Baby Lily!



Well hello there world! I finally don't feel like a zombie anymore! Hooray!

Having a baby is INTENSE! I want to write Lily's birth story but haven't had the energy to do much more than feed her, feed myself and sleep. But come hell or high water, I WILL write it soon.

For now, I can only describe how in love we are with her through pictures. They say that having a baby really changes your life. They were so very right. Sure, there is sleep deprivation and the recovery process is another set of intensities, but seeing her sweet little face everyday has put a new perspective in mine and my hubby's life. We are so in love with our little lady.  I especially love hearing my husband sing to her, talk to her, take care of her... its a feeling I can't describe but it absolutely melts my heart watching him with her. About 5 years ago, I swore off having children or even getting married. I'm glad I took those decisions back... <3

Last week, I hit week 38 in my pregnancy. I've been reflecting on the different things that I'd experienced throughout this time: minor meltdowns, morning sickness, the first of many baby kicks... It seems like it went by slow and yet fast at the same time!

There are some products that I don't think I could have lived without during my pregnancy so for all you mamas-to-be, here are some items I think are worth a shot in trying!



1. Spanx Power Mama Shaper - Hands down, this was my favorite item (hell, i'm wearing them now!) to have. As your belly grows, all the weight can be a little much to handle when walking or doing simple chores. I tried maternity weight belts but the little lady in the belly didn't seem to like them and would wiggle and squirm when I put them on. She didn't mind the Spanx so much and they came in a full panty hose as well as the Super Power Panty (which is what I chose since its been so warm out). It smooths out panty lines and is pretty airy. The only downside is that the tummy panel does run if you're not careful since its made of nylon. It also helps support your back and waist. They come in two colors (nude and black).




2. Hydro Flask - I initially bought this because I was doing Bikram yoga but it was extremely helpful in keeping track of my water intake and since its double insulated, it keeps my water freezing cold (even up to 24 hours of pouring it in, ice cubes and all!)! I bought the 40 oz. bottle so I know that drinking 2 of these will give me 80 oz of water a day. They have fun colors too!



3. Confessions of a Scary Mommy by Jill Smokler - With all the reading and research I've been doing trying to prepare myself for baby's arrival, it was nice to find a funny book to unwind with. Jill is a blogger who started sharing her realities as a mother and connecting with other moms out there. Her book is real and funny and a short, great read!



4. Target Women's Favorite Tank -  I have lived in these tanks because they're great for layering and long enough to cover a giant belly! They come in so many colors and prints and are affordable! Now that the weather is warming up here in sunny California, they will definitely be a staple for my summer wardrobe!



5. Vitamin E oil - I have not been so lucky in the stretch mark department. I knew that eventually i'd succumb to stretch mark central but have done my best to stay hydrated and religiously lube up my bump. At first, I was solely using coconut oil but in the seventh month, I started to see stretch marks. Funny enough, I honestly don't believe it was from weight gain as I had gained it in a fairly steady manner. I attribute my stretch marks to my little one moving around. Since week 20, she has been a wiggling machine! At times, her kicks have been so hard and painful, I felt like my skin was tearing and when I would go to investigate it, the areas where she was kicking were red and irritated and eventually donned my lovely battle scars. I had started to combine coconut oil with Aveeno lotion to make a paste but that didn't seem to do much. While wandering around Target, I found a bottle of Vitamin E oil and have been lubing up 3 times a day. My scars are still reddish colored so I've been trying my best to make sure they heal (OR DISAPPEAR!!!). So far, this oil is much more viscous  and stays on the skin longer. Once I have my little lady, I'll look into other lotions to help aid this process.


I hope these items help you with your preggy-ness like they've helped me! What products have helped you along the way?

It is funny that I look fairly normal either head on or from the back but the minute I turn to the side...BAM!...There is the bump!

I can't believe time is flying by so quickly! It seems like it was January a few weeks ago and now we've just passed tax day and almost into May! This week marks my 34th week and the further along I get, the more anxious and excited I become! Our baby shower is this weekend so we are looking forward to hanging out with friends and family and enjoying the amazing weather we've been having!

How far along: 34 weeks

Gender: Girl

Total weight gain: 20 pounds gained so far

Maternity clothes: I can't even wear the capri pants and the black pants I purchased 2 months ago. Since the weather is warming up, I've busted out the maxi dresses and skirts and light leggings. I also added preggy spanx to the mix because the weight of the bump is a killer on my back and legs. 

Stretch marks: I found a couple already :( I've been super religious about lathering up with coconut oil in the morning and at night but the hubs and I thought it would be inevitable since I was very slender in my pre-preggy size (5'5, 105lbs). I stepped up my coconut oil by mixing in aveeno oatmeal lotion mixed in and now doing it 3 times a day and trying to drink as much water as I can.

Sleep: Very slowly the sleep is starting to become uncomfortable. I've tried sleeping semi-upright and now am up to 5 pillows all around me. Eventually I get to sleep but its for sure a process! This little girl also does not favor my left side so I start on my right and somewhere in the middle of the night, end up on my left. 

Miss Anything: Moving at a normal pace and being able to lift things that I never thought were heavy but apparently are. Oh, and very dirty martinis. :)

Cravings: I 've wanted more fruit lately. We venture to our local Farmer's Market on Sundays and I will head toward the apples and strawberries. If I'm at the grocery store, I'll pick up a container of cut up fruits to snack on while driving or hit up the juice bar for a yummy smoothie. I've been to the juice bar so much lately, they know my name! On occasion though, i'll want a donut, ice cream, pizza.... :)

Symptoms: Braxton Hicks are starting to become more frequent and intense but nothing else yet.

Belly Button in or out: Half in, half out.

Wedding rings (off or on): Sometimes on. My left hand swells sometimes so I'll take it off but my preggy brain will forget to put it back on and I thought I lost my band once already! 


Mood: I had a mini mood swing this week which included tears but otherwise, I've been feelig pretty good!

Best Moment this week: The hubby and I stayed up past our bedtime and watching the lunar eclipse together. We are definitely enjoying our last moments pre-baby while we can!

Looking forward to: This weekend's baby shower! I'm super proud of the decorations that I made!

Exercise: Walking whenever I can (that means while i'm shopping around which has been A LOT lately lol).

Can you see her face? :)

Since I've started this crafting/thrifting streak, I have become addicted to spray painting anything I can get my hands on. My favorite color to paint, you ask? Why GOLD! Alas, this post isn't about gold spray paint.

With Lily's big baby shower on the way, I've been trying to get everything together, a little bit per day, to make this a big shindig. My theme has to do with horses because A) In the Chinese horoscope, it is the year of the horse (and I was also born under this sign), and B) you'll have to wait till after the shower to see the theme because I think its pretty EX.CIT.ING!

I've been on the hunt for anything horse-ish and have been dying to get out my trusty spray paint trigger and getting started. The weather was FABULOUS this weekend so I set out to paint this adorable carousel horse I found at a thrift store a few weeks ago. For $6, you can't beat it!

I love that the white gave the horse a modern, classic look and kept the pole its original gold. I'm going to use this and a few other DIY projects I have going on as decorations for the shower. Once that is done, I can use it in her nursery!

Oh, and that GORGEOUS tassel bracelet was made by Lakeitha Duncan of Wrist Soiree. She makes her bracelets to size and has some beautiful and reasonably priced pieces. Check her out!

I've been dying to use my sewing machine and silhouette cameo cutter for a while now. A few years ago, Chris bought me a sewing machine and I took a class on how to sew with a pattern and hadn't used it since! I could barely sew in a straight line much less try to follow a pattern. So, when I came across a youtube video on how to make a pillow, I thought this would be a perfect simple project to get back into the swing of things.

I have a stockpile of striped fabric from Ikea which is great for upholstery projects. I also found some iron-on vinyl online and used the my cutter to cut out the letters. Since it had been a little while since I'd sewed, it took a bit to get used to the feel of the machine again and re-learning how to thread the machine. I was also super paranoid about not sewing in a straight line but it turned out well! The vinyl was a little more frustrating of a task. The first piece of vinyl didn't cut so well on the vinyl setting so I had to adjust to a blade of 6. And even then, I had to scrape some of the curves because there were stubborn areas that wouldn't come off! I was really paranoid about melting the plastic to the pillow. In the directions, the vinyl is supposed to take on the texture of the fabric you're attaching it to and mine is still shiny BUT its definitely on there! I think I even melted the top of the second L slightly after following the 25 second rule.

And here is my finished product! Aaaaand... our baby name reveal! Can't wait to meet Baby Lily soon!

I was really pleased with the way it turned out and now have the itch to sew more pillows! Maybe someday, I'll work up the nerve to do clothes again!



Here are some of the resources I used to make this pillow:

Happy Saturday! This week we are officially in the third trimester! I've been running around like crazy trying to find a glider that is decently priced and that I can reupholster for her room. We finally found one a few days ago and for a whopping $65, we loaded it up and took that baby home! I plan on recovering it with a cool fabric with the help of my mom who is a rockstar at sewing. Stay tuned... :)


Here are my new stats! 

Week: 28

Gender: Its a Girl!

Cravings: Nothing crazy but when I want a cookie or a salad, I REALLY want it!

Sleep: Mostly well! I have the WEIRDEST dreams which can wake me up sometimes. The doctors think she is sitting on a nerve in the groin area. I haven't had much in terms of round ligament pain but this nerve business can put me out of commission for a few minutes!

Body Changes: Hellooooo boobs! They're definitely bigger! The bump is a'growin still too. My belly button has managed to stay in but there are days when it looks like it is screaming to come out. I've tried to relive the pressure on my stomach (and back) with a preggie weight belt and so far, that seems to do the trick!

Weight Gain: about 13 pounds. I've only gained 1lb in the last month. I started out small so I know it'll be a challenge for me to put on the weight (even with 5 meals a day).

Work Outs: My nerve issue has kept me from working out and walking long distances. I get my workouts in by dancing around the house. 

Things missed: I miss being able to do things full throttle like lift heavy furniture and walk faster. It was definitely difficult for me to realize that I have to get help for things like that.

Maternity Clothes: My only purchase were the H&M black skinny jeans.  I'm still living in fleece lined leggings too. A lot of my blouses sill fit because I like boxy shirts. I'll be stocking up on Target tank tops too!

New Experiences: Still kicking like a ninja! The kicks are much stronger now and its neat to watch my tummy move around!

Have a fabulous weekend!

I've been trying to find a scent I really like that I can have throughout the house. Something clean, yet nostalgic. I've been reading about the William-Sonoma signature scent that lingers throughout the store and really enjoy that smell so I found a recipe on Pinterest (surprise!). #currentlysimmering

Here is the recipe:

1 cup of water
2 slices of lemon (I squeeze the juice from part of the lemon that didn't make it into the pot as well)
3 sprigs of rosemary from our rosemary plan
1 tsp of vanilla extract

Put it all in the crockpot on low and add water ever so often.
Updated: LEAVE THE LID OFF. In any of the blogs I read that had made this, none said to leave the lid off so I put it on. When my hubby got home, he took the lid off and within minutes the whole house smelled amazing!

I just put this in and turned it on. YUMMMMM. Right now I can smell the vanilla but I hope all the other smells come through in combination. Since I'm home, I'll leave it on for a few hours and see what happens! Make sure to add water once in a while!

While I know everyone's eyes were glued to who was wearing what at the Oscars, mine were particularly glued to the bump styles going. My favorite look of the night? Olivia Wilde in Valentino! I loved the simplicity of the dress and THE POCKETS!!!


Other ladies sporting their bump...

Kerry Washington in in a silky amethyst number by Jason Wu



Emma Hemming in a simple black gown (designer unknown)



and Elsa Patky (who is expecting twins!)  stunning an embellished gown by Elie Saab

Hello hello hello! I've been a super busy bee lately. My hubby just had his 35th birthday and we celebrated with some of his closest friends and family. With all the extra weight I'm carrying, I had to make sure I was doing a little each day of the week and to not tire myself out. The party turned out great but unfortunately, I didn't take a whole lot of pictures. :( In fact, I only took 1 during the party! BUT I did want to share a fun DIY with you...

Since it was his 35th, I wanted to do a fun bunting project. I asked my super adorable mother-in-law to see if she could find some pictures of him as a kid. Then, I scanned them and cut them into triangles with the help of clipping masks in Photoshop CS6.



I was going to make the bunting with cardstock but with about 37 pictures, it was going to be costly (cardstock can be pricey!). So while searching for candlesticks for a different project, I came across some colorful bunting at $1 each! I picked up 3 and we pinned them across the living room and I took clothespins and added them to the bunting.




All in all, we thought they came out great and everyone that came into the room got a little laugh of "Little Chris in the 80's".

This was my favorite picture... I think everyone has the gratuitous baby-in-sink image!

Once again, I've been slacking BUT with good reason. We found out that we are expecting a baby in May and I've been trying to adjust to preglife. That's right! Baby H is due in May! I apologize for the lack of posts and promise to keep up!



So, I thought I'd use this post for my first preggo update!

Week: 26 (almost to the end of the second trimester YAYYYYYY!!!). I thought i'd be able to blog more but in the first trimester, I felt too sick to do anything! The second trimester has been a lot more forgiving so I've been away from the computer and out enjoying the sights and sounds. That's what happens when you are basically sleeping for 3 months! We took the bump to a listening party in SF, out to Lagunitas Brewing Co in Petaluma and are planning a few more small trips before she arrives.

Gender: Its a Girl!

Cravings: I haven't really had too many cravings, i'm into acidic stuff like salsa or citrus.

Sleep: Pretty well! I had more bladder calls in the first trimester than the second and am sleeping soundly through the night for the most part.

Body Changes: Bully Button isn't out yet but its way sensitive! No stretch marks yet (knock on wood) and am lathering up with coconut oil and aveeno lotion. My lower back has started hurting and I have a tendon near my rib that aches in the evening. The bump is in full effect and I have a little waddle when I walk.

Weight Gain: about 12 pounds. Funny enough, when I found out I was pregnant and had stopped drinking, I dropped 5 pounds! I was a little under weight but am definitely making up for it with my appetite back!

Work Outs: Daily walks and one of my good friends bought me a pregnancy fitness dvd so the hubby and I do it on occasion. I've been walking more than working out though.

Things missed: V. Sattui Rose Wine and sushi!

Maternity Clothes: I've caved and bought some preggo skinny jeans from H&M. I'm living in fleece lined leggings too. Since its winter, I've also purchased boxy sweaters and will invest in some really cute faux leather maternity leggings. Once spring hits, i'll definitely be in maxi dresses and skirts.

New Experiences: She is kicking like CRAZY and has her moments where she likes to stretch out to the point that I can see a bulge on one side of my tummy. Its really neat and sometimes weird. I do love when Chris says goodnight to her every night. She likes to kick back in response. :)

Cheers to new adventures!

-M