week 23 bump update and letters for Reagan

I know I know, I'm super late on my bump update this week, but my camera battery had died and I couldn't find my charger. It's been missing for awhile and I was completely stumped at where it could be. When my sister asked why I hadn't posted my weekly post I told her my problem and she proceeded to tell me she had 2 chargers and she's wondering why she had 2. Darn sister stole my charger and didn't realize it! I'm just happy to have my charger back! Onto the bump update :)

//top- Pinkblush Maternity// jeans- Citizens of Humanity (maternity)//

Bump Update

How far along? 23 weeks

Total weight gain: I am not caring anymore how much I've gained. I'm gaining exactly the amount that baby Rae needs! So no more looking when they weigh me. I will look though at my last weigh in to know how much I gained for the whole pregnancy.

Maternity clothes?  FULL on maternity clothes now. Texas has been having silly weather, it's time for warm weather, but it's still chilly, so I can't wait till it's warm so I can sport dresses and flip flops 24/7.

Stretch marks? nope! Mom didn't have any, so I don't expect to get any. I heard stretch marks are all in the genetics.

    Sleep: I decided to put the snoogle away for a bit and it's actually been helping me sleep! Of course, I'm up 3-4 times a night to pee, but it's just preparing me for the near future :)

Best moment this week: watching Kyle interact with Rae. He would talk and she would kick and it was seriously the sweetest thing I've ever watched. I couldn't help but cry as I watch the love of my life play with his daughter.

Miss anything? being able to work out. I've been having alot of pain for the past 2 weeks and we couldn't figure out why. Went in for an ultrasound and it turns out I have fluid on my kidney. So the pain I've been feeling is from that. I can't be on my feet long or it really starts to hurt so I've had to stop working out. I don't like it at all. Fortunately, Rae is completely fine! Fluid levels are great, movement is great, she's all around great! :)

Food cravings: Craving Chick-fila constantly! I could eat it for every meal! And love fruit :)

Anything making you queasy or sick? nope! I think I've finally moved passed the nausea! Wahoo!

Gender: Pink

Labor signs: nope

Symptoms: Swollen ankles (a new one), winded easily, sensitive skin (gets a sun burn even with 70 spf), crampy (she's growing a lot lately), and of course, peeing constantly! I can't get in the car without going before we leave. Kyle always remind me to pee before we leave, just like a kid! And the newest symptom is leaking. Haha. Apparently my poor bladder is just not strong as it's being smooshed by my uterus. 

Belly button in or out?  In! And I don't think it will ever pop. It's the deepest inney ever!

Wedding rings on or off: On.

Happy or moody most of the time: I am happy! ALL the time!

Looking forward to: getting the nursery started! Kyle is painting it this weekend and our first shower is May 17 so I can't wait to start getting everything put together! I promise to post pictures as it progresses

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Give Yourself a Raise

I was approached by a company called Raise to write a post about "rewarding yourself" and I couldn't wait to write this blog post. They are running an interactive campaign called, “Give Yourself a Raise,” about the importance of rewarding yourself for all the hard work you put in every day. I do think as hard working women we have to remember to take time out of the day and indulge in ourselves a little bit! 

As a woman, pregnant or not, kids or not, we work hard. Women are the providers and we have to do a lot to fill those shoes. Make dinner, clean the house, keep peace in the home, play doctor, grocery shopping, pick the kids up from school, and so many more! It's a lot and it is so important to reward yourself time and time again. Sometimes you need a break and need to take some time out for you! Tell your husband, he's in charge for a few hours and get the heck out of your house and treat yourself.

Here are my top 3 favorite things to do to reward myself. In no particular order!

1. mani/pedi
I sure do love my legs being rubbed and who can say no to a free glass of wine?

2. shopping at Target
It seriously is my all time favorite place. I can get my groceries while I casually add a few cute tops in my cart. My husband will never know ;)

3. Starbucks with a good book
I love to go cuddle up in one of the chairs with a cup of coffee and my favorite book and just get lost in it for a few hours.

And this pretty much sums up ANYTHING that a women will love to do to give herself a little raise :) 

Check in the yes box to all of the above!

Now alittle bit more about Raise.

It's a website where you can buy and sell giftcards. You can sell your unused giftcards for cash and it's also a great place to stock up on giftcards to use when you want to "reward" yourself. The best part is, you pay less than what the giftcard has on it! My husband and I love Starbucks. We go between 1-2 times a week! So for us, buying giftcards off this site to Starbucks and using them for our weekly Starbucks trips, will end up saving us money! It's a win win situation!

Now my question to you is, what do you do to "give yourself a raise"? Do you like to indulge in your favorite dessert, buy a new pair of shoes, or just escape away from everything and watch a movie in your bedroom?

I can't wait to get some new ideas of how to "give yourself a raise!"

**I was not compensated for writing this post in any way**

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week 22- bump update and letters for Reagan

//top- Pink Blush Maternity (not available anymore)// earrings- Kendra Scott// jeans- Destination Maternity//

Bump Update

How far along? 22 weeks

Total weight gain: 14 pounds. I have another appointment next Friday. We will see the damage then :)

Maternity clothes?  FULL on maternity clothes now and they are so comfy. I can't wait to wear dresses all summer long!

Stretch marks? nope! Cocoa Butter Lotion was purchased to start applying daily! And I've heard that stretch marks are genetic and my mom had none. Crossing my fingers!

    Sleep: Sleep is great besides the occasional getting up to pee, which then results in me getting tangled in my Snoogle :)

Best moment this week: having a random man in Key West while on our cruise randomly say while walking by us, "Well look at that. She's having a baby. Congrats!" Totally made both Kyle and I's day!

Miss anything? I miss doing things and not getting winded. Just taking the girls for a walk makes me out of breath!

Food cravings: Fruit and Chickfila. I came home from the grocery store and realized fruit is something I'm loving lately!

Anything making you queasy or sick? reading or texting in the car when I'm the passenger. Makes me so nauseous!

Gender: Pink

Labor signs: nope

Symptoms: Swollen ankles (a new one), winded easily, sensitive skin (gets a sun burn even with 70 spf), crampy (she's growing a lot lately), and of course, peeing constantly! I can't get in the car without going before we leave. Kyle always remind me to pee before we leave, just like a kid!

Belly button in or out? In, but it's starting to pull down. I think it'll be a belly button slit by the end. Definitely is not going to pop.

Wedding rings on or off: On.

Happy or moody most of the time: I am happy! ALL the time!

Looking forward to: Kyle finally feeling Rae kick! She's a stinker and isn't cooperating. Always stops kicking when Kyle puts his hand on my belly. 

**EDIT- right after I posted this, Kyle got to feel Reagan kick for the first time! Seeing his face light up was amazing!**

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Spring Break 2014

Hello friends! I know I missed Miss Rae's 21 week update, but I have a good excuse! My family and I were on a cruise for the past week! It was a wonderful, relaxing time! We all enjoyed it greatly! So take a look at our trip. I wish I had been better at taking pictures, but I was having too much fun laying out in the sun!

finally on the boat ready to sail!

So we cruised out of Miami and got on the boat about 12 and the boat set sail at 4:30pm. So we packed our swim suits in my carry on so we could change as soon as we got on the boat! I put on sun screen and laid out all afternoon! It  was wonderful, but I got SO burnt! My skin has been really sensitive since being pregnant, and that day was no exception! Goodness! From then on, I reapplied sunscreen 3-4 times and it helped me not get burnt again. Fortunately for me, when I get burnt, it turns into tan a few days later so now I have a nice glow :)

dinner on formal night. dress from ASOS maternity.

selfie in our tiny room!

at karaoke watching sister sing

oysters in key west. I did not have any! Yuck!

enjoying my pina colada. virgin of course!

Rae enjoying the sun! Swim suit from Victoria's Secret. bottoms- ruched hipkini and top- the getaway halter top

Ok, I can't say ENOUGH about this top! I REALLY struggled finding a top that looked good and I wasn't spilling out of. My chest has grown exponentially and NONE of my old tops fit, but this one is AMAZING!! It has amazing coverage and holds it all in AND the back is not a tie, it's a clasp which I LOVE! I plan on rocking this swimsuit all summer long! I bought it in black and turquoise and have lots of bottoms to rotate back and forth with. Even the bottoms I have on now match my turquoise top. If you need a swimsuit, get this one! Even if you aren't pregnant, get this top!

sissy and I the last night. Isn't her outfit is ADORABLE?! Wish I could have pulled it off!

on our way to the airport. trip is over and we were sad, but excited to go home and see our fur babies!

on the plane on the way home

The trip home was a tough one! Flying to Miami was not bad at all, but I think a whole week of activity, walking around at each port, and being on my feet alot got to me. To get home, we flew from Miami to Atlanta, switched planes and flew from Atlanta to Houston, then FINALLY Houston to Dallas. When we got off the plane in Atlanta we had 20 minutes to get to our next flight. But of course, I was so nauseous and got sick. Right after I got sick, my nose started bleeding. Flying pregnant is tough work!

This is what my feet looked like before our flight from Houston to Dallas. You can see the imprint from my sandals on the tops of my feet :( I was happy to finally be home after 12 hours of traveling!

Despite the bad traveling home, the trip was fantastic! It was a great time to spend with my husband and family. Can't wait when we get to take Rae with us on vacation!

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week 20 bump update and letters for Reagan

//navy dress- Liz Lange Maternity from Target// (fits big) I'm wearing an xsmall

Bump Update

How far along? 20 weeks

Total weight gain: 14 pounds. The last appointment was a knife to the gut. As my nurse was weighing me, she had to slide the big 50 lb over one more slot. OUCH!

Maternity clothes?  FULL on maternity clothes now. My bump is so low that my regular shirts are becoming too short! Thank goodness the hubs started budgeting for maternity clothes for each month.

Stretch marks? nope! Cocoa Butter Lotion was just purchased to start applying daily!

    Sleep: Turning over has become more of a problem. I can't get enough pillows so I invested in the Snoogle. It has been the best investment ever!

Best moment this week: sharing with everyone that our little one was a GIRL and having my birthday all in the same weekend. Super fun weekend!

Miss anything? my thighs. They just don't look the same right now :)

Food cravings: Craving Chick-fila constantly! I could eat it for every meal!

Anything making you queasy or sick? nope! I think I've finally moved passed the nausea! Wahoo!

Gender: Pink

Labor signs: nope

Symptoms: The symptoms have started to level out and I am thankful for that. The nightly peeing is a constant of course.

Belly button in or out?  In! And I don't think it will ever pop. It's the deepest inney ever!

Wedding rings on or off: On.

Happy or moody most of the time: I am happy! ALL the time!

Looking forward to: our cruise! This momma is letting it all hang out! And by it all, I just mean my belly :)

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Gender Reveal

This weekend we had our gender reveal and it went absolutely amazing! All of the preparing for the past month have finally come together and it couldn't have been more perfect! The decorations were amazing and I was overwhelmed with how many people attended to support us announcing if we were having a little girl or little boy! If you follow me on Instagram, then you already know that we are having a.....

GIRL!

Everyone thought it was a boy, but I just knew deep down that it was a girl :) Most of our guests wore blue.

 But there were a few who said pink!

Now to the decorations because that's always the fun part :) I will say, I COMPLETELY forgot to take any picture during the ACTUAL party. I was just SICK when I realized I hadn't. I'm praying a family member took some. The table was absolutely gorgeous with all the food and drinks, but alas, no pictures. All the fun balloons that were on the mantle and coffee table were deflated when I woke up this morning. So my staged after the fact pictures will have to suffice. And yes, this pregnant hormonal lady cried when she realized she hadn't taken the pictures.

Most of my supplies for decorating are from Hobby Lobby, but I'll do a list at the bottom of the post for things that weren't Hobby Lobby.

My birthday is today so we also celebrated my birthday yesterday. Had to take a picture with the candles :) 

my sister got baby her first book :) This was our favorite story when we were little.

Be on the look out for my 20 week bump update where I reveal baby's name :)

Credits:
wreath: all supplies from Hobby Lobby
white frames: IKEA
chalk board with Old Wives Tales: Michael's
chalk board with votes: Hobby Lobby
chalk holder: Hobby Lobby
lanterns: Hobby Lobby
tissue pom poms: Hobby Lobby:
printables (invitations, drink list, silhouette pictures, words of wisdom): all made by me. Silhouette pictures from Etsy
banner: made by me with my Silhouette. Paper from Hobby Lobby
yarn letters: cardboard letters bought from Hobby Lobby and wrapped with yarn
plates, cups, forks, napkins, straws: Hobby Lobby
gender reveal box: Staples
chalk markers: Hobby Lobby
flower center pieces: fake flowers from Hobby Lobby

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