Dress: Shabby Apple (c/o, get the exact one here and olive version here) // Necklace: Kendra Scott (exact one here) // Purse: Reed x Kohl's (c/o, get the exact one here) // Shoes: Target (exact ones here)
As I've been making some Fall wardrobe purchases, I have found myself gravitating towards all things olive, blush, and dark red. Shabby Apple has tons of great Fall dresses for this season, including this one (which also comes in olive!). It's soft and stretchy so it accommodates my bump nicely and I always appreciate cold-weather maxi dresses since it means I don't have to wear tights. There are several other gorgeous dresses from their newest collection that I have my eye on...we'll see how much self-control I have :)
Want a Shabby Apple dress for yourself? Head over to myInstagram to win a gift card!
I had my glucose test this morning (fingers crossed I passed haha) and an ultrasound and everything is looking good! Baby boy is measuring quite a bit heavier than average so I'm hoping his growth spurt slows down a bit or else I'll be giving birth to a 10+ pound baby. Which I'm not keen to do. We got to see his little (big?) face in 3D and oh my goodness I melted. His cheeks are much chubbier than they were at our last ultrasound and he let out a huuuuuuge yawn so we know he's taking after me in that department. I cannot wait to meet him! Even if he is a little on the husky side haha.
Feeling: Hungry still from my fast for the glucose test.
And: A little sore from getting my blood drawn three times and getting a shot.
But: Chris is picking up food from one of our favorite healthy restaurants tonight so I don't have to cook yay!
Days Until Christmas/Baby: 87!!
Dress: Asos (get it here) // Necklace: Rocksbox (similar here) // Wedges: Nordstrom (similar here and here) // Purse: Coach (similar here)
This is an Asos Maternity Dress and I absolutely loooove it. Nice and comfy plus super soft. And pockets! I'm looking forward to layering some sweaters/scarves with it as the weather cools down.
I can't believe I'm already in my 3rd trimester! It's exciting, but also terrifying as I realize how much I really have/want to do before this baby comes and time is quickly running out. I figured I'd talk a little bit about how my second trimester went and update you on what I hope to accomplish in the next three months!
Overall, I have felt really good. I didn't have to take nearly as many naps as I did the first trimester (although I did take my fair share). I started feeling movement around 17 weeks and it has. Not. Stopped. Since. It used to be so cute and endearing, now it's just kind of annoying haha. One night I swear he was punching me repeatedly on one side and kicking me with both legs on the other. He is most active at night before I go to bed, but I definitely do feel him throughout the day if I'm sitting at my desk.
I've been able to continue my workouts without too much discomfort, which I am really grateful for. I'm not doing anything too intense, but I try to do 60 minutes 6 days a week of cardio (usually a combination of elliptical, stairmaster, and treadmill). My workout pants are starting to not stretch as much as I need them to though so I'll be purchasing some full-panel ones soon.
The heartburn/acid reflux hasn't been super fun, but it also hasn't been unbearable. Thus far, I haven't taken any Tums or other medication for it. Chris is always super impressed whenever I let out a large burp since I don't think I burped at all before pregnancy. I've asked him to stop laughing when it happens haha.
For a looooong time, I felt like my stomach wasn't big enough for it to be immediately obvious that I was pregnant. Most of the weight is below my bellybutton, but my stomach is just barely starting to even out a bit at the top. I wouldn't say I have a cute/round/big belly yet, but it's getting there. My doctor doesn't think I'll get super big, but it's entirely possible I'll balloon up the last month and rue the day I wished I was bigger.
The last three weeks my body has just started to hurt more. My torso and back feel like they're being stretched out, which they are, and overall feel quite achy. It's worst at night and when I first get up. I often wake up in the middle of the night with leg/foot cramps and it just feels like my whole body has been tensing up while I sleep. I'm trying to find different arrangements of pillows to find a position that's more comfortable for my stomach and it's helped some, but I do worry it will only get harder the next few months.
We have a big trip coming up and I'm a little bit (ok a lot) nervous about it. It will require a 10+ hour flight and a fair amount of walking once we get there. My main concern is getting comfortable enough on the flight to be able to sleep some since sleeping in my own bed is hard enough. I'm seeing my doctor the day before we leave so she'll check everything out and make sure it's safe for me to go, but she doesn't foresee any issues.
I thiiiiiiink I've started feeling some Braxton Hicks contractions? I often feel some tightening in my lower abdomen and back along with some pain. None of it has lasted long enough for me to be concerned about it, but I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that I don't give birth on the plane haha.
Emotionally, I feel like I haven't been too all over the place. I have always cried easily so it's hard to tell if it's actually pregnancy hormones or just me being me. The most emotional part of this pregnancy has been this last week trying to find a home for a stray cat that showed up at our house. She was SO sweet and social and kind and I just wanted more than anything to find her a good home. Finally, two of my friends met her and said they would keep her. They will be the puuurfect cat parents and I'll still get to see her, but it was quite sad dropping her off the other night. I miss her so much! We've really bonded the last week, but I am beyond grateful that she is in a safe and loving home. She is transitioning so well and I'm sure I'll go and visit her soon.
As far as cravings go, I'd say I'm still not craving anything too odd or specific, but my sweet tooth has definitely gotten even bigger (it wasn't small to begin with). I've been eating a lot of yogurt, grapes, apples, pop tarts, peanut butter M&Ms, muffins, etc.
Next on my list is to finish up the nursery, but we'll need to paint our dresser first (we're going to use it as a changing table). After that, we can reconfigure our rooms a bit and start hanging and arranging things. Then I'll work on my baby registry. If it's anything like creating a wedding registry, I'll need to set aside like five hours a day to research and compile what I want haha.
Overall, I'm feeling really good! I'm super excited about these next few months and I'm hoping they don't go by tooooo fast. If any of you have recommendations on last trimester baby prep, I'd LOVE to hear it! Books to read, things to research, items to get, things to pack for the hospital, exercises to get ready for delivery, etc. I could use all the help I can get :) As always, thank you all for your love, support, and advice! It's really fun to share this exciting time of life with so many wonderful people.
Thanks for stopping by! Hope you have a great Friday :)
Sitting: At my desk. Which is currently in the nursery haha it's one of the items that needs to be moved soon.
Need: To clean our house. We're having friends over for dinner tomorrow and sometimes people coming over is the only thing that motivates me to deep clean parts of our house.
Frustrated: That a package from Asos arrived with a giant rip in it. Some of the clothes were even ripped too :(
Days Until Christmas/Baby: 94!!
We may be almost into October, but it still very much feels like Summer here. But I'm not complaining! Winters tend to drag on fooooreverrrrr here in Indiana so I'm going to enjoy wearing my warm-weather clothes as much as I can. I am looking forward to wearing some more layered looks, but probably not until like late-October mid-November.
While I won't be posting any Fall outfits for a few more weeks, I figured I'd do a Fall Preview of sorts with one of my favorite online retailers, Grace & Lace! They were kind enough to send me a whole package filled with cold weather goodies and it got me all sorts of excited. You can check out the pieces above as well as some other Fall items that pair excellently with them. Plus you can shop them for yourself simply by clicking on any of the images that intrigue you. I would highly recommend getting one of their ponchos (I have two because I'm thinking they'll be super helpful for nursing in the Winter months) as well as some boot cuffs! They're all adorable and super functional. They add a nice touch of femininity to any outfit. Their faux-suede fringe jacket is also to die for. You'll be seeing all these pieces styled on my blog/insta as soon as the weather merits it!
Now that I have my laptop in (temporary) working order, I'll be posting some more outfit posts soon! I'll also be discussing maternity jeans, Fall trends I'm excited to partake in, and a bumpdate as I enter my third trimester. I'm also starting to get lots of great baby goodies c/o some amazing companies and I cannot WAIT to share these products with all you mamas and mamas-to-be! Basically there's a lot to look forward to in the coming weeks :)
About: To go to my dad's birthday dinner! He's the best.
Feeling: Larger. My bump still has quite a bit to go but it is definitely growing and I can feel it.
Hoping: To paint our dresser/changing table soon so we can get it moved into the nursery!
Days Until Christmas/Baby: 97
You know what I love? Packages. It is aaaalways a good day when I come home from work to see a box or two (or five) on my doorstep. Most of the time, the boxes contain goodies for me because #onlineshoppingaddict, but occasionally it'll be something boring that my husband ordered (like a bike part or soap). However, this past week brought LOTS of good stuff including this box from GlobeIn!
GlobeIn is an artisanal subscription service that sends you different themed boxes every month. The lifestyle products inside are made by remote artisans all over the world so with each box or individual purchase, you're helping support a global community of artisans in need. If you're interested in learning more, click here. And if you want to sign up and receive $10 off 3-month and 6-month subscriptions, click here and use code ANNIE at checkout. You can also buy individual items that may interest you from their shop without signing up for a subscription! Do that here(there's LOTS of good stuff). Any of their boxes or products would make great gifts for family/friends or yourself haha.
This particular box that I got is their Threads box and it came with a t-shirt, woven basket (that will look great in our nursery!), an awesome clutch, keychain, and scarf. I'm also very much wanting to try their World Kitchen Box, Savour Box, and Pamper Box. I was really impressed with the quality of all the products in the basket I received. You can tell that everything is made with quality materials and an enormous attention to detail. I like supporting businesses that help real, individual people who may not otherwise be able to sustain their businesses. And of course, it's fun to have things in your home from around the world that tell a story.
About: To eat some muffins! I love muffins on a Saturday morning.
Wishing: My lost denim jacket would magically turn up.
Watching: Gilmore Girls. As always.
Days Until Christmas/Baby: 99! Holy moly less than a hundred!
Dress: Charlotte Russe (sold out; similar here, here, here, andmaternity version here) // Necklace: Rocksbox // Shoes: Target (similar here) // Handbag: Saint Laurent via Trendlee (on loan; identical here, cheaper here, cheaper here, cheapest here)
These photos were taken about two weeks ago and you can see the smaaaallest baby bump starting to appear! It doesn't look much different now haha maybe someday I'll have a cute little round belly. Our ultrasound and echocardiogram yesterday in Indy went well and seeing the baby made all the stress and worry (and early alarm clock that morning) worth it. I cannot wait to meet him! And we are so relieved to hear that he is healthy.
By now you all know that I'm a big proponent of affordable fashion. Obviously, some pieces are worth spending a little extra on if they are timeless and well-made. But for the most part, I only purchase things that are less than $150 or so. I'm not really the kind of girl who buys $2,000 purses (but I mean if I had the money maybe I would be haha), but I do want to tell you guys about an amazing website where you can buy gently-used designer bags. Trendlee has so many options and each purse comes with a certificate of authenticity so you know what you're buying is legit. They loaned me this gooooorgeous Saint Laurent bag and I was majorly impressed. There were minimal signs of wear and they wrapped it very nicely so there was no damage during the shipping process. I tried to coax Chris into purchasing the bag for me haha but he didn't go for it.
Trendlee is a great option if you want a designer handbag, but don't want to pay full price (I mean who does?). If you're looking for a classic bag to invest in that you can use for years to come, definitely check out Trendlee. You can even save 5% by using coupon code ANNIELYNN at checkout! They only accept gently-used bags and feature several photos of each bag (including any spots that show wear or damage) so you don't have to worry about getting something that looked great online, but horrible in real life. The Saint Laurent one I picked out from their website looked as amazing as it did online!
My advice for selecting a purse would be to pick out something fairly neutral that will go with most of your wardrobe (cognac, black, navy, etc.). Avoid anything too trendy or flashy so that way you can use the purse for many, many years to come. Leather bags in particular hold up really well and age nicely. And of course, take good care of your bag by following the instructions for care and storing it out of the sun and in a safe, cool place. I know that someday when I can afford a designer bag, I'll definitely be searching Trendlee first. You can check out their entire selection here.
Happy: That the weather cooled down today! I actually got to wear jeans and it was fantastic.
Smelling: Brownies! I made some for a church activity tonight.
