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!
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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. How far along? 24 weeks Total Weight Gain/Loss: Put ON weight this time. About 10-15 lbs over pre-pregnancy weight. Clothing Options? Maternity pants and shorts all the way. And Maxi Dresses are my new best friend. Pregnancy Symptoms? Braxton Hicks contractions have introduced themselves to me, mainly when I'm doing dishes or cleaning a lot. My boobs are out of control (sorry, its the truth, haha) and my old bras are no longer part of the equation, it's already to nursing bras. Waking up often to pee. Sleep: Sleeping great is in the past. My bump now has me only sleeping on my side which is causing hip and shoulder pain. Thank God for a Chiropractor and Massage Therapist on my team. Best Moment of Month SIX: I did my first and second maternity shoots this month with Mr. Charming. Super blessed to have a husband who is a photographer. He made me feel so beautiful and I'm happy to have photos of my bump I can look back on and show baby. Biggest Fear of Month SIX We had a wedding to attend where we had to hike a good amount to reach the ceremony and I had some pretty severe cramping that scared me a lot. After sitting for a while and drinking a ton of water it went away, but it was the first time I thought I may need to get checked out. Not so fun. Movement: Tons of kicking!!!! Sometimes I sit and just connect to feeling the baby move. SO wonderful. Food cravings: Savory. Like Paleo burgers and fries. And ice cream since it's been getting really hot. I'm also baking a lot. Muffins, cupcakes. All about the gluten-free baking and breakfasts right now. Aversions: Onions. Belly Button: It's popped! I officially have an outtie. Mood: Happy and energetic! Getting SO much work and housework done. This mustbe the window they say to cherish! haha Looking Forward To: Celebrating my FIRST Mother's Day next month! In other news... I accepted a second editorial position to get in a lot of work before baby comes. BASIC and PALEO LIVING are my magazine homes and I am also starting corporate seminars for Nosh and Nurture Nutrition. 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? How far along? 20 Weeks Total Weight Gain/Loss: Still not much change from last month, but doctor says with my Paleo diet and still being in my second trimester she isn't worried. Clothing Options? Yoga pants are my life for the most part. Can only wear my regular jeans or shorts unbuttoned. Having to get longer shirts. Pregnancy Symptoms? Feeling pretty good. Still tired on and off. But pregnancy hormones have been AMAZING for my mood and anxiety. I feel better emotionally than I ever have before. Best Moment of Month FIVE: Seeing my bump pop! And starting to shop for baby! Biggest Fear of Month FIVE: Mr. Charming had to go to Chicago for a few days and being a big house, with the dogs, pregnant, while he's miles and miles away wasn't my favorite. But he brought back an ADORABLE "Foodie In Training" sleeper from the Baby Gap in Chicago, so that made me smile. Movement: Little flips and rolls. Nothing too much yet. Food cravings: Smoothies! Aversions: Meat sometimes still and onions. Belly Button: Flat. haha. I think it's going to become an outtie soon. Not sure how I feel about it. Mood:: Happy Looking Forward To: Really starting to shop and plan the nursery! In other news... We got an amazing book, from Pea to Pumpkin, where we are journaling our journey together as mom and dad to remember all the moments and write special notes to baby! 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.
One of the many things I love about my husband is that he is a builder. Having gone to school to be an architect before switching to dental, he learned many valuable tools of the trade that have allowed him to make our lives and home more beautiful. Having built our wedding alter and the dining table for our home, he surprised me this past week after building our soon to be son or daughter a cradle. Major swoon moment. You can see the cradle here along with my #MothersPromise, diaper choicie & first letter to our future babe. It was in this moment I thought about the natural touches one could add to make their nursery space more authentic and I have put together a little list of ideas & crafts that are easy to do. || WOODEN BLOCKS || There is just something about wooden blocks that I adore. Something so simplistic and educational about their innocent little ABCs and 123s that adorn them. These are simple to make and take minimal supplies. 1.) Head to your nearest craft store and purchase 2" square blocks or your nearest hardware store and get a 2" wooden beam to cut into blocks. 2.) Make sure they are sanded well, as to prevent any little hands from getting scraped or splintered. 3.) Get crafty! You can use wood glue to adhere small wooden letters or numbers from a craft store, or you can stencil or paint them on. 4.) You can leave them natural wood for a more rustic feel, or get creative and colorful with a paint palette of your choice. 5.) Make sure all surfaces of paint and glue are completely dry before allowing children to use. || CHEVRON NURSERY LETTERS || One of my favorite items for a nursery wall is the monogram. And chevron is still trending. Mr. Charming and I are unable to incorporate this as of yet, since we don't know if we are bringing home a boy or girl, but when we do, trust I will be making one of these. 1.) Go to your local craft store and pick up a large wooden letter that is the first letter in your babies name. 2.) Make sure to purchase two wood-based paint colors that compliment your nursery palette, wood glue, craft tape and a roll of burlap ribbon. 3.) Once home, tape off a chevron pattern in the desired thickness and using one of your paint colors, fill in the first color. Once dry, repeat, this time painting the opposite of the chevron pattern. 4.) Once dry, tie a decorative burlap bow and adhere to the corner for a rustic & natural finishing touch. || MAKE OLD NEW AGAIN || If you're feeling adventurous you convert an old piece of furniture into something new for your baby or toddler. Some ideas include: 1.) Turn a thin nightstand into a wooden "refridgerator" converting the drawers into a "freezer" and "fridge" door. 2.) Turn a small desk or entertainment cabinet into a play kitchen. There are many tutorials online. 3.) Repurpose old wooden frames into chalkboards with a little chalkboard paint. || THE BIG BOY/GIRL STOOL || My neice adores helping in the kitchen, but little arms and little legs can get frustrating for little ones. revive an old wooden stool with a new finish or stain and paint. Paint their name or a fun nursery rhyme character. Or better yet, let them join in on the fun and make their own abstract art. They'll get to be creative and be mom's tall helper next time you're in the kitchen. || FURNITURE || If you're feeling adventurous like we were, or if you have a handy hubby too, below is a list of ideas for one-of-a-kind touches you can make on your own nursery.
Have you made any toys, crafts or special furniture pieces for your little one? I'd LOVE to hear your ideas. Share them in the comment below. Also, if you have any questions about our cradle or any of the projects, feel free to ask away!
Last night Mr. Charming & I went to start our registry. Insert all the girlish, happy, blissed-out squeals here. We decided to do it earlier than later, because we are already to starting to make some of our own, larger purchases, and we wanted the amazing rewards from Babies R' Us that go along with it. (No, this is not a sponsored post. I just think their registry program is that awesome.) Along with this post just being a super happy dance on paper, er screen, I also recommend my suggestions for where I think organic is best. In almost two hours, we only made it through about a quarter of the store. Most of our time was spent choosing what we believe is the best stroller and car seat for us. I let Mr. Charming take the reigns on this, since I chose the crib. We found a perfect match for both of us and baby. It's sleek, streamline, lightweight for little ol' Mandi, comfortable, high safety ratings and converts to last until baby is 4 years old! Win. Win. Win. And can I just say, seeing your husband testing out your first child's stroller? Priceless, endorphin surging, swoon moment of a lifetime. Seriously almost cried. Thank you Jesus for these moments. It's an overwhelming selection of EVERYTHING when you go to register, and when ours is complete, I'll post what I believe we needed vs. what I felt we didn't. Doug's five sisters and my three sisters have had plenty of littles over the years, so we've got to learn a lot about need vs. want when it comes to infant gear. Although, the wiper and bottle warmer were pretty cool. I mean, would you want a cold, wet rag on your behind in the middle of the night? Doesn't sound too pleasant. I try to put myself in their booties when weighing what's necessary. Right now I'm researching some organic brands offered at Babies R' Us to see which we are going to go with. Burts Bees vs. Honest vs. BabyGanics Vs. Earths Best. I also like the attributes of Pampers Premium to protect my little baby's bum So far, Burt's Bees has the best lavender lotion, as I miss the old J&J lavender night lotion of the past. BabyGanics smelled too earthy for us and Earths Best seems to have a good selection. New waters to explore, and so many options. But happy there are so many organic options. With Johnson and Johnson and other popular baby companies coming under fire for so many harmful chemicals, it's good to know we can opt for better options for our developing little one. The items below are where we are going organic or chemical-free in the nursery and our home, once completed I'll publish my faves, once I've tried them out. All Bath & Diaper Products Our Crib Mattress Most Clothing Mittens and other items that touch the face Toys (Eco Friendly and Chemical Free) All Cleaners For Home & Baby Clothes I'd love to hear your feedback on your favorite organic baby brands! Leave it in the comments below! How far along? 16 Weeks Total weight gain/loss: Still under pre-pregnancy weight. Even with my little bump. Clothing Options? Mostly fitting my regular clothes, had to get some maternity shorts! Pregnancy Symptoms? Still nauseated on and off, but not all day anymore!! Sleep: Sleeping good. Starting to have to pee more. Best moment of month FOUR: Traveling to California and getting to visit family and shoot a music video with my record label. Biggest Fear of Month FOUR: Pretty blissed out right now. Second trimester baby! Movement: Felt little butterfly bubbles and little flicks!! Food cravings: Really bad food :( Eating healthy but craving things I havn't eaten in YEARS. Like quesadillas. Sonic Tater Tots (I know, SO BAD) and grilled cheese. Vegan Mac N' Cheese is having to do. Aversions: Meat sometimes. Belly Button in or out? In Mood:: So happy <3 Looking forward to: Seeing my little bump grow! In other news... I started to learn about what pregnancy can do to your body. After shooting a music video and attending a party to launch the magazine I was exhausted for DAYS. Mr. Charming also had a day to ourselves so we went to some fun places around L.A. - including the Botanical Gardens - and walking up hill was NO JOKE with my lessening lung capacity and the weight baby is starting to put on my legs. |
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