Public Service Announcement: The Be Band

Ladies, if you are pregnant, bloated, will ever become pregnant, or will ever become bloated, read on:

I just have to give a shout-out to one of the best products I purchased during my entire pregnancy. I've used it for months now, but it came in handy SO greatly this morning that I almost kissed it. Ok, not really, but close.

What is a Be Band, you ask?

BeBand, $16.99,  Target

Well friend, the Be Band is a crafty invention sold at Target (there are more expensive ones on the market, but this one works just fine) and it is designed to save your money, tears, and agony on those days when your pants just.won't.button.

Let paint this picture for you. It's Friday morning. I'm already running 15 minutes late for work because I snoozed 3 times (ok 4- it's so dark out in the mornings, and I can't wait for DST to kick in next weekend). I find a shirt to wear. Then I realize that ALL THREE of my maternity dress pants are in the laundry. I realize quickly that a) I need to do laundry more often and b) I might have to go to work pant-less. I've only purchased 3 pairs of maternity pants because really, they're not that great, and you only wear them temporarily. Maternity jeans, on the other hand, were sent directly from God.

So anywhoo, I'm panicking because I'm already running late, and I have no pants to wear, and I don't want to wear a dress to work because it's freezing outside and my legs look like Casper's. What do I do?!?

Then I remember the Be Band. Essentially, this thing is just a stretchy tube top. It allows you to wear your regular pants unbuttoned. It creates this seamless look and no one is the wiser. So I pull out a pair of non-maternity dress pants, put a tube top around my hips, and voila! Problem solved!!! And no one needs to know that not only are these regular person pants unbuttoned, they're also completely unzipped. I am 32 weeks pregnant and certainly not getting any smaller.... there is no reason I should be wearing non-maternity pants. Haha! Take that, universe! The Be Band is tight enough so that your pants stay put, but it also doesn't need to be constantly readjusted. I actually forget that I'm wearing regular pants.

Check it out:

See?? Look how happy I look in regular pants!

And that my friends, is the most interesting thing I'll have to share all day.

October Showers bring... December babies??

I am horrible about taking pictures. No really, one of my New Year's resolutions is to get better at it. I have a good memory (I think?) but there's something so wonderful about capturing a moment in time via a digital copy. So thankfully I had some good friends on hand this past weekend to document the baby shower my sisters-in-law held for me and baby girl.

We actually had two baby showers in the month of October, but for some reason I can't get the pictures from my first shower to transfer from my phone to my computer. So once I become more technologically saavy, I'll make sure to update with those pictures too!

Update: I got a few!   Not sure why they're so small but here they are!

Pink-themed food, naturally

Amazing homemade candy apples for a take-away present

A "Christmas" Tree full of baby items, a nod to baby girl's due date :)

I was so overwhelmed with happiness, emotion, and gratitude on Saturday, for many reasons. First and foremost, I can't believe the caliber of friends and family I have. No one had to come, and no one had to bring a thing, but instead, they showered our little princess with literally every single thing she could possibly need for the first year of her life. Honestly, between the two showers, there is not ONE thing that I think she still needs. (Mommy might want to buy you some more embarrassing and ridiculous outfits, but those can wait) I just can't believe how many people truly care about me, my daughter, and our little family. It's so humbling, and appreciated more than they will ever know. I just wanted to hug every single person over and over again, because there's just no way for me to say thank you enough. I wish there was another word for thank you, because I feel so much more than thankful for having each and every one of you in my life.

Also, I just can't believe we've made it to this point. After everything we've been through over the last year and a half, I can't believe that my sweet little girl will be here in just two short months. I feel like it has taken an eternity to get here, but I am so grateful for the journey, because it has made me a better wife, a better mother, and that much more sure that I am SO READY to take this baby girl home with us.

Sometimes it's hard having such good looking friends ;-)

The living room was taken over by baby-ness

The belly dominates the picture. I am HUGE!! And I love everything about it :)

The lovely spread

The taco bar was a HUGE hit!! :)

My friend Kim made the coolest stroller/baby gift contraption I have ever seen. Warning: If you're my friend and pregnant, you are probably going to get one of these as my gift because it is just so cool!

Her first pair of jeans!

Wings for our angel :)

It's a Girl!!! :)

 

A cookie bar for the shower guests... all homemade because that's how Lindsay rolls

The aftermath

How could someone so tiny need so many things??? We are so grateful and BLESSED!

We can't wait to meet you sweet girl!

Swoon

Check out the ADORABLE mobile Jon just ordered for baby girl's room:

Pottery Barn Kids

The room is only about 75% complete, but this adorable addition will look perfect above her crib.

He said she just "had" to have it. How can someone with such a tiny finger have her daddy wrapped around it already?? :)

Fill in the Blank Friday

The Little Things We Do

1.   Nothing says fall like      pumpkin spice lattes (decaf for me of course!)

2.   My favorite autumnal tradition is   eating an entire bag of candy corn. Also going shopping at Easton with fall boots and a puffy vest, and buying this year's winter hats and mittens (I always buy cheap because I lose them every year!)

3.  My favorite fall treat is  this year it's been cinnamon struesel muffins. I can't stop making them - they are so delicious, and make the whole house smell like fall!

4. Fall makes me think of    childhood    because    I always loved dressing up for Halloween and going to the Circleville Pumpkin Show. Ironically, I didn't like anything pumpkin-flavored until I was in high school. Which is a shame, because my mom makes the BEST pumpkin pie on the planet!!

5.  Autumn free form word association, go!    crispy leaves, chill in the air, soft blankets, hoodies, football, chili, pumpkin patch, embarrassing Halloween costumes.

6.  My go-to outfit in the fall is     these days??? A comfy pair of maternity pants and a long-sleeved sweater. Somehow, I can still wear most of my regular-sized, non-pregnant ones, which dramatically helps my wardrobe options. I do have a favorite pair of brown boots that I will literally wear until I can see my toes through them because they are so comfortable and awesome. Who cares that Jon has to help me put them on now?? ;-)

7.  My favorite fall holiday is (Halloween or Thanksgiving)    Thanksgiving. I am so excited to start new Halloween traditions with my sweet baby girl, Thanksgiving has always been a fave of mine. I have been craving mashed potatoes like crazy, and they always taste the best at Thanksgiving. I also love getting together with family and friends, and just relaxing and enjoying the company. Food/Drink/Company/Sweatpants/Dessert = The perfect holiday combination.

If you were a child of the 90's...

You will greatly appreciate this :)

Weekend Update

I am a terrible blogger!

But when you sit by a computer all day at work, it's really hard to motivate yourself to sit some more when you get home.

We had a lovely babymoon trip to Chicago this weekend! The weather was great, no traffic along the way, and even though it was a 6 hour drive, shockingly I only needed to stop 3 times to use the facilities. And buy snacks.

The trip started out perfectly.... Jon picked me up from work, and he had Sweetest Days gifts for his "girls." Two precious Christmas footed pajama outfits for our pumpkin, and a prenatal massage for me. Is he good or what??

No, sadly, I did not take any pictures of baby girl by the silver thing like I wanted to. We didn't make it to that area... but we passed it twice. So that counts right?

Instead, here are the things I accomplished while in Chicago:

Learned the premise of "Chicago Deep Dish pizza." I thought it meant that the crust was just thicker... I was so wrong!

Got to see my beautiful friend Andrea!

Nearly incited a riot in a taxi cab queue.

Received a lecture on the downfall of the American education system by another taxi driver.

Nearly had my eardrums burst by yet another taxi driver who blasted Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing" at full volume. As well as "Caribbean Dreams" and "Careless Whisper."

Had the BEST brunch I've ever had. Though technically I don't know if I've ever had a proper "brunch." More likely, I just eat breakfast really late. But anyway, it was awesome. We went to this little restaurant called Cafe Ba Ba Reeba. It's a Spanish tapas place, but they also have a kick-ass brunch menu. And a Bloody Mary bar. It's like a salad bar, for Bloody Mary's. I got one, sans alcohol of course, and I added two types of tomato juice, a pickle, a shrimp, a celery stalk, lime juice, horseradish, lemon juice, salt, pepper, Worcestershire, and hot sauce. YUP. The only picture I took ALL WEEKEND was of the Bloody Mary bar, but I took it with Jon's phone so I don't even have record of it. But here is a picture I pilfered off of Google Images:

It's even cooler in person, I swear!

Got "denied" from an exhibit an the science museum because we were 2) Not under the age of 10 and b) Not accompanying a child under the age of 10. Sorry baby girl, apparently being -2 months doesn't count in their eyes. You're still my favorite accompanied minor ;-)

Obsessively checked my phone because while Jay-Z and I were pissing off taxi drivers, Jon ran the "Spartan Race" with some friends. If you've heard of the Warrior Dash, it's like that, but apparently longer and harder. Look at these tough guys!!!

I have full faith in my husband's athletic ability, but all I could think was that he would trip, break his leg, and be out of commission when the baby gets here. All was well though, and he had a great finishing time! :)

And now I'm off to my regular monthly doctor's appointment. Except now I start going every two weeks. And then every week. Things are getting real!!!!!!!

What I'm Loving Wednesday

WILW!

I'm loving.... my new job. Though 5 weeks in, it's not technically *new* anymore, but everyday brings about a new reason to love it. I know change can be a bad thing sometimes, but in this case, I definitely made the right decision!

I'm loving... apple and cinnamon candles. I light one as soon as I walk in the door when I get home. They just smell like fall!

I'm loving... all of the pretty leaves that are blowing around our neighborhood. There's something just so.... romantic about fall, yanno?

I'm loving.... Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Maybe it goes with the "fall theme" but I cannot get enough of this cereal. I swear, if my daughter eats anything besides milk and cereal when she's a grown-up, I'll be shocked. I apologize in advance for giving you a boring palate, baby!

Cinna-deliciousness

I'm loving... that we're going to Chicago this weekend! I'm excited to take pictures around the city, and to see some good friends (including my friend Jay-Z, who is coming all the way from Kenosha, WI to visit on Saturday morning!) I have no idea what we're doing, but that's how we roll. I just know I want a picture of baby girl by this thing:

I'm loving.... my sweet baby girl and how big my belly is getting. I swear every day it gets bigger. And we still have 10 weeks to go. I also love how I thought I was *enormous* a few months ago... Hahaha, if I only knew.

What are you loving today??

Convenient

con·ven·ient  adj. 
1. Suited or favorable to one's comfort, purpose, or needs
2. Being able to place one's salad bowl directly onto one's belly, requiring much less exertion to lift one's fork into one's mouth

Fill in the Blank Friday

This week, I'm linking up at The Little Things We Do for the fist edition of "Fill in the Blank Friday."

Things have been crazy hectic at work, so I though I'd ease back into posting with this fun little edition. And here.we.go!

1.   Something popular that I can't stand/just don't "get" is    Katy Perry. I think she's super cute but I just find her music so superficial and annoying. Don't hate me.

2.   Something unpopular that I secretly love is    The Bachelor/ette franchise. It is my guilty obsession and you can judge me all you want, I will watch diligently every season    .

3.  When I've had a bad day I  take a hot shower, then put on soft PJ pants. It can instantly put me in a better mood  .

4. I'd prefer    a coffee date    to    happy hour      any day.

5.  Something that makes me nervous is   the "unknown" when it comes to parenting. I have the love part down absolutely, but sometimes I'm scared that I'll be bad at it .

6.  Something worth fighting for is     situations where you have to compromise your personal set of morals and ethics. I can go with the flow, but not at the cost of my integrity.

7.  When people think of me, I hope they think   Audra is happy, kind, and funny on certain occasions.

Baby Bucket List

As I'm sitting here at my desk, typing things into my Astrid Task List Droid app, it dawns on me...

Holy crap. My life is going to change completely in 83 days. 

Yes of course I've had this thought before, but it still hits me like a ton of bricks.

I feel like I'm already in "nesting" mode. Nesting is a great little term for the period of time leading up to the birth of your baby when you go apesh** and clean, cook, and shop obsessively in preparation for your little one's arrival. Last night, after unpacking and de-tagging gifts from our first baby shower this weekend (pictures to come!), what started out as casually putting things into place turned into an all-out categorization frenzy. I could not sleep or rest until every baby item had a proper place. 11:00pm and a sore back later, her bedroom is more organized than ours. She also has more pairs of socks than any human person should.

Anywhoo, now I'm thinking about all of the things that I want to do before she gets here, baby-related or not. So, dear friends, I am typing out a list so that I can be held accountable to not only myself, but to all of you who can check up on my progress. Yes, I'm sure you are dying to check up on that. I'll keep adding to it I'm sure, but hopefully can cross things off too!

Audra's Baby Bucket List

1. Create a baby bucket list. Done. Success already!

2.  Watch "The Happiest Baby on the Block" DVD with Jon. Many, many mommas have told me this DVD saved their lives when their babies were first born, and helped them achieve longer stretches of sleep in those early weeks when you're basically a zombie.

3. Take a mini babymoon with my husband. Almost done. We have a trip to Chicago planned in two weeks!

4. Read at least 3 non-baby books. I already have Until Tuesday and The First Husband on my reading queue for Book Club, but I'll take other recommendations!

5. Re-organize the following places in our home: Master bedroom closet, attic, basement, dining room and let's throw in the garage if I'm feeling crazy.

6. Put up a Christmas tree by December 5th.

7. Go see at least one movie in the theater with Jon, and one with my friends (Good thing I already have a date with Holly and Jess to see Breaking Dawn in November) 

8. Continue working out at least 4 days a week, including prenatal pilates.

9. Write a blog post about the amazement that is prenatal pilates.

10. Have all Christmas shopping/wrapping done by December 5th. Haha, self. Good luck with that. 

11. Figure out how to use Skype and video chat.

12. Make and freeze 2 weeks worth of meals.

13. Take a "Baby Prep 101" class. Scheduled for 11/6! 

14. Enjoy sleeping in while I can! Everyone gives me that advice, but since I really don't sleep in now, I am finding it hard to force myself to do it. Maybe once the 3rd trimester fatigue kicks in I'll feel differently.

15. Get at least one video of baby girl moving around in my belly. It's so cute to watch, but she seems to move alot more when no one is around.
16. Update my iPod with some new tunes.
17. Find the local publication that advertises family-friendly things to do around the area. I know it exists, but I can't find it! And I want to make sure she gets to experience as many cool things as I did as a kiddo, from pumpkin picking to hiking to cheesy festivals and the like.

I'm sure there will be more to add, but this is definitely a start!