sweater: c/o shein leggings: costco boots & scarf: dsw
I was watching Keeping up with the Kardashians yesterday and found out when Kim was pregnant she had a body double that would come to her house. She'd put on a fake baby belly and try on her clothes, then take pictures in them because Kim was too tired to try them all on.
Now the ridiculous thing about that isn't that she was too tired to try on all her clothes. The other day I wanted to try on some clothes to figure out what to wear for our maternity pictures coming up, and gave up after one pair of pants, a pair of boots and two shirts. It was seriously hard work and I was tired.
I'm sure that job pays good money which I can't do, but if any wants to come over with a fake belly and try some clothes on for me I'll pay you with fruit snacks and cheese fries.
Also I realize I am wearing leggings as pants. If I would've had a body double to try it on first that wouldn't have happened.
Not pregnant I am very disciplined when it comes to working out, most weeks working out at least five times a week. When I'm pregnant that's a different story and I have done the best I could do, but with each month what I can handle has totally varied. The first trimester and a month or so more I felt incredibly sick. For most of the day, and as much willpower as I do have normally I could not work out. I walked a few times a week if that, but that was it. I think when you're pregnant so much is listening to what your body needs and while I've heard people who are nauseous or sick say they felt better when they worked out, I never did.
Thankfully I had a pretty decent two months (if that) where I felt better. I wasn't huge and uncomfortable yet, and thanks to medicine I wasn't throwing up and nauseous all day. Before getting pregnant I'd alternate between running and workout videos. I had done 21 day fix extreme from Beachbody for two sets of 21 days, and after that would alternate those videos with others to switch it up. I LOVED the workout videos. They were challenging, only 30 minutes and varied day to day so I was never bored or tired of them. I can't wait to do these again this Spring!
I was really excited to hear that Beachbody has maternity workout videos, using their on demand feature and was so happy when someone contacted me about getting to try them out! Autumn Calabrese is the one that leads the videos, and after doing 21 Day Fix Extreme I really loved her and felt the same way with these videos. There are three videos, one for each trimester. I didn't try these until I was at the beginning of my second trimester so I started there. I loved the video because it was a mix of strength training and small bits of cardio.
I am definitely a more anxious pregnant person and do worry about which exercises are safe and not, so it's nice to have a video that is specific for pregnant woman. I didn't have to worry about what I should or shouldn't be doing, and watching a pregnant person do the exercises too was nice. When I entered the third trimester I was excited to try that video. This one was mostly strength exercises, holding certain positions and more rest in between which is definitely needed! I also found a prenatal yoga video through Beachbody on demand that I have done a few times and enjoyed too.
My working out has been halted a bit, as I shared some unpleasant symptoms during my last update that make doing anything physical pretty uncomfortable and painful, so sadly my working out is few and far between these days. Which is hard for me, but I know this is just a season and I can only do what I can do.
I can not wait to get back to my normal workouts once this baby is here! I have looked through lots of the videos on demand and want to do them so badly! It's awesome that using the on demand feature you can have access to all of the videos, rather than purchasing them on their own. I only own the 21 Day Fix Extreme, but have wanted to try the others, especially Insanity and Turbo Fire. I'm pretty sure I'll be paying for the On Demand come April. You get access to over 400 workout videos! Plus you can get your first 30 days for free, and then it's only $2.99 a week and you can cancel anytime. I think it will be quite a while before I'm back at a gym and honestly this is way more appealing to me. Cheaper, lots of options and I know so many people who have used these workouts to get into great shape. Definitely a good motivator for after baby!
And I'll certainly need some new workout clothes for extra motivation, right? I'll take these cute pants and this top from lolewoman.com. I miss all my work out clothes! Thankfully my cute tennis shoes still fit, right? Not like they are easy to see anymore!
Everybody lime up!! (She says this often and I can't bring myself to tell her it is line.)
Addi what's your Christmas wish?
"It's allllll about mama!!!!"
I love you mama. And I love Lena and I love Travis.
"What about Annie?"
No. Babies are not my love. Grown ups are my love. I'm not good at loving babies. Just grown ups.
We went to see Santa and she asked him for a baby doll. On the way home she said so disappointedly, "but he didn't give me a baby doll!!!"
Randomly in the car "I have a tiny head. A really tiny head."
She sat on Chris' lap and said, "daddy. I'm sitting on your privacy."
We were playing on the bed and I pushed Addi over like we had been doing the last five minutes and she stopped and look appalled and said "Don't push people. People do not like to be pushed."
You know what? I'm going to name my baby brother Addi when he grows up to be a big girl!
We were trying to tell Addi which hand was her left and which was her right and we asked her to raise her right hand and she said, "I've got nothing for you guys."
Addi and I were playing with these flash cards and she said "Okay listen up. These are the rules. You pick them up and then throw them down." So I picked some up and threw then down and she said, "No, no no. These are very special to my life."
flannel and leggings: old navy tank top: walmart
A few weeks ago I was getting ready for bed and changing in the bathroom. Chris walked in and I was putting lotion all over my stomach, and was only in my underwear.
His response? "Oooh. I think we're going to have a big boy on our hands."
Thank you Chris. That is exactly what a naked pregnant woman wants to hear.
Edit: Thank you to a friend you sent me this picture from years ago when we were high school youth leaders of Chris and his "I can stick out my belly farther than you" trick.
At least I'm making a "big boy" in my belly. ;)
Love you Chris.
I just spent some time looking back on my post like this from last year. It is so fun for me to look at what last year looked like and then to look through this year month by month. This makes me want to keep writing my blog. I love being able to see our year in review and get excited to continue to document our lives from the good things, the hard things, the shallow things like outfit pictures and the fun things like projects I've done. This has been a great year overall and I am so thankful for all the ways God has blessed us. Here's a look at our 2015 . . . .
In January I wrote about feeling more confident in my role as a mom, something I'm still learning but as time goes on feeling like this is exactly what I am supposed to be doing right now and was made to be a mom. I made Addilyn a cool workshop sensory board that I will now have to figure a way to change the name so our baby boy can use it down the line too! I wrote about being brave and some goals for the new year.
In February I shared my favorite place in the house to decorate, which ironically I changed and looks very different now. I shared a new favorite outfit, and wrote about my goal for teaching Addilyn to be herself, needing to hear those words and apply it myself. I turned my grandpa's old suitcase into an end table and it is probably my best project I've ever done.
In March we celebrated Easter and Addilyn went to her first big Easter egg hunt which was hysterical. I wrote out my breastfeeding journey, which came with lots of emotions. Addilyn got a pair of yoga pants and tennis shoes and it was just about the cutest thing I'd seen. I made a little coffee bar in our dining room and that became my new favorite place in our house.
In April, Addilyn and I got matching tees and I wanted to keep dressing us alike all the time. This month held National Infertility week and I wrote a post about our story. I had a super fun girls' day with my sister and one of my best friends. I wrote a post about our desire for baby number 2 and waiting for direction in what we should do.
In May I nursed Addilyn for the last time on Mother's Day and shared my feelings about it. Chris and I celebrated our ten year wedding anniversary with a night away, which was the first time we had left Addilyn overnight. I wrote about ways that I was working on being brave, and Addilyn and I made some flower pots and planted some herbs and flowers which we did manage to keep alive for a long time. I started writing my Addi says what posts filled with funny things Addilyn has said, which have become my favorite posts.
In June I wrote about our favorite things to do as a stay at home mom and ways we keep busy. I had a night away with my sister, sister in law and mom and we had a great time! Way overdue I wrote about the time with my blogging friend turned best friend came to visit with her daughter. At the end of the month we went to Florida with Chris' family and I wrote about our trip to Disney World, which is where Addilyn fell in love with Cinderella which she has yet to go a day without saying "I'm Cinderella" at least five times, sometimes fifty. We also found out on this trip that I was pregnant, but waited until we got home to tell our families after I went to the doctor.
In July I wrote about the rest of our trip to Florida, including time at the ocean. Addilyn turned two years old and we celebrated with friends and donuts at the park, and then had an small ice cream party with our families. I found the comfiest and cutest pairs of pants and wanted to wear them all summer long. We told our families that we were pregnant with baby number two, which I shared on my blog next month. I felt nauseous and sick pretty much right away this time around, but was so so thankful and shocked that we got pregnant on our own.
In August, I shared an embarrassing story about a failed grocery shopping trip, and wrote about our family trip this summer with my side of the family. I got to announce that we were expecting baby number two and it was just so much fun to feel everyone's excitement for this baby. I shared a little bit about baby number two and started with weekly updates at week 13. Chris also started a new job this month, with a new office and lots of exciting things, but also with lots of work and some stress too!
In September I attempted going to MOPS and the childcare did not go well, and I wrote about trying to be brave and wondering if we should stick it out. We went apple picking or as Addilyn would call it, "apple pie picking." I started my obsession with buying clothes from Pink Blush and shared a few favorite outfits. I wrote about how Addilyn at 26 months had become my favorite age so far, and wrote my first letter to our baby.
In October, we went away for the weekend to a place we've been the previous three years and I wrote about how much our lives have changed each year we've been there. We found out we were having a baby BOY and shared the exciting news with our families. My belly kept on growing and I very quickly moved to 99% leggings.
In November I turned 31 and celebrated with a dinner followed by a trip to Aldi with Chris, then got to sleep in the next morning thanks to Addilyn sleeping over at her grandma's. Best birthday present ever! I wrote about our halloween and to no surprise Addilyn's costume choice being Cinderella. I shared about our trip to the pumpkin patch and about another girls' day with my sisters, mom and aunt. I wrote another Addi says what post and she just keeps getting funnier and funnier.
In December, I hosted a favorite things party and it was so much fun! I shared my maternity staples for this pregnancy which includes leggings, tunics and all things loose and comfortable. I continue to work on finding joy in the messier moments of motherhood, and knowing that in the midst of hard times there are small moments of joy to hold on to. We had the best Christmas and I feel like holidays just keep getting better and better. I ended the year with a pregnancy post with only 10 more weeks left to go!
This year has been wonderful. It's been fun and surprising. It's been full of lots of throw up and tiredness, but so so exciting as we wait for our baby boy in March. God has blessed us so much this year and we couldn't be more thankful. We know a big year is coming ahead and we are excited to see our family grow and what the year ahead has in store!
