Last time, I made sure to take a pregnancy bump photo every single week. I loved seeing the slight changes turn into big changes. This time, I did a pregnancy bump photo every other week. Sorry, second kid! Ha! By doing them every other week, the changes are a little more evident. Unfortunately, at the beginning of my pregnancy I was still trying to find the right spot to take these photos. By week 10, I had found it. But I wish I had started there from the beginning. Check out my baby belly! Pregnancy Bump Photos Bi-Weekly Some of the differences I saw in this pregnancy compared Continue Reading
Things to Stock Up on Before Baby Arrives
The last thing I'm going to want to do when I'm knee-deep in postpartum "bliss" with a toddler and newborn is run to the store because I realize I'm out of toothpaste. That's why I like to stock up on household goods before the baby comes. I try to think of anything and everything we may need or run out of and buy a few extras when I'm in my third trimester. Items to Stock Up On Here are some ideas for items you may want to stock up on before that sweet newborn is keeping you up all night. Toilet paper Pads Hand soap Makeup remover Any makeup you may run out of in the next month Continue Reading
Baby #2 On The Way
I realized the other day that I haven't actually announced our big news on the blog yet. I've announced on my Facebook and Instagram pages, so you've probably seen. But in case you aren't a social media person, but like to read my blog, I didn't want you to miss out on our big news! You may have noticed I had an extra plump belly in the photos of my last post where I shared about my favorite cleaning tools. That would be because I've got baby #2 growing inside there! We found out we were expecting the day before Thanksgiving. We felt we were both ready to have another little one, so we had Continue Reading
No, I’m Not Ready for Baby #2.
I'm really quite surprised how often I have been asked about having another baby. The questions began really early, like when Raylee was still a newborn! By the time she was 1, it seemed most people expected us to begin trying again immediately. I'm sure that's not the case, but it was starting to feel that way! Of course, I don't mind when people really close to me ask these questions, but it does bother me when strangers or acquaintances mention it. For instance, just the other day the librarian told me I need to give Raylee a brother or sister. I know that's a normal thing to say to Continue Reading
Launch Day: New Miscarriage eBook
I'm so excited to announce today is launch day for my miscarriage eBook! I can't believe my book is finally ready to be released to you! Beginning today, you can order my eBook Miscarriage & Mourning: Encouragement after Pregnancy Loss. To celebrate, we also have a giveaway at the end of this post and a special coupon code just for my readers! All About the Miscarriage eBook Women all over the world are suffering from pregnancy loss, many of which do so silently. Because miscarriage is not a popular topic and is almost taboo, most women experiencing such a loss don’t know of others who Continue Reading
Prenatal Massage: The Benefits and Tips for First-Timers
At 16 weeks of pregnancy, Travis and I went to a place called Love My Baby Bump to get a gender-reveal ultrasound. We didn't want to wait until 22 weeks, which was when the hospital planned to do our anatomy scan of the baby. While we were at the ultrasound place, we found out they also do prenatal massage sessions for mamas. I don't know about you, but I love me a good massage! I was having a lot of back pain in my first months of pregnancy, so I tried out the prenatal massage. It was amazing! After that first experience and seeing how much it helped my lower back pain, we bought a package Continue Reading
Weekly Bump Photos
One of the things I was really excited about when becoming pregnant was that I would be able to take weekly bump photos to see how my belly, and baby, were growing. I love seeing other people take these photos, and I couldn't wait to take my own. We got started right away, taking them at week 4. I've been taking them once a week ever since. Today, I'm sharing my bump's progress. Bump Photos Those first three photos are sized differently than the rest. We were just starting out, and I wasn't for sure how I wanted each photo to look. But by week 7, I had it down. I love seeing the different Continue Reading
My Favorite Gifts for Pregnancy
If I was to retake the love languages test, I wouldn't be surprised if gifts had moved up on my list. I get really excited for giving gifts that I know someone will like/love/need/want, and I definitely don't turn down a good gift either. With a baby on the way, I've gotten several gifts throughout the months. And these are my top four favorite things that I have received -- not things that are for baby necessarily, but feel like they are more for me. Perhaps you are wanting to get something sweet for someone you know who is expecting? Check out my favorite gifts for pregnancy in this post, Continue Reading
Tips for Unwanted Pregnancy Symptoms
Pregnancy is fantastic, at least in my opinion. After experiencing loss and quite some time TTC, everything that comes with pregnancy feels worth it to me. But the fact is, there are pregnancy symptoms that are just no fun. Symptoms that we could happily do without. That's why I thought I'd share some tips for the unwanted pregnancy symptoms so that maybe we can make these nine months a little easier. These tips come from my midwife, my own personal experience, and the advice from other mamas out there. Pregnancy Symptoms That Just Aren't Fun Morning Sickness I was lucky that I didn't Continue Reading
Second Trimester Essentials
Wow, can the second trimester really be over? I can't believe how fast that went! I guess when you aren't feeling sick constantly, time sure does fly! So now that I'm past round two, I figured I'd better share with you what helped me get through. These are my favorite second trimester essentials that made my pregnant life better. Psst... Have you read my first trimester essentials post? Second Trimester Essentials You Should Try 1. Body Pillow The second trimester is when my belly started growing big time, which meant sleeping became more uncomfortable. A regular old body pillow wasn't Continue Reading
Pregnancy Travel Tips
Travis and I recently returned from our baby moon vacation. We flew into San Diego, rented a car, and drove all the way up the coast to Seattle. It was beautiful, and we got to visit several big cities along the way. Our baby moon included flights, long car rides, and lots of walking and exploring. We had a great time, but being pregnant did make this vacation a little different than other times we've traveled. That's why today I'm sharing a few pregnancy travel tips for those of you planning your own baby moon. Copyright: alexandralexey / 123RF Stock Photo Tips for Pregnancy Travel When To Continue Reading
5 Best Pregnancy Apps
One of the first things I did after finding out I was pregnant was download some pregnancy apps to my phone. I love looking at them to see how my baby is growing and get tips on babies, pregnancy, and my health. As a new mama-to-be, I have no idea what to expect or what's normal and what's not. There's so much to learn, and these pregnancy apps really help. Of course, there are tons of apps out there. So how do we know which ones are best? Today, I'm sharing the five apps I use the most and keep on my phone. Try These Pregnancy Apps 1. Ovia Pregnancy This app, which is free, is probably my Continue Reading