Sunday, March 31, 2013

March Purchases

March Purchases




Motherhood Maternity Tank top: $14.99
H&M Maternity Dress: $29.95
Old Navy Maxi Dress: $25.00
Old Navy Maternity Dress: $19.00
Old Navy Maxi Dress: $25.00
H&M Maternity Dress: $17.95
Old Navy Maternity Skirt: $21.95
Motherhood Maternity Tank top: $14.99
ASOS Bird Maternity Tank: $13.95
Sears Boots (shown here): $39.99
Zellers Top (shown here): $6.00
Zellers Dress: $5.00
Zellers Shoes: $8.00

Total: $241.77

I did a lot of shopping this month but I was able to knock a few things off my maternity clothes shopping list. And I was finally able to find brown boots that fit my calves.

For April's shopping, I'll be looking for colorful jeans (maybe pink) and if I get the guts to do it, I think I may splurge on a long coveted item (hint; it's footwear related).


Saturday, March 30, 2013

18 Weeks

18 Weeks

How far along: 18 weeks

Development:  MiniDot is the size of an bell pepper

Movement: Sometimes in the morning before I get out of bed, I can feel weird pops.

Weight Gain: 16 pounds - it was commented on during last week's pre-natal appointment  The nurse told me, "Don't gain 8 pounds in a month again." I was pretty down on myself for a few days after that. Now I'm trying to get back on the bandwagon with the healthy eating and no night-time snacking. I've also finally found a pregnancy workout dvd that I like (Complete Pregnancy Fitness). I've tried a few dvds and they are pretty tame; I don't want to stretch, I want to move!

Maternity Clothes:  Lots; I love shopping for maternity clothes! 

Stretch Marks:  None. I've been slathering my self in cream (Glaxol Base) to help with the eczema I've been struggling with lately. I think (hope) that will help with stretch marks too.

Best moment of my week:  Being continually surprised at how caring and protective RDog is of me and my little bump. I mean, he has always been a nice guy but now there's a different element to our relationship and it's really awesome.

Worst moment:  Feeling yucky over my weight gain. It's my fault and I feel guilty that I went so crazy eating anything I wanted over the past couple of months. It's so different than my earlier ideals of how my pregnancy would go; I would exercise, eat healthy and gain minimal weight. None of those things have been happening so far and it has been a hard thing for me to adjust to.

Sleep:  Great - but for the first time in my life, I remember my dreams. Every morning, I wake up and tell RDog what crazy adventure I had during the night. 

Miss Anything:  My waist and pencil skirts

Food Cravings:  Oreo cookies. I limit myself to one every night after supper.

Aversions:  The look of some salads I used to love still grosses me out. 

Gender:  We'll find out in April. 

Symptoms:  Headaches. My pregnancy app tells me this is a symptom.  I've have never had headaches before and now get a few each week

Belly Button: In

Rings:  On

Moody or Happy:  Pretty happy most of the time. As a person who has fought the blues for long stretches at a time, I can honestly say this is the happiest overall I've felt in a long, long time. RDog and I had a talk with my doctor and nurse about post-partum depression. We both feel if anyone is going to get it, it's going to be me. The doctor was really concerned about how I am feeling now. I realized that I have been feeling generally really happy for the last couple of months. I hope it lasts! 

Looking Forward: Our anatomy ultrasound on April 12!

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Candy Crush

March 26, 2013

March 26, 2013

Blazer: Old Navy
Skirt: Old Navy
Tank: Old Navy Maternity
Necklace: J Crew Factory
Boots: Naturalizer

There is no fashion-related reason for today's title; I'm just super addicted to the game Candy Crush and it's the only thing that popped into my head.

Have a great weekend; I'm off to blow up some jellies.

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Ode To The Boot

March 25, 2013

March 25, 2013

March 25, 2013

Dress: Old Navy
Boots: Naturalizer
Earrings: J Crew Factory

Today was the last day I wore my beloved booties. One of the heel taps fell off early in the morning, making for a dangerous day where I had to walk very deliberately or risk wiping out. The leather is getting battered (there are a couple of big dents in it) so it is not worth it to repair the heel tap.

Goodbye sweet booties; we had good times together.

Monday, March 25, 2013

Mini Vent

March 21, 2013

March 21, 2013

Shirt: Zellers
Pants: H&M Maternity
Boots: Naturalizer
Necklace and earrings: Lia Sophia

A mini pregnancy vent: One of  the hardest things I've found about being pregnant is how often the topic of my body comes up in conversation. I know it comes from a good place; most people are super excited and supportive  But nevertheless, it feels weird to talk about my body so much.

I choose this shirt just because I needed to hide the bump for a few days. It was my last purchase at Zellers; the Canadian chain that recently closed.

It was a little bitter-sweet the last time I was in a Zellers store earlier this month. My very first job was at a Zellers. My mother worked at one for almost twenty years. It's very weird to see them gone.

On the brighter side, hopefully Target is on it's way out East! Target is taking over a lot of Zellers' leased spaced so hopefully one arrives in my city.

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Shine Bright Like A Diamond

March 19, 2013

March 19, 2013

Dress: Land's End Canvas
Cardigan: Loft (found new with tags at a thrift shop)
Pearls: RDog

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Maternity Clothing Shopping List

Those who follow me on Pinterest, might have noticed that I've been pinning maternity looks for quite some time. Even before I was pregnant,  I had an idea of the kind of clothing I wanted to wear.  Some bloggers out there take pride in not buying any maternity clothes. I know that would never be me for a few reasons.

First of all, I wear a lot of form fitting clothing; pencil skirts and sheath dresses are not going to cut it during pregnancy  Secondly, I want to be comfortable and squeezing myself into my old clothes doesn't sound too comfortable. And lastly, the changes to my body are and will take a toll on my self-confidence. New clothes make me feel good!

So I've come up with a plan of what I want to wear over the remaining five months of my pregnancy and thought I'd share my maternity clothes shopping list.

I really have three needs. 1. Work clothes to get me through to the end of the school year in June. They can't be too spring-like because often the tights don't leave until May. 2 A few dresses for special occasions: two weddings,  my baby shower, prom and graduation  3. Casual clothes for the summer when I spend most of my time at home.

Let's start with work clothes. I decided while pursuing Pinterest that I don't like the pregnant pencil skirt look. Since I mostly wear pencil skirts, I knew I had to find a wardrobe replacement. Enter the skinny pants. I really love the look of a skinny pants on a pregnant lady, topped with a flowy blouse or a long form fitting shirt.

Maternity Pants



I already have purchased the black pair of pants and a similar pair of jeans. Now I'm on the lookout for a nice colorful pair of pants or maybe a crisp white pair without the full belly panel (those scare me!).

To go with my skinny pants, I have a few flowly shirts I can wear for a few more months (hopefully) and have bought some maternity tanks and t-shirts. I plan to wear the tanks under my normal cardigans and blazers.

I already have four tanks and one t-shirt and plan of buying some more (none over $15). I think I will be wearing these tops a lot and want to have some variety.

Maternity Shirts



Next up; school dresses. I have a few normal dresses that will last for a bit longer. I've also been finding a few empire waist dresses at thrift stores. I already bought two maternity dresses and will buy one or two more if I can find them on sale (under $30). 

Maternity Dresses



My favorite part of maternity clothes shopping are the dress up outfits. I already have been eyeing a few at Motherhood Maternity and am excited to see some bright cotton dresses in their inventory.

Maternity Dress Up


Lastly, the casual summer wear. I'm hoping I can rely on Old Navy for a lot of my summer needs. I'd like to get a couple maxi dresses and some little jersey skirts to wear around home with my maternity tanks. We have a pool so I think I'll need two bathing suits. RDogs says he can't wait to see my bump in a bikini and I don't think my suits from last year will fit, so I will need to find a bikini with a little more coverage of the, ahem, girls. I'm also shy in front of friends so I will need a tankini for pool parties.

Maternity Summer Wear



I hope some of these selections make it to my local Old Navy. The maternity section is very, very small.

That's the biggest problem with maternity clothes shopping; the selection is really limited. Locally, I have H&M, Old Navy, Motherhood Maternity, Thyme Maternity and maybe Walmart (I haven't yet checked it out). Online, I've found that ASOS is the only place that ships to Canada.

So that's the plan so far. Does anyone have any maternity clothes shopping tips (especially if you are in Canada)?

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Wash N' Wear

March 18, 2013

March 18, 2013

March 18, 2013

Dress: H&M Maternity
Boots: Naturalizer
Necklace: Lia Sophia
Bracelet: Banana Republic Factory

This dress is my newest maternity clothing purchase. It's stretchy so I think it will last while my bump grows. And it's simple so I can remix it with lots of different cardigans and blazers. It is polyester but I have decided to break my "no polyester" rule for the next few months. So many maternity clothes are indeed polyester. And it makes sense to have easily washable clothes when I plan of wearing and washing them a lot.

Monday, March 18, 2013

Boots

March 16, 2013

March 16, 2013

Sweater: Martin and Osa
T-shirt: H&M Maternity
Pants: H&M Maternity
Boots: Sears

I've been looking for a pair of brown boots for some time. I have a hard time finding boots that fit because not only do I have extremely wide feet, but I also have wide calves. I was really excited to find these boots over my March Break at the Sears Clearance Centre.

The best part; they were only $40. Any other time I have found boots that fit me, they were well over $150. They are not real leather but I find that makes for easier maintenance with al the salt that is used in these parts.

Sunday, March 17, 2013

16 Weeks

16 weeks


How far along: 16 weeks

Development:  MiniDot is the size of an avocado

Movement: I didn't feel anything this week. I'm beginning to question the bubbles I felt a couple of weeks ago. Maybe it wasn't the baby.

Weight Gain: 15 pounds

Maternity Clothes:  I added two new maternity dresses to my closet this week. More will soon follow because Motherhood Maternity has the cutest spring dresses.

Stretch Marks:  None

Best moment of my week:  The reaction of my friend when I told her we are expecting. I haven't seen her in a few months and we went out for dinner last night. We were standing by the door waiting for a table when I said, "So I guess you haven't heard our news." I flashed open my coat to show her my belly. She squealed and grabbed my bump in excited. It was one of the best reactions!

Worst moment:  Feeling over tired, slightly nauseous, itchy from eczema and suddenly jealous of RDog's St. Patty's drinks. I had a total teary meltdown.

Sleep:  Better, I'm slowly training myself to sleep on my side.

Miss Anything:  Sleeping on my stomach.

Food Cravings:  Honeycrisp apples. I cannot eat enough.

Aversions:  None this week. I even drank a cup of coffee for the first time in weeks.

Gender:  We'll find out in April 

Symptoms:  Still a little morning sickness at night.

Belly Button: In

Rings:  On

Moody or Happy:  Happy, except when I'm overtired. Then, I'm just a mess. 

Looking Forward: Wearing cute spring maternity dresses!

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Classroom Motivation

March 14, 2013

March 14, 2013

March 14, 2013

Blazer: Old Navy
Tank: Old Navy Maternity
Pants: H&M Maternity
Boots: Naturalizer

The cat is out of the bag with my students. I felt weird about telling them my big news; "Guess what kids, I'm knocked up!" didn't seem very teacher appropriate. That's how I told some friends; I'm not very good with announcements.

One student overheard a conversation and due to the magic of texting, the rest of my students soon knew. Some of their reactions were pretty cute.

One boy said,. "Awww, this means I have to be nice to you because I'll feel bad for the baby."

My response, said while rubbing my belly, "Yes, you better do your work or you'll hurt the baby."

I may milk this one.


Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Meant To Be

March 12, 2013

March 12, 2013

March 12, 2013

March 12, 2013

Dress: H&M Maternity
Blazer: Reitman's
Boots: Naturalizer
Necklaces: Lia Sophia
Bracelet: Old

It was quite fluky yesterday when I found this great little t-shirt dress at H&M and then came home to discover a matching bracelet in my junk closet.

My junk closet happens to be the future baby room so I was in there poking around, starting the slow cleaning out process when I spied a box of bracelets that I had when I was a teenager. In the box was a lot of junky bracelets and this one treasure; a striped bracelet to match my striped dress.

It was meant to be.

Monday, March 11, 2013

I Love My Dentist

March 11, 2013

Dress: Boden (thrifted)
Cardigan: J Crew
Shoes: Naturalizer
Necklace: Lia Sophia

I went to my dentist today to get my tooth fixed. While eating eggs and toast Friday morning, half of a tooth randomly fell out. I felt like such a dirt bag. I mean, who loses a tooth? I take care of my teeth, I do really.

The hygienist assured me that this is a fairly common occurrence related to old silver fillings separating from the tooth and causing the tooth to become weaker. I had a butt load of cavities when I was a child and as a result have a mouthful of old silver mercury fillings.

The dentist was going to take the old silver filling out and put in a nice white one. He started the process but was really quiet, which is odd because he is usually a really sociable guy. Then he stopped and said he really wasn't comfortable with it. Although there is no scientific findings, it is mercury and I am pregnant so he thought it would be better to wait until after the baby comes for the filling removing. I agreed; the whole mercury thing freaks me out. So he patched me up with a temporary plug to get me through the next year without a hole in my tooth. No needles were needed - yeah!

 I was out of there a few minutes later feeling happy and much less like a dirt bag. However, next year for sure I'm going to start the process of getting these nasty old silver fillings out of my mouth.

Does anyone have any experience with silver fillings? Did you have them removed?

Saturday, March 9, 2013

15 Week Baby Update

I always love reading baby updates on other blogs so I have decided to chronicle my pregnancy here. It's partly a way for me to remember what life was like with a baby bump because I have a horrible memory. So if you are here for the outfit posts, just skip Saturday's posts, because those will be my baby update days.

Here goes nothing. . . 

Week 15

How far along: 15 weeks

Development:  MiniDot is the size of an apple

Movement: I felt him or her move Thursday night. I woke up from a very long nap and MiniDot did not want to wake up. It felt like little bubbles.

Weight Gain: Hmmm. . . a lot. My pregnancy app says it's excessive.  That's all I'm saying on the matter.

Maternity Clothes:  Two pairs of maternity pants that are super awesome and comfortable. And some maternity tank tops because my regular ones ceased being long enough.

Stretch Marks:  None

Best moment of my week:  Feeling the little bubbles of movement

Worst moment:  When half my tooth fell out Friday morning. My mother says you lose a tooth with each pregnancy but really, come on body!

Sleep:  Ok, lots of tossing and turning. My friends bought me a snoogle but I haven't broken it in yet.

Miss Anything:  Hard core exercise!

Food Cravings:  Carbs, carbs, and carbs. . .hence the excessive weight gain

Aversions:  Coffee and salads. The very first time I had morning sickness was after eating a salad. I haven't really enjoyed eating them since.

Gender:  We'll find out in April 

Symptoms:  Still a little morning sickness at night or if I go too long without eating.

Belly Button: In

Rings:  On

Moody or Happy:  Happy, except when I'm whining about my tooth.

Looking Forward: To buying baby things. We plan on getting a pack n' play this week. 

Friday, March 1, 2013

February Purchases

February Purchases



Old Navy Maternity Scoop Rib-Knit Tanks - $10x$ = $40.00
J Crew Factory Pinwheel Stud Earrings - $11.55
H&M Black Pants - $29.95
H&M Jeggings (not shown)- $39.95
H&M  Jersey Top - $12.95
H&M Woven Top (not shown) - $10.00
J Crew Organza Flower (seen here) - $7.19

Total: $151.59

I was so excited to find out earlier this month that my local Old Navy has added a maternity section. Maternity clothing stores (at a reasonable prices) are in short supply around here and Old Navy does not currently offer maternity clothes online in Canada. I snatched up four of these tanks because I wear ribbed tanks quite often and my usual tanks are getting a little short. I plan to wear these a lot layered with my vast collection of cardigans.

Yes, I am wearing maternity pants already and I love them! Waistbands of any kind have been bothering me for the last few weeks. My pants and skirts fit but they feel so uncomfortable. Now that I have switched to a maternity waist band, I may never go back. Seriously, they are the greatest thing ever!