Showering Poppy, Part 1

We have been so blessed to have several celebrations honoring Poppy.  My co-workers at school threw me an amazing bumblebee-themed shower back in May.  The craziest part about it was that they didn't even know about me and my love for bumblebees (not the real ones, but growing up, I collected bumblebee stuff and decorated my first few classrooms with bees).  The theme was "What will it bee?" and everything was super cute!  I loved the awesome bee hive cake, cupcakes, and the table center pieces.  The ladies who work in the front office and my co-assistant principal worked so hard to throw us such a fun shower, and I love working with such a great staff.

My fun group of friends from Yale also threw me a little shower - we all met up at one of our favorite Richardson restaurants for dinner, which was perfect - casual, laid back, and we just got to sit and laugh while we all caught up.  When I began my teaching career at Yale, I really thought that all of my blessings would come from the kids (and they certainly did bless me), but had no idea that I would make such amazing friends there too.  I met some of my very best friends during those years, and I could not be more grateful for my four years there.  We are friends from all walks of life, different ages, different life situations, but we always have a great time when we get together.  And, of course, in true Becky fashion, I forgot to take any group pics (I have GOT to get better at this when Poppy comes - Mom 101).

 The cake was probably the best part - poor Sharon tried so hard to explain to the bakery that the cake should say "Baby Stevens" and this is how it turned out.  We love Baby Bevens too! And that cute elephant!

Excited about some new wash cloths and burpy bibs!

Stay tuned for an AMAZING Stella and Dot sample sale!  I am getting all of my retired items together this week to sell and get ready for the new Fall collection that debuts later this month!  I'll be posting the sale soon!

Full Term!

My first thought this morning was - it's July!!  I have never been so excited for July to be here!  It's the month we will meet our baby (unless he/she is 9 or more days late, so let's hope not).  Our due date is in 3 weeks today, so today makes us full term at 37 weeks!  I guess it was Aaron's first thought this morning too because that was the text I got from him this morning. (He is coming home today from his last work trip until Poppy's arrival).

Aaron thinks he is realllll funny.

I swore I would not be a false-alarm girl, but I guess the waiting makes me anxious...so this is how we spent last Monday.  I literally caught Aaron as he was boarding a plane for Tulsa and he had to cancel his trip.  Besides me being ridiculous, it turned out ok because it forced me to pack our bags, do a practice run at the hospital, and it turns out that we know a great nurse in the labor and delivery department from our Sunday School class!  I won't go into details on why I thought I should go to the hospital, because it's TMI and truth be told, I am still a little confused.  BUT, everything was still looking great, I am not in labor, and my "bag of waters" is still in tact.

Contractions were confirmed!  The top line is the baby's heartbeat and the bottom line was a contraction monitor.  They are really basically nothing and not painful right now, but at least I do know what I was feeling was a contraction.

Hope to keep you updated as we go through these next few weeks - we are so excited and anxious to meet our little one SO soon!

 

PS - LOVE the Beautiful Mess app!

Nesting - Beauty Edition

"Real" nesting (like the cleaning, organizing, nursery kind) occurred really late for me compared to some people.  I didn't really start obsessively cleaning and straightening until last week.  I had a crazy work schedule this year, typically working 50-60 hours a week, and being pregnant on top of that didn't leave me much energy for getting things going in the nesting department.  Plus, I really don't like starting projects that I can't finish all in one doing, or at least within a certain, defined amount of time.  So, the nesting instinct was put off until late pregnancy for me and Aaron really took care of most of the nursery projects.

I did, however, realize that I am constantly looking and trying new beauty projects and regimens during my pregnancy.  I guess it was the type of nesting that I had the time for, and I started several new routines and fell in love with certain products/services over the past few months that I wanted to share!

I'll start with skin care...

My face was a disaster for about the first 7 months of being pregnant.  My chin was constantly broken out and I was left with several scars.  It's still not perfect, but it is definitely better than it was due to the Unblemish line from Rodan and Fields.  I have several friends who sell R&F products as consultants (Abby, Candess, and Traci), so I linked to their different websites below.

I also have been using Rodan and Fields microdermabrasion paste, which works wonders sloughing off dead skin cells and leaves my face feeling super smooth.  I LOVE this stuff!  I really like their self-tanner and lip shield as well.  I use all of my R&F products constantly - it is truly a great skin care line!

I have also been recently reintroduced to Arbonne from my friend Jamie who is a consultant.  They also have great skin care products, that are made of pure and clean ingredients and you can trust that whatever you are putting into your skin is good for it.  Lately, I have been obsessed with their Detox Spa line - especially the Re-mineralizing body lotion.  I typically would not spend this much on lotion, but it really does make the biggest different in my skin and lasts at least 24 hours.  I can tell a noticeable difference in how my skin feels when I use this lotion.

Arbonne's makeup primer is also a wonderful product - it leaves your face super smooth before you put your make up on, and helps the make up stay on longer throughout the day (which has always been an issue for me).  If you ever want to try anything from Arbonne, or host a little get together and get products for free, you can contact Jamie here.  Or order online and enter her ID number when ordering (11025199).

For both Rodan and Fields and Arbonne products, the prices listed are not always the deals that you can get, so I would suggest contacting the consultant to make sure you are getting the best deals possible.

Another new love of mine is Dry Bar.  There is one now open at Northpark Mall, and it is wonderful.  In case this is new to anyone, Dry Bar only styles your hair, and they have all different styles they can do.  They don't do cuts or color, though, just the style.  I got a blow out for two of my baby showers and was really happy with the way my hair looked and how it stayed so long.  I didn't have to wash it for 3 days!  They have fun movies playing to watch while you are getting your hair done, and it is very clean and cute on the inside.  

Dry Bar is where I was introduced to what is now my favorite hair spray.  This stuff does not leave any crunchiness at all, and really helps keep the humidity out of my hair as well.You can buy it at Dry Bar, and also on Amazon and I am sure a bunch more places.

Last, but certainly not least, my very favorite thing that I have been doing in the beauty department is getting prenatal massages from Katina Chapa.  She is located near Knox-Henderson, and she is the most fabulous thing that has happened to me in pregnancy!  I found her because I bought a Living Social deal and couldn't stop going back.  The best part is if you go back to her after the first time, the 60-minute massage is only $40.  It is a GREAT deal, and I feel so great every time I leave there.  (She does more than just prenatal too).

I really credit taking care of my skin and hair (and muscles from those massages) to at least part of the reason why I have felt great being pregnant.  Finding things that worked for me helped boost confidence and make me want to get dressed in the morning and put make up on.  If you know me, you know I always prefer to be in sweats and a ponytail, but these things have probably helped me not to end up as another victim on the "People of Walmart" website (at least I hope not)!

Thanks for reading, friends!
Until next time,

Becky

8 Months of Poppy (aka the Home Stretch)!

About 33 Weeks (another portrait from my work bathroom!)

36 weeks!

Hello Friends,

On Monday, I will be officially 36 weeks pregnant and today we are exactly one month away from our due date.  I have to say, I have feel so good about where we are and definitely feel more ready than ever.  I know you can never be really ready, but I can tell you that the week I spent organizing that nursery was probably the best thing I could have done to relieve anxiety and stress.  It has really come a long way (mostly due to my wonderful hubs), and I was blessed with the time to do it now that I am not working nearly as much.  In fact, starting Wednesday I am really off until October!  It's a weird feeling since it's only June, but oh so great knowing I will be able to spend at least 12 weeks at home with our little one.

Also, I have been at such a lack for anything to write in this blog for a long time, but I now have a list of about ten posts that are coming up!  I am really going to try to get into the habit of posting now that I have time on my side, and hopefully can keep it up once Poppy gets here and we get settled (do you ever get settled with a baby?  I'm not sure, but I do see moms posting blogs, so now I feel better).  Anyway, you'll notice a new design that I LOVE (it's still in the works, but almost finalized), and hopefully a lot more posts.  Here is our 8-month update on Poppy:

8 Month Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 36 Weeks

Size of baby: Poppy is the size of a honeydew, supposedly.  Apparently, I was really measuring big because remember at 30 weeks how I said it was 3 pounds?  Well, at the 32 week sono, Poppy was more of a 5 and 1/2 pounder.  4 weeks later, no telling how large this guy or gal is.  We are getting another sono next week, so we'll have a better idea of what kind of "fruit" I'll actually be giving birth to.  I come from a family of huge babies, my mom gave birth to three kids over 9 pounds, so this comes at no surprise. 

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I honestly have no idea.  I felt like I was getting obsessed with the number and had to stop weighing myself.  I don't look at the number at the doctor's office either, but I do ask if it is on track, and they always tell me I am doing great, so hopefully they aren't lying.  Trying to nip the body image issues in the bud now - it is a daily prayer not to pass on these types of insecurities to my kids, especially if Poppy turns out to be a girl.

Maternity Clothes: Target and Gap have been my favorites!  That is true for my non-pregnant life as well.

Movement: Poppy loves to kick hard when I lay down to take a nap, take a bath, or go to bed.  It is basically such a reassurance every time I feel those movements.

Sleep: Definitely getting harder.  My Pinterest and Blog Lovin' activity has gone WAY up lately due to not being able to stay asleep.  It's really not that bad though, and I don't want to complain since my mornings are not nearly as early as they were.

What I miss: Happy Hour.  Tying my own shoes.  Clear skin.  Margaritas. Not running out of breath when I am simply talking.  Nike shorts.  Hanky Pankies.  Camp Gladiator.

Symptoms: Heartburn, lack of breath at times (especially when talking for awhile), not so good sleeping.  The worst is probably the amount of crying that goes on somedays over NOTHING!  I seriously had a sobbing fit right in the middle of church last week just singing!  I get overwhelmed so easily, but it's never about a bad thing or stress - it is just hormonal I guess!  I am SO blessed with very little swelling, great doctor's visits, low blood pressure, and energy.

Nursery Progress:  The nursery is all set up and so cute!  I love it so much, and Aaron does too.  I catch him going in there just to peek at it sometimes. :)  The last thing we need to do is put stuff up on the walls, and as soon as that is done, I promise I am posting pics.  It is organized though, clothes and blankets washed, bedding set up, and ready to go.  It is nothing super amazing, like the ones you see on Pinterest done by professionals, but it is perfect to us and it makes me very happy.

Life savers lately:  The snoogle body pillow!  Sure, it seems ridiculous, but I do love sleeping with this thing!  My reef flip flops.  Lemonade.  Luna bars.  Air conditioning.

We are SO looking forward to the next few weeks and seeing how this whole thing goes down.  I can't believe how incredibly close we are to meeting our little one, knowing it's gender, and calling it by name.  I could cry just thinking about it.  Better stop typing or I actually will begin crying and I was really going to try to hold it together today.  Poor Aaron.  

Be back soon!  Becky

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!!