my maternity photoshoot.

At 36 weeks pregnant I asked Mr. Q to take some photos of me because I wanted to remember what I looked like super preggo. I love all the pretty maternity shoots on Pinterest and showed him a few of my favorites for inspiration. The downsides of pregnancy for me were constant heartburn and regular morning sickness beyond the first trimester, but one of the upsides was the clearest skin I've had since elementary school - how could I not want to document that? I was also reaping the benefits of prenatal vitamins with thicker hair and longer fingernails, and found myself Googling whether pregnancy could make freckles more prominent (it can). I felt great about my appearance, and that's not the normal state of affairs for me. I'm so glad that I did get some photos when we did - the next weekend we went on our last date night as a party of two, and the weekend after that I was in labor!

One of the benefits of living close to a college town is a freely available beautiful setting! We started our afternoon on the campus of Ferrum College. My dress is from Pink Blush (same style in new colors) and I got the kimono on sale from Motherhood Maternity (similar). Mr. Q insisted that I wear my glasses in a few photos because "your glasses are you."

From Ferrum, we headed to our friends' beautifully tended Zen garden. This is probably my favorite photo from the day.

Finally, we headed back to town. I was inspired by a friend's maternity shoot which included some shots in front of a vibrant mural. There's an art gallery in our town that has a beautiful Van Gogh inspired mural on the side. It was a great backdrop for a few more photos in the last of the evening light.

Linking Up With:

Threads for Thomas

Walking in Memphis in High Heels

Get Your Pretty On

37 Weeks

How far along? 37 Weeks

Baby is the size of a honeydew melon

This week's prenatal appointment: Pretty standard, except the nurse got a little worried because my left foot is more swollen than my right, so she went to test my sample for high levels of protein (a sign of preeclampsia) right away. Everything was okay, though - my OB/GYN was like, "you're just a sweller!" I had also lost two pounds - I've had very little appetite for dinner this week as I get full after just a few bites. Baby was measuring right on track according to fundal height, though.

Major pregnancy symptoms this week: I've been noticing lately that the freckles on my cheekbones that were barely noticeable before are becoming really prominent - yet another thing I can thank pregnancy hormones for, apparently. I don't mind if they stick around after pregnancy because it's kind of cute. Another positive symptom is that the baby has started "lightening," a.k.a. dropping down lower in my body, so I can breathe a lot more easily! On the downside, the round ligament pain that was part of my first trimester has returned, but now it feels kind of like someone is sitting on my hips.

Movement: Baby's got less and less room to wiggle as time goes by. When I lie on one side to try to sleep I sometimes feel a sensation like a bubble moving up my side that I interpret as him telling me to roll over!

Best moments this week: I had a great time on Saturday shopping with April (despite my increasingly swollen feet) and just hanging out - we realized we've never had a girls' day with just us. We met up with Mr. Q and one of our best guy friends for dinner and Sweet Frog afterward. On Sunday, one of our friends from Bible study who is a youth minister was preaching at her church, so we hauled ourselves to the 8:30 service. I'm so glad we did because her sermon on John 13 included stories from our small group and she even quoted Mr. Q! 

Miss anything? I have to admit that I felt a little sad when the waiter walked by with a margarita flight at Rodeo Grande on Saturday.

"It's getting real" moment of the week: My co-worker's wife had her baby! He set up a group text so he could let us all know at one time, and one of my other team members had a moment where she thought the text was from me - "because you're so organized," she said. They did a water birth at our local birthing center.

How I'm preparing for birth this week: Not really a birth preparation, but I'm finally getting around to writing thank you notes for the gifts Baby Q received at both of my showers - the Southern manners guilt was really starting to get to me. The big birth prep this week was our very last class - breastfeeding! We took this one through our local perinatal education center rather than through the hospital, and I'm glad we did - the woman who runs the center was so real and honest, and told us we can call her any time we need help or bring our babies there if we're worried about how things are going. Such a cool resource I'd almost overlooked and it's basically within walking distance of my house!

Baby/Pregnancy related purchases: I'm obsessed with this Carter's overall outfit I found at Burlington with April - the little bugs in jars and magnifying glasses are one of the most adorable prints I've seen on baby boys' stuff and remind me of summer and being a kid. I also found the home childproofing kit, bottle brush, and heat-safety spoons from my registry there for better prices.

36 Weeks

I found some new questions for this week on Peaches + Glitter.

How far along? 36 Weeks

Baby is the size of a papaya or 2-liter soda

Favorite maternity clothes this week: these ruched pajama/"lounge shorts" from Old Navy - definitely going in my hospital bag!

This week's prenatal appointment was an exciting one, and Mr. Q and my mom joined me for our final sonogram. Unfortunately, our guy was not in the mood to show much of his face and kept his little fist in the way the whole time, but we were able to find out that he weighs about 6 pounds 7 ounces and his head is about 8 centimeters in circumference. As far as I'm concerned he can keep those measurements until his due date! The sonogram technician also commented on how big his feet are, which was kind of strange since neither of us have large feet for our height. Maybe Baby Q will take after my tall maternal grandma and great-uncles. This week's appointment also included the regular sample and blood pressure reading, and my exam by the doctor included the Group B strep test, which is not pleasant but not a big deal (I knew what to expect from the ladies in my Reddit "bumpers" group who are further along in their pregnancies). My doctor asked if I wanted her to do a cervical check but I passed because I have heard they are quite painful and I don't have any signs that labor will come early.

Total weight gain: About 16 pounds.

Major pregnancy symptoms this week: THE SWELLING. Not just my feet but my hands as well now - I've had to start checking my rings during the day to make sure they'll still come off. I've also started to feel more skin tags developing on my neck and chest, which is irritating, and there are even some tiny ones on my eyelids which is a very strange feeling. Hopefully they will go away after pregnancy!

Sleep: Not too bad, still waking up 2-3 times a night, but I've been able to get comfortable and my congestion seemed less severe this week.

Miss anything?

Movement: I'm feeling fewer big kicks/punches from Baby Q as he has less room to move around in there.

Best moments this week: There's a tie, so I'm going to start listing multiple moments in this section so I can remember as much of this special time in my life as possible. On Saturday I spent the day with three of my best friends from middle and high school, one of whom is also expecting and all of whom are mamas. Then on Sunday my bestie who lives in Colorado and was in the area visiting family was able to take a few hours to swing by our house to see the nursery and grab lunch.

"It's getting real" moments of the week: 

• Had a little colostrum on Sunday which felt VERY real. 
• Braxton-Hicks contractions during dinner with our Bible Study on Monday night.
• We also had our "graduation" from Prepared Childbirth class on Wednesday, Newborn Care class on Thursday after my OB/GYN appointment, and we have Infant Safety and CPR on Saturday. I did not mean to schedule all of this for the same week.
• Mr. Q and I went to check out the new Earth Fare store in the city between the doctor and class on Thursday and sneaked in a little impromptu date night in their sushi bar (I got California rolls, no raw fish!) and it got me thinking about how few of those special little everyday adventures with just the two of us we might have left.

Food cravings/aversions: Ice cream after work is the new pinot grigio after work. This is a stressful season to be a school director between application deadlines, visitors from other areas, our students' last major projects and presentations before we start state standardized testing, and our final in-person coaching visit from the nonprofit we're associated with. I may have eaten my feelings a few afternoons.

How I'm preparing for birth this week: Baby's diaper bag is packed for the hospital with onesies in newborn and 0-3 month sizes, a tiny little side-snap shirt, a going-home outfit, hat, socks, mittens, bib, burp cloth, swaddle, and receiving blanket as well as some baby oil to help with meconium and tiny emery boards for his nails. My bag's getting there - waiting for a few things I ordered from Amazon Prime to hopefully make labor less unpleasant.

Baby/Pregnancy related purchases: My BFF who has a one-year old went with me to Babies 'R' Us last Saturday and helped point out some things I wouldn't have thought to buy, like a pacifier pouch. This week I have another shopping trip lined up with my friend April and we're going to hit up Burlington and some of the other discount stores in town that have baby stuff.

Looking forward to: Maybe carving out time this coming weekend to take some maternity photos with Mr. Q. I decided I'd rather spend any extra money we have right now on baby necessities and medical bills rather than on a photographer, but I still want to make sure to capture how I look now that I am VERY pregnant, but before I start to feel too uncomfortable to move around. Speaking of discomfort, I am looking forward to baby "dropping" since at least one of his feet and/or his butt has constantly been in my ribs this week.

35 Weeks

How far along? 35 Weeks

Baby is the size of a honeydew melon

Favorite maternity clothes this week: Really loving some of my LuLaRoe pieces that work great for pregnancy - my TC leggings still work great and I wore an Amelia yesterday to host a group of visiting teachers and administrators (I also plan to use the backwards-Amelia trick when I'm nursing!)

Major pregnancy symptoms this week: I got hit by ALL THE SYMPTOMS plus feeling very weepy on Tuesday morning and ended up having to take a sick day (only the second I've taken while pregnant, though). I spent some time responding to e-mails and making sure everything was okay at school, then slept from about 9:00 to 1:30! I suppose my body just needed rest because I felt better each day as the week went on. The foot swelling I thought might just be a fluke last week has become a very real thing. Today my flip-flops were seriously cutting into the tops of my feet, and yesterday even my Crocs felt snug - not sure what I'll go if my feet get too big for them!

Best moment this week: This week my co-workers threw a joint shower for me and for our Civics teacher whose wife is pregnant. Both spouses were able to make it, too (Mr. Q showing up was a surprise for me). It was really fun shopping for my co-worker's baby because they are having a little girl and I haven't gotten to look at girl stuff!

"It's getting real" moment of the week: This week in our Prepared Childbirth class we went over what happens if a mama needs a C-section and the various procedures baby will undergo after birth - instead of general information our class is getting very practical as we get closer to our due dates.

Food cravings/aversions: With some nausea returning on Tuesday, all I really felt like eating was a baked potato. Luckily I started to feel better for the rest of the week and enjoyed pizza and cake at my work shower.

How I'm preparing for birth this week: I finally called the doctor's office to make sure the one I want Baby Q to see is accepting new patients, and I'm planning to start packing hospital bags for me and baby tomorrow.

Baby/Pregnancy related purchases: Hitting up Babies 'R' Us today since it's the last weekend they'll be accepting gift cards and there are a few things still on our BRU registry that I can't find anywhere else.

34 Weeks

How far along? 34 Weeks

Baby is the size of a Savoy cabbage

Favorite maternity clothes this week: Dresses - pretty much every morning this week I dealt with a moment of "ugh, I cannot put on pants" while looking into my closet. The one in the photo is an Isabel from Target purchase - I couldn't resist the ruffles on the sleeves. Please excuse my pasty white knees - it was almost 70 degrees yesterday, and it's supposed to snow today because Virginia weather is ridiculous, so I took the opportunity to free my legs before having to go back to leggings with everything.

Major pregnancy symptoms this week: Mainly being more emotional than usual. Nausea made a comeback on Monday morning - luckily it was the last day of Spring Break so I got to rest all day instead of having to get ready for work after being sick. I have a fairly persistent sore throat that I think is probably from congestion making me sleep with my mouth open. I also saw some swelling in my ankles this week - I walked around Target after my OB/GYN appointment on Thursday and afterward my ankles were actually hanging over my shoes and had a noticeable crease when I bent them. I added yet another pillow to my bedtime setup that night - that makes 2 under my head to help with congestion, the bottom two Boppy total body pillow pieces under my tummy and between my legs, and now one under or between my feet.

This week's prenatal appointment was a quick one - weight, BP, fundal height and a sample. I have my final ultrasound in two weeks and can't wait to see how much Baby Q has grown. My doctor is fairly sure he is already head down but it will be very reassuring to see that on an ultrasound.

Total weight gain: About 14 pounds, mainly in this trimester. So happy to finally have an appetite and be able to nourish my little one with lots of protein, fruits, vegetables, and yes, carbs and ice cream.

Best moment this week: Spending time with my BFF, her husband, and their daughter who is almost one and a half at a weekend hockey game was a lot of fun - and another couple we're friends with and their toddler son ended up having tickets right behind us! I missed the epic fight that apparently happened between the two teams because I'd gone to get a snack, and since it was the third period of the game the concession stand was closed, so Mr. Q and I ended up at Sonic at 10 p.m. to get me a corn dog and hot fudge sundae. I have a truly wonderful baby daddy. Today we have some friends coming over, we're headed to a wedding tonight, and Mr. Q's parents are coming to see the nursery and have dinner tomorrow.

"It's getting real" moment of the week: I had to do a mental shift in yoga class - I'd gone into the studio thinking, "let's see how many poses I can't do this week," but tried to pick myself up and focus on all of the things I still can. I tried to put as much effort into my practice as I would have pre-pregnancy, and while my classmates were doing poses I can't get my pregnant body into, I did other poses that I felt like my body needed. 

Food cravings/aversions: Chocolate! Also had the return of the Friday night craving for spaghetti from Hema's - that combo of meat, carbs, cheese, and slightly spicy tomato sauce hits all my pregnancy loves.

How I'm preparing for birth this week: In our prepared childbirth class this week we practiced breathing techniques, went over a list of items to pack for the hospital, and started talking about birth plans - basically what choices we may have to make during birth and what our options are. It was comforting to me to hear that I have the right to ask what alternatives are available, if a situation is an emergency, and whether Mr. Q and I can have time to talk before I have to make some of those decisions. Knowledge is definitely empowering for me - probably why I spend so much time reading pregnancy books and blogs. I need to schedule our hospital tour soon - even though I spent two days basically living there when Brittney was giving birth to her daughter, I want the opportunity to ask the L&D staff some questions.

Baby/Pregnancy related purchases: We used our 15% registry completion code to order some of the large items - our dresser/changing table, shelving unit, and second car seat base. I'm looking forward to having the storage furniture in Baby Q's room so I can stop just shoving things into his closet! I also ordered the quilted sheet for his Pack 'n' Play (I know that babies shouldn't have fluffy bedding, but the bassinet in that thing is SO HARD!) and some things for my hospital bag.

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. 

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.

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.

Mindy Gayer Design Co. via Becki Owens

• Modern romantic wedding inspiration from Ruffled.
• Via Becki Owens, a fresh-meets-farmhouse Napa home.
• Just started following this designer's airy Insta account.
• Fun, colorful, and slightly retro superhero nursery ideas.

SMILE.

• Desktops: Kate Spade, Kelly Sugar Crafts, Natural Dreamer
• Anne tried and reviewed popular meal prep services.
• Currently pinning inspiration for a maternity photo shoot.

FLASHBACK.

• 2016: reader survey results, fave Oscar looks, and my "gateway fandoms"
• 2015: custard yellow picks for spring and spring IG faves.
• 2014: a blast from my high school past and March favorites.
• 2013:a Sunday Social about the 5's and emerald wardrobe inspiration.
• 2012: #FebPhotoADay and chocolate marshmallow cupcakes.
• 2011: wedding planning thrift store adventures and our bridesmaids' dresses.

My First Trimester Essentials

This week, I'm officially in my third trimester of pregnancy. Today I'm headed to my OB/GYN office for a sonogram (hope baby will show his face this time!) and blood glucose test (wish me luck!). The last six months have flown by, so I wanted to take the time today to share some of the items that were lifesavers for me when I was a newly expectant mother!

In my medicine cabinet:

• Prenatal vitamin + DHA - I started taking prenatal vitamins as soon as we decided to have a baby. Depending on the type you buy, you might have to take DHA separately. A lot of women have trouble swallowing their vitamins in the first trimester due to morning sickness - I found that taking mine at night helped.

• Vitamin B6 - My OB/GYN recommends this vitamin along with half a Unisom for nausea in the first trimester. I stuck with only the vitamin because I was worried about what a sleeping pill might do to me at work!

• Tums - A first through third trimester essential for me! Heartburn has been a constant for me during pregnancy - it's caused by higher levels of estrogen and other hormones which relax the esophagus. Later in pregnancy, it can indicate that baby will have a lot of hair, which makes sense since he has my genetics!

• Preggie Pop Drops - These sour candies are great for nausea, and since they look like lozenges they were something I could use at work before I'd announced my pregnancy.

Keeping track of baby:

• What to Expect When You're Expecting - The most classic pregnancy book there is, and the first one I read. Some women don't like it because they think the tone is patronizing or it gives them anxiety about what could go wrong, but I treated it more as a general guide than a Bible and liked knowing the medical reasons why I was experiencing certain symptoms.

• Ovia app - There are a lot of pregnancy apps out there, and I chose Ovia because it had a lot of positive reviews. If you know a pregnant woman who tells you what size fruit or vegetable her little one compares to each week, chances are she uses Ovia. One of my favorite features are the weekly videos featuring a pregnant Ovia staffer.

In my closet:

• Pull-on jeans - One of my first maternity clothes purchases, I found these Jessica Simpson jeans on sale at Motherhood Maternity and liked the under-belly style for early pregnancy - they look just like my favorite skinny jeans.

• Waterfall cardigans - First trimester camouflage! I lived in flowy cardigans before letting people know I was pregnant. I get most of mine from discount sites like GroopDealz and Pick Your Plum.

• Ingrid + Isabel Bellaband - There's a certain phase of pregnancy where the hair tie trick no longer works and maternity trousers are still a little too roomy, and that's where a belly band comes to the rescue - I used it to wear my pre-pregnancy pants unbuttoned and unzipped, then to keep the maternity pants my friend handed down to me feeling snug until my bump had grown to fill them.

On my vanity:

• Burt's Bees blemish stick - During my first trimester, I still had some cystic acne from time to time, and not being able to use topical acne treatments because of the chemicals had me really bummed - I usually swear by benzoyl peroxide. I was skeptical of an herbal acne medication, but this stuff dries up pimples fast, and I probably won't go back to chemical formulas!

• Attitude Blooming Belly foaming cleanser - Knowing that whatever went on my skin could also go through my skin and into baby's body made me very conscious about my daily beauty regimen. I still use Fresh's soy face cleanser in the morning shower with my Clarisonic, and replaced my nighttime cleaner with this formula specifically for expectant mamas.