33 Weeks

New questions this week are from Peanut Butter Fingers, a new-to-me blog by a mom who's also a personal trainer.

How far along? 33 Weeks

Baby is the size of a head of cauliflower

Favorite maternity clothes this week: I love my side-ruched tees from Motherhood Maternity because they are so soft and come in several cute prints, but this week I learned that the Isabel brand at Target has a better fit for me as a petite lady and are half the price, which felt like a preggo victory since I'm now officially at the point where I'm wearing more maternity than pre-pregnancy clothes.

Major pregnancy symptoms this week: I've been waking up with numbness in my legs and arms from having to side-sleep. The whole right side of my body hurt this morning when I got out of bed. I've also been experiencing more shortness of breath when I go up stairs, to the point where I'm not just coughing or breathing heavy but need to take a little break before moving on to whatever I went upstairs to do.

Best moment this week: This week was our spring break from school so it was pretty great all around. I had a shopping trip with one of my best friends, went to see A Wrinkle in Time and eat pizza with my favorite teacherladies, spent a day hanging out with my mom, and tonight we are headed to a hockey game. The time with my mom is probably the most special because she's so excited about the baby and shares little memories from when she was pregnant with me, and she finally got to feel baby kick and feel the little lump of butt below my ribs.

"It's getting real" moment of the week: We watched several beginning-to-end birth stories in our Prepared Childbirth class this week. I was surprised by my reaction - instead of being grossed out or made nervous/scared by the birth scenes, I loved seeing the babies come out and be put on their mamas' chests, and started crying in an "I want mine!" way. I love feeling the baby's strong movements, especially when they can also be seen from the outside.

Food cravings/aversion: I had a coffee craving a few mornings this week - still sticking to decaf for now, but can definitely say my aversion to the smell has passed. Mr. Q got a few interesting freezer meals on his last Trader Joe's run and I've been trying those for lunch this week. 

How I'm preparing for birth this week: I've been researching pediatricians and have settled on two that I want to meet. I also spent some time this week doing all of the baby's laundry and getting the nursery more organized. Mr. Q and I are both in major nesting mode, and right now our living room looks like a tornado hit because it's home to the ever-growing Goodwill pile. I like that the baby has been the kick in the pants we've needed to purge the clutter and simplify.

Baby/Pregnancy related purchases: I've needed a new pair of walking shoes for a while, and found these Skechers with memory foam on sale at Shoe Carnival. My feet are still my pre-pregnancy size and I'm hoping they stay that way! And my mom couldn't resist buying Baby Q this borderline ridiculous hoodie on our Target run. 

pinspiration: a farmhouse Easter

Maybe it's the copious amounts of Fixer Upper I've been watching lately (it's the perfect thing when I'm in preggo nesting mode, but too tired to actually clean or work on my own house), but I'm really feeling a farmhouse-inspired theme for Easter this year!

I'm so inspired by the cobalt and terra cotta tones in this very Anthropologie-esque vignette from House By Hoff.

How cool are the Rae Dunn inspired Easter eggs from DIY Beautify?

Using temporary tattoos to decorate eggs is one of those ideas I'd never think of - Lia Griffith is so creative!

To make your holiday extra special, here's a playlist that would be the perfect background music for a farmhouse brunch:

this week's clicks.

get your week off to a colorful start...
SWOON. this week in pretty things.

Bridget Matkovich via Project Nursery

• An ethereal bridal shoot in the Scottish highlands.
• The DIY Playbook's calm, modern boy's nursery.
• Monika Hibbs rounds up spring entertaining pieces.
• Love this idea for displaying photos via A Cup of Jo.

THIS WEEK. the kids are all right.

• Photos from March for Our Lives rallies worldwide.
• The New England Patriots lent Parkland kids a plane,
• Veterans are showing their support for the youth activists,
• and the protest signs were creative, moving, and heartbreaking.

FLASHBACK. let's see how far we've come.

• 2017: Niagara blue pinspiration and March favorites.
• 2016: Literary Junkies, spring getaway pinspiration, book + concert reviews (Elton John!), and my March Stitch Fix
• 2015: I pretty much predicted the Colors of the Year for 2016.
• 2014: Sunday Socialabout ideals and accomplishments, my fave green and black and white picks, and my April favorites.
• 2013: rainy day fashions, white bridesmaid dress inspiration, explained how we save money on groceries, completed my second Liebster survey, and shared my love story with Mr. Q for the Love and Marriage series.
• 2012: I collected inspiration for an April Fool's wedding.

32 Weeks

For this week's survey I found some new questions on Tumblr, which let me warn you can be a very strange place to search for anything related to pregnancy.

How far along? 32 Weeks

Baby is the size of a head of romaine lettuce

Favorite maternity clothes this week: I've hit the point where I am able to wear very few of my pre-pregnancy tops. My favorite thing this week was the PinkBlush dress I wore to my shower on Sunday - since maternity shopping options are limited in my area (there's a Motherhood Maternity in our mall and a Motherhood Maternity department at Macy's. That's it.), I ordered several options from PinkBlush and Wren + Ivory.

Major pregnancy symptoms this week: Nonstop heartburn continues. This week lower back pain really became a thing, and I had some really vivid dreams (usually if I watched TV right before bed, things from the show popped up in my dreams, so I probably need to avoid potentially scary/gross things like X-Files and 9-1-1 for a while). I haven't had any severe Braxton Hicks contractions since our trip to West Virginia, but I am having the sensation sometimes that there is a phantom elastic band around the top of my bump. Today I've just been really tired, but since it's spring break I have zero regrets about spending the day watching rom-coms on Freeform. That wonderful second trimester energy is in the rear-view mirror for sure and I wish I'd taken more advantage of it.

This week's prenatal appointment: Short and sweet with the regular tests. My fundal height measurement was normal, Baby Q's heart rate was 147, and I have gained about 10 pounds total now, which I am happy with. Dr. B thinks he is head down already.

Best moment this week: Definitely my baby shower on Sunday - getting to see so many friends and family members come out to love on my little one was awesome, and he received several very sentimental and sweet gifts. It meant so much to me that Baby Q's two great-great-Aunts came! I'll do a shower post soon. While Brittney and I were at my shower, her husband Chris helped Mr. Q put the crib together, so Baby Q's room is really starting to look like a nursery and not a junk room!  My mom and cousin came over to our house afterward and spent some time with us, then Mr. Q and I spent a few hours putting things away (although we didn't have to do much because Brittney's sister had already sorted all of my gifts as I was unwrapping them - so helpful!). Today I'm headed to a Harry Potter themed shower for a friend whose due date is a few weeks after mine and Mr. Q is doing even more nesting (taking things to storage/Goodwill, putting the bike storage rack together to make more space for baby furniture).

Funniest moment this week: The look a student I don't work with gave me when she heard me tell a colleague, "I have a butt right here," while pointing to my bump.

"It's getting real" moment of the week: The look a student I don't work with gave me when she heard me tell a colleague, "I have a butt right here," while pointing to my bump.

Food cravings: Red Gatorade (really hope I'm not giving Baby Q in-utero ADHD from the red dye) and all the fruits. I think I could eat a whole bowl of fruit salad and drink a gallon of pomegranate or blueberry juice. Mr. Q also very kindly went to pick up spaghetti with meat sauce from our favorite Italian restaurant at 8:30 last night.

How I'm preparing for birth this week: I'm trying to use the yoga ball as my chair for a little while every day, I'm drinking red raspberry leaf tea whenever I remember to, and I've started eating a few dates every day. I also spent some time today looking at all of the "What to pack in your hospital bag" posts on Pinterest and creating my own list. I ordered some comfy-looking nursing clothes from Old Navy today, and I'm going to go ahead and buy my travel toiletries next week while I'm on spring break. Our childbirth class was canceled this week because it snowed on Wednesday, so I took the time to start reading The Happiest Baby on the Block. I'm not a huge fan of Dr. Karp's grandpa-joke-accented writing style, but I've learned a lot from the book and can't wait to practice the soothing techniques with Baby Q.

pinspiration: floral manicures

Floral manicures are nothing new, but they've definitely been prominent on my Pinterest feed lately! I've noticed that a lot of the beautiful images are from LA Studio Olive + June, but there are plenty of DIY versions as well. I have nothing but admiration for ladies who have the patience and talent to paint these designs freehand on their own nails - for the rest of us, there are manicurists and nail wraps to get our nails perfectly ready for spring.

Would you try floral nails? Do you prefer one accent nail, or ten floral tips?

this week's clicks.

get your week off to a colorful start...
SWOON.

Paige Nelson Photography via Intimate Weddings

• I can never resist a romantic wedding in the woods.
• A New York vineyard wedding with gorgeous florals.
• Elegant garden wedding portraits in Portland, Oregon.

SMILE.

• The cutest, and most relatable, unicorn cake I've ever seen.
• These serving utensils would be a great housewarming gift.
• A round-up of cute Easter basket ideas that aren't candy!

FLASHBACK.

• 2016: rose quartz pinspiration, loss and reunion, and a geeky wardrobe wishlist.
• 2014: my blog as an outfit, teal and chambray wardrobe updates, watercolor stationery, life in IG, and entertainment picks.
• 2013: garden-inspired wardrobe ideas, inspiration for a French lavender wedding, and February and March in entertainment.
• 2012: I reflected on the course of this blog, and shared my blog loves.
• 2011: we designed our invitations and found our flower girl's dress.

31 Weeks

I added some new questions this week from a survey I found on a Babycenter message board.

My son's shoe collection is already cuter than mine.

How far along? 31 Weeks

Favorite maternity clothes this week: Not clothes, but shoes - my Crocs Kadees. I know some people absolutely loathe Crocs, but these have been a go-to throughout my teaching career and I appreciate them even more now that I'm very pregnant and my feet start hurting halfway through the day in other shoes.

Major pregnancy symptoms: This was a rough week. I started feeling just generally bad Saturday night, and Sunday ended up probably being the hardest day of pregnancy so far. I was having back pain that made it difficult to stand up straight, round ligament pain that made it hurt to walk, and abdominal pains that made it hurt to lie in certain positions, so I couldn't get comfortable at all. I spent most of the day in bed and learned very quickly that if I end up being put on bed rest I will probably go insane. Then, on Wednesday (our first full school day of the week after snow), I got very dizzy after standing in a friend's office talking for about 15 minutes, and ended up with both school nurses fussing over me and ordering me to call my OB/GYN's office. Though my pulse had been faint, my blood pressure was normal, and my OB nurse thought my blood sugar was probably the issue - she recommended that I add more protein to my breakfasts and drink at least a gallon of water daily.

Best moment this week: This one's a tie between the unexpected snow day on Monday, which felt like the universe giving me my Sunday back, and spending Friday night with Mr. Q putting together the first pieces of nursery furniture (rocking chair, glider, and storage cubes) - it's so exciting to work on our little one's room. I'm also really excited for and looking forward to this weekend - I'm going wedding dress shopping with my sister-in-law's girlfriend (now fiancée) on Saturday and my baby shower is on Sunday.

Food cravings: Hot dogs (Mr. Q found some with no nitrates!) and crunchy Cheetos.

Have you picked out names?: I've narrowed my list down to three contenders, but Mr. Q and I have yet to have the big name discussion.

Planning for a home or hospital birth?: Hospital - actually the same one where I was born!

Planning for a natural or medicated birth?: I want to have as natural a birth as I can withstand. I am open to medical interventions and pain medications if needed. I'd really like to avoid an epidural because I want to be able to walk and move around, especially after learning about laboring positions in this week's Prepared Childbirth class.

Who will be in the delivery room with you?: Mr. Q and my mom.

this week's clicks.

get your week off to a colorful start...

SWOON.

Michael and Carina Photographers via Magnolia Rouge

• I fell in love with this classic country club wedding in Virginia.
• From Beka Price, a dreamy maternity shoot in a lavender field.
• A sweet, romantic couples photo sesh. In Hawaii. With a puppy.
• Love Alicia's convenient and chic do-it-yourself office nook.

SMILE.

• Desktops:  The Everygirl, CrossCards, Flipsnack, Sarah Hearts
• Rifle Paper Co.'s new collab with Keds is here + includes kids'!
• Love peeking at Bridget Beth Collins' creative floral artwork.
• Currently pinning inspiration for Holy Week and Easter.

FLASHBACK.

• 2016: spring reading challenge recommendations, tattoos I'd love to have
• 2015: my March favorites (and OUAT obsession).
• 2014: inspiration for a sweet mint and baby's breath wedding.
• 2013: memories of Ireland and citron wardrobe inspiration.
• 2012: inspiration for a moody pastel country wedding.
• 2011: creative ideas for wedding card storage and thank you signs.

30 Weeks

Upon realizing that I potentially only have 10 more weeks of pregnancy, I've decided to be a little more deliberate about tracking everything. I'm going to start with this survey I found via the Top Baby Spot blog.

Last week's major milestone was doing some serious 

nesting and getting the Pack 'n' Play set up in our room!

How far along? 30 Weeks

Gender: Boy

Total weight gain: 5 lbs. - this is unusually low, and the original goal I was told was to gain 15-20 total, but baby is in 45th percentile for weight, so my doctor isn't worried - I'm having a "belly-only" pregnancy without doing any special dieting or exercise; just a combination of luck, genetics, and some occasional nausea.

This week's OB/GYN appointment: I found it interesting that my blood pressure has been the exact same the last three visits. Short appointment this week - fundal height measurement (normal), heart rate (147), and sample.

Favorite maternity clothes this week: The waterfall sweater Brittney handed down to me from her pregnancy, which is also nursing-friendly - I wear it at least once a week.

Stretch marks? Yes, but they are more on my back/hips rather than my belly so I'm wondering if they're just my teenage stretch marks becoming more prominent?

Sleep: Waking up about twice a night but able to get back to sleep quickly. Mr. Q says I am tossing and turning quite a bit and snoring, but those things aren't waking me up ;)

Best moment this week: Pedicures (since I can no longer bend comfortably), shopping, and dinner with Brittney and her sweet one-year-old on Friday. It's so cool to watch her baby's development and know that at this time next year Baby Q will be working on fine motor skills and might be trying to take his first steps.

Movement: Baby Q has two main daily kick-fests around 10 AM and 10 PM, and it's so cool to be able to see movement from outside now instead of just feeling it. My friend Abby got to feel him kick during our faculty meeting on Monday and almost cried, and Emily felt him at Bible study that evening - that was an especially active day for some reason.

Food cravings: Chicken tenders, all the pasta in the world.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not feeling the smell or taste of peanut butter these days, and popcorn shrimp that tasted yummy and I had been craving unfortunately made me sick.

Major pregnancy symptoms: Heartburn, back pain, round ligament pain.


Milestones: Starting our Prepared Childbirth class through the hospital; I really liked the instructor, who is a professional doula and trained Lamaze instructor. This week she went over the three stages of labor and we also discussed some potential red flags to look out for in the coming weeks. Also super excited for my baby shower next weekend, especially since some gifts have already started to arrive, like the glider and ottoman my uncle and aunt sent.

this week's clicks.

get your week off to a colorful start...
SWOON.

A Burst of Beautiful

• Loving Alicia's simply decorated sideboard for spring.
• Crushing on this former gardener's cottage in California.
• A lovely, smile-filled intimate wedding on a Michigan farm.

SMILE.

• Desktops: Mospens Studio, TIMS, and Bonnie Christine.
• The striking WVa teachers packed lunches for their students.
• Harry + Meghan + Spice Girls? Probably, if you ask Mel B.

FLASHBACK.

• 2016: St. Patrick's Day pinspiration and favorite fictional foods.
• 2015: spring style picks.
• 2014: all about Pinterest, green pieces for spring, dog-sitting, and a St. Patrick's mani.
• 2013: A DIY decoupage Easter egg wreath, 1920's-inspired wedding ideas, and Art Deco home office picks.