Theme Layout

[Rightsidebar]

Boxed or Wide or Framed

[Boxed]

Theme Translation

Display Featured Slider

No

Featured Slider Styles

Display Grid Slider

No

Grid Slider Styles

Display Trending Posts

No

Display Author Bio

No

Display Instagram Footer

Powered by Blogger.
Showing posts with label Pregnancy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pregnancy. Show all posts

Monday, August 21, 2017

Bump Date | 30 Weeks with Baby No. Two

Bump Date | 30 Weeks with Baby No. Two


I decided to document our pregnancy as a way to get all my feelings and emotions out and to later look and remember this beautiful time in our lives while noticing the differences and similarities with our first pregnancy. I hope you enjoy if you decide to follow along on this life changing journey.


It is so hard to still believe we are at the end of this pregnancy but at the same time I feel like there is still so much longer to go, haha. I definitely wouldn't rush it though, I know baby boy needs his time to finish developing and praying that he makes his arrival on his own time, God willing. 

We did have our 30 week check-up and everything is still normal and heading in the right direction. I am feeling lots of tightening and minor cramping but my doctor said that is normal especially since baby boy is running out of room. You can feel his limbs or some part of his body, I am not sure what part, poking out as he moves around. Also, I mentioned having contraction like feelings when I go to the restroom but they do go away after I am finished and she said that was also normal as long as they stop. 

Read the rest of the story »
stormieariel
0 Comments

Monday, August 14, 2017

Bump Date | 29 Weeks with Baby No. Two

Bump Date | 29 Weeks with Baby No. Two


I decided to document our pregnancy as a way to get all my feelings and emotions out and to later look and remember this beautiful time in our lives while noticing the differences and similarities with our first pregnancy. I hope you enjoy if you decide to follow along on this life changing journey.


To think it wasn't possible for me to get more tired and uncomfortable. This week was definitely a rough week where I wanted to (and did) stay in bed majority of the day. I am still trying to follow my previous pregnancy bedtime routine and it helps some and as I mentioned in my 28 Week Update, I did try 30 minutes of Yoga and that did help tremendously on that day. I was very sore in the groin area the next day so I took it easy and skipped Yoga for two days as I was told you can still over due it even if it's just simple stretching. Despite my discomfort and exhaustion, I love feeling all these kicks and movements from baby boy. Although I have to pee a billion times a day and sometimes I feel like a boulder is sitting on my lungs, his kicks remind me that he is there and growing stronger.

Read the rest of the story »
stormieariel
0 Comments

Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Bump Date | 28 Weeks with Baby No. Two

Bump Date | 28 Weeks with Baby No. Two


I decided to document our pregnancy as a way to get all my feelings and emotions out and to later look and remember this beautiful time in our lives while noticing the differences and similarities with our first pregnancy. I hope you enjoy if you decide to follow along on this life changing journey.

We are officially in the third trimester!! Almost at the finish line so I decided it was yet time again to start doing my bump dates in a weekly format as once my third trimester is over, I will be too busy figuring out life as a mom to a newborn and a toddler. Along with sharing my updates on this ever growing baby bump, I may also include my third trimester style within these weekly updates if and when I find the energy to actually get dressed. You are also more then welcomed to follow me on Instagram as I am on there daily.

As I mentioned in my second trimester update, my energy level didn't completely return and in fact it started slowly dwindling again. I am constantly tired but sciatic nerve pain keeps me awake late into the night. I have tried to start a similar bedtime routine like I had when I was pregnant with Sophia and sometimes that seems to help. I also plan to start doing about 30 minutes of Yoga during the day to see if that kind of helps. When I was pregnant with Sophia, Yoga stretches were apart of my bedtime routine but I think I would benefit having it as part of a mid-day routine this time around while Sophia is napping.

Read the rest of the story »
stormieariel
0 Comments

Monday, August 7, 2017

Second Trimester | Baby Ramirez 2017

Second Trimester | Baby Ramirez 2017


I decided to document our pregnancy as a way to get all my feelings and emotions out and to later look and remember this beautiful time in our lives while noticing the differences and similarities with our first pregnancy. I hope you enjoy if you decide to follow along on this life changing journey.



While I regained some energy and the nausea went away, my heartburn has continued on and off depending on my diet. The sciatic nerve pain has started sooner and I believe I even started having Braxton Hicks around 20 weeks plus I have become uncomfortable a lot sooner in this pregnancy than with my first. Overall, this pregnancy is proving to be different in so many ways.
Read the rest of the story »
stormieariel
0 Comments

Tuesday, August 1, 2017

Surviving a Summer Pregnancy

Surviving a Summer Pregnancy


Thank you PinkBlush for collaborating with me on this post. As always, all thoughts and opinions are of my own.

When I was pregnant with Sophia, I was lucky enough to not have to endure a full summer of pregnancy and I actually joked that Anthony and I would have to work on our timing for any future pregnancies so that I wouldn't have to go through summer being pregnant. Of course, I was halfway kidding as we know all too well that the Lord is in control no matter how much planning or cycle/fertility tracking you may do. 


It may be August already but with plenty more summer to go especially when you live in Texas it's pretty much summer once winter ends and technically we don't even really have a winter, it's more of a limbo season. Between summer and summer, haha. Anyways, I figured I have had enough experience in our Texas humidity and summer to know how to survive the rest of summer during my pregnancy and wanted to share it with you guys. If you have any additional tips, be sure to leave a comment below.

Read the rest of the story »
stormieariel
0 Comments

Friday, July 7, 2017

Gender Reveal | Baby Ramirez 2017

Gender Reveal | Baby Ramirez 2017


I decided to document our pregnancy as a way to get all my feelings and emotions out and to later look and remember this beautiful time in our lives while noticing the differences and similarities with our first pregnancy. I hope you enjoy if you decide to follow along on this life changing journey.

After having a Gender Reveal for our first pregnancy (see here), there was no way I couldn't do one for this little babe as well. I know the norm is typically going all out for your first and coasting through with any other pregnancies but it just didn't sit right with me and I want this baby to see that we love it just as much as we love Sophia regardless of what order they were born in.

However it was tough deciding how exactly we wanted to do the reveal this time around. If you remember with Sophia, I had it planned for years before we even were pregnant. We played with different ideas such as throwing a softball since I played on a softball league during my first trimester or somehow incorporating it with basketball since that is Anthony's favorite sport to play. We even thought of doing it the exact same way of Sophia's Gender Reveal but decided against that as we wanted it to be different.

The ideas we ultimately went back and forth with were with silly string or smoke bombs. Smoke bombs would have been perfect, in our opinion, if we were going to have the party closer to Fourth of July. Also, I let Anthony take the lead on this reveal since he didn't have any say so in the first and he had a vision in his mind of having everyone included by spraying the silly string with us to reveal whether Baby Ramirez 2017 was a he or she. I'll stop my rambling now and share the amazing moment of finding out.


The Reveal



Read the rest of the story »
stormieariel
14 Comments

Tuesday, June 13, 2017

First Trimester | Baby Ramirez 2017

First Trimester | Baby Ramirez 2017


I decided to document our pregnancy as a way to get all my feelings and emotions out and to later look and remember this beautiful time in our lives while noticing the differences and similarities with our first pregnancy. I hope you enjoy if you decide to follow along on this life changing journey.

My first trimester was more of the stereotypical which was the total opposite of my pregnancy with Sophia (read more here). This time around I had fatigue, heartburn, nausea, food aversions, sore nipples which made breastfeeding fun (read more about my breastfeeding experience with Sophia here). I even started to wear maternity pants immediately although I could have gotten by with regular pants for a little while longer but maternity ones are much more comfortable so I thought what the heck.

Emotions:
I guess I was so preoccupied with taking care of Sophia 24/7 and babysitting another baby for a few hours each day that I didn't really have time to think about fear as much as I did when I was pregnant with Sophia. Of course, fear still came but it was different fear than just potentially miscarrying but also financial situations and our living situation (one situation has been fixed but the other is still looming around our heads, adulting is hard sometimes). Mostly it was just hard to grasp that another baby was actually growing inside of me with the craziness of life and a toddler.

Read the rest of the story »
stormieariel
0 Comments

Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Life Changing | Vol. 2

Life Changing | Vol. 2


I decided to document our pregnancy as a way to get all my feelings and emotions out and to later look and remember this beautiful time in our lives while noticing the differences and similarities with our first pregnancy. I hope you enjoy if you decide to follow along on this life changing journey.

There I was again sitting on the floor in the closet waiting for the results to pop up on that screen, Anthony was in the kitchen with Sophia. When pregnant popped up, I couldn't believe my eyes. Here we already have a beautiful 11 month old daughter and the Lord would gift us with another life growing inside of me and we didn't have to wait years like with Sophia. 



I walked out the room trying so hard to not have a big kool-aid smile as to not give away to Anthony what the results were. I walked into Sophia's room where Evelynn, our one year old cousin, was playing and I called Anthony in there.

Read the rest of the story »
stormieariel
0 Comments

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

What No One Tells You When You Are Expecting + Freshly Picked GIVEAWAY

What No One Tells You When You Are Expecting + Freshly Picked GIVEAWAY



Car seat safety

No one tells you how to install the car seat, let alone how to put the baby in the car seat safely. Of course all car seats come with a manual, unless you buy it used but be VERY CAUTION when buying used. Make sure the car seat hasn't been recalled and only buy from someone you trust and will tell you truthfully if the car seat has been an accident. However, I highly recommend buying a brand new car seat, it is better to be safe than sorry. 


Back to my first point, of course it comes with the manual but some people do not read manuals. We didn't and we not only struggled with installing it but also with putting our newborn baby into it after leaving the hospital. Might I add, our hospital did not do a car seat check because of liability issues, I'm assuming no hospitals do car seat checks unless you have a preemie or a low birth weight baby (correct me if I am wrong, guys).

Once we YouTube'd it (because I mean how else do we find out these things, am I right?), we were able to get her in but again NO ONE told us that the chest clip should be at her chest and not her belly until a follower mentioned it when she was FIVE MONTHS OLD so we have been having our baby improperly restrained for FIVE WHOLE MONTHS. 
Moral of the story, READ THOSE MANUALS!!

Chin to chest sleeping hazard 

There will come a time, when the baby sleeps best in either the bouncer, the swing or her car seat and it is easier to leave her there to nap instead of moving her to her bassinet or crib. However, sleeping elevated like that, gravity pulls that baby's big ol' head forward and they do not have the neck muscle to pick it back up. When their chin is to their chest, their airway is blocked. Think of a straw and if you bend it, it blocks liquid well that is similar to what happens to the baby's airways. So if your baby sleeps better in an elevated position (Sophia slept best in the swing and stroller), keep your attention on them to be sure their chin does not fall on their chest while sleeping. Also, it is best to not use head inserts that did not come with your infant seats as that can make it more likely for your baby to end up in the chin to chest position.

Babies cry a lot

Of course babies cry, we all know that. It's how they communicate and let you know if they are hungry, tired, need a diaper change, too hot, too cold, etc. But they cry A LOT, like a lot a lot and if you have a colic baby, it's harder because there is nothing to calm them down. Be prepared for a lot of crying from you and the baby to be honest, I shed some tears with Sophia a few times.

Lack of sleep

So your thinking, I can't wait to have this baby out of me so I can sleep comfortably. HA. There is no such thing as comfortable sleep as a parent especially if you bed-share willing or not. We did not plan to bed-share but when that is the only way to get that sweet little baby to sleep so you can get at least 30 minutes of sleep before her next feeding since you wasted so much precious sleep time trying to get her to sleep, you do what you gotta do. And even than, some think I will finally have sleep once the baby sleeps through the night but what people don't tell you is not all babies sleep through the night. The braggers brag of how they got their baby to sleep through the night by doing this, this and this. First off, all babies are different and not everything that works for one mom will work for another. Second, those moms that don't brag are probably the ones with their child still waking up in the night. My kid is that child, she wakes up multiple times during the night. What I can say is you get used to it.

Hip safety when baby-wearing

With the popularity of baby wearing and all these carriers in different price points, you wanna jump on the baby wearing bandwagon so you either buy one or someone gifts you with one but no one tells you to properly support your baby's hips when wearing him. If the baby's hips are not properly supported when wearing, it can lead to hip dysplasia. Please refer to Babywearing International for optimal positioning for babywearing.


I could go on and on but those are the major ones that I had to learn the hard way. What did you other mommas have to learn on your own that no one warned you about when you were expecting?

Photo by LaPalomento Photography


Giveaway



I am so excited to be teaming up with Freshly Picked; to celebrate I am doing a giveaway for one of you lucky readers to win one pair of Freshly Picked moccasins of your choice!

Disclaimer: Please allow us 48 hours to verify all entries and choose a fair winner. If you have won a giveaway including Freshly Picked moccasins within the last 60 days, you will not be eligible to win. The winner will be contacted via email and will have 24 hours to respond to the congratulatory email before a new winner is chosen. May the odds ever be in your favor.


Read the rest of the story »
stormieariel
16 Comments

Friday, June 24, 2016

Review | Bradley Method Birth Classes

Review | Bradley Method Birth Classes


Back in January when we started our Bradley Method Birth Class I talked about doing a review once we finished our class but than decided to hold it off until after birth to give you a full review and if I thought it actually helped.


Bradley Header

If you are familiar with our birth story than you know it didn't go as I envisioned or planned but than again I think it rarely does. However I feel like my birth experience was a little extra traumatic (okay that word is a little over the top and dramatic but whatever). I felt like Sophia was literally forced out (dramatic again, I know) of me due to my doctor's decision of inducing me. And the way my body reacted to the inducing medicine made it harder on me than your typical birthing contractions. Typically you contract about every 3-5 minutes and they get closer together as you progress. This was NOT the case for me. I contracted about every 45 seconds for about 18 hours straight and I owe it to the Bradley Method for getting me that far without an epidural. In helping me learn to not fight my contractions and work with them however after 18 hours of labor and contracting without any down time I think it's safe to say that's asking a lot from anyone to just breath. 

Read the rest of the story »
stormieariel
0 Comments

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Baby Registry | Tips & Tricks

Baby Registry | Tips & Tricks


On Monday when I shared the latest of what's happening in Little Love's nursery, I mentioned spending the cash/check gifts to purchase her vintage French provincial dresser. And I thought I would share tips and tricks on what you should do with all those monetary gifts including gift cards.


One of the greatest pieces of advice I was given during my pregnancy was to hold on to all my gift cards until after the baby comes. I gotta say this one piece of advice benefited us greatly. Mostly as new parents you really don't know how to separate what babies actually need to what's nice to have. I remember asking my friend for advice on my registry and she pointed me to Babies R Us Registry Checklist and said it was pretty accurate for the most part and in some aspects it is and in another aspects is not.

Read the rest of the story »
stormieariel
0 Comments

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

What to Pack for the Hospital during a Maternity Stay

What to Pack for the Hospital during a Maternity Stay


A few weeks ago, I shared what I took from the hospital after giving birth to Little Love and before that I suggested some questions to consider asking while on a Maternity Tour so I figured it was time I talked about what I packed (and what we didn't think to pack so family members had to go scrambling through our house to find the items).

If you have read Little's Loves birth story than you know nothing went as planned (when does it ever really though?) and we were not prepared. Our hospital bag was half way packed sitting in the nursery while we were considering what we really needed to take with us.


Read the rest of the story »
stormieariel
0 Comments

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Book Review | The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth

Book Review | The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth


Hey guys! How was your Memorial Day weekend? I hope yall didn't miss me too much (or maybe I do) with my odd blog post schedule last week and taking the three day weekend off to enjoy with my little family. We were a little busy enjoying dinner Friday night with our besties, clothing/gaming thrifting on Saturday (but had no luck), surprise visit to the in-laws on Sunday since they couldn't make it to us due to back road flooding (they're country folk and don't do freeways) and lastly taking Little Love to the Downtown Houston Aquarium on Memorial Day. Although it was mostly for our enjoyment, there were a few moments where she just stared and followed the little fishies swim around in their tanks. And lets not talk about how the white tiger jumped on the glass wall and growled right in front of someone's face.

Now about today's post, after doing a book review last week on The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, I decided to do a more thorough book review on The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth. If you been around you will remember me briefly discussing this book as one of my pregnancy must haves.
Read the rest of the story »
stormieariel
0 Comments

Monday, May 23, 2016

Book Review | The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding

Book Review | The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding


Hey everybody! How was ya'lls weekend? Anything new or exciting? We decided to surprise Anthony's parents with a visit and I finally finished up one of the books I have been reading which brings us to today's post, a book to review. 

Now I don't know when I made the decision to breastfeed but whenever I did, I knew I wanted to give it all I had to be successful. I heard from multiple people about how hard and challenging and uncomfortable (even painful) it could be so I began researching and researching once I found out we were pregnant. I was so terrified of not being able to produce enough milk (which is a common misconception of breastfeeding as only 2% of women in the ENTIRE WORLD actually cannot produce enough milk, if you are struggling with breastfeeding, it is highly suggested you seek help from a LICENSED lactation consultant as they can troubleshoot what is really going on) or being uncomfortable. Honestly, it wasn't that hard or as bad as everyone kept making it seem. Yes, the first few days were a struggle waiting for my milk to come in and having to supplement because Little Love had low blood sugar those first few days but more so emotionally because of that fear of not being able to produce enough for her BUT once my milk came in, everything else just came naturally. 

Read the rest of the story »
stormieariel
0 Comments

Monday, May 16, 2016

What to Take From the Hospital After a Maternity Stay

What to Take From the Hospital After a Maternity Stay


I have been following Chelsea from Two Twenty One for a few years now. After she had her son Owen, she posted a lot more about baby products, tips and tricks and what to take from the hospital after popping out a kid. I'll be honest, I loved her blog for the home improvement and DIY tutorials and her famous peonies. So when she started sharing more baby talk, I was like "great this is turning into a mom blog. I just want to see pretty pictures of her house and crafts I can create for my house." Well lo and behold, I got pregnant I needed to know what the heck to pack in my hospital bag so I asked my friend and she sent me Chelsea's link. Well well well, here we are again and I needed her help so I'm glad she shared her advice. And here I am sharing what I took from the hospital. 



Read the rest of the story »
stormieariel
0 Comments

Monday, April 11, 2016

What to Ask While on a Maternity Hospital Tour

What to Ask While on a Maternity Hospital Tour



After finding out we were pregnant and we chose our doctor and decided on a hospital, we knew we wanted to go on a tour of the hospital so I began making a list of questions I wanted to ask while on our tour of the maternity ward and I also created a list of requests (crazy new mom much?). All jokes aside I do believe it is important to be prepared and to ask questions to know what to expect during your stay especially if your a new momma or your going to a new hospital than your previous births and to make a list of requests so your birthing experience is catered to you and your family, as it should be.

Side Note: These requests will be apart of your birth plan but I wanted to bring some up during the tour to make sure the hospital I chose would be accommodating.


So what were the questions I asked?

Side Note: I also make a list of questions in my phone for our doctors before appointments and it sometimes helps to remember what to bring up to your doctor. As a new parent, we freak out about every little thing but we are also sleep deprived and may be too busy calming our little baby during an appointment, these questions or concerns may slip our mind but if they are written down, you are more likely to remember to ask.

What is the estimated cost of  a natural vaginal birth?
It's good to know in advance how much you are going to have to fork out especially if you need more time to save up to make the payment. Also, ask about a payment plan!

Is the lactation consultant and breastfeeding class apart of that cost or do they cost extra?
Some hospitals don't have either so its good to also ask if they even provide these services and if the do, what are the costs? We ended up not taking a breastfeeding class but we did have the lacation consultant come in to help me learn how to use my breast pump and to answer any questions I had that the nurses weren't able to. 

The nurses in my care were all very knowledgeable about breastfeeding but I heard most nurses do not know anything about breastfeeding or do not offer help so if that is the case, ask about the lactation consultant (they can also help with formula fed babies as well).

Is it possible for an all female staff to be assigned to us?
When I was first pregnant, I did not want any males to be assigned to me. Obviously they are professionals but I didn't feel comfortable having a man who was not my husband all up in my cookie HOWEVER I cannot remember who was all in my room when it actually came down to pushing. I was so focused on getting that little baby out, I hardly remember my husband being next to me holding my leg.

I would like all staff to be apart of my insurance network, is that possible? 
When you go to the hospital for any type of care or procedure always, ALWAYS, ask for the staff involved in your care to be apart of your insurance network. This will help keep the costs down. The only person I heard who is hard to get in your network is the anesthesiologist, for some reason. Does anyone know why that is? Leave a comment, if you do.

Side Note: I also listed this in my birth plan and I highly recommend you do the same

Does the hospital allow photography during delivery?
For obvious reasons, I wanted to be able to have photographic memories of the day we became parents.

Is a birth photographer allowed to be in the labor & delivery room?
Birth photographers are expensive and they are hard to find, at least I had a hard time finding one but before you make a deposit (they are non-refundable most of the time) be sure your hospital even allows a birth photographer. Our hospital did not allow professional photographers as they had their own within the hospital but their photographers did a Fresh 48 (newborn photography) instead. I really wanted professional photos of our birth to capture those sweet moments between my husband and I as we waited and finally got to meet our baby girl because like I said I barely remember those actual moments.

How many people are allowed in the room during delivery?
If you don't mind having your family members or friends all up in your cookie, than find out in advance how many people are allowed in the delivery room.

Can I have more information on the "golden hour"?
My hospital said they provided the golden hour which is an uninterrupted hour of skin to skin contact between the mother and baby, which is very important to create that bond and for breastfeeding. We had our hour but another nurse came in like three or four times asking if we were ready for guests and my nurse had to keep telling her no we were in the middle of establishing breastfeeding so be sure to mention the golden hour right after you deliver if you want that uninterrupted time.

Those were the questions I asked while on my tour of the hospital but I also had a list of requests I wanted to be sure the hospital would accommodate.


Pre-Birth Plan Requests
I do not want a pacifier given to my baby.
My baby will be strictly breastfed, do not give formula or sugar water.
I would like my baby to remain in the room with us at all times therefore all newborn procedures can be performed in our room. (I told ya'll I am that crazy new mom).
I would like more information about cord blood donation.

Did you ask any questions or make demands while on a maternity tour? I can't be the only crazy new mom. hehe. Is there a question I didn't ask that I should have? 

Read the rest of the story »
stormieariel
0 Comments

Thursday, March 31, 2016

Babyshowers | Little Love

Babyshowers | Little Love


It is no secret Little Love is already loved so much by so many people. We were blessed to be able to have two. TWO. babyshowers for this sweet little girl. Our family and church gave us one. Instead of doing two separate post, I decided to hold off until all babyshowers were complete before sharing as why it has taken so long to put this post together. 

Co-Ed Family & Friends Babyshower

I will start with our family and friends babyshower. This shower was hosted at our house which we thought would be a great idea as we wouldn't need to transport the gifts and while that was convenient, preparing for the babyshower wasn't. It was very stressful trying to get the house all clean and straightened up beforehand, so I highly recommend not having your own shower at your own house unless you are able to hire a maid or have someone volunteer to clean for you.

My oh my were we surprised by how many people made it out to celebrate with us. We ran out of seating quickly but were overwhelmed with the love and support. 


We had our entryway table set up as the sign in as guest entered and had a few maternity photos and ultrasounds displayed here as well.



The opposite side is our dining room and we had the table set up as the gift table.


I created this onesie banner in Word and printed it out on specialty paper from Hobby Lobby. I love how it came out that I still have it hanging up.


Our kitchen table was set up as the food table.



Our cake came out better than we imagined and tasted so delicious, I will definitely be using the same person forever now. If you are in the Katy/Richmond area and are interested in my cake lady, let me know and I will give you her information.


While our gifts were dropped off in the dining room, we planned on opening them in front of everyone in our living room where there is a lot more space. All the little girl things were so precious and Little Love looks so adorable in her little clothes.


If you are interested in what types of games we played at this shower, you can refer to this post where I also provide a FREE printable.




Church Babyshower

The Women's Ministry in our church put together this babyshower for another expectant mom and myself. We were both due in March, her and her husband are expecting a babyboy. The ladies in our church did an amazing job at putting this beautiful shower together; it was so simple yet so elegant.

Gift Table
Food Table
Drink Station

Centerpiece
A few of the ladies did a devotion and presented us with different items for our babies that went with a description and a scripture reference. Some of the items were a basket, baby blanket, toys, first catechism, etc. It was touching and I tried to hold it together and not look like an emotional mess, I think I did a good job.


 



Work Babyshowers

Originally, we were suppose to have a third and fourth shower thrown by my co-workers and another thrown by Anthony's co-workers but Little Love arrived the day before the third party was suppose to happen so we had to cancel both but that didn't stop our co-workers from reaching out to us in other ways and showering us and our little girl.

We are just overwhelmed by the love and support we have received and still receive and the generosity of everyone in our life is amazing. We could not be any more blessed to do life with these people in our church, our work place and our family & friends. God is so so good.

Read the rest of the story »
stormieariel
0 Comments

Saturday, March 5, 2016

Bump Date | 36 Weeks with Sophia

Bump Date | 36 Weeks with Sophia


I decided to document our pregnancy as a way to get all my feelings and emotions out and to later look and remember this beautiful time in our lives. I hope you enjoy if you decide to follow along on this life changing journey.

This was our first weekend with absolutely no plans and it was a glorious weekend of nesting and relaxing. It was so nice to be able to do that especially since my sister took my grandmother out and about Saturday and Sunday. We got to enjoy just each other so it seemed like a staycation/babymoon! 

I felt my first practice contractions this week, or at least I think I did as it was pretty uncomfortable. Like very. I will verify once I have real contractions. 

Nesting was in full swing for both Anthony and I, we cleaned up around the house and finished setting up our Pack 'n Play as that is what Little Love will sleep in the first few months. I focused on deep cleaning our bedroom and making it fresh and we also gave the dogs the boot. They are officially no longer allowed in the bedroom and I can say it is a relief surprisingly, no more dog hair! After we got as much nesting done as we could, we relaxed and did not do anything else besides lounge and eat, and because we did so much lounging and nesting, we didn't get to do our regular bump date picture but I thought I would share a collage of the growing bump for this week as well as my everyday style snapshots per usual.



Maternity Striped Tee (similar)

Maternity Cross-Front Shirt (similar) | Maternity Jeans |
Sandals (
similar)


Maternity Shirt (similar) | Maternity Jeans |

Open Front Cardigan (similar) | Sandals (similar)




More of my Maternity Style Posts:

More Bump Date Posts:
Read the rest of the story »
stormieariel
0 Comments

Monday, February 29, 2016

Bump Date | 35 Weeks with Sophia

Bump Date | 35 Weeks with Sophia


I decided to document our pregnancy as a way to get all my feelings and emotions out and to later look and remember this beautiful time in our lives. I hope you enjoy if you decide to follow along on this life changing journey.

The countdown has officially started and I can not be more anxious and excited to meet my Little Love. This week my energy has still been really good and I actually have had really good sleep! We also were showered with love from the ladies in our church as they threw a combined  baby shower honoring our little girl and another couple in the church who is expecting a little boy. I was going to do a baby shower post from the co-ed family and friends one we had last month but I decided to hold off until after my work baby shower (this little girl is so loved by so many already) and  I will share all showers in a combined post. It just makes it easier for me to write one post and to later find and reminiscence with it being all in one place and I honestly don't know if I have the energy to break down each shower into separate posts...so yeah. 

Lastly, we finished our last class of the Bradley Method. I was also planning on doing a post once we completed the course but figured I should wait until after labor and delivery so I can tell you specifically how the course helped prepare us for the real thing. So be on the lookout for those posts!


Maternity Blouse (similar) | Shorts (similar)

Dress (similar) | Pearl Necklace (similar)


Maternity Tunic (similar) | Maternity Leggings | 
Statement Necklace (similar) | Sandals (similar)




More of my Maternity Style Posts:

More Bump Date Posts:

Read the rest of the story »
stormieariel
0 Comments

Friday, February 26, 2016

Pregnancy Must Haves

Pregnancy Must Haves


As soon as you announce your pregnant, you are sure to be bombarded with what you must have to get you through pregnancy. And while our friends and family members (and sometimes complete strangers) are trying to be helpful, each of us handle pregnancy differently physically, emotionally and even financially. One of the things I was told that was a must have was a maternity pillow but I'm sorry I don't feel comfortable forking out $50 or so for a pillow that may not work because they don't work for every pregnant woman. I have had and still have many uncomfortable nights sleeping but that just comes with the territory in my mind. At the end of the day, you do you. You may be okay with spending whatever amount on anything and that's okay for you but for me it wasn't so I compiled a list of my pregnancy must haves that are actually affordable (under $20) and maybe you may find these work for you or maybe they don't.
1 | 2 | 3
1. Maternity leggings, where have you been all my life? How did I go through most of my pregnancy without thee?? Its crazy, I barley bought these now at 35 weeks pregnant. Don't be me, buy them as soon as you can. THEY. ARE. WORTH. IT. I thought I could get by wearing my regular leggings during pregnancy which I did but they weren't comfortable. And this is an item a lot of women suggest to buy but I didn't want to spend the money when I already had leggings. This is an item I wish someone would have slapped me in the face with and forced me to buy. Now you don't have to go all out and buy the name brand maternity leggings or whatever, since the Wal Mart ones seem to do what they are intended to do and for under $13, well why not. Maternity Motherhood charges between $25 - $30 for leggings, unless you find some on clearance they can be about the same price as Wal Mart's leggings. I purchased my leggings from Wal Mart and I am very happy with them, I was able to buy my pre-pregnancy size and they fit perfectly on me. Again, you do you, if you don't mind spending the extra money for another brand than whatever just make sure you have maternity leggings in your pregnancy wardrobe.

2. A comfortable bra. It doesn't have to be a maternity bra or a nursing bra, just a comfortable stretchy bra. I have had the BCG sports bra from Academy before pregnancy and loved it than but I love it even more during pregnancy. It leaves me with room without constricting my rib cage and making it hard to breath and its affordable (under $17). I have read many articles, blogs, and books that suggest buying maternity bras or nursing bras at the beginning of pregnancy and others suggesting at the end of pregnancy and even others saying wait a few weeks after having the baby before buying a nursing bra. Again, I didn't want to spend the money on bras so I just rotated my sports bras and my regular bras. Sports bras were my favorite to wear as there is no under-wire and the BCG bra has the cami-type straps so you don't have to worry about the straps being visible like with typical sports bras. So whatever you decide to do, just make sure it is comfortable.

3. The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth. Most people tell you to buy the What to Expect When Your Expecting book which is also a good book to have but you can easily find the same information on google or a pregnancy app. Most of the time, it was easier pulling up my BabyBump app and reading their short Daily Tip and Weekly Information than it was to read a few pages in the Expecting book. It is basically the same information just condensed in the app but still a good read just not a Must-Have in my opinion whereas the Thinking Woman book is a MUST must-have. I suggest buying this book as soon as you find out your pregnant (under $15). This book goes through all your options during labor and delivery including epidurals, inducing labor, IVs, cesareans, etc. The author Henci Goer, brings the facts, side effects, statistics, etc. about each procedure and lists the pros and cons on everything she covers. It really helps you decided on the best decision and to create a birth plan early on that fits you and your family best. And by getting this book early on and reading it, helps you make an informed decision about the type of doctor or midwife you want to deliver your baby and where you want to deliver your baby. Yes, you can easily ask your doctor about these procedures but most doctors have a set way they like to do things so they will make a procedure seem perfectly normal or harmless to you and the baby whereas Goer shows every side of each procedure. So I say this book is non-negotiable, you have to buy this and actually read it. That's an order. Just kidding but really, the book is very informational and is sure to prepare you to make informed decisions for you and your growing family.

And that my friends, is my version of pregnancy must-haves and each item is actually affordable (under $20). To be fair, I did not list any of the sales prices for these items so you may actually be able to find these items cheaper.

Read the rest of the story »
stormieariel
0 Comments

Follow @stormieariel