Forty Weeks

So these pictures are from the night before Baby2 was born.  We are talking like 10 hours before, if you really want to know.  I was exactly 40 weeks pregnant, and fairly sure baby wasn't coming any time soon.  We went out to dinner because I was not in the mood to cook anything, and since it was in the 90s all week, my number one priority was staying as cool as possible.  I honestly don't know how people survived without air conditioning!

When we got home, I figured we should take some pictures.  I didn't know these would be our last family pictures before Baby2.

Smiles!  

2 out of 3 smiles

Poor kid!  He didn't know his parents are about to flee in the middle of the night and come back with a baby brother!

Top: H&M Mama
Skirt: Old Navy
Sandals: Target

38 weeks

I'll be honest.  I'm basically still blogging at this point because I think I should be fair and have this pregnancy documented at least somewhat.  Last time, I was taking pictures almost every day, and this time I can barely manage once a week, so it's not quite the same, but hey, it's something.  If I had to guess, the blog will probably fade off into obscurity soon.  It's just not really something I have time for anymore, and my free time is going to be drastically reducing again.  Maybe I'll post every so often, or maybe I'll miss it terribly and come back, or maybe I'll just start posting weird mommy-blogger stuff (probably not).

Anyway, this was me on Sunday, 38 weeks pregnant and significantly bigger than I was at 40 with baby1!  This is the dress I ended up buying for my sister's wedding back in May and I really love it.  Other than the fact that the armpit holes are enormous.  Seriously, what is up with that?  Are my armpits too small for the rest of my body?  This is a common problem for me.

Counting down the days until baby brother arrives!  Could be soon...

Dress: Loft
Belt: Madden
Sandals: Target

Weekly Hello

Checking in from the hottest June I can remember.  We just keep having these 90+ degree days, and I think I might die.  These pics are just from a week ago.  We went out to dinner for my SIL's birthday, and then came back to our house for presents and cupcakes and played Harry Potter Clue.  It was more complicated than regular clue.  John and I were a team because it only allows for 5 players.  We had a lot of trouble with our dice rolls, and doors being closed (one of the HP differences), so we only got to make 1 guess!  But we were still very good detectives and knew the person and the weapon, so I felt like we did okay.

I've been the worst at taking outfit photos.  I mean, I am pretty casual most days, but I get dressed nicer on Sundays and never remember to take pictures.  We also had a wedding about a week ago, and of course, I didn't get any pictures.  Poor second baby is already getting less documentation.

Plus it's harder to take pictures of myself when I have a little helper.  He is very very interested in the tripod and wants to knock it over.   Or he wants to go diving off the deck stairs, or find something dangerous to play with.  Punishment involves being featured in a picture.

Top: ON Maternity
Skirt: ON
Sandals: Target

Paisley shorts

These shorts were a favorite last summer, both before and after Mr. Baby was born.  I've already worn them a bunch again this summer.  But I've learned that when you are due in July, you need more shorts and tank tops than when you are due in May, so I've had to do some additional maternity shopping.  And I'm also much bigger this time around, so some of my maternity shorts are getting uncomfortable.  Not cool!  Luckily, these seem to have plenty of stretch, so I think they should last me through.  6 more weeks!!

Cardi: JCF
Tank: Kohl's maternity
Shorts: Loft maternity
Sandals: Target

LeTote Green Dress

After a few years of thinking about it, I finally signed up for LeTote.  I'm at a weird place right now with my closet, so I figured it was a good time to try something different.  This dress was in my first tote and I knew it wouldn't work for church, because the front was a little short, and the top was just a wardrobe malfunction waiting to happen when carrying a grabby baby.  So I went for the "overdressed housewife meeting her husband for lunch" look.  Is that a thing?  Let's say it's a thing.  

Anyway, the dress was a bit too large, and a bit too short, but it was fun to wear.  I think I dressed it down enough that it wasn't too weird for a random weekday.  

If you aren't familiar with LeTote, it's basically Netflix for clothes.  Monthly subscription, they mail you clothes, you wear and mail back.  Repeat.  You can either let them pick out what they send, or request specific things.  For the first one, I just went with their picks based on my style profile.  Each tote has 3 clothing items and 2 pieces of jewelry.  Here's what they sent me:

I actually didn't wear all 5 items from the first box.  I just wore this dress and the bird shirt and sent it back.  The jewelry was cute, but I didn't have any reason to wear it, and was anxious to send the box back to get my next one.  The striped drapey cardigan thing just isn't my style, plus the weather wasn't conducive to long sleeves last week.  

For the second one, I chose specific things.  I tried to pick a dress I can wear for church, and picked jewelry that should work with the dress and with Mr. Baby.  I just got that box, so I'll be wearing all of those items and sharing my thoughts on it soon!  

So far, I think it's a fun way to get new clothes without buying new clothes and cluttering up my closet.  It's also nice as I'm between sizes and hopefully changing sizes.  I wish there was an option to just get the clothes and not the jewelry, because jewelry isn't something I need to wear right now.  I also wish you could send things back one at a time, like you can with Netflix, instead of each tote coming and going as one.  I'd like to wear the dress, and send it back right away, rather than waiting until I've worn all of the other items.  There are rumors of a maternity line coming soon, which I think would have been totally awesome!  

If you are interested, you can get half off your first month by using my referral code.  It will also give me a $15 credit, so YOU ALL SHOULD DEFINITELY DO IT! 

This post wasn't sponsored by LeTote, although I wish it was.  When exactly do companies start sending me free stuff?  I'm sort of joking, unless you are a company that wants to send me free stuff.  

Jacket: JCF (similar)

Dress: LeTote

Tank: Gap (exact)

Belt: Madden (exact)

Sandals: Target (similar)

On Point

I wore this outfit to church a couple Sunday's ago and one of my friends told me it was on point.  And then we laughed about how kids these days say "on fleek" and what does that even mean?  

Dress: Limited outlet

Belt: Madden

Sandals: Target

Summertime

Summer is almost over for anyone who has to go back to school, but it's still going to be hot for couple months, so I think we should avoid getting too fall crazy for now.  Shorts will still be the best option for awhile.   I keep saying I will stop wearing these maternity shorts, but I just like them so much and man are they comfortable!

Anyway, it's been an awesome summer!  First I had a baby, and then a bunch of family came to visit!  My sister and nieces are here right now and we are having so much fun.  It's super sweet to see how much the girls love their cousin!

Top: Loft outlet
Shorts: Loft maternity
Sandals: Target

Babies Everywhere

Last week, Tuesday was spent visiting some friends with new babies!  It was one of the 90+ degree days so I wore as little as possible while still being decent!

First up, I introduced my kid to his new BFF, who was about 4 days old at the time and about half the size of my giant 2 month old.  You can tell the boys are thrilled to meet each other.

Then in the evening, John and I went to the hospital to meet this sweet girl who was just about 18hours old.  Again, babies are so excited to meet each other.  We joked that this was their first date, but neither of them said anything, so it was pretty awkward.  

My two-month-old looked like a giant next to these newborns!  Then this week we had dinner with one of my friends from elementary school who was driving through town, and her 9-month-old made mine look teensy again.  I felt like I was looking into my future!  

I'm pretty thrilled to have friends with babies so close in age.  It will be so fun to watch them grow up and hopefully become friends!

Tank & shorts: Loft 

Sandals: Target

Turquoise Dress

Since I'm retired for the moment, I don't wear my dresses as much.  But this one is pretty casual and comfortable, so I wore it to a meeting.  But then it was too hot for this cardigan and I needed pockets, so I changed into shorts and a tank top for lunch with some friends.  But I did wear this outfit for a couple hours at least!

Dress: Old Navy

Cardigan: JCF

Belt: Steve Madden

Sandals: Target

A Birthday

This is what I wore on Saturday to celebrate my sister-in-law's birthday.  We went to a new restaurant downtown, and it was kind of a fiasco.  The College World Series was going on, so traffic and parking was ridiculous, but once we got into the restaurant, it wasn't too crowded.  But then they had a super limited menu because of the event, and I'm pretty sure (really hope) that they were using different ingredients for the food than normal.  The whole deal with the restaurant is that they have food and beers from the area, but honestly, it seemed like they went to the local Sam's Club and bought a bunch of frozen burgers and a giant bag of Ruffles potato chips.  So I don't think we will be going back there any time soon.  But we survived our first trip to the Old Market with a baby, and I assume subsequent trips will be less dramatic if the CWS isn't in town!

Anyway, after dinner we continued the celebration with presents and cupcakes and ice cream.  So that was fun!

And yeah, I'm still wearing my maternity shorts.  I just kind of love them, and if I didn't have a blog where I talk about my outfits, no one would ever know.  So, let's just keep it between us, okay?

Top: JCF
Shorts: Loft Maternity
Sandals: Target

Due Dates and Squirrels

Well, today is my due date.  Not that that means anything to my baby.  He's just chilling and doesn't seem to pay any attention to the schedule.  Babies are notoriously inconsiderate of timelines.  There are a bunch of old wives' tales about how to get labor started.  I'm just making up my own, like eat a giant bowl of ice cream every day.  I'm 100% sure it will work eventually, and I will be like "See, I ate a giant bowl of ice cream, and within 24 hours, I went into labor!"  (unless I have to get induced, and then the my theory will be unproven)

Other than being roughly the size of a whale (baby is the size of a watermelon or pumpkin, allegedly), I had a pretty good weekend.  John and I mostly just tried to make the most of our time as a family of 2.  So, we went out to eat, watched a movie, took a long (sloooow) walk around the neighborhood, had dinner and played cards with his parents.  And I tried to sleep a lot.  The goal is to be well rested at all times.  

On Sunday after church, we took these pictures.  So this is what I actually look like at 40 weeks pregnant.  We saw a squirrel in the tree, and of course, my photographer was distracted by it.  I was doing my normal poses, and noticed that the camera was pointed much higher than usual, and I was like "Are you taking pictures of the squirrel??" and John was like "what?!" but the evidence doesn't lie:  

Anyway, here's hoping I have a baby this week!   

Necklace: F21

Cardigan: Old Navy

Dress: Loft Maternity

Belt: Madden

Sandals: Target

Skirt Week - Leopard

Happy Skirt Week!  I'll be honest, after sharing some feelings last week, I'm excited to have an excuse to talk mostly about clothes this week.  And skirts are one of my favorite categories!  

I have apparently been neglecting this skirt all summer long. I have no idea how that happened, because it's one of my favorites.  But it does work year-round, so I was probably giving my summer-specific skirts more attention.

As you can tell by my tank top, I'm desperately holding on to summer for as long as possible.  We had a bit of a cold front in early September, but this weekend was back up into the 70's, so I'm hoping winter won't show up for another month at least!

Link up with your skirt looks after the jump!


Top: Loft (similar)
Necklace: F21 (similar, similar)
Belt: Old Navy (similar)
Skirt: J.Crew Factory (similar, similar)
Sandals: Target (similar)

On a Serious Note

Blogging is weird.  I write posts about 5x a week, but my writing tends to be pretty superficial.  I like clothes, and I like talking to people about why we wear the things we wear and how to style things in new and interesting ways (or just classics that always work).  Sometimes I talk about what I did that weekend, or the weather, but I don't go into a lot of details about my life.  I'm okay with having a blog that isn't super deep, but sometimes it feels like I'm not being 100% honest.

I definitely don't want or need to share every little thing that goes on in my life.  I tend to share the interesting or fun things, like going to musicals, traveling, or hanging out with friends.   And sometimes I will whine a little about having a cold, or my washing machine breaking, or falling down while taking outfit pictures.  But sometimes there are bigger things going on that I don't share.  I don't want to over-share, but I also don't want to give an unrealistic view of my life.  It's a hard balance, but I think I've erred on the side of under-sharing so far.

There's one big thing that I've almost mentioned several times, but I always stop myself.  I don't know why.  Well, I do know why - it's because I don't even like telling people about it IRL, so sharing on the blog seems even more intimidating.  But here goes...

In the summer of 2013, I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis.  I started noticing random joint pain early in the year, but like a typical 20-something, I didn't go to the doctor.  Instead, I self-diagnosed using WebMD and decided that I just had carpal tunnel.  So I got a wrist rest for work.  Shockingly, it didn't help.   

After a particularly painful week in June 2013 (terribly timed around my work conference in Orlando), I called my doctor and after several visits with several doctors, I was officially diagnosed.  But I really didn't like the specialist who diagnosed me, so I switched to a good one, who had an 8 week waiting list.  On and on, it seems like everything takes forever.  Around September, I finally had a doctor that I liked, and some idea of what was going on!  

The thing about RA is that they don't really know why it happens or how to cure it, so it's all about managing as well as possible.  For those of you who don't know what it is (which I didn't until I had to), basically my immune system is confused and attacking my joints.  So it's pretty painful.  But I also hate the medicine options that seem to all have long term side effects.  Like yeah, my knees hurt, but I also don't want to maybe go blind in 10 years.  So it's pretty frustrating.  But ultimately, I'm just trusting God and praying for wisdom in dealing with this issue.      

It's one of the reasons my goals were so fail-tastic last year, and why I haven't been doing goal updates this year.  It's also why I've been gaining weight.  The pain makes it difficult to do high-intensity exercise, and the meds make it difficult to lose weight.  And my emotions make it difficult to resist baked goods.  So it's kind of a trifecta of doom.  

The good thing is that I feel almost normal sometimes.  I also have a great doctor, and a wonderful support system (thanks husband, family and friends!).  These health issues also inspired my move to working part-time as of December.  This is another thing I haven't mentioned, because I didn't know how to explain it without giving the whole drawn-out story.  I'm still working 5 days a week, but just shorter hours.  It's really helped me prioritize exercise.  So I'm grateful for that option at my current job as well. 

So why am I even blogging about this?  You'd probably never know, other than the fact that I've been getting rid of uncomfortable shoes and stocking up on more comfy options.  Like I said, I've almost mentioned it a few times, and always talked myself out of it.  But I really appreciate other bloggers who share their struggles, so I figured I should stop being weird about it and just share mine.  I don't anticipate blogging about RA very often, but I just wanted to put it out there.  So now you know.

And I couldn't do all of this without outfit pictures, so I picked one of my favorite dresses (aren't they all my favorites?), in one of my end of summer outfits. 

Scarf: Calvin Klein (similar)
Dress: Limited (similar, similar)
Belt: Steve Madden (similar)
Sandals: Target (exact, similar)

#28 - Like+Love+Bling

I recently discovered a couple seasons of What Not To Wear on Netflix and have been watching them while I do things like fold laundry and iron.  I just love Stacey and Clinton - they are so snarky but still sweet.  It's just such a fun show!  I wish it was still on!  Are there any similar makeover shows still happening?

Stacey and Clinton tend to come up with little sayings to help the women know how to shop or how to put together an outfit.  One episode I recently watched included them saying "Pick and item you love, pair with an item you like, and then add bling!" For some reason, this really resonated with me.  I want to LOVE all my clothes, but honestly, I don't love things that are super plain.  So I need to make sure I have some neutrals that I really like to pair with my colorful printed items that I love.  I think this outfit is a good example.  I love the skirt (super a lot!).  I really like the sweater.  And then I added accessories.  Pay no attention to the crooked belt.  (I should really keep a full-length mirror in my car so I can make sure I'm put together before I take pictures.)

My main complaint with WNTW is that they straighten everyone's hair.  Come on, makeover stylists!  Curly hair can be pretty, too!!!

Sweater: Loft (similar, similar)
Necklace: Limited (similar, similar)
Belt: Gap (similar)
Skirt: Macy's (exact)
Sandals: Target  (exact, similar)

 

#26 - Last Hurrah

Well, I think this skirt has come to the end of the road.  I've worn it about a million times (okay, maybe 20) over the past 2 years, do I think I've gotten my $8 out of it.  I'm a big fan of knit pencil skirts, because they look nice, but are really comfortable, and don't need as much ironing.  But they do tend to get worn out faster than a woven pencil skirt.  It's probably good I don't spend more than $10 on them!  I'll definitely be keeping my eye out for a new green skirt! 

It's Tuesday, so I'm linking up with Laura!  

Jacket: J.Crew Factory (exact)
Shirt: Gap (option, option, option)
Belt: Gap  (similar)
Skirt: Target (exact, similar)
Sandals: Target(exact, similar)

#24 - Mostly Repeat

Here's an outfit that I wore at the very beginning of the challenge (during the Des Moines weekend), but I didn't take official pictures.  I really liked it, so I wore it again and just added a cardigan for my cold office.

Cardigan: Gap (option, option)
Necklace: Old Navy (similar)
Belt: Madden (similar)
Dress: Target (similar)
Sandals: Target (exact, similar)

#19 - Survey Says

Most of you probably don't know this, but my day job is at a market research company.  I deal with surveys a lot, so I'm kind of surprised I haven't done a blog reader survey before.  Most recently, Ashley's post reminded me that I wanted to do one of these.  It's pretty short, because Survey Monkey is only free if you keep it to 10 questions!  I'd really appreciate you taking a couple minutes to answer the questions, so I can then have data to be nerdy about.  And then I'll probably share the results, and be like "what, 99% of my readers are female!"

Click here to do the survey. 

I'm linking up with Laura for Confident Twosday!

Top: Gap (option)
Skirt : Banana Republic (similar, similar)
Belt : Gap (similar)
Sandals : Target (exact, similar)

#18 - Weekend Wrap-Up

Happy Monday!  Since Navy Week is over (but you can still link up until midnight!), here's a rare 30x30 outfit that doesn't actually feature anything navy.  Pretty sure it is the first one of the challenge so far.

Anyway, how about a little weekend update?

Friday evening, we went to a cookout for John's department.  We played croquet and I was terrible.  It seemed like it was going to rain all night, but never actually did.  And my hair grew fluffier and fluffier as the night progressed.

Saturday morning, I had a long overdue phone date with one of my sweet friends from high school.  It was so great to catch up with her.  I really need to prioritize keeping in touch with friends!  Then I spent the rest of the day doing random household chores - this pretty much happens every weekend if I don't want my house to spiral into a complete mess.  Saturday evening, we went over to John's parents' house for dinner and games.  We hadn't seen them in forever, so it was fun to catch up!

Sunday we had church, and then did more miscellaneous chores around the house in the afternoon.  After evening service, we had a Sunday school class get-together, which is always a good time.

All in all, it was a pretty good weekend - a nice mix of socializing and productivity.  How was your weekend?

Jacket: J.Crew Factory (exact)
Scarf: H&M (similar)
Dress: Ann Taylor (similar, similar)
Belt: Steve Madden (similar)
Sandals: Target (exact, similar)

#7 - Navy Theme

Originally, I was going to skip a theme week in August, but then Kate mentioned an easy idea - navy!  Since I'm wearing navy almost every day in August, this is perfect.  She'll be my co-host starting Monday the 11th, and you'll very likely see this shirt in the mix!  So you've got a few days to plan if you want to join in.  Navy is easy, right?

Tee: J.Crew Factory (exact)
Shorts: Gap (exact, similar)
Belt: Gap (similar)
Sandals: Target (exact, similar)

#1 - Numero Uno

Kicking off the 30x30 with some neutrals.  And since I couldn't think of a clever title, I am tricking you all with some Spanish.  It basically just says "Number one - number one" up there, but it looks kind of fancy.  Now, if I was really fancy, I'd have gone with French.  But I'm not that kind of blogger.

Speaking of speaking Spanish, have I ever mentioned that I won the Sombrero Award in high school? (yes, it was literally a sombrero. yes, that might be offensive)  It was given to the student most likely to still be speaking Spanish 10 years in the future.  Someone should tell my Spanish teacher that he was 100% correct, if by "speaking Spanish" they meant "occasionally using Spanish in a blog post title, but really not remembering how to say anything useful."  A quick search through the archives and yes, I have mentioned this before.  There's even a picture.  You're welcome.  (I mean, "de nada!")  
A great start to the 30X30, amiright?

Jacket (chaqueta): J.Crew Factory (exact)
Tee (camiseta): J.Crew Factory (exact)
Skirt (falda): Banana Republic (similar, similar)
Belt (cinturon): Gap (similar)
Sandals (zapatos): Target (exact, similar)

**I only had to cheat on belt.  And there's probably a more specific term for sandals, but "shoes" will have to do.  I guess I remember more than I realized!  But still, not that useful.