7 Months of Poppy

Hello Friends,

I seriously cannot believe how long it's been since I have blogged.  Apparently, this is a very busy time of year working in an elementary school - who knew! Ha!  But, it actually has helped time just fly by lately, and I am in disbelief that I am giving an update on being 30 weeks pregnant.  The last update I did was at 4 months (19 weeks), and I am just sitting here laughing at my tiny little bump from back in the day.  Oh my goodness, I have changed, and I know I haven't even seen anything yet!

We have had a ton going on lately - and hopefully I will squeeze out some more blog posts soon.  For now, I really just wanted to document this month so I could remember it later.

I like to call this..."My How Things Have Changed.  Portraits From my Work Bathroom."

  

7 Month Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 30 Weeks

Size of baby: Poppy is the size of a cucumber, about 16 inches long and 3 pounds.  I'm measuring big, but my doctor's office doesn't like to stress me out with "facts and figures", so I'm not really sure exactly how big I am measuring.  PS - I LOVE this about my doctor!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained about 20 pounds.  Not the best, not the worst.  I am actually not heartbroken about this at all - I feel like I could have gained a lot more at this point, so I am happy with this number.  We'll see how it goes in the next few weeks, though, because I am getting hungrier and hungrier by the day.

Maternity Clothes: Duh. My favorite right now are Target maxi dresses.  Cool, comfy, and cheap!

Gender: We are dying to know!!  The 32 week sonogram that we have coming up is going to be tempting, but we are sticking with the surprise.  I have had many women tell me they think it's a girl too, based on the way I am carrying Poppy.  It's more of a wide bump than a basketball, but I rock it proudly.

Movement: I started really feeling Poppy's movements at week 20, and in the last ten weeks, not a day has gone by that I didn't feel him/her moving.  We apparently have a very active child on our hands, which I am so thankful for at every kick and punch.  Poppy especially moves after I have eaten or when I'm taking a bath.

Sleep: Still sleeping like a champ for the most part.  I am getting hot in my sleep a lot, and frequent bathroom breaks are necessary, but nothing to complain about.

What I miss: Happy Hour.  Tying my own shoes.  Clear skin.

Nursery Progress:  After ten weeks, the closet renovation is complete!  The walls are painted a really pretty shade of gray, a cute light fixture installed, and the crib is all set up (without bedding, etc).  Aaron's Mother's Day gift to me was getting all of that done, and he did an AMAZING job on the room.  I am seriously in awe of his handiwork.  Best gift ever!  Pictures of the progress will be posted on here soon, I hope!

The Dad: Aaron is getting really excited about Poppy too.  He has been super supportive, going to a breastfeeding class with me, and never complaining about tying my shoes.  What I look forward to most is seeing him holding and loving our little one.  He is going to be the best dad.

We are blessed!!

Autism Awareness Month

April is Autism Awareness Month and Stella and Dot has decided to do their part by donating 20% of the proceeds on some fabulous pieces of jewelry to help support this cause.  The proceeds will go to the HollyRod Foundation, which is a charity that Holly Robinson Peete started when she found out that her son has Autism.  You can read more about her story here.

Since I have taught several (8) Autistic kids during my teaching career, this is is cause that is near and dear to my heart.  I truly loved getting to work with these 6 kiddos - they provided me with an abundance of laughs, a few tears, and too many life lessons to count.

The spirit bracelet is probably my favorite item on the list - for $29 it really adds a lot of color and spark to your spring and summer wardrobe.  The La Folie necklace is a best-seller for me - it is cute, simple, and affordable and adds just a bit of pop.  It also looks great paired with a long, layering necklace.

I also LOVE the new jewelry rolls that Stella and Dot have released - these are the perfect way to travel with your jewelry, and this print is just too cute.  (Just click on any of the items above for a link to my website).

My goal this month is to sell 25 items for Autism Awareness and to book at least 3 shows that benefit Autism Awareness in April.  I already have lots of shows booked this month, so I only have a few dates left.  Please let me know if you are interested in ordering or booking a show!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  

We had a fun time at our traditional outing to the Greenville parade on Saturday morning.  At first, I kind of wished we had outgrown it by now, but I was actually glad that we went this year.  Aaron ran the 5k before the parade (practice run before his half marathon this weekend).  We had a great time with the McAdams, drank green lemonade from Raising Canes (decent substitution for my preferred green drink...ha!).

Love my green Stella and Dot statement necklace!

I also love St. Patty's because it is my dear friend Jenny's birthday.  We got to celebrate this weekend and compare our growing baby bumps...I am about 3-4 weeks further along than Jenny.  Jenny is one of my oldest friends, and I can't tell you how blessed I feel that our babies to grow up knowing each other the way we did.  Happy 30th Jen!

PS - This shirt looked different in the mirror at home.  Eek.  Might be retired until I get a bit bigger - the pattern is not exactly flattering. 

Stella Sunday

Stella and Dot just debuted the most AMAZING Spring line - and I would love to help you get your favorite items for free!  Hosting a trunk show is super easy - you just gather up some of your favorite ladies, put out a few snacks, and the rest is up to me.  I will even do your invitations for you.  It is a great excuse to have some friends over for a girls' night, and now is definitely the time to book a trunk show - my last three hostesses have all earned over $300 in free jewelry of their choice.

I have a few dates in March and April still available - if you are interested in hosting or shopping, just let me know and I am happy to help!

www.stelladot.com/beckystevens

4 Months of Poppy

Well friends, I am officially 19 weeks and some days pregnant and feeling absolutely wonderful!  Being (almost) half way through feels unreal.  We still have so much to do (like everything), but it also feels like we have quite a bit of time in front of us to get it all done.  I truly love being pregnant - I am loving watching my body changing, which is something I definitely did NOT expect at all.  My anxiety in this area is gone.  I know some pregnant women get upset when people comment on how big they are or how much they are showing, and I guess no one likes being called "big", but I honestly love it when people comment on my growing belly (again, a sentence I would have never expected to utter).  I don't mind when people put their hands on my stomach, and not even when people have asked if I was having twins (no) have I been insulted by it.  Pregnancy has been pretty awesome, all in all, and I am so completely blessed with this.

4 Month Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 19 Weeks

Size of baby: Poppy is the size of a mango, and almost a banana.  I am not sure how these fruits are calculated in size, because some seem backwards.  Poppy is 11 ounces and about the size of a can of Coke.  He/she has 4 chambers of a itty heart, 2 kidneys, a bladder, and all kinds of perfectly working little parts, according to our 18 week sonogram.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained 7 pounds.  Eek.  That part is starting to get faster, but really 7 pounds and being half way done is something that I am going to check off in the positive category.

Maternity Clothes: Yep - love them.  Whoever invented these maternity work pants is a genius. I may never give them up. Sorry Aaron.

Gender: We aren't finding out Poppy's gender until birth, though I am still feeling very strongly that Poppy is a girl.  Our family members are totally split on this, but I mean, let's face it - we all have a 50/50 shot.

Movement: I still don't really feel him or her moving, but I possibly have felt one tiny flutter.  Hopefully soon!

Sleep: Still sleeping like a champ.

What I miss: No longer miss cheese, thanks to Liz for teaching me the truth about pasteurized cheeses.  Really, I don't miss anything, except an occasional margarita at Happy Hour.

Nursery Progress:  Changed my mind about the grey and white with "pops of teal" to grey and white with "pops of mint".  Aaron and his friends have broken ground on the closet renovation and we've been looking at paint samples.  As soon as the closet is complete, we can start working on painting walls and furniture.

The Dad: He is hands-down the best husband I could have ever asked for - he has been so helpful and understanding and it makes me incredibly happy to see him so excited about our baby.  He loves to hear about the baby and what is going on with us.  I am so lucky to have him!

Thanks for listening - I feel like this is all pretty typical, but I don't want to forget this time in our lives so I am glad to be writing it out. Until next time...