I'm almost 14 weeks pregnant, and my belly has popped... not to the extent that anyone who doesn't know me would connect the dots, but I can certainly tell. It's a bit of a hard stage to be in because on the one hand I want to declare my pregnancy to the world in excitement, but at the same time I don't really look pregnant to the casual onlooker. I just appear to be a little rounder than usual. So, for me, the flowing/draping/tunic shirts continue. Hence, number one on my list:
1. Oversized flowing/draping/tunic-esque shirts. The one I'm wearing above was actually a thrift store find, but here are links to some I'm currently loving:
2. Black maternity jeggings from Pink Blush Maternity. I ordered a pair, and when they arrived I couldn't believe how comfortable they are! It's like wearing pajamas... except they look like jeans and they're flattering. Win win win.
3. Cute scarves. Obviously this isn't exclusive for pregnant women, but if you're in the stage where you don't want to draw attention to your growing waistline then a scarf can help. Plus they're just a fun way to accessorize. Here are some of my favorites:
4. A spare ring (or two) in bigger sizes for swollen fingers. In my first pregnancy, I didn't have this issue until the last trimester. This time around I've already noticed swelling that comes and goes, and my wedding ring has left marks and sores on my fingers a few times. And, since I can't afford to get a spare diamond ring, a good cz is the next best thing. I have my eye on this Round Halo Cubic Zirconia Ring.
5. Comfortable boots. This is another fall necessity for everyone, but when you're pregnant you need to ensure that they are indeed comfortable because feet swell. Everything else already hurts, so the last thing you need is to add feet to your list of woes. I love the Tan Booties I'm wearing above because they are comfy with a slight heel for that elongating/slimming effect.
6. Maternity tights. Tights are a must-have for fall so that you can transition your favorite skirts into a new season. Regular tights are really uncomfortable on a growing belly. Maternity tights are a must-have if...you know... breathing is a priority. I love this 2 pack of H&M Maternity Tights and these Maroon Merona Brand Tights from Target.
7. Lipsticks in fall fall shades. Your body is going through a lot of changes that you don't have much control over. Lipstick is one way you can easily take charge of your look to switch things up... and have fun doing so. Here are a few of my favorites for the season:
When I was younger I used to look forward to the days that I could forgo makeup, forget my hair, and stay in my pajamas all day. Working full-time, going to school full-time, dating, and juggling the demands of family, friends, and church left me with little time to be undone. I always had to be made up. Now, as a mom of a toddler, the tables have turned. I look forward to any excuse to get ready. Applying eye shadow (something I rarely have time for), curling my hair, donning heels--the occasions that demand these tasks are so few and far between that I've learned to relish them.
Our weekly date night is one such occasion that I can rely on for some relief from my typical mom attire (jeggings/yoga pants/t-shirts). Although I'm well aware that my appearance does not define my worth and is only a small part of my identity, I love feeling done up and polished.
This outfit was particularly fun for me.The neutral tones are jazzed up a bit with the jeweled shoulder, subtle printed jeans, and a pop of gold on the stilettos. The blouse seemed to me to have a vintage vibe, so I paired it with retro side-swept hair, red lips, and a clutch to complete the effect.
Do you get excited for any excuse to dress up? Or are you in a place in life where a casual day is a nice reprieve?
I picked up this hat at Target, and I'm in love with it. As in, I've already worn it too much and will continue doing so. It has a nice chambray piece with a bow detail that makes it perfect for pairing with... everything. I actually saw it on Emma first, so click to see another way to style it. I also really loved the tribal prints that made an appearance this winter, so I was excited to find a light, springy scarf with a similar design.
Also, this post isn't complete without mentioning my bracelet. I bought it a few years ago in Hawaii, but that's not where it originated. It's from a company called Bead for Life where women in Uganda recycle bits of paper and create beautiful beads. The program has done wonders for the war torn and impoverished country by improving the local economy and empowering women. They give them an opportunity to work and offer ongoing entrepreneurial training to launch their own sustainable businesses once they graduate. You can check it out here.
And then there's this picture with my sneaky little Rosie photo bombing the left corner that had to be included.
Spring has sprung! Well... at least most days of the week. On the day of this photo shoot at Daybreak Lake it was particularly lovely and sunny. Yesterday, on the other hand, it snowed. Today, the season depended on the hour. I woke up to snow, in the early afternoon it rained, and by dinner time it was sunny. Oh Utah, it will never be said of you that you are predictable or boring.
I love both the Peter Pan collar and polka dot trends. So, naturally when I saw this shirt I couldn't resist. Plus it's super flowy and pleated, so I'm thinking it will lend itself nicely to a future pregnant self. A shirt that looks good both when you're not pregnant and when you're ready to pop is a good thing, right? A girl's gotta plan ahead, after all.
With the collar, pattern, and cut I feel like this shirt is a bold statement piece in itself. Therefore I decided to keep everything else simple, and paired it with some simple black skinny jeans, gold jewelry, and grey wedge booties.
After years of being a stiletto girl, I've recently fallen in love with the wedge. They are so much more supportive and comfortable, while still giving me a much needed boost in the height department (without assistance I'm a measly 5'2"). I feel like I could walk around in these all day.
The talented photographer Jesse Wride took these photos, and at the end we had Sam jump in for a few. All the people passing by thought we were taking engagements, so we decided to play along. Cue classic proposal pic:
This is actually the location where we took some of our engagement photos... 5 years ago. Wow! Time flies when you're having fun. I guess it's good timing to get a few more couple pictures in the same location for old time's sake.
I never did an update for Klair and the fact that she is now 15 months old! What? I've said it before and I'll say it again... where does the time go? Can someone please tell me how it's March already? How is it that the weather is warm enough for Klair to go jacket-less and drink her first Slurpee at the park? I don't understand. I'm really starting to understand why the elderly constantly tell you that life passes quickly. It rings truer with every passing day.
(With regard to the Slurpee, she may have liked it too much. She was extremely possessive.)
So, in order to better remember this rather fleeting and hauntingly beautiful existence, here are some cute things that my baby girl has been doing lately,
or "Klairisms" as I like to call them.
For the past month or so, she has been extra cuddly and loves to lay her head on our shoulders and sleep on our chests. She prefers to snuggle up and sleep on me during nap time. And, sometimes I let her. Actually, I give in pretty often lately. The way she nestles into my shoulder, it's the sweetest thing this world has to offer. With her head pressed against my lips I breathe her in, trying to memorize her smell, and the way that she feels in my arms. Her tiny, chubby fingers play with my hair, and stroke my arm as if to say "thanks for staying, mama." It reminds me of when she was first born and the sweet skin-to-skin time that I briefly enjoyed (after a few weeks she was done being my cuddle buddy). Now, at 15 months old, she loves to cuddle again and I'm not complaining. I think in large part it's due to the fact that for the last couple of months she has been either sick, teething, or both. I know that she won't be small enough to nap in my arms forever. Do I get as much done around the house on these days? Of course not, but I don't really care. I'm savoring these experiences--savoring her.
Speaking of sleeping, she is especially mischievous at bed time. After her nightly story and a family prayer, I hold her in her rocker, sing to her, and play with her hair until she falls asleep. Lately, when she's not ready to surrender to bed time, her little head will pop off of my shoulder. At this point I know it's coming. She'll stare at me, and if I give in and look at her she'll smile and kiss attack me. I'm barraged with kiss after kiss after kiss. Often, she'll lift her head and press her chin or neck against my lips, leaving me no choice but to kiss them too. If this doesn't make me laugh, she goes for round two. Next up: she commences funny noises. And, if necessary, she'll tickle me. The combination of the kisses, silly noises, and tickling is too much. My devious child knows exactly what she's doing. I can only hold it in for so long before I end up laughing. Once I start, she copies my laugh. Naturally, this makes me laugh more... I'm only human. Before I know it we're having a giggle-fest. Wake time is prolonged, and she gets exactly what she was aiming for.
Her 4th molar finally came in. I can't emphasize the word finally enough. I knew that molars would be tricky, but no one warned me it could take months of pestering before finally making an appearance. The poor girl has had a rough go of it, but I think we're finally starting to see the light. And, just in time for spring! The warm weather brings with it lots of promises--reduced sicknesses and warm, sunny days being my personal favorites.
She is runningthese days.She made her mind up to start walking, and almost immediately after she took off. She moves so quickly, I actually have to exert some effort to keep up with the little tyke. She especially loves to speed up when she's headed toward something forbidden (like the dog food) and I object to her plans. She'll typically look at me, smile, and take off at a full sprint towards her naughty destination. Thank goodness she's so adorable. Little stinker.
She is in love with her books. They are her prized possessions, and she prefers to pass the day away reading them and being read to. Just today she wandered off and I found her in her in the corner of her bedroom, leaning against the wall, independently (and intently) looking at one of her books. There were plenty of times I thought maybe we were crazy in our efforts to read to her while she was in the womb and in establishing a bedtime story from the day we brought her home. I'm so grateful now. It seems that our diligence in reading with her has paid off.
We've cultivated within her a love for reading and learning, and now we just have to continue to nourish it and watch her grow. My teacher self is jumping for joy.
Some days she eats as much as her dad. Other days, she eats like an overly picky little bird. But, all days, she wants to eat fruit snacks and applesauce. She would live off of these two things if she could. We have this big bottom drawer in our kitchen that's filled with her sippy cups. She loves to open this drawer and play the game of taking them out so I can put them back in--out and in out and in....you get the point. Well, I had this great idea to put her snacks in that drawer so she could grab one and effectively tell me when she's hungry. What I didn't account for was that she would work the system. If she brought me fruit snacks, I'd let her have 1 packet a day and after that I would get her something of real substance to eat. She figured out that if she brought her dad a packet of fruit snacks, put it in his hands, and looked up with those dreamy blue eyes, he would give it to her without a second thought. I bought a box of fruit snacks on Saturday. The box was gone on... Saturday. Sam realized this after the damage was done, and since then I've had to relocate the little gummy temptations. Her applesauce still resides in the drawer, and lately she's been back to her old tactics.
In this photo she brought me four applesauces. Do you think she was trying to tell me something?
She likes to point and ask us "what's that?" Once we tell her, she remembers. She has such an impressive memory. She can point to most of her body parts, and she knows all the animals and objects in her books.
She understands so much of what we say, and I'm just beginning to scratch the surface of her ability to comprehend. The other day I couldn't find my phone. In a moment of frustration I jokingly asked her "Klair, where is Mama's phone!?" She put her book down, looked at me, puckered her lips (I've since discovered that the lip pucker is her thinking-face) and said "oooh, hmmmm." She then proceeded to look around the living room, checking the furniture. Amazed, I just watched her search. At one point she looked up at me, and babbled in Klairinese. I responded, "I know I just had it! Where could it be?" She shrugged her shoulders, and continued looking. When we found it behind the couch pillow, she pointed to it, gave me a few lines in her little language, and went back to her book. Tonight I told my sister and her husband, Jake, about this experience. We decided to test her. We asked her wear Jake's shoes were. She immediately threw her hands up in a shrug that said "I don't know," puckered her lips, and started looking. And she found them! She went right to his boots by their back door, pointed, and said "der" (meaning "there"). She's brilliant. I know all moms say that about their kids, but I'm convinced she's really a genius.
This is her thinking face.
These photos are from the same day at Scheels. She was extremely enamored with the fish.
These three pictures perfectly capture her infamous use of the word "wow."
She imitates. I've mentioned before that she's figured out cell phones, iPads, and other technology that kids aren't supposed to have. We haven't encouraged it, but as soon as she gets her eager little fingers on these devices she knows exactly what to do--simply from watching us. Well, I recently discovered that makeup is the same way. If she gets her hands on my makeup she immediately starts pressing lipstick to her face, eyeliner to her eyes, and lotion to her hands.
This particular photo is the result of me leaving my purse unzipped and in a location that she could reach it... I learned my lesson.
It was everywhere.
She looks pretty pleased with herself.
She throws tantrums like a toddler and she has the most distinct, over exaggerated frowny face. One of these days I'll snap a photo of it. With every red-faced-all-out-angry-mad-cry-and-thrashing I am more and more convinced that she's actually a toddler. If she wants something and I deny her, it is
The. End. of. the. World.
She's a stair master. She climbs up and slides down on her belly with ease. She also climbs onto and off of the furniture frequently, and it's almost surreal to see my little baby toddler sitting solo on the couch all grown up like.
She's a shoe girl. During dance class she likes to try and put on all the other girls' shoes. Whenever I put shoes on her feet, they come off and she attempts to put them back on herself. And, occasionally, I find her trying to wear our shoes.
She looks good in Sam's boots. (This photo also illustrates her long-standing habit of getting into my jewelry box. I can't even keep most of my jewelry in it for fear of it getting lost or destroyed.)
Oh! And that reminds me. Klair started dance! My sister-in-law teaches a class for baby girls, and Klair joined a couple of weeks ago. She's a little young to really understand what's happening, but she really enjoys being around the other girls. I think it's a great experience for her--even for the exposure alone. Plus, I love watching her run around in a tutu :)
It's spring time in Utah! ...Well, that's not entirely true. Technically spring starts on the 20th, but the frigid freezing winter temps have eased up a little and what can I say? I have spring fever. I needed something to brighten my wardrobe, while still maintaining some warmth. Thus, my go to ensemble is a light, pastel sweater and some crop pants... get this... without socks! It feels good to let my ankles free. It might not seem like much, but it's a big deal when they've been hidden in boots and wooly socks all winter.
Soon enough the weather will really warm up! I couldn't be more excited. But, until then I'll stick with comfy, light-weight sweaters and dream of the day when my legs can also make their seasonal debut.
