Cramping my style

Not a good day today! I woke up with a leg cramp in my calf muscle. I felt this about 2 weeks ago too in NJ and absolutely hate it. You feel paralyzed for a few minutes b/c you can NOT move your leg - it hurts that much. Even now, a few hours later, i am still limping. I guess its just part of the pregnancy. I read that since the uterus is getting larger, it restricts blood flow to the legs...something like that.

So today is bed rest day. Im just enjoying my Dunkin Donuts Iced Coffee. (image courtesy of weheartit.com)

I think i'll just catch up on "The City." (images courtsey of MTV.com)

A pregnant girl's best friends

Being pregnant is absolutely the best feeling. Waking up every morning knowing there is a miracle growing inside me - especially after all the heartache of trying for so long. Although i've always been in bliss with this pregnancy, i was reminded just how much it means to me, when a good friend of mine, who was having a hard time conceiving found out she was pregnant!!!!!!! What a gift to be able to go through this.

That being said, there are still some necessities to make the pregnancy more "bareable." No matter how happy we are, there are some not so nice changes that happen to our body that affect our emotions, our esteem, our well-being. This is my list of "can't live without" during my pregnancy

-Cocoa Butter - i religiously rub this on my belly, i do think i started too late because i do have stretch marks, but now, i'm obsessed. i almost feel like if i don't put it on, the stretch marks will spread all over and i don't want to risk that.

- body pillow -your new boyfriend - your husband would probably get jealous of this pillow, Its a full length body pillow that you can rest your head on while keeping in between your knees, when your belly gets biggers you can rest it on the pillow. I love it. My only complaint is that i would get a firmer version, but i think its just a matter of personal preference. Nowadays, i really do prefer cuddling with the pillow than my hubby. lol. The version i got was from Target called the Boppy Total Body pillow. I think wil bought this for me like the week i found out i was pregnant. Another version that i've heard great reviews about is the Snoogle.

- mascara - even if you have no energy to put any makeup on, this is the one thing i would suggest using. mascara really opens up your eyes and brightens up your face. I use DiorShow lengthening mascara. I put a poll on facebook on mascaras people recommend and i got the most comments about this. I can't complain. i like it.

- belly band - this is a band made of stretchy fabric that you put around your waist. its great for that in between stage when you're too small for maternity pants but too big to button up your regular jeans/pants. i love it moreso because i've been using this throughout most of my pregnancy. Sometimes, it just feels nice having the support on my belly and back instead of feeling like my belly is just hanging around. I also use it as a tubetop under some of my maxi dresses or sweaters for extra support with my boobs and belly. I got 2 of these, one in white and one in black from Target.

- highlighting makeup for the glowing pregnancy look - your face is a biggest asset at this point, its the only part of my body that i can count on not changing too much. I use a creme highlighter from Mac in Hush.

Peeps

In honor of this being Easter week, I decided to entitle this post "peeps." As you know, I've referenced my feet as marshmellow feet, or "peeps." Let me say that at 31 weeks, this has gotten worse. I don't know if it was the plane ride to NJ, or maybe the food i've been eating here, or just the timing of my pregnancy and my hormones, but it has gotten pretty bad, i might even have cankles...yes, THE dreaded word. The swelling even affected my fingers. Its so bad that my ring is still stuck on my finger.

Since my NJ baby shower was this weekend, i decided to put my engagement ring on, along with my wedding ring (i wanted it in my pics.) Big mistake. My fingers swelled up like a balloon and for like 3 days i couldn't take my wedding ring off, keep in mind this is the bigger of the two. Wil and I did some research on Ehow.com (ooh - baby says hi, he just kicked as i write this post.) Anyway, the site had a few different tips on how to remove a ring from a swollen finger. I tried a few different tactics but the one that worked for me was:

Submerge your ringer in cold/ice water, then hold it above your head for like 10 min (has to be above your heart) - i assume this is supposed to help with the swelling. Then it suggested i use windex as a lube to help slide the ring off. Once i read amonia on the bottle -i said forget it. i didn't want to risk being around that during my pregnancy so i used cooking oil instead. After tugging and wiggling the ring around, it finally came off. i was so happy because my finger was turning blue from having it stuck at my knuckle area. So as of now, its one ring down, one to go. I couldn't go through the pain again of trying to take off my engagement ring. my finger was so sore already. I was hoping that the swelling would've gone down by now so i wouldn't have to go through the same motions for the last ring, but hasn't happened yet. I'll have to keep you posted on this...wish me luck. I don't want to have to get the ring cut off, that would be a shame.

from fashionista to pregnantista

As I start this blog, i'm entering my 3rd trimester...i have to say its challenging to feel fabulous at this point. Its exciting to know that a little one is on the way, but its tough having to shop for XL clothes! Let me make the disclaimer though that i try not to shop for maternity specific clothes. I do this for 2 reasons: 1) they look frumpy with their tie in the back 2) they are VERY expensive. I would definitely be a smaller size if i bought maternity clothes - like that psychological game they play with you? :)

so follow me on my adventures this year trying to look good, preparing for baby :) and living my life to its fullest. I love getting comments and hearing what you have to say so feel free to comment or ask me anything.

I promise to post recent pics (haven't taken any yet from this week). but to show you how i started when i first got pregnant, here are pics taken during Minnesota's Fall Fashion Week in September 2009.