When you were little did you ever read The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein? It was probably one of my favorite books as a child. This tree stump reminds me of the very end of the story where the old man returns to the tree and sits on the stump.
Happy Friday and have a fabulous weekend!!
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Admission – I am a sweetaholic! Always have been and probably always will be. I’m starting to believe Jellybean, like her mommy-to-be, has a wicked sweet tooth as well. Yes, wicked … I am from Massachusetts and wicked is an adjective, promise! I’ve been tried out a lot of new baked good recipes over the last couple of months. Two of my favorites are classic brownies from Smitten Kitchen and white chocolate brownies from Bake or Break.
Recently I’ve been looking for new bloggers to follow when I stumbled upon Tin’a Chic Corner. The chocolate crumb cake recipe immediately grabbed my attention. Last weekend the husbands were away for a boys “football” weekend so the girls and I decided to do a dinner/game night! I figured it was the perfect time to give this new recipe a whirl.
Ingredients Needed:
Get the recipe and directions from Tina’s Chic Corner here.
Although my crumb topping didn’t come our nearly as pretty as Tina’s the cake was absolutely DELISH! The girls all loved it. We even had seconds. The husband, who isn’t a big chocolate fan (seriously, what’s wrong with him?!), really liked the piece he had when he returned from his trip. I will definitely be making this chocolate crumb cake again … and soon!
Any recipes you’ve tried lately that you’d recommend?
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Each pregnancy is different and everyone has their own list of must haves for being pregnant. I really appreciated all the tidbits my friends, coworkers and family shared with me on what I need or will need to help me enjoy being pregnancy. Let me be honest; I have good days and bad days. Sometimes I LOVE being pregnant and other times December can’t come soon enough.
It’s a roller coaster ride for sure, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. It took some trial and error in the first trimester, but I slowly identified what “stuff” was essential to a “happy pregnant Nicole”.
So here are my pregnancy essentials … at least so far! :)
{1} Snoogle Total Body Pregnancy Pillow with Jersey Knit Cover
After sleeping SO well the first trimester I was shocked at how uncomfortable I was in the second. While maternity clothes shopping, my mom made friends with another grandmother-to-be and her daughter. The woman swore by this pillow and after a 5 minute conversation on “why this pillow is a-mazing” I was sold. I LOVE this pillow … I’m not sure the husband does though as he keeps joking he has been “replaced”. I should have invested in a pregnancy pillow sooner!
{2} Kashi Chewy Granola Bars
I keep at least two granola bars in my purse at all times. I learned the hard way in the first trimester that if I skip a meal or wait too long to eat I start to feel horrible. Granola bars have been a life saver when we are on the go!
{3} Manis and Pedis {I love the OPI colors!}
A little pampering for the Mom-to-be never hurt anyone, right?!?!
{4} Cotton Lace Waist Thong
Comfy underwear is a must! I purchased these a size larger than I normally wear to give the tummy room to grow. They have a good amount of stretch and I probably could have stuck with my normal size (at least so far … we shall see how the 3rd trimester goes).
{5} What to Expect When Your Expecting
To quote myself from an older post … “This book is a classic. It comes in handy when I have questions like “is this <insert pain/ache/feeling> normal?”. Unlike Goggling it doesn’t give all these horror stories …”
A lot of moms and moms-to-be have mentioned Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Lotion is a pregnancy must. I just started using it about two weeks ago when the belly started getting itchy. Luckily my friend warned me this was on the horizon so the lotion had already been purchased before the itchiness began. I’m not sure if it will make it onto my pregnancy essential list, but will definitely keep you posted. :)
What are/were your pregnancy must haves?
I stumbled upon this picture last weekend while perusing the external hard drive. It was taken in 2010 when the husband (then boyfriend) and I went to Charlottesville, Virginia for a little weekend get away. We visited Barboursville and Horton’s Vineyards. It was a great weekend!! Can’t believe I completely forgot about the photos from that weekend. Thank goodness for our external hard drive /backup. It’s so much fun to look through old photos and reminisce! :)
Happy Friday and have a fabulous weekend!!
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Hello second trimester it is SOOOO nice to see you! Morning (really all day) sickness is .. GONE! HOLLA! I feel like myself again and while I’m still more tired than normal, early evening naps are no longer required. =) The belly and baby keep on growing and growing. I was surprised to compare my first belly picture to the updated one. Here’s the belly at 22 weeks (and a couple days):
Pregnancy Tidbits from Weeks 18-22
Random Tidbits
As previously announced Jellybean is a girl!
Belly button is out … already! POUT. Apparently my inny/outty belly button is taking full advantage of being pregnant and has become a full blown outty. Hopefully it goes back to “normal” after Jellybean makes her debut.
I am craving coffee, which is weird for someone who has never been a huge coffee drinker. Regular coffee, iced coffee and lattes … I want them all multiple times a day. Don’t worry though, despite the craving I am limiting myself to the doctor’s recommendation of only 1 cup of caffeine per day.
Symptoms
Leg cramps – Holy Charlie Horse Batman! I don’t think I’ve had leg cramps/charlie horses like this since playing ice hockey and soccer in high school. According to my handy dandy pregnancy book, leg cramps are completely normal. I’ve been trying to stretch my calves and eat more bananas to combat these nightly legs cramps.
Back Pain – As the belly got bigger my back started to hurt. The beginning of the 5th month was pretty uncomfortable, but it quickly subsided.
Easily Winded – I was glad the doctor warned me that I might become winded easily. Although I wouldn’t say I am super in shape I’ve always been able to walk long distances and go up/down a flight of stairs without issue. Now when I walk and talk for too many blocks I get winded. Carrying my computer and purse up or down the stairs in my building while talking on the phone … also equals getting winded.
Movement
I felt the baby move for the first time the afternoon of our 20 week appointment. It really does feel like a “flutter”. For me, in the beginning, it was hard to determine if the sensation was the baby moving or well …. ummm … other stomach stuff … yeah let’s put it that way. She tends to be most active right before I go to bed. In fact the calmer and more still I am the more I can feel her move and kick. The highlight of any day (or evening really) is when I feel her kick.
Maternity Clothes
I’m rocking 90% maternity clothes at this point. Sweat pants, pajamas and a few flowy shirts about sums up the clothing that still fit over the belly. I had been holding out on buying a bunch of maternity clothes when my mom made a good point. The earlier I buy them the longer I get to wear them! That was all the justification I needed. At about 21 weeks pregnant my mom and I went shopping at Motherhood Maternity. It was honestly the best thing she could have suggested we do while I visiting the family in Massachusetts. I now have enough clothing options that I don’t have to wear the same things over and over again. Plus in all honesty I’m far more comfortable in my new clothes then what was already in my closet.
Missing Anything?
Turkey breast sandwiches!
Highlights
Finding out Jellybean is a girl and feeling her move are definitely tied for first place this month. A VERY close second would be the first time the husband felt Jellybean kick!!
Looking Forward To…
The 24 week ultrasound. My little sister is coming into town and will be my wing woman for what will most likely be my last ultrasound! It has been pretty special to see the Jellybean with the husband, my mom and even by myself. I’m so excited though to share the moment with my little sister/Auntie-to-be.
No more traveling. While I adored seeing so many friends and family in July, the 5 consecutive weekends of traveling was just too much for this pregnant gal. The husband and I agreed early on in the pregnancy we were going on “travel maternity leave” starting in September.
Fears/Concerns
Gestational Diabetes Test. I am not looking forward to this test at my 24 week appointment. I know it is uncommon and the test will probably come back negative, but I’m still a little worried.
Labor! Despite delivery being about 28 weeks away I am nervous about it. I think I will continue to live in denial about it for a few more weeks … currently pulling an ostrich move and burying my head in the sand. At some point soon facing this fear is a must. =)
Any pregnancy tidbits you care to share? I would love to hear them!
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