How to make your belly look smaller

dress: c/o shein   scarf: ebay  boots: dsw  

Want to know how to make your big belly look smaller?  Wear a scarf that looks like it's about to take over your body.  This will help your self esteem, especially after last night.  I decided to take a bath because my body was not feeling great and sadly my belly (or my boobs) didn't even come close to being under water, to which Addilyn thought was hysterical.  She kept running back in the bathroom, standing next to the tub and cracking up.  Glad you think my body is so funny.  Thank you for helping me make my bath so relaxing.

In other news, this sweater is wonderful.  It's non maternity, but super stretchy.  Also love that it's holey, because my overheated pregnant gets hot way too fast!

Mint Julep Giveaway

 vest: c/o mint julep   dress/tunic: c/o shein  leggings: old navy  boots: dsw 

I have a few items from Mint Julep and LOVE their clothes.  When I got to pick out an item I of course emailed my sister about four choices as I couldn't decide just one on my own.  This fur vest and this vest were on the list!  But I picked this plaid vest and am so happy I did.  It may be the softest, coziest clothing I own and perfect for the Winter.  Also perfect for my growing belly.  Mint Julep has tons of items, that while aren't necessarily maternity would work throughout most of your pregnancy.  Tons of cute vests, and sweaters and lots of tunics and flowy tops. They even have a maternity section sharing lots of options for mamas to be!  

 I wore this the day we decorated our Christmas tree and it was a good choice! Cute and super comfy. I'll definitely get a lot of wear out of it and am looking forward to wearing it next year too once this baby boy is here!  I'm excited that I get to host a giveaway for a $25 credit to anything on Mint Julep. Enter below and head over to my instagram (@katiejvale) tonight for another chance to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you so much Mint Julep! I loved working with you again and love your shop! 

We are thankful

I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving greatly.  I can't wait for a four day weekend with Chris, my favorite day of the year getting our tree, letting Addilyn help decorate it, and spending time with our families.  God is so so good, and we could not be more thankful for our marriage, sweet daughter and baby boy on the way.  Life is not always full of happy and easy things, but we are so thankful to be in a season right now where it's easy to be thankful for all that we have.  
Thankful for reading this blog, and letting me share my life with you! I am thankful for you! Hope you enjoy the rest of your week.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Dear Lauren and Lauren,

Dear Lauren and Lauren, 

It's been far too long since I've written a letter to either of you.  And I am so sorry.  You are who this blog was created for!  Maybe we need to do more girls trips and then I'll write about the three of us all the time.  Can we go back to a few weekends ago?  What a fun two days!  

top: old navy  vest: c/o shein  leggings: gap maternity  boots: just fab

I wore this on the second day there and we clearly all think alike, as comfy tops, leggings and boots won for all three of us.  We went to a cute little town about an hour away and spent two days walking around shops, eating, hanging out, playing Nertz and talking.  So so fun to have quality time with you girls! 

If you think I look ridiculously tired, it's because I slept maybe two and half hours at our hotel. Thank you Lauren in law for switching spots with me at 2:30 in the morning so I could be more comfortable.  I'm sorry I got sick and was a dud the second half of the day on Saturday!  Thankfully the two of you could enjoy some wine tasting while I went back to the coffee shop for apple cider and almost fell asleep.  Next time I'm joining you and your wine!

We went to this super cute coffee shop Saturday morning and the barista wrote cute messages on our cups.  Lauren and Lauren went ahead of me and my mom kept telling me to tell her my name was Lauren.  But I obviously did not and she wrote "Katie #1, only sweet Katie" on my cup.  Lauren got #1 in the house and poor Lauren in Law went first and didn't get anything.  Thanks to my mom's trendy earrings she got Carol "with the fasionista earrings."  My sweet Aunt Janny was there too and I know someone has a picture of all five of us, but I don't!  She flew in from California and it was so nice to spend time with her too! 

Can we please make this an annual thing? Or even better do it a few times a year? It was so great spending time with my favorite girls and I'm so lucky to love spending time with my sisters as much as I do.  You two are the best and I love you so much!

Pumpkin Patch

 

I know it's snow and Christmas now, but better late than never right?  This day was about a month ago.  The weather was perfect and we went right after we told our families we were having a boy.  It made for a perfect Sunday afternoon! Fall is my favorite and I love traditions like going to the pumpkin farm.  If only I would've found a pumpkin big enough to put Addilyn in.  I should tell you that I actually tried to shove her in one that was way to small.  I should probably dedicate a whole post to it, but it may be borderline child abuse and it still wasn't successful. So we'll see. 

Good and Bad

                                cardigan: c/o shein   tunic: c/o shein   scarf: groopdealz  boots: zulily
The good this week:
My new cardigan.  I am always hot, let alone when I'm pregnant.  Which is why lighter weight cardigans are a win.  
We made pumpkin muffins yet again this week.  They are the easiest, yummiest treat and we love them!  Box of cake mix, can of pumpkin and some chocolate chips.  Done!
Addilyn is all of a sudden interested in potty training.  On Sunday we got to a friend's house and she said she needed to go potty.  I put her on the toilet and she pooped.  Then later that night peed two more times.  She hasn't gone every time since, but has gone on the toilet more times than she's gone in her diaper the last few days.  I don't want to get my hopes up that it'll be this easy but I'm going with it! 
Despite just about every bone in my body, I've worked out four times this week and am really proud of myself.  
The bad: 
The beginning of this week was rough.  We had a total fail at Bible Study childcare, which is so discouraging to me.  The last few times there and at church haven't been the best, and they seem to be getting worse. After our long, long struggle last year I thought we were over this, and I'm sad, anxious and disappointed we're here again.  We both cried on the way home.  It was pathetic. Praying it's a short phase and that I have wisdom how to handle it. 
We've had cancelled plans that I was looking forward to this week and we've been home a lot. Which makes the days seem so much longer.  
I can't even wait for our sweet boy to get here and love him so much.  But this week I've felt more anxious than others about adding another baby to our family.  Anxious about Addilyn and the lack of attention she'll need, how I'll handle bedtime alone as we're in a rougher phase, and just managing two kids in general.  I know we'll figure it out and it'll take time, but the harder stuff has been on my mind more this week.  
Happy almost weekend! I can't believe next week is Thanksgiving, and I can't wait for Chris to have a four day weekend and spend lots of time together!

Blanket? Poncho? Who cares.

poncho: c/o shein   leggings: gap  boots: dsw 

This weekend when I came out wearing this, Chris literally thought I was just wearing a blanket. And I don't blame him.  It looks and feels just like a big blanket and I love it.  Perfect for Winter, perfect for a big pregnant belly and I want to wear it all the time.   

Weeks 23 & 24

I feel like time is starting to go much quicker! I think that comes with this time of the year, which I'm always happy if it would slow down a little.  There is so much to look forward to with the holidays and I want to enjoy it and not feel rushed or too busy!  I've had a nasty cold the last week or so and have probably slept a few hours combined most nights, thanks to coughing and being uncomfortable. I guess it's a good reminder that you can survive on little sleep which should ease my fears a little with adding a newborn, right?  Thankfully Addilyn has been taking good naps, so I've been able to rest most days. I seriously thank God everyday that she naps and pray she keeps it up for awhile!
I had a doctor appointment this month with just the nurse and everything went well.  She let Addilyn hold the doppler to find the baby's heartbeat and she kept saying "We have one of these at home." Although ours takes a while and she is never patient enough to wait to find it.  Next appointment will be the glucose test, which like everyone I think, I'm nervous for and sure hope I don't test positive. 
I know I've said this before but I feel so much bigger this time around.  It makes me a little nervous about how big I'll be by the end! I feel him move all the time and I love it.  I'm pretty sure you can see my belly shake when he's moving all over.  It still amazes me that there is a real baby in my belly! 
I started to get nervous about this baby really being a boy!  It was around this time we went to have a second ultrasound to make sure Addilyn was really a girl.  I feel like with a boy it's usually more accurate, but I can't help but think what if he comes out a she!?  I wish I had another ultrasound, but I think we'll just have to trust the one we had! 
I've made a few things for his nursery the last two weeks.  I started a mobile, sewed a changing pad cover and made a pillow for his room.  I love everything so far and can't wait to keep working on it. A boy's nursery is so much fun to plan!  I've also started a collection of boy clothes and love looking at them.  While I still hold true that there are more cute options for girls, I'm loving buying boy clothes and have found some super cute things!
We took some pictures for Christmas cards this weekend and it was so fun to write out "Chris, Katie, Addilyn and baby boy."  It's crazy to think of us being a family of four come March.  I can't even wait! 

It's time to cut myself off

 sweater & vest: old navy   leggings: gap   boots: just fab

I officially need to cut myself off from going to Old Navy or looking on their website.  Whether for clothes for myself or for Addilyn, I have spent too much money there the last many months!  But their clothes are so cute, comfortable and cheap!  I ordered this maternity sweater online a few weeks ago, along with two other super cute tops.  Each top was under $10, plus I had $10 off for super cash and got free shipping, so really they were almost free.  I got the vest for $18 at the outlet store on our weekend away last month, and have worn it non stop.  I know they had $15 vests the other day and I so badly wanted to get another color but I refrained.  See, I do have some self control? 

And I fully intend to wear this, and the other tops I got well after this baby is born so even more worth my money, right?  Also, I may have given up on my quest for really cute maternity jeans. Leggings for the win every day.  

Our Cinderella

Last Halloween kind of felt like a bust.  We certainly had the cutest little lamb, but both Addilyn and Chris were sick, the weather was awful, and it did not turn out at all how I had planned.  Thankfully this year was so much better.  Plus Addilyn was so excited and had been practicing saying "trick or treat" all week.  And of course Chris had to teach her "Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat," and she couldn't stop singing it.  Thank goodness she's so cute. 

To no surprise she wanted to be Cinderella.  I found her costume for $15 on Amazon.  It was a little big and I tried to pin it up, but she still kept tripping on it.  The weather was not great, but we weren't out long and ten or so houses were plenty.  We went to Chris' parents' neighborhood and my sister and her kids came too.  It was so fun trick or treating with everyone.  Somewhere there are a million pictures of all four kids and of course not everyone still or looking! I need to find who's phone they are on. 
Addilyn loved holding the umbrella as we walked. 

It was pretty stinkin cute!  Crazy to think next year we'll have another baby to dress up!  Holidays just keep getting more and more fun, and I can't even wait for Thanksgiving and Christmas!

Times Two

 vest: tjmaxx  top: target  leggings: gap  boots: old navy 

I'm a big fan of clothing that I can wear not pregnant or pregnant.  Especially ones that won't stretch out and be ruined after fitting over a big belly for months.  (Thank goodness Old Navy v-neck tees are so cheap because I'm pretty sure most of my are already pretty stretched out.)  I love this vest and am happy that I can wear it throughout the Winter and rest of my pregnancy! 

vest: tjmaxx   tee: target   jeans & sandals: old navy  Someday I'll miss that pregnant belly right?  Right now I miss that flatter, smaller belly!  Here are a few other items that would be perfect pregnant or not: 

apricot vest // chunky cardigan tassel cardigan // tan sweater
Hope you guys have a great weekend! Happy almost Friday!