(My Pullover | Jeans | Harper’s Pullover | Jeans | Shoes)

Happiest of Fridays friends! I hope you all had a wonderful week and a great weekend ahead of you. I’ve decided to combine both my motherhood + pregnancy updates into one post… since some months there is more to chat about than others on each topic.

GENERAL THOUGHTS:

I remember when I was pregnant with Harper, people used to tell me to enjoy being pregnant with one… relish in being able to rest when you need to. Of course, I had no clue what they were talking about… and now I do. I can hands down say that this time around I have been much more tired… but mainly from the sheer fact that having a toddler running around doesn’t give anyone much downtime. Yet, on the flip side, less downtime means the time flies by.  During my first pregnancy, I felt like the time went so slow… and that we’d never meet Harper. I have such little time to think about the fact that I’m actually pregnant, that when I go to my doctor’s appointments I sometimes forget how far along I am. So I know that the weeks are going to fly by, and our little love will be here before we know it….

I have this overwhelming sense of excitement to see Harper become a little sister… and we’ve started trying to prepare her for her little sister’s arrival. I know that, like with all of life, there will be an adjustment period, several months where we have no clue what we’re doing (again….), and life feels chaotic…. but this time around at least the transition of “becoming parents” isn’t new…. we know how to change a diaper, give a bath, that the sleepless nights do in fact dissipate… and that we will find our groove. What I am anticipating is a shock to the system of juggling two. So with that, new systems + new routines will have to be put in place….

I saw this quote the other day, “In the end, I am the only one who can give my children a happy mother who loves life.” I couldn’t agree with this more and have been thinking about it so much lately. There is a part of me that is afraid to have a new little one running around… sometimes it feels as if I don’t have enough to give as we are right now…. Yet I know that as a mother, it’s so important to take care of yourself. I know myself well enough to know that when I am full, I am at my best in all aspects of my life. It’s up to me to ask for help…. it’s up to me to continue to find things in life that ignite my fire… and to take care of myself.

I’m also that very emotional pregnant woman… I can pretty much cry at anything. All I have to say about that is, “Sorry TJ…..”

MOTHERHOOD: 

POTTY TRAINING:  After months of saying I was going to do it, we finally did. We were at a point where Harper was pulling off her diaper + telling us immediately after she’d gone to the restroom… so we figured she was more than ready (and, to be honest, I didn’t want to have two littles in diapers). We spent about two full weeks prepping her by talking about how she would soon be using big girl underwear… I took her to the store and let her pick out the set that she wanted… and showed her the “big girl toilet,” and just talked about it with increased frequency. We followed the Lora Jensen 3 Day Method and I really liked it because it focused on reducing the power struggle between parent/child and helping the child to learn their own bodily sensations + cues that they need to use the restroom. It strongly emphasized praise/reinforcement, and encouraging them to be in charge of “keeping their underwear dry.” We started over the weekend, so that both TJ and I could share the responsibilities (this allowed us to take shifts…. because being at home for 3 days straight is very hard for both of us… #CabinFever) and I finished it up during the week. By the end of day two she had it down very well, and by the end of day 3 I felt very confident in her abilities….. we still have some difficulties with early mornings, but we’re working on that.

I will say that all kiddos are different, but having someone there to do it along with you makes the entire process easier… regardless of if your little one picks it up quickly or takes more time for them. For me, the biggest part was giving Harper lots of praise and reinforcement… she would get so excited, and you could tell it made her feel empowered….

We had our first outing Wednesday for her dance class and some errands. I wasn’t sure how it would go, but I just remained consistent with the method and we didn’t have any accidents. We were at the very front of the line at Trader Joe’s when she told me she had to use the restroom… but when nature calls it calls… so out of the line we went. I told TJ that, when we’re traveling next week, we’re going to get to the front of the security line and she’s going to tell us she has to go…..

SLEEP:

This has been an interesting area for us lately. Ever since we moved out of our condo, Harper has been all over the place…. difficulty going to sleep (well, lots of stalling…) and early wake-ups (some mornings 6am). She used to sleep until at least 7:30, if not later. At first we thought it was a mental growth spurt… or the transition… maybe she’s ready to drop her afternoon nap…. but not we’re not so sure. Might just be her new wake-up time…. but it’s an area we’re working on.

EATING:

Another spot where we were having some issues… food she used to love, she called “icky….” What we found most effective was telling her how that specific food (usually vegetables…) can help her in life… makes you jump higher… makes you dance better… makes you grow so you can run faster… and when we say that, something seems to click and she eats the veggies. I feel as if so much of toddler life is trial + error, and learning the tricks that will work for your little one….

PREGNANCY CRAVINGS/AVERSIONS:

Anything carb-y or salty is right up my ally… I have a bowl of popcorn nightly… loaded avocado sandwiches are weekly favorites… Thai + Chinese are regular cuisines in our house (so I try to make healthier versions at home…), and peanut butter, I could eat that stuff by the spoon…. and I’m completely aversive (I thought this would go away after the first trimester) to eggs, as well as Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi + marinara sauce. The mere mention of it makes my stomach turn….

WORKING OUT:

If you follow along on instagram, you’ll know that I’ve been able to continue my workouts into this pregnancy, which I always feel so fortunate for. I’ve received a lot of questions regarding “how” I can, and my answer is to listen to your body (and your doctor). I wake up every morning and see how I feel…. do I have a lot of energy? Ok, then I’ll go for a run…. am I feeling sluggish? Then just a walk and some light stretching/weights. My intensity has significantly declined (I don’t even break a sweat in spin class) and I always make sure that I can carry on a conversation (that was my doctor’s requirement). I love the Tone It Up prenatal workouts, and have found them to be great. I had one person mention that she was concerned “I was thinking about my physical appearance over my unborn daughter.” It’s so important to remember that every pregnancy is different, and every woman is different. Working out has always been so much more than about physical appearances for me… and that same thing holds true during pregnancy. So much of our bodies change, grow, expand… and working out helps me to feel strong and clears my head. There are so many articles out there that explain the benefits of working out while pregnant… including that of labor… including WebMD.

SKIN/HAIR:

So many people talk about that pregnancy glow… yet I feel as if my skin has been so dull and my hair has been limp (maybe that’s because I need to wash it though….). Either way, I do have some breakouts… and I’ve recently starting using this natural brightening turmeric exfoliating mask… as well as this hydrating mask to help as well… and the TULA brightening mask really brightens and moisturizes! I’ve also started using this all natural stretch mark cream… so far so good… but I have a long way to go!

BABY DEVELOPMENT:

Maybe one of the most exciting parts of pregnancy… being able to feel your little one kicking and moving inside of you. Which happened about 2 weeks ago… and is always an exciting time. The kicks aren’t strong enough for TJ to feel them yet, and I know he’s itching to feel her say “hello.” I always feel like her little kicks are a gentle “Hi Mom,” + “I love you” from the inside… and, since I’m that emotional pregnant lady, tug at my heart….

FAVORITE PRODUCTS: 

As mentioned above, those are some of my favorite facial products that I’ve started using this month… I’m also about ready to pull out my bellaband for a few pairs of jeans. I always recommend this product to pregnant mommas. If you can still wear your pre-pregnancy jeans, and just can’t button them, this helps to extend their life! I’ve also been living in these bralettes… and just purchased this bra + this bra (TBD on how I like them yet, but they’re on their way) for those growing lady friends. These Madewell tees, when you size up, are long enough to cover a bump and are such great quality and come in several colors (I own in the white, but just bought the dark grey + rust colors, in a size Small)… and I can’t recommend these Spanx leggings enough… I own them in the non-pregnancy version, and they fit like a glove and are so comfortable.