Pregnancy Update Weeks 25-26

Another pregnancy update... I can't believe how fast time is flying! You can read week 23 here.

How far along?

25/26 weeks 

Size of baby?
About 14 inches and 1.68 pounds

Movement?

All the time and I love it! Always in the evening after I eat and am relaxing but during the day as well. It's my favorite when I'm at school and feel her. (: 

Symptoms?

Heartburn, allllll the heartburn/indigestion and it has been terrible. I finally called my doctor because it was getting so bad and got the go ahead for some medication and it has made a world of difference. Fingers crossed it stays that way!

...when you start carrying around Tums #pregoproblems

Sleep?
Sleeping much better since I got my snuggle! If I get out of bed for even a minute Henson or Justin always try to steal it.

Gender?
all girl! 

Weight gain?
15 pounds 

Cravings/aversions?
Sweets and just food in general. I pretty much always feel like I need a snack. I'm keeping lots of apples, carrots and hummus on hand for some healthy options. 

Maternity clothes?
No new purchases since my last post. Alternating between leggings/dresses, 1 pair of Paige maternity jeans, and one pair of maternity work pants. I did have to buy a maternity dress for a wedding I was in last weekend but was able to make a looser fitting non maternity dress work for the rehearsal dinner.

Hubby?
Still hasn't felt the little pea move. He is so excited and so sweet! He kisses her buy and goodnight all the time.

Nursery?
We're at a standstill for now.. We are purchasing the new flooring for her room next weekend.

Best part of the week?
Hitting the less than 100 day countdown and the wedding we attended! 

Looking forward to?

I am about to drive to my glucose test appointment as I hit publish on this post. I'm looking forward to having that over with and praying I pass! I am also looking forward to getting the nursery floors down and starting my third trimester. It's getting real! 

Weekending

 We spent our weekend celebrating the sweetest couple, Mary Elizabeth and Derek as they said I do! We took a couples trip to Mexico last spring and this couple actually got engaged on our trip so Justin and I feel like we have been with them every step of the way! It was the best weekend full of sweet moments, lots of fun and excellent food. I took a half day at work on Friday to rush to a bridesmaid luncheon which was the perfect way to start the weekend with all of the ladies! After wards we checked into our townhouse and got ready for the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. The rehearsal dinner was at Greg Normans which I had never been to. The food was excellent! We will definitely be going back sometime! I enjoyed lobster ravioli and Justin devoured the prime rib. 

We were up bright and early on Saturday to start getting ready for the wedding. I spent the day with the bridesmaids getting all dolled up while the guys did whatever it is the guys do when they get together. (I think the girls were a tad more well behaved than the groomsmen (; ) Mary Elizabeth made the most STUNNING bride. I'm serious.. just look at the picture overload! That night we all shed a few happy tears as they said I do and then had the best time at their reception. The food all weekend long was to die for. That night there was sushi, Fillet Mignon, an ice-cream bar and that is just the start of it. It's safe to say we did not leave hungry! 

no words- seriously so gorgeous! 

everything was gorgeous! 

Justin and the father of the bride

The weekend didn't end there- the sweet couple hosted us and their out of town family at a Farewell brunch on Sunday morning. We once again ate until our hearts were content and enjoyed our time talking about the night before. It was the perfect way to end the weekend! After wards we picked up our fur baby from my moms and headed home for naps and grocery shopping. The weekend was busy but so fun! 

y'all... that dress, those shoes, that fur... ALL the heart eyes! 

If you made it this far I apologize for the picture overload! I hope you all have a fabulous Monday! 

5 on Friday

Happy Friday friends! I'm linking up today for Five on Friday 

One. I am SO excited for this weekend because one of my best friends is getting married! I can't wait to celebrate this sweet couple all weekend long! When we went to Mexico last spring this couple got engaged on our trip so Justin and I truly feel like we have been there every step of the way. Happy wedding weekend Mary Elizabeth and Derek! 

Two. Every now and then I look in my pantry and freezer and realize I have a ton of food that is not being used. You know how you make a new recipe and pick up a whole ___ then have most of it leftover just sitting there? Occasionally when I realize this is starting to happen Justin and I will make a little game out of how long can we go without going to the grocery store to use up some of it before it goes bad. It forces us to be creative and prevents waisting food. We have been doing that all week long and it feels SO GOOD to see our pantry start to clear out. When it is overflowing I feel disorganized! We have had lots of salmon and frozen veggies, rice, grits, and black bean quesadillas. 

Three. I am a huge Podcast and Audio book fan. I love having something to listen to while I get ready for work/clean/drive/walk, etc. I just downloaded four new books to listen to per recommendations from North Carolina Charm and Going the Distance. I'm so eager to dig in right now! I'm starting with My Husbands Wife but on the list I also have The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, Lilac Girls , and Before We Were Yours, 

Four. I've enjoyed seeing all of the snow NC has been getting this year but I have to admit I'm slightly sad because we have received NONE. I live in Coastal NC so therefore beach=rarely snows. We have received ice and flurries so we've had some delays and school closures this year so I'm not complaining but I would love one big fluffy white snow! I'm actually just ready for it to be spring but if it's going to be cold I want the snow! I grew up outside of Greensboro, NC and we used to get snow all the time so it's definitely a change for me living here! 

Five. I have a countdown app on my phone that I check almost daily. With so many fun things coming up I love seeing the days get closer and closer. Some of my favorites right now are: only 59 days until spring.. yay!,  only 17 days until I'm in my third trimester..crazy, and only 101 days until my due date. I can't wait for Sunday when there will only be 99 days left and I can say I am in the two digits. (: Does anyone else like counting down special events?

I hope everyone has a great weekend! 

Coffee Talk Confessionals

If we were chatting today over coffee these are the things I'd chat about/confess ..

-Since this is coffee talk I have to admit I am struggling on limiting my daily caffeine intake for the baby. In the first half of my pregnancy I completely lost the taste for coffee so it wasn't an issue but now I am back to my normal and love enjoying my hot cup of coffee in the mornings. I'm still drinking one cup but I realllyyyyy wish I could indulge a little more worry free. Decaf just isn't the same!

-There is no shame in my game that I am addicted to The Bachelor, and a fair amount of Bravo shows. My hubby picks on me all the time that my brain is going to turn into mush watching but that's okay with me.. Anyone else excited about Summer House season 2 starting back up?! 

- I have seriously loved every second of being pregnant! But.... I'm not going to lie, gaining weight and all the changes happening to my body sometimes bring mixed emotions. ..just keeping it real! We live in a world where there is a desire to have the "perfect" body. I'm trying to remind myself that this is the season of life I'm in and not let negative thoughts creep in! 

-I love browsing blogs and Instagram and seeing new things people are wearing and what is on sale at different places, but right now I'm having to take a little break and skip those post. After coming off of Christmas where it seemed like all we did was spend, spend, spend and then jumping right back into the idea of spending more on new clothes I'm having to take a step back and realize what is important. I don't need to shop and constantly have something new to show off or make myself feel good. So I'm purposefully trying to take a break from shopping and just be content with all that I already have. Now when spring rolls around I will be singing a different tune!!

-I'm trying to be intentional about reading my bible. I'm making an effort to wake up a little early every morning in time to sit at my dining room table and do my devotional. The house is still quiet, I pour my (one cup) of coffee, turn on Lauren Daigle Pandora, and spend that time with the Lord. It is honestly my favorite part of the day! 

5 on Friday

Happy Friday friends! I have a three day weekend ahead of me so I'm ready to get this show on the road and make it to 4:00! I'm linking up today for Five on Friday! 

One. Our nursery is starting to come together and I am SO EXCITED! We have our crib and crib bedding, a side table and our dresser. This weekend I am going to paint our dresser to match the crib and next month we are pulling up our carpet and replacing it with flooring that will match the rest of our house. It is all starting to seem so real! How cute are these watercolor prints?!! I'm thinking about incorporating the lamb, pig and chick into the nursery decor. 

prints found here 

Two. I'm finally at the point where people are able to tell I am pregnant and I didn't just eat too many cupcakes. I think I "popped" over Christmas break so returning to school I got lots of comments from students and coworkers. I have to say I didn't mind a bit! I love being able to dress up my bump!

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Of course Henson had to jump in the picture! (; 

Three. I've been a La Croix fan for a while now but this week I picked up a new flavor and oh my word- I LOVE it! The coconut La Croix taste like a pina colada to me! I've got a feeling it will be a  staple this summer! 

Four. I'm officially over the cold weather and ready for spring/summer. I have my eye on these adorable pineapple earrings from bauble bar. Wouldn't they be the cutest this summer?! 

Five. I am really trying to make an effort to eat healthier which actually means, I'm trying to balance my constant sweet tooth craving with healthier food options. (; After seeing April at Smidge of This  post about the spiralizer on sale through Amazon for less than $12 I quickly scooped one up. I made zoodle spaghetti with homemade marinara sauce this week and it was surprisingly delicious and so much healthier than traditional pasta!  Next week I'm going to attempt stir fry zucchini noodles with sauteed shrimp so I will keep you posted how that goes! 

1st and 2nd Trimester Favorites

I am currently 24 weeks pregnant and only a few weeks away from entering my third trimester! I cannot believe how quickly time has gone by! Over the last five months I have found a few items that have made this journey so much easier.. or at least more comfortable! I'd love to hear your third trimester essentials if you have any suggestions! That is the trimester I am most nervous about! 

First Trimester Favorites

Granola bars/ snacks and water- Most people think of nausea when they think about the first trimester and there is good reason for that. While I was lucky and didn't have the worst bout of morning sickness I did suffer some. I would not actually get sick (minus an isolated incident) but I would feel as if I was about to ALL DAY LONG. Seriously, gagging and feeling as if I could throw up any second all day long for weeks. I almost wanted to get sick because I thought it would make me feel better! Mixed with pure exhaustion it was not a fun experience. I tried anti nausea wrist bands (pointless), ginger-ale (normally my favorite but tasted like syrup and made me feel worse), and preggie pop drops (yummy, but expensive and didn't help). The ONLY thing that actually helped was eating snacks ALL day long and drinking water. I did not care if I put on 10,000 pounds at that point- I just wanted to feel better! Having granola bars, crackers, popcorn, almonds, etc on hand throughout the day is the only thing that made me feel better and got me through the day. 

Prenatal Gummy vitamins- At first I was taking a pill form of a prenatal vitamin and had no problems. Once the nausea kicked up though I could no longer swallow the pill without gagging it back up. Fun times... So I switched to a gummy and it made all the difference! Not to mention it is so yummy... I actually looked forward to taking it every morning! 

Books- Of course in the beginning ALL I wanted to do was read anything and everything I could get my hands on! I wanted to know exactly what was going on with my body, my babies development and wanted to answers to my million questions. I worried over every little thing and would always head to my books to find comfort or at least answers to my questions. Some of my favorites were What to expect when you're expecting, Your Pregnancy and Childbirth: Month to Month, and The Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy. The first two are more educational and the last more entertaining! 

Second Trimester Favorites

Belly Band- I could not have gotten through the end of my first trimester/ second trimester without this! I am still using it for my work pants. It is essentially just a stretch band that covers your zipper/button of pants so you can wear your pre-pregnancy pants unbuttoned. There is a definite transition time where maternity clothes don't fit yet but your old pants don't fit either. This is where the belly band came to the rescue! There are tons of options but I used this one from Target and loved it. 

Maternity Leggings- While on the topic of clothes, maternity leggings. I thought my leggings would be a safe bet throughout my pregnancy because hello.. leggings- stretch, right?! No. I have two pairs of leggings that are still comfortable but my all of my nice black ones happen to also be compression. Great when you are not pregnant and want to suck in at all the right places. Not great when your tummy is growing and they can't provide the stretch you need. I picked up a pair of maternity leggings at Target and they have made a world of difference! 

Stretch Mark Cream- When I really started showing I picked up some Body Boost Stretch Mark Butter from Motherhood Maternity. It smells great and no stretch marks so far! 

Heating Pad- Recently I started experiencing some lower back pain and round ligament pain. My heating pad has really helped relive some of those aches and pains. 

Snoogle- My newest essential is my snoogle pillow. I was super hesitant to spend the money on a pregnancy pillow because I thought it was a waist of money and honestly there are a million baby items I would rather spend my money on! After two weeks of tossing and turning, ligament pain waking and keeping me up in the middle of the night I finally ordered one at 3am in desperation. Yes, 3am when I was wide awake on my phone, ha! I told myself I would try it out and return it if it wasn't worth the money. Needless to say it is not going back. I have slept SO much better with it and even use it at other times like when I'm watching TV or sitting up to read! 

Mamas- I would LOVE your suggestions on anything I might need for the third trimester! I'm so worried about being huge and uncomfortable! 

Recent Reads

I love to read and am always on the lookout for book recommendations from others. Today I'm sharing some of my recent reads and what I thought about them. I'll start with my absolute FAVORITE...

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

This may be my favorite book I have ever read. Seriously, it is SO good. It is about two sisters living in France during World War II. I am normally not into historical fiction but this had been recommended to me by my mom and on my "to read list" for a while so I finally picked it up and I am SO glad I did. It is a very real and emotional read that was so eye opening to me about what life was like during that time. I actually listened to this book on Audible which I think I may have enjoyed even more than reading because of all the French accents. A book I cannot recommend enough! 

One True Love by Taylor Jenkins Reid 

A story about a girl who marries her high school sweetheart. They have the perfect marriage until suddenly he goes missing after a tragic helicopter crash. Years later she runs into an old friend and ends up falling in love again. She gets her second chance at love- until her husband is found, alive. He had been alive and trying to get to her the entire time. Now she must choose between her first love and husband and her now new fiancee. I couldn't stop reading this story and definitely shed a few tears at the end. It was an excellent read! 

When Breath Becomes Air 

This was a quick read and another emotional story. It is a memoir about a young neurosurgeon finishing his residency at Stanford when he is diagnosed with Stage lV lung cancer at the age of 36. Again, not the type of book I normally pick up but it came to me recommended and I am glad I read it. It wasn't my favorite out of all of the books listed here but I did still really like it! 

The Chemist 

I actually read this book over the summer after spotting it at our local library. The title stuck out to me for some reason so I picked it up and am SO glad I did! I flew through this highly engaging book about an ex-agent who is on the run from her old employer. She used to work for the government and knows one of their darkest secrets. When they decided she was a liability she was forced to run for her life and try to clear her name. If you are into Criminal Minds and detective shows you will love this book! 

If you have any book recommendations please send them my way! 

Weekending

I hope everyone had a nice weekend! It was freezing here in coastal NC!! It is finally warming up a bit today so I'm hoping things can start to go back to normal. We missed three days of school last week and students are still out today. It is certainly true that we tend to shut down everything for just a little bit of snow here in the south! 

This weekend Justin and I had a super low-key Friday night just trying to stay warm. I did paint a little side table that was in our former guest bedroom to match our crib. The plan is to reuse it in the nursery. I loved how it turned out! 

 I was starting to go stir crazy after being trapped in the house for several days so 0n Saturday we headed to Wilmington for some yummy Thai food, some shopping, and to watch the UNC basketball game. We even ran into Justin's cousin and got to watch the basketball game with her which was a fun surprise! Saturday night we had an unfortunate freak accident happen... The screws of our attic door came loose and the entire wooden door fell on top of my car cracking my windshield. {insert major eye roll} We are contacting our insurance company today so fingers crossed they will cover it! 

On Sunday we attended church, cuddled with Henson and I attended an afternoon tea bridal shower for one of my friends. The whole shower was so pretty.. I wish I had taken more pictures! 

5 on Friday

Happy Friday friends, I hope everyone had a great week! I was supposed to return to work on Wednesday but due to snow and freezing temperatures we have been out all week! We don't normally get snow days at the beach so I have enjoyed every extra minute off! 

One. If you haven't tried the peppermint chocolate chip milkshake at Chick-Fil-A yet I suggest you run, not walk to your nearest location before the season ends. Seriously, they are SO good!! They are only out for a limited time which is probably a good thing because I surely don't need the extra calories! 

Two. I am LOVING all of the pink, girly and monogrammed things little Anna Claire has already collected from sweet friends and family! There is no doubt this little girl is already loved! Justin's cousin gifted us the cutest bag full of goodies for Christmas. Those monogrammed burp cloths... y'all... all the heart eyes! 

Three. I know Christmas has passed but I can't help but share our cute gift bags from school this year. I teach first grade and Christmas is always such a fun time to make ornaments and crafts. We made several for students to give to their parents and they got to decorate gift bags to send them home in. I thought they turned out so cute! 

Four. Last night for dinner I made these low-carb shredded chicken tacos. They were delicious. healthy and SO easy! The recipe is here. 

Five. I love getting new product recommendations so today I wanted to share my concealer that I'm obsessed with. It is the Tarte Shape Tape Concealer. It goes on kind of thick which is perfect for under my eyes. I get terrible dark circles from my allergies but this covers it up perfectly! It also smells so good which is a plus. A little goes a long way so this has lasted me a while. I love it! 

I hope everyone has a nice weekend!