WEAR: PATTERN PLAY

This 26.5 week bump seems to be growing by the minute! I have to say, seeing myself in photos with a big ol' belly bump is so odd. I love it so much, but it's totally weird seeing my body morph so quickly over time. :) I've been living in my one pair of maternity jeans and a few select pairs of comfortable leggings everyday right now. These are my "rockstar mom" leggings that make me feel sassy and like I'll be a "cool mom". ;)

Also, this massive, soft infinity scarf from Surfdom is amazing and so cozy. I'd like to also use it as a blanket.

Wearing: 1// Black Fringe Top - Forever21 2// Leopard Leggings - Forever21 3// Infinity Scarf - c/o Surfdom 4// Grey Geo Top - Forever21 5// Oatmeal Socks - Target

PROJECT HOME: NURSERY INSPIRATION

After finding out we were pregnant, I went back and forth a ton on thoughts about the nursery and what I wanted it to look like. As time went by, I could never get a clear picture in my mind of the direction. At our 20 week appointment, after finding out we were having a baby boy, Jon and I figured out exactly what we wanted to do with the nursery. If you would have asked me during the first months of pregnancy what I wanted to do, I would have said that I didn't want it to feel themed at all and I was pretty set on it. However, that all changed and now we are going in a themed direction with a very geek lovin' theme. ;)

Our nursery theme is Star Wars! Now we aren't taking the fan-boy approach to Star Wars by any means. We don't want it to feel commercial or expected so we are taking a much more subtle approach to the idea and making it very classy. We want people to walk in, look around and then understand the theme, not be overwhelmed with it immediately! Here is a collection of my ideas and our direction for the room. :) -- For more, see my nursery inspiration board on Pinterest here. 

1// Dresser Make-Over - See this Post 2// Silver Moroccan Pouf - Hattan Home 3// Nursery Works Rocker - Target 4// Similar Globe - ThinkGeek 5// Bounty Hunter - Concepcion Studios 6// Chewbacca Plush - ThinkGeek 7// Cross Baby Blanket - Spearmint 8// Hudson Crib - Babyletto 9// Shag Rug - Rugs USA 10// Blue Moon Clock - Hautelook 11// Star Wars Posters - Concepcion Studios

We've been working on it slowly and hope to have everything complete by December/January. I can't wait to keep you updated with progress posts! This week Jon and I are working on a fun feature wall, I'll be sure to share photos soon!

Also, for those of you looking for nursery inspiration that is unique and completely awesome, check out Lay Baby Lay's nursery inspiration boards. They are amazing!

OH BABY: DIARIES FROM THE 2ND TRIMESTER NO.02

Now that I'm nearing the end of my 2nd trimester and starting into my third, I thought it would be a good time to reflect on changes and happenings since my last diaries post. First of all, does anyone know when the 3rd trimester actually begins??? I've heard 26 weeks, 27 weeks and 28 weeks...so I'm not quite sure what to go with. ;)

Yesterday marked 26 weeks of pregnancy. Little Soren is very active. He rolls, kicks, flutters, and shifts. Some days he's more quiet than others and just flutters a little here and there. Almost every night, like clockwork, when I lay down to go to bed and Jon and I start chatting, he starts kicking and moving. I think he really likes Jon's voice (that or he's wanting a little peace and quiet) and "bangs on the apartment ceiling" for us to pipe-down so he can get some beauty rest. ;)

During the prime of my 2nd trimester came the intense appetite. I could easily throw down a foot long from Subway and still have room to spare for dessert. My sweet tooth was OUT OF CONTROL. My husband tried to help, but I would run into the other room and sneak peppermint patties or hidden candy whenever I got the chance. Bad Savannah! I've felt like a hunger rage-monster countless times. Once the GPS lied to me about where the Wendy's was: "Thank you, Siri, but I needed chicken NOT to go to the #$%^&*@ BANK!" --- Deep breaths. Insert settling for Subway and the foot-long here. --- At the end of this trimester I've noticed a huge shift in my appetite. I'm not as crazy about sugar and I can't consume an entire #1 Chick-fil-A combo, value-sized anymore. But I do crave apples!! It's amazing how some foods during pregnancy taste like the best thing you've ever had in your entire life. It's incredible.

Last weekend I also started experiencing the sneezing and peeing issue. Now, every time I sneeze, if I'm standing up...I pee. It's humorous, which makes me laugh, which also makes me pee. While I've found the experience of pregnancy to be amazing and so interesting, I've also found it to be extremely humorous and crazy. Watching my body morph continually is so odd, how is there a human in there? Is that massive belly mine? I've gotten so used to the idea of being pregnant. Feeling the baby move and touching my tummy as much as possible, but the thoughts of knowing that we will have a child at the end of this hasn't been something I've been able to fully grasp yet. We are SO excited, but it just feels so surreal.

Last weekend was also special because Jenny and Anica threw a baby shower for Jon and me! It was fall themed and we ate so many yummy fall desserts. We were blessed with so many great gifts and we felt extremely loved on. It's been so fun filling up the nursery with things for Soren. Jon and I are planning to do some more decorating and organizing in his nursery tomorrow. :)

As far as emotions go, I've definitely felt more weepy these past few weeks. One morning I offered to make egg sandwiches for breakfast. I gave Jon the task of toasting the bagels and getting dishes out and I started preparing the eggs. After cracking four and putting them in a little Pyrex bowl, I went to reach for my little whisk when Jon came out of nowhere with a fork, attempting to scramble my eggs. He, of course, was only trying to help and there was no rational reason for me to react the way I did, but the hormones reared their ugly head and I began weeping and telling Jon..."I'm mad you are using the fork because I worked so hard to crack those eggs and I really wanted to whisk them with my little whisk! Please don't take my eggs from me!" Me, whisk in hand, crying like a 5-year-old, he put his hands up in the surrender position and backed up to the sink...slowly, trying everything he could to hold in his laughter. Realizing myself the ridiculousness of the situation, I began laughing and weeping at the same time as I proceeded to whisk my eggs. The egg sandwiches were delicious, by the way. ;)

On a more serious note, it's definitely still been an emotional challenge with my mom going through cancer. She recently finished up her third round of chemo and this time it was particularly difficult on her. She ended up getting hospitalized and I'm sitting with her now in her hospital room as she rests. There are a lot of ups and downs, but this time of getting to be with her has been such a treasure and a true blessing. I feel like God has given me a lot of strength during this time and a lot of joy, too. I'm so thankful for my family and I love seeing how they work so hard to care for each other. --- I'm thankful everyday that my job with Maiedae allows me to be flexible and present with my mom during this time.

Here's to the final trimester and a successful 2nd trimester. Here's to a loving, attentive, and servant-hearted husband. We can't wait to meet this little guy in 14 weeks. :)

BEAUTY: BODY CARE ROUTINE DURING PREGNANCY

Pregnancy land has introduced all sorts of weird side effects and body changes. Can I get an Amen? Today I'm sharing my current most-loved body care products during pregnancy to help with growing tummies, dry skin, and stretch marks! :) Pregnant or not, it's important to have "love yourself" time and give yourself some care. Enjoy!



Products Mentioned:
* Peach & Ginger Body Wash - Aveeno
* Milk & Coconut Sugar Scrub - J.R. Watkins
* Almond & Coconut Shower Smoothie - LUSH
* Epsom Salt - Dr. Teal's
* Cocoa Butter Lotion - Palmer's
* Tummy Butter - Palmer's
* Body Butter - The Body Shop

Please feel free to share your favorite body care products below!! In the next few weeks I'll be sharing some of my favorite natural face-care products, so be on the lookout! Happy week!

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WEAR: 25 WEEK BUMP & PLAID

This morning when Jon and I woke up it was SO cold in the house. It is very much fall in Georgia right now and the weather has been amazing. It's definitely making up for the extremely rainy summer. I had a couple meetings this morning and was inspired by the cold to put on lots of layers and wear one of my favorite plaid scarfs. Being pregnant has made me very up and down with my body temperature. One moment I'm freezing and the next I'm hot has hell-o kitty, so layers are a must right now. ;)

I'm 25.5 weeks into this pregnancy and nearing the end of my second trimester. This trimester has really flown by and I can't believe within 15 weeks we will be holding our son. Crazy!! This weekend, some of my best friends are throwing me a baby shower and I am SO, SO excited! Gifts are a huge love language for me. I love giving them, receiving them, wrapping them, watching people open them. I just love it. I'm so excited to work on getting little Soren's nursery together and preparing a special place for him to come home too. :)

Wearing: 1// Plaid Scarf - Gift 2// Grey Tank - GAP 3// Houndstooth Sweater - Urban Outfitters 4// Jeans - American Eagle 5// Socks - c/o Tabbisocks 6// Boots - Forever21 7// Tote - Target 8// Earrings - Forever21

FAVORITE THINGS GIVEAWAY: URBAN DECAY

Hello, friends!! It's another month, which means it's time for another Favorite Things Giveaway!! This month, I am stoked to be giving away a product from one of my favorite make-up brands, Urban Decay. I've been using their make-up for several years and have always been a huge fan of their eye-shadow pigments and eye primers. You can easily create a natural look with their make-up or a wild and daring look. I love the variety of choices and room to experiment and play with their colors. For this month's giveaway I will be offering one reader the chance to win Urban Decay's brand new Vice 2 palette! This palette includes 20 incredible shades and a great application brush. It has everything from mattes and neutrals to wild pops of color. Love it! Check out how you can enter below. :)

GIVEAWAY TIME!
This giveaway is run via Rafflecopter. One winner will be selected at random and announced within one week from now. The winner will receive Urban Decay's VICE 2 palette. Giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only. This giveaway is sponsored by the following amazing ladies and businesses: Beth of Oak & Oats, Alexandra of AWPhotography, Vicky of Lovely Healthy Whole, Melissa of Bubby & Bean, Amanda of Amanda K by the Bay, Sophie of Onetenzeroseven, Reva of Daughter Zion Designs, Gina of AcuteDesigns and Katie of Katie Walker. If you would like to sponsor future "favorite things" giveaways, become a sponsor! More information here.

To enter, use the Rafflecopter entry below. There is one required entry and several bonus entry options. Best wishes! I hope all of you have a wonderful weekend! :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

PROJECT HOME: MASTER BEDROOM PROGRESS

As mentioned, one of the rooms we've really been wanting to focus on in the house is the master bedroom. Since being married we've always treated the master as the least important room and usually put all of our focus on the main rooms. Since realizing next year was going to be a huge time of change for us as we welcome Soren to our home, we made sure to make the master a priority. We wanted a place that would be functional, peaceful, and a cozy getaway. We did some budgeting and realized we weren't going to be able to get our "dream" furniture, so we figured out a way to make do with what we have, make some affordable purchases, and put something together that fits our needs. :)

As you can see in the before and progress photos, just a little bit of white paint really made this room come to life and brightened up the entire space. Especially after a good cleaning and doing a few little things like replacing all of the outlets and doorknobs. For awhile the only thing we had in the room was a bed and we realized quickly that some dressers and nightstands would be a great investment into making this space functional and getting the rest of our clothes out of the boxes!

We are loving this space so far. It feels simple, bright, and cozy. It fits our needs and will be a great space to bring our baby home to. We have a list of a couple more things we might like to get done before February. In the future, we'd really like to invest in some furniture pieces and have been keeping a close eye on our dream bed-frame from Restoration Hardware. The great thing about the purchases we did make is that they can easily be used in a guest room or kids room. The unfinished wood would allow us to paint them, replace hardware, and make them work with almost any room in our home. :)

Just to give you a little more information about the dressers and nightstands purchase, we picked these pieces up from IKEA. They took a while to build but are overall great quality pieces for their price tags. I've seen a lot of amazing IKEA hacks on these pieces on Pinterest (for example) and would highly recommend them if you're looking for some affordable furniture.

ITEMS SEEN IN ROOM
* Dressers & Nightstands - IKEA
* Faux Fur Throw - Pottery Barn
* Grey Blanket & Sheets - Target
* Curtains - UO
* Candles - Bath & Body Works
* Shower Curtain - West Elm
* Large Baskets - Target
* Ottoman - IKEA
* Calendar - Stendig

THE WEEKLY

Last week was filled with design clients and preparations for The Brand Market Workshop! This week will be filled with the same work. :) I got a chance to spend some great time with my mom and family this week. She's been doing SO great and responding very well to her chemo treatment. She has such a great attitude about everything. It's so encouraging to see the nurses, patients, her friends, and our family touched by her graceful and sure spirit. I've been feeling extra blessed getting to see her more and spend extra time with her. On Friday, we went to a baby store together to look at what I needed to register for. We had so much fun walking around, looking at baby stuff, and getting excited for Soren's arrival.

Jon and I spent all of Saturday working on our master bedroom. It's one of the rooms on our list of completing (or nearly completing) before baby gets here. We made SO much progress. The room feels totally different than it did on Friday and is probably one of my favorite places in our home so far. We needed a little getaway and a good place to bring baby home too. I'll be sharing progress pictures later this week!

Snapshots of the Week: 1// New little clothes for Soren from BabyGap. Couldn't pass up the cute bear outfit. :) 2// Love this sweet flag banner for the nursery from Ordinary Mommy. She matched my colors perfectly. 3// Dressers from Ikea. These babies take a while to build! 4// Found a (new to us) dessert place called New Orleans Snoball Cafe. They are SO yummy! I've asked Jon to take me there almost every other day.

Favorite Posts/Pins/Articles:
* Loved this super helpful post Jenny linked to last week about cloth diapering. So much to learn!
* I've been drooling over all of the products featured on Katie's Baby Shower Giveaway. I think I added 80% of them to my registry!
* ALSO, since we are on the topic of baby stuff, one of my favorite mommy companies, 4moms is announcing 3 new products today! I seriously CANNOT wait!! We have some of their products and love them so far.
* In other news, I've been trying to figure out if I should paint our stairs like this or a bright fun color similar to this?
* I'm sure you've heard, but I'm SO excited my business partner/best friend is also expecting!!

Inspiring Me this Week:
Jenny and I have been having a lot of conversations about 2014 and what that looks like for Maiedae and what exciting things will be happening. It's been super inspiring to plan for the new year and make some exciting improvements. :)

3 Things About Yours Truly:
* I JUST started watching Breaking Bad. Jon's already seen the whole show and now he's re-watching it with me. I'm loving it so far and doing my best to avoid any spoilers!
* Speaking of shows, I cannot wait for the next season of Game of Thrones to air.
* I have been dreaming of a getaway to the ocean since July. Not to lay-out or anything but just to hear it and be peaceful. Maybe Jon and I need to plan a baby-moon?

BEAUTY: CURLY HAIR TIPS & FAVORITE PRODUCTS

Let's talk about curls!! I get a lot of questions on how I maintain my curls and what products I like to use. I love having naturally curly hair, despite my battles with it throughout high school and some of college. ;) I also love meeting other curly headed sisters and talking about what products they love and how they keep their curls fresh. One of my favorite curly headed sisters is Elizabeth from Delightfully Tacky. She rocks some fierce curls and is basically awesome all around. :) In this video I'm discussing my shower, styling, and curling tool favorites PLUS throwing in a few tips I've learned along the way!

Products Mentioned: 

* Macadamia Oil Shampoo - Organix

* Coconut Milk Conditioner - Organix

* EverCurl Hydracharge Conditioner - L'Oreal

* Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Spray - Tresemme 

* Curl Care Flawless Curls Mousse - Tresemme 

* Kinky Moves Curling Cream - Not Your Mothers

* Leave-in Conditioning Detangler - Not Your Mothers

* Dry Shampoo - Psssst!

* Cherry Dry Shampoo - Batiste 

* Blow Dryer with Diffuser - Conair Infinity Pro

* Curling Iron - Conair Infinity Pro

* Ceramic Professional Hair Straightener - c/o Misikko

Do you have naturally curly hair? What are your "holy grail" products? I'm always looking for new things to try and would love to hear your suggestions! Happy weekend!

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PROJECT HOME: SOREN'S NURSERY PROGRESS

It's been really fun to have a nursery room in the house and start preparing for little Soren's arrival. This room is located near our bedroom, see floor layout here, and was originally painted a very dingy beige. The yellow lighting didn't help either and the room as a whole often felt very dark and not the bright, clean feeling we were going for. As well, this silver dresser has certainly been through a lot, too. I picked this piece up at a thrift store for $40. It was originally painted white and had brassy hardware on it. My dad and I painted it silver, replaced the hardware and it became the dresser Jon and I used soon after we married. Check out this old before and after post I found in the archives. ;) We knew we wanted to use this piece in the nursery and make it into a dresser/changing station combination but really wanted it to pop and be a statement piece in the room.

A few weeks ago Jon and I spent a day cleaning, re-painting the room, and giving the dresser a makeover. We were SO happy with how the colors turned out and how the room looks so transformed only after a few coats of paint. :)

We've already got our color scheme and theme in mind for his nursery and I can't wait to show you! I think it's a really clever approach to an old beloved theme for geekery/nerdery everywhere. ;) Can you guess what it might be?

Paint colors & hardware: For the grey on the walls we used the brand Glidden in Pebble Grey in a matte finish. For the bright blue paint on the dresser we used Behr Ultra in Sea Life in a semi-gloss. Hardware is from Home Depot.

OH BABY: 2ND TRIMESTER SURVIVAL KIT

It's hard to believe I'm only a handful of days away from being 6 months pregnant! I also can't believe how close I am to reaching my 3rd trimester! Where has the time gone?! This really has been such an adventure and special time of life. Jon is loving the idea of being a dad and often talks to little Soren.We've been working on the nursery and in a few weeks we'll be having our first baby shower! I can't wait!

This trimester certainly has been very different from the 1st one. I've experienced a ton of cravings, back pain, weirdness trying to bend over and put on shoes, Braxton Hicks contractions, and the metamorphosis of my changing body. I shared my 1st trimester survival kit a while ago and wanted to share my 2nd trimester survival items as well.

1// Journal - One of my favorite things to do throughout this pregnancy has been journaling memories, emotions and thoughts. It's been really special to capture these times and try to take in the pregnancy as much as possible. I'm so glad I'll have something to look back on afterwards. :)

2// Fiber - Ok, real talk. During pregnancy your digestion systems S L O W S way down which can cause some serious bathroom issues. It's a real problem, people! Taking extra fiber supplements has been a real help during this time, plus they taste yummy! ;)

3// Body Pillow - I already mentioned body pillows in my 1st trimester guide and in a recent post, but seriously...this pillow has been amazing and I've loved using it every night. It has really helped keep me more comfortable throughout the night and feel supported. Love it!

4// Leggings - Aside from dresses, skirts, and PJs, leggings are up there with one of the most comfortable things to wear during pregnancy. I recently purchased a few funky pairs at Forever21 to pair with tunics and long cardigans and love how they make me feel. Cozy, supported, and still fashionable.

5// Bella Band - This is probably one of the best maternity purchases I've made so far. I LOVE this thing and wear it almost everyday. I still haven't broken down and bought maternity jeans yet, but this band has really made my current jeans work for me. It's super comfortable, supportive and like a nice hug around your tummy. I highly suggest getting one in the early stages of your pregnancy and wearing it throughout. It would even be useful after pregnancy, too!

6// Shower Smoothie - This is probably one of my favorite products from Lush. It smells amazing and feels so luxurious to use. While you're burping up a storm due to your slow digestion and not looking so graceful squatting down to get dressed in the morning, a little luxury is nice! To use a shower smoothie, you rub it all over at the very end of your shower and then rinse it all off. It helps make your skin extra soft and smell good. :)

7// House Shoes - Keep your feet cozy! I love these slipper mocs from Minnetonka.

8// Dry Shampoo - A lifesaver! Sometimes you don't feel like washing your hair and you need a little extra umph. Dry shampoo is a miracle sent from heaven. I love the Batiste and Psssst! brand.

What are/have been some of your 2nd trimester survival must-haves?? :)

WIN A TICKET TO THE BRAND MARKET WORKSHOP IN ATL!

Hello!! -- We've been busy preparing for our first Brand Market Workshop in Atlanta and can't wait to teach a stellar group of ladies all about photography, branding, and marketing for their blog or site! To celebrate our first workshop we are giving away a FREE ticket to our workshop in Atlanta!! A $325 value!! This will include breakfast, lunch, swag bag, and a full day of learning about how to make your business stand out!

GIVEAWAY TIME!
Giveaway will be run via Rafflecopter. One winner will be selected at random and announced within the week. Winner will receive free attendance to The Brand Market Workshop in Atlanta. Workshop will be on November 2nd. If you've already purchased a ticket to the Atlanta Brand Market Workshop and win, you will receive a refund of your ticket purchase. Hooray!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

BEAUTY: BOXED HAIR COLOR REVIEW

One of the questions I get the most is what color I use for my hair and what type of box dyes I prefer. Recently I've been using the new Garnier Olia brand and have had lots of questions about what I think of the product. Today I'm talking about the box dyes I've used and which one I love the most. :)



Products Mentioned:
* Olia Box Color in Light Intense Auburn - Garnier
* Nutrisse Box Color in Light Intense Auburn - Garnier 

Do you use box dyes? What are your favorite brands? :) I hope you are having a wonderful weekend! I'm visiting friends in North Georgia this weekend for a little down time and a reunion at my alma mater. SO enjoying this beautiful weather in Georgia.

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PROJECT HOME: LITTLE UPDATES

We've been working on lots of projects at home since moving in, from installing new doors to ripping out old staples from the carpeting. It's been a lot of work! We haven't had a lot of time to really get into the decorating and fancying up of our home since we're mainly focused on function at this point. We have a long list of to-do's before Soren comes and we're hoping to make a good dent in it!

Rooms and projects we'd like to finish before baby gets here:
* master
* nursery
* guest room
* closet space
* finish main stairs
* finish unpacking all boxes
* paint den
* paint dining room

The upstairs is our biggest focus at this point since we want a cozy master that will work well for us when the baby arrives. We would also like to have the nursery complete AND a good place for family and friends to stay comfortably. Lots to do!!

Here are a few "before's" and "progress" photos from our work around the house so far. :)

Kitchen: I've got a lot of exciting plans for the kitchen! One of the first major projects we want to take on is replacing the linoleum flooring. In the meantime, we needed to make an appliance purchase. We thought the dishwasher would work well for us moving in and then started to realize it wasn't working correctly and stinking! Since we want to make our appliances all stainless steal at some point, we decided to go ahead and replace the dishwasher. We are loving this Whirlpool purchase, and all of our dishes are SO clean! Hooray!

Sunroom: When we first moved in, our sunroom was our tools-and-cleaning-supply-storage space. We wanted a great place for the cats to roam so we decided to put in a door that still lets in the light. We cleaned up the space, put in a new door and purchased hardware that we eventually want to be throughout the interior of the home. We just need to finish the door and give it some good coats of paint! -- We've also got some exciting plans for the sunroom. I'm thinking LOTS of hanging plants and some hammocks??

Laundry Room: I've been having dreams of having a clean and fancy laundry room space. For now, we are focused on just keeping it clean and organizing everything! The washer and dryer were two of our first purchases. We've done some major cleaning and a little organizing. -- We have plans to replace flooring, do some tile work, paint, and add in some great storage. I'm also researching clever laundry room sink ideas to replace the one we have.

Master Bedroom: This is one of the rooms we've put the most work into since moving into the house. We did some major cleaning, priming and painting in this space. We also replaced all of the outlets and doorknobs. I think there was a total of 7 different types of outlet plates throughout the room and most of the doorknobs didn't even work correctly. We're planning to change all outlets and doorknobs throughout the house one room at a time. :) I'm also loving this beautiful bright white we picked for the room color. The blue before wasn't my favorite and you could see where the owner had also painted beige, black, and red in certain places. Yikes! It needed several coats of primer and one good coat of this lovely white. We plan to warm up the space with lots of faux fur and wood pieces.

Main Stairs: Originally we planned to just replace the carpet on the stairs with something new, but after taking the old carpet up we realized how beautiful the stairs are and we were happy to see the condition of the wood was great! We called our carpet guy and canceled the order. Jon and I are working on repairing the stairs currently. We need to finish pulling out all of the staples, fill the holes, paint the white part and revitalize the wood.

If you want to see some of my home inspiration be sure to check out my Pinterest boards!

I can't wait to continue making more progress on our space. Next week I'll be sharing the vision for Soren's nursery! Happy weekend, friends!

WEAR: BLANKETS EQUAL FASHION

I LOVE giant sweater-blanket cardigans. They are pretty much the best. Lately I've been living in leggings and tunics, so throwing a cozy cardi over a tight fitting number is perfect. This is one of my very favorite pieces. I picked this up from American Eagle a couple Thanksgivings ago and have loved each cool season I've been able to wear it. I need some more of these in my life. :)

Wearing: 1// Oversized Cardi - American Eagle 2// Dotted Dress - H&M 3// Leggings - Forever21 4// Oatmeal Socks - Target 5// Shoes - c/o Blowfish Shoes

OH BABY: DO YOURSELF A FAVOR

Growing a human is hard work. It's an exciting and amazing miracle, but it's no easy task! I've begun to develop a whole new respect and awe for mothers. I think one of the weirdest parts about pregnancy so far is watching my body morph into something completely different. At first it was subtle. A little pooch, a tiny tummy. It was easy to hide and clothe. Then one day I woke up and little Soren was taking over! I have definitely stood in front of the mirror naked and thought...holy cow, Moses! Mind you, I'm only 22 weeks into this pregnancy adventure. What is it they say? The best is yet to come?? Haha. No, I really am excited and having a lot of fun, it has just been so odd/awesome/awkward/amazing experiencing this for the first time. And at the end of all of this, I can't wait to meet my little man, pat his little behind, and sing him to sleep. :)

Along with the quirks of pregnancy, one thing I've really started to notice in the second trimester is difficulty getting cozy. I think one of the most important things during this time is getting good sleep and getting comfortable. Some nights are hard and others are glorious, but I'm serious here...I've LOVED having a pregnancy pillow. I think it's probably one of my favorite "pregnancy survival items". The one I have pictured above is from Bump Nest. It comes in cute patterns, which is a huge perk, and is super soft, an even bigger perk. ;) I've loved cuddling up with it at night and I know it will be super helpful while nursing little Soren in the early hours of the morning. I tend to be an all over sleeper. I love sleeping on my back, stomach and sides so it was a little tricky getting myself to just be on my side, but having a cozy pillow like this was a good way to support myself at night and make it more comfortable to stay on my side. I kinda just want to wrap this massive pillow around my neck like a scarf and take it with me everywhere. Let's be real,  I'm willing to sacrifice a lot at this moment for comfort. ;) 

What are some of your top pregnancy must-haves?? I'll be sharing a full list of my 2nd trimester must-haves soon!! :) 

Pillow courtesy of Bump Next, get $10 off your purchase and FREE shipping by using the code MAIEDAETEN at checkout. Get cozy, people! :)