3rd Trimester Woes: Because Pregnancy is Tough

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Denim Jacket. Similar shirt. Leggings. Similar Shoes

Today's post won't inspire you to dress your 3rd trimester bump in the cutest way possible. And it won't tell you how beautiful and glamorous pregnancy is (mostly because it isn't). I'm going to be super real with all of you today because pregnancy is really hard and sometimes we all just need to remember that. Feel free to laugh or cry along with me as I just vent a little bit about how tough the last few weeks of pregnancy really are!

The truth about the 3rd trimester:

• You are going to swell up like a water balloon. My ankles are gone and have been replaced with canckles and my fingers are stubby sausages. I bought compression socks and have to rock them on the regular. It's so not glamorous. 
• Nothing fits. At. All. I have one pair of workout shorts that fit right now, but they only stay up when I use a belly band. I've been not so patiently waiting for cooler weather to kick in so I could bust out these maternity leggings, which I'm in love with. 
• You will be jealous of anyone who has a baby before you. You'll also be super happy for them and will stalk all their newborn photos, but in the back of your mind you're just thinking "Why couldn't that be me?!?!"
• Sleep eludes you. I tossed and turned until 12:30 a.m. last night dreading having to wake up six hours later. I guess it's just prep for all the middle of the night feedings that will start soon!
• You can't do as much as you think you can. I had a lofty goal to clean out the fridge on Saturday. I got maybe a third of the way through before I had to call in Jason for reinforcement. Then I had to rest on the couch for like an hour before I had the energy to do anything else. 
• Everything hurts. I've been to the chiropractor so many times in the last few weeks simply because I can't lay down without pain. I love leaving the office feeling good but the pain comes back a couple hours later after I pick up my toddler and mess up all that hard work. 
• You can't reach anything that isn't at arm level. Well, you could bend down to get things, but let's be real, will you be able to get back up? 
• You have zero control over your emotions. I swear I snap at Jason like 20 times a day, and then I can't figure out why he's frustrated. I'm in a good mood now, so he should be too right? Oh yeah, I was freaking out five minutes ago and I'm the only one who has bounced back from that...and barely remembers it. 
• Pregnancy brain is so, so real. I cannot, for the life of me, remember simple things -- things I've known since I was a kid escape my brain and it takes 10 minutes to figure it out. Or, I'll take a step to go and do something super important and I instantly can't remember what I was going to do. Make lists people! 
• You simultaneously want your baby to get here asap, but you're super stressed about having a baby. I'm the type who thinks at 37 weeks baby can come any time, but I just realized that I'll have a baby by next Saturday and the thought has me panicked! Am I really ready? Do we have everything? Where's the carseat? Please stay in baby girl, I still need to do so much!!!

What do your pregnancies look like? Are you still running a 5K at 37 weeks or are you all about lounging on the couch and trying not to move? (I'm the latter, in case you were curious!)

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4 tips for amazing maternity photos

Images by Cami Nichelle Photography

Cream Lace Dress c/o Pink Blush Maternity. Blue Dress: Olive Ave. 

I am so in love with these maternity photos my good friend and photographer Cami of Cami Nichelle Photography, took for me a couple weeks ago. Does she know how to use the sun in photos or what? I swear every photo has great lighting with the sun peaking in just perfectly! Cami is also going to be taking our newborn photos and I'm even more excited to have photos with baby girl in them! 

With Benson, I didn't do a big maternity shoot, my awesome friend Kelly was kind enough to snap a couple after my baby shower as part of my gift and they turned out perfectly as well. (You can check them out here.) However, I loved getting a couple of shots with Jason and Benson in them this time around! The one of Jason tickling Benson is going up on the wall ASAP. I'm in love with it. It captures our family dynamic perfectly.

I just wanted to share a couple quick tips to making your maternity session a success and hopefully a little less stressful for you! 

Plan outfits ahead of time

I went out and bought the floral dress with my maternity session in mind, but I didn't plan the boy's clothes until a day or two before and I was super stressed when they weren't matching me perfectly. I opted to wear the cream lace dress instead for the family photos because it was more neutral and gave me more options for the guy's outfits. 

However, I loved having the second dress for the "just me and baby" photos because it gave off a girlier feel and was much better at accentuating my bump. 

If your photographer is ok with a wardrobe change it can be fun to do different outfits, but if they aren't I would make sure you pick out outfits for everyone ahead of time that coordinate. 

Bring a distraction for your toddler

You can't tell from these photos (because, again, Cami is amazing) but Benson was having a really hard time focusing and just wanted to play with Cami's wagon carrying all of our stuff. He was completely obsessed and would freak out when we tried to pull him away from it. Which made taking photos a little more difficult, as you can imagine.

I wish I had brought candy or something to bribe him with (no shame over here!) so that we could have kept his attention. It's something I'm definitely going to think about next time! 

Cami also had a few tricks up her sleeve and used a stuffed tiger to get him to look at the camera, which was super helpful! I would highly recommend working with a photographer who is good with kids because they will think of this stuff ahead of time!

Send the family home

After we finished the family portion of the session Jason took Benson home and Cami and I kept on taking photos of just me. This was an ingenious plan thought of by Cami! We were able to stay out as late as we wanted and take as many photos as we could without having to drag Benson around. Jason also appreciated this because he didn't really want to stand around carrying Benson and keeping him out of our way. Instead they went home and played in the pool and had some fun time together. 

As a plus, I left a bag of treats on the kitchen table for Jason and Benson from Mom and baby sister saying thanks for taking photos with us. I don't know if this really helped but I feel like it didn't hurt! I like to think it was nice for Jason and Benson to enjoy some cookies once they were done with photos!

Have fun

This is the best advice for any photoshoot! I tend to get really stressed before a photoshoot because I know it's not Jason's favorite thing and I want it to go really well! But, I've found the best thing to do is let all your worries go once you're at the photoshoot. It's definitely easier said than done, but you can always tell a stressed out mom in photos. If you choose to be happy and have fun you'll end up with way better pictures. I promise.  

My absolute favorite photo from this maternity shoot is the one I mentioned in the beginning where Jason is tickling Benson. That wasn't staged, our photographer didn't tell us to do it. We were trying to get Benson to smile and now we have that perfectly captured memory of Dad doing his thing with his little boy. It's just perfect to me. 

A little bonus tip: Work with a photographer who is awesome. Cami made this session a breeze for me by suggesting that the boys head out early, she had a list of poses ready to go so that Jason wasn't bored just waiting around and she made me laugh and feel so pretty. If you're in SE Idaho I would absolutely recommend her! But, always think about your photographer's style and attitude so that you can have a fun session!

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Planning an easy and comfortable outfit for traveling

Affiliate links are used in this post to link to similar items of what I'm wearing. I may receive compensation when you click or purchase from these links. 

Shirt, Shorts, BellaBand. Similar shoes. Diaper Bag. 

Back in May, we took a much needed trip to Maryland to visit our family. I think I was more excited for this trip than Jason was, except when it came to actually traveling to Maryland. We hadn't flown with Benson before the trip and he's a pretty independent kid, so I was very concerned about confining him to our laps for the five hour flight.

I meticulously researched how to entertain toddlers on a plane and texted my best friend who is a flight attendant to get more tips (p.s. she recommended letting Benson have screen time, and she was right!) After I finished worrying about keeping Benson busy, I moved onto worrying about myself. Since I was five months pregnant at the time, I wanted to be comfortable getting through security and sitting on the plane with the addition of Benson hopping between my lap and Jason's.

In an effort to prepare myself the best I could, I started outfit planning. I knew I wanted clothes that would keep me cool, but could transition into something warmer if the plan was extra cold. My to Maryland outfit ended up being way too hot so I made some changes on the way home and ended up loving this outfit for an easy, casual traveling look that was perfectly practical. Here's what I learned about outfit planning and traveling.

Don't over layer

I thought I would want light layers on the plane so that I could stay cool if it was warm, and would be protected if the air got stuck blasting me the whole flight, but I ended up being completely wrong! I was so hot on the plane ride to Maryland; I wore a pair of light joggers and a chambray top but was dying since my children acted as my own personal heaters. On the way home I opted for shorts and a t-shirt, which was perfect because Benson ended up falling asleep on me, with his blanket and that was more than enough layers to keep me warm! I also run hot when I'm pregnant and traveling in the summer made me even more prone to overheating, so I was glad to have worn shorts on the flight home. 

Wear shoes that are easy to take on and off

I'm always worried about slowing down the security lines by wearing complicated shoes that take forever to tie or zip, so I always try to wear something that's easy to get on and off. I loved wearing my Vans because they look cute and add a pop of color to my otherwise boring outfit but they are crazy easy to take off and put back on in a matter of seconds. Also, my pregnant belly was happy to not have to bend over in order to get my shoes on and off. 

Think about your hair too!

I have a hard time wearing my hair down because it's so long and it makes me hotter and honestly, gets in my way when I'm trying to wrangle a wiggly toddler! I knew when I was flying that I needed an easy hairstyle that would keep my hair out of the way and would be comfortable all day while I traveled. I'm obsessed with this double-dutch braid; I use it at least once a week! It was prefect for traveling because I looked put-together but it was totally functional. Plus, as it falls out throughout the day it still looks good! That's what Michael Scott would refer to as a win-win-win. 

A lot of times we have to sacrifice fashion for function, or vice versa, but it's totally possible to be fashionable and functional when you're traveling if  you just take a little time to plan ahead! 

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4 clothing rules that help me feel confident

Affiliate links are used in this post to link to similar items of what I'm wearing. I may receive compensation when you click or purchase from these links. 

Similar shirt. Similar shorts. Similar Sandals

There are a lot of things about my body that I wish I could change. A lot of them are things that could change if I worked on them, like losing weight, and some of them are things that I'm stuck with forever, like being five feet tall. But, regardless of which category my body issues fall in,  I've found that focusing on the negative aspects of my body doesn't help me feel confident in my body right now.

I love this quote:

"Loving your body only when it's in perfect shape is like loving your children only when they're well behaved." 

I love Benson through all of his fits and breakdowns and I need to love myself the same way. A lot of times we let our size or insecurities dictate what we wear, but I've found that the right clothing can actually make me feel more confident. I've developed a loose set of rules for myself so that I make sure to invest in pieces that will help me feel better about my body. 

What I look for in tops to help me feel more confident

Shirts with longer sleeves

I am not a long sleeve person. Anytime I have long sleeves on they're rolled up because I feel so constricted in them. To compensate for this I used to wear a lot of cap sleeves but I always hated how my arms looked. I found that I need a longer sleeve-not necessarily a long sleeve-just a longer short sleeve in order to feel good about my arms. I love anything that hits mid-biceps because it hides the bigger part of my arms but starts showing where my arms actually look good. 

Loose fitting shirts

Ever since I had Benson, loose fitting shirts have been my favorite. The "mom pooch" is real you guys. I used to wear tighter t-shirts and they always made me a little uncomfortable, especially after a big lunch, so I've been so happy that loose t-shirts have been in style! They're way more flattering on almost every body type and they're so much more comfortable. I've even been able to wear a lot of my pre-pregnancy t-shirts during this pregnancy because they have plenty of room for my expanding belly. 

What I look for in bottoms to help me feel more confident

Knee length or midi skirts

I've always worn knee length skirts for modesty reasons, but I'm an even bigger proponent of them now that I'm a mom of a toddler! I bend over a lot more often and there's nothing more comforting than knowing that when I'm on the ground helping Benson that no one can see up my skirt. I also love getting a variety of skirt styles; pencil skirts are my absolute favorite (they make me feel so classy!) but I love a-line skirts too because they can be so fun and breezy! 

Neutral colors

I have big hips. Always have, always will. In order to not feel like a boat I use neutral colors on my bottom half because they are way more slimming on me. Dark colors are even better because they help make me look thinner. I love blues and blacks but I also like to have a little bit of fun with my bottoms so a good olive green, like the shorts I'm wearing above, help add more color and dimension to an outfit without drawing attention to my hips and thighs. I definitely stray away from bright colors because they draw too much attention to my lower half and make me look shorter as well. 

What are your go-to pieces to help you feel more confident? Do you have any clothing rules you swear by?

Dressing for the 4th of July (without looking flashy!)

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shirt. shorts. boots.

The 4th of July is seriously one of my favorite holidays because I love the fashion aspect of it. When everyone feels that sense of pride for their county and shows it through their clothes it makes me feel so much camaraderie.

At our house we spend all day on the 4th outside. We hit up our local parade in the morning, BBQ all day, and catch a firework show in the evening. It's hard to find an outfit that can hold up to all the events that go on during the day.

This year I really wanted an outfit that would be comfortable, for my pregnant self, and wouldn't be super flashy. I wanted to feel like I was enjoying the holiday rather than trying to win a 4th of July contest. I put together my quick tips so that you can pull together a non-flashy patriotic outfit too!

Pick your flag article

I love flag clothing so much! I've slowly been trying to add to my collection of flag clothing. However, I really would only use one item for your outfit. This item will be the focal point of your outfit. It will bring all the patriotic colors into your look without you having to go over the top. After I have that item I build the rest of the outfit around it. 

If you aren't into flag clothing choose another print. Stripes or anything nautical has a very patriotic feel to it without being so blatant. 

Choose two colors to focus on

When I try to fit all the patriotic colors into my ensemble I start to feel too flashy. I prefer to take a more casual route to 4th of July fashion. I let my flag accent piece stand out as my patriotic pride then I pick only two of the colors to focus on. I chose white and blue for this outfit and the neutral palette really helped the boots stand out. 

It's also fun to mix in other colors that aren't red, white and blue, but still have a patriotic vibe to them, like olive green. It adds another element to your look without screaming 4th of July!

Don't forget your hair and makeup. 

When I think patriotic I think braids, but I don't want to look like a little school girl with braids. So I tried this variation on double braids. This half up dutch braid was perfect because it kept the majority of my hair off my neck, but I still got to have a little bit of hair down, making me look like the mature adult I am. 

I'm not a makeup artist, I've been doing the same thing since high school, but if I was really into doing something fun I would have paired this outfit with a bright red lip! It would have added that little splash of red to the outfit without making me feel like I was trying to hard. 

What are your go-to 4th of July styles?

A few fun flag apparel options for your 4th! 

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Cute + Cool = The perfect summer outfit equation

Affiliate links are used in this post to link to similar items of what I'm wearing. I may receive compensation when you click or purchase from these links. 

 Denim Jacket, Similiar Shirt, Similar pants, Similar Vans

I should have learned from my last pregnancy that heat and a pregnant me don't mix very well. But I must be glutton for punishment because here I am heading into June 6 months pregnant. 

Being a hot pregnant mess is tough enough when I'm in basketball shorts and a t-shirt, but actually trying to look cute during these hot months can be a real challenge for me. I like to look at least somewhat presentable when I leave the house so I've had to find a way to put together an outfit that's going to keep me cool and make me feel beautiful at a time when it can be hard to feel that way. 

I've boiled my summer outfit equation down to these three parts. 

Keep my pieces simple

I've always been a fan of basics, but I've found that when I'm pregnant all I want to wear are loose t-shirts and pants. I don't have the energy to coordinate mixed prints and I don't want a ton of layers. Instead, I've found that having a couple of basic tees on hand make getting ready quick and easy, plus I don't have to worry about over heating while wearing them. When I am worried about being cold, I love pairing a denim jacket over an outfit. It gives it a little more depth but I can take it off at any time. 

Make sure my clothes aren't adding heat

I'm all about shorts and skirts in the summer, but I'll be super honest, sometimes shaving is the last thing I want to do! Especially as the summer goes on and my belly gets bigger shaving becomes such a chore! I love these joggers because they're light-weight and super breathable so I can slip them on and not worry about dying of heat exhaustion, or be nervous that someone will notice I haven't shaved today.

Wear comfortable shoes

I am not typically a comfort over fashion person when it comes to shoes. I'll rock a 4 in heel just because they're pretty, but in the summer I never know what kind of opportunities will arise, so I like to make sure I'm wearing a comfortable shoe in case I get an invitation to go out and enjoy the weather. A pair of slip on tennis shoes in a fun color or print make me feel like I tried without actually having to do any work.  I also have a couple pairs of cute, but functional sandals that I like to rotate through during the summer. If your shoe can go from day to night, it's an even better pick!

Pregnant or not, summer fashion has always been a challenge for me since I feel like there's less you can do with your clothes. Ultimately, I think erring on the side of simplicity really helps you feel laid back and relaxed, which is just how summer should feel!

22 wk bump

What are your summer staples? What do you like to wear to stay cool and look cute?