Layla's first time on a swing!



She's just getting so big. ::tear::

It's hard to believe that in May she will already be a year.

8 Weeks!

Yesterday my friend Monica had her bachelorette party and I managed to make it through fine with only a few dry heaves. Yay! We all met up at another friend's house and from there went to a restaurant. I ended up leaving with my best friend who is also pregnant after dinner while the rest of the girls went club hopping. One of my friends was like "you're already showing." I felt a little self-conscious because it's mainly bloat but at least I don't have to worry about sucking it in. Lol

How far along? 8w 1d.

Total weight gain: 1 lb

Maternity clothes? Not anytime soon I hope.

Stretch marks? None new. I didn't get any on my stomach with Serena, but I got one with Layla right above my belly button. It's pretty clear though and not noticeable. With pregnancy, my behind has the tendency to grow so with both of them I got stretchmarks on the sides of my butt. They have faded greatly though.

Sleep: It's ok besides having to get up to go pee sometimes.

Best moment this/last week: Seeing and hearing the heartbeat.

Miss Anything? I miss feeling good lol. The fatigue and nausea can be rough.

Movement: No. way too early.

Food cravings: During my 6th week all I could think about was food, but last week the nausea started so  nothing really sounds good.

Food aversions: See above.

Gender: Not sure yet.

Labor Signs: Nope.

Symptoms: Constant off and on nausea, upset stomach, gas.

Belly Button in or out? In. It never popped out with my girls.

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Looking forward to: My good friend's wedding this coming Saturday.



I've been keeping a secret!

I'm Pregnant!!!

(3 excamation points because omg this is baby number 3.)

This is the reason I've been so sick. I found out on March 1st. My period was late so I was starting to get worried and bought a dollar tree pregnancy test later that day. I took the test in the evening a little before H got home and sure enough the test came back positive right away. I panicked and cried. H was excited when I showed him but I was afraid. If you've read my posts about my muscle knots and the off and on pain I get-then you'll understand. Also Layla was still 9 months. I just had a baby last year!

I was looking forward to Layla walking this summer thus giving my shoulder/neck a chance to rest and really focusing on recovering. The only thing I could think of was how uncomfortable I was going to feel with this pain and the discomforts of pregnancy and how I was never going to feel better. Well I'm happy to report that I've had more good days than bad as of finding out about the pregnancy. My shoulder hasn't hurt that often and when it has, it's not been that bad.

The shock of being pregnant so soon wore off after about two days and I started getting pretty excited. It is a blessing considering it took us almost 2 yrs to concieve Layla and I believe in God's perfect timing. We got to see and hear the heartbeat today. It's always an amazing feeling. I'm measuring 7 wks 4 days and the due date is November 5th.

Sweet things

Is there anything sweeter than little girl dresses? I think not my friends.

How about a tiny bathing suit too for good measure...

Dresses passed down from a friend. Bathing suit from Target.



Layla's nursery

Before I was pregnant, I knew that if we ever had another little girl that her room colors were going to be tan, pink, and white. I absolutely love those colors. So dainty and soft.

It was a good thing that the spare room was already painted tan. For Layla's room I wanted a classic elegant look. No big flower prints, or animals. Just soft colors. The very first thing H and I got for her room was the crib at 13 weeks. I know it was super early to start buying furniture but we had a good feeling and the crib we wanted was on sale. We couldn't pass it up!

Over time, I did alot of research and the room came together beautifully without breaking the bank. It's easy to find what you want, for the price you want to pay if you take the time to keep looking. 

I designed the valance and my mom sewed it. I also had the crib skirt and pillow made by someone on Etsy. I know how to sew, but I was working then and very tired so I realllyy just didn't have the energy to mess with it lol. 

Here is the breakdown on the room:

Espresso Babi Italia lifestyle crib - on sale for $312 (It converts to a toddler bed, daybed, and fullsize bed, so we definitely got our money's worth. (Babies R Us)

Sealy Soybean foam crib mattress - $118 (Amazon)

Espresso changing table (assembly required) - $125 (Walmart online)

Glider & ottoman - $80 (Used from Craigslist. The fabric was all machine washable.)

Round pedestal white table - $25 (Walmart online)

Framed wall letter - $11 (Hobby Lobby)

Framed picture over crib (not shown) - $20

Crib skirt & pillow - $110 (Etsy) (I'm having trouble logging in, so I can't get the seller at this time)

Fabric for valance (Lily & Will by Bunny Hill designs for Moda fabrics)- $20 (stitchesngiggles.com)

Champagne panels for window (not hung when pictures were taken) - $30 (JC Penny)

Glass candle holder & pink peony on changing table - $8 (Hobby Lobby)

Beveled mirror over changing table - $25 (Hobby Lobby)

Decorative boxes on side of glider - $12 (Micheal's)

All other things, like the bunny, baby book, breathable bumper, changing pad etc, where all gifts. 

Total = $896

With taxes and shipping for some items, I'd say it put us a little bit over our budget of $1,000 which was still good. I made sure to keep looking at different websites and checking back at the stores until I saw the items went on sale. For instance, Hobby Lobby and Michael's always marks down their items after a few weeks. Also if you aren't opposed to used items, check Craigslist. You can find some real unique pieces that you can refurbish if need be for cheap. I still want to add a few little pictures by the window and eventually a small bookcase but that will come later.

Weekend Recap

Saturday was my good friends bridal shower and it turned out beautifully. 

(Btw, the bride is the girl in the peach dress. That's Monica)

I'm so happy for her and her future husband Robert. This wedding is a long time coming. They've been dating for 12 years!

I was hoping to get more pictures of the event, but the other bridemaids and I were scrambling around trying to get things ready, and then hosting the party-and then cleaning up. I was in a bit of a hurry to leave because I had to drop my best friend off at her house and I had been away from my girls for so long already.

Sunday, the family and I just stayed home. I read a little outside, worked on my sewing and organized the coat closet. Later H made some delicious burgers for dinner. 

It's always nice having a day..or two off from cooking. I didn't have to cook Saturday or Sunday. This week is going to be a busy one. I've got a few projects I need to work on, lunch with a friend, a doctor's appt, Serena's ballet, baby gymboree for Layla.

Busy, busy....

Beauty on a budget

Olive oil face & body scrub 

Lately because of the temperature fluctuating and staying indoors alot, my face has been super dry and dull. I made a simple scrub using three ingredients:

• Olive oil
• Sugar
• Honey

In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of sugar and half a teaspoon of honey. You can always change the consistency later. Mix it all around and it should resemble a paste.

Apply to your face and rub in small circular motions. Be gentle because the sugar is a little rougher than the average scrub you find at the stores.

When I applied it, I did it in the shower and used the rest on various parts of my body, like elbows, knees and feet. You can apply anywhere and by doing it in the shower, it was easy to clean up.

My skin definitely felt softer and more hydrated after using this scrub.

Give it a try!

 

She sleeps.

Vintage Layla

My baby sleeps through the night. (Insert choirs of angels singing hallelujah....). I thought it would never happen.

She has been sleeping through the night for the past 2 weeks. Thank the lawd! She goes down for the night between 7:30-8:00 pm and is up around 6:30 am. It's been glorious my friends. GLOR-I-OUS.

We tried everything. I read all the books. I tried letting her cry it out. This child was just not sleep-trainable. I guess she just decided at about 9 and a half months she was ready. She did have a night a few days ago where she woke up around 1 am but I think she has a new tooth coming in and it was bothering her.

In other baby news, I officially stopped breastfeeding 4 days ago. The first day that I came to the decision I was a little sad, but the next day I felt better and now I've come to peace about it. I really wanted to reach a year but Layla pretty much weaned herself. For the past month we've only been down to one nursing session a day and lately she just hasn't been interested. My milk supply really dwindled because of it and dealing with my pump is stressful. I wasn't sure if I could bring my supply back up anyways.

I'm proud I made it this far-especially with the issues I'm dealing with because of it. When the problems started at month 3. I wanted to quit. In fact I tried. Twice. I couldn't do it though. I loved the bond and I knew it was best for Layla. I did take extra measures to do it in a way where I didn't strain myself, but I look back and just wish a nurse, somebody, anybody would have stressed to me the importance of supporting your arms and neck when nursing your baby, but it was never mentioned once. 

It will get better though. Just gotta keep the faith, the faith, the faith. Sorry. I got George Michael stuck in my head. ;)