Pregnancy Halloween Costume

I am not sure if we will have our baby before or after Halloween, but just in case she has not arrived by October 31st, I wanted to have a Halloween costume ready. I found this adorable iron on transfer on Etsy and knew it would be the perfect costume for my pregnant belly. 

 

The iron on transfer was only $20 and I found a maternity black tee shirt on Old Navy's website for $17. So for less than $40, I have the perfect costume to show off my pregnant belly and little to no fuss in getting ready for this holiday. I placed my orders tonight and can't wait to put together this tee shirt and be ready for Halloween!

Monthly Onesies for Baby Girl

Last year I saw this adorable idea on Martha Stewart for monthly onesies to capture pictures of baby during the first 12 months. I made a set of these monthly onesies (in baby boy colors) for my best friend Laura for her baby shower and had such a blast putting them together and knowing her baby boy would look adorable in them! Once I knew we were having a baby girl, I had these on my list to purchase and make before she is born. I ordered this adorable set from the Etsy shop, myliltees.

I love the color scheme of these iron on transfers and love that the set comes with large circles for onesies and then smaller circles for either a hat or a bib. I will be putting these on white onesies in the coming weeks and can't wait to take monthly pictures of our baby girl in these and watch her grow throughout the year. I plan to use the pictures in a photo collage as part of her 1st birthday party... so fun! Once I have the onesies completed, I will be sure to share pictures here on my blog... so stay tuned!

Pregnancy Cravings

With less than 6 weeks to go till our due date, I know my days of indulging in my favorite foods will be coming to an end soon. For the majority of this pregnancy, I have had just a few cravings for the same things over and over again. I joke with my husband that I could eat the same 5 or 6 things for the rest of the pregnancy and be just fine. Of course I know that this option is not the most well balanced, so I have been trying to broaden my options and eat a well rounded diet (on most days). I know that my time of enjoying these cravings and sending my husband to the store (it truly has only happened once or twice) are numbered, so you better believe I will be eating lots of my favorites in the coming weeks. Here are my absolute favorite cravings during this pregnancy:

I am obsessed with this cheese and could eat the entire package in just a few short days!

This cereal has been my go to breakfast and perfect for late night snacking!

The absolute best frozen yogurt and one of my favorite sweet treats!

This popcorn is truly addicting and the perfect crunchy and salty snack!

Pregnancy is one of the best times in life and I have been enjoying this journey... especially the cravings! I will so miss the guilt free option of indulging in these things after the baby is born...

34 Weeks

Fall has arrived and the weather has turned cool, which means our due date is approaching fast. I absolutely love the Fall season and especially love that we are having our first baby this Fall. The holidays are also approaching and I love to think about our baby girl's first Thanksgiving and Christmas and all of the memories we will create with her. With just about 6 weeks to go, there is still plenty of things to do to get ready for her arrival and plenty of time to anxiously wait. Here are my pregnancy updates and a preggo pic for this week:

How far along? 34 weeks

Total Weight Gain? 19 pounds

Maternity Clothes? All the time. The majority of my pre-pregnancy clothes have been packed away for sometime next year. I love living in my preggo leggings and anything that is comfortable and easy to move in.

Stretch Marks? Not yet, but my belly is getting bigger and bigger... I better keep the lotion routine up!

Sleep? Not great and never enough. I have found that I need to adjust my schedule and at least let myself sleep till 6:45am or even 7:00am. Just a little bit more sleep in the morning makes a world of difference for me throughout the day. And I love to nap, whenever I possibly can!

Best Moment this Week? Continuing to work on the nursery and starting to put some of her adorable baby clothes away in her closet. I love washing and folding her tiny little socks and onesies and can't wait till I can see her in her cute little outfits.

Miss Anything? I miss sushi and wine at times, but most of all I miss not having to pee 16 times a day and being able to sleep through the night.

Movement? Of course! And I have been able to feel her little feet push into my sides and ribs at times. It is kinda of strange to see her poking my belly and be able to recognize that it is a foot, but I love every bit of her movement. By far one of my favorite parts of this pregnancy!

Food Cravings? I have been obsessed with provolone cheese lately and can't seem to get enough dairy products (milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream)... I also love having Rice Krispies cereal at least a few times a week.

Anything Making you Queasy? Not really... I can't stand bad smells though. I think my nose has been a bit sensitive lately.

Gender? Girl! And she has so many adorable clothes to wear from the baby shower gifts! She is going to be one stylin' girl and decked out in lots of pink :)

Labor Signs? Nope. We have started going to our childbirth classes and they are interesting for sure. A lot of the information is common sense but we have learned a few tips and strategies to keep in mind for when I go into labor. This week we learned about relaxation techniques and massage, which will both come in handy during labor.

Belly Button In or Out? Not changing much other than not really shallow and not really poking out... just kinda strange to be honest.

Wedding Rings On or Off? On and still have some wiggle room.
General Mood? Pretty good, just really tired. I never knew that the level of exhaustion could really be what it is, but I pretty much could fall asleep at any point during the day. I have been feeling a bit stressed with only having about 6 weeks to go, but also trying to keep in mind that everything doesn't have to be completely done before she arrives. 
Symptoms? Lots of pain in my ribs (from her kicking) and in my back. Still have pretty frequent heartburn and some aches and pains when I over do it.

Looking Forward To? I am trying to desperately hold onto these last weeks of pregnancy because I feel like this special time has gone by way too fast. I love being pregnant and will miss it. I am also trying to relish in the last few weeks of alone time and peace and quiet before the sleepless nights begin and the house is no longer so quiet. We are anxious to meet our baby girl, but we are also enjoying the last little bit of our alone time together.

Beautiful Fall Colors and Instagram

Today was the most beautiful day up on the Grand Mesa with the gorgeous fall colors and the crisp cool air. My mother-in-law and sister-in-law invited me for a girl's picnic up on the Mesa and a beautiful drive to enjoy the fall colors. I love this time of year when the colors start to change and the Grand Mesa is an easy and short 45 minute drive from our house. We had a great time chatting and catching up and taking lots of pictures of the fall colors and the beautiful trees and scenery. 

I have been wanting to take more pictures with my iPhone and the Instagram App is perfect for taking amazing pictures with some fun filters and edits available. All of the pictures below were taken with the Instagram App and the Kelvin filter which gives the pictures a soft golden tone and a rugged white border. I just love how these pictures turned out... so beautiful!

I also found another great App for my iPhone, called PostalPix and it is the most convenient way to order pictures from your phone. Setting up an account is easy and then all you have to do is pick the pictures you would like to order, choose from either the traditional photo size (4X6, 5X7, etc.) or the Instagram sizes (4X4, 5X5, etc.), and then the photos will be printed and delivered directly to your home for a great price. I see myself using this App a ton in the future because it is so much easier than trying to print photos at home and then I don't have to worry about buying a photo printer, ordering ink and paper, or worrying about the quality of the photos. With PostalPix, I can just pick the pictures I want to have printed and they will be in my mailbox within a week. I love it when I find something that makes life easier!

Today was the perfect way to spend a Sunday and I love the feeling of Fall in the air, the colors changing, and looking forward to taking more pictures in the coming weeks!

Nursery Decor and Details

Our baby girl's room is coming along beautifully and we will be spending lots of time in the coming weeks finishing up some projects and putting some of the finishing decor details on her room. So far the room has been painted in a beautiful soft yellow and we have put the crib and changing table together in the last two weeks. This week we are having book shelves installed on the walls next to the window and starting to organize her closet. I have been busy placing orders on Etsy and a few other websites for decor items, storage solutions, and supplies for the DIY craft projects that I still need to complete. Here are just a few of the details we are adding to the nursery:

these floral prints from Etsy match with the fabric we have selected for the curtains, crib skirt, and quilt for her crib

these pink hanging organizers will be perfect for the closet and to hold all of her adorable outfits

these pink drawers will fit perfectly into the hanging organizers and will keep items nice and organized

cute wooden hangers for hanging baby girl's outfits and keeping two piece sets together

cute wooden hangers will be perfect for all of the adorable outfits and dresses for baby girl

I am excited for the items I ordered to arrive so that I can work on the finishing details for the nursery and start organizing all of the amazing gifts, gear, and clothes we have received from family and friends. I will be busy working on a few DIY craft projects in the coming weeks and will post updates on those projects soon!

33 Weeks

This past week has been so busy and filled with so many fun things. Between seeing my family and friends from Salt Lake for the weekend and my baby shower on Saturday, I have been really enjoying the past few days. I feel so loved and blessed by the people in my life and love seeing everyone get so excited for our baby to arrive. We have been busy working on the nursery and getting things ready in our home to accommodate all of the baby gear and the gifts we have been receiving. Here are my pregnancy updates and belly picture for this week:

How far along? 33 weeks

Total Weight Gain? 17 pounds

Maternity Clothes? You bet! I picked out some adorable dresses last week at the maternity store (the pink one in the picture above is one of them) and love how comfortable they are and they definitely show off my belly :)

Stretch Marks? Nope :) Hoping it stays this way!

Sleep? Still tired beyond belief and can't seem to get enough shut eye. I having been sleeping with lots of pillows to prop up my head and neck to avoid the dreaded late night heartburn.

Best Moment this Week? Celebrating the soon to be arrival of baby girl at my baby shower with my friends and family. It was great to celebrate with everyone and open so many fun gifts and precious outfits for our little one.

Miss Anything? I don't have much energy lately and have had to really slow down, which is hard for me to do. I also miss drinking lots of caffeine to get me through the day.

Movement? Yes and still loving it when she moves... except for when she kicks me in the ribs. She has been stretching out a lot and pushing up into my ribs quite often. Usually me standing up and helping her shift down has relieved those uncomfortable moments.

Food Cravings? Still loving cheese and sweets and my favorite ice cream (haagen dazs vanilla raspberry swirl frozen yogurt).

Anything Making you Queasy? Nope but I have found that I can't really stand much of any spice lately, so bland is better right now.

Gender? Girl!

Labor Signs? Not yet... We did start our childbirth classes this week and hoping to learn some techniques to help manage the labor and all that comes with childbirth.

Belly Button In or Out? It is kind of an innie and kind of an outie... kinda strange...

Wedding Rings On or Off? On and not quite as snug as last week. 
General Mood? Pretty good, just tired. I have been really happy lately and enjoying this time in the pregnancy, but when I get tired I often feel overwhelmed and emotional. I was so tired on Sunday night after a busy weekend that I just had to cry it out... but I felt so much better afterwards. 
Symptoms? I have been having some pretty intense back pain and uncomfortable feelings when I sit in the wrong position or lay down in an awkward position. I have also had heartburn come out of nowhere and stay for hours at a time.

Looking Forward To? I am excited to finish up the nursery, organize all of her adorable clothes and baby gear, and start planning for things like packing the hospital bag, birth announcements, and picking her take home outfit when we leave the hospital. So many fun things to spend my time on in the coming weeks!

In the next couple of weeks I will be posting more details about the nursery, tips I have been reading about packing the hospital bag, and enjoying the last few weeks of alone time with my husband. I feel like I could blink and she will be here so soon... and we still have so much to get ready!

Baby Shower - Blessings for our Baby

Yesterday was the most beautiful baby shower that was hosted by my mom, my mother in law, and my best friend Laura. These ladies put together an amazing afternoon of great food, an adorable dessert table and cake, fun games and activities, and lots and lots of pink! I was so touched that so many of my family and friends came to celebrate the soon to be arrival of our baby girl. I love seeing people that have been in my life for many years (some since I was born) and truly are happy to see us become parents in a few short months. I am so overwhelmed with the blessings we received with the gifts for baby girl and for her nursery. I have lots of gift bags to go through in the coming weeks and need to begin organizing the baby clothes and gear in the nursery. I am waiting for a few people to send me pictures of the shower so that I can share them on my blog... so stay tuned.

I am so grateful for my mom, my mother in law, and Laura for throwing the most amazing shower and showing me amazing love and support. I am so lucky to have amazing family and friends in my life and our baby girl is so blessed!

New Book Club Selection - Wild

I just got home from another great night with my girlfriends. Our evening at book club was filled with great discussion, catching up on each others lives, great food (and cookies), and lots of laughs. We always seem to have a great time together and I really look forward to each month's gathering. We discussed the book, Sarah's Key, and just about everyone enjoyed the story and the connection between Sarah and Julia even though the stories were decades apart.

One of my favorite parts about book club is choosing the next book. It is like going shopping with all of your girlfriends and picking something out to enjoy together... I just love it! We chose the next book called 'Wild' by Cheryl Strayed. This book was chosen as part of Oprah's Book Club 2.0 and has been highly recommended to read.

Here is a short summary of this book:

• A powerful, blazingly honest memoir: the story of an eleven-hundred-mile solo hike that broke down a young woman reeling from catastrophe—and built her back up again.

I have heard so many great things about this book and the adventure the author took by hiking the Pacific Coast Trail on her own with no experience. I am looking forward to the adventure of this book and reading the story of this woman's discovery through her travel experience.

I plan on downloading this book on my iPad this weekend, because there is a special Oprah's book club edition that is available with additional information from the author and various reading discussion points along the way. I am sure the enhanced version will come in handy for our book club discussion next month. Hope you are enjoying a good book this month and/or maybe you want to pick up this selection and read along. Happy Reading!

Book Recap - Sarah's Key

I just finished reading this month's book club selection Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay and ended up enjoying this book more than I expected.

The story of Sarah and her journey through unthinkable circumstances and grief is one of strength and resilience that most people could never imagine. I was pleasantly surprised how quick this book flowed and ending up finishing with a few days to spare before book club on Thursday. I seem to do the same thing each month... leave the book for the last week before book club and then read it quickly in just a few days. The benefit of reading this way is having the story fresh in my memory and ready to discuss with my girlfriends. The downside of leaving the reading to the last minute is that it causes unnecessary stress because I cannot imagine not finishing a book before we get together for book club. I am going to work on making a commitment to reading the book selections sooner so that I don't feel the pressure to finish quickly and can truly enjoy the current book selection of the month. Overall, this was a good book with a beautiful story about resilience, family, and searching for what is really important in life.

Thursday is our next book club gathering and we will choose our next book selection then. I will be sure to post an update later this week on what we will be reading next. Happy Reading!

32 Weeks

This past week has been an interesting transition for me. I have started to really feel the exhaustion of the third trimester and starting to feel huge. I am a bit worried that I may only have 8 weeks to go and starting to feel like a whale a bit sooner than I would have liked. I am one of the lucky ones where all of my weight gain is happening in my belly, but sometimes I feel like I am carrying around a giant pumpkin. I have also started to realize that in less than 2 months I will be a mommy caring for a sweet baby girl. My husband and I are so excited to meet her and our patience is definitely dwindling. Here are my pregnancy updates for the week and a picture of my huge belly!

How far along? 32 weeks

Total Weight Gain? 16 pounds

Maternity Clothes? I am all about comfort these days so anything that is too snug has gotta go. I am trying to stretch my summer wardrobe as long as I can before the weather turns cold.

Stretch Marks? Nope :)

Sleep? It's alright. Could be better but hasn't been horrible either. I have been catching a few naps on the weekends and trying to not overdo it throughout the week. I am realizing that my energy is in short supply and I must spend it wisely in the coming weeks.

Best Moment this Week? I absolutely love feeling her move and it is one of the first things I look forward to when I wake up in the morning. I love bonding with my belly and talking to her throughout the day. She is making her momma so happy!

Miss Anything? I miss not having to worry about my pregnant belly when I am putting on my shoes or attempting to move something. It still amazes me how my belly can make me feel so clumsy and sometimes out of breath.

Movement? Baby girl has been super active this week and I have felt her move from just about every corner of my belly. She loves kicking in the mornings and at night and I love feeling her wiggle around in there. I even felt her have a case of the hiccups this past weekend!

Food Cravings? I have this crazy desire to chew on ice... my dentist would cringe, but something about a huge cup of ice just makes me happy these days! :) And I still love all things dairy including cheese (love it!), milk, and ice cream!

Anything Making you Queasy? Nope!

Gender? Girl!

Labor Signs? Not really but it is starting to sink in that in the coming weeks we will be getting closer to the reality of labor. We also start our childbirth classes next week and excited to see how they go.

Belly Button In or Out? It is starting to transition to an outie. Kind of strange to see it change.

Wedding Rings On or Off? For the first time my rings are getting a bit snug on my fingers. This is either a sign of swelling or the weight gain is reaching my fingers. Either way I am going to be sad if there comes a time that I can't wear my beautiful rings. :(
General Mood? Pretty good. Really excited for the next few weeks and also a bit nervous about everything that I would like to get done before she arrives. I am much more relaxed than I thought I would be but I also have my moments of panic and nesting at times.  
Symptoms? I have been getting sore more often in my feet and back and can feel the stress on my legs when I am on my feet for too long. I still have heartburn at times and lately I have been a bit more clumsy than usual. I think the high heels need to be retired to ensure I don't have a total wipe-out.

Looking Forward To? I am really excited for my baby shower this weekend and can't wait to see all of my family and friends. It is going to be the most beautiful day to have everyone I love around me and feel the love and support for our baby girl. I am so blessed! 

I am transitioning my mind into total countdown mode in the coming weeks. I am starting to transition my brain to think about being off work, wrapping up things around the house including finishing the nursery, and soaking up the last little bit of alone time that I will have before baby arrives. I am hoping to be able to enjoy the last few weeks/months of my pregnancy, but at the same time I am so ready to meet our baby. One thing I know for sure is that I trust God to decide when it is the time for her to arrive... he knows the plan he has for us!

Apple Pie Favorites

With Fall starting in just a few short weeks, I am eagerly awaiting the season of pumpkin spice lattes (decaf for me this year), fall colors and crisp cool mornings, and anything related to apple pie! If I had to pick a favorite pie, it would most definitely be apple! I love how apple pie has been transformed to be so much more than the traditional pie format. Apple pie is featured in baked goods, ice cream, and even the scent is used in bath and body products. This Fall will bring the arrival of our baby girl and I just know that I will love this season even more in the years to come! With my sweet tooth cravings in full gear, these apple pie favorites are sure to please my pregnant belly! :)

• Apple Pie Breakfast - a perfect oatmeal breakfast that is both healthy and delicious

• Apple Pie Parfait - super healthy treat made with greek yogurt and quinoa

• Apple Pie Bites - so simple to make and perfect for parties

Fall starts in a few short weeks, which means our due date is approaching fast. I am looking forward to the coming weeks and taking full advantage of the colors, flavors, and comforts of one of my favorite seasons!

Friday Night Dinner

Friday night dinners are the perfect way to end a long week and spend some quality time with our best friends. Our friends came over for dinner tonight with their adorable little ones and we enjoyed a great evening of good food, catching up, and lots of laughs. Whenever Jordan and Laura come over, I am challenged to find a recipe that works great for the boys and the girls. The husbands love to eat meat and nothing too healthy and the wives want easy to make dishes that are beautiful and delicious. As I was planning the menu for tonight, I pulled out my Pioneer Woman Cookbook that I received for my birthday. This cookbook has amazing pictures throughout and delicious recipes in several categories. After much deliberation, I landed on these two recipes for tonight's dinner:

Ranch Style Chicken - total guy food and covered in cheese!

Creamy Corn Casserole - delicious and oh so decadent!

Tonight was a perfect example that life can be so wonderful if we just slow down and enjoy a great meal with the people closest to us!

Happier at Home - New Book by Gretchen Rubin

I have been following the author, Gretchen Rubin, for over a year on her blog the Happiness Project and read her book The Happiness Project for a book club selection last year. I absolutely loved that book and have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of her newest book called Happier at Home, which is being released today. 

Gretchen has been sharing bits and pieces of the new book on her blog and just reading the sample chapter on time has increased my excitement for this book. I plan on downloading the book tonight on my iPad and plan to start reading as soon as I finish this month's book club selection. 

If you are looking for happiness inspiration, then you must visit Gretchen's blog on a regular basis or sign up for her emails. I have found a lot of inspiration and insight through her blog and can't wait to learn new ideas from her latest book. Once I have a chance to dive into this new book, I will post an update on what I think... I doubt she will disappointment me!

31 Weeks

Wow, what a busy past week and weekend it has been for us. My mom and step dad were visiting for the holiday weekend and we were busy painting the nursery, working on projects around the house, cooking a bunch of food for freezer meals, and watching a few baseball games and fireworks. Overall it was a great time, but I am a bit tired from all of the activity and excitement. I am hoping to catch some restful evenings this week to recharge my battery. Here are my pregnancy updates for the week:

How far along? 31 weeks

Total Weight Gain? 14 pounds

Maternity Clothes? Of course! And I ordered this adorable dress for my baby shower in a few weeks. I hope it fits great :)

Stretch Marks? No and using the stretch mark lotion religiously!

Sleep? Never enough. I could sleep for 10 hours each night if my bladder allowed me to. I love catching naps on the weekend and have been heading to bed by 9:30pm each night.

Best Moment this Week? We had our 30 week doctor appointment and ultrasound on Friday and it was great to see our baby girl again. She has adorable chubby cheeks and is measuring really tall (big surprise when both of her parents are 6 feet tall). The ultrasound kind of shocked me when the doctor said that she is in the 99th percentile for her height.

Miss Anything? I am having a hard time getting comfortable when I sleep and when I sit in certain positions, so I definitely miss being able to move without my preggo belly!

Movement? Yes, she stretches out a lot and sometimes I can feel her do somersaults. I still feel a few good kicks once in awhile but I think she is running out of room in my belly.

Food Cravings? I absolutely love Chick-Fil-A right now!

Anything Making you Queasy? Nope!

Gender? Girl!

Labor Signs? I had my first taste of Braxton Hicks contractions on Sunday night and they were quite painful. I was really surprised how fast they came on and glad when they subsided. I am hoping these don't come too often in the coming weeks.

Belly Button In or Out? It's still in and not changing much.

General Mood? Doing pretty good. I am amazed how fast each day flies by when you fill life with work, taking care of a home, preparing for baby girl, spending time with Michael, and trying to take care of myself. I am hoping to be able to rest the next couple of weeks instead of spending every waking moment on projects on my to-do list. Rest for me equals a better mood for sure!
Symptoms? I have been a little bit more tired at times and definitely needing to take it easy and rest when I can. I still get some pretty wicked heartburn and can be a bit itchy at times. Oh, and the Braxton Hicks contractions and back pain are not pleasant either. :(

Looking Forward To? My amazing mom, mother-in-law, and best friend are throwing me a shower in a few weeks and I can't wait to see all of my family and friends and celebrate baby girl's soon arrival with all of the people I love.

With September here and Summer almost over, I am really starting to focus on transitioning into the final months of this pregnancy and emotionally prepare myself for all that is to come. I pray each night for the guidance to stay focused on what is important and remind myself that all that really matters is the miracle growing inside of me. I look forward to the last few months of my alone time and look forward to the days and years ahead with our daughter.

Babyproofing Your Marriage

I have been reading a great book that one of my girlfriends recommended and this book is perfect for the next chapter in our lives of parenthood. This book, Babyproofing Your Marriage, is witty, charming, full of information, and down right hilarious at times. 

 

I started the book a few weeks ago and have loved every page. I like reading stories about real couples and their experiences dealing with the transition into parenthood. I have even been able to get my husband Michael to start reading along with me. If there is one thing I have consistently heard from people, it is that having a baby is hard on your marriage, no matter how strong it was before. Michael and I have had several conversations about how our relationship may change with a baby and what we plan to do to help foster a healthy and happy marriage while also assuming our new roles of Mom and Dad.

I often think back to something that my Grandpa told me many times as we were growing up and hearing stories about him and my Grandma raising their 3 kids. He would say to his kids, 'I started this journey with your mother and I am going to end it with your mother'. He was referring to the often occurrence of kids trying to pin their parents against each other and playing the good cop bad cop game. I love thinking of this quote as I know the coming years will challenge our marriage and there will be times that we need to remind ourselves to stay strong and united, because we can't have a happy and healthy family without a happy and healthy marriage. I plan on finishing this great book in a few weeks and know for sure that it will sit on my nightstand as a reference in the years to come!