Maternity Design update

Often with a new year comes new changes and one of the first things I wanted to change was the website for my shop. While I loved my first website and had it for 3 years it was time to move on to something more crisp, clean and user friendly! I'm excited about all the new features I'll have to my advantage now. Some more change is the start of my maternity accessory line that is launching soon. Finally! I've mentioned it here and there on the blog over the past year and it's finally done. The idea has been in the making for years and I finally took the plunge and got the first product into manufacturing earlier this year when I was pregnant with my 4th. Stay tuned as pre-orders for the first items open up soon. If you're expecting or know someone that's expecting let em know. ;) There are currently no ruffled maternity bands like mine on the market so I'm hoping they'll do well.

38 Weeks Pregnant!

(These pictures are from last week)

Total weight gain: 26 pounds. 

Maternity clothes? Yes! The state of my wardrobe is so sad I borrowed one of my 12 year olds dresses and I wear it as a top. Haha!

Stretch marks? Just some little old ones from Mariam. 

Sleep: I don't necessarily wake up to use the bathroom, but whenever the girls wake up (which is 1-3 times a night) I have to go straight to the bathroom after I've taken them back to their room. 

Best moment this week: Having a 3 day weekend with the family was nice. 

Movement: She doesn't move as much since she's getting crowded. It was the same way at 38 weeks with Mariam as well. I feel more small movements and nudges than lots of pokes. 

Food cravings: Still having my nightly oreos with a cold glass of milk. The chocolate craving is always there.  

Labor Signs: I had very bad cramps yesterday morning that radiated from my stomach to my back and down to my legs. It actually pinged my radar and I thought something could be up since I've never experienced cramps like these this late in a pregnancy, but apparently it was nothing. Just my body getting ready. I have an OB appt this Thursday and an internal will be done so we'll see if I've dilated anymore. 

Symptoms: Aside from being tired from lack of sleep, I feel ok. Better than I did some weeks in the beginning  of the third trimester. It is rather painful switching sides in bed at night. i have to be sure to hold the bump just right. 

My husband was drawing with the girls the other day and he thinks he's funny. I guess he was pretty close. My poor Mariam keeps getting bumped in the head by my protruding bump. 

XOXO

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!

Sewing for baby round 2

Over the past two weeks I've made some time to sew some more adorable things for the baby. It's so fun being able to make things for the new baby. I can't wait till she can use them! Also, 3 products in this assortment will be hitting the shop within the next 2 months.

Have a great weekend!

26 Weeks Pregnant!

Total weight gain: I haven't weighed myself in about a week so I'm not sure, but I'm pretty sure my bad M&M habit has me up at least 11 pounds by now. 

Maternity clothes? Yes but not exclusively. I wear some maternity tops. The bottoms are getting pretty tight. 

Stretch marks? No new ones that I can tell. I have a few little ones leftover from my last pregnancy.

Sleep: As usual, at least one of the girls is still climbing into our bed in the middle of the night so yes I'm always tired, and I am getting up at least once to use the restroom.

Best moment this week: She is a busy baby and it's nice to see little limbs poking out and feel them when she leaves them pushing out for a few moments.

Movement: She moves a ton!

Food cravings: Cold M&M's.

Food aversions: Nothing. I had food aversions in the first trimester and part of the second, but once the nausea was gone for good, I was ok.

Labor Signs: Nope! 

Symptoms: I've been more tired than usual these past two weeks, but that's partly stress from the girls giving me a hard time and all the work I've been doing for FHJ. 

Have a great Tuesday!

Love'illy, the easiest gourmet pies you'll ever have!

I haven't really had many cravings this pregnancy, but for the past few weeks, I've had a craving for apple pie. I recently came across the company Love'illy and was very intrigued by their gourmet pie mixes. Just add fruit and pie crust. Heck yes! For a busy mom like me convenience is key, and if I can save time like cutting out the time it takes to make a pie sauce then I'm all for it.

Sydney the owner was kind enough to send over a few samples and we've only tried the apple spice so far, but let me tell you right off the bat what I thought. Delish! 

All the ingredients I used besides the pie mix were 9 granny smith apples and a pillsbury refrigerated pie crust. I simply peeled and cut my apples, put them in a bowl mixed the Love'illy apple spice pie mix in and viola! Ready to bake. At first I wondered how it would all come together since no water is to be added but upon mixing it a bit, I saw that it liquefies. So cool and I may have eaten a few apples with just the mix before it was baked. 

I used a ceramic pie pan covered the edges with foil before I put it in the oven. I baked it at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, took the foil off the edges and then brought the temperature down to 350 and baked for another 35 minutes. 

The pie smelled so good while it was cooking and once it was done and it came out perfect! It was soooo good. My mom is currently visiting us from Texas and she raved about it as well and had seconds. My whole family devoured it and I would have had more than 2 slices but I wanted to save a little for the next day. 

You can find Love'illy gourmet pie mixes here. 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LoveillyGourmet

Instagram: Loveillygourmet

Have a great weekend!

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!

Happy Friday!

What a week! The girls were much better than they were last week, but most of this week's stress was due to the business. On Tuesday a certain well known flash sale site reached out to me on Tuesday. I was so excited to open that email and I was beaming from ear to ear that afternoon. It was definitely a goal I could cross of my list. The only problem is it's taken several emails and a lot of thinking to make sure the numbers are going to be right for my bottom line. As much as I want to work with them, I still have a business to run. I can't give any details out yet as I haven't said yes yet, but when I do, I'll post about it. I am however working with a flash sale site currently and the deal ends Sunday so check it out and snag a gorgeous spring time bib. (Sorry shameless promotion)

{Eleventhavenue.com}

In other news, we found out what baby #4 is! You'll have to check back Tuesday for the big announcement. I'm so excited that I know what I'm having. What do you think it is? Here are a few facts that may sway your decision. My other children are all girls and this baby has had a high heart rate of 160 and up. However, my symptoms are different with this baby, as in new ones and a lot more intense.

Have a great weekend!

Life with toddlers these days.

After getting over the shock that I was expecting Mariam back in 2012, since Layla was only 9 months old, one of the things that comforted me was the fact that I was going to have two little girls close in age that could potentially be each other's best friend and that they would have a playmate growing up. It's been the sweetest thing to see them play and interact with each other once Mariam got bigger. Even now Mariam will say "C'mon Layla, let's go play" in that little nasaly toddler voice and my heart just melts.

However, what I wasn't prepared for this early in the game was all the fighting! Good Lord has it been tough this past week with all the screeching and shoving. Oh yes, there is shoving. Since last year, I learned just to buy two of everything when I can so they don't fight, but that doesn't always help. These two little rascals will find a way to fight about something. Whether it's who is snuggling my left arm on the couch, or who wants to read a certain book. I've yelled a lot more than I'm comfortable with this past week, but it's very very aggravating when it's practically all day. I think part of the issue is we've been cooped up a lot together since moving to Florida. I wasn't planning on being pregnant and thought we'd be doing tons of things outdoors since the condo doesn't have a backyard, but it's been so hot and it's also difficult to take both girls out by myself with this growing belly. We try to go to the park a few times a week though. I could use some tips on how to handle toddlers who bicker and fight over toys and I'll be doing some googling later. This is a whole new ball game for me since the age gap between Serena and Layla is 8 years and Serena was an only child for a long time. I never had to deal with this before. 

Other than that, my girls are still also very loving and sweet. I thank God every day for them and I'm excited about adding another little sibling to our bunch. 

Have a great Monday!

18 Weeks Pregnant!

(As of today 18 weeks 5 days)

Total weight gain: I don't have a scale at home so I have no idea but my pants don't feel tighter except in the belly area so I don't think I've gained much since my last appointment.  

Maternity clothes? Yes and no. I found an old stash of maternity shirts in a closet so I took those out and have been wearing a few.

Stretch marks? Still too early in the game.Nothing new to report here.

Sleep: I've been sleeping a little bit better these past 2 weeks. The girl's have been better about climbing into our room in the middle of the night. Part of the reason is Mariam has started to just climb into Serena's bed instead of ours. 

Best moment this week: Feeling the baby become more active. I could of sworn it had hiccups yesterday but it just seems so early to tell so maybe not. 

Miss Anything? Breathing like a normal person. I feel constantly out of breath this past week.

Movement: I've been feeling a decent amount of movement this week. 

Food cravings: Pretty much anything bad. Haha! Fried foods, candy.

Food aversions: Nothing I can think of this week.

Labor Signs: No thank goodness. Way to early for all that, but I've been feeling a lot of braxton hicks contractions. More when the girl's stress me out or I have to yell at them for fighting amongst each other.

Symptoms: A little indigestion, not much energy, getting winded fast.

Have a great Tuesday!

Pregnancy exercise

I have seriously been slacking in the exercise department. For the first two and a half months I felt horrible. The nausea and fatigue were terrible! So yes I had a good excuse, but for the past few weeks I have been feeling pretty good. I'm still constantly tired but it's more the girls waking me up in the middle of the night. 

I've probably been exercising only once a week, but I am on my feet pretty much all day and do chase after the girls a lot. That definitely does help keep me fit, but I know it's not good enough. I keep on trying to find the motivation but it's hard. I picked up a cute Mondetta training top last week and putting it on with my yoga pants did help. Isn't the power of a cute outfit interesting? Yesterday the family and I went on a 3 mile walk for the 2015 Broward heart walk and it was nice to get a good boost for the week. Today I'm going to try and squeeze in at least 30 minutes of exercise.

Love the criss-cross back!

Have a great Monday!

16 weeks pregnant!

(As of today I'm 16 weeks 4 days pregnant and these pictures are a week old from a mother daughter tea event we had.)

Total weight gain: As of my appointment last week, I put on 2 lbs.  

Maternity clothes? Just one maternity shirt I've been wearing. I've been having issues closing my shorts now so I use a hair tie.

Stretch marks? Still too early in the game.Nothing new to report here.

Sleep: Waking up either to use the restroom or one of the girls has come into our room. Some nights it takes me forever to fall back to sleep.

Best moment this week: Hmm...can't really pinpoint anything. I suppose it's getting an appointment scheduled to find out what we are having. 

Miss Anything? Having energy. Not using the restroom what feels like every 30 minutes.

Movement: I've been feeling a decent amount of movement this week. At times it tickles.

Food cravings: Sometimes it's fruit (rare though), sometimes pasta.

Food aversions: Nothing I can think of this week.

Gender: Not sure yet, but getting so close. We will know the last week of April! So excited

Labor Signs: No.

Symptoms: Tired every day. Sometimes hard to catch my breath. 

Looking forward to: Finding out what we are having! I still think girl.

Have a great Monday!

Events & Pregnancy fashion

This past weekend was full of events. By the time Sunday rolled around I was actually happy to be back in my yoga pants and ponytail. The weekend kicked off with the Boca Bacchanal which is a food and wine event benefiting the Boca historical heritage society. It was held at the Atlantic Aviation hanger in Boca and unfortunately it rained cats and dogs as soon as we arrived but that did not keep the crowd away, let me tell you. There was over 140 featured wines from world-renowned vintners and delicious by-the-bite specialties from over 30 South Florida restaurants. Guests were also able to experience private jet tours, chef demonstrations, car displays, fashion presentations from Saks Fifth Avenue and live entertainment. H and I had a great time and hope to attend next year. I also got to know a few bloggers which was fun. 

(Excuse the blurry phone pictures. Every time I move them to the computer they come out blurry.) 

The next morning Serena and I had a mother daughter tea and book discussion event at the library but I'll do a separate post on that. So Saturday evening in continuing the Boca Bacchanal event we attended a vintner dinner which was held at the homes of various Boca notables. The one we went to was held at the home of the president for the Boca Raton historical society. Her home was beautiful! Dinner was exquisite and the company was great. It's only too bad I didn't get to enjoy any of the wines, but maybe next time. 

Have a great Thursday!