32 weeks

This little cheeser decided to jump in my picture this month!

How far along?  32 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: I'm up 27 lbs.  
Maternity clothes? Always.
Stretch marks? Nope!
Sleep: I got a cold this week so sleep has not been the best.  But now that I am starting to be able to breathe through my nose, It's been getting better!  Of course, baby girl still likes to have a dance party around 11pm.  
Best moment this week:  Last week we went to a "birthday planning meeting" at the birth center where Daddy learned how to catch the baby if he needs to :)  Ha!  
Miss Anything? I really, really, wish I could go do a wine tasting at a winery.  Wine and cheese sound so perfect after a long day of toddler meltdowns!
Movement: All. day. long.
Food cravings:  Currently loving Pioneer Woman's pumpkin smoothie -  [do yourself a favor and freeze the pumpkin pie mix in a muffin tray so you can make single servings!] quiche (any kind!) and kale chips!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Not anymore!
Have you started to show yet: [cue sassy face]
Gender prediction: It's a little lady in there!  I've put away all the clothes we currently have and set up the coral rag banner and gold polka dots in her room.  It's looking like a girl's room now!  
Labor Signs: Nope, not yet.
Belly Button in or out? Flat but visible in some shirts!
Wedding rings on or off? On!
Happy or Moody most of the time: Still suuuuper moody.  
Looking forward to:  Can't believe Thanksgiving is this month and then Christmas and then baby!  Need to start ordering Christmas presents and thinking about decorating!  

28 weeks

For some reason my black shirt makes it difficult to see my bump in this pic.  It's very deceptive because....

it's hard to miss these days!

How far along? 28 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: You know, I keep thinking I should take this question out for my own good, but then I remember talking to some other mamas who were feeling so down/embarrassed about their weight gain so I'm just going to keep it in here. Gaining weight is normal and an important part of pregnancy (though it is quite difficult to keep seeing those numbers on the scale go up!)  I'm up at least 23 pounds. Its all in my face and butt.  
Maternity clothes? YUP
Stretch marks? not on my belly! I have to make sure I use a really thick lotion or salve though so my skin doesn't get itchy.  
Sleep: Still doing great- only getting up to pee once or twice a night! 
Best moment this week: Brooks turned 3 on Tuesday! My sweetheart is getting so big. And so, so sassy.  
Miss Anything? Still missing a cold glass of wine.  Also it's starting to get harder to put on my shoes. Wah.
Movement:  All. the. time.  11pm dance parties in my belly. 
Food cravings: Currently obsessed with homemade pie crust and quiche.  So far I've made broccoli cheddar and spinach mushroom & parmesan.  Next up I think is bacon and cheddar.  YUM.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope
Have you started to show yet: ....see pictures above :)
Gender prediction: It's a GIRL
Labor Signs: Not yet
Belly Button in or out? It's flat but popping a little bit!
Wedding rings on or off? Still on!
Happy or Moody most of the time: Still moody!
Looking forward to: Seeing friends at the end of the month, Halloween, maybe a little less whining in November? Maybe? Also I ordered a couple things for baby girl's room.  Can't wait to get that put together!

Also, I'm now obsessed with highlighting and contouring make up.  Do you do this? What products do you use? I bought the Maskcara IIID foundation and I LOVE it.  Seriously feels like I'm wearing nothing on my face but looks so nice.  I'm still learning the best techniques by watching videos and practicing but I'm pretty sure I'll have it down to a nice 5 minute routine in no time!  

24 weeks

someone didn't want to pose for a picture with me.  see him running away in the back?!

How far along?  24 weeks aka 6 months- aka holy crap I'm going to have a newborn in 3(ish) months
Total weight gain/loss: I think I'm up 15 or so.  Will find out this week.
Maternity clothes? I can still fit into most of my longer non maternity tops and stretchier pants, but the rest is all maternity! Full panel for the win!
Stretch marks? Not yet
Sleep: Good, minus the almost 3 year old that continues to get up between 530-630am to pee and not go back to sleep...
Best moment this week: No crying at our Wednesday drop off at preschool! And its getting a little cooler, so I can wear my new maternity jeans :)
Miss Anything? Wine, wine, wine.
Movement: Yes, all the time! She loves to kick me while I'm trying to sleep.
Food cravings: Currently loving parmesan cheese [like, slices of parmesan. yum.] sharp cheddar cheese, popcorn, coconut flakes, and still dying for a chocolate cupcake with peanut butter frosting! 
Anything making you queasy or sick: Not anymore!
Have you started to show yet: Yep. Soon I won't be able to tie my sneakers.  
Gender prediction: Girl !
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? Getting a little flat.
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Quite moody, sorry everyone.  I feel like when Rachel was pregnant in "Friends."  "Ross, when Carol was pregnant with Ben, were you this irritating?!"
Looking forward to: More cooler weather to wear my sweaters, as well as some adventures to the pumpkin patch and apple picking with Brooks!  I've been pinning apple recipes galore on Pinterest.  

Also, in case you were wondering...I painted my kitchen chairs "sedona red"... Silk & Burlap had a sale on Cece Caldwell chalk paint so I made myself choose one of their colors.  I love them!

Maternity Stitch Fix

Hey. Hi! Have you heard about Stitch Fix ? Have you seen the 1000 referral links everyone has been posting? Well, I've done it a few times- with success a couple and not the others [though i did still get my favorite warm infinity scarf ever that time, so i guess it still counts as a success].  Anyways, I decided to give the maternity stitch fix a go, to see if they could help in my search to find the best maternity leggings of all time.  Here's how it turned out--

my favorite outfit- Kut from the Kloth Black Ponte Leggings and Loveappella Kelly Raglan Top

hard to show the stitching details on the leggings... they have a seam down the thigh and across the knees. LOVE them.  Exactly what I asked for/was looking for.

Loveappella Keils Lace Detail Top-

 meh. it's nice and long and I'd probably wear it but it's not my favorite.

Street Level Anchorage Nylon Tote-

LOVE this.  So many pockets and should be easy to clean.

organization! 

Loveappella Firenze Top-

This is nice and long and very comfy, but just kind of blah.  Its a solid navy long sleeve shirt.

In this fix I specifically asked for a pair of thick black leggings, and a bag.  I absolutely love both of those things I got this time!  Now comes the hard decision making part...I really like the burgundy tunic [the first pic] and not really the other two, though I'd probably wear them if I kept them. So, with the 25% discount and styling fee applied, it comes out to be about $36 more to just buy all five.  This is where they get you!  I usually like to think about it for a day and then make my decision, but if you've got any opinions or suggestions, send them my way before Friday! :)  

It's a...

GIRL!

Just as I suspected! Holy cow I'm going to be a girl mom!

How far along? 20 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: Definitely up 10. Can I take this question out now? Bleh. Will find out tomorrow.  
Maternity clothes? Mostly pants/shorts [except for one magical pair of jean shorts from Loft that I bought before going on vacation in March thinking it was a terrible idea and I wouldn't be able to wear them again until NEXT summer, but, lo and behold, they still fit me at 20 weeks pregnant]
Stretch marks? not yet
Sleep: better, now that we're not all sick.  
Best moment this week: Finding out my intuition was right and we're having a baby girl!
Miss Anything? I very much want a cold glass of white wine.  So what if I have my husband pour himself a glass so that I can sneak a sip?! 
Movement: Yes! I can feel and see this kid go all the way over to the right side of my uterus so that I have a big lump there.  Also that's a little uncomfortable.
Food cravings:  Still salty stuff [Target popcorn, chips & salsa are my current favorites] and also GIVE ME EVERYTHING PUMPKIN. I did a little dance when I saw the pumpkin Noosa yogurt out! 
Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really anymore, thank goodness.  
Have you started to show yet: YES, though in some shirts I just look a bit plump.  The tighter the better these days.  
Gender prediction: I was right! Sweet baby girl in there.  
Labor Signs: Nope
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off?  On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Mooooooody.  Sorry ya'll.
Looking forward to: Teeny tiny baby GIRL clothes and getting the nursery cleaned up and organized! Target baby section, sorry. Bye. 

Baby Shermie Number Two

So I don't think I'll be able to recreate any chalkboards, and I don't intend to stay super positive about  ALL the lovely aspects of pregnancy, but I'm finding that I now can't remember everything about my pregnancy with Brooks (it was almost 3 years ago!) so I thought this would be a good way to keep track of things!

How far along? I'll be 17 weeks on Thursday!
Total weight gain/loss: I am up almost 10 pounds now.  UGHH
Maternity clothes? Yes and no.  I can still fit into a lot of regular stuff, but maternity is more comfortable.
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: I'm finally getting up LESS to pee at night, so it's better!
Best moment this week: Making my appointment to find out the sex of the baby next month.  SO excited!
Miss Anything? A nice cold summertime glass of wine or beer.
Movement: Yes! I've been able to feel something going on for a few weeks now.  Usually when I'm lying very still.
Food cravings: Lots of salty stuff- popcorn like you wouldn't believe.  Pretzels and hummus.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Not anymore- I'm back to coffee drinking and chicken still doesn't sound awesome but I'll eat it!
Have you started to show yet: If I wear a tight shirt- yes, you can tell!
Gender prediction: Still thinking GIRL but we'll find out next month.
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: I've been a bit moody this past week- I think my husband would agree with that :)
Looking forward to: I can't wait to know if this babe is a boy or a girl in a few weeks!

Ode to Nursing in Public

Written in the style of Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss


Oh! You're hungry! Well, let's see.
Should I nurse you in a car? Or huddled under a tree?
Should I cover your tiny head, so that you can not see?

No, I do not think you'd like that.  I do not think you'd like that at all.
I think I will nurse you right here, in the middle of it all.

I will nurse you in the park, on a bench in the spring air.
I will nurse you eating lunch, even if people stare!
I will nurse you at the beach, at the pool or the at the lake.
I will nurse you at the mall, while I sit down to take a break.

I will nurse you standing up, I will nurse you lying down.
I will nurse you even when you kick your legs round and round!

No, I do not care if people catch a glimpse of me nursing you.
Newsflash everyone, this is what breasts were made to do!

So I will nurse you here, I will nurse you there.
I will nurse you everywhere!

No need for me to stay at home and hide.
Ladies, latch your babies and show your nursing pride!

source

Hair Evolution

Before Brooks, I didn't spend too much time doing my hair.  I'm not sure why- I just didn't know how to curl or style it, and I never ever used any products in it.

When I got pregnant 3 years ago, I was not feeling so good about myself.  It's really hard to be okay with gaining weight and knowing you're going to get much (MUCH) bigger than you've ever been before.  So, while searching for ways to style my hair for a friend's wedding, I came across Kate's blog, The Small Things Blog.  Kate is a former hairdresser turned stay at home mom whose hair I seriously envy.  She has a TON of hair tutorial videos that I started watching and thinking, "hey, I can do this!"

Kate has made me realize the power of the products and tools you use when styling your hair.  As well as the idea that your hair is "your best accessory."  I always feel better about myself when I take a little bit of extra time to fix my hair.  Plus, because of dry shampoo I don't have to wash and style it every day!

Anyways- I FINALLY mastered curling my hair with a flat iron [this is the one i have -got it on clearance for $30!]. I found this picture [which i'm sure you've seen if you are on Pinterest!] and decided I needed to stop dragging my feet and really figure out how to do it!

via

I'm going to link to one of Kate's video tutorials that I watched numerous hundreds of times and then try and provide a little extra info that I've found to make it easier, as well as the products that I use.

This is Kate's tutorial.

Toni & Guy shampoo/conditioners are my favorite, I wash my hair every other day or so.  Then, I use a tiny bit of Eufora "sculpture styling glaze" in my wet hair [p.s. if you don't have a wet brush get one immediately. especially if you have little girls.] And blow it dry.  Unlike Kate, I only split my hair into two sections to save time. And I start the flat iron mid-way down my hair so it's not quite as curly as hers.  I do comb out each piece before I curl it.

So, I think the thing that is most confusing when you watch anyone flat iron curl their hair is that it looks like they are just putting the flat iron in, turning their wrist one time and then pulling the hair through.  For me, I found that I have to continue turning my wrist [about 2 full turns] in order to get my hair to curl.

Also, it makes a difference how fast or slow you go.  If you pull the flat iron through your hair too quickly, you won't get a decent curl.  You don't have to go super slow, but enough so that your hair actually receives the heat and bends to curl.

After I do the bottom and top sections, I then comb through my hair with my fingers to separate the curls.  Then spray some flexible hold hairspray on it and we're good to go for the next few days! I think the whole process probably takes me about 10-15 minutes.  

I will admit, some days I do a better job than others.  And some days I just do not feel like doing anything with my hair at all.  And, of course, I only have one child which makes it quite a bit easier to distract him while I am getting ready in the morning. However I think, [with dry shampoo] you could do this at night, sleep on it and be ready to go in the morning!

So what are your favorite hair products? What can't you live without? I always want to try new stuff... [specifically dry shampoo. i am still on the hunt for the BEST dry shampoo.]

He Sleeps

You guys.  My kid sleeps.  All night. In his own bed!!  Ok, so he's been doing this for a little while now, but sometimes I still can't believe it.  I am so proud of him, and us!  We did it!

A little update on Brooks' sleeping situations, in case you were wondering...

Birth to 2 weeks or so =  slept in rock n play next to our bed
2 weeks- 3 months = spent half the night in the rock n play, other half in our bed
3 months-  ~18 months = slept all night in our bed
18 months- 2 years = slept for 2 hours in his bed (we put him down in there first thing), rest of the night in our bed
2 years- 26 months = slept in his bed until early morning, then our bed
27 months- now = sleeps all night in his bed!

Having Daddy take over Brooks' bedtime routine around 18 months or so was a huge help.  Of course, the transition when he was 2 years old from being in our bed most of the night to being in his own bed was sometimes a challenge.  For the most part though, when he woke Pat would go comfort him and then he'd go back to sleep.

My purpose in writing this post is just to say to those of you that are co-sleeping and thinking that your kid will be sleeping with you FOREVER ....or to those of you with small babies who are hesitant to co-sleep....your kid will be just fine.  And they will sleep! On their own!  It just takes time.  We made small changes as Brooks got older and never let him "cry it out" and he has done wonderfully.  Again, I am so proud!

And now some super cute pics, just because it's Friday..

Happy weekend to you!

Style Challenge - 02

Ok, week 2!  I had high hopes of taking decent pictures of a full outfit over the weekend...until I got the stomach bug.  And then Brooks got the stomach bug.  And suddenly having pictures taken of myself did not seem like such a fun idea.

Sooo anyways... wear a bright color.  Yikes.  My closet consists of mostly neutrals, so again this was definitely a challenge for me.  But! Accessories count.  So I remembered this pink infinity scarf I got a few years back and figured this was the best way to incorporate some color.

scarf |  old

sweater | Stitch Fix

tee | Loft

jeans | AG

boots | Lucky Brand

I'm looking forward to re-creating a outfit I've pinned on Pinterest next week!

Wednesday Confessions

Ok, time to make some confessions again.  Ready?

1. Brooks and I had the stomach bug last week. It sucked, but was over pretty quickly, thank goodness. I went a little crazy disinfecting everything [who knew we had so many light switches?!] after we were both feeling better, in hopes of keeping my husband healthy. It's been a few days and he's still feeling good, but I now have developed anxiety heartburn because I am paranoid about him catching it. Sigh. 

2. Although it's been tough to hear Brooks ask to "nee-nee" [nurse] on occasion at nap time or in the middle of the night, I've been kind of enjoying my freedom.  For example, my heartburn. Why yes, I will take some medicine for that!  And try a new moisturizer without worrying about the ingredients? Definitely ! [ps Philosophy's "Renewed Hope in A Jar" is the shit. ] 

Also, wine. More wine. Amen. 

3. You guys, the 50 Shades of Grey movie is coming out soon and I am not ashamed to admit that I'm dying to see it. I might even make it our Valentine's Day date activity! Sorry, honey. True love is seeing a movie you have no interest in. 

4. I've succumbed to the winter sales. Somehow Loft still had all the Lou & Grey pieces that I tried on but didn't buy after Christmas, now for $15.88! I can't pass that up, since L&G very rarely goes on sale and is way pricier than Loft itself.

leggings

sweatshirt-blazer

5. I'm officially over snow.  It makes getting out of the house extremely difficult and everyone knows staying inside with a 2 year old all day will drive you crazy.  I would love for it to be summer, but I'd even take 45 degrees- at least then we can get outside!

6.  One night when I couldn't sleep last week, I decided to start re-reading Mindy Kaling's Is Everyone Hanging out Without Me?  If you haven't read this, do so immediately.  It is hilarious.  Like, seriously laugh out loud funny.  It's also full of decent advice for young people that I'd like to post all over social media, but I'll spare you.  I will, however, leave you with one of my favorite opinions of hers [probably because it's one that I share]:
I don't think it should be socially acceptable for people to say they are "bad with names." No one is bad with names.  That is not a real thing.  Not knowing people's names isn't a neurological condition; it's a choice.  You choose not to make learning people's names a priority.  It's like saying, "Hey, a disclaimer about me: I'm rude." 

And with that, I'm done!  Anyone else have some confessions to make this Wednesday? :)

Our Breastfeeding Story - The End

I never thought I'd be writing this post.  It often felt like Brooks was going to nurse forever.  Yes, hello, it's me Colleen, nursing my teenager.  And yet, here we are...I'm sticking to it.  Some days are harder than others, and he still occasionally breaks my heart with the "I want nee-nee back!"  But, we're done.  My baby is growing up!

I didn't really have a plan when it came to weaning.  However, a few months ago I came across this article from Mama Natural that pretty much outlines all of the things that I did to encourage Brooks to wean himself.  They are:
1. Create a replacement [we used chocolate milk-aka instant breakfast]
2. Limit nursing sessions
3. Go slowly
4. Get daddy or others involved
5. Make the decision [the hardest part!]

Initially, my goal for nursing Brooks was one year.  Then it was two years, then it was January 2015. I'm not sure if I'm proud of myself for meeting my goal, or sad because it's finally over.  I'll never nurse my first baby again...what a bittersweet feeling.

And so, I leave you with a few of the breastfeeding selfies I took [and two professional photos, thanks to Lindsey Welch Photography] in the 26 and a half months I nursed this sweet baby.

Cleaning and scrubbing can wait 'til tomorrow, 
for babies grow up...we've learned to our sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs, dust go to sleep...
I'm [nursing] my baby, and babies don't keep.  

Style Challenge - 01

Another one of my favorite style bloggers [ Audrey from Putting Me Together ] posted on Instagram yesterday that she was starting a style challenge to help her get out of her "rut".  I saw it and thought it sounded like fun, and also much easier than doing a capsule wardrobe [which i considered, but then determined i don't have the time  energy desire to cut down my wardrobe to only a certain number of pieces!]

Anyways, the idea is that she posts the challenge once a week, and during that week you try to complete it!  This week, the challenge was to wear a dress.

Of course, I immediately thought- I don't wear dresses, I have a two year old. And also, it's winter!  But then, it wouldn't be a challenge if it were easy! So I scrounged around and decided a short(er) dress with some jeans was the way to go.

+ a cute/soft/warm scarf...

Success!

Did I mention it's icing here today?  Hence the Hunter boots [and messy indoor photos.]  Stay tuned...up next week- wear a bright color!