28 Weeks and Counting.....

I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful Father's Day weekend with your family! It's been a while since I shared a pregnancy progress update here on the blog and as of this past Saturday I'm now 30 weeks along with just 10 more weeks to go! I honestly don't know where the past 7.5 months have gone. I hope things slow down because we haven't even started painting baby girl's nursery yet although I have made some progress by selecting a paint color, purchasing some accessory items for her room and my favorite part-I ordered a beautiful crib bedding set (for the crib I purchased a couple months ago) which I'll be sure to share in the nursery design reveal once she arrives.

I'm a couple weeks behind in the update but I'm about the same size as I was when the photos were taken at 28 weeks. Below is also a 25 week photo from my 1st Unofficial Mother's Day last month!

I highly recommend taking maternity photos at the beach, they turn out lovely! Just one week after Mother's Day we headed to the beach on a quiet weekday and were able to capture some beautiful summery photos in the water where I was able to wear my favorite black bikini one last time before having to upgrade to a size larger that will take me through the rest of the summer. So far I've had no luck with full piece or tankini style maternity swimsuits but did find a cute non-maternity eyelet fabric tankini in coral on sale at Target which I can wear now, until the end of my pregnancy as well as after baby arrives.

{In front of our big oak tree before heading to brunch on Mother's Day}

{I'm still in many of my own clothes, I found this non-maternity dress on the clearance rack 

for just $8 at Old Navy! HERE is a similar style of striped dress on sale for just $15}

{Fun Facts}


What surprised me the most this month:  The amount of strangers who have asked about my pregnancy or commented on my belly was at an all time high this past month as my bump grew larger. While we just discussed this topic in our last Manners Monday post, and others 'comments can be inappropriate at times, I'm mostly enjoying the kindness that others have have bestowed upon me, offering to help me carry heavier items, speaking positively about my pregnant appearance and offering well wishes for myself and baby, the way all pregnant women should be treated!

Weight gain from 24-28 weeks: 6 lbs, total gained at 28 weeks is 17 lbs. and I'm still feeling good!

What I spent the most time researching this month: Since I covered many of the important details early on, I've had fun with the more playful aspects. I've been reviewing crib bedding, gliders and rugs for the nursery as well as Maternity Photographers. I'm still yet to find the right rug and am debating on whether I want to hire a Photographer for belly photos, have a family friend take some at the beach or have hubby use our camera to take some on our own. I am having a hard time finding a reasonably priced photographer who provides quality photos and has a studio. I've been trying to avoid doing outdoors photos because it's so darn hot here in FL already and studio photos allow for more control of the elements and intimate/romantic shots.

New Development this month: The not-so-lovely side of pregnancy, swollen ankles and feet! Thankfully it hasn't gotten too bad (and I can still fit into all of my shoes although they are tighter) but it began early as we endure 90 degree weather almost daily here. Although, I've found the time it hits me the worst isn't always while standing or walking, it's while sitting at my desk working with my feet on the floor. I've tried a footstool but it hasn't really helped. One thing that did help was increasing my amount of protein which is supposed to keep water retention in check since I already keep my water up and sodium in check. Of course, I'm trying to keep my feet up and rest at night.

Speaking of photos, how did you choose to capture your maternity photos? Did you hire a professional photographer or have your hubby or a family friend take the pics? Did you have a special location to document this time such as a park or the baby's nursery? I'd love to hear about it! 

Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for an amazing Home Decor giveaway on Thursday that you won't want to miss! There will be 4 lucky winners ,just in time for summer decorating. :)

XO

Baby Gender Reveal Time! It's a.....

Hi Everyone! Well, we finally did it. We shared the sex of our little one with our parents once I hit my 6 month mark and then revealed to the rest of our friends and family the next day via my personal Facebook page with some special photos we took specifically for the reveal.

Some of you may remember that I mentioned via Facebook a few weeks ago that I put the brakes on my plans for a fun gender reveal party (which was supposed to take place this coming weekend) even though I had all the details planned out, there was just too much going on and I was feeling too overwhelmed by life to prepare for this party and then clean up afterwards all on my own. I knew I could spend my time, energy and budget in a better way than a party that would last just a couple hours. We still wanted to do something creative and fun to document this time and decided to head to one of our favorite hotels which has a nice architectural backdrop for our photos that would mark the occasion and use the balloon color to announce our news.

Hubby and I are overjoyed to announce that we our expecting a baby GIRL!! We had both been praying for a healthy baby and would have been happy either way but the Lord is giving us both our true heart's desire, a daughter to love. :) Without further ado, here are a few photos from my 24-Week pregnancy belly shoot.

Over the weekend my in-laws hosted a family reunion get together of sorts to bring all of the extended family together since we hadn't seen each other in a while. We thought it was the perfect time to pull Paul's mom and dad aside privately and give them a special gift to open in another room together so they could learn the baby's gender first and then we let them share the news with everyone else at their party. It was such a fun evening and everyone was so sweet, supportive and excited for us. Since all of my husband's cousins began their families many years ago, we will be the only ones with a baby.

{Enchante Accessories Distressed Frame in antique white} It's 50% off right now!

For their gift, I took our favorite sonogram photo of the bunch (our little jellybean with her hands clasped and close to her mouth) and had a duplicate made of the photo then added a cute little pink bow on the head and slipped it into a pretty cream frame for them to keep. It was really easy to do and I plan to make one for each of my parents as well as a keepsake for us which will likely live in the nursery until she arrives!

My Mother-in-law has graciously offered to host my baby shower along with the help of my husband's two Aunts since my closest friends and family live miles away back home in Toronto. They asked for my ideas on a theme and the date, so we've penciled in the date of July.13th and the overall decor will be a color theme of pale pink, white and gold. I'm thinking soft, feminine, elegant and chic. I look forward to seeing what they come up with!


{Fun Facts}

What I craved the most this month:  Everything sweet! Fruit (still eating watermelon almost daily), smoothies, sweet tea, desserts, you name it and my baby wants it! I was already a bit of a sweet tooth beforehand so not too much has changed. What they say about girls craving sweets is true!

Something new I tried this month: My midwife recommended Hypnobirthing and I have read so many great personal experiences about how it can shorten the length of labor and delivery as well as make for such a peaceful birthing experience-some women experienced no pain at all! I have attended my first private class so far and since she is also a Doula, we have chosen her to be present and support me during the birth as well. Has anyone else used the hypnobirthing technique? I figure it's not only good for pregnancy but also beyond, it helps you use the pain in your life and transform it into a powerful tool with the right visualization tools.

Weight gain from 20-24 weeks: A whopping half of a pound although my bi-weekly photos would have you believe otherwise! I've gained 11 lbs total as of my 24-week check up and am feeling really good which is most important to me. 

When I started wearing maternity clothes: While I'm still in 95% regular clothes, I finally grabbed a couple pairs of maternity pants, a few tops and a pair of shorts and they are really comfortable! I'm trying to creatively work my own wardrobe and new pieces that are a size larger or my own size into my existing wardrobe for now so I can wear the items after the birth and beyond without investing a lot of money into a maternity-specific wardrobe. 

New Development this month: Itchy tummy! No matter how much cocoa butter, belly oil or natural lotions I use, my bump is stretching and letting me know about it. If someone has a good home remedy, please let me know!

Did you find out and share the gender of your first baby? If you did, what was the most memorable moment about revealing it to family and friends? Maybe you had a creative way of sharing the news? I'd love to hear about it!

As always, thanks for reading!

XO





*All other images my own, except these: (1), (2)

Fashion Friday: Spring Favorites from Asos

It's no secret that I prefer shopping for clothing online. No traffic, no parking lots to circle, no lines to stand in to try items on or to pay and of course it helps keep our gas budget down too when I'm not driving all over town trying to find some new staples for my wardrobe.

ASOS is no exception, I love this online retailer for many reasons, one big one being that they offer FREE shipping both ways and their return policy makes things a breeze if something isn't for you. They have a large selection of regular, petite, curve (plus size) and even maternity for women as well as accessories too and they have so many great styles at affordable prices. They show each item from multiple angles and even have a 10 second runway video of the model walking in each item so you get a much better idea of how an item hangs, how long it is and overall what you're ordering.

Come take a peek below at what some of my favorites are for Spring and also for you expecting mamas like myself, I have an additional collection of my personal maternity picks too because a gal has to look stylish and classy for Springtime-bump or not. :)

{Find it here}:   1. Blazer  // 2. Ruffle Tank  // 3. Red flowy skirt //  4. Black Dress 
  5. Bonjour Top  //  6. Green Pleated Skirt  //  7. White Dress  //  8. Feather Clutch 

{Find items here}:   9. Nude Blouse  //  10. Lace Dress  //  11. Navy & White Maxi    
12. Black Dress  //  13. Green Striped Top  //  14. Navy Striped Dress  
  15. Baroque Print Dress  //  16. Black Maxi Dress

Spring has so many wonderful options-bold prints, flowing skirts, the classic stripe, bright colors, ruffles, lace, satin and soft textures just to name a few.

I'd love to hear from you! Which are YOUR favorite ASOS styles shown above? What's on your list of items to add to your spring wardrobe?

Thanks for reading!

XO




*Please note that this is not a sponsored post nor was I was not compensated for writing this post about ASOS clothing, all opinions are my own.

Credits: All clothing images by ASOS, all text images belong to me.