First Comes Family

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Pregnancy

Maternity Photoshoot

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One of the things I looked forward to the most during pregnancy was documenting my bump with a maternity photoshoot. It’s the perfect moment to remember how beautiful pregnancy truly is. I’ll remember the nausea, swollen ankles, and all the extra cookies I ate but the photos show how so much more. They show how remarkable it was to carry human inside of me. If I can give every pregnant woman advice, take some photos that make you feel empowered. You are a literal rockstar and deserve to always remember these 9 months!  

We chose none other than the Meg Dryfus Wedding + Lifestyle Photographer. She has done our announcement, holiday, and family photos. She always delivers a large, crisp, beautiful gallery, plus she has the best personality.. seriously I always look forward to shooting with her. We drove down to Bradenton Beach area at sunrise, yes roughly 6 am (Lee was not happy LOL) to have these done.

Grab your coffee and check out my favorite moments that she captured.

Maternity Photoshoot
Maternity Photoshoot

You can find my maternity dress and swim cover-up on Amazon!

I’m wearing a Large in the dress which fit me like a glove!

Third Trimester Recap

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The third trimester felt like the fastest one by far but it was also my favorite. It lasts 12 weeks but they are so easy to wish away. During my last trimester, I found myself to be very emotional. You’re buying cribs, diapers, going on maternity leave, etc. which is quite the roller coaster. I started to realize as the days went by, that it would no longer just be Lee and I. We wouldn’t be able to go get a late night dinner or lay in bed and binge watch Netflix on Sundays. You prepare 9 months for the biggest life change yet have no idea what to expect. This is why making the best of your last days as 2 is so important.

Health

I passed the Gestational Diabetes screening, WOO! The sugary drink was not as bad as I expected…just tasted like flat Sprite. But I did hear eating 37 jelly beans has the same amount of sugar and some OBs will let you do that instead (worth an ask!). My swelling continued and seemed more so 37 to 40 weeks. They did find that my protein count was close to high at my 39 week appointment which is why they induced me.

Body

Swelling all day everyday!! I gained about 25 pounds in my third trimester (60 lbs total, but that’s a story for another day) which definitely was due to the nightly cookies and cake LOL. Grocery shopping was enough walking for me as my feet started to kill me. I didn’t feel much pressure until Week 38, which mainly was my lower back if I sat in a chair too long. Lee had learned back compression exercises in our birth class that helped me so much!

Cravings

My craving for sweets came back full force in the Second Trimester. Cookies, cakes, brownies, you name it! I tried to keep breakfast, lunch, and dinner as healthy as I could with proteins and whole foods so I could have a treat each night. I continued to want deli sandwiches every single day. I know they say to avoid deli cuts due to listeria but I made sure to eat it fresh and never let it sit too long.

I felt overall pretty good during my Third Trimester and wish I could have those last days back. As 39 weeks pregnant approached, I was constantly crying. I was so worried for the unknown of labor, although I felt I was prepared as I could be. Those last 12 weeks were bittersweet and my favorite of our pregnancy journey.

TIP: Take a birthing class with your support partner. It will give you so much information about what to expect, way more than what you can read on Google!

 

 

Floral Baby Shower

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(photographer: Angel Adriana Photography)

When we found out we were having a baby girl, I was a little unsure what kind of theme I wanted to go with. We had our hearts set on a neutral safari themed room for a little boy but I knew that I want all pink for a girl. I wanted something that can grow with her and be trendy opposed to the traditional Winnie the Pooh or Mickey Mouse. We landed on a pink floral theme. Our wonderful extended family hosted this gorgeous shower for us and she did not disappoint!

Location

For all my Tampa locals, we decided to host it at Foundation Coffee Co. Tampa Heights. It is located in an old historic brick building just near Tampa Riverwalk. There is such charm in the fact that is located in a restored building. They have an door sitting area along with an eclectic outdoor space with greenery and a pergola. Outdoor seated roughly 40 people and very reasonably priced. We opted for the back patio since it was spring in Florida and couldn’t pass up the gorgeous weather.

Theme

Everything was stemmed from the actual wallpaper we used in the nursery. (You can find it HERE) We had custom napkins made with the actual wallpaper graphic. What a gorgeous touch!

Desserts

My favorite part, DUH! Our only request was great desserts and she did not disappoint when arranging them.

We had mini cupcakes which I’m all about! There was a Guinness Chocolate, Cookie Dough, and Vanilla. The cookie dough was so good, but I may be biased because I love chocolate chip cookies.

Of course there was cake, what is a baby shower without one? We had a simple white cake and vanilla buttercream naked cake from Publix. I was so impressed with the quality of the cake. Definitely would order another for an event.

For some grab and go desserts, we also had pretzel rods and cake pops. The cake pops were traditional vanilla flavor but the wow factor was the detail of design. Almost too good to eat!

Games

Since we had a co-ed shower, we tried to keep the games to a minimum so guys didn’t feel obligated. To appeal to the guys, we did a bottle chug race. This was a race of who can drink the apple juice out of the baby bottle the fastest! You could also do it with beer (guys would definitely like that LOL).

A fun way to stock up our diaper pile was to do a Diaper Raffle. We asked everyone to bring a pack of diapers and in return we chose a random name to win a prize.

A really nice touch was that my sister-in-law handed out advice cards. She asked everyone to write a piece of advice down for us. It was so sweet for us to read through these once we got home. Most advice was to sleep when possible, remember to date each other, and don’t worry about keeping your home clean.

Favors

At most showers, they give a favor that you usually toss away. Following along with our sugar addiction, we gave custom sugar cookies as our favors. They had a beautiful “V” for Vivian. Let me tell you, these things were delicious! I totally am a supporter of cookies as a favor at any event!

We were extremely blessed with family and friends who have given their unlimited love and support during our journey. It’s incredible what positivity and love a little baby brings to so many people. So incredible to showered with joy and love. We thank everyone along this road.

Week 6 & 7 Pregnancy Update

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Hello to all the symptoms they tell you about pregnancy! Hit me right at the beginning of Week 6 and still haven’t gone away 🙁 But on the brightside, we are only 2 days away from our first OB appointment! I’m so nervous and excited at the same time especially since we’re still in the early stages for miscarriage. (This risk decreases after 12 weeks) I have a laundry list of questions to ask our OB so I’ll keep you posted!

 

Babe Update

 

Little babe has grown from 0.25 inches to 0.51 inches in these past 2 weeks! They went from the size of a sweet pea to a blueberry. About 100 new brain cells are forming per minute! How wild!

 

Health

 

I have had crazzzyyyy nausea and food aversions literally since the beginning of Week 6. I mean the type of nausea where you only eat crackers, water and saltines. When I am actually wanting to eat food, it’s usually whatever I am craving at that moment (Chicfila, Chicken Noodle Soup, etc.) Week 7 started with a sour stomach that brought me to tears. It felt as if I had a bad stomach ache for 4 straight days! I could barely eat anything because nothing agreed with me. Thankfully that has subsided the last 2 days.

 

Body

 

Just some bloating still but not really a bump I would say. I’m just at that stage where I looked a little bloated in the tummy and want to wear all the baggy clothes. I have a feeling I’ll have a bump by Week 12 which I’m soo excited about. I’ve already stocked up on some bump friendly dresses to wear to work during the transition.

Cravings

 

Cravings have been off the chain!! I mostly have wanted ALL salty foods…which is sooo unlike me. I barely even want anything sugary. I’ve thought about potato chips for like 5 days now. I’ve mostly craved macaroni and cheese, egg bacon and cheese bagels, and vanilla ice cream. As soon as I think of something, I immediately crave it until I get it.

 

TIP: Keep crackers handy for morning sickness! Once you feel some nausea, snack on a few crackers!

 

XOXO,

Shie

Pregnancy Reveal

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What was the day that changed our lives forever actually started as a normal Sunday morning. Lee was away on a golf trip while I stayed back to work on the blog. I had woken up that morning and like everyday I would track my fertility and period in the Glow app. When I logged in, I realized my period was two days late!! In my mind, I was like ehh it’s no big deal this is my first month off of birth control so I’m sure my period will be off. I thought about taking a test but brushed it of then within 20 minutes I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Soooooo I sat down and started peeing on it….it was positive before I could even stop! I couldn’t believe it! I thought there was no way it could be positive especially since we’ve only been trying for a month. Well I was wrong, I took a digital Clear Blue test and it came up positive too! Seeing the positive on the test was the absolute happiest moment of my life.

Now I had to think of a way not to spill the beans to Lee before he made it home 6 hours later! We talked on the phone during his drive home and I was trying my hardest to play it cool. To keep my mind busy, I went shopping (doesn’t every new mama?)

 

Reveal Gift

I knew there was a cute little children’s boutique, so I had them make a customized onesie that said “Hello Daddy”. Then I went over to Target, grabbed this super cute book by Jimmy Fallon called “Your Child’s First Word Will Be Dada”. Perfect for Daddy’s gift! I went home, threw it in the box along with the first positive test I took and waited impatiently for Lee to arrive.

Once he got home, I couldn’t wait any longer! I sat him down (all while secretly recording him) handed him the box and let him open it.

His reaction was exactly what I imagined. He opened the box and was in utter shock. I immediately jumped on him and held him close. I was shaking with such excitement. A feeling similar to what winning 1 billion dollars probably feels like. We cried, laughed and screamed of our joy for our new baby. Something I will forever cherish and remember.

Week 5 Pregnancy Update

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Been carrying my little babe around for five weeks!! This was my first full week knowing that I was pregnant. We’ve processed the initial shock although it still feels surreal that we are finally pregnant. Something that we had planned many months for showed up within a month of being off of birth control.

They don’t warn you of the emotional roller coaster that you go through the first few days that you know you’re pregnant. I was completely overjoyed when I saw those lines cross on the test. My heart was beating out of my chest. We have felt absolutely over the moon this past week. I’ve felt so happy and complete. Also, the fact that you’re growing a human….freaking awesome.

 

Health

I am rather healthy, no history of diseases which could be seen as a complications. I do have poor circulation in the legs which something we will definitely monitor. Walking and exercises will help me keep the fluids flushed and my body limber to carry. I’m planning to exercise 3-4x week. I also have started taking my prenatals as well! I was on. Hormone balancing supplement for the past 4 months which contained enough folic acid for my new little babe.

 

Body

No size changes yet! Just feeling and looking a little bloated. Oh and super sore nipples and boobs! It’s crazy and actually the first symptom that made me think I was pregnant. I’ve had light and intermitent cramps everyday mostly at night. These are normal as it is the egg attaching to the uterine wall and growing. If these are to get stronger and more often then I would be worried.

 

Cravings

No cravings! I naturally have such a sweet tooth so I obviously had a few sweet treats. I actually find myself not hungry, probably because there is so much on my mind.

 

TIP: Take your prenatals! Folic Acid is extremely important to your little appleseed.

It helps the baby’s neural tube develop into their brain.

 

 

I am so excited to share how I’m feeling week by week with you all!

What symptoms did you have at 5 weeks?!