Mothership Confessional

Being pregnant with my first child, I had zero experience maternity clothes shopping. I had no idea what sizes I would need nor what products would work for me. Given that every body type is so different, and each pregnancy is so different, this post will simply serve as a guide and just a place to start. Ultimately, you will have to make some decisions yourself on what will work best for you. I just thought I'd share what I have learned in this first pregnancy. When Should I Start Buying Maternity Clothes? To me, this question has a simple and easy answer. NOW. (or, as soon as you find out you are pregnant.) Here's why: CLEARANCE . Take advantage of that clearance rack! If you buy as soon as you find out you are pregnant, the clothes on clearance are going to be the right season for when you are in your third trimester. I did a little shopping in the first trimester (early winter) and I got great summer tanks and maxi dresses for a ...

30 weeks...here we are! And that means that the countdown just hit 9 weeks, 6 days!!! 9 WEEKS!!!! I'm still feeling good! I have gained a little over 20 pounds so far this pregnancy. I try to stay active for as much as my back will allow. I am noticing that some of those pounds are showing up in my legs and buttocks...why does that not surprise me?! :) I had a couple of "firsts" this week. I finally decided to start taking advantage of parking spots reserved for pregnant women. I used to avoid them because I always thought that there would be someone in more discomfort than me who would need it more. But I've decided enough with that hooeyness! Besides, there's only 2 places in town that even have this kind of parking - Babies R Us and the hospital on post, but at the hospital, you have to be 36 weeks AND have a permit. And I also did Ava's  first load of laundry! And then I did another load, and another, and another, and another, and ...

I am very excited to finally be sharing this recipe! I know I promised I would share this awhile ago back at week 19 ! Now, this recipe is probably  not going to actually change your life, but it just might change your opinion on beef stroganoff. Growing up, my memory of beef stroganoff was that it was a warm, hearty dish that I loved and my sister hated. But I also remember it being sort of...traditional. I began to search for the recipe (as I did not have my childhood recipe) and stumbled across a recipe that intrigued me. Of course, at the time, I was missing like half the ingredients it called for, and so I tried to think of what I had in the house that could be good substitutes.  And I came up with a dang good  recipe!! Let's begin. Begin by putting a big pot of water on to boil and getting a large sauté pan on medium heat with 2 tablespoons of butter in it. Here are the 3 ingredients that I think make this dish so special: ...

It's Friday again!  I can't really tell you what happened this week, because I can't remember! I feel like I was just writing last week's post! Well, let's see... I think I was pretty lazy this week. I watched an MTV marathon the other day.  I also had some uterine pain around my belly button, probably from Ava growing. So I took it easy that morning.  This little girl (well, she's not actually little... ) has become exceptionally friendly lately: She is our skiddish kitty, and having just turned 4, she seems to really have turned a corner! She spends a lot of time on the corner of the recliner with me. She has even let the neighbor play with her! She has really come out of her shell in the last several months. Related to my pregnancy? Not really sure! I made jambalaya for the first time (in the crockpot)! It was good. It made so much that I already have our first freezer meal for after Ava arrives! It's not my recip...

It has been a long slow week. Chris has been in the field since Saturday and was gone until Wednesday night.  So it was just mostly me and Ava. And the crazy animals. I have felt semi-depressed during his absence. I felt this way when he was away in Boston several weeks back. I'm pretty sure that the pregnancy hormones are responsible for that feeling! I normally do just fine while he is away. I just felt ultra lonely and I missed him a lot.  It helped that I had some things to do, though. I did some yoga from a prenatal yoga DVD. I was sad to realize my range of motion and flexibility has greatly  decreased, but some of those poses felt so  good on my back! Afterward I felt relaxed and less stiff and restricted and more like a well-oiled machine. I could see a difference in how much less effort it took to go up and down stairs! The video was a little outdated and sorta cheesy, but the yoga itself was good. Not a bad workout for buying it used at $4! ...

So wait...I am now 7 months pregnant?! I have started the THIRD TRIMESTER!!! Some count week 27 as the start of the last trimester, and some say 28. I don't know which one is correct, so I'm going with 27 weeks. Ava will be here in 3 months or  13 weeks or 91 days ( or less )!!! I had another first this week! I felt baby girl's hiccups for the first time! I thought she was tap dancing and had amazing  rhythm when I realized (especially since my last ultrasound where I saw  her hiccups on the screen) that those were no punches or kicks - those were hiccups! I felt it much deeper in my belly, and they were not nearly as localized as a kick or jab. It was almost like a pulsing that happened every few seconds. Crazy! Chris was able to feel them too a few days later. Her torso must have been closer to the side of the uterus.  It felt like a little heartbeat, almost - it's kinda hard to describe! I've felt them almost every day this week! In fact, sh...