Friday Favorites and Five on Friday

Happy Friday friends :) Today, I am linking up with Momfessionals, A Little Bit of Everything, and Grace and Love for Friday Favorites, but also A. Liz Adventures, Carolina Charm, Hello! Happiness, and The Good Life for 5 on Friday. 

{FAVORITE ONE}

I love my nightly walks, but I am ready to mix up my workouts a little bit. My cousin, who is expecting her second child in January, recommended some prenatal workout DVDS . I can't wait to try them out-- I will let you all know how they are and if I have survived!

  

via

via

{FAVORITE TWO}

Looking at precious, little baby clothes. No matter what store I am in, I find myself gravitating towards the baby section. It just makes me so happy. I mean really is there anything cuter than newborn clothes and accessories?!


via // via // via // via

{FAVORITE THREE}

We are starting to work on the baby room this weekend, and I am so excited! Most of the work will be done by my husband and I will mostly focus on the decorating and paint color haha! First on the agenda, the chair rail/board and batten design!  I am also interested in finding the right paint color for the room. We (I mean I haha) want light and airy, warm and cozy, neutral. There are so many choices! I am thinking a gray of some sort, just not sure which kind. Our basic idea/theme (if you want to call it that) can be found below (from my pinterest board):

     

via // via // via // via // via

via

{FAVORITE FOUR}
Right now I am obsessed with fruit and fruit salad! Honestly, it is the best time of the year for melons like honeydew melon, cantelope, watermelon, etc. I can't get enough!

{FAVORITE FIVE}
I am just so glad it is Friday. This week has been long, and although I took yesterday off to bring my sister Jocelyn to visit UNH, I need a break :) Don't we all?! 

I hope you all had a great week, and have a great weekend! 

Pregnancy Update-- Week 21

How far along? 21 weeks 5 days 

Size of baby: A banana (7 in, 11 oz)

Total weight gain: About 10 pounds. I am going to be honest with you all. I am having a difficult time with this aspect-- not the actual gaining weight part, but the being okay with gaining weight part. I have watched my weight ever since I can remember. I would be lying if I said I have always felt comfortable with my body-- and I think that is fairly normal. During pregnancy, you are encouraged to gain weight, but at a steady pace according to your BMI. I know I shouldn't stress too much about the amount of weight I have gained, but I can't help it. I know that it is for the good of the baby, but I also know that I have to be careful not to gain too much. Such a fine balance! Having a positive body image is such an important aspect of life, and I am still working on that. This is actually something that I am focusing on this week. I will try to stress less about the weight gain, and just enjoy the beauty of being pregnant. 

Maternity clothes: Because the weather has been hot (like extremely hot for New England), I have been in dresses/skirts during the day and tank-tops and capri leggings at night. 

Sleep: Inconsistent. There are nights that I sleep great-- I fall asleep and I don't wake up until my alarm goes off. Then, there are nights where I toss and turn constantly. 

Best moment of the week: I can't think of a specific moment (pregnancy brain in full force). But, I am so happy to be pregnant, and I can't wait to meet this baby :)

Movement: A little bit this week-- but still nothing extremely significant. 

Miss anything? Last Friday, I went on a field trip with our big kid campers to Canobie Lake Park (an amusement park), and as sad as it is to say, I miss going on roller coasters! I absolutely love any type of roller coaster, and while I know that I will be able to enjoy them soon, it was really hard to watch everyone go on them haha! 

Food cravings:  CARBS and fruit...lots and lots of fruit. My husband went grocery shopping this week, and I not only requested bananas and apples-- but fruits for fruit salad. He brought home cantelope, honeydew melon, strawberries, and blueberries. He knows me so well :)

Food aversions:  Nothing really! 

Symptoms I have: Heartburn and bloating.   

Gender Predictions: Girl on my end :)

Looking forward to: Planning and starting to work on the baby room :) I have a lot of ideas on Pinterest (my poor husband haha), and I think I have a pretty solid vision for what I want the room to look like. What do you guys think? 

     

via // via // via // via // via

Weekending....

Today, I am linking up with B Loved Boston and Champagne and Suburbs for Weekending...

{FRIDAY}

After a very fun but exhausting field trip to Canobie Lake Park with the summer kids, I was ready to relax Friday night. I made an easy, but summer dinner (grilled sausages, pasta salad, and sauteed zucchini and summer squash). After dinner, I made fruit salad and monkey bread to bring to my in-laws' annual fish fry. Once I was finished, my husband and I watched "Unbroken." I actually really liked the movie. That genre is typically not one that I would gravitate towards, but I had been hearing good things about it so I wanted to watch it. Overall, I would recommend watching it. 

  

{SATURDAY}

My husband and I headed to my brother-in-laws house for the majority of the day for the annual fish fry! There is nothing better  than eating fresh steamers, grilled fish, and lobsters in the summer. Not only was the food delicious, but it was so great to see my in-laws, nephews, and niece. The weather was great too. It was a little cloudy and on the cooler side, but when the sun came out it was perfect. We came home and were in bed before 10-- we are living on the wild side ;) 

{SUNDAY}

Sunday, I slept in and it felt wonderful! I think I really needed it since I haven't been sleeping well the last few days. I seriously need to get one of those pregnancy/body pillows. Everyone I know says that the pillow is worth it-- and honestly right now I believe them! After a great morning of sleeping in, my husband and I decided to organize the office area and basement. Easier said than done! It took the better part of the day -- and to be honest-- my husband did most of the work :) After organizing, I did some major cleaning. It always amazes me how much dirt and dust can collect in a short amount of time! 

The rest of Sunday was spent enjoying the sunshine, and watching movies/shows with my husband. We watched "Two Night Stand," which was actually a pretty good movie (unexpectedly). We then watched the newest episode of "True Detectives." Man-- that show is intense! 

I hope you all had a great and restful weekend :) (I can't believe it's over already).....only five more workdays until the next one! 

Five on Friday and Friday Favorites

Happy Friday friends :) Today, I am linking up with Momfessionals, A Little Bit of Everything, and Grace and Love for Friday Favorites, but also A. Liz Adventures, Carolina Charm, Hello! Happiness, and The Good Life for 5 on Friday.

{FAVORITE ONE}

If you have been following my pregnancy journey, you know that during our 19/20 week ultra-sound, the technician wasn't able to get a good picture of the spine. Baby was napping and did not want to be disturbed! No amount of jumping jacks, stretching or movement on my part could persuade the baby to switch positions. I have to admit that when I received the phone call and email to schedule another ultra sound, I was scared. Deep down I knew that having the additional ultra-sound didn't necessarily mean that there was a problem. However, as most people know me to be, I am a realist and I wanted to prepare myself. In addition to the second ultra-sound, the doctor also suggested that I take the AFP blood test, which would also rate the risk for a spinal issue/neural tube defect. Again, while the scientist in me understood the additional testing, the first-time mom in me totally freaked out. When you are pregnant for the first time, everything is new and unfamiliar and that can be a very scary thing. Nothing is "normal" because you haven't experienced anything like this before. Sure, you know people who are pregnant, but it is definitely different when it happens to your own body. It is different when you are receiving the calls. Fast-forward to this week, and my husband and I attended the second ultra-sound. I also had the AFP blood test done. The results of both show it is unlikely that the baby has a neural tube defect. Now while there is still a risk (there is always a risk I suppose), the results have given me some peace.  

{FAVORITE TWO}

Although favorite two is connected to favorite one, I needed to include it! My second favorite of this week was actually having the second ultra-sound. I realized today, a day after my second ultra-sound, how much of a blessing it really was. My husband and I got to look at our precious baby again. In this respect, I know that I am a lucky person. There is nothing like seeing your baby on the screen, seeing the heart beat, the tiny feet and toes, precious nose, and cute little mouth. 

{FAVORITE THREE} 

My sister Nicole introduced me to a company named Divinity LA. It is an online jewelry store that sells unique bracelets made with semi-precious stones from around the world. What makes this company so special in my opinion is the fact that each bracelet has a unique meaning, and is directly connected to a special cause. For example, The Sea Turtle bracelet is meant to promote "creativity and mental clarity." $1 from each sale goes to the Sea Turtle Conservatory. 

{FAVORITE FOUR}

I am really starting to put our baby registry together, and I have found some extremely helpful websites including: 

• Baby List Baby Registry
• Lucie's List
• Buy Buy Baby (specifically the baby registry checklist)
• The Bump-- registry checklist

{FAVORITE FIVE}

 This weekend, my brother-in-law and sister-in-law are hosting my husband's family for their annual fish fry! It is a fun, summer celebration where the whole family gets together and eats seafood :) umm..........yes please! I am so excited not only for the food, but to see everyone and to enjoy their beautiful pool :) Can't get much more summer than that! 

I hope you all have a great weekend :) I can't believe next week will be the last week of July-- the summer is going by so quickly! I can't believe I will be heading back to school so soon! I feel as though I just got out. It's a good thing I like the Fall :)

Pregnancy Update-- Week 20

How far along? 20 weeks, 4 days

Size of baby: A mango (6.5 in, 10 oz)

Total weight gain: About 10 pounds now. 

Maternity clothes: Yes! It is hard to hide the bump now :)

Sleep: I have been sleeping great this week-- although I need multiple fans on in the bedroom to be comfortable. 

Best moment of the week: Having the additional ultra sound this week-- so far everything looks good but I will know for sure in about a week or so.  

Movement: Still only that one time, but I am trying to really focus and take the time to rest. Being on my feet from the time I get up until the time I go to bed doesn't help! I think that may be why I am having a hard time feeling the movement-- I am on the go so much myself. 

Miss anything? Not really missing anything this week :)  

Food cravings:  Carbs. Any type. Fruit, vegetables, grains. I just want them all haha. 

Food aversions:  No real aversions right now. 

Symptoms I have:  Sadly bloating and constipation (both very common symptoms). I am also noticing that my fingers and toes are starting to bloat (not just my stomach haha). My back has also started to bother me a little bit-- typically right when I get up. As the day progresses, it doesn't bother me as much.

Gender Predictions: Still thinking a girl :) 

Looking forward to: Feeling the baby more, and learning of the final results of the lab work and ultra sound.  

Thanks for following along in my journey! 

Weekending...

Today, I am linking up with B Loved Boston and Champagne and Suburbs for Weekending... 

{FRIDAY}

Friday after work, I went birthday shopping for my sister Elizabeth at the local outlets. I met up with a few of my sisters, my mom, and my dad for shopping and dinner. The Loft and J.Crew were having great sales, and I was pretty excited about what I purchased for Elizabeth. Since starting our careers, Elizabeth and I have similar taste when it comes to business casual clothing. We love to wear light-weight, but dressy tops and layer them with cardigans. The Loft had so many tops to choose from, I was having a hard time deciding which ones to purchase! I wish I could post pictures and links, but since the items were purchased at the outlet store, I can't! I'm sorry! Just know that if you have an outlet store near you, now is the perfect time to shop! I also purchased a navy blue cardigan from J.Crew for my sister to use for layering purposes (perfect for unpredictable New England weather). I have sworn by this cardigan for years-- it is called the Jackie Cardigan Sweater. Again, if you are near an outlet store, these cardigans are typically on sale, but online the prices are a little bit higher. Regardless, if you are a cardigan lover, you must add at least one of these neutral cardigans to your collection! I promise-- you will not regret this decision. These cardigans are durable (trust me- I wear them ALL THE TIME!).  

{via}

 Since Jim was away on a guys camping trip for the weekend, my youngest two sisters offered to stay with me and the dogs. Since it had been a long week for all three of us, we were ready for a low key night. We watched an older movie, "License to Wed," which was pretty good. I am not saying I recommend it haha but it was cute and a perfect girls night movie. 

{SATURDAY}

Saturday, the girls and I decided to brave the unpredictable elements and head to the beach. There was a slight chance for thunderstorms, but at the beach you never know. The forecast could say storms, and the weather could be sunny the entire day. Unfortunately for us, that was not the case :) But, we all took it in stride and enjoyed the peace of the beach. We went for a nice walk, jumped into the water (which wasn't that cold), and enjoyed each other's company. It actually turned out to be a great day. Once we were finished with the beach, we had lunch and headed home.  

Doesn't it look so peaceful though?

Saturday night, my sister Nicole and I went to Barnes and Nobles to pick out some new books to read. I love that my sister shares my passion for reading. I picked up some new Elin Hilderbrand books for summer reading :) We had a nice and quiet reading session when we got back to my house. 

{via}

{via}

{SUNDAY}

Sunday after church, I was full of so much energy! Second trimester is definitely different from the first. The first trimester, I was exhausted by 7 pm and I felt as though I couldn't get enough sleep. Now, I am (for the most part) fully awake until I head to bed. I went for a great walk around the neighborhood, but it being 90 degrees, I was so hot by the end! I decided to head to my grandparents house earlier than usual so I could lounge in their beautiful pool. And that is where I stayed for most of the day aside from getting out to eat dinner and celebrate Elizabeth's birthday with dessert :) 

That was pretty much my weekend. It wasn't too busy, but I had a lot of fun. I hope you all had a great and restful weekend too! :) 

Pregnancy Update-- Week 19

How far along? 19 weeks 6 days 

Size of baby: A tomato (6 in, 1/2 lb)-- although at week 18 the baby was a sweet potato and visually that just seems bigger to me than a tomato! 

Total weight gain: About 8 pounds. 

Maternity clothes: Dresses, skirts, and maternity pants (although they are still too big for me-- but my normal pants are definitely too tight at this point haha). 

Sleep:  The past few days, I have had difficulty sleeping. Once I fall asleep, I usually sleep for a few hours and then I am woken up. I still think it's baby moving around :) So although its hard to fall back asleep, I know its the baby just making itself known. I have had slight abdominal discomfort, which can also make it challenging to fall asleep. Many people have suggested the body pillow, which is on my list of items to purchase this week :)

Best moment of the week: The best moment of this week was when I felt the baby for the first time! It happened on Tuesday, and I just knew it was the baby. I haven't really felt the baby move as distinctly as it did Tuesday, but I guess that's fairly normal?   

Movement: See best moment of this week!!  

Miss anything? I miss knowing what size I am! I also miss being able to shop at my normal stores. I honestly didn't know that shopping for maternity clothes would be so challenging. I don't know how big I will get, so it is difficult for me to buy clothes (I am trying to save as much money as I can right now). I have also found that maternity clothing can be very expensive. I find very cute, stylish dresses, shirts, and pants at the Loft for example, but I am not willing to pay those prices! I have purchased some items at Old Navy, but their selection isn't as large as I wish it was.   

Food cravings: Pretty much everything! I am more about meals than I am about snacks right now (which is not very good for digesting and my bloating issue!)

Food aversions: No real aversions still (I know I am lucky!)

Symptoms I have: Bloating, leg cramps, and headaches lately. 

Gender Predictions: Still thinking a girl. 

Looking forward to: I am looking forward (nervously) to our follow-up ultra-sound appointment tomorrow. We meet with our doctor to review the ultra-sound. While most of the baby's anatomy looked normal, they were not able to determine whether or not the spine is normal. I have to go back in this week to get a second ultra-sound to hopefully get a good picture of the spine so the doctors can make sure that the spine is okay. I have to be honest-- I am afraid. Getting a call from the doctors explaining that we needed to schedule another ultra-sound because the spine pictures were "inconclusive" made me nervous. They started talking to me about making sure that there were no neural tube defects, and while I will absolutely love and care for this baby no matter what the results, it is still scary. The unknown is scary. I will let you all know the results when we hear back. Thank you for all your sweet comments. 

Five on Friday and Friday Favorites

I am so ready to welcome the weekend! Although this week has gone by quickly, there were so many things on my to do list that I wish it had slowed down. I was barely able to keep up with my normal routine this week. These are the moments when I wonder how I will be able to do it all with a baby! I am fully aware that it will be a learning curve for me and my husband-- it's kind of a nerve-wrecking thought! Any working mothers out there have any advice for a first time mom?!! How do you balance it all?! How do you do it all?! 

Anyway, enough of my complaining and stressing (two things I have been doing a lot of lately-- mostly to my husband). Onto Five on Friday and Friday Favorites! Today, as always, I am linking up with Momfessionals, A Little Bit of Everything, and Grace and Love for Friday Favorites, but also A. Liz Adventures, Carolina Charm, Hello! Happiness, and The Good Life for 5 on Friday.

{FAVORITE ONE}

One of the reasons I had a hard time keeping up with normal chores around the house this week was because I met up with one of my closest friends for dinner Wednesday night. This was a very good reason to put aside my chores :) My friend Patrice is the very best. She has been my friend since high school, and we have been through a lot together! She has been there during the happiest times in my life, and during some of the most challenging times in my life. She is self-less, caring, funny, beautiful, down-to-earth, honest, and would do anything for me or my family. We can go weeks without talking/texting, but when we meet back up, we pick up right where we left off. I can talk to her about anything, and I have! Thank you Patrice for being such an amazing friend to me all these years :) I am definitely grateful for our friendship :) 

{FAVORITE TWO}

Last night, my family (sisters, husband, brother-in-law, parents) went out to dinner to celebrate my sister Elizabeth's 25th birthday. We always have so  much fun when we are together :) 

Elizabeth is one of the best people I know. To read more about Elizabeth and our relationship, you can go here for her sister spotlight!

{FAVORITE THREE}

My husband. This week we received some news about our ultra sound results (not necessarily bad news but news that requires an additional test and ultra-sound), and he has been such a calming and reassuring force. He knows exactly what to say, and how to make me feel better. Pregnancy is such a journey-- not just for the woman, but for her partner and family. My husband has been an amazing partner thus far in our journey.  My family has also been very supportive and encouraging during this time right now, and I am so lucky to have so many loving people surrounding me. Once I know more information, I will pass it along.  

{FAVORITE FOUR}

We have finally (I think) decided on names for the baby (we have a girl name and a boy name picked out!). Once it gets closer to the due date, I will share those names with you :) 

{FAVORITE FIVE}
Can I include being able to sleep in on my list of favorites? I can?! Yes! That is definitely on my list of musts this weekend-- one day of sleeping in. I am tired! 


I hope you all have a great weekend, and that you are able to do a lot of fun stuff this weekend! Can't wait to check it all out on Monday :) 

Weekending....

This weekend flew by way too fast! I wish there was one more day in the weekend. I feel as though I try to cram everything in two days, and it just doesn't work out too well. You want to get all of the normal chores done around your house, but you also want to enjoy the weekend, especially if it's nice outside. This weekend, I tried to do a little of both, but I still wish I had more time! Alas, it is now Monday, so instead of sulking, I will reminisce about the fun that was had this weekend :) Today, I am linking up with B Loved Boston and Champagne and Suburbs for Weekending....

{Friday Night}

- To celebrate our ultra-sound appointment (yes-- this is a ritual we have started :)) my husband and I went out to dinner at Bertuccis. It was SOOOO good! The bread gets me everytime-- I can't have just one. It's addictive I swear! After dinner, we (well really my husband) watched "Chappie." From what I saw of the movie, it wasn't bad. The storyline was really interesting, but the acting was just okay. What was I keeping myself occupied with while I was supposed to be watching the movie? Researching for our baby registry. Yes, I became obsessed. Yes, I was stressing out. Yes, I am totally out of my league. It is hard! I have no idea what to select-- and while I did find some helpful websites (Lucie's List is one example), it is extremely overwhelming. There are some women who swear by certain products, and there are others that tell you it was a waste buying that product. So confusing!! Yes-- every baby is different (which I completely understand), but how are you supposed to know now how your baby will be?! How can you really prepare? I guess maybe you can't completely and fully prepare. And if I'm honest, I feel bad for my family and friends. They literally threw me a bridal shower a year ago, and now they have to do it all over again with a baby shower. Items/gifts aren't cheap, and I just feel bad. Anyway, enough of my whining and complaining-- I'm sure I will get it done. Sigh.

{Saturday}

- Saturday was full of chores, cleaning, gardening, and exercising haha. To start our day, my husband made us breakfast, which included chocolate chip pancakes. My favorite :) After a delicious breakfast, my first task of the day was to finish up the gardening on the side of the house. It is still a work in progress, but it's getting there.

- After gardening, I decided to get in my daily exercise before it got too hot. Walking is my favorite form of exercise right now. I am starting to think about trying prenatal yoga just for something different. However, I have only done yoga a few times, and I am a little nervous that I am too much of a novice. So many people have said how prenatal yoga has helped them throughout their pregnancy and delivery, that I figure I should at least try it out. We will see how it goes ;)

- Once I got back from my lovely walk, I cleaned the bathrooms, floors, and kitchen. Although cleaning isn't my favorite chore, I do love how everything looks once it's done. That is motivation enough! 

- While I was getting my work done, my handyman husband was fixing our riding lawn mower. Is there anything he can't do?! The tractor was his father's and needed a lot of work-- everyone was convinced it had the potential to work, but that it would be a tedious process. But my husband was diligent, and got it done :)

- After we were both done our chores, we made dinner (grilled chicken and sweet potatoes) and decided to check out Buy Buy Baby.  We tested a few strollers (they didn't have one of the strollers we are currently researching), a few infant car seat options, bouncers, and pack-and-plays. We still have no idea haha. 

Our view Saturday night......haha

{Sunday}

- Sunday was spent at church and relaxing with family. My grandmother had a "reunion" party of sorts that included my cousins, sisters, parents, aunt and uncle, my great-aunt (my grandmother's sister), my great-uncle, and second cousins. It was a lot of fun, but so hot and humid! Thankfully, my grandparents have a great in-ground pool. I took full advantage of that! 

- Sunday night was spent watching "Family Feud," "True Detective," and "Ballers." Anyone else feel as though there aren't that many good shows on this summer? 

I hope you all were able to enjoy your weekend! Here's to another week....