Celebrating Ollie with the Girls! (First Baby Shower)

This past Sunday my sweet friends all got together to celebrate the little one at my first shower! Ollie's fairy godmother (Aunt Kait) planned the most AMAZING baby shower in existence. It truly could not have been any more perfect. Ollie's Aunt Hannah had the party at her new (HGTV worthy) house,and Aunt Kayla also helped with the party planning. These three ladies are such blessings in my life, and I can't begin to explain how thankful I am that they exist. It was a travel-themed shower, of course. (I can't wait to go back to Europe with Ollie next time!) And as they say, a picture's worth a thousand words so without further adieu…

Check out those hot air balloons! 

"Notes to Oliver" How sweet!?

Wooooahhhhh bump!

Aunt Layla, Aunt Kait, and Aunt Hannah :)

Kait, thank you, thank you, thank you for planning the shower of my dreams. I love you to the moon! You are already the most amazing fairy godmother to Ollie. Hannah, thank you for allowing us to party in your absolutely perfect new house and making the shower possible. Kayla, thank you for also helping plan the shower and providing the yummiest mastaccioli ever made! Marissa, Stace, Hannah (#2), Brittanee, Erin, Britta, Mary, and Asya, thank you so very much for spending your Sunday celebrating Ollie. And Kelsea, we missed you at the shower but Ollie absolutely loves his new bottles, pacifiers, Jacques the Peacock, and Babyganics bath stuff! 

From the absolutely hilarious games, to the time we spent just chatting, I had the best baby shower EVER. I love and appreciate you all so so sooooo much. Oliver is lucky to already have so many beautiful (inside and out) ladies that love him!

Thank you for the perfect Sunday :)

21 Weeks and Nursery Plans!

How far along: 21 weeks! 

Gender: BOY :)

Size: About 10 1/2 inches long and almost a pound

Names: Oliver Michael 

Nicknames: Ollie

Have you started to show yet? Yep, though it looks a heck of a lot bigger in this picture for some reason! 
Symptoms: Back pain, cravings, mood swings 

Maternity clothes: Maternity shorts, comfy dresses, leggings.
 Holding onto my pre-pregnancy clothes for as long as possible haha

Stretch marks: Not yet. But hey there linea nigra… -__-

Sleep: Still not sleeping so well

Best moment this week: Getting his NEW nursery together! 

Worst moment this week: Same annoying back pain 

Miss anything: COFFEE

Movement: Definitely. When Mitch comes home and we start talking, Ollie moves like crazy! 
He is also very still when we are reading his FAVORITE book (Harry Potter) to him ;) 
but as soon as we stop, he starts kicking. So proud that he has excellent literary taste.

Cravings: Lemon flavored anything, donuts, PB Cap'n Crunch

Queasy or sick: Nada

Belly button in or out?: Still in…but looking like it might just pop in the next couple weeks.

Looking forward to: OLLIE'S FIRST CHRISTMAS!!!!! I am such a holiday fanatic. Like on the level of playing Mariah Carey's holiday music station on pandora, while drinking hot chocolate and browsing pinterest for everything Christmas related…in July.

Nursery Plans!

The room has dark floors, a thick white trim, and white walls. Mitchell's mom gifted us the crib and dresser (thanks Nana!) and his sister surprised us with the rocking chair (thanks Aunt Jill!) Since we have a pretty blank canvas to work with, we can really get creative with the décor and accents. Face out bookshelves are in the works, which will add color to the room.

Daddy working on the new nursery! 

Delta Children Bentley 4-in-1 Crib- Target

Storkcraft Kenton Dresser-Target

Status Roma Glider and Nursing Ottoman-Target

Crane Drop Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier- BuyBuy Baby/ Target

Colorful rug- RosenBerryRooms.com

Burt's Bees ABC's Organic Cotton Sheet- Target

Infantino Turtle Toy and Stacking Rings- Target

Pregnancy Favorites

Although I'm only a little over halfway through my pregnancy, I wanted to share some of my "must-haves" and things that have helped me through morning all-day sickness, to understanding what's going on with my body. 

What to Expect When You're Expecting - Mitchell's sister sent me this book when we first found out I was pregnant. It was the first baby-related gift I received, and it made me cry! (Oh hormones..) It covers EVERYTHING. Like literally everything you might be wondering about if you are pregnant. It details each month/week, and additionally provides information on complications, food and diet, body changes, the list goes on and on. I keep it on my bedside table, and it has about a million little post-its in it where I've marked important pages. 

Palmer's Tummy Butter- I know, I know apparently stretch marks aren't preventable. However, I figure it can't hurt to at least try. I tested about 20 different moisturizers, and this one was the BEST by far. It has the consistency of coconut oil when its in the jar (solid). But as you warm in it in your hands it melts. It is extremely hydrating, and doesn't smell gross like the other coco butter lotions. I actually love the smell. The only "downside" is that you have to give it about 10 minutes to dry. I've read that you should really focus your stretch mark prevention products on your tummy, chest, thighs, hips, and lower back. So that is what I do. I'll probably continue to use this even after Ollie is here just because I love it so much. 

First Time Mommy FB Group- Mitchell's Aunt invited me to this FB group and I am OBSESSED. First time mommas post questions, funny memes, and pictures. And everyone else is able to comment and share as well. Some questions that I've seen and found exceptionally helpful are: "What bottles did you use and why?" "Which bath products, diapers, and wipes have worked well for sensitive skin?" "Do sweet potatoes actually make your baby turn orange?" (And guess what? That last one was TRUE! Ahh! Haha imagine me feeding Ollie a good amount of sweet potatoes/ carrots and him looking like an oompa loompa!) This group is awesome because you get the true opinions from MOMS! The people who actually have tried the products/ been there, done that/ aren't annoyed with you for having a million questions! I especially enjoy that many share pictures of their babes and maternity shoots. (If you need to be invited to join the group, message me and I'll send you one)

Jolly Ranchers, Mints, Salty Foods, Fruit-Infused Water, Sprite- They call it morning sickness, but let me tell ya, that is a lie. I was nauseated ALL DAY. I was miserable. In order to keep up with my internship and school I kept all of the things listed with me at all times. Sometimes I needed hard candy to ease it. Other times mints. And sometimes I just needed salty pretzels or chips to do the trick. I have always been an avid water drinker. But when I had those days of sickness, I did not want it at all. The thought of plain water sounded disgusting to me. But, water infused with lemon, lime, and strawberry was great. I also would sip a Sprite if I needed it. Anything carbonated helped a lot. Pregnancy sickness is no joke, and you will have to find out what snacks/tricks work for you!

A Body Pillow/ Heaps of Pillows- Eventually, you will not be able to sleep on your stomach. For me, that was a big change from my normal sleep routine. Oh, and you also aren't  supposed to sleep on your back because it can reduce blood flow to the baby. Your hips, shoulders, and back are going to ache from sleeping on your side. If you create a pillow nest to sleep in, it helps a lot! They also make special pillows for pregnant women that look like a giant U. I may need to get one of those when I get bigger!

A Nursing Bra- My Aunt recommended that I purchase one of these prior to baby. Best. Idea. EVER. Your normal bras just aren't going to cut it. If you're pregnant, you understand. 

Maternity Bottoms- As I am currently pregnant in the summer, I bought a pair of denim maternity shorts. (new favorite shorts) This makes it so much easier to create outfits that are cute and comfortable. Shirts are pretty easy to transfer into pregnancy, but bottoms are a different story. I'm due in the fall so I'm planning on picking up some maternity jeans and leggings as well. I got mine on sale from Kohls, but Target and H&M have AWESOME maternity sections as well. 

My Pregnancy Today App/ Any Pregnancy App- Getting that little notification about what fruit your baby is the size of every week is so nice. It's a cute little reminder, as well as informational. It also has tips and allows you to take a "bump date" picture each week. 

Prenatal Vitamins- I have a prescription vitamin from my doctor. The iron content differs, and for some women a high amount of it can make them sick. Let your doctor know if it isn't working for you. I'm sure you're already well aware of how important a prenatal vitamin is for your little baby, but I had to add it to the list. During the times when I couldn't get the best nutrition due to not being able to stomach fruits and veggies, these ensured that he was still getting everything he needed. 

And last but not least….

A Journal/ Blog to Document the Beginning of the Most Important Part of Your Life- This is why I have this blog. I didn't expect other people to enjoy reading it! (Though I am  so glad you guys do :) I wanted to remember my cravings, the first week I felt him kick, the things that were going on during my pregnancy. I always ask my mom questions about when she was pregnant with me, and having a keepsake of the time makes it easier to remember. And many of you e-mail me questions, so I love to help when I can! 

That's all I have! I'll probably make a new post after Ollie is here, since I'm only halfway through right now! What are some of your pregnancy favorites/must haves?