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Welcome to Week 9 of Pregnant with Style feature, a weekly low down on the cutest and little known maternity brands.

{Discover other weeks and maternity brands here}

Check out BOBA {Baby on Board Apparel}

I first heard about Baby On Board Apparel through a Zulily sale, I think.  They are a small Canadian maternity company that specializes in maternity clothes that is comfortable, lasting and able to be worn during and beyond pregnancy.

Not too long ago BOBA partnered up with the talented Matthew Langille, the guy behind funky designs of many kid’s clothing and gear companies and together they created a fun line of maternity Tshirts you’re going to want to have. It’s called Monster Mania and it comes in 4 different colors with adorable monsters on each.  I just had to go to a fun place to photograph the shirt- and what’s more fun than a colorful playground.

You might  think: “It’s just a T-shirt! Big deal! I can wear my pre-pregnancy Tshirts just fine.” That’s what I thought starting out and continued thinking till about 7th month when all my long pre-pregnancy tees started getting tight and uncomfortable around my boobs and waist. But it wasn’t until I was in my mid third trimester that I realized why exactly you need a good quality maternity T-shirt: the length, the fabric and the cut.

If you follow me on Instagram, you should have seen me wear this one pretty much every single day. Going for a walk? Get my Monster Mania tee! Out to my doctor’s appointment? Where’s my Monster Mania tee? Wherever I went – I reached for it.
Aside from being incredibly comfortable and soft and stretchy, which is what maternity wear is all about, it is THE ONLY t-shirt that I have that is LONG ENOUGH! Buying long tees and tanks from a non-maternity brand worked for a bit, but now that I have to wear maternity jeans with bands and shorts that don’t zip up all the way, no other Tshirt is long enough to cover up the jean band or the zipper.

Most of you preggos probably hit that point way earlier in your pregnancy, but because of my height, Alexis has a lot of room, so my belly has only started REALLY growing recently – and now I finally get it.

Once again, it CAN easily  be worn post-partum, which is always been my goal in picking maternity brands, so you’re not wasting money by buying it, since it’ll still be your favorite tee to wear once you’re no longer pregnant. Certain fabrics rub my belly in a wrong way making it itchy, others are too tight- this one is perfectly soft, curve hugging and comfortable.

We have 2 Monster Mania T-shirts to give away to two lucky winners. It’s super easy to enter!

BELOW ARE THE GIVEAWAY RULES
and Mandatory Entries: {read carefully}

There are two mandatory entries, after which you will have additional entries available,
and 1 daily entry for which you can come back to enter daily.
The winning entry will be verified and the winner disqualified if the action is not found or if the mandatory items are not fullfilled.
Make sure to notate how you’re following the blog in the extra info field (entry #1). The entry won’t count if that information is missing.
Please make sure to visit Baby On Board Apparel and comment on what your favorite dress is to be eligible to win (entry #2). The comment is to be posted to this blog post.
The giveaway is open to US and Canada residents only. See the rafflecopter widget for additional terms and conditions.
All comments will be moderated and will appear once approved.

If you have a blog, there’re 2 entries each worth 10 points ( post our button on your blog’s sidebar and blog about the giveaway)

{If you’re not sure how to use to enter, feel free to watch this video tutorial or email me at contact {at} prebabyblog {dot} com
Otherwise, make sure to read everything carefully. Click the DO IT link first, then I’VE DONE IT once the action is completed}

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I was thinking about being pregnant and pregnancy in general and I just don’t think I am a fan of this state. I know some women think of their pregnancy in a romantic, wistful way, they miss it and want to be pregnant again. I thought I’d get that way when Alexis started kicking,  and then when that didn’t happen I thought I’d love being pregnant when I feel better-  but that didn’t happen either. So I am realizing  now that I simply don’t think of pregnancy as this sweet beautiful time. I think of it as the necessary 10 months of being slightly to very uncomfortable that you deal with, 10 months that you do your absolute best to grow a healthy baby, 10 months of changing everything about yourself and things you do to give her the best opportunity to grow and develop- 10 very important and commendable months.

Don’t get me wrong- I love when Alexis moves, I love feeling her and knowing she’s here, I love reading to her and singing songs and interacting with her the only way possible right now. But that’s not enough for me. I don’t want to her to be inside of me – I want her to be here, for real, so that I could actually see her ( I’m a visual person, I guess), and touch her and see her reactions. I have exactly 2 months till her due date and I will wait it out diligently and patiently – I want her to be healthy and full term and come whenever she wants. I don’t want to rush it, I’ll wait. But I’ll make no bones about it- I’d rather have her on the outside than the inside.

I also wonder if that’s going to change once she’s here and I know just how MUCH I love her. I wonder if THAT will make me look at my pregnant time and wish for the closeness we had…
But as of right now, I love her to pieces and I want her in my arms! And let me tell you, 10 months is a very long time- knowing about her from the first day of conception and wanting her here takes a lot of patience {not that any of us have a choice}

STATS:

Her size: Last week she was 3lb 12 oz, and now headed into a growth spurt! Watch out Elena’s Belly!

How far along: 31 WEEKS

Total weight gain: 160.8 lb (that’s 0.8 lb for this week for a total of 24.8 lbs).

Sleep: So uncomfortable and sore. I do have good nights of sleep but generally sleeping on one side is really uncomfortable. I’m having to switch sides all throughout the night. Bathroom trips? Ha! I’m  veteran- they don’t bother me anymore. I’ve been waking up 3-4 times a night to pee since the first trimester.

Maternity Clothes: All the time now. Anything non-maternity just doesn’t cut it anymore- it fits but it’s so uncomfortable.

Food cravings: Asian pears ( the ones that are $2.99 a pop at Whole Foods- expensive cravings, I gotta tell you)

Food aversions: none

Symptoms I HAVE: I got sciatic pain! {Ha-ha} I feel like it’s an achievement. {lol} Not really-  it hurts! It started with the fact that Alexis flipped head down. I’d been doing inversions from spinningbabies.com to get her to flip and she did (sort of. She was on my right side head down). Then I spent the whole day walking around doing things and had a pretty fast long walk in the morning as well, and by the evening I was limping in my right foot. The pain feels like normal muscular pain in my right buttock. After resting it for a day, I’m back to feeling normal. Plus it seems Alexis flipped into transverse again and took the pressure of the sciatic nerve.

Also I’ve had a few evenings of slight nausea- not sure if it’s pregnancy related or what.

Doctor’s Appointment: Early December

Movement: She’s very active again! It’s starting to get painful especially when she kicks in one of my sides. I do love when she’s active! You might hear an occasional “Ouch!” from me, but I smile on the inside every time she jabs a foot into my side or sticks her butt out so much I think my belly is going to explode.

Belly Button: An outie- it sticks out from clothes too- I think that’s cute!

Gender: GIRL!

Best moment of the week: Getting things done! I’ve really gotten off my butt this week and concentrated on getting everything done. With so many distractions I have nowadays ( will tell you about that in my birth plan post), it’s hard to get yourself back on track. What I need and what I thrive with is a very detailed to-do list or a few of them ( especially when there are a lot of items on it). I spend the whole day simply going down that to-do list without giving it another thought- and that’s the only way I feel good and productive and like everything or most everything is getting done.

What I’m looking forward to:

Going to the beach.

What I miss:

Beach, pre-pregnancy clothes, pre-pregnancy size, my pre-pregnancy skinny jeans, my friends from up north.

{I know I have been a bit scarce on posting and commenting these past weeks, but as I am digging up from under the pile of to-do lists and things I have to get done, I see the light at the end of the tunnel. Once all the baby stuff is bought this Black Friday/Cyber Monday and I reorganize myself and reshift my priorities (I’ve been mainly concentrating on researching baby purchases up until now), I’ll be back to posting almost every day. I have so many fun posts planned that I cannot wait to get your opinion and feedback on. So it’s going to get a lot more interesting here, but for now all I can find time to do is my weekly update and the Sunday Pregnant with Style feature.}

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Welcome to Week 8 of Pregnant with Style feature, a weekly low down on the cutest and little known maternity brands.

{Discover other weeks and maternity brands here}

ISABELLA OLIVER MATERNITY

is today’s brand.

Some of you might have heard of Isabella Oliver or seen ads on the Internet. It is a British company started in 2003 when the creators saw the need for beautiful stylish and comfortable maternity wear. They’ve even been awarded the Queen’s Award (How cool is that?)

I can’t think of another company that makes such elegant feminine maternity clothes. Most of their styles are form fitting which is perfect during pregnancy when you want to show off your bump ( because let’s admit it- that’s the only way to look pregnant and not fat).

Here’s some of my favorite items from Isabella Oliver:

1. Ruched Breton Button Top  2. Midi Ruched Skirt  3. The Everyday Blazer  4. Tuck Detail Tunic  5. Ruched T Shirt Dress 

It was very hard for me to pick 1 item to go with, and after a lot of deliberation I choose the Ruched Tank Dress in red.

Remember my obsession with red dresses? Well, it’s alive and kicking.  To date, this is my favorite dress to wear out. I feel like the red color dresses it up a lot, so if that’s not for you, this dress comes in a shade of black that is perfect for everyday wear.

What I love about this particular dress:

• I love what it  does to my bump – in this dress I don’t feel thick or wide or big- it accentuates the bump in a way that makes the rest of me look thin (-ner).
• Because of the stretchy material and the ruched style you can wear it any time during your life, whether you’re pregnant, postpartum or just like to look amazing.
• The simple neckline that goes low enough to show off my cleavage {the only time in my life that I get to have one}, but not too low to feel overly exposed.

I just can imagine myself wearing this dress going on stroller walks with Alexis and  hubby around town and looking fabulous. Oh and did I forget to mention that Angelina Jolie wore the same dress in black when she was pregnant?

Right now Isabella Oliver is running a 25% off maternity dresses promotion with a code THANKS. Also they carry a non-maternity line that is equally amazing! And you can win this dress by entering below {you don’t have to be pregnant to wear it, btw}

And it just so happens that Isabella Oliver is on Zulily right now at 70% off. FUN!

Oh and can we please give a round of applause to my friend’s adorable baby who is the best model ever!?

Here’s how to win this dress in a color of your choice:

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30 Weeks! Woo-hoo!!!!

Sorry for such a gross picture, but I was completely out of time these few days, running around to OB, ultrasound and pediatrician appointments, among a million other things.

STATS:

Her size: According to the last ultrasound she is 3 lb 12 oz- a big girl!

How far along: 30 WEEKS

Total weight gain: 160 lb (that’s +2 for this week for a total of 24 lbs). I give up on the whole 1 lb a week weight gain thing- my body seems to gain whatever it or the baby wants- zero one week, 2 another week without any change in eating habits, and I am not about to cut the nutrition to my baby just so that I don’t gain much. As long as I eat only whole foods, no processed foods and no junk or empty calories (which is how I’ve been eating this whole pregnancy) – I’m not going to worry about it anymore.

Sleep: It’s been pretty good. I keep having weird dreams on and off.

Maternity Clothes: This week I’ve been wearing my Monster Mania tee from BOBA non stop- it’s one of the few tees that are long enough at this point and feel good on my belly.

Food cravings: As usual anything fresh and cold- like  refrigerated fresh pears.

Food aversions: none

Symptoms I HAVE: Braxton Hicks, minor fatigue occasionally- that’s all, feeling pretty good these days.

Doctor’s Appointment: I had my ultrasound appointment, OB appointment and an interview with a pediatrician this past Thursday. The ultrasound showed that we had absolutely no reason to worry about my small measurement from the last appointment because our little girl is measuring perfectly fine.  Based on these measurements, she will be around 8 pounds. I don’t put toomuch stock in ultrasound determination of weight since I’ve read about too many cases where the estimation was wrong. In addition to that, there was an ultrasound student there who was doing the measurements so I don’t know how precise they are. But the most important thing is she’s growing perfectly fine. Another discovery at this ultrasound was that she is lying transverse.  The doctor wasn’t concerned since most transverse babies turn. My husband, though, wants me to do some spinning babies exercises to make sure. I’m more inclined to just wait and see, since I cannot imagine adding another set of obligations to my current routine as it is. I’ll probably add a few easier ones.

Then we had a prenatal interview with a local pediatrician. I think we’ll be looking for another one. While we did like his answers and what he said, he talked way too much, listened way too little and honestly seemed like he was on methamphetamines ;) He seemed like a good doctor, but we’d like to find someone we’re more comfortable with. So I’ll have to ask around for more referrals.

Movement: I don’t know if it’s because she’s transverse or what but she goes from days with barely any activity to really active days. Mostly she’s been moving less than usual, which I attribute to her position- she can’t possibly have enough room lying across my belly.

Belly Button: It’s officially an outie- you can even see it on the bump photo.

Gender: GIRL! They tried to confirm her sex this time just for fun, but Alexis was keeping her knees tightly closed.

Best moment of the week: Finding out Alexis is growing well.

What I’m looking forward to:

End of pregnancy and birth of Lexi.

What I miss:

still sushi!

Tomorrow I’ll be posting a review and giveaway of one of my MOST favorite maternity brands, Isabella Oliver, with a hot red dress that Angelina Jolie wore when she was pregnant- so don’t miss it!

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Just three months ago I wrote a post about my thoughts on the first trimester and how it compared to my expectations. To me it seems like AGES ago, I was suffering from morning sickness and wondering when I was going to show. But alas, it is time to write about my 2nd trimester experiences, because I am now in the home stretch of this whole journey.

The way it felt to me was that everything that was supposed to happen once I hit 2nd trimester DID NOT happen until the last few weeks of it.

So here we go:

My 2nd trimester

BABY GROWTH

Expectations: I figured that in the 2nd trimester I will finally start having a real belly that people can point at and say “She’s pregnant”.

Reality: I didn’t start really showing from the side until week 20 and from the front- until the end of the 2nd trimester. Obviously, my height had a lot to do with it, and so did the strong ab muscles ( my OB’s words, not mine lol). I can tell she’s getting progressively bigger and stronger, but I’ll see the bulk of her growing in the 3rd trimester

HUNGER

Expectations: Ravishing hunger that will make me want to eat  everything and anything in my sight. And at the same time I also expected myself to have a good control over it.

Reality: I was both right and wrong. The hunger did come. It wasn’t the type where you are never full and want to eat eat eat. It was more like the fast acting hunger that from the second you realize you *might* be hungry takes over your completely and you need FOOD IN YOUR STOMACH NOW! This kind of hunger lasted only a few weeks and subsided really quickly and I had enough control to still eat healthy and reasonably. What came after was a craving for sweets. First, light cravings that could be satisfied with 1 cookie, but the more I was giving into it, the more it was taking over me. Just like with any healthy food management, the less you have the less you want, and visa versa. Well, I think I got to the point where I was giving in more than I was comfortable with (nothing crazy for an average person, but definitely out of my comfort zone). It didn’t help that everyone thought that as a pregnant woman, I needed cupcakes and chocolate and ice cream ( including my husband). Seriously, people need to get a clue and stop tempting pregnant women- it’s hard enough for us to see our bodies grow and to feel tired most of the time, the last thing we want is to have the temptation of numerous nutritionally empty but awfully tasty snacks around our house. I just think it’s cruel- Impossible to resist! :) lol  Now that being said, by anyone else’s criteria I didn’t eat that many treats, but like I said I craved them more than was comfortable for me. Oh and btw, every single cookie or cupcake consumed above my limit has SURELY shown up on the scale. That one thing pregnancy doesn’t forgive – indulgences. So when I am complaining about losing weight (and I hope I don’t), remind me that it’s my own damn fault :)

BRAXTON HICKS

Expectations: I had absolutely no clue what they would feel like. I kept getting cramps and my OB thought I was having BH.

Reality: It’s exactly what everyone and books say: Tightening of your abdomen. For me they have been painless so far.

ENERGY/NESTING

Expectations: 2nd trimester means getting back to “normal” you,  a TON of energy, nesting instinct kicks in, everything is hunky dory.

Reality: Well, my body didn’t seem to be clued into the fact that I had reached my 2nd trimester, because not only was I still feeling sick and heartburny, that well-touted energy was nowhere to be found. I was just as exhausted as before. And even when my nausea subsided, I was getting hit with waves of tiredness for weeks. It wasn’t until the third trimester that I started feeling more energetic.

NAUSEA/MORNING SICKNESS

Expectations: 12-14 weeks and you’re done was what I thought.

Reality: Haha! Well, for me it was 16-18 weeks, and then closely followed by wicked heartburn and nausea after eating more than a few spoonfuls of ANYTHING. So nausea or no nausea, the suffering continued for another 4-6 weeks after the end of the first trimster

SKIN

Expectations: I was hoping that my terrible 1st trimester skin would clear up by the 2nd trimester when it’s no longer being bombarded by the hormones. I was also expecting the well known linea negra to appear some time soon.
Reality: My skin did clear up thankfully, but that was more towards the end of the 2nd trimester. However, 2nd trimester also brought an itchy rash- luckily it was nothing serious or permanent like PUPPS, but it still managed to annoy me for about 4-6 weeks. Also my whole upper body was all of a sudden getting covered in little broken capillaries. No linea negra as off yet.

FINDING OUT THE SEX

Expectations: We were waiting for the day when we could find out the sex of our baby. But it was more impatient childish curiosity than anything else. We had planned to have the reveal in a slightly less traditional way and had the u/s technician write it down on a piece of paper to be opened later.

Reality: You can watch the GENDER REVEAL video here. When it was time to find out whether we were having a boy or a girl, I got so much more emotional than I thought I’d be. At that moment I got hit with a realization that putting a name, a face and, let’s be honest, the right set of genitals on our baby made it so much more REAL that we’re actually having a baby. It was a very powerful moment!

STRETCH MARKS

Expectations: Hoping for none, but expecting some.

Reality: I know about 50% of women get their first stretchmarks in 2nd trimester, and luckily, I am not in that 50%. However, that is in no way a sign that I will not get them. It’s not like if you don’t get them in 2nd trimester they won’t be as bad ( ah! I wish). So I am hoping and moisturizing and praying to the pregnancy gods to let me survive this pregnancy without stretchmarks, but the truth is I won’t know until all is said and done and Alexis is here ( or sometimes after). So I’m doing all there is to do to prevent them, but trying not to think much of them, since well, I’ll either get them or not- not much I can do about it, except for moisturize and not gain crazy amounts of weight.

DIZZINESS

Expectations: I am prone to dizziness… At least I was a teenager. So I was fully expecting this one to show up

Reality: WHAT DIZZINESS? lol

LEG CRAMPS

Expectations: Leg cramps! Yes, I was definitely expecting those. I used to get them a few years ago at night and then they disappeared when I improved my nutrition.

Reality:  Nada! Seriously! Not a single one.I’ a bit surprised.  Of course, I religiously (and properly) take calcium and eat a varied nutritious diet, so I am thinking those two things saved me. The key to calcium supplements and calcium high foods is not to take more than 50% of DV, since your body cannot absorb more than 500mg at a time, anything you take over that will just go to waste. So I take a 500mg supplement in the morning, and then consume diary products at a different time of the day.

MOODINESS

Expectations: So I thought since I was not emotional during the 1st trimester, it would hit me in the 2nd trimester.

Reality:  Nope! Wrong again! I’m not sure why this particular symptom hasn’t gotten me. Maybe because we are doing everything we can to ensure a calm and happy pregnancy for Alexis’ sake, so I don’t have much to get upset about… Either way, my hubby is relieved that he doesn’t have to deal with a hormonal wife. I expect to start getting crabby once the back pain sets in and I’m in my last weeks.

GLUCOSE TEST

Expectations: I was expecting gross horribleness, possibly throwing up, possibly fainting, and having trouble drinking the overly sweet orange liquid.

Reality: For some reason, my doc had me drink only half the bottle. It wasn’t all that bad. The first few sips were actually enjoyable, like drinking flat orange soda (I don’t like gas bubbles, so it was even better for me). By the end, it was starting to get very unpleasant. Afterwards, I took it easy, had hubby drive me to the doctor’s, got my blood drawn and instantly stuffed myself with a whole grain (fake-)chicken sandwich. So overall, it was manageable. It did wipe me out  completely for the rest of the day, though.

And I never mentioned, but the results for blood glucose level came back normal at 89 (the threshold is 140)

SLEEP

Expectations: Bad sleep all throughout 2nd and third trimester. Fewer trips to the bathroom.

Reality: There was absolutely no difference between 1st, 2nd and 3rd trimester as to how often I have to get up to pee. It’s all the same: 3-4 times a night. Sleep got more difficult as the belly grew but as soon as I figured out comfortable positions supported by numerous pillows, in addition to a body pillow and a pregnancy pillow, everything settled down and I enjoyed every night of sleep

A few anticipated but missing symptoms

sciatic pain, swelling, round ligament pain, constipation.
Still expecting the first two in the 3rd trimester, along with back pain.

So there’s the low down on the 2nd trimester of a 1st timer. Overall, my 2nd trimester wasn’t that bad, but I’m definitely loving the third one better (for now).

How did your expectations differ from the reality of pregnancy the first time you were pregnant?
Was it easier or harder than you thought?

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Life seemed to have sped up and with only 45 days left until I am full term, certain things are taking priority over others.

Labor exercises and relaxation training have taken over any blogging and photo editing time. I spend about 2-3 hours a day preparing for labor and birth.
Cooking and feeding myself with enough protein and nutrients is taking first place over working.
Planning the nursery, budgeting, mapping out purchases, answering emails is now in place of whatever I have left over.
Somehow I have to squeeze newborn and breastfeeding book reading, too.

And then there’s always good old relaxing and watching a show or two, which I’ve allowed myself  more these days, because it’s the only way I get to spend “quality” time with my husband.

So this is why you don’t see quite as many posts. I’m slowly coming back with the motivation and inspiration, but it’s pretty hard to find free time. So I’m trying to juggle it all and it’s difficult. I do need to get more organized- any little unplanned activity screws up my whole schedule and everything I have planned for that day.

So tonight, I pushed through and made myself pick out photos for the Photo Share Tuesday post. Now before I pass out, I have to go practice relaxation techniques and watch an episode of “Mentalist” with hubby, since he’s been waiting for me for an hour already.

Today I’ve got the photos of our 2nd visit to Puerto Rico. Hope these brighten up your day with blues and greens of sky and palm trees. Enjoy!

I MISS BEING SO CAREFREE!

{rules: 1. Link up ONLY THE Specific Photo Share POST, not the whole blog. 2. include the button in the post, if you link up}

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Welcome to Week 7 of Pregnant with Style feature, a weekly low down on the cutest and little known maternity brands.

{Discover other weeks and maternity brands here}

Boden is a British brand that started out as a small menswear company only to grow into big, bright and beautiful brand with a full range of clothes for everyone. The one thing that comes to mind when I think of Boden is COLOR. COLOR and PATTERN! Their styles are incredibly distinguishable from anything else we are exposed to here in US. It’s like Benetton grew up and discovered luxury.

I’ve been in love with their strict shapes, classy designs, warm styles, tantalizing colors and mind-bending patterns since the first day I visited Boden website.

Recently, however, I discovered that Boden carries a small, but equally bright and happy maternity line. Using the same funky patterns and bright coordinating colors, Boden makes maternitywear fun again! Check out Boden maternity line here.

And if you like your man looking prim and proper and classy and most importantly HOT, visit the men’s section. Boden started in menswear, so they know a thing or two about how to make your man look dashing. Too bad we don’t have much use for yummy sweaters and trendy coats here in Florida, but I know now where I am going for an outfit or two when things get really chilly here.

Btw, I got a really good kick out of Boden’s “Dad Dancing” video. I loved it so much, I watched it three times, showed it to hubby and just had to post it here. I’m sorry, but if my dad looked this hot, I’d let him dance around all day long.

So onto the actual review of one of Boden’s tunic/dresses…. I chose the Fun Knit Tunic for the few months of cold-ish weather in Florida and the first time I put it on it really paid off :) I got it in a size or two larger than I needed to accommodate my preggo belly and it worked out perfectly. I wore it with black leggings and flats for a cute and comfy look and my husband and I went to a neighboring community to take some maternity style photos. During the day I was comfortable as long as the sun wasn’t shining, but by the end of the night, poor Andrew was freezing his bum off and I was warm and toasty.

The funny part was that Andrew was lukewarm on this tunic when I was looking at it online, but when I got it and put it on, he wouldn’t stop commenting on how cute it looked. I loved the simple design with a little fun colorful flare at the bottom. It can be worn with leggings, pants and I really adore the way it looks with bare legs and boots on (yum!).

Aside from womenswear, maternity and menswear, Boden has THE CUTEST MINIBoden collection for kids and babies and super adorable JohnnyB, clothes for teens. Boden recently launched their winter collection of boy clothing and girl clothing, as well as adorable irresistible baby stuff , so if you have kids, you won’t leave that site without some monetary damage (he-he)

Is this dress cute or what? I’m so getting it for Alexis when she’s a little older to match my tunic.

I’d love to hear what you think of my new tunic and Boden’s styles and what other maternity brands surprised you with the style and quality.

Disclosure: I received the above mentioned product for free. All opinions are 100% my own.

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I cannot believe I am one week from being in the week 30! I remember just starting this journey and thinking that 30 weeks was SO FAR ALONG! Luckily, the start of the third trimester has been wonderful for me. I feel like everything that has been said about 2nd trimester (less discomfort, more energy, no heartburn) is finally here now. Let’s hope that the third trimester pains won’t kick in for a while, because I am digging it right now :)

Someone commented asking where I got all the sleeping bras I’m wearing in the bump photos. I didn’t get to answer and couldn’t find that comment later, so here’s where I buy them: Lamaze Cotton Spandex Sleep Bra for Nursing and Maternity.

Really didn’t want to take the bump picture today- bleh!

STATS:

Her size: Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds

How far along: 29 WEEKS

Total weight gain: 158lb (that’s +0 for this week for a total of 21 lbs). With last week’s 3 lb gain, I am happy to not have gained anything this week.

Sleep: Weird pregnancy dreams are on and off. Last night I woke up from a different dream each time I had to go pee which was about 5 times. One of them featured Alexis being born with a full set of teeth lol

Alexis has also gotten to torturing me by pushing against the bed in my belly when I lay on my side- really funky feeling I gotta tell you.

Maternity Clothes: Totally loving a few lesser known brands (I talk about them every Sunday). I got my new pjs from Boob Design and refuse to take them off at home. I’ll be doing a giveaway of one of their items soon since they’re coming out with their US store. Also some of my other favorite maternity items this week are cargo pants from Everly Grey (win a pair here), and this pair of jean capri from Boob.

Food cravings : I’m still loving my chickenless chicken whole grain sandwiches.

Food aversions: none

Symptoms I HAVE: Almost none. I’ve been having a few obvious Braxton Hicks, but that’s really it. I’m really happy my heartburn hasn’t returned full strength yet, like it’s supposed to in 3rd trimester.

Doctor’s Appointment: November 17th and I am really looking forward to seeing our pumpkin on the ultrasound, possibly one last time before delivery. We also have our pediatrician interview the same day, so that’ll be interesting.

Movement: The girl is STRONG! I totally feel like someone out of a movie whose body was invaded by an alien. My skin moves all the time, I think she flipped 3 times today. At one point I could swear she was laying transverse, because i could feel simultaneous kicks and punches on both sides.

Belly Button: An innie with a Napoleon complex.

Gender: GIRL!

Best moment of the week: Finishing all the painting of the nursery. Casings, baseboards, closet doors- all done! Now onto the design and I have such exciting things planned- can’t wait to show you guys.

What I’m looking forward to:

Black Friday and Cyber Monday, because that’s when I am ordering about 80% of the nursery stuff and baby items. I have most of it planned out and just cannot wait.

What I miss:

still sushi!

Look forward to the following posts:

2nd Trimester recap this week
My favorite 2nd trimester items
Nursery Update
Our Birth Plan – I am doing a complete 180 on that one.

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So last night, as I was sitting on the couch putting together some these photos for today’s Photo Share Tuesday, I started feeling pretty distinct Braxton Hicks. After about 3 of them in the matter of 20 minutes, I decided to go lie down ( and continue drinking gallons of water, even though I am always hydrated so I knew that wasn’t the issue). To add confusion to the whole thing,  Alexis wouldn’t stop sticking her butt and feet out, so my whole belly seemed hard, and I couldn’t distinguish her body from Braxton Hicks ( it all felt firm to me). Luckily they were painless, so I wasn’t too worried, but I have read that even painless contractions that occur 6 times or more an hour can dilate your cervix and my doc definitely warned me about that. It went away by the morning, but how on earth am I supposed to know when it’s something to be concerned about. The last thing I want to do is rush to an ER because I counted 6 in an hour and it turns out it was fine all along.

So onto the photos… Today it’s a mix of old, new and in between.

I stumbled upon this photo last night and it just blew my mind that it was me at 16 weeks pregnant. Back then I still barely fit into my pre-pregnancy dresses. It seems like ages ago and also strange to think that at some point of my pregnancy I didn’t have a big belly. The other day my husband accidentally brushed against my belly and went “Whoa! I totally forgot you have a preggo belly. For a second I didn’t expect it to be there!”

Don’t remember ever sharing these two photos ( sorry if I already did). We were racking our brains for something to do with the paint we used for the gender reveal, since it wasn’t the  paint we ever intended on using for the walls, and it’s too bright to paint a frame or some decor item. So we finally settled on a handprint t-shirt, which turned out more fun than I thought. The paint is still there even after washing it a couple of times.

No comment on this one. Just thought it was funny! I was waiting for hubby to get done with some yard work and saw the tripod with my camera on the inside, so i grabbed the remote and quickly snapped a few goofy pictures. I look huge there, don’t I?

Yeah, we do that to each other from time to time – ruin perfectly good photos. The thing was we were running late and I HAD to take a picture for the weekly Selfie Saturdays, so this was a quick snapshot that Andrew decided to mess with ( luckily I never take just one picture, so we have our perfect shot anyways)
If you like my Facebook page, you might have seen this picture. This is just an outtake from another Selfie Saturday shoot.  I wearing the comfiest pjs EVER from a maternity company I will be featuring in one of the Pregnant with Style Sundays. I’ve been wearing them non-stop since I got them.

And that’s Jake doing what he does best: begging for treats.

And finally, a few photos  of me opening a package from Isabella Oliver, with the most amazing looking maternity dress that I am just DYING to show you, guys! In a few weeks I will be running a giveaway of the same dress, too. Wait till you see how it looks on. Excuse my wet hair and no, I am not sniffing my armpit in the second picture, contrary to what it may look like. ahahahaha

 No linky today- sorry!

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Week 6 of Pregnant With Style

{see previous weeks here and come back each Sunday for more}

Discovering and introducing new and interesting maternity brands…

This week it’s Everly Grey Maternity.

USE CODE EVG20 to get a 20% discount off your Everly Grey purchase for the month of November as a special promotion for my readers.

Everly Grey is your total everyday affordable maternity wear, from dresses, to soft tops, to blouses to comfy pants and shorts.

I got to try out an Emmy top and Owen twill cargo pants and I have one word for you: COMFORT! I remember when I first received my package and put the Emmy top on, I spent the rest of the day lounging in it.

The top feels more like a tunic – long, lean and comfortable, perfect for fall weather. The navy inspired stripes add a touch of elegance to any casual outfit, so you can still look classy if you pair it up with skinny jeans and a pair of stilettos. The 4″ side slits will accommodate your ever-growing front and rear without accentuating it. All together I thought the Emmy Top was a perfect item to have in your wardrobe, both during pregnancy and after.

So when I first tried it on, I walked around in my undies and this top for a few hours until my husband looked at me strangely and asked “Why don’t you have pants on?”

That’s when I remembered I forgot to try out the pants lol

I’d say the biggest complaint I’ve heard from pregnant women about maternity clothes are pants/jeans that just don’t fit/don’t fit right. And I have to agree: the band pressing on your stomach is just too tight and too uncomfortable after a certain point in pregnancy.

Say hello to the Owen Pants! I love twill pants in general. I had a ton of skinny twill pants before pregnancy and hope to buy many more after. I love how they hug your body but don’t look exactly like good old jeans. The band of these pants is below the belly, just like you’d wear normal pants, except for it’s a slightly thicker and sort of like a soft scrunchy. It doesn’t press on your tummy but doesn’t stick out from under your shirt. In other words, the pants band fits perfectly under your belly without causing any discomfort or bunching up. I love the zipper on the ankle that gives it a more rough look, as well as big pockets on the back and the sides that take the pants from leggings category to cargo pants field.

Below are a few other things I own and/or like from Everly Grey Maternity:

{blue top no longer carried} {Blue Beth Dress}

{Rowan Tuxedo Top} {Robyn Top} {Poppy Dress} {Beth Dress}

All the Everly Grey items I have are extremely soft and comfortable, but most importantly affordable. And now you get an opportunity to win your own Emmy Top or Owen Cargo Pants in your size! All you have to do is ENTER the giveaway below. Please read the rules carefully, but otherwise it’s super easy with Rafflecopter (no more multiple comments for entries- one click each and you’re done (almost)).

You can also USE CODE EVG20 to get a 20% discount off your Everly Grey purchase for the month of November as a special promotion for my readers. They are having a really good sale right now, so don’t miss out.

BELOW ARE THE GIVEAWAY RULES
and Mandatory Entries: {read carefully}