April Baby Haul

These are the items we bought during the month of April.  My mom sent a box of stuff last month and we've been given some things by my aunt (just had a baby in December!) and my sister.  So Bella's already got quite a bit of stuff and we haven't even had a baby shower yet!  We've decided to do a semi-virtual shower on May 19th.  My mother-in-law will be hosting it at her house for all my friends and family back home and I will attend via Skype.  We're doing it this way because my husband and I just moved from Kentucky to Louisiana a few months ago (him a little longer, he came down before me).  But yeah, here's our haul for April!

CLOTHES

Newborn to 18 months:

Some of our favorites:

Bottoms:

EXTRAS/ACCESSORIES/TOYS

Socks, shoes, headbands and finger puppets:

Blankets, bath towels and wash cloths:

FOR HER ROOM

Wall decals:

HER CLOSET SO FAR...

As you can see, we're really loving the blue/green combos and the nautical themed outfits.  We're not sure why, we just seem to be attracted to them when we're shopping for clothes.  We're doing her nursery in owls and the colors that coordinate with her bedding.  Mainly blues, pinks, greens and white.

Pregnancy Update: Week 29

Overview:  Sorry I didn't update last week!  I'd be lying if I said I had a better reason than just sheer laziness.  :)  I had my glucose test done last week.  It was absolutely disgusting and I spent the entire first hour trying not to vomit and/or fall asleep (we were the second appointment of the morning.  So it was early).  I also had an ultrasound done to see if my placenta had shifted upwards (I was diagnosed with placenta previa at 18 weeks).  Thankfully everything is normal now and right where it's supposed to be.  The ultrasound tech said that she's right where she's supposed to be, growth/development-wise, and all her organs and everything look great.  We got to see her practice breathing which was really neat (and cute because she got the hiccups when she tried to practice her breathing).  She was being kind of stubborn though because she absolutely did not want to show her face.  She stayed turned away and buried her face into a spot where we couldn't get her on the ultrasound.  We did everything we could to get her to move and she refused.  (She had absolutely no problem showing off her lady bits though.  The UT even commented on it.  We're definitely having a girl.)  My next appointment is May 2.

Cravings:  Mac & cheese, fried chicken, cheese fries, Taco Bell, orange juice, chocolate cake, Earl Grey tea, funnel cake, and pizza.  (Seems like all my earlier fruit/veggie cravings have turned into junk food lately).

Symptoms:  There have been a few days where I've been completely beat.  Like, I am so exhausted and tired.  Still have trouble getting/staying asleep.  I've had quite a bit of lower back pain.  Heartburn hasn't been too bad this week.  No nausea (except during the glucose test).  And normally I wouldn't admit this part, but I want this pregnancy journey to be as truthful as possible because someone out there may be experiencing the same thing and be too embarrassed to speak out about it.  I now know what it means to have hemorrhoids.  I was hoping beyond hope that I would make it through this pregnancy without ever having them...but nope.  It's a first for me, so I'm not too happy about it.  Still no stretch marks though!

Movement:  It's so crazy how much she moves now!  Well, she may not be moving more, I might just be feeling her more now because she's getting so much bigger.  I feel her little nudges way up in my torso now and more frequently.  Brad (my husband, for those that aren't aware) has been able to feel her so much more now, which makes me happy.  Still trying to catch her movements on camera with no luck, however.

Nail Art: Dream Catchers

I saw the tutorial for this easy-to-do nail art design on MissJenFabulous' YouTube channel.  She made it look so easy so I knew that I had to try it out!  Mine obviously didn't turn out as well as hers did, not only because I consider myself a beginner but because she used the Sally Hansen nail art pens and I freehanded my lines with a nail art brush.  I'm horrible at lines, so mine are all wobbly.  I also decided to only do the dream catcher on one nail because I knew there would be no way I would have the patience and skill to do all of them.  My pink color is darker, which didn't show up very well, so I suggest using an almost coral-pink color like she did.

click the picture to enlarge

Don't forget to check out her full tutorial so you can learn how to do it on your own!

Polishes Used:

Julep Robin (2187)  

Sinful Colors Professional Snow Me White (101)

Revlon Moon Candy Moon Dust (200) (Just the black side)

Sinful Colors Professional Dream On (113)

Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat

Swatch & Review: Julep Robin (2187)

I received this nail polish in my April Maven Box from Julep.  It was actually my very first Maven box and the first time I had ever tried a product from this brand.

With flash.

Two Coats: Julep Robin.

One Coat:  Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat.

Robin is a very pretty blue, that I think looks great for spring.  It applies easily and has a smooth creme finish.  A really pretty, fun color.  It dries really fast, isn't too streaky when applied and was completely opaque in two coats.  I loved it.

Without flash.

I really liked this color and have already worn it about three times since I received it in my mailbox.  I can't wait to try more Julep colors in the future.

Available on the Julep site for $14.00 ($11.20 for Mavens).

*All opinions are 100% my own.  I received no compensation for this review.

Pregnancy Update: Week 27

Overview:  This week has been pretty uneventful.  Same thing as normal, mostly.  I just can't believe how quickly the time is flying by!  Sometimes it feels so fast and then other times I want it to go faster.  I'm getting so excited for her to get here.  I have a doctor's appointment on Wednesday where I'll be doing (yay! Not.) my glucose test as well as having my normal (last) four-week visit.  After this one, I'll be going bi-weekly, I believe.  I also started a prenatal workout (I know, I'm starting late, but better late than never!) and it kicked my butt.  I couldn't do the whole workout.  I stopped about half way through, but we'll give it another try.  :)

Cravings:  Orange Crush, mini chocolate donuts, Pizza Hut, macaroni and cheese, chocolate, fruit flavored ice cream (really any flavor), apple juice. 

Symptoms:  Tiny bit of nausea, but not too bad.  I found out that my cappuccino actually makes me nauseous, which is sad because I crave it more often than not.  Frequent urination still, sore nipples, back pain (been taking advantage of numerous bubble baths).  And heartburn.  Oh my gosh, the heartburn is freaking terrible.  I feel like I'm constantly popping the Tums.  I have a lot of trouble getting to sleep at night and then staying asleep once I do.

Movement:  She's actually been relatively lazy this week (like her mama).  I never felt her normal movements, which are pretty hard and active, again until Thursday.  Oh, I almost forgot!  Every night when we lay down in bed, my husband lays his cheek on my belly and tells her goodnight.  Wednesday night, for the first time ever, she kicked him in the face!  We were both quiet and still for a moment and then he's like "Did she just kick me?"  I couldn't help but laugh.  It was amazing.  Still haven't been able to get her movements on camera though.  =(  

Julep Maven Box: April, 2013

I received my very first Maven box from Julep last week.  I wanted to make a post about it when it first came in the mail but I never got around to it.  I was so excited to finally get it (I literally checked the mail everyday, waiting for it)!  My Maven style is Boho Glam and honestly, I think it fit pretty well with the style that I'm into.  So here's what I got:

Sorry for the crappy quality!  I need a new camera and better lighting!

Box Included:

• Welcome cards.
• Instant Warming Foot Scrub (full size product).
• Glycolic Hand Scrub (sample).
• Polish in Robin/2187 (full size product)
• Polish in Stefani/2087 (full size product)

Overview:  I'm really impressed with the box and I plan to continue my Maven subscription.  As of now, I have tried every product that I received in the March Maven box.  Reviews to come!

Total Price/Savings For Individual Products:

• Regular Total: $50.00
• Maven Total: $40.00
• Box Subscription Total: $19.99
• What I Paid (+S&H): $3.99

When you first become a Maven use the code FREEBOX and you will only have to pay $3.99 S&H (which is how I ended up spending so little).

What to Become a Maven?

Click below to take the style quiz and order your first box!

Don't forget to also use the code FREEBOX to get your first box free!

Pregnancy Update: Week 26

Overview:  So I am 26 weeks pregnant today.  And I cannot believe how quickly the time is flying by!  I'm almost in my third trimester and it honestly feels like I just found out that I was pregnant.  A little background information for those that are new to this story, my husband and I were married in July of 2010.  About three days later, I went off of my birth control.  And nothing happened.  After ten months of trying, I was so afraid that I was not going to be able to conceive.  On Mother's Day in 2011, I found out that I was expecting.  At my first prenatal visit, things did not turn out the way we planned.  We were devastated to find out that the pregnancy was ectopic.  It was in my tubes, which meant that it had to be terminated.  Afterwards, we continued to try with no luck.  But in October of 2012, after tracking my ovulation days like crazy, I took a test and it was positive.  We were so excited to hear the baby's heartbeat, to see it on the ultrasound monitor, and to later find out that we were going to have a little girl.  

Cravings:  Orange Crush, sausage biscuits, Three Musketeers, birthday cake.

Symptoms: I have been so insanely tired and unable to sleep.  I lay in bed for hours, tossing and turning, with no luck.  I've been feeling nauseous on and off again, peeing all the time, and I still have to take allergy pills to deal with my post nasal drip.  

Movement:  She's been moving so much more!  She moves all the time and Daddy has finally gotten to feel and see her movements, kicks and nudges.  I've been feeling her higher up, with is such an amazing feeling.  I love knowing that that little human in there is healthy and mine.