November 25, 2014

Weekly update: 25


How far along? 25 weeks.

How much weight have you gained? I'm not sure since I have been away from my scale for a while, but I've had a pretty heavy appetite, so I'm probably up a few...

Any cravings? Jut more citrus, and juice. 

What are you wearing? Well, we are currently in Mexico, so I am trying to wear my summer-ish clothes, but I don't have any that are specifically maternity. Also, I don't think I packed enough. I meant to bring a lot more dresses to wear... oops!

How are you feeling? Symptoms? I've been a little more sluggish, and I'm starting to get a crowded rib-cage feeling on my right side. I've been doing a lot of stretching to try to make more room in there!

Stretch marks? Nope.

Belly button in or out? In, but still getting shallower.

Sleep? Sleeping well, even though we've been staying up past our normal old-person bedtime. Sadly, we've still been waking up early though.

Best moment this week: Making it to Mexico (without our passports) to spend time with the family!

Worst moment this week: Knowing that our baby won't get to meet another very special member of our family. Papa Bob was excited to meet you, little girl, and he will always love you very much!

Miss anything? A margarita would be nice :)

Movement? Not sure what it is about this trip, but she's been more reserved this week. She's just acting shy making it harder or family to feel her.

Excited for anything? Two days away from Thanksgiving!

How’s dad-to-be? He says he's feeling unprepared, as he sits on the porch this morning reading a
one of his many pregnancy books... He's still prepping!

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November 18, 2014

Nursery Curtains



I have previously mentioned that I am trying to pick out curtain fabric for the nursery. Currently, my vision is to paint the walls a navy blue and have a lot of other fun colors in the room as accent colors. A little pink is okay, but I am definitely trying to avoid TOO much PINK!  So I'm looking for some fun, big, colorful patterned curtains to base the rest of the color palette from. I've looked at a few stores so far and I have some options, but I'm not sure that I've found THE fabric yet.

I am also trying to avoid too much of a theme. No farm life, or monkey themed nursery here. I'd rather fill it with a multitude of things that we love that match based upon color more than theme.

So once again, here is a possible paint color for the walls:

{  Velvet Evening - Behr  }

And here are my top fabric picks so far:
WARNING: I took photos of the fabric with my phone, so the colors and quality may be slightly distorted.

Option 1: 

Colors: Grey, coral, burnt orange, navy, white, light pink, yellowish green.

I love the pattern and that it has an animal on it (how fun is the lion?!), however it didn't incorporate quite as many colors as I was hoping, and the colors it does have would be tough to match. I can imagine myself searching for something in that yellowish green color and comping up empty handed.

{  Sarah Watts - August collection  }

Option 2:

Colors: White, orange, light blue, yellow, lime green, brown, pink, coral.

I again like that this pattern has animals incorporated. Birds and flowers would be light and airy and feminine without being overly pink. I like how big and abstract the pattern is as well. I like the variety of colors and think they'd be easier to incorporate into the rest of the room. 

{  Legacy Studio Cotton Fabric-Fresh Fusion Large Spring Floral Cream  }
Option 3:

Colors: Orange, lime green, dark green, navy, light pink, magenta, lavender, yellow, white. 

I thought this was very bold and fun, but I think the orange background might be too much for me. But it's so HAPPY!

{  Keepsake Calico - Orange Gypsy Dancer Floral  }

Option 4:

Colors: Off-white, lime green, teal, orange, purple, navy.

The color scheme is not as wide in this fabric and it's not as abstract as some of the others, but it is probably the biggest pattern of the four, and I think it would be beautiful as curtains. Just not sure about curtains in our nursery.

{  Keepsake Calico - Allover Contemporary Floral  }
I think at this point my top pick is #2, but I also really like #1 and #4. Poor #3 is just a little too orange I think, and also already not available for purchase online. My luck it would be gone in store too if I were to decide on it. 

Any favorites? Or similar suggestion?

P.S. Tyler is really tired of looking at/talking about curtains...

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November 16, 2014

Weekly Update: 24


How far along? 24 weeks.

How much weight have you gained? 13 lbs.

Any cravings? More citrus! Oranges, pomellos, drinking lemon water and lemonade. It’s so refreshing!

What are you wearing? It’s taken a turn for the cold here in the Midwest, so I’m currently in the market for a new winter coat. I’ve been wearing all my old ones, but some are just barely fitting over my belly. They won’t last much longer.

How are you feeling? Symptoms?   I’m starting to feel the dry winter air. Dry skin, dry lips, and dry nostrils. I’ve got the humidifier on full blast today. I’m also still having some round ligament pains in my belly, but still pretty normal overall.
Stretch marks? None, but I need to start putting on more lotion because of the dry air!

Belly button in or out? In.

Sleep?  Trying to sleep on my side all the time is not working out so well. I wake up flat on my back quite frequently.

Best moment this week: We got our first snow of the year… and the second! And apparently the third as it has just started snowing again as I’m writing this. And today we just might put up our twinkle lights on our trees out front! The holidays are so close!

Worst moment this week:  I’m coming up blank, but I guess that’s a good thing! Or it’s just my pregnancy brain kicking in again and conveniently forgetting the rough parts of the week.

Miss anything? Not really, I’ve been pretty content with how things have been going.

Movement? She’s still pretty active, but she gets shy around others whenever I try to let them feel. Tyler got to see her moving for the first time the other night. I’ve started seeing my belly move even when I’m not necessarily focusing on it. Just out of the corner of my eye, I’ll see her kicks.

Excited for anything? We leave for AZ/Mexico on Friday night for a week of family time and Thanksgiving.


How’s dad-to-be? He is hoping to be productive today, organizing our mess of a basement so we can move our guestroom furniture to the new basement guest room, and possibly starting to paint the ceiling in the nursery…

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November 11, 2014

The weeks just fly by!

Here we go! I'm so excited to start my weekly pregnancy posts, FINALLY! 

First, since I haven’t made the official announcement yet…. It’s a girl!! We are going to have a little lady around here pretty soon, and we couldn't be more excited.

I have a separate log of sorts that I've been trying to keep for myself, so I've been writing some things there even if they didn't make it to the blog in a timely manner. I'll start things off with a pretty lame attempt from very early on at week 5:

JULY 2, 2014:
How far along? 5 weeks.
How much weight have you gained? None.
Any cravings? Just hungry most of the time.
What are you wearing? Same ol’ same ol’.
How are you feeling? Symptoms?  Astonished… A few little crampy twinges earlier this week but okay otherwise.
How’s dad-to-be? Excited and protective. 


{  My belly on 7/11/14. I hope to see you again someday, abs!  }
We felt the first movements at 18 weeks. We were cuddling on the couch in front of our first fire of the season, when I felt a tap somewhere on the inside that I was pretty sure could have been a baby movement. I told Tyler, and he placed his hand on my belly and shortly after we both felt it again! It was super exciting, except we weren't 100% sure that was really it... It wasn't until our 18 week ultrasound a few days later that we knew for sure. At the appointment, I could see her moving and feel her moving at the same time, and it was confirmed. Since then, we have felt her more and more as she gets bigger and stronger.

{  Belly as of 9/30/2014. It's poppin'!  }

NOVEMBER 3, 2014:
How far along? 22 weeks
How much weight have you gained? Approximately 10 pounds or so?
Any cravings? Nothing too intense this week, although citrus-y things have been sounding lovely and refreshing.
What are you wearing? My favorite work outfits are my leggings and sweater dresses because they are super comfy. In general, I hate pants. But I have a few pairs of maternity pants that I wear. I’ve given up on pretty much all of my normal pants.
How are you feeling? Symptoms?  I’m feeling good! For some catch-up information: The first trimester I was TIRED but very lucky because I did not suffer from any morning sickness. Now my energy is back to normal most of the time (although I still get tired more quickly than before). I have noticed that I have started sighing a lot more, especially when getting up, or bending over, etc. I think this is the beginning of starting to feel big.
Stretch marks? No.
Belly button in or out? In, but I can now see the bottom of it!
Sleep? Sleeping well, but I now use four pillows to stay extra comfy.
Best moment this week: Celebrating  a friend’s wedding. I love wonderful life events. Especially when I have a great excuse to tear up during the speeches… Oh, it’s just the hormones…
Worst moment this week:  Darkness at 5pm, more bare trees, and going back to work. I’d rather be out in the sun playing in the leaves!
Miss anything? I miss hot tubs. I’ve been taking warm baths, but we’ve stayed quite a few places with hot tubs lately and I’d kill to get in and relax!
Movement? Lots! Kicks and rolls of all sorts. We had a Dr. apt. today and when we were listening to the heartbeat we could hear her moving all over inside. The doctors are always commenting on how active she is when we are in, so I think that’s a good sign!
Excited for anything? To get started on the nursery! I’ve been trying to pick out curtain fabric as a jumping off point.
How’s dad-to-be? Still excited of course! He’s been doing a lot of reading, and last night he put together a check-list of everything that we need to get done before baby arrives, so he is preparing.

{  I got to be pregnant on the beach in Galveston, TX! 11/1/2014  }

NOVEMBER 8, 2014:
How far along? 23 weeks.
How much weight have you gained? Still approximately 10 pounds, maybe a few more.
Any cravings? No, my appetite has taken a chill pill. I am still enjoying a variety of foods, both healthy and unhealthy though!
What are you wearing? Still my maternity pants and regular shirts, although the shirts are starting to get short on my belly. I have to wear long undershirts to make sure they cover my maternity pants and even then, the short shirts might be looking a little silly soon.
How are you feeling? Symptoms?  I’m feeling pretty good physically. My belly has been a little sore this week, but I think it’s just round ligament pain (I’m assuming that’s what it is?) and possibly a little acid reflux. I know of all these things, but when I experience them for the first time, I’m never sure if I am classifying them correctly. So I’m really just guessing that what I was feeling was acid reflux, but don’t hold me to it! But other than that, no physical complaints. I’ve been a little down this week and more moody than normal. Also, a little overwhelmed by all the things we’d like to get done before baby comes (and ideally before my third trimester hugeness and exhaustion kicks in!)
Stretch marks? Nope!
Belly button in or out? In. 
Sleep? Tyler is out of town this weekend, which normally means I don’t sleep as well. But last night I slept with five pillows plus a body pillow and got to take up the entire bed! I slept pretty wonderfully.
Best moment this week: Was there one? I think it was going to our first birthing class. We didn’t learn much new information from the class content itself, but I had a lot of questions that I wanted to ask that were specific to our hospital, so I got answers to those which makes me feel a lot better about our hospital choice!
Worst moment this week: After our doctor appointment on Monday we stopped to grab a bite to eat at Quiznos, and it wasn't until we got back to Edwardsville and Tyler was dropping me off at my car that I realized I forgot my purse there! Darn pregnancy brain. (Although, I've been known to do it not pregnant too.) I had to get to yoga, and Tyler had to get to hockey, so we couldn't go back to get it until the next day. 
Miss anything? Cold cuts. You tell a girl she can’t have something, and then all she wants is a Turkey Tom from Jimmy Johns. I really didn’t even like them that much until I couldn't have it.
Movement? She kicked me so hard at work yesterday that I made a noise because she surprised me, so yes she’s been moving around like crazy.
Excited for anything?  The Holidays! I’m not ready for them yet, but I can’t wait! I have my Christmas lights ready and waiting to go up, and I’ve literally been daydreaming about my Thanksgiving meal for months now. So excited!
How’s dad-to-be? He has a LOT going on right now, so he is very busy and stressed. But the little one still gives him something to smile about. 


{  Tyler was out of town, so I had to do my own bump photo...  }

I turn 24 weeks tomorrow, and baby is forecasted to be the size of an ear of corn... Stay tuned....

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November 2, 2014

Blog struggles

I was so much better at blogging when we lived in Hawaii! I went back recently and was rereading some of my posts from that year, and not only did I write more frequently, the posts were much better quality. They weren't necessarily just brief life updates, but they were personal snippets and stories from life. They were inner dialogues and moods captured in the moment.

If any of you didn't keep up with that blog, you can find it now linked at the top of the page, or you can simply click here to go back to the very beginning.

I think a lot of my success with keeping up with that blog, was the amount of free time I had. Tyler and I had very different schedules so I had a lot of time to myself to sit down and write. And it was free time often in the morning or midday, which is when I am much more motivated to sit down and tell a story.

I like writing when I have good lighting. As you know by now, I love good lighting. And natural light (especially of the lovely dappled kind) inspires me. Writing at night is not the same.

Now, by the time I get home from work, I don't have the energy or patience to get back behind the screen and blog. I generally have about half an hour before Tyler gets home, if I don't work late (which I've been doing a lot of lately) and then once he gets home we figure out dinner and spend some time together for the rest of the evening. And it's dark... Then wake up and do it again. Weekends are mostly spent together too, doing the things we didn't have time or energy to do during the week (other than blogging apparently). I am still not a fan of adulthood and full-time employment if you can't tell.

Also, we were so removed in Hawaii. With the time difference, it wasn't always easy to pick up the phone and call friends or family, so I loved the blog as a medium for staying in touch. But here, I feel like we're more connected and this blog doesn't serve the same purpose, even though I'd love it to. Maybe this one is more for myself? Friends and family, are you out there reading? Let me know if you are and maybe that will help motivate me to pick up the pace!

I have disappointed myself thus far in this pregnancy. It was a goal to blog weekly and do weekly updates about the pregnancy complete with growing belly pictures. Here I am over halfway through the pregnancy and only have a couple posts about it, and they are nothing like I was envisioning.

But I plan to start. I will document the second half much better. I promise!

I have been reading blogs now for years and I have three that are my favorites. I tell Tyler stories about them like I actually know them. Because I feel like I do! I have followed them for years and I have watched their children grow, hearing about their struggles and triumphs and the daily life in between,

If anyone is looking for something new to read or follow check them out. They're all mom bloggers, but they have extremely different styles....

For some hilarious stories start reading BrittanyHerself from the beginning. She doesn't blog as frequently anymore, and her style and content has morphed as she has become incredibly successful promoting positive body image and writing a book. She is brutally honest and open about life, and can seriously make you laugh out loud.

GirlsGoneChild is full of beauty. Beautiful writing frequently focused on raising strong girls, and strong boys, as well as beautiful photographs of her family life.

And then there's LittleBabyGarvin who's blog is a little more simple, sharing many themed posts for holidays and seasons, with a lot of product suggestions and pictures of her adorable girls. I started following her because of her adorable chalkboard bump pictures that she posted through her first pregnancy complete with the same weekly questions (which is the style I was planning to emulate for my pregnancy).

So these are my highly recommended reads, as they are the blogs that have inspired me. Of course, I encourage you to keep reading here as well, because I am going to make an honest attempt to increase the frequency of my posts. It's something I love to do and I hope my friends and family who are still far away love it too. I want to improve for you!

So here we go... I hope this is the start of Lightly Dappled 2.0 Pregnancy Edition, where I will keep you abreast of all the little things that we are going through getting ready for baby!

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