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
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
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
3rd Trimester Essentials
It's finally the month my baby is due! Although, I really can't complain, the 3rd trimester has definitely been uncomfortable. I feel big. It's hard to move around or put my shoes on. I have to pee all the time. Every time the baby moves, which is a lot, it feels uncomfortable. Oh, and sleep is harder to come by. I can totally see why 3rd trimester mamas are ready for the baby to just get here already! Although there's not a lot you can do to fix these 3rd trimester woes, you can use some of these things to ease them a little. Today, I'm sharing my 3rd trimester essentials -- the things that 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
3 Things NOT to Say to Someone Who is Miscarrying
You've never had a miscarriage before and you just find out that someone you know -- a friend or family member -- is miscarrying their precious unborn baby. What do you say? More importantly, what do you NOT say? When anyone experiences loss, it can be difficult to know how to handle it and how to help. We want to offer comfort and support, but sometimes -- and especially in situations where we have not been where they are -- we may do the opposite. Our intentions are good, but our words fall short. When I was miscarrying our first pregnancy, many people reached out and gave sweet words Continue Reading
First Trimester Essentials
I'm officially past the first trimester and all its nausea. It felt like it went pretty slow, until of course I actually got through it and then it was like, "Wow, I'm really here!" By the end of that first trimester, I was just ready for a really long nap. My first trimester wasn't terrible, but it wasn't wonderful either. There was nausea and fatigue and a lot of worry and fear. There was a ton of bloating and just feeling sick most of the time. But I got through it, mainly from the help of some very important essentials. And that's what I want to share with you today. There are a ton of Continue Reading