Fashionable and Pregnant... is this EVEN Possible?

  First off I have to thank Jessica for featuring me on her blog.  Jessica and I often find ourselves speaking about fashion and trying to define our own individual style with words.  I have thought about this for a couple of days since I knew I would be a feature and I have come to the conclusion that everyday we have to define our style.  Maybe one day we will have a vintage look with a hint of boho and the next we feel classic yet effortless.  Style is something that evolves over a period of time with influences from everything from nature to classic 1960's style icons.  I always try to not judge people's fashion sense (well unless it is horrendous) because it is such an individual thing and really anything goes these days!  So that being said, here I am 7 months pregnant with twins and still trying to maintain my own sense of style.  I have grown so rapidly the last month so it feels like I have kind of rotated a few outfits with some variations each time I wear them.  I guess that if I was to try and define my style from day to day it would be what Jessica refers to as effortless with a hint of boho (and a lot of the time I don't match), but that is me.  I suppose I try to keep a modest neck line but I like to show a bit of leg when it permits.  
  So my advice to pregnant women about maintaining their sense of style during this time in life is just that, stay true to yourself!  Do everything to feel beautiful and celebrate the changes that your body is going through.  Don't hide under frumpy layers and hide your growing tummy instead embrace the changes and enjoy the journey.  There is something very special about being pregnant (obviously), but I mean about the way you feel about yourself (maybe this is just me).  I have never felt so healthy and beautiful and its all because I am sustaining lives inside of me.  I once heard someone say that instead of wishing nine months away and complaining about pregnancy she would embrace this time and enjoy every moment that it brought.  Now I understand that some women have a tough time during the 8-10 months of carrying babies, but you have to have the rain to enjoy the rainbow at the end of it right?  
  Ok back to fashion... I have a couple pieces of advice that I have found work for me and I hope they will work for you!  First off... don't kid yourself. There are clothes in your closet and drawers that likely won't fit you for close to a year to a year and half after you enter your 2nd trimester (for me it was the middle of the 1st), so take the time and get them out of sight!  Pack them up and put them aside for a year and when you feel that the time is right unpack them and its like Christmas!  My whole thing was that I didn't want to feel depressed that I couldn't fit into certain favorite items so I just took them out of the whole picture, I mean its not like we were saying goodbye forever, it is just a temporary break from each other.  Absence makes the heart grows fonder right!?!  Secondly, if you are going to invest in maternity clothes you don't have to buy them from a maternity store!  I know this is hard to grasp for some people, but it is true.  I did have to buy a pair of jeans, but that is pretty much the only major purchase I made from a maternity store!  I am not trying to say that maternity stores aren't valuable, but there ARE other options.  Just be creative!  I tried to buy clothes that I know I will wear after the babies arrive and that aren't super expensive.  That was the thing about maternity stores, I found that for the prices vs. the amount of time you would actually wear the clothes it wasn't worth it.  So my favorite places to find affordable "cross over" maternity clothes have been H&M and Joe Fresh from Superstore.  I am a total dress girl, so I purchased dresses that I could wear now and after.  H&M has a very small maternity section and I did buy a couple pieces from them, but again I can wear them afterwards.  I am vertically challenged and have always been super intimidated by maxi dresses, but I broke down and tried one and I fell in love with it!  So I bought another!  Who can honestly argue with a floral, Little House on the Prairie maxi dress for $14.95?  Honestly.  I had to be honest with myself and realize that I am not going to be a size 8 for a LONG time, so I am going to try and embrace the changes now and not freak out afterwards when I haven't "slimmed" down.  I guess I should inject here that I am frugal, cheap, thrifty what ever you want to call it... the only thing I don't mind putting money out for are of course shoes!  And if I can find them for a deal I will!  Believe me!  I wouldn't say that I have a shoe fetish of any sorts (like some people I know... ahem... Jessica), I would say my heart belongs to scarfs.  They are the BEST accessory and the best way to inject a bit of color and a funky pattern to an outfit that would otherwise blah.  So my last piece of advice while to trying to maintain your sense of style during pregnancy is just to enjoy the changes happening as they happen.  Don't "hate" your body during this time, embrace it.  Enjoy this time when it is socially acceptable to have, for lack of a better term, a fat belly.  I don't necessarily mean wear spandex dresses that are so tight you can't breathe, but wear pieces that are flattering in any occasion.  Be true to yourself and stay positive about your ever changing body.  I have heard so many mommies tell me they miss their tummy after the little babies enter the world... so take that and run with it.  
Enjoy the journey!
xoxo
Jesse and Babies


The photo's to go along with this post are on Jessica's blog!  Check them out!


www.jandtbrake.blogspot.com

Happy and Healthy

So we are slowly but surely approaching the final stages of this pregnancy.  Our third trimester is around the corner and I am still feeling pretty great!  I have had some blood taken today to make sure that I am not anemic, its pretty standard.  It is amazing how the weeks have honestly flown by!  I remember laying there wishing that I could feel movement and longing for the day when we could see the belly movement, well my friends those days are here.  I could honestly sit there and watch them all day, though sometimes uncomfortable I am reminded that there are two tiny humans inside there fighting for space.
  As some of you know my sister is also expecting twins, crazy I know.  She has had a really tough go this pregnancy, so I think of her often and wish that there was someway that I could take some of the angst she has experienced.  I am thankful that I have had a healthy pregnancy up to this point, and hopefully will continue to do so.  I am not diabetic, nor am I anemic and I haven't had a single cold or flu.  Jill has had a combination of all of these conditions in this one pregnancy.  So I think about her a lot and her babies.  I think she is 30 weeks this week and I just hope and pray she can make it to 35 weeks and have some good healthy little girls (oh right she is also having two girls)!
This week I am doing a "guest post" on a friend of mines blog!  Now how exciting is that?  She has a fashion/ lifestyle blog that I adore!  I feel that I have lost some steam and running out of ideas about what to write, so I am hoping that writing for Jessica will give me some motivation and keep those creative juices flowing.  Oh yeah... so my guest post will be about maintaing your sense of style during pregnancy.  I just think it is so important to feel beautiful during this time when our bodies are changing so quickly and drastically.  I am not sure how many outfits we are going to feature, but I am looking forward to having a morning of all things fashion!
So hold onto your hats people!  We are slowly but surely approaching that coveted third trimester whilst trying to keep a positive attitude about all of the uncomfortableness that is awaiting!
Here is a link to Jessica's blog... its so great!  If you have the time to look at it I adore it!
www.jandtbrake.blogspot.com

I hope you are all enjoying the sunshine while it is here!

xoxo
Jesse and Babies

Blossoming

  So this week has actually been better than I thought it would go!  Dallas is away till Friday, so that means that he would be gone for a week!  Now under normal circumstances (that's me not being a hormone casserole last week), this trip would not be a big deal at all.  For some reason carrying two babies, being at home alone for a week and not being able to communicate AT ALL with your husband was a big deal.  However, that being said, this week has been great!  The weekend it was nice to do nothing and not feel guilty about not getting dressed on Saturday and napping for a total of 8 hours on the weekend... when I sleep like that my Mom always says, "Well you must have needed it."  I guess I really did.
  On Monday my dear friend came down from Edmonton and helped me get our basement "guest" ready... and it looks FABULOUS!  So I am no longer scared to take people to that side of the basement... now the other side is another story and maybe a whole weekend of purging... that is a scary thought.

Lily, babies and I at 25 weeks!

  I guess more importantly on Monday (sorry Layne), was the appointment with our Obstetrician.  Thankfully I looked on the calendar, because it was at 9 am and NOT 1 pm... I would have been SO mad if I had missed that one!  We went over all of my pregnancy thus far and he doesn't seen concerned about anything.  The babies are growing right along like they are supposed to and he thinks I have fabulous boots!  Ha... Fashion Mommy!  Sorry, no he said I have gorgeous hemoglobin, never been told that before.  But it sounded so nice!  My BP was good again, and the babies heart rates are almost the same! One baby was 130 and the other was 131.
  I did step on the scale yesterday, and to my delight I weight a whopping 181 lbs!  Can you believe it, I am thankful for those years of back catching that have helped me to keep some strong legs to carry all of this weight around.  Would I ever want to put on this much weight any other time, doubtful. So here we are almost 26 weeks and I am measuring like a 31 week pregnant lady with one babe!  Crazy... I guess that I am allowed to be tired and irrational when my husband leaves... right?
  Last week at the Chiropractor she mentioned that in a few weeks I will look down and not believe how much I have grown, well... it didn't take a few weeks, its happened, I had THAT moment.  It is great though, its a miracle what the body can do to support two lives living inside of another body.  They might be sucking out all of my energy, but that's what they are supposed to do.  If they weren't I would be concerned!  Still the only complaint that I have is an unbelievable sore back!  Bathing twice a day never bothered me before, so now I enjoy it even more ( the babies move so much during our baths together ).
  I guess its three sleeps till their daddy gets home, its a weird feeling not having him around, our little family is separated for the first time, wow that though actually just came to me!  He deserves a break from everything too!  All I am saying is that he better take me for a steak when he gets back!

I hope you are all having a great week!

xoxo
Jesse & Babes

**Oh... I wanted to post a picture of the wall decal, we put it up last week...

Wall decal