How far along are you? 38 weeks 4 days Cravings? Smoothies, orange juice, water with ice and real fruit popsicles. Weight Gain: At my 38 week appointment I was up 29 pounds. I’ve heard that as labor approaches sometimes you lose a few pounds? I’m guessing my total weight gain will fall right around 30 pounds for this pregnancy. Fears: I’ve been increasingly worried about our baby’s health. I think it’s pretty normal, but it’s hard not to worry about things going well and baby being born healthy. … Read More
Lactation Cookies
For the next number of days (or perhaps weeks?!) I think I’ll be talking about how we’re in “the home stretch” with this pregnancy. At 38 weeks and 2 days pregnant, not that anyone is counting, I’m quite ready to be done being pregnant and meet our little peanut! I’ve been doing a little nesting around the house over the past few weeks, cleaning the house from top to bottom and organizing every drawer and closet in our house, except … Read More
Baked Banana Bread Doughnuts
I now fully understand why everyone says that the last few weeks of pregnancy are the longest weeks. There is something very strange about technically being “full term” knowing baby could arrive any day while being fully aware that baby could still be a month (!) away from his/her arrival. The suspense! The patience! I’m not great with the whole patience thing and have never really loved surprises, so you can imagine how this is all going over with me. … Read More
The Secret to Great Hair
Okay, this post’s title is a little bit of a joke when you consider the photo above, but I just had to bop in and share a little tip that’s been making a huge difference in how my hair looks and how often I have to wash and dry it. Now that my hair is getting on the longer side, it’s become more and more of a hassle to blow dry. I am to only wash my hair 2-3 times … Read More
36 Weeks
First, I can’t believe it’s been so long since I posted a pregnancy update. I looked back and the last update I did was at 27 weeks. Honestly, the third trimester has been a combination of busy and uneventful, so I haven’t had much to write about pregnancy-wise. Now that I’m in the home stretch, I’m excited to get the updates going again! How far along are you? 36 weeks 4 days Cravings? The entire third trimester has been all about me craving smoothies! … Read More
An (almost) New Momma’s Beauty Routine
I may not be an expert on all things beauty, but I love doing beauty posts and reading about blogger beauty routines. Anyone else with me? Since we’re in baby countdown mode, I’ve been thinking a lot about how my beauty routine fits into my new momma routine. I am fully aware of the fact that I’ll have less time to devote to getting ready once baby arrives, so my strategy has been to invest in really great beauty products … Read More
What I’m Packing in My Hospital Bag
Joe and I have been in full-time baby preparations lately, getting everything ready for our little peanut’s arrival. At 36 weeks pregnant, the car seat bases and car seat have now been installed, the baby clothes are washed and we have plenty of wipes, diapers and all the practical things that a baby needs. My most recent project has been packing my hospital bag so I’m ready at a moment’s notice. I’m not all the way there yet, but I’m … Read More
Baby H Maternity Photos
I knew from the start that we wanted to have newborn photos taken professionally in our home after Baby H arrives (in just about 5 weeks!) but I was a little unsure about taking maternity photos. I’ve seen so many maternity photos that make me uncomfortable (bare bellies really aren’t my thing!) and sometimes they feel so forced. But when I booked Gina to take our newborn photos and she offered to do a small mini maternity session of about … Read More
To My Firstborn
You, my firstborn, my sweet little baby. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about becoming your mom. For most of the last 33 weeks I thought about being pregnant and how my body was changing and the ways in which you were growing. But now I’ve been thinking less about my pregnancy and more about what it means to take on the title of mommy. Mom seems like an awfully weighty job description with more responsibility than I know what … Read More
Ultimate Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Cookies with Candied Pecans
Many times I sit down to write and blog post without really thinking about what exactly I’m writing about. The words flow easily about the recipe I’m going to share with you, the flavor or texture or usefulness of the recipe at hand. It’s easy to fall into a lull of writing about food without really writing about anything at all. Does anyone really need me to wax poetic for four paragraphs about chocolate chip cookies? Lately I’ve felt a … Read More
Emily Ley Simplified Planner Giveaway
Happy Monday, friends! Today I’m so excited to share a giveaway with you that I have a feeling a lot of you will be excited about. My friend, Emily Ley, is one talented designer and is the creator of the Simplified Planner, also known as one of the best day planners around and my lifeblood to organization and order in the day-to-day. Emily and I first connected over e-mail while we were both struggling with infertility; Emily and her hubby … Read More
2015 Words of the Year
After last year’s “words of the year” ended up being so prophetic (hello, discipline and patience!) I was a little scared to pick words of the year for 2015. Understandable, right? I took my time praying about my words of the year, chewing on them for a while to see how they sat with my soul before writing them in pen and sharing them with the world. This year I’ve settled on a couple words to guide my year, since … Read More