awkward and awesome tuesday

wearing: dress - isabella oliver, sandals - target

Awkward:

My left foot is more swollen than my right foot, and in a “width” way not a “length” way.  This means that none of my shoes that have a strap across the front part of my foot fit….but only on one side.  Thankfully, this feels more like swelling than actual stretching of my foot, so hopefully it will go away post-delivery!

I had a meltdown on Saturday morning, because I was convinced as of Friday night that I would go into labor.  It would’ve been so convenient!  The beginning of the weekend!  We had just finished the grocery shopping!  Darrell wouldn’t have had to use those two days of paid time off!  Because, you know, those are the sort of things babies waiting to be born prioritize - paid time off.  Oh, hormones.

Oh, getting dressed.  I’m hot in everything, so if I’m being totally honest my ideal state of dress at this point is underwear & a maternity t shirt with the A/C blasting.  But since they won’t let you into restaurants like that, I’ve started running through my supply of stretch jersey dresses.  I basically do the same load of laundry every five days.

Early labor contractions are wayyyyyyy boring.  I'll have two in a row that are just a few minutes apart, get really excited, and then nothing.  Even more annoying is when they do that "real contraction" thing where they move from my back to the front.  At this point I'm basically refusing to get out my contraction timer until I'm in tears.  Also, how weird is sitting around hoping/wishing to be in pain?


Awesome:

Have I mentioned how boring it can be to wait to go into labor?  Especially when you have no idea what it feels like to go into labor?  Well, it’s boring.  Thankfully, my mom has a flexible work schedule and has been coming over to St. Louis to entertain me on Fridays, when I feel like I’m at the end of my “I work at home alone” rope.

With nothing to do this weekend, we just decided to eat ALL the good food.  Our favorite Italian on Friday?  Check.  The best BBQ on Saturday night?  Check.  Movie theater popcorn?  Of course.  Sunday morning pancakes?  You bet, I even made the kind that has to be mixed up Saturday night and sit overnight.  With chocolate chips AND blueberries.

Our dogs got groomed yesterday!  I know that sounds like a stupid thing to be excited about, but the dirtier they get the less I want to play with them, and then I feel oh-so-guilty about the sad looks on their faces.  I’m not exactly in a position to give them a bath right now either, so they neeeeeeeded it.

A husband who has made it his sole mission in life to take good care of me.  I get nightly foot rubs AND back rubs, he volunteers to cook dinner & clean it up, and he walks at my pace on our nightly trips to the park.  When I have a meltdown (those are coming more frequently lately,) he just reminds me he’s on my side.  And I’m lucky to have him there.  

awkward & awesome tuesday

Awkward:

My dogs were barking at the door, so I figured maybe the postman had come and left a package or something.  I opened our door to peek out once I heard the entryway door close in JUST a long tunic (longer than my underwear, thank god) and saw my landlady standing in the lobby!  Cue my awkward "oh hi!" And promptly shutting the door in her face.  

Breastfeeding classes.  I don't feel the need to elaborate on this.  

8:30 bedtime on a Saturday night.  And I don't even feel a little bit guilty-in fact, I take sleep when and where I can get it at this point.  

Missing hot yoga so much that I sometimes just look at the class schedule at my old studio and fantasize about when I’ll be able to go again.  

Waiting for labor when you have no idea what it’s like to go into labor.  It’s like a state of constant vigilance and extreme boredom all at once.  

Awesome:

While making a return at the mall, a sweet lady told me I looked pretty.  Always nice to hear when going into month 9 on a day you didn't wear any makeup.  I'll remember her unprovoked kind remark the next time I see another preg girl out and about.

Getting the "any day now!" from my doctor at my last appointment.  They don't change your due date, but I've been informed that I'm actually dating around 38 weeks as of today.  I think there's good and bad to this, because now I'm doing a lot of sitting around and waiting, but it was reassuring to hear that she probably won't be late.

Chinese food that shows up ten minutes after you order it.  Even though I STILL managed to eat a bowl of Lucky Charms between the time we made the order and its arrival. 

People are just really excited for you at this point - there's no hiding the bump anymore, and strangers kind of feel like it's public property.  In a good way, mostly!  I get a lot of "congratulations!" and "so cute!" from everyone from grocery checkers to waitresses, and that's a lot of cheerful every time I leave the house.  Baby bumps are apparently an equal opportunity happy-maker.

Spending the majority of my weekend sitting outside doing absolutely nothing.  Vitamin D is kind of my everything right now, as are Pinterest & Tumblr.  Strangely, I’m totally over pinning baby clothes, probably because I have too many for Claire already.  I’m really really really excited to start getting back to my pre-baby size, so I’ve mostly been pinning outfit ideas for post-baby.

And since it wouldn't be awkward & awesome without whatever food I'm currently obsessed with: popsicles.  It's getting difficult to keep them in the house, I want a popsicle pretty much every hour on the hour.  

maternity style 21

striped tee - asos, shorts - a pea in the pod, clogs - swedish hasbeens, tote - ebay, straw hat - target (similar), sunglasses - ray ban

In a weird way, these last few weeks have me feeling more confident and happy than I have almost the entire time I've been pregnant.  I feel a little sense of accomplishment knowing I have 

a) fully *cooked* this little babe, and she is healthy and ready to be born anytime.  

b) somehow managed not to spiral into a full-time wardrobe of sweatpants.  In fact, I think I'd be willing to say that it's been essential to my self-esteem to get dressed, put makeup on, and fix my hair every day.  

I am admittedly sticking to much simpler silhouettes at this point, but it's been refreshing to find out that I can still enjoy clothes and getting dressed even at the 9 month mark.  

snapshots & selfies

left: dress & wedges - target  right: dress - isabella oliver, clogs - old navy

left: jacket - forever21, old, dress - target, sandals - sam edelman

right: jacket - j crew factory, dress - old navy, sandals - forever 21, old

dress - sonnet james, scarf & hat - forever 21, old, espadrilles - soludos, old

So at this point, the question is: could I wear more stripes?  My iPhone says I may want to take it down a notch.  

awkward and awesome tuesday

wearing: pink blush maternity dress c/o

Awkward: 

I went to buy some air plants Saturday morning, and the man at the garden store began to educate me on their care.  I had had them before, so I stopped him and told him I just needed new ones because I had accidentally forgotten about them.  I'm assuming he didn't see the bump behind the tall checkout counter, because he asked me if I had kids and then just said "think about it."  Um, okay......and for the record, I do plan to pay more attention to Claire's well-being than that of a plant.  

The "Wolf of Wall Street" - holy ridiculous.  I'm not sure I picked up my jaw once through the entire movie.  

Any temperature above 65, currently.  I am like a living sauna - no covers when I sleep, and I can hardly enjoy the spring weather we're having because I must have the house shut up and A/C blasting at all times.  Also kind of sad is that I can't cuddle with Darrell when we sleep because I am just.  too.  freaking.  hot.  

Almost dying on an approximately 1 mile walk - and I mean I felt like I was not gonna make it back to the house and Darrell might have to go get the car to pick me up.  It was akin to the feeling of finishing a half marathon, minus the accomplished superwoman factor.  Also, I was sadly reminded that I once ran a half marathon, and now I can barely walk a mile.  

Awesome: 

This dress!  So comfy, I know I'll be getting a ton of wear out of it for the rest of this pregnancy and beyond.  Pink Blush maternity's clothes have a lifesaver since month 3 - they're the only brand that makes their tops truly long enough to wear with leggings.  This was the first time I had tried out one of their dresses, and while it looks polished it feels like pajamas, which is basically my ideal in any maternity wear.  

Painted my nails in the car successfully on our way home for Mother's Day brunch, despite Darrell's insistence that I was going to get peach polish all over the entire car.  Take that, ya doubter.  

Chocolate malts from Potbelly sandwich shop.  It'll be a miracle if I don't go all the way to Clayton to get another one this week.  

Even though people have started asking about when the baby will be arriving, no one is yet to say "any day now, huh!?"  Which makes me ridiculously happy.  Thanks for not telling me I look 40 weeks pregnant yet, everyone.  Much appreciated.  

maternity style 20

t shirt - jojo maman bebe (similar), shorts - pea in the pod, wedges - target, sunglasses - ray ban

This is definitely one of the more comfortable outfits I've worn this week - I have a feeling these shorts and the pair I have in blue denim are going to be real heroes through the end of this pregnancy.  Also awesome?  These J.Crew lookalike wedges.  I am a big believer in stocking up on things you love (probably why I have three pairs of Saltwaters, three of this dress, two pairs of these shorts.....basically my entire wardrobe is a collection of duplicate items.)  I bought these in the black & chambray, and I have a feeling I'll wear them to pieces this summer, which is well and good since they were a whopping $17/pair!  

awkward and awesome

Awkward: 

Fitz’ incredible ability to puke wherever we don’t place the protective towel in the backseat of the car.  We can cover every surface possible, and he will make an effort to screw it up and puke right on my car seats. I pretty much just laugh every time someone warns me about baby spit-up like it’s the most awful thing ever.  

Baby girl keeps measuring large…..like 80th percentile.  I have this lovely birthing plan that involves hypnotherapy & all-natural birthing etc, but no judging me if I scrap all that to get induced early if my OB offers, I have no interest in birthing a 10 lb baby.    "Birth plan" is kind of an oxymoron anyways, right?  

Any potential answers to the questions “are you hating being so pregnant?  Aren’t you uncomfortable yet?”  I mean…..awkward.  I actually feel pretty great - pregnant, but great - and also, I prayed for this baby.  I am grateful to be pregnant.  I try to reserve any complaining solely for my husband.  

I am hot ALL the time.  This is easily remedied by blasting the air conditioning, but poor Darrell may eventually take to sleeping in a parka.  He let me win that fight though, good man that he is.  

Hitting the belly on every single thing possible!  Getting something out of the fridge?  I am probably hitting the baby with the fridge door.  Walking into a door?  If I don’t open it fast enough, the bump hits it before it opens.  Getting into a restaurant booth?  The condiments are lucky if they make it out intact.  My spatial awareness is at a solid zero.  I’m sure next week I’ll be telling you how my belly finally hit a small child in the head.  Yes, I say "my belly" and not "I" because I'm pretty sure this thing has a mind of its own.  

Awesome: 

Our weekend at the lake.  I cannot say how nice it was to have three days on the water.  Even though I worked on Friday, it was incredibly nice to have a change of scenery. The weather cooperated perfectly & we got to get out on the boat - no bikinis, but there were mocktails!  

In the waiting room for my doc appt last week there were two children: a well behaved little girl and a, well, rowdy little boy.  Both were adorable, but the little girl had this absolutely hilarious and judgmental expression of "you filthy hooligan" towards the boy for my entire wait.  

Gap Outlet sales - we got Darrell 6 pieces of clothing I believe for about $60, and a hat for the baby.  One pair of pants was $3!  Shopping for boys is just about the most fun thing ever, am I right?  

Iced tea & lemonade.  This is my favorite right now, in addition to alllll the fruit - all I need is watermelon & peaches to be in season and I may quit eating anything else. Actually who am I kidding, there will obviously still be chocolate & tacos.  

My belly button is still in!  I mean, it’s hanging on for dear life I’m sure, but it looks like we might just make it to the end without an outie.  

I took Fitz for a walk yesterday, and I DID bring a dog bag, but of course he managed to poop twice, the second time directly as the owner of the house in front of his chosen sidewalk space came walking out of the door.  I was about to be fully mortified at having to leave it there, but just then my hero came to save the day in the form of another dog walker with extra bags.  

All my Sonnet James dresses - holy comfortable, stretchy, and flattering.  I pretty much ordered all the ones I wanted when they first went up for pre-order, and now I wish I had just ordered them all.  They are probably some of the best pieces of clothing I have ever had - I’ll be looking forward to every collection from now on.  

the weekender

Sometimes I feel as though each Friday kicks off an inevitable contest to have the "best weekend ever" after the workweek, and this weekend I think we won!  Of course that's easier at the lake, but I feel like the makings of a perfect day are pretty much universal.  

 Consider this post the official Light Sleeper, Heavy Dreamer guide to the perfect (lazy!) spring weekend.  

Step one: wake up in the morning of your own accord - no alarm clocks! Eat asiago cheese bagels &  fruit for breakfast with a big mug of Dunkin' Donuts coffee while watching the weekend news and reading blogs.  Shower & get ready for a day out on the boat at a snail's pace.  This may or may not include a quick trip to Target to buy a new hat (but it probably should.)  Pack your hat and your favorite sunglasses and a tote bag, and head down to the dock once you feel like eating lunch.  

sunglasses: ray ban (on sale!), hat: target, bag: old navy, and I had the embroidery done

Step two: make your handsome husband pose for some cutesy photos on the dock while the boat lift lowers into the water.  Make good use of your new hat in said photos.  

Step three: order a mocktail with your lunch, because Pina Coladas are yummy, rum or no rum.  

Step four: sit in the sun watching the boats and chatting about nothing much at all until you realize that it's time for more food! Head home to watch a movie, and eat dinner & some ice cream, of course.  Go to bed at 10, exhausted & happy from being in the sun for so many hours.  

Step five: rinse and repeat the next day (this time for brunch, because of course it's Sunday) potentially in a cuter outfit.  

hat - target, dress - loft

Other exciting (okay, to me) things that happened this weekend: 

I finally ordered a few samples of Le Labo perfumes I've been dying to try, because I'm almost out of Coco Mademoiselle.  Darrell just has a naturally stuck-up nose - he won't even notice it, let alone compliment it, unless it's....well, let's just say not cheap.  On the upside, more reason to buy fancy perfume!  I'll keep you updated on whether or not I decide their scents are worth the splurge.  The packaging alone....I mean the bottles are basically decoration.  

My Sonnet James dresses finally came!  I'm not going to lie, I was skeptical of whether or not they'd fit.  I ordered them all back in February when I was um, much smaller, but the dresses were supposed to work for pregnancy and after.  Well, they were all perfect!  When does that ever happen?  They're stretchy of course, and the fabric is pretty fantastic.  They're super fitted now, which is actually more flattering during pregnancy, and I think they'll be perfectly relaxed and casual later.  The packaging was adorable, each dress came in a bag with suckers and a little kids toy.  Also, I got a promo code I thought I'd share with my order: they have a few extra dresses in stock that you can check out here, and get $10 off with sjfriend10!  

I managed to snag my first pair of Karen Walker sunglasses on eBay last week after stalking them for quite a while, and they showed up too.  These are the "Helter Skelter" style.  I suppose time will tell whether or not I'm cool enough for Karen Walker sunglasses (debatable.)  Sometimes I think I'd rather buy something online just because of how fun it is to get packages, which is probably incredibly silly, but tell me you don't sort of feel the same!  

maternity style 19/the last 6 weeks

The last few weeks of pregnancy call for a reevaluation of your wardrobe.  Those pants you bought at 14 weeks?  Yeah, they don't work anymore.  Actually, no pants really work anymore, except the shorts with the HUGE belly panel, that nooooo I did not buy in my pre-pregnancy size, per the website's suggestion, because that would just be silly.  

I have a good feeling about saying hello to those 14 week jeans again postpartum though, so they're staying in the closet for now.  

I've decided that dressing for pregnancy falls into two categories: Weeks 12-32, and then everything after that.  Also, there is the unfortunate period between weeks 28-30 where instead of feeling cute and still somewhat small, and not yet like the bump is the focal point, you just feel really really fat.  About that period of time I can only say: wear yoga pants and just give in.  Things will even out soon enough.  It was like my body was saving fat to move it all to the bump in a few weeks.  

Once you're past the "I feel fat" phrase and into the "I feel REALLY PREGNANT" phase, you can either hole up at home to wait it out (not recommended, and also a waste of your last few weeks just you and your partner!) or take my advice for keeping it together and dare I say, feeling pretty and even sexy for the last 8 weeks!  Without further adieu, my top 5 tips.  

1.  Get thee some false eyelashes!  

Okay, so there is a pretty obvious difference between the two photos.  The false eyelashes highlight your eyes, subtracting from  anyone's ability to immediately focus on the slightly puffy "pregnant face" (it's a thing and you know it).  Although my case is relatively mild that may change over the next 6 weeks.  Falsies are not just for weekends now - they make me feel better about myself pretty much every day!  

2.  Quit wearing anything oversized - it's not helping.  

I largely blame Hatch collection for this trend.  This is a Hatch "maternity" dress.  

Does that model look pregnant to you?  Um, no, she just looks like a 6 foot tall model.  Put that on a pregnant me (allllllll 5'4 of me!) and I will just like like I'm fat & wearing a striped sack.  

That's better.  Shows off the bump, looks adorable with her slouchy army jacket & flat sandals, and accentuates all the good stuff!  

3.  Which leads me to my next point, stripes.  

There is literally nothing cuter on a pregnant belly than stripes.  Of course, this is just my opinion, but hear me out: once you're 32 weeks, it doesn't matter how thin you are.  There is no hiding that you are way pregnant.  Stripes highlight and accentuate the bump.  They're classic & match everything, making them easy to wear for tons of occasions and with whichever jackets/pants you have left that still fit and are comfortable.  Let me reiterate though - fitted stripes.  

4.  As for shoes.....

Flats are great - I am in no way saying abandon your flats.  But if we're being honest, they can kind of enhance the waddle effect.  A reasonable wedge or heeled bootie (we're talking 2-4 inches here) can be the perfect antidote to feeling a little frumpy.  Your legs probably look pretty teeny in comparison to that bump, and a little heel puts them to their best advantage.  

5.  And the most important advice....

Remember that you look gorgeous, no matter what kind of makeup you have on, what dress you're wearing, or how big you feel.  There are few things in the world that make a woman look more beautiful than being pregnant, and even though it may not come across in photos or in the mirror, it's 100% true.  Even when you aren't feeling that way, try to remember the last time you saw a very pregnant woman out and about and considered her with anything but admiration.  In a unique way, you look the most beautiful in others' eyes than you ever have, and if you can remember that, try to see and feel it yourself.  

awkward and awesome tuesday

wearing: dress - maurices, not maternity and realllllly old.  sandals - jack rogers.  necklace - jcrew.  

Awkward: 

Baby girl has figured out how to wedge herself up into my ribs.  I'm stopped in my tracks multiple times a day just to "readjust" myself in a way that doesn't cause serious pain somewhere in my midsection.  

I could wax poetic about how much I love having a step-and-open trash can (yes, these are the things that excite me now) but this morning my lack of coordination got the best of me with it.  I hit the foot opener, went to toss the leftover coffee grinds in the bin, and let go jusssssst early enough to have the lid catapult coffee grounds ALL over the kitchen floor.  Thankfully, there were no witnesses to the temper tantrum I threw.  

This week's adventures in "baby brain" led to me pouring my cereal directly into the cup of coffee I had just gotten to the perfect cream/stevia ratio.  

Pregnancy crying has officially begun.  Had a good (happy!) session while driving home from work last Wednesday just because a country song reminded me of Darrell....because that's normal.  

Awesome: 

Our FULLY FINISHED nursery!  Of course there are two or three things still to be done, but it's essentially complete and I'm so thrilled with it.  

A bookshelf absolutely stacked with what I'm sure is every children's book currently available for purchase.  At my shower last week, guests were asked to bring books with notes for the baby instead of cards (so sweet!) and people were so generous with the books.  Many brought 2 or 3 along with their gift, and I nearly filled a tall bookshelf with everything from "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" to "The Giving Tree."  Reading is one of my few really young memories, and I'm so excited to read these books to Claire.  

We chose and assembled a stroller/carseat combo!  Doesn't that sound like just the most adult thing one could possibly do?  I kind of agonized over the purchase, but after finding the Britax B-Agile & B-Safe on Target for an amazing price, we bit the bullet.  For the record, we would have chosen this one if money was no object, but we are just not $700 stroller people.  Although honestly, if those people exist, they are ridiculous.  

Eating a little bit healthier....I'll admit that I went through a phase for a couple weeks where I was soooo tired, so the easiest things to eat were things that required no work (i.e. mac and cheese, cereal, etc.)  This, of course, contributed to my being even MORE tired.  So I decided to get it together and start making more smoothies, less bowls of Lucky Charms, and lo and behold I am actually able to stay awake all day again.  

Darrell heralded his arrival home last Friday with "Burning Down the House" blasting from his windows, and then once the car turned off he finished it off whistling a few more rounds of the chorus.  I love how his cheerfulness just radiates sometimes (but especially on Fridays.)  

snapshots & selfies

Although I wish we had perfect weather and ample time every day, I don't always have time for outfit shoots with Darrell.  Sometimes the best I do is a selfie, and rather than post one every day on Instagram (and annoy everyone who follows me to no end) I thought I'd start doing little round up posts of all the outfits I only had to time to snap pics of in my bedroom mirror.  Here are a few outfits I wore and loved these past few weeks: 

wearing: green trench - old target, pink dress - old navy, wedges - vince camuto, necklace - sold out jcrew factory

sweater - sold out pink blush maternity, flats - old nine west, jeans - j brand, necklace - old j crew factory

clutch - marley lilly, chain link bracelet - jcrew factory, other bracelets - old coach & banana republic

cardigan - INC, tank - target, wedges - target, jeans - gap

dress - francesca's, sandals - old zara

popover - gap, jeans - j brand, wedges - sam edelman

bracelet - old anthropologie, crystal bracelet - jane.com

awkward and awesome tuesday

wearing: sweater - gap, jeans - j brand, shoes - keds, scarf - jane.com

Awkward: 

Darrell had a bowl of goldfish out on the coffee table, and when he looked away for a second Fitz pretty much licked the bowl clean.  He moved the bowl away, dejected that his snack had pretty much been ruined, and then promptly forgot the whole thing happened about 10 minutes later and started eating what was left.....which was tainted with dog spit.  

Baby brain....this past week I: 

1.  Left my dog at the office.  Again.  

2.  Tried to throw my favorite West Elm tea towel in the trash because???

3.  Drove to my aunt's house while attempting to pick up my dog from the groomer for absolutely no reason.  

Those freaking kids carts at Trader Joe's.  I saw no less than three kids have a meltdown involving one, and almost got mowed down several times by toddlers.  Trader Joe's, please get rid of these before Claire is old enough to want to use one.  All the parents hate them, and all the childless shoppers look mean for glaring at the parents who let their kids run buck wild with them.  I just want to buy my chia seeds and get out!  

I had jury duty this past week, and while waiting outside of a potential courtroom with my fellow "number called" jurors, NOT ONE PERSON offered to give me their seat on one of the limited benches.  I was the only pregnant person there, and not that I desperately hate sitting on the floor or anything, but I thought people in the midwest were supposed to be polite?  

Awesome: 

I am IN with the new doctor!  Hooray for having proper medical care!  Seriously though, if I never talk to another health insurance agent again, I'm fine with that.  

Trader Joe's has daffodils again!  And they've even started blooming in our neighborhood.  Sometimes the small things are the big things.  

Speaking of springy things, have you seen the forecast?  I think we're finally out of the 50s.  For GOOD hopefully.  

Popsicles and berries.  I constantly crave cold, icy, fruity things - I'm thinking the end of this pregnancy being in the spring and summer is going to be a very good thing, otherwise I'd have Darrell hunting the whole of St. Louis for decent strawberries.  

my pregnancy essentials

I've been waiting to write this post for a while because a) I feel like there are a lot of these out there already, and I wanted to gather a list I felt was really comprehensive and b) I wanted to wait until a little later in the pregnancy so I could cover all the bases!  I know now that the things you find essential in the first trimester are often replaced by something else in the third.  So at 29 weeks, here are the things I would genuinely say I wouldn't have wanted to live without during this pregnancy, in order of importance.  

1.  The Snoogle Pillow.  I'm a stomach sleeper, so transitioning to sleeping on my side was tough.  In the beginning, I was just using Darrell as a body pillow - not his favorite thing - so he literally asked me to go to the store and get a pregnancy pillow.  I wish I'd gone the day the test read positive, this thing is amazing.  There's no way I could sleep without it now, and I'm fairly sure that once Claire is born Darrell will be taking it for himself.  

2.  J Brand Mama J Maternity Jean.  I know what you're thinking - "I would NEVER spend that much on jeans I'll only wear for 6 or 7 months."  But these are really important.  Maternity jeans, on the whole, are no good.  The ones with the belly band will never fit your belly the entire time, so chances are you'll end up buying 2-3 pairs....or you could just buy this pair one time.  They don't fall down (unlike every other pair), they don't pinch or constrict the belly, and they won't give you love handles.  Order true to size - DON'T size up, I made that mistake.  You can usually find these on eBay for less than $100, which I highly recommend.  

3.  "Bumped" by Blanqi tanks at Target.  Blanqi makes two levels of these tank tops - one is a thicker, higher end version that retails at $70 at Nordstrom, and the other is $35 at Target.  I bought both, and actually WAY prefer the one from Target.  It makes me feel supported but not restricted unlike the heavier version.  Blanqi tanks basically support the bump and hold your pants up at the same time, both necessities in your late 2nd - 3rd trimester.  Before I actually was pregnant, I used to think the bump was like a hard, self supported entity - probably because the fake bumps maternity sites use look that way.  But guess what...it's not.  It sometimes feels really heavy, which is what causes a lot of women back pain.  This alleviates that, and also just makes everything under your clothes feel really smooth!  

4.  T Shirt Dresses by Isabella Oliver.  These are by far the most versatile piece of maternity clothing I have owned.  You can dress these up with heels, dress them down with a jean jacket and flats, shorten or lengthen them via the ruching, and they work for every season.  These will also fit your ENTIRE pregnancy - I promise!  I sized up one size, just because I knew I would appreciate the give in the third trimester, but these dresses still fit me great the entire pregnancy.  They really highlight the bump, and also manage to still make everything that is "normally" sized look small (like your waist and arms!) They're expensive, but the fabric is so high quality and they have lots of sales.  These retail for $150 normally, but I bought all three of mine for less than $100, and I think I'll be able to wear all three of them for any subsequent pregnancies we're blessed with!  I should also just mention that I've been a big fan of Isabella Oliver's maternity clothing in general.  These dresses, the Urban Ruched dress, the treggings (best maternity leggings ever), and their layering tees have been staples of mine since about week 14.  

5.  Lavender Oil.  This one is kind of random, but at about 16 weeks I started having a lot of nightmares and it gave me serious anxiety about sleep.  I'm a big fan of homeopathic remedies in general (I can probably count on one hand the pills of Advil or Tylenol I've taken during this pregnancy) so I was thrilled that this worked.  Just rub a little on your temples before sleep and voila, no more nightmares.  

6.  Honest Belly Balm.  This is by far my favorite stretch mark balm - it's the only one I've tried that actually made a stretch mark DISAPPEAR.  As in, I had one, and then I put this on at bedtime and when I woke up it was gone.  It smells a little bit like a dirty hippie, and you have to order it online, but it's worth it!  

7.  Tory Burch Reva Flats.  I know this might seem specific, but ever since I ordered a pair of these I've worn them non-stop.  A tip?  Buy them on eBay!  Don't buy new, there are so many great pairs for much less online! They keep an otherwise comfy outfit looking polished, and aren't as much of a surrender as tennis shoes.  I also just think they're really pretty......so there's that.  

8.  Mommy IQ & Hypnobirthing.  I haven't been a fan of any pregnancy books really....at all.  Most of them make pregnancy out to be horrible - which I haven't really found it to be!  I wanted to read a few books that celebrated what a blessing it is to be pregnant, and these two were pretty much the only ones I found.  Mommy IQ is wonderfully comprehensive, and so upbeat.  I highly recommend the interactive Kindle version, which has videos and interviews with Rosie Pope and her husband.  Hypnobirthing is the pain management method I'm planning to use, but I actually think that the book would be a wonderful read for anyone who's giving birth soon, whether they're planning to use an epidural or not.  It just highlights a lot of good points about giving birth - like how women's bodies are created for that purpose, and how to cultivate confidence in your own ability to carry and bring your child into the world safely.  

9.  Prenatal Vitamins - Honest Company & Trader Joe's.  I was a big fan of Honest Company prenatals in my first trimester because they didn't make me queasy at all, even if you took them on an empty stomach!  That's pretty rare for any kind of vitamin, honestly.  I do, however, think that the Honest Company ones are pretty expensive so after I was feeling better in my second trimester I switched to Trader Joe's.  They're also great, and although it's better to take them with food it's worth the drop in price.  

10.  ANYTHING striped.  I would say that 50% of my maternity wardrobe involved stripes.  That might seem excessive, but stripes flatter the bump, match everything, and work for a ton of occasions.  To me, there's just nothing cuter than a baby bump in stripes.  I bought tops from Target, Old Navy, Gap, and ASOS.  

11.  GapFit Maternity yoga pants.  When the baby is lower, like in the first and second trimester, your normal yoga pants will feel really constricting.  I love my Lululemon wunder unders, and I'm wearing them more now that they can comfortably be worn under the bump, but a few weeks ago that just didn't seem possible.  The GapFit pants are super comfy and not restricting, and now that I'm in my third trimester I've been wearing them with the waistband pulled up over the bump.  

Got anything else you would add to the list?  I've still got 10 weeks to go, so let me know if there's anything you think I'll be wishing I had near the end!  

*ps - i didn't receive anything free, or any compensation from any of these companies for featuring these products.  I bought them all and loved them, so I'm reviewing them just because I felt compelled to share!  

maternity style 15

accessories: neckace and chainlink bracelet - jcrew, bangle - old navy, very old

wearing: chambray - gap, pale mint jeans - j brand, boat shoes - old navy

I cannot believe I'm on number 15 of these maternity style posts!  I have to admit, when I first got pregnant I had a hard time imagining putting together as many outfits that I'd like to share with the world.  Now it's sort of become second nature, dressing this bump, although I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I am realllllllly looking forward to starting my post baby diet and getting back into some regular clothes!  In the meantime, thank goodness for chambray, fun jewelry, and flat shoes (yes, I've finally fully surrendered to flat shoes.)  I'm still pretty attached to wedges, but of course it's not warm enough to wear any of my cute spring wedges yet!  

On that subject, how cute are these bright boat shoes from Old Navy?  I'm kind of obsessed with them, they look surprisingly well crafted in person and I believe I got them for less than $20.  I have a few pairs of Sperry's and while these aren't quite as comfortable, they're a great substitute!  

maternity style 14/brunch

wearing: isabella oliver leggings, anthropologie shirt (old), banana republic jacket (old),  j crew factory clutch (old but, some super pretty spring options here), target shoes, michael kors watch (old, but I love this one as well)

This past Saturday we decided to venture outside our comfort zones of Rooster & Southwest Diner, and head to Cherokee street to try a new brunch spot.  Melt was better than we expected - I'm already scheming how to get Darrell back there next weekend.  The restaurant itself looks like something you'd see in Portlandia - coffee pot chandeliers, an old telephone booth, and those chicken salt & pepper shakers?  The hoarder in me kind of died over the whole place.  

I had the "Violet Beauregarde" (rad name for blueberry waffle) and Darrell had the "Bleu Ox" which is basically a ton of brisket & bleu cheese (as that's what he tends to order when we venture out of our vegetarian kitchen) and both were stellar!  My only comment - get your order "stacked" - portions aren't gigantic and you'll totally want the second waffle.  

Since it had dipped back down to COLD Saturday, I decided to just wear out the last of my autumn clothes and give in to the weather.  I would however, now consider myself firmly done with winter, and I even made the bold move of packing up the last of my winter coats.  I don't care if that means I have to freeze in a trench coat for a few more days - I just can't bear wearing them anymore!  Thankfully weather.com says we're headed straight into spring.  Any day it jumps above 60 degrees we've been going to the park for long walks, which are my current favorite form of exercise.  

Any awesome new restaurants you've tried in St. Louis lately?  Any weekend outings now pretty much revolve around food (for me at least) so I'm always looking for a new spot to try!