Bump Style >>>> date night and vintage

Friday night my husband's sisters came over to watch Cruze for a couple hours so we could have some time to ourselves. I'm not going to lie, while my heart needed this time with my husband, we ached for our little boy the second we left.

But we were able to quiet those feelings enough to have a great night out. We ate dinner at home with our babe and used our time to grab some starbucks, chat at the bookstore and do some window shopping at an outdoor mall. The weather was fab and the company was oh so good.

For my outfit I wore a shirt that my mom wore over twenty years ago. When I was a young girl I remember seeing this shirt in her closet and just loving it so much. When I was around 15 years old I told my mom that I want to wear that shirt the day I'm pregnant. When I was pregnant with Cruze my mom gave it to me. One thing about my mom that you should know is that she cleans out her closet often. Her friends are very fortunate because they get new clothes that are pretty chic on the regular. But she saved this one shirt for me and that meant a lot. So here I am, wearing this shirt that I grew up seeing in the back of my mother's closet, belly and all.




shirt: vintage
Jeans: motherhood maternity
shoes: JCP

and a few cell phone pics

 

My Weekend To-Do List

To-do lists are the best thing ever, are they not?! They keep us on track and make us feel somewhat accomplished when we get to cross even the tiniest task off (ie. wake up). This weekend I'm determined. DETERMINED to finish some of the many projects I have going on around the house. And maybe, just maybe I will even be able to get a mini DIY blog post up? Eh, a girl can dream can't she?

Here is a glimpse of my to-do list. I forgot to add two things to that list. Date night with my man and looking into a new blog design. This blog design thing has been LONG overdue and I have been looking into it but with no success. My budget is small so that makes it a tad more challenging. We shall see what happens there.

 

 

Once again, HAPPY HAPPY FRIDAY! I may not have a Monday-Friday job or go to school but Friday's? They still have a special place in my heart.

Friday's Fancies: A Fall Look

I have missed like a million Friday's Fancies since we had Cruze. I'm not exactly sure why because this was a link-up I used to look forward to every week when I first started blogging. Last week's theme was all about Fall and since I am just a tad obsessed with the season, I thought I'd start a week behind.

What's on your Fall Fashion Wish-List?

Friday's Fancies: A Fall Look by babybound featuring tie scarves



Happy Friday! I'm hoping to have my Bumpdate up sometime tonight or tomorrow!
 

Real Talk >>>> becoming a mom of two

On this blog I try my best to be positive and document all the sweet moments in our life. At the same time, I pride myself in being honest and not pretending that every single detail of my life is rainbows and butterflies. We had a great weekend with my family and sharing the gender of our little baby. But on Saturday, something hit me - hard. I'm going to be a mom. of two. TWO. I wanted this my entire life. A family of multiple children, preferrably close in age. In fact, I thought my two littles would be closer in age than the 23 months they will have between them. However, I started freaking out hard core. Like uncontrollable tears, pounding heart and all. How on earth am I going to handle this? HOW? When everything I know of families with two or more kids is sleep deprivation, frustration, bickering parents, etc., how am I going to keep it all together? I have zero family close by to lean on. My best friends all live a good distance away from me and I'm just now making friends in our new town (which I am beyond grateful for - trust me).

I made the most epic and warned about mistake. I googled. "Having two kids" and "how to manage two kids". One blogger stated that having two kids as opposed to just one made her and I quote "want to hit [her]self in the face with a hammer - repeatedly". What?! So I cried some more as I frantically searched the web for anything that was going to tell me it was going to be ok. I came across an article or two that were more positive but it was a difficult find.

My husband is the most supportive man I know. He tried his best to talk me through it. He reminded me how people warned us that marriage was going to be sooo hard. But we rock at it. People told us having our first baby would ruin our marriage. That my friends, was WAY wrong. We've proved them wrong before, we can do it again. I'm grateful to have also had another listening ear who has been there, done that. She has three beautiful children and her first two? Are only 15 months apart. She runs a succesful photography business and has multiple degrees (which she finished while mothering THREE young kids). So her words meant the world to me. She's proof that your life isn't over when you have more than one child. Not that I ever felt that way but by surfing the web I came to realize that many people don't share the same thoughts.

My biggest fears have to do with not being able to keep it all together. The laundry, dinner, dishes, myself. What will I do when the littlest one needs to be fed or changed and Cruze is running all over the place and getting himself into all sorts of hazards? How will I handle sleepless nights when I have a busy toddler to keep up with all day? The answer is the same as it has always been. I will find our way. We will find our way as a family. We always do. There may be some hard days ahead but in life, there always are. And the hardest moments I've had since becoming a mom always come back to the same thing. How much I focus on my own shortcomings. That's something I've been working on. Hopefully by the time baby #2 comes, I'll have it a little more figured out. And if not? I'll try my best to be OK with living in the chaos while finding the humor along the way.

After a few pep talks and a lot of "figuring things out" with my hubby, I'm feeling a bit wayyyy more confident. But I'll still take all the tips I can get. So throw some at me if you have any.

 

This photo was taken after a looong day of emergency rooms, break downs and Phillip's wonderful pep talks. It was a good way to end the day :)

Mommy On A Budget: Isabella Oliver on ZULILY!

 

It's been a while since I've shared a good deal with you guys but I have been sooo busy this week and my bumpdate post was just not going to happen. However, I stumbled upon this sale today and totally FREAKED. Isabella Oliver makes the best maternity styles. The best. So many celeb mamas have been known to sport their designs as well. That has to mean something right? ;)

 

Here is a little sample of what they are selling and LOOK at those prices!! Yes, these particular styles are technically sold out but they have plenty more and sometimes, sold out items become available again so keep checking.

 

Seriously ladies, you can't even find prices this good on ebay USED (I've tried - like a lot). Okay, I'm done with my little rant. Here is the link if you don't already have a Zulily account (it's free). I would love if you used my link but either way, just happy to share a little good news.

 

 

P.S. get $5 in Zulily money when your first order ships.

Baby #2 is a....

BOY!!! Most people have guessed girl and I was included in that. I for sure thought I was having a girl.

We are so beyond excited to give Cruze a baby brother! Watching baby boy on that ultrasound screen was surreal. We've been here before but it doesn't change how magical and special it is. He was moving ALL over the place. Like crazy. And his little profile? I die. Seriously could not stop looking at his picture the rest of the day . It's on my fridge now and I stop by it at least 5 times a day just to stare.

Our hearts are already so full and so so ready to expand our family. (Although I had a rough couple of days with the idea - more on that in a future post).

Baby Love

$115 Paypal Giveaway!

It's Monday and while that may mean a hectic 5 days ahead for many of you, there's some good news. I'm participating in a sweet giveaway with a group of other fab bloggers for $115 of paypal money.

See? This week is already off to a great start! ;)

 Happy Spring! (Or Autumn if you're in the Northern Hemisphere)

Here's your chance to win $115 in Paypal Cash from these lovely ladies... 

(click on their picture to visit their blog)

This giveaway is open internationally.

You must have a PayPal account to win. 

Don't have one? It's easy and free. Click here. 

The winning entry will be verified, so don't waste your time with false entries.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bumpdate >>>> 18 weeks!

Today is a BIG day for us. We get to find out if we have a little boy or girl. I have seriously been counting down the days. I could barely sleep last night! We just started referring to the baby as a he because I couldn't stand the wait. Let's see if we're right!

Either way, we are just so excited and can't wait to see our sweet baby.



Of course, we have been trying to guess the gender since day one. Here are some of the old wive's tales just for fun ;)

 

Cravings: salty and sweet

Daddy's weight gain: the same

Nausea: Yup

Mommy's skin: Worse

Belly high or low: low

Baby's heart rate: over 140

Chinese calender: boy

Headaches: Yes

 

So what do you think??

Great {easy} DIY's For Fall!



Ahhhh... Do you smell it too? Semptember hits and suddenly the air is filled with the sweet aromas of cinnamon, pumpkin spice and nutmeg. It's my favorite time of year. Even though we live in Florida... I still go along with all of the motions. I bake pumpkin desserts, I rock scarves and boots heck - I even break out the fall colored decor.
 
I put together a list of the best (which also means easiest in my book) DIY's that can help you get into the Fall mindset. They are in no particular order because Blogger just won't let me arrange them the way I want to. :/

So here we go!

Painted Pumpkins

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Glittered Candle Holders

 

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Pumpkin Spice Sugar Scrub!

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Leaf Shaped Gingerbread Marshmallows
(combine the next two - you get it)

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Oatmeal Bath

great for the dry skin that can come along with the cooler (oh so fresh) weather

 





 

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Sweater Pillows
So Cozy

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Burlap Wreath

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No Sew T-Shirt Infinity Scarf



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Cozy Leg Warmers
These are from etsy but I think they would be a great DIY. Think, old sweater sleeves. Perhaps the same sweater you used to make that adorable pillow above?



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I really hope I can get around to some of these fun DIY's. I'll be sure to share when I do! So tell me, what do you think of these?

Hump Day Bumpdate >>>> {almost} 17 weeks

I'll be 17 weeks this Friday and I seriously can't believe it! Sometimes I still feel a little in shock with knowing that we're having another baby. But mostly, I just feel so blessed and very excited.



Baby is the size of a: avocado

Cravings: Chocolate almond milk and oddly enough, my protein shake. I must say that the protein shake I drink is amazing. It's vegan, chocolate, and I blend it with almond milk, peanut butter and ice. YUM!

Symptoms: This whole fatigue thing just won't quit. Just when I think I've passed over the hump, it's right back to haunt me. I've also been extremely emotional and crying over the smallest things. ex. the time I finished my dinner but realized I was still hungry, that carter's commercial (have you seen it?) and all of the birth stories on Spearmint Baby

Weight Gain: Okay.. so this will probably be my last time even knowing my weight gain (if I have it my way at least) but 9 pounds. Yowza!

Best Moment this week: Last night Phillip was able to feel the baby move. It was non-stop kicks and jabs and rolling all over the place. I can't believe how fast it went from light flutters to full on movement that I can even see from the outside. This stuff, it never gets old.

Looking forward to: finding out whether this babe is a he or she (8 days to go!)

On embracing my body and throwing out the scale

I admit it. I'm of those women who are overly consumed with the number on the scale. I weigh myself often. Very often. When I learned I was pregnant again I "decided" that I wouldn't gain as much as I did the last time. I thought through my last pregnancy over and over again to try and figure out where I went wrong. How I put on so much weight while eating mostly healthy. I didn't work out for health reasons but I ate better than a lot of other people do. It's how I live my life. So I had this plan. To gain only 25 pounds this time by sticking to the recommended calorie limit and exercising daily. It was a good plan, I thought. But then today happened. I went to my ob appointment and learned that I gained 7 pounds in the last 5 weeks. I lost it. Lost it. I just couldn't understand why I would be gaining "too much" weight so quickly while eating right AND exercising.

A few months ago, I promised myself I would embrace my body and enjoy the beauties of pregnancy. Because, it really is such a beautiful thing. Yet somehow the whole numbers thing always seems to put me in a panic and zap my joy. The midwife said the same thing I've heard over and over again. My weight is fine, I look great, I'm healthy, try to enjoy this time. And while I get it and appreciate it so very much, I know that it has to come from me. I can't and shouldn't rely on others opinions. So I made the decision to put away the scale. I was right; I eat healthy, I work out (like a boss) and that's all I can do. Weighing myself won't change a thing unless I needed it to get me back on track. I am on track and it's time to just let go of my ideals and let my body do whatever it needs to do for my baby. My baby (still can't believe I'm having another baby!).

You will still see ig and blog posts from time to time talking about my workout routines etc but I don't think I will be documenting my weight gain. That's what the midwife is for, right? I'm healthy and I'm making it my goal to make that my focus. Wish me luck?

Love you all and thank you sooo much for reading!

 

p.s. this was supposed to post yesterday (?!?!?!) so my humpday bumpdate will be pushed to tomorrow.

Bump Style >>>> gameday attire

Dressing this expanding bump is definitely one of the many perks of growing a baby. But it comes with it's challenges for sure. I'm only 4 months and look at that belly! It's already out of control big! At least, it feels that way.

Yesterday was the Greenbay Packer's first game of the season and in this house, it's a big deal. My husband has always been a Packers fan despite living in Florida his entire life. When I married him, I married into being a Packers fan too. What can I say? I'm a supportive wife ;)

We watched the game with some new friends who are also Packers fans. I guess we hit the jackpot with the area we decided to move to. I may not cheer and yell during the game but I show my support in other ways. See below...

My Green and Yellow Packers inspired outfit

 

 

 

 

Hat: Charlotte Russe

Sweater: Banana Republic

Tank: JCP and getting too small too fast

Jeans: Gap Maternity [same one here]

Shoes: Saks Fifth from a few years ago

Hump Day Bump Pic >>>> {almost} 16 weeks

I've decided to combine my hump day bump pics and pregnancy updates into one weekly post. This way I can wear something similar each week so you can really see how my bump is growing throughout the pregnancy. And because I love dressing this growing belly, I will do a separate style post. I'm still not sure if it will be a weekly feature yet. I guess I'll just do what I do best and make up the rules as I go. AKA not being able to make up my mind, being disorganized, procrastination.




Baby is the size of a: navel orange

Cravings: Chocolate almond milk, meat and just as I'm typing this.. I'm suddenly craving reeses

Symptoms: Migraines and umm everything just hurts, which means sleep kinda stinks these days. Also, I have been starving since yesterday. Last night, I ate two dinners. Oh brotha... let's not let the whole gaining too much weight thing happen again.

Weight Gain: I think around 4.5 pounds

Loving: Phillip and Cruze kissing my belly.

Looking forward to: finding out whether this babe is a he or she (16 days to go!)

I so missed my baby bump after I had Cruze. I am beyond excited to be going through all of these changes again and being able to watch my belly grow.

p.s. you probably can't see it but I have a lovely chocolate almond milk stain on my shirt that won't come out. Proof of my current obsession craving.

 

Happy Hump Day! aka it's Wednesday

{late} Hump Day Bump Pics >>>> 14 weeks

I'm playing catch up with my pregnancy updates and bump pics. I'm now in my 15th week but this photo was taken when I was exactly 14 weeks. This post is kind of a mix of an update and my bump pics.

My husband has said a few times how fast he feels this pregnancy is going compared to the last time around. I have to disagree. I actually am very happy and surprised over how much I have been able to focus on this new little baby growing inside of me. I often hear how the second pregnancy goes too fast and many moms don't feel like they get to bond with their unborn child as much as the first one. Of course, there are some challenges getting in the way sometimes but once Cruze is down for the night, I find myself reading up on all sorts of pregnancy things and  thinking about how my baby is growing. It's just so fascinating.

I have been feeling him or her move quite a bit. I actually felt the first flutters at just 10 weeks. And yes, they were baby flutters... not gas ha!




My belly seemed to pop out SUPER fast but a lot of it must be bloat because I feel smaller now than I did with Cruze or even smaller than I was last week. Or maybe it's just my imagination? I'm still enjoying my excercise routine and so excited over my growing belly.

Life is good