30 Week Baby Bump!



Yikes! I can't believe I'm 30 weeks already. This pregnancy is flying by. I missed my 28 week bump update, but here is the 30 week stats. Overall I've been feeling pretty great. My energy level has been good and the sciatic nerve pain went away. I still feel it, but just randomly if I happen to bend over. 

How far along? As of today 30 weeks 3 days

Total weight gain: Up 19 lbs. Overall (body wise, not the bump) I look smaller at this point than I did last year pregnant with Layla. Honestly I haven't been eating as much as I should. I have been busy with the girls this summer and am on my feet most of the day. I eat breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert but haven't been snacking as much as I should. Sometimes I have to rush through lunch too.

Maternity clothes? Yes some. I've been able to get away without using a belly band this time. I've been using a hair tie to hold my shorts and pants together or a stretchy long tank...like the one I'm wearing above in the picture. By the way, I bought those shorts a few weeks ago at Kohl's and I just love them. They are sooo comfortable and they had other cute colors as well. I sized up to a 3 in these.

Stretch marks? No new ones this pregnancy. Yay, but I'm not out of the woods yet. We'll see if any damage was done once I give birth.

Sleep: It's been pretty good except I do have to get up at least once to use the restroom. During the day it feels like I'm in the restroom all the time!

Best moment this week: It's been a great week. My body has felt pretty good and it's been an exciting week for me.

Miss Anything? I miss being out of the bathroom for extended periods of time.

Movement: Definitely!

Food cravings: For the past month I haven't gotten any cravings. Then again I never really get cravings with my pregnancies. I did have them during the first trimester though.

Food aversions: Fruit. I am making an effort to have some daily now though. I've been bad about it lately.

Boy or girl: Girl!

Labor Signs: No and I hope they stay away till 40 weeks. I'm still scared about 2 under 2.

Symptoms: Charlie horses in my calfs when I wake up. I hate when I get them and I always wake up H from writhing around in pain.  

Belly Button in or out? It's not as pronounced as it was. I guess because my belly is still growing and just stretching it out.

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Looking forward to: Cooler weather.

Before I go I'm going to talk about my hair for a minute. First world problems, but boo that I have to get it dyed again already. I think the last time I went was in June. Pregnancy makes your hair grow fast so I shouldn't be too surprised. I'm at least happy that I finally found a new hair colorist that is much closer, charges less, does a great job, and I happened to go to school with her. I could keep on growing it out but I had the worst roots during my last labor and I vowed it wasn't going to happen again. Seriously, it was bad and I have pictures to prove it.
 

{I don't mind darker hair on the bottom, just not the top}



{All the flyaways are because I teased it}

 



 

Update on my shop and pictures that didn't make the cut..

 

First off, thank you all who have participated in my giveaway so far and have supported me. I launched on Tuesday and was very excited about the interest I received so soon. That same day I had several orders and over the past few days requests for boy bibs, and a custom order for unisex bibs. I'm hoping to get some boy bibs out in the next two weeks. Needless to say, I've had a busy week!

 

Today I plan on checking out a few fabric stores in Houston I haven't been to yet. Hopefully I find some things that strike my fancy. I already have some ideas for adorable fall bibs. So excited.

 

I wanted to share some pictures from our first session of my little model aka miss Layla that didn't make the cut. Let me just say that trying to photograph a squirmy 15 month old in the Texas heat is a challenge.

 

 

 

 

Oh. Layla just wanted to say hi..

Happy Friday!

I've been noticing that Layla likes sunglasses. She'll wear them for awhile and they just make her happy. Anything that makes her happy--makes momma happy.

 Before I sign off here for the weekend, here's what's been going on around these parts. I have been really busy. I've been working hard on a project that I can't wait to share with you all within the next 2 weeks--maybe sooner if I get it done earlier. I'm so excited about it! I go to sleep thinking about it every night and it's constantly on my mind. It's also been a bit of a challenge though balancing it all with Serena and Layla as I crunch to meet the deadline I set for myself.

Speaking of the girls, let's start with Serena. Boy has it been a challenging summer with her. It's not all her fault, the poor thing has been cooped up a lot in the house seeing how it's been so hot and the one little girl on our street that she would play with up and moved away. I'm pretty sure 9 is not my favorite age though. She questions everything, and I've been getting sass here and there. It's been pretty hard with these pregnancy hormones to keep my cool. On the other hand she is so helpful when we go places or just by keeping an eye on Layla. I've also started having her do more chores around the house and it's been a help. Ballet just started back up this past Wednesday and school is back in effect on the 27th so that should be exciting for her.

Layla has been adorable as usual lately and I just love that she can walk now. I love hearing the pitter-patter of her tiny feet. She's been making these adorable little uh-oh noises when she falls down or bumps into something and my heart just melts. I've been working more on learning activities with her lately and trying to be consistent about doing them everyday with her.

As for me--I have been super emotional lately. Like I get my feelings hurt sooo easily. Poor H probably doesn't know what to say to me sometimes. I have to try not to be so sensitive and remember that he's been tired. He's been working so hard because he's short-staffed so I need to cut him some slack. I love that man.



Lake Livingston

Yesterday my parents, the girls, my nephew, and I headed out to Wolf Creek Park on Lake Livingston. Orignally I wasn't going to go and my parents were just going to take Serena and my nephew, but I changed my mind. I'm glad I went. It was quiet and secluded and there was a slight breeze that just made it so peaceful. Layla had a blast walking everywhere exploring and Serena had plenty of fun in the water.

I also got a nice tan but my face isn't the same color because I kept my sun hat on and my glasses. Oh well. Maybe some bronzer will help.





What it feels like to be a mother

To be a mother is like nothing else in the world.

To be a mother is feeling guilty a lot.

It's feeling like you could do this all over again, it's feeling like you can't do this all over again.

It's feeling like you're tough as nails, yet weak as a dandelion in the wind.

It's keeping calm and losing your patience.

It's thinking twice. Once for yourself and once for your children.

***************

If you asked me if I ever saw myself as being a mother of soon to be three, I would have said no. As a young girl and teenager I was never a "baby person". I wasn't into holding them or cooing at them. I just didn't have that maternal instinct then. That came after I had my own. Now I'm a stronger and better person because of my girls and I love them more than anything. As I embark on splitting my heart for a third time--I do worry about my patience level and how I will manage. I worry about all the bad things in the world and how I can best protect them, but I continue to pray and ask God for strength, patience and wisdom--and hope he will carry me through.

Pregnancy progression thus far

It's been an extremely busy week and I didn't have a chance to take my 28 week picture. (I take them outside every 2 weeks) but I do try to take weekly pictures with my iphone so I thought I'd share the evolution of my bump so far.

I was already bloated at 5 wks as you can see and I started showing super early. Even earlier than with Layla. The good news is that this doesn't necessarily mean that I will be even bigger with this baby. We'll see, but the bump is really growing now.



Layla is 15 Months!

I don't think I've ever done one of these monthly check-ins for Layla, but I thought I might start doing them occaisonally. I've been bad about updating her baby book lately so at least I have some documentation here.

Health

I'm so thankful Layla has been healthy since she was born. I really credit breastfeeding for that. She has only had a fever once but has gotten the sniffles and cough twice in her life so far. She does have an issue with sensitive skin and lately she has had some rash right on her bottom. The poor thing scratches a lot when I change her diaper. I try and stop her but I can't hold her hand away and change her diaper at the same time. Sometimes she will scratch so hard so will break the skin. I have to alternate between a lotion, anti-itch cream and an antibiotic ointment.

Sleep
Ever since Layla started sleeping through the night (at 9 months) she has been such a great sleeper. She still takes 2 naps a day and goes to bed by 8:00 pm in her nursery. Serena goes to bed by 8:30 pm so it's sooooo nice being able to really relax by then. I can't tell you how much I look forward to the evenings when all is quiet.

I still have to rock her to put her down to sleep though. A habit we still have not broken. I can however put her down drowsy at night and she will go to bed without usually a peep.

Diet

No more baby food for her. She doesn't like those little food packets anymore so she eats table food and her diet is mainly organic foods. She has gotten picky though and will spit something out if she doesn't like it. I don't give her any fried foods, or junk food. I believe that our children are influenced by what we eat so we try to eat healthy and really don't have that much junk food in the house. My parents never really kept cookies, soft drinks, chips and other junk food in the house very often so I find that I'm kind of the same way now. I do keep chips, and sweets in the house but we aren't excessive with them.

Clothes

Layla wears clothes that range from 18 months to 24 months. For the past few months she pretty much wears leggings or pants (unless we go outside) and that's because she was walking on her knees a lot and also has a habit of scratching up her legs.

Personality

In the past month or so I noticed that she will get a little temper if her sister takes something away from her. She will throw herself back and kick her little legs. Aside from that she is such a sweetie and a kissing machine! Sometimes she'll give me 5 kisses in a row. She'll also want to stop drinking her water, milk or juice to give me a kiss. She is picking up so much and is just a little sponge.

Milestones

Layla is finally walking on  her two feet! She crawled early and has been standing on her own for awhile but she would get scared to walk. Just last week she really took off. I absolutely love seeing her walk. So cute! For a moment I was getting worried because she just turned 15 months, but she's been taking steps for the past month-she just likes to do things in her own time.

Surprise birthday party for H!

He turned 30 on Sunday and I really wanted to do something special for him. It had to fit my shoestring budget though--so I thought "why not a party?"

I did it here at the house and had his older brothers take him away for the day (We had the party on Saturday).  I think it turned out nice and while the crowd wasn't huge, his closest friends came and there was enough people on time to be here for the actual surprise. We had more guests show up later in the evening. One of my concerns was that everyone was going to be late, and it was just going to be me and another couple if that to be here for the surprise. It worked out beautifully though and I had my mom watch the girls for the evening, but they ended up coming back around 10:30 pm and then just went off to bed. 

I wish I would have gotten a picture of him walking in, but his brother knocked and walked in first which was a little odd but whatever. The funny thing was, H walked in with his other brother carrying a new oven (Ours broke about 2 weeks ago), so he was definitely surprised but he was asking questions the night before because he thought I was up to something. ;)

I didn't take nearly as much pictures as I wanted too but here are a few.

Past week outfits

I know how some people feel about iphone-I'm blocking my face-outfit bathroom pics but I'm sharing anyways. ;)

I'm not a fashion blogger so I don't always take pictures of my outfits, or use my camera, but I post on a fashion forum with a group of ladies and we have an outfit of the day thread that I participate in sometimes. So here are a few recent looks. Wow! I have been wearing a lot black this past week--and in the summer no less! Gasp...for shame.. but hey, this girl's got to make do with what's in her closet.

I really need a full length mirror. If I need to see a head-to-toe look I head over to Serena's little vanity that sits low or I climb up on the bathtub. Yep. I'm a bathtub climber.

Five favorite baby items..

I thought I would compile a list of my favorite baby items that I felt were really helpful to us--and will continue to use with this next baby. Hopefully this might help any of you mommies that are wondering about certain products.

1.) Prince Lionheart Wipes Warmer

We received this as a gift and the Prince Lionheart Wipes Warmer is one of my favorite nursery items. It's sleek, compact, and so easy to use. It warms both pop-up and regular wipes to the perfect temperature for comfortable diaper changes. It also holds a lot of wipes. The only thing you have to do is just wet the sponge inside between refills. This is a great product and I highly recommend it.

2.) Boudreaux's Butt Paste Diaper Rash Ointment

Since we are on the subject of baby tush comfort, here's another product I love. This butt paste has come to our rescue the few times I've needed it. Layla was lucky enough not to get her first diaper rash till she was about 5 months old and this paste cleared it up in no time. H liked to put some on Layla often, but I just use it as needed. It clears up the rash pretty quickly. She had a particular bad one recently and I slathered it on and by the next day, the redness really went down and the day after that, it was gone. If your baby has a bad rash, I also recommend switching to hypoallergenic, chlorine, fragrance, and alcohol free wipes. Also, try to give them a bath after every bowel movement. Letting their butt's soak in water for a little while really helps and is soothing. Though Layla doesn't often get a diaper rash, I am contemplating cloth diapering this next baby. For one, it will be cheaper since we will have two kids in diapers. It's also better for their delicate skin and better for the environment. At the very least I will have a few cloth diapers on hand so I don't run into this again.

Yep--that is a makeshift cloth diaper I made out of terrycloth and velcro for that one time Layla had a bad diaper rash. Funny isn't it? She looked like bam-bam from the Flinstones.

3.) My Little Lamb Baby Papasan Infant Seat

Layla still uses this seat. She's getting big for it, but she likes to drink her milk in it sometimes or just play in it. This seat was given to me to use by a friend to use and I just absolutely love it! This was the second thing that Layla slept in as a newborn. For the first two weeks she slept in a bassinet but then she hated it. With a newborn you have to find what works best. You will do pretty much anything to get the baby to sleep. They can be picky! I have a friend who had a baby that would only sleep in the carseat.

Once we realized that Layla didn't like the bassinet we tried the infant seat and she loved it. The music and vibration would keep her asleep for a good while. It snuggles baby in soft and cushy fabrics. There's a sweet lamb's wool headrest to cradle and support baby's head and wonderfully soft velboa fabric where baby sits. Overhead, baby has an adjustable mirror dome to entertain, and a sweet plush lamb with rattle dangles from a star for baby to play. Vibrations soothe baby plus plays beautiful classical music and lullabies. It also has a three point restraint and the pad is machine washable.


4.) My little lamb cradle and swing

I've mentioned before that Layla slept in the swing till she was 4 months. old. I used to worry if this was ok, but the pedi said it was perfectly fine. Do what you have to do to get that baby to sleep. I remember having anxiety about how hard it was going to be to transition her to the crib in the nursery, but my mom was a big help. At that time I was still working so she started putting her down for naps in her crib and she took to it pretty easily. After a couple weeks of that we tried it for bedtime and it worked fairly easily. Not that she slept through the night--heck, the girl didn't start sleeping through the night till she was 9 months but at least she was in her crib and I had my room back. ;)


This swing is a lot like the infant seat except it swings, plays different music and the mobile is different. The Fisher-Price My Little Lamb Cradle Swing is great for entertaining your baby with its gentle swinging and rocking motion. Plush, cozy fabrics found on this lamb swing ensure the baby is comfortable as he or she is rocked to sleep. The cradle motivates sensory and physical activity of your child, giving him complete comfort and entertainment. It's great to have. I'm sure the next baby will enjoy it too.


5.) Chico Cortina Keyfit stroller

We actually bought the travel system (stroller, carseat, base) and it's worked out great. the color scheme we got was the brown and green one but we got a great deal for it. I love the stroller because it handles so easily and is super easy to push. It's not that heavy but it's not that light either. I imagine most full size strollers are heavy though. It has a few neat features like adjustment of the height of the stroller handle by pushing in the side buttons and pivoting the handle to the position most comfortable for you. It also features a large storage basket under the seat so you can bring along baby's essentials.