Sewing for baby round 3

I've sewn a variety of things over the years, but I've never done a baby romper. I can make something just from looking at a picture and I normally don't use a pattern except for my products in the shop. With this romper I did draft a pattern for the top and then just winged it on the bottom and did my best to follow this sunsuit tutorial. I had some difficulty with the shirring--since I've never shirred before, but it got done and I can't wait for baby to wear it!

Speaking of which, I'm 38 weeks and 3 days today and had an OB appointment today. It looks like she is just super comfy in there. I am barely a fingertip dilated. Apparently all the braxton  hicks contractions I've been having for weeks that I actually have to breathe through have meant nothing. Looks like we are in it for the long haul. I don't mind really, I'm just surprised that despite that and being on my feet all day and carrying Mariam that I haven't progressed much. Well she'll be here when she'll be here.

Have a great weekend!

36 & 37 Week Bumpdate!

Today I'm officially 37 weeks!

Total weight gain: I'm currently up 24 pounds. It looks like I'm on track to be heavier than I was with my third, but less than my second. It's funny how each pregnancy is different. This is the weight gain with my other girls and what they weighed at birth:

Serena: I gained 12 pounds and she was 6 lbs 3 oz at 39 weeks. 

Layla: I gained 35 pounds and she was 6 lbs 13 oz at 39 weeks (induced because of low fluid)

Mariam: I gained 25 pounds and she was 6 lbs 10 oz at 40 weeks.

Maternity clothes? Yes! My wardrobe is so limited right now it's sad, but with only 3 weeks to go really what's the point of buying anything right now?

Stretch marks? Just some old ones from Mariam. My belly was so pointy with her that I suppose it was inevitable. Thankfully there are only a few and they stayed white. 

Sleep: Thankfully it doesn't take me as long to fall asleep as it used to before, but I am waking up around 3 or 4 am to use the restroom. Mariam is still coming into our room between the hours of 12-3 so there are a lot of interruptions. One day I'll get to sleep through the night right?

Best moment this week: Found a few cute things for the baby. I packed my hospital bag and washed all the baby's clothes so I think we are set! Oh wait....still need to get a new bassinet and baby bathtub. I've been holding out for a cute barely used on Craigslist since babies only spend such a short time in there before they outgrow it. If I don't find anything I'll just have H buy a new one when the time comes. 

Movement: A busy little bee like usual. I feel her poking everywhere.

Food cravings: The last few weeks I've been having oreos and a glass of milk every night before bed. My chocolate craving is going strong as usual. 

Labor Signs: The braxton hicks contractions feel like they've been getting stronger and it turns out at 35 weeks I was 1cm dilated, but that doesn't mean much. Plenty of women dilate early or are at least 3 cm for a while and still end up going to their due date or past. 

Symptoms: The middle part of my back still hurts a lot and there's been a lot of sharp pains in my cervix that literally make me double over. I'm happy to report my mood has been much better though. I haven't been feeling weepy and emotional as much anymore. 

XOXO

What's in my hospital/diaper bag

Betsey Johnson Tote

With my last baby, H gifted me with a Ralph Lauren tote which I loved to use as a diaper bag, but the thin straps ended up getting frayed towards the top. Over the past year I've been using various canvas or nylon bags. Just something I could throw a change of clothes in and diapers and wipes. Now with a new baby coming and more gear to carry, it was time to get a new durable bag. I love scallops and bows so I did a search online for a scalloped bag and found this gorgeous Betsey Johnson purse at Nordstrom Rack for half off. It's very roomy, has sturdy straps and also has a bag within it. It's sold out online at Nordstrom Rack but there are various sites online where you can find it. 

This week I started packing my things for delivery. I can't believe we're 3-4 weeks away from meeting our sweet new baby! I definitely have mixed emotions this time. I'm anxious to meet her and also a little sad that her time in the womb where I feel her little movements is coming to an end.

I haven't included everything in the bag yet that I plan on bringing but this is what I have so far:

Cotton muslin swaddle: Little Unicorn

Toiletry bag: Forever21

Ivory lace sleeper: Nordstrom

Bow hospital hat: Unique Kidz c/o

Ruffled onesie & burp cloth: Made by me

Ruffled trim terry robe: Nordstrom

The other things I plan on bringing that aren't packed yet are a few snacks, my camera, baby socks, phone charger, makeup, trial size toiletries, undergarments and something for me to wear home.

Have a great weekend!

Second Rocksbox Set

I received my second Rocksbox set a few weeks ago and I'm finally getting around to sharing some pictures. If you want to read my first review, you can read it here.

In this set I received a Kristine Lily black quartz ring, a Sharp 9 crystal collar necklace, and Kendra Scott Francie earrings. Let's start with the earrings. I loved them and was thrilled to finally be able to try a pair of Kendra Scott earrings. They felt durable and classy and while I didn't have the opportunity to wear them that often this past month, they were my favorite jewelry item in the set. The crystal collar necklace is a stunning piece to look at, but I must confess I didn't wear it at all. It's not really my style and didn't see where I could incorporate it in my current wardrobe. The Kristine Lily ring was cute but felt very lightweight and wasn't used that often as well.

I'm looking forward to seeing what's in my third Rocksbox set and I'll be sure to share what was included.

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XOXO

35 Weeks Pregnant!

Total weight gain: Since my last bump update I've only put on another half a pound so I'm up 20.5 pounds now. 

Maternity clothes? Yes. I can hardly find anything to wear these days. Even with some of my maternity tops my belly is starting to peek underneath. I'm also living in my black maternity pants. I swear I wear those all the time if I'm not in a dress. At this point I refuse to buy anymore maternity bottoms.

Stretch marks? No new ones that I can tell.

Sleep: Meh. Same as always. Stinks! It's not even the pregnancy though, it's my 2 and a half year old Mariam who still climbs into our bed at night. I'm also up at least 3 times between falling asleep and 6 am to use the restroom. 

Best moment this week: Hmm. I'd say getting some more baby things in order and sewing more things. It's also been exciting getting everything ready for Serena to start 7th grade and Layla who is starting pre-K tomorrow!

Movement: She's always been a busy bee. I'm starting to get convinced that she hasn't turned head down yet. I just really can't explain why I feel her poking out from everywhere, very much in my ribs, or why a lot of her movements actually hurt. It wasn't like this with the other girls. I have an OB appt this Friday so I'll be finding out where she is.

Food cravings: Tazo passion fruit tea. I've been having a cup just about every day for the past week. I've hardly had cravings other than sweets but last weekend I just had to have some of this tea so I bought a box from the grocery store. 

Labor Signs: The braxton hicks contractions have been minimal. I get a few a day and some are uncomfortable, but nothing I haven't experienced for the past few weeks. 

Symptoms: The middle part of my back still hurts a lot and I've been extra anxious and weepy this past week. Just a lot going on with everything and these hormones are kicking.

Have a great Monday!

We are having a.......

baby girl!!

I know almost everyone thought....or hoped that it would be a boy, but it looks like we are just destined to have a house full of girls. We are happy with whatever we are blessed with.

When we went for our ultrasound the little lady didn't want to cooperate and for a few seconds we were thinking boy because we saw something, but we ended up getting a clear picture that it is in fact a girl. We also get to have another more in depth ultrasound next week and hopefully I'll get some pictures this time. 

This past weekend the family and I went to Mounts Botanical Gardens in West Palm Beach and took some pictures to share with our family and friends. The park is a hidden gem and Saturday was just beautiful outside. The beautiful balloon tassel was provided by Love Pretty Details and I absolutely loved it! The tissue garland was already assembled and all I had to do was tie it on the balloon after I had it blown up with helium. So easy and so fun! I made the mistake of not putting enough helium in the balloon since it's supposed to be bigger, but it still came out great. Take a look at their shop for gorgeous handmade party decor.

Excited to add another little girl to this bunch!

Etsy shop: Love Pretty Details

Follow on Instagram: @Loveprettydetails

Have a great Tuesday!

10 Weeks

(Excuse the blurry, bathroom camera phone picture. This is my most recent 10 week bump shot.)

Here is weeks 7, 8 though. My belly apparently wastes no time as soon as it knows it's pregnant. Also, I finally dyed my hair 2 weeks ago. It was brasssyyy as you can see by my 7 week picture, but I'll do a follow up post on this next week. 

How far along? 10 weeks1 day.

Total weight gain: I'm not sure. My starting out weight for this pregnancy was 102 lbs.

Maternity clothes? No, but it is time for a belly band already and I like to wear comfy lounge or yoga pants throughout the day.

Stretch marks? Still too early in the game. I'm hoping I don't get any new ones. I have a few on the sides of my butt from my first pregnancy and one above my belly button from my 3rd pregnancy.

Sleep: It's hard to get comfortable at night. Not sure why at this point. Also I don't sleep through the night. Layla and Mariam are back in the habit of waking up and crawling into our bed in the middle of the night. Sometimes I'll take them back because 4 of us in a queen size bed is not comfortable, but sometimes I'm too tired to take them back to their room and have to sit there till they fall asleep.

Best moment this week: Ok you guys are going to think I'm nuts, but I think it's possible. Around 9 weeks and 5 days I started to feel the tiniest little flutters and bubbles. I know it sounds crazy, but they do already start kicking up a storm around 10 weeks. Also, I'm thin and my uterus has been tender since the beginning of this pregnancy. I think that's another reason I've been feeling movement already. I've had a few babies so I know what early movement feels like, but I've never felt movement this early. First time for everything I suppose.

Miss Anything? Having energy. Not being nauseous every day.

Movement: (See "best moment of the week question.")

Food cravings: None at this point, but I am loving pizza a lot these days.

Food aversions: Not much. Despite feeling nauseous all the time, I still enjoy food. Though smells hit me hard sometimes. My sense of smell is definitely heightened. 

Gender: Not sure yet.

Labor Signs: No.

Symptoms: Tired every day, occasional dizzy spells in the morning. Nausea throughout the day. I'm still taking the diclegis nightly. 

Looking forward to: Feeling the baby move more and more.

Have a great weekend!

Baby #4

There's a saying that goes, "life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans." That's very true. We had plans for our new life here in Florida, but what we didn't realize was that there was another passenger with us when we left Texas on New Year's Eve. I found out on our 6th day here in Boca last month that our family is growing. Crazy! I've been quiet these past few weeks because I've been really sick. Every symptom in the book, and severe all day nausea. I could hardly function! 

We got to see our little baby almost 2 weeks ago on an ultrasound where it was confirmed that I was 8 weeks pregnant. I honestly was scared about twins because I couldn't understand all this nausea and fatigue compared to my other pregnancies, but it's just one healthy little baby. I always get a little nervous before that first confirmation ultrasound but my fears were put aside after seeing the fast beating of the heart. It's always such an amazing feeling and we got plenty of pictures. I actually found out really early about this pregnancy. I knew since I was 3 weeks and 2 days and that's only because my body had been feeling off and I know my body. Something was up! I was so happy when I finally got to meet my new OB because she prescribed me medication for the severe nausea. I'm taking Diclegis and the first day I took the full dosage, I was a zombie so I started taking half the dosage and it started to help. What a relief! However, I'm back on the full dosage because half was no longer cutting it and thankfully my body regulated and I don't feel like a zombie though I am still very tired daily. Some days the medicine doesn't even cut it though. I was nauseous all day yesterday and it wasn't fun. 

Hopefully when I get to the first trimester I will start feeling better. I'm praying because it's pretty hard when you already have toddlers to look after, a family and a business to run. Not too mention still getting adjusted in a new state. I'm currently 9 weeks and 5 days and yes already bumping along. My belly does not mess around as soon as it knows it's pregnant, though I feel like I'm definitely in that stage where I'm not sure if people think I'm pregnant or that my belly is just like this because I've had 3 kids. Haha! I'll do my first bump picture on Thursday when I'm 10 weeks and then do them every 2 weeks. I can't believe I'm having another baby!

Ps. I think it's another girl. The heart rate was 160 and the yolk sac was on the left, but we'll see. Not counting ourselves out yet. As always I'd like a boy for H, but I'd be perfectly happy with another sweet baby girl. It's now or never though. I'm not having another baby after this one. This first trimester has been so bad honestly I never want to experience this again. On top of that, we feel our family will be complete for many reasons.

Have a great Tuesday!