world and our beautiful family... she is so loved already!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! I posted about a month ago about the plan for my Halloween costume and I am thrilled I was able to wear it today. This costume was easy to make and a huge hit among our family and friends and my co-workers. I had a lot of fun today showing off my belly for possibly the last time (if baby decides to come soon)!

And for more Halloween fun and inspiration, I have a ton of cute ideas on my Halloween Pinterest Board. I can't wait till our family of three can dress up for Halloween and we can take our little girl trick or treating... so much fun to look forward to! Hope you all have a Happy Halloween!

Maternity Photos

I am so grateful to my best friend Laura for taking some great photos of us during a casual maternity photo session last week. She has an amazing talent and was able to send us our photos in color, black and white, and sepia. We have so many photos that we love and will cherish the memories captured on this day. Here are just a few of our favorites...

This casual photo shoot was just the first for our family of three and I look forward to years of photos in the future of us with our sweet little girl!

39 Weeks

How is it possible that our due date is just a week away?! I am in disbelief of how fast the pregnancy has gone by but also incredibly excited to meet our little girl. I am hoping for her to arrive soon because both myself and my husband are growing increasingly impatient as the days go by. We also have tons of family and friends that are anxious for her arrival and to meet our baby girl! I am hoping that this is my last weekly update for this pregnancy but also trying to manage my expectations that we could be pregnant past my due date. At this point it is probably best for me to just take one day at a time. Here are my pregnancy updates and a very pregnant belly picture for this week:

How far along? 39 weeks

Total Weight Gain? 23 pounds

Maternity Clothes? Oh yes! I am still in love with my maternity leggings and long maxi dresses. I wish I could go to work in my pajamas, but at least all of my maternity clothes are fairly comfortable.

Stretch Marks? Nope :)

Sleep? It depends. On the weekends I sleep fantastic because I allow myself to sleep as long as possible in the mornings. The weekdays are a bit tough since I have to get up for work and the days seem to drag on longer.

Best Moment this Week? Taking some great maternity photos with my husband and capturing this special time in our life. I will look back on these pictures with a smile in my heart for how precious this pregnancy has been for us and all of the memories that we have created in the past 9 months while we waited for our baby girl.

Miss Anything? I miss being comfortable and not having back pain. And I miss sushi!

Movement? Yes and still lots of it! Even though baby girl is getting bigger, I can still feel her wiggling around in my belly and pushing her feet and hands into my sides.

Food Cravings? Sweets! I made delicious Almond Biscotti this weekend to satisfy my sweets craving.

Anything Making you Queasy? Nope :)

Gender? Girl! And I just posted this past weekend about some adorable clothes and accessories that I have purchased for her to wear in the coming months :)

Labor Signs? Not really :( I am hoping that they start soon because that means we can go to the hospital and have our baby. I am sure at some point I will regret wishing for labor, but as of today I would like it to come soon!

Belly Button In or Out? Still half and half... I doubt it will change anymore before the pregnancy ends.

Wedding Rings On or Off? Off :( I tried wearing them this weekend to a friend's wedding and had a moment of panic when I couldn't get them off after wearing them for about an hour. They have been officially tucked away safely until I can wear them again in the future.
General Mood? Impatient. I am ready for baby girl to make her grand entrance into this world and find that each day feels a bit longer than the last.  
Symptoms? Constant back pain, achy feet, swollen fingers and toes, and so so tired... everyone was right when they said the last few weeks are tough and tend to linger longer than anyone wishes...

Looking Forward To? I have scheduled a prenatal massage for Friday in hopes that it might help start my labor if we haven't had her by then and hopefully it will help with my back pain and discomfort. And of course I am looking forward to our baby girl's birth date... hope it is soon!

Adorable Baby Clothes and Accessories on Etsy

I am in love with the website Etsy almost as much as my love for Pinterest. The handmade items you can find are truly amazing and most things are reasonably priced. I have found so many adorable baby clothes and accessories from various sellers and here are just a few of the items I have ordered over the past few weeks for our sweet baby girl:

These adorable felt flower headbands are from the shop StellinaB and will be perfect for our baby girl's newborn pictures and holiday outfits. The pumpkin colored flower will match perfectly with her onesie for Thanksgiving!

This super cute onesie is from the shop StickemUpCustoms and will be the perfect outfit for her first Thanksgiving. I plan on pairing this with some cute red pants and her pumpkin colored flower headband.

These adorable candy cane striped baby legs from the shop FancyFaceCouture will be perfect for our baby girl's first Christmas season! I can't wait to find a cute red tutu or skirt for her to wear with these cute baby legs.

For more adorable baby clothes and accessories inspiration, be sure to check out my Baby Clothes board on Pinterest... so many cute things! And be sure to shop on Etsy for unique baby clothes and accessories as well as great handmade gifts for family and friends... enjoy!

Maternity Photos - Sneak Peak!

This afternoon we spent some time taking maternity photos and capturing some great pictures of my pregnant belly. My best friend Laura is an amazing photographer and took a ton of pictures with her digital camera and a few photos with my iPhone. She will be editing the digital photos and sending those to me soon, but in the meantime I wanted to share a sneak peak of some of the iPhone photos with the Instagram filters. Each time I alter a photo in Instagram, I am reminded of just how much I love this app! Here are a few photos and the rest I will post in the coming weeks...

one of my favorite pictures of us together - I used the Sierra filter in Instagram which gives the photo a soft glow

this belly pic collage was made using the X-pro II filter in Instagram to give the photos a deep color and black border and the Diptic app to create the collage

I can't wait to see the rest of the pictures that Laura took and I will be sure to share a few here on the blog. This time in our life feels so special and I am so grateful that we could capture a few of these memories today!

Happy 30th Birthday Michael!

Today is my sweet husband's 30th birthday! I have been teasing him all month about turning 30 and he has been a great sport about it. We celebrated a few weeks ago with a party and went out to dinner last night with his parents for an early birthday dinner. I have been so blessed to have this man in my life and can't wait to see him officially become a daddy in a few short days or weeks. I am lucky to be Michael's wife and hope his birthday has been great! I love you punkin!

P.S. I love this picture of Michael in his softball uniform after a messy slide into second base during a game this summer!

38 Weeks

Only 2 weeks till our due date and I am in shock by how fast this pregnancy went by. I have been amazed how quickly the weeks fly by and here we are just days from welcoming our baby girl into this world. I have been on a bit of an emotional roller coaster this week because each time I have a few contractions I think it may be just about time and then they go away and the waiting game goes on. We are so excited to meet our baby and I am nervous at the same time about what to expect in labor and delivery. I am doing my best to stay calm, take one day at a time, and focus on enjoying these last few days of my pregnancy. I will miss this special time in my life but can't wait to experience the joy of motherhood! Here are my pregnancy updates and a belly pic for this week:

How far along? 38 weeks

Total Weight Gain? 23 pounds

Maternity Clothes? Sure thing! I have a few maternity outfits that I love to wear and everything else is either pajamas or leggings (I am all about comfort these days!)

Stretch Marks? No and I am quite surprised. I am sticking with the lotion routine and hoping to keep the stretch marks away.

Sleep? Never enough and I LOVE to sleep. This past weekend I took advantage of not having a bunch of things planned and slept in late both days and took a few naps. I think my body is trying to soak up as much sleep as possible before baby girl arrives.

Best Moment this Week? Enjoying the last little bit of my pregnant belly and soaking in how beautiful it feels to be pregnant. I have had more self confidence during this pregnancy than ever before because the beautiful gift I am creating makes me glow... And I love my belly :)

Miss Anything? Sleeping comfortably and not having back pain. The bigger my belly gets, the more difficult it becomes to get comfortable and stay comfortable. I am convinced that I toss and turn at least 50 times each night just trying to find a comfortable position.

Movement? Yes and she is still moving like crazy! She loves to kick and wiggle and stick her hands and feet into my sides. I love feeling her move and it will always be my favorite part of this pregnancy.

Food Cravings? The food cravings are the same and I still love to chew on ice... so bad for my teeth but for some reason I love it.

Anything Making you Queasy? No and the heartburn has settled down a bit which I so appreciate.

Gender? Girl! And we can't wait to name her :)

Labor Signs? I have had a few contractions but they are pretty irregular and go away once I sit down and rest. I have been feeling a lot of pressure below my belly and some pain in my lower back when the contractions get started. The doctor reminded us this week that these are all signs of baby girl getting ready for her arrival :)

Belly Button In or Out? Not much change since last week, but I am surprised how much the skin on your belly stretches to make room for baby.

Wedding Rings On or Off? Off :( I have a bit of swelling in my fingers and toes and have given up on trying to wear my rings for awhile. 
General Mood? A bit nervous, anxious, and excited. There are so many emotions to feel right now and it can be overwhelming at times. I am amazing with how blessed I feel to be having this baby and can't wait for the day she decides to arrive! 
Symptoms? A few contractions here and there, lots of back pain, a bit of heartburn if I lay down too fast, and exhausted... so so exhausted!

Looking Forward To? Our baby girl's birthday! Can't wait to see if she will be an October baby or a November baby!

Packing the Hospital Bag

When we found out in March that we were pregnant, I thought for sure that I would be one of those pregnant women that would have the hospital bag packed months in advance. Well, that has not been the case for me. We are just about 2 weeks from our due date and I have only packed a few things for the hospital. I made a major shopping trip today to Kohl's and Target and should have our bags ready to go in the next day or so. In preparation for packing the hospital bag and what to expect as far as what I will need, want, and forget about, I did some research on Pinterest and my favorite blogs. Here are just a few places that I found some great tips, advice, and helpful hints on what to pack and what to leave at home:

• Hospital Bag Must Haves from the blog, Eat Drink Pretty: this mom had a great list of what to bring and a bunch of comments from readers (most of them moms) that offered great advice about what to focus on bringing and the many things that can be left at home. This list reminded me that we are not moving into the hospital, just staying for a few days :)
• Preparing for Baby Pinterest Board: I have several pins on this board from other moms that have shared their hospital bag packing lists. My favorite pin broke down the list of what to bring for mom, dad, and baby girl... very helpful!
• Hospital Packing List from the blog, Sweet Baby Pate: this mom's list was a bit long but had great suggestions on what to bring and a few items I hadn't thought of like a maxi dress and flip flops for me and pajamas for the hubby.

I have found that every mom to be is different on how much you want to bring to the hospital. I want to make sure I have the necessities but I also don't want to go overboard. I am only about half way packed but here are a few things that will definitely be coming with us to the hospital: 

Petunia Pickle Bottom Diaper Bag - this adorable bag will hold all of our baby girl's gear

Boppy Pillow - lots of moms have recommended bringing this to help with nursing

Pink Polka Dot Robe from Kohls - this super soft robe will be great to wear before and after delivery

Other items that I will be packing for us include comfy clothes, toiletries, chap stick, hand sanitizer, snacks, change for the vending machine, our own pillows, comfy socks, slippers, nursing bras and pads, iPhone and iPad, and of course the car seat! We plan on putting the car seat in place tomorrow and packing the rest of our bags in the next few days. I know I will feel relieved to have our things packed and I can rest assured if we forgot something that we have a bunch of excited grandparents that would run home and grab a few things for us if needed!

Fall Favorites

This time of year is one of my favorites and I love finding ideas and inspiration that celebrate the Fall season. I have been inspired by so many great ideas on Pinterest including recipes, crafts, home decor, and of course sweets! Be sure to check out my Fall Ideas Board on Pinterest for lots of great Fall ideas for you and your family! Here are just a few of my favorites:

Fall Bucket List - a fun way to keep a list of all the activities to enjoy during the season!

Mini Pumpkin Tea Light Holders - such an fun and easy way to display candles and add to your fall decor!

Pumpkin Bars - easy recipe and looks oh so delicious!

I have been loving the cool mornings and sunny days that Fall has brought us and I have the house decorated with all things Fall and pumpkin! I love this time of year and hope it lasts just a few more weeks before the weather turns too cold and we get the dreaded four letter word (SNOW!)...