How far along? 32 Weeks Total weight gain/loss: Up about 20-25 lbs. Basketball belly & some swelling in feet and face. Clothing Options? Hahaha. I live in Mr. Charming's boxers and tees at home. Maternity dresses when we go out. Feeling super sexy right now. Haha. Pregnancy Symptoms? Fatigue. Hormonal from wanting everything done before baby comes. Feet are starting to swell if I'm in the heat too long. Sleep: Peeing about 5x a night. So. In between that, it's been off and on. Best moment of month EIGHT: Quiet moments in bed with Mr. Charming feeling the baby kick. Biggest Fear of Month EIGHT: It's getting SO CLOSE. Movement: TONS! :) Baby has grown so its different, but lots of swirls and little jabs. Food cravings: Back to veggies! And sometimes cupcakes. Aversions: None Gender: Still a surprise! Belly Button in or out? So out. Haha Mood: Sleepy and a little moody when I stress over how much I'm still working. Labor Signs: None Looking forward to: Finishing the nursery In other news, we had our big meeting with our doula and are as prepared as we can be for this little nugget to arrive. Starting red raspberry tea, perineum massage and dates this week!
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As you all know I am already a Pampers mama. I not only adore the actions they've taken to provide hypoallergenic options for sensitive babies, which if Baby P is anything like his or her mama, will be, but the customer service I've received in speaking directly with them has been phenomenal and makes me feel like a valued mama every time. I get to share something special with you fellow Pampers mom's who currently use diapers or training pants. And if you're not currently a Pampers user, the coupon coming out this weekend will make it worth trying. Since June is National Potty Training Month, I've partnered with Pampers to tell you about an offer you can find in your Sunday paper THIS WEEKEND, on June 12th, 2016. There will be a coupon offer for $3 off two bags or one box of any Pampers Diapers or Pampers Training Pants. So put on a hot pot of coffee, feed the kiddos breakfast and get out the scissors as you kick back, relax and peruse the paper while getting your savings. Being a manufacturers coupon, you can use the coupon at any grocery, mass retail or discount store where diapers are sold. If you are new to Pamper's there are many options to choose from in the Pamper's line - Pampers Swaddlers Pampers Cruisers Pampers Baby Dry Pampers Easy Ups Pampers Under Jams Pampers Splashers
For more information on Pampers diapers and training pants, visit http://www.pampers.com
Or visit Pamper's on social media - Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Pampers) Twitter (https://twitter.com/Pampers) YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/Pampers) Do you currently use Pampers? Which ones are your favorite? I stocked up on the Pampers Sensitive for when I bring Baby P home this summer but would love your feedback! I sat in your nursery tonight and cried a little as I listened to music and folded your soft little blankets. It was one of the few times during this pregnancy I've actually cried (I seriously thought I'd cry a lot more). This time it was not out of frustration over being sick (hello, first trimester) nor was it out of fear for how you're getting here (hello natural birth!) but for other things. For how tiny your hands will be. For how you will be swaddled in the blankets I'm lovingly folding. For how fiercely your daddy is going to love you. For how it's made him and I closer. And for how long we have waited to fill the role of your mom and dad. I have been pregnant with you for 214 glorious days. And at just over 30 weeks in, I feel you move and see you move and your dad and I can't wait to meet this little person that's making me feel oh so huge. Oh so hungry. And oh so very tired. My third trimester has had its up and downs. Ups are of course feeling and seeing our babe move around. Our beautiful baby shower and the countdown that is now in the double digits. You are very active little one and I can't wait to see your little personality.
Sleeping has gotten challenging, but your heartbeat is strong and wonderful. So the tossing and turning is totally worth it. The bladder kicks, eh we can talk about that when you get here. ;) We are packing our hospital bag soon, so of course I've been on Pinterest everyday getting the best tips. I'm also making my birth playlists (one with lyrics of Christian music, the other just soft instrumentals in case I don't want to hear vocals) if you have any great Christian song suggestions as a focal point for natural birth PLEASE leave in the comments below. I only have 4-5 so far. Which only takes me through 12-15 minutes of labor. Haha. I'm going to need some more. Other than that, the biggest thing that's been on our hearts and minds lately is my placenta. I have a low lying placenta and if it doesn't move I will have to have a C-Section, which we really want to avoid. So we are asking for prayers that as my uterus continues to grow God will move it up and out of the way so I can labor and deliver the babes as naturally as possible. But, I know. It's in His hands. Whatever will be, will be. And in the end a beautiful baby will arrive. And we just couldn't be more excited. This past weekend Mr. Charming and I celebrated a day I've been dreaming about my whole life. As a lover of celebrations, babies and all things party planning, I prayed that one day I'd have a baby shower of my very own. This was a huge life milestone for us. After the loss of our first pregnancy and over three years of trying to get pregnant, this day felt like it may never come and as the months ticked by in this pregnancy and my sister in law offered to throw us a shower at her home, the anticipation grew and grew right up until the day of the party. It's hard to describe in words what this day meant to us and felt like for me, but below through details and photos, I hope to share with you, that very special day. Walking into the party was absolutely magical and as I caught a glimpse of each detail, my heart soared. My sister-in-law, along with my sisters, didn't forget a thing and it was truly the Pinterest shower of my dreams, haha. As I walked in I saw old photographs of Mr. Charming and I as babies, with places for guests to offer us advice and suggest baby names (because we still have no idea what to call this little nugget.) My niece Amber, an artist, painted a beautiful tree on canvas for guests to use stamps to guess the baby's gender that we are so excited to hang in the nursery. (75% Boy, 25% Girl it came out to by the way.) Along with colorful swags and delicate touches, my sister Felicia (who flew in from Wyoming and whom I hadn't seen in 15 years) painted an adorable 'P' sign to use as our guest book. The room was filled with adorable pieces that we can cherish and keep forever. My sisters had planned an array of fun games for all the guests. Measure the Belly was humorous because, I think out of 60 guests, all but three totally overshot. Thank goodness for a small baby bump! haha. They also played a "Guess What's In The Baby Basket" game and afterwards I got to take home the basket filled with all kinds of amazing goodies and natural baby care products. There was also a baby word scramble and a pool to guess the baby's birthday. My due date is August 5th, so the people that guessed August 11th and 12th aren't allowed at the next party, haha, jk. No but seriously. During one of the games, it was nice to have a moment alone with my mama. We didn't get a chance to see each other for Mother's Day, so we snuck off and exchanged gifts. I had framed her an ultrasound photo of Baby P's latest photo. It was special to be able to give her one of the baby's first pictures. Since so many family parties, events and holidays revolve around food I can't eat, it was important that the food at my baby shower would be safe foods that both I myself, and my guests with similar food sensitivities, auto immune disorders or allergies could enjoy as well. I wanted to make all my guests comfortable in a setting one is rarely comfortable in with those food obstacles. The chicken salad, fresh meat and cheese spread (both dairy AND vegan cheese options available!) went over great and were paired with vegetables, fruit skewers, Paleo almond herb crackers, gluten-free chips and more. It was delicious and very filling! The dessert table was BEAUTIFUL and featured traditional desserts and regular cupcakes, as well as my own recipe for my gluten-free and dairy-free frosted white naked cake. It was my first time making a party cake and it went over AMAZINGLY well. It showed me I definitely need to make larger ones in the future. It was gone before anyone touched a traditional cupcakes. Due to the fact I used coconut sugar instead of white sugar, it almost had a hint of spice cake flavor. I used an organic frosting and dye-free sprinkles to top it off and make it festive! The recipe and more details on the cake can be seen here. The table was sweet and colorful and matched the pastel rainbow theme. The reason behind the rainbow theme was three fold and so, so special. First, because Baby P is our Rainbow Baby (or miracle baby after a loss), second, pastel colors worked with not knowing the baby's gender and third, Somewhere Over The Rainbow was one of the reasons I became a singer at such a young age. So I was swooning over all of the decor. Not only were we showered with love, we were showered with so many amazing things to take home for Baby. All the gifts were so special and many people asked what my favorite things of the day were. While I loved every single thing, there were some items that really stuck out and that grabbed a place in my heart. My mother-in-law bought us a piece of art I'd been eyeing for the nursery that read "I never knew how much I loved your father, until I saw how much he loves you." Baby P isn't even here yet, and I know there is so much truth to that. I adore my husband more each day I'm married to him, but picturing him holding our baby, I just melt into a puddle of goo. Some of the clothes were just too cute to handle, and the handmade blankets and baby books showed so much love and support for our little growing family. There were just SO many favorite moments of the day and my heart was just so full and still is. I am beyond blessed and so grateful and can't wait for this baby to experience all the love and support I know is here for him or her. Another huge thank you to my hostesses, my sister in law Tiffani and my sister Ashley (both pictured above with me and Mr. Charming.) It was perfectly perfect and a day I'll remember forever.
Again, if you want the recipe to my Dye-Free Rainbow Sprinkled Naked White Cake, click here. What was your favorite part of your baby shower? Do you have a go-to gluten-free party cake recipe that is always a hit? I'd love to hear in the comments below! As I sit here in the beginning stages of our baby's nursery I think about all the wishes I wish for our little one. All of the things I already want to protect him or her from. Everything I've learned about our world. Our food source. It's scary, but there's hope and definitely things we can do to make change. Since becoming pregnant, it's become so much more than just making recipes. So much more than just cooking organically. It's been more about research, educating and becoming educated about what is truly being fed to our children. What we put in their bodies, on their delicate skin. These little innocent babes, who trust us to fuel them right from the very beginning. Today, I wanted to talk about nanoparticles and get a little scientific in this space today. While I plan to exclusively breastfeed, we can never know if and when we may need to supplement with formula, and for those mothers who formula feed, we need to be educated on (and have the right to know) what's in these powders and liquids we are having our tiny little humans consume. Partnering with Friends of the Earth, I got to learn a lot of eye opening facts about what is in some of the top brands of baby formula, and though I suspected shady ingredients, I can tell you it's not good. Friends of the Earth, a grassroots company, hired some of America's top laboratory scientists to break down what it is we are up against, explored exactly what these findings mean and what we, as parents and consumers, can do to make a positive change. For not only our own children, but children of the future. We are going to highlight their findings of hazardous nano-ingredients, namely nanoparticles, found within infant formulas. Like most additives and chemical ingredients, little is made known to the public about what these are and what the risks are to the health of our babies and to us. What was found was this: six popular brands of formulas were tested and were found to include three types of nanoparticles including “needle-like” nano hydroxyapatite, nano TiO2 (titanium dioxide) and nano silica dioxide. All items, and I hope this isn't just me, that I just simply don't want my new baby consuming. Or anyone for that matter. Just like artificial colors, anti-caking agents and flavorings, we have to ask ourselves, at what point does risk outweigh benefit? With ingredients, (if you can even call them that), such as these, I believe they don't have a place in our food and I believe it's time we start urging more companies and the FDA to remove them. They are not needed, they are not safe to consume and there needs to be more education. But I digress, let's touch a little more on nanoparticles before moving on to the companies who are using them. When used in baby formula, nanoparticles pose their greatest risk, due to the infants vulnerable physiology. A baby's immune, central nervous, reproductive and digestive systems are still developing. With this in mind, when we expose them to unnecessary toxins, it can lead to irreversible damage that can cause disease throughout life. Scientists have proven that consuming these products cause kidney and liver damage and are toxic even at low doses, as well as contributing to gut inflammation, which if you know my background and how I ended up as a blogger and a nutritionist you know I'm no stranger to. So why are we allowing this to continue?
It is important for U.S. consumers to know that manufacturers are not required to list nanomaterial ingredients on product packaging in the United States. In our investigation, Friends of the Earth did not find any baby formulas that listed nanoparticles as ingredients, including the samples we found to contain nanoparticles via laboratory testing. Are nanoparticles used in other kinds of products? Many nanomaterials have already entered wide-scale commercial use and can be found in hundreds of products, including transparent sunscreens; light-diffracting cosmetics; penetration enhanced moisturizers; stain-, moisture- and odor-repellent fabrics; long-lasting paints and furniture varnishes; antibacterial household appliances such as vacuum cleaners, refrigerators and air conditioners; and sporting equipment. Beyond baby formulas, children’s products that contain engineered nanoparticles include skincare products and sunscreens, supplements, food containers, pacifiers, teethers, blankets, toys and stuffed animals, baby bottles, toothbrushes, baby carriages, bibs, baby clothing and many other products. So it is a widespread problem that needs to be addressed. Are there alternatives available for baby formula? In terms of using nano as a calcium supplement, there are many other calcium sources that can be used instead of nano hydroxyapatite, especially the needle-like form. Alternatives include non-nano calcium carbonate or calcium citrate. Calcium used in foods and supplements contains varying amounts of actual elemental calcium. So yes, the nano TiO2 could be replaced with other ingredients, So now that we have this information, what can we do? Well, the first piece of action we can take is signing the petition to fight against these companies using the particles. Second, we can continue to do thorough research for the betterment of our bodies and our children, choosing the healthiest options when it comes to what we are feeding our family. Opting to make change through where we spend our money and opting for healthier options against the mainstream companies using these potentially dangerous particles. And lastly, join us during the Facebook party on May 19th at 6PM PST to speak with the researchers and Mamavation on these findings. Where have you made healthy changes in your children's diet? And have you heard of nanoparticles and other artificial ingredients in infant formula? Would love for you to comment below and join in the conversation. For more information visit the Friends Of The Earth website at www.FOE.org or search for one of the nanomaterials experts available for contact: ● Ian Illuminato, Lead Researcher and author of the report, Friends of the Earth ● Lisa Archer, Director, Friends of the Earth Food & Technology Program and Mom ● Tracey Woodruff, Reproductive Health researcher, UCSF ● Mark Mitchell, MD, National Medical Association ● Martha Arguello, Physicians for Social Responsibility - Los Angeles This post was created as part of Friend of the Earth Blogger Partnership in which I was financially compensated to be a part of. My opinions are based on my own experiences and are entirely my own.
How far along? 28 weeks Total Weight Gain/Loss: Yeah. that's still happening. Haha. Starting to see a little change in my face. Mostly all bump though! Clothing Options? Maxi dresses for the winnnnnnn! Took me FOR EV ER to find a dress for my Baby Shower, but after three days, eight stores and many, many moments in the fitting room, I found one I loved! Pregnancy Symptoms? Achey, hungry ALL. THE. TIME. And starting to feel that fatigue come back. Also, pregnancy brain, forgetfulness and the fog is REAL ladies. REAL. Sleep: Haha. Haha. Mr. Charming got me a Snoogle <3 But between the aches, the big belly, having to pee 3-4 times a night and congestion, it hasn't been easy. Guess this is God's way of prepping us for all those nights to be up feeding our babes. Best Moment of Month SEVEN: We hit the THIRD Trimester! There were SO many. I celebrated my first Mother's Day with the family at a dinner the weekend before. And Mr. Charming gave me the most BEAUTIFUL Mother's Day. He took me to a beautiful resort for breakfast and blessed me with gorgeous solitaire earrings and a tennis bracelet, as I don't have a jewelry collection aside from my wedding ring. In addition my sisters hosted the Baby Shower of my dreams, which you can read all about here - I made an amazing gluten and dairy free white cake, which you can get the recipe for here, and I attended two events where I got to meet more new moms in my area and I won prizes for Baby P. A GREAT month! Biggest Fear of Month SEVEN: That I won't sleep good again until after the baby comes and starts sleeping, haha. Movement: Still tons of flips, body slams, ninja kicks. haha. Mr. Charming can see the baby move from the outside! It's been an amazing bonding experience. Food cravings: Sweets :( I taste tested A LOT of my cake. Not going to lie. Aversions: Not much, super hungry right now. Onions are still iffy. Belly Button: In or Out? Totally out and Mr. Charming cracks up when I laugh and it pops out further. Mood: So, so happy. Looking Forward To: June! Father's Day, my birthday and we start our birth classes soon. In other news... We have started crossing off a lot of our baby to do list, which has made me feel really good about my OCD planning tendencies. Still a lot to do, but we are chipping away at it. I can't believe I am currently 6 months pregnant!!
I am beaming with joy from God's provision, blessings + grace. He is so good and I pray everyday and thank Him everyday for our little miracle. After three years of prayers, tears, doctors, tests, hormones, diets, supplements, patience (that wasn't always easy) and waiting, we celebrate today. Boy oh boy, do we celebrate today. Some friends of our renewed their vows in a beautiful ceremony at our church this past weekend, on a hill beneath the cross. Mr. Charming and I arrived to the location a little early, as he was doing their photography, and he decided to snap some impromptu maternity photos that I wanted to share in celebration of our six month mark on this journey. One of my favorite parts of being in my second trimester is the planning + shopping. Which shouldn't be a surprise to me, or anyone that knows me, being a slightly OCD clean freak from way back and avid believer in retail therapy as a valid form of expression. At 5 months pregnant, I have to applaud my restraint at not personally buying any cutesy, tiny, baby things. In the first trimester I was a mix of being too scared and too sick to go shopping for anything, and then big purchases and work took over once I hit my second. Until this past weekend. Mr. Charming and I met up with my sister to show her some of our favorite picks at Babies R' Us, and while there, I decided to choose our "Coming Home" outfits for baby. Squeeeeeeee. We chose a sweet outfit for both a boy + a girl, if I haven't mentioned on the blog, we are not finding out the sex until delivery. Life is short on big, wonderful surprises such as this and it was a choice Mr. Charming and I made together early on. Bringing these little outfits home are just one of the wonderful things that make this surreal experience + miracle more real every day. And how sweet is that knitted little pink gown for if she is a she? I loved it's vintage look and breathability since we are expecting a summer baby. For the boy, Mr. Charming has had a thing for the adorable suit-inspired pieces, so we chose a dressed up soft blue sleeper. A little more coverage and warmer than the girls outfit, but we are just a few moments from the hospital and, if it's a boy, could change him into something cooler once we arrived home. Today is our 5 month appointment where we get to see, hear + check up on our little babe. Excited doesn't even begin to describe how I felt waking up this morning. It's like Christmas, rolled into a Disney day, rolled into your wedding morning. Praying for a healthy little one who will dance for me the way he or she has been dancing in my belly all morning. What did your little one wear home from the hospital? And what was your favorite part of your 5 month ultrasound? It's sometimes so very surreal to me that I am 20 weeks pregnant. Halfway through my pregnancy. And just over four months away from meeting our little boy or girl. Somedays I wake up and don't feel pregnant right away, until I feel a little jab, kick or flutter and smile, remembering this amazing blessing God gave to us. And I breathe it in and enjoy every second. It truly came in His timing. After three years of trying and appointments and prayers and hormones and lifestyle changes and dietary changes, we waited. We prayed. We gave up sometimes. We kept trying. Kept praying. And it was His miracle, nothing explained as to why or why not, because that is for Him to know. What I do know, is that we are to celebrate this little life. Every blessed moment that he or she grows within me. Every little jab. Every little glorious kick. Every sweet flutter. My bump is also ever growing, which makes it feel more real with each passing day. I no longer fit any of my pants and have graduated to a full wardrobe of awesome banded maternity pants and bras that are far from "Victoria Secret" pretty. But I'm now super comfortable and growing a person, so. Thankfully they now make stylish options and I can still rock ripped jeans, Hollister-style shorts and fashionable yoga pants. To celebrate our halfway point to Baby P, on Friday night, Mr. Charming and I went to a new fair in town. It was close to home and so much fun! I couldn't ride any of the rides of course, but we got to meet a Capuchin Monkey, [Marcel! My fellow Friends fans will get that] we checked out all the games & Mr. Charming got his favorite Piggly Fries, because sometimes, when you're at the fair you indulge in greasy treats. I, on the other hand, tucked into a bowl of cereal with gluten-free jelly toast when we got home. Because four meals a day now. Luckily they are super clean and nutritious 9o% of the time. Score 1 for mostly #PaleoLife. I adore weekends and this weekend is a busy one for us. We have our family Easter picnic today so I'm brainstorming what to whip up and share. This morning I made Mr .Charming and I Paleo Banana Bread muffins that were amazing. No refined sugar with an almond flour base, SO good. For the picnic, I'm thinking my Paleo 7 Layer Dip or some Raw Fudge Brownies. I'm undecided today and hope I choose before it's time to be at the park, haha. Taking in a lazy morning with muffins & puppies is just so inviting after a long week of work on the magazine, blog and seminar research. I hope you all have a blessed & beautiful weekend! I'm going to continue to strive to celebrate each of these pre-baby moments in their own special way. If you're a mama, what moments stick out for you that made it oh so real? Or how did you celebrate your pregnancy milestones? An honored thank you to Pampers and Walmart for sponsoring this #MothersPromise. post. I received promotional materials and compensation for my post, however all thoughts and opinions are uniquely my own. Dear little one, Today I stood in awe, watching your daddy lovingly build you your cradle. The first place you'll lay your delicate, sweet head when we are blessed to bring you home. That's one thing magnificent about him, his talent for making beautiful things out of nothing. He built the altar for our wedding, he built our dining room table that has been blessed with many meals, he built an epic home theatre that we can't wait to snuggle you in and now, now he stands before me, covered in sawdust, a smile on his face, as he builds your cradle. It got me thinking about the things we plan to do for you, the things we hope to do for you, and the things we dream for you. It got me thinking about promises. And more specifically, my promise, to you, my future son or daughter. A mothers promise, I believe, holds so much when it comes to the intentions she sets forth for the type of mother she will become, and I want to you know I pray the very best for you. I have since before you even chose me. My promise to you, is simply this, I promise, with the best of my ability, to give you the best when it comes to nutrition and how I care for you inside and out. If my journey to better health and way of life for your dad and I has taught me anything, it's that I knew when my little came along, I would start them out with a foundation that was as pure and natural as possible. This starts with right where we began. Making your space a beautiful and natural place for you to begin your life. Organic cottons, natural woods and pieces created with pure love, I am grateful to be able to give you these things. And I will forever swoon over this gift your daddy gives to you, as I run my hand over the smooth sanded wood, and admire the way it rocks ever so gently. Aside from your space, I also pray that I am able to breastfeed for as long as my body will allow me to give you the best nutrients God intended, little one. And when you're ready to join the world of food, (your dad and I are total foodies, so it'll be a fun journey), we promise to strive to provide the best nutrient rich foods to help you grow and thrive. And last, but certainly not least, when it comes to caring for your new baby skin, only the best in lotions, washes and diapers will do. After extensive research and many nights at many stores, Walmart's Pampers Premiums are top tier. I trust them to take care of your brand new little baby bum with their 5 Star hypoallergenic skin care. The wetness indicator and unique absorb away liner will come in handy for mommy too during those moonlit nightly changings. So, little one. I pray you rest easy and know that my #MothersPromise will be first and foremost in my mind from now until you arrive, and throughout your lifetime. And if I should forget the importance of this promise, I only need to look down at the cradle to remember these moments and our sweet, sweet beginning. For mine & Mr. Charming's list on natural crafts that YOU can make for your nursery click here. Available in a wide range of sizes, Pampers Premiums are available at Walmart and Walmart.com.
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