Pics and Passing the Torch

This morning for breakfast I had a huge piece of bacon, which tasted especially amazing today. It must be a really good batch. I also had 2 pastured eggs with sauteed greens, red onion, fresh dill and some smoked salmon. Delicious! I can't believe that I can eat the salmon and not be turned-off by it. It used to be a little too much for me at times.

It looks like a ton of food, but it's really on a salad plate with a smaller fork next to a small glass. Funny coincidence.

Pics
I am lucky enough to have amazingly talented artist friends, one of whom is a photographer that enjoys playing with different ideas as much as I do. This guy took our wedding photos, my boudoir photos (for a book I made for my husband as a wedding gift), and now some maternity photos. I had this idea about a pulp-inspired shoot and he had some ideas of his own. Together, I think we made a little magic. For a sample of his portfolio, check out Gordon Dooley.

This last photo is from our boudoir shoot. It doesn't hurt that he lives very close to an amazing outdoor location in Newport Beach, California.
I am also adding some quick iphone shots into the belly pics page.

Passing the Torch
I am coming up on my due date pretty quickly. At that point, I will continue to post as a new parent, but no longer be "primal and pregnant." I am putting the word out there to anyone who IS pregnant and following a primal lifestyle. Consider this an invitation to contribute your experiences along your journey. Send me your stories to post and share with other curious soon-to-be-moms. We would like to hear what you are thinking about, how you are coping with the everyday changes a pregnant woman goes through as well as how you stay primal and fit. Email me if you are interested and tell me a little bit about yourself.

Second Trimester, 3D Ultrasound and Paleo Thanksgiving

I just wanted to give an example of how much spinach I actually eat every morning with my eggs and bacon or sausage. Never underestimate the power of greens!

Second Trimester
I can feel the romance of the 2nd trimester that has been described in my books. It has been easy and wonderful this past couple of months. I've been watching my belly grow, feeling my baby's play and admittingly visiting the gym only about once a week. I am now at 26 weeks and just passed my 100 days-til-due-date mark. I talk to the baby sometimes, sing and try to guess which end is which and what is poking out under my hands. Sometimes I get up and feel the baby in an awkward position and so I massage a little and give him/her time to re-adjust angles. I think the hard wide part of the baby is it's back as it curls up facing my spine. Both of the last ultrasounds have shown the baby facing the rear and using "our" placenta like a pillow. The movements are definitely getting stronger and seemingly more frequent. I think the baby has put on another pound in just the last two weeks. I wish I could somehow find out the weight! My parents were out for the holiday and even commented on my increase in belly size during that time.
I have gained 12 lbs. so far and am still eating the same things. I still have my smoothie every morning followed by a breakfast of egg, spinach and bacon or another breakfast meat. Over the last couple of days, the trusty poop-smoothie has not worked (smoothie does not contain actual poop, just pooping aids). I have suspicions about this problem coming from either my hectic mornings or my recent dinner containing falafel and hummus - the deliciously digestive-disturbing legume based combo. I am pretty sure it was worth the the cheat, but let's hope the problem can correct itself or the third trimester may prove to call for a stronger morning concoction. I did also start taking an extra probiotic alongside what comes in the greens in my smoothie which seems to at least provide some relief later in the day. But, I would so much rather be back to my usual rhythm.
The best part of this trimester is how I feel and how I feel I look. I finally get to be that woman with the beautiful round belly that is so much fun to accessorize. I feel beautiful and have never been more pleased with what I see in the mirror. No sign of stretch marks but I am a little bummed to no-longer have an "inny" belly-button.

3D Ultrasound
My sister told me some while ago about someone who recommended going to an elective ultrasound company to get the 3D and 4D experience. I decided that since both sets of grandparents would be in town for Thanksgiving, it would be the perfect time to reveal the baby's gender. I also was sure they had never and possibly would never get to have an experience like this in their lifetimes. How can you argue with that? Overall it was an awesome experience. I got to see the baby's little hand come up and hold onto his/her ear. I got to see yawning and eyes opening, legs crossed at the feet and soft, full little lips. My baby is so beautiful. I can't wait to have that little face inches from mine!
We had considered doing this again when the baby was a little further along, however things I have heard about the ultrasound waves possibly causing damage to those little vulnerable cells has changed our view. I can't say I would recommend this to anyone without doing the proper research beforehand, as we should have done. I know that I at least picked a place that was run by currently hospital employed technicians instead of someone who has been at a 2-day training seminar. Really look into the company you are going with if you decide to go through with it. There are companies all over that are basically a business-in-a-box and could not possibly offer services with years of training to back them up. Ask questions about training and certifications and be thorough!
This is what we got to see:

Paleo Thanksgiving
This was my first Thanksgiving hosting family in my house and cooking the entire menu for them. It turned out perfect! The menu looked like this:

Organic spinach salad with caramelized onions, toasted pecans, goat cheese and cranberry vinaigrette
Roasted pearl onions with sea salt
Organic mushroom, cherry and hot italian (pastured) sausage stuffing (complete with paleo bread crumbs)
Roasted brussel sprouts with smoky bacon ends
Mashed organic rosemary and thyme sweet potatoes and turnips
Brined roasted organic, pastured turkey with gravy
Homemade grass-fed corned beef
Homemade organic cranberry sauce

Dessert: Primal organic apple pie & Dark chocolate nut and pumpkin custard bars

I brined the turkey overnight on Wednesday and took it out in the morning on Thursday. This turkey turned out amazing. I really didn't even touch it after I put it in the oven. I didn't even have time to baste it once because I was so busy with everything else. It was perfectly cooked, moist and flavored throughout the bird. Since it was an organic, pasture raised bird and the extra parts were still with it (giblets, etc...), I took them  and put them in a sauce pan with a little white wine and let them create a stock. It's a good thing I had done this because there wasn't really any juice in the roasting pan. I took the stock and poured it in the roasting pan and it picked up all the cooked drippings (probably why the gravy was so dark- pic above). To this liquid I added a tsp or so of arrowroot and it thickened up nicely. Salted to taste and this gravy was fabulously rich!
The stuffing was also amazing. This was really an experiment that came out tremendously successful. I will be making it again for Christmas and posting the recipe on the Primal Pantry beforehand. I used cherries, mushrooms, celery, onions and hot italian sausage. I roasted them with a little white wine and seasoning then created a slab of almond-flour crust for the top. When the mixture was just about done I put the crust on top, let it bake and then cracked it open and stirred it in with the filling. The only thing that didn't make it in was toasted walnuts. I had a guest that wasn't a fan of nuts, so I intended on toasting them and putting them on the side but never got to it. I would've liked that little extra crunch but I cannot complain. This may have been my favorite dish on the table!

Working Out
My last WOD was:

3 Rounds
_________

20 - 14 lbs wall balls
20 - SDHP 16kg KB
20 - step-ups (24 inches)
20 - push press 45 lbs.
Row 500 meters

for time (I did 28:26)

New Things and Working Out

Breakfast is truly no joke in this house...
Today I had a hankering for some of our pickled jalapeños, so I went with a fully loaded omelette that also had bacon, avocado, tomato and spinach. This giant (only 2 egg) monstrosity is pictured here with my special butternut squash homefries.

I still take my 3 fish oil supplements and a vitamin D and prenatal. I do take a probiotic sometimes in the morning and it doesn't really affect my stomach in any way. My chocolate/greens smoothie is a regular morning staple followed about 45 minutes later with the breakfast plate. I have been trying to incorporate a half of an avocado into my breakfast every morning because 1) they are easier to come-by than ever... getting a bag of organic ones from TJ's.  2) totally awesome to eat with anything... Who doesn't love avocados? and 3) listed as one of the 100 Healthiest Foods to eat During Pregnancy during the second trimester. I finally remembered to pick that book up again. What else is in the list? Carrots. The day I read this entry was in the evening after a trip to Costco where I showed my husband a lifetime supply of organic baby carrots and said "Let's get these." He asked if we are really gonna eat all of them. I said "Sure, I will make dill carrots and we can use them for our baba ganouj..."
Don't fight the pregnant lady's decisions... they might be coming from the little one inside.

New Things
Clothes- I finally got myself some maternity jeans. I ordered them online, made by my current favorite brand Lucky Jeans, selected in my pre-pregnancy size and they arrived the day after my birthday. Well, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that it's not a good idea to buy clothes over the internet. They were somehow too big. They had enough extra room in the thighs and butt that they will not stay up without further assistance. I'd like to say that I will grow into them, but I am certainly not hoping to get a larger ass and thighs... catch-22 eh? I am hoping that as soon as my belly is big enough, the full elastic waistband will be enough support to keep them up.
In the meantime, I went out and bought my first pair of jeggings (also will not stay up) and 5 pairs of various leggings to wear under dresses and with long shirts. Now I just have to wait until I can afford to buy the top halves of the outfits. Until then, I am in sweatpants and occasionally my jeans that are stretched enough to fit under the belly (We will see how long that lasts).
Sleep Positioning- This is starting to get a tad uncomfortable. I sleep on the left side of the bed and am most comfortable sleeping on my right side facing out. Sidenote- I am a "loner" sleeper. Yes, I just coined that phrase. This means I cannot sleep when I am being touched. I don't spoon or get spooned, don't want legs or feet touching me, a hand, a hair, nothing. Otherwise I am awake and miserable. This is very unfortunate for my husband who likes to be cuddled. 
I have read that the best position to sleep in while pregnant is on your left side according to what it says on numerous sites including BabyCenter.com: Sleeping on your side is best while you're pregnant. In particular, sleeping on your left side may benefit your baby by improving blood flow – and therefore nutrients – to the placenta. It also helps your kidneys efficiently eliminate waste products and fluids from your body, which in turn reduces swelling in your ankles, feet, and hands.
That sounds great! Nobody wants swollen ankles, feet and hands or waste products floating around their bodies. Easier said than done. I'm sure that nobody ever miscarried because they were a back-sleeper. I actually woke up almost every morning quite comfortably on my back for the first trimester. Maybe this is because of the large dent I have created in my area of the mattress, which also makes it harder to sleep on my left side as I am fighting the uphill battle. I am getting to the point where I may need to purchase the pregnant-lady body pillow worm thing. (Yes, that's a link to my registry)
Now doesn't she look happy...?

Limited Movement- I have started to feel a slight hinderance to some of my everyday movement. As I told my husband this morning: "I can't put my pants on one leg at a time, like everyone else." Or, at least it is getting harder. Bending over to reach my feet is becoming difficult. I am also having to start to rock myself a little when getting out of bed or up off of the floor. This is very strange for me, and I have to remind myself that it's not just something I can push through. I have to actually be careful and not put too much pressure on the little thing inside.
Fluttering?- Apparently I am supposed to be able to feel the baby moving around. Some people say it's like fluttering... which makes no sense to me. I felt a tapping from the inside in the beginning (when in Hawaii) and now some more forceful pokes. I wonder if it is just my uterus doing it's growing thing. It is the largest muscle in the female body and probably throbs and contracts in spots while it is enlarging. I question the feelings because sometimes they seem repetitive in one spot a couple of times before I feel it in another spot. Honestly, I still don't quite believe there is someone inside my belly even as it grows every day. Seriously... is this really how life begins? Women are doing this all around the world like it is no big deal... but how is it not? One day I will be cursing the little guy/girl for kicking me in the ribs.
Boy or Girl- I cannot say that I don't have a preference as to what comes out, because I do. I think and feel that I am having a girl first and later will come a boy. Well, I will find out in 3 days. ONLY 3 DAYS!!! Yes it is a big deal! This is to be my future... heck, the rest of my life! Will it be sports teams or dance classes (probably not really dance classes... but something else little girls do). Will I really even have a choice? I will only be able to direct their interests for so long before they are wanting tickets to whomever becomes the Justin Bieber of their generation. Jeebus help me.
I saw a funny quote that said:
boy (n):  1. noise with dirt on it
Seriously, that makes sense and is a little daunting. Although I do have a pretty great nephew with scary intelligence and interest in all things musical... but, he can be exhausting to keep up with. My niece seems pretty mellow in comparison, but who's to say girls can't be spastic too? Either way, my child will be taking art class and self-defense of some sort (as per my husband's request).

The first thing I'm gonna do when I find out is start planning bedroom decor. Planning, planning, planning.... I'm addicted to it, even if it's chaotically unorganized and never comes to fruition. I already have folders on my desktop for a little girls room and a little boys room.

Working Out

My work-out days, which are supposed to be every other one, are few and far between mostly. I did get a WOD in on Tuesday and Thursday and was supposed to go in today... but Sunday will suffice.

Tuesday's WOD:

15 shoulder press (55 lbs.)

400 m row

10 pull-ups (I used a band and tried not to kip)

15 air-squats

400 m row

***3 rounds for time***   (I did 27:40)

Thursday's WOD

1-1-1-1 deadlift  (I did 175-180-185-190) Not too bad, but my PR is 220 for 3 reps.

______________

sumo deadlifts (125 lbs.)

v-ups

strict press (45 lbs.)

***15-10-5 for time***   (I did 8:56 non Rx'd)

We went for a walk in the park with the dogs today and I had a chance to sport my new leggings and belly. Horizontal stripes do wonders increasing the size of things... or maybe I really am that big already.

Primal in Hawaii - Eating and Working Out

We just got back from a much-needed 10 day vacation in Hawaii. I was truly amazed at how easy it is to eat the right things out there! They are very lucky to have the resources so many of us struggle to find.
Since our return, I have become very interested in poached eggs. There was many a time we were at a restaurant and I was looking at the breakfast choices and desperately wished I could have eggs benedict, but I know that butter is a main ingredient of hollandaise. We did cook breakfast for ourselves once or twice in the house that our friend rented and I did have the opportunity to poach my own eggs. I realized I am quite good at it! Since we have been home, it is the only way I cook my eggs now. I even made a version of hollandaise using lard and bacon grease instead of butter.

So, now my breakfast has become 2 poached eggs, 1 piece of bacon and wilted spinach. It seems like such a little change, but as I said before... I love my eggs! Vitamins are always a must and we definitely stocked up for the road.

Working Out
We definitely kept active while out of town. Of course all of our local friends know about off-the-beaten-path hikes and sights. We also managed to log some days at local CrossFit gyms. While in Maui, we visited Lahaina CrossFit where I did a 20 minute workout involving push-presses, toes-to-bar and double-unders (probably the last time I can comfortably get my toes up to the bar). I got to try stand-up paddle boarding, which at first I was afraid to do... but all the more reason to force myself. Snorkeling proved to be quite a workout and provided us with some up-close experiences with huge fish and sea turtles. We also had a great hike that involved scaling down a cliff on a rope to some hidden pools. Tons of fun!

My 16 wks picture

Eating
 As I mentioned before, we ate really well. Maui Cattle Company is a locally raised brand of grass-fed beef and despite the fact that we were surrounded by some of the freshest fish in the world, my baby was craving burgers all the time. Below is one of those burgers we had for lunch with some coleslaw and next to that is an amazing brunch we had with an oyster and bacon omelette, side of fruit and side of lamb sausage which we could not resist!

Another amazing place where we had lunch was the Paia Fish Market. Definitely the best fish on the island as far as simplicity and freshness! Not your typical fancy sit-down restaurant, you order at the counter from a choice of fresh fish that day and sit at big communal style tables. I was truly jealous of the fish sandwiches I saw around me. I really do enjoy a good piece of battered fish on a squishy bun with tartar sauce and slaw. I was still pleased with my meal foregoing the bun and batter. We had blackened Opah on a huge bed of coleslaw since the other two side options were rice and fries (we may have overdone the amount of coleslaw consumed on this trip).
Not my pic below, but check out that piece of fish and fish tacos in the background (I wouldn't torture you with an image of their famous fish sandwich). I would have eaten there every day if it wasn't 30 minutes away.

http://www.funtouristattractions.com/a/paia-fish-market-maui-usa/1919

 Once we got back we needed to restock the fridge. On a trip to Trader Joe's I discovered something wonderful! I don't know if it is a seasonal product, a new product or just something that has been there all along and I didn't notice until now. I'm talking about Ruby Red Chai. It is made with organic, caffeine-free, red rooibos tea leaves and all the other important chai spice flavors.
Just when I was wanting a hot beverage to warm me on a rainy day (usually would've been coffee or hot cocoa) I found the absolute perfect pregnancy, caffeine-free coffee alternative! I am now drinking chai lattés.

Yes, I'm a Libra... Oct. 7th

To make this chai latte I use So Delicious sugar-free coconut milk. I boil the water and steep the teabag then add an equal amount of pre-warmed coconut milk, a drop of vanilla extract, a dash of nutmeg and cinnamon and sweeten with stevia to taste. It sounds like a lot of work, but it's worth it until I can get back to coffee. I also may use 2 teabags if I plan on filling my huge mug to the brim. I am definitely gonna stock up on this stuff for iced versions in the future.

Tonight I am making hot and sour soup with Kelp noodles. I was feeling a little like I caught a cold on my way home and like to make this soup because I feel like the vinegar and spice kicks up my immune system and clears my head. I am actually feeling much better than I expected today, but am going ahead with these dinner plans just in case my husband starts to get a little something.

Working Out and Great Food

This morning I had my usual chocolate smoothie with banana, almond butter, coconut water, cocoa powder, stevia and Amazing Grass chocolate greens. This link is to what I find to be a great deal. It is totally worth buying in large amounts, however it also comes in smaller sizes. I highly recommend this product for any pregnant woman or otherwise. It is delicious when mixed in a smoothie and a huge dose of your daily nutritional needs, especially greens. It is expensive but if you can pay to be more healthy, why not?
I went to the gym as a spontaneous decision and had my eggs, bacon and wilted spinach for lunch. I'm really glad I worked out today and hope that I can start getting back into my every-other-day routine.

Working Out
Today's WOD:

Push Press

3-3-3-3   (I did 55-65-75-85lbs.)
__________

25 Handstand push-ups  (I modified by doing them on a box)

50 Toes-to-bar  (I counted my no-reps too- about 20)

800 meter Run  (I ran 400/rowed 400)

75 Push press  (I Rx'd these)

150 Double-under  (I did 150 single-unders)

***For Time***

Rx: 75/55

I ended at about 34 minutes. I can do double unders but didn't feel like it would be a wise decision to take the workout too much further after passing the 30 minute mark. I was also a little wary about jumping that much knowing it probably would've taken me through another 300 or so singles to get all my doubles. I struggled quite a bit with the toes-to-bar after the first 20. At first it came so easily but I tired quickly. I also slammed the bar into my nose pretty hard around rep 68 of the push presses. Ouch.

Other than that, I felt it was a very good workout.

I feel great today. No issues lately. I am longing to hear the baby's heartbeat again soon. We see the midwife for our first official patient-midwife meeting. Hopefully she's got some equipment to satisfy that longing. I will go over the visit and all of the questions from a list I compiled for our meeting.

I started reading a book I got for my husband called The Birth Partner by Penny Simkin. So far there is not much I don't already know, but I am only just at the beginning and hopefully it will be helpful for him and a possible family-member turned doula. No reason not to get some extra education!

The other day for lunch I made myself an amazing tuna cobb salad (above). I used canned tuna (which they say a pregnant woman should not eat, but I allow myself only 1 can a week or less), chopped heirloom tomato, crisped bacon, hard-boiled egg, avocado, red onion and hearts of palm on a spring mix. I made a balsamic ranch dressing to go on top and it was delicious! Yes, it took a little extra time to make, but I sat down and enjoyed it along with one of my tv shows. 

Another great recipe we've been making is squid salad. We enjoyed this in Croatia on our honeymoon and were able to get calamari for such a great price at costco, that I decided we could certainly replicate it at home. 

To make: clean the calamari thoroughly and cut into rings, parboil the pieces in hot water for about a minute, chop veggies to add such as: red onion, red pepper and a green (parsley, spinach, arugula)

To dress the salad mix in a food processor or bullet: balsamic and apple cider vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper, a squirt of mustard of any kind and a dash of some sort of hot sauce (I used my favorite Cholula). Keep playing with it and tasting until you like it. Pour it over the calamari and veggies and chill it or eat it warm. The taste only gets better as it sits in the dressing and fridge.

Photo Documenting

My breakfasts now consist of a smoothie with cocoa and greens every morning followed a couple hours later by the eggs, bacon and sometimes spinach. Since I put a full banana in every smoothie, I would not be surprised if the pounds started to come back on. This morning I made breakfast for my husband after letting him sleep in a little. It looked something like 2 eggs with red onion and fresh basil leaves topped with some heirloom tomatoes, bacon, wilted spinach with mushrooms, an orange juice spritzer with frozen peach slices, a fresh fig from a friend's tree and a couple of primal doughnut holes sprinkled with cinnamon. Voila!

We've been eating some really great meals lately. I have been having amazing burger salads with pickles, mustard, ketchup, lettuce, tomatoes and onion drizzled with balsamic and olive oil. I would definitely eat this every day if I could keep the burgers stocked. We made our own heirloom tomato sauce to which I added some ground beef and we poured it on spaghetti squash next to a side salad. I made lamb meat balls and we ate them in cabbage wrap form with homemade baba ghanouj, tahini, tomatoes and pickle relish. We had giant steaks that lasted two days and a sweet potato kugel that was to die for! These are some of my favorites and we finished them off with some homemade coconut milk/chocolate ice cream drizzled with almond butter and topped with sliced banana. All of this was no dairy, no grains, no legumes, no sugar (except for the fruit) and organic produce and pastured or grass-fed meat. So, with all these amazing meals.... what will the scale say? Well, I've been eating this way the whole time and losing pounds. I will have to wait for the next exam to see.

Photo Documenting

The past couple of days I have been really crampy and my belly looks huge to me. Again, I can't tell if it's from the food or my laziness about flexing my ab muscles or sucking it in. I definitely feel full all the time. Yesterday I was so crampy that I was sure I would wake up with a larger belly today because all that discomfort is probably my insides growing at an incredible rate. My pants are definitely beginning to feel tight.
Long before I became pregnant, I decided I was going to photo-document my growth. This is not at all uncommon but I wanted to have a cool background. I decided that I would stand infront of a large mural that I have been working on and hopefully over the months it will get finished and thus change from weeks to weeks in the photos. Here are the first two photos. Sometime this week I will be taking my "14 weeks" photo (if the sun will ever come back out).

Before the Bump

I am really happy to be having greens in my smoothies again. I feel like it really helps my system move the food around more efficiently. The greens added to the hydrating power of coconut milk seems to be a great combination. I had a little smoothie this morning with my breakfast and didn't actually eat any greens with the meal. I am also definitely slowing down on my use of Cholula. For some reason it just doesn't taste as amazing as it used to, whether it's because my tastes have changed or because I've overdone it. I still love my eggs though.

Before the Bump
As I am just about to enter the second trimester, I am anticipating and watching for the bump to appear. One of the things about ignoring the rule of waiting till 36 weeks to tell people I am pregnant is that people keep looking at me and saying I look great (not that I'm opposed to that). Its their slightly surprised look when they glance down to my non-existent belly that makes me feel a little like Sigourney Weaver's character in Baby Momma (she is supposedly pregnant but Tina Fey is confused because she has no belly and she's seems to old then says she feels a kick). I feel a little like people think I'm playing a joke.
Now is the time! Now there will be a bump happening and with that excitement comes my thoughts about maternity clothes and stretch mark inhibiting products.
Stretch marks
I have been looking into a couple of products:

Bio-Oil

The reviews on this stuff are great! One I read came from a woman who started using this product at the beginning of the second trimester and never had stretch marks despite them being a problem for her during teenage weight-gain. It seems to be made from natural ingredients and the price is worth the try. I am definitely getting a bottle. They sell it on amazon for a reasonable price.

Mountain Ocean
Skin Trip

I have used this lotion before for sunburns and it was extremely effective in reversing the burn after one application. They also make a soap bar I would be interested in. I received this as a gift a while ago but didn't use it often since I'm not really a lotion toting person. However, I knew that coconut oil has a naturally soothing effect on burns and grabbed this because it is the second ingredient. Unfortunately I tried to take the bottle with me to Las Vegas and they took it away from me, with it half-full. Bummer. I think this will probably be a big help with a growing belly and it smells like the beach. My best friend actually bought it for me because I used to wear coconut fragrant oil as a perfume in high-school. That was my "thing."

Also made by Mountain Ocean
Mother's Special Blend

These products seemed worth giving a shot because they are from a company I like and are geared specifically toward pregnant women. They have an oil and soap bar. I will probably get both when I get the cash. The cost is reasonable and they contain cocoa butter which is the usual "go-to" remedy for stretching skin. I have heard that it doesn't work as well as people think but it certainly could be helpful in a mixture of several effective ingredients.

I never thought I would be so excited to rub lotion or oil on myself, but I am looking forward to an easier way to accomodate the oncoming stretching and want to have a picture perfect, smooth, firm belly.... but who doesn't?

Clothing
It is always exciting thinking about a new wardrobe. I remember my best-friend and I walking past the maternity sections of stores and talking about how we couldn't wait to be pregnant and have a reason to dress in these really cute clothes. Thinking back on it, it seems a little strange that we thought the maternity clothes were so cute but that may be because biologically and historically we were already at prime pregnancy age. Luckily, we both were smarter than the girls on "Teen-mom."
Looking through my closet and my wallet, I realize that I could probably stretch the wardrobe I have to accomodate my changing body for quite some time, as I have never really worn tight clothing. I think it was the picture below that got me all revved up to start thinking about how I will dress as a pregnant woman. I will really be dressing for fall and winter pregnancy, which is a little bit of a bummer because I like the idea of sundresses so much. I will just have to find a way to use them in layers.

What I really love most about this look from the Hatch Collection is the belt below the belly. I feel like many women wear things that have an empire waist and fall over the belly and straight down from there, resembling a sort of tent. Now, I really don't know how this will look on me because I don't have this woman's body to begin with, so I may not even be able to pull it off. However, I certainly don't want to look like I am wearing a tent. It seems as though the trick is to put a hand on your belly to show that you are carrying something other than some extra weight. It looks a little funny to me in photos, so why not just get an accessory to do it for you?
Here are some fall/winter maternity looks:

 I am really drawn to the dress with leggings and layers looks. I love the cropped leather jacket, mens-style shirt and very tailored wool coat and predict a great amount of chunky sweaters/sweater dresses with leggings for myself. My reality is probably a bit more like the last two looks that have a bit of Colorado mountain style mixed with California (another place I live and where I am from). These would be the casual and fancy versions of my usual pants and t-shirt look. This is why I am also excited about the fact that H&M also has maternity clothes since that is right up my alley for budget and convenience. All I need is an influx of money and I am off for new clothes and bras/underwear (those are a whole different story I don't even want to get into).

Diaper Bags
This purchase is so far in the future, but I still wanted to post a couple of looks that I really like. Mind you, these are regular purses that are just oversized and perhaps I am naive to think that this will work just the same as an overpriced diaper bag. These are all right around $50 or less.

The first one is a medical type bag with a structured bottom that would make it easier to see inside the bag when I need to dig for something, however it doesn't have many pockets. The second one has more  compartments and can be carried by a longer strap like a messenger bag, which may be easier when a baby is being carried in the front. The last one is the hobo-style bag that I am always drawn to and seems like something that will stay closed and be comfortable on the side to back part of my body. I am not sure which is the most practical, but the third one is probably the least. Once I get a better idea of what kind of daily maintenance products I will need, I will be able to make a better decision. 

For lunch today I had a tuna wedge salad with homemade ranch dressing. For dinner I made fish tacos and shrimp tacos. The pepper and onion mix I made to act as a filling was really spicy and I may have used too much lime because it started to make me a little nauseous. Other than that, I would definitely make it again with a different filling.