29 Week Bumpdate #BabySkoDos

It sure is HOT to be hauling this pineapple all over! We're staying cool when we can, but WOW I don't remember the heat bothering me as much last time!

Changes I've noticed:  I've noticed some stretch marks on my hips and thighs but honestly they may be old ones from my many weight fluctuations! They don't bother me, I've been lubing up with cocoa butter and coconut oil and whatever happens, happens. Speaking of weight, I've gained 23 pounds. I think most of it is in my arms!

How I've been feeling:  Hot and easily fatigued! Early in the day I'm okay, but around dinner time...I'm just done! It depends on the day, obviously I tire out faster on the days I'm more active - which is most days! This isn't the lazy/relaxing summer that I was picturing....Ella and I have been on the GO!

How I've been sleeping: We've been having Game of Thrones marathons and going to sleep a little later, but it's been okay. Ella hasn't been waking up until about 7:30-8ish and that is PLENTY of sleep for me! I'm usually up well before her, getting ready for whatever the day holds! I wish I would stay on my side all night long, but I usually have to correct myself the few times I wake up through the night.

Food and exercise:  Ahhhh, I had such a good streak going last week with the exercise and this week...not so much. I've been doing 2-3 short workouts throughout the day...grabbing my weights when I can, dance parties with my girl, and squats while waiting for Ella's mac n' cheese to cook...that sort of thing! It counts, but I'll be getting back to working out with Autumn (Beachbody - Active Maternity -on demand) next week! My chocolate Shakeology is still giving me that extra energy boost I need, and helping with my wacky appetite. I'm basically ALWAYS hungry, but not really in the mood for anything! It's weird. We've had a ton of fruit around since my dad has been here...lots of melon, and lots of berries! We've also been doing quite a bit of grilling and our meals have been accompanied by fresh veggies too! I did have a few week moments with microwave popcorn and iced decaf Dunkin Donuts coffee! It happens. Moving on!

Maternity clothes:  I have two options when getting ready in the morning....leggings or shorts. It's pretty nice, not going to lie! Trying to stay comfy is the key to keeping as cool as possible!

Movement:  This peanut is downright violent sometimes....it's like "why are you being so rough in there, chil"!?! The activity usually gets going around 7:00 in the evening and sometimes keeps me from falling asleep quickly. I don't mind though!

Best moment this past week: Hubby kept me company for my 3-hour glucose test ...which wastn't exactly the "best" moment"...but it was pretty awesome when I found out this morning that my results were normal! This is where one of those iced coffees came into play!

Click HERE to check out 29 Weeks with Ella Rose!

What's cooking this week?

Here's some of the yumminess that I've planned for the week...so far, so good! 

Sunday: Grilled Lemon Garlic Chicken with a tomato mozzarella cucumber salad and red potatoes
Monday: Turkey Veggie Chili
Tuesday: Grandpa's Marinara and a Greek salad
Wednesday: Mozzarella Roasted Red Pepper Chicken Sausage, Sweet Potatoes, and Grilled Corn
Thursday: Baja Tilapia Tacos

So far, we're having a pretty chill week. Mostly staying home, working on the potty thing....crafts, lots of "colorings", painting toes, movies... fun times! Tomorrow, Ella is going to school for a bit so I can go into work to unpack my office some more. Honestly, there's nothing real interesting to report on. The real fun is going to start next week! My mom will be arriving on Sunday, and the moving festivities will really get underway. My brother will also be here to help out, so I'm looking forward to spending some time with him. For now though, I'm getting as much "chill time" in as possible.

Hope you're having a great week!

28 Week Bumpdate #BabySkoDos

Baby is the size of a coconut or a roller blade! Interesting stuff!

Changes I've noticed:  Veins guys. VEINS! All over! It's not that I've just suddenly noticed them. I've just recently noticed how horrifyingly prominent they are. Surely they will chill out when Baby Girl gets here. I hope!

How I've been feeling:  Emotional! On a normal day, I'm a fairly emotional person. With all of the devastating news both in the world and amongst those facing struggles on my social media feeds...and all of the the extra time I've had to take it all in...the emotions are catching up to me. Don't get me wrong, I'm usually REALLY good at filtering it all and taking it in stride, but these hormones have me on EDGE! Luckily, potty training has been keeping me very occupied so I can't dwell for too long!

How I've been sleeping: Sleep hasn't been a priority for me...my schedule is that there is no schedule. I'm going to have to make more of an effort to get my beauty rest in! There are no issues falling asleep, I'm just a night owl. I think it also has to do with the fact that it's the only time when I feel like I have "me time". Besides nap time of course!

Food and exercise:  I feel SO MUCH BETTER! Since being on summer vacay, I've been consistently doing my Beachbody workouts, stretching, using weights, squats, all of it! I don't think I've lost weight, but I'm thinking I haven't gained any either. Stepping on the scale is no longer part of my routine so I guess I don't really know for sure. It's like the bloating is leveling out finally. I've been eating much better (excluding last night's bowl of ice cream and the fried appetizers at Applebees on Wednesday) and consistently drinking my Shakeology. Despite my overall improvement in food choices....I failed my glucose tolerance test. Ugh, this happened with Ella too. Hopefully I pass the three hour test on Monday and it's a non-issue again.

Maternity clothes:  I haven't bought anything new. In fact, I've given up on it for two reasons....
1. Besides Target, there's not really anywhere around me that sells maternity clothes. I'm WAY too lazy to order online and then wait for it. I'm an instant gratification kind of gal. If I can't have it now, the moment eventually passes (sometimes...I know my husband may disagree with this).
2. It's expensive and if I look hard enough, I can find things that are not maternity that fit! Challenge accepted. I did find some shorts that I plan to wear the hell out of.

Movement:  At my appointment on Monday, I just happened to mention that I've been feeling baby a little less than usual for the past few days. I wasn't concerned that something was wrong, just brought it up casually in conversation and expected that my doc would tell me it's normal to notice a little bit of a difference at this point. Although she did say these things, she wanted me to go straight to the hospital for a non-stress test just to check on the peanut. Of course this is when Baby Girl started to move around like her typical crazy self...and I went through the motions to be sure anyway. All checked out fine! At no point was i actually worried, but it was good to hear her heartbeat and monitor all of her acrobatics for the morning.

Best moment this past week: Ella came home from school with a beautiful "Big Sister Ella" shirt from her sweet teachers....and a matching onesie for "Little Sister ______". I'm not ready to share her name on here yet, but OMG it was so cute. Ella was SO excited about it too! She really "gets" that she is going to be a big sis...and soon!

Click HERE to check out 28 Weeks with Ella Rose!

What's cooking this week?

My parents are moving down here, VERY soon! My Dad has already started his new job and will be staying with us until my mom closes on the house in NY. THEN they can close and move into their beautiful house down here in Florida (it's just minutes away, omg)! Oh, I can not wait to help get them settled. For now though, we've been enjoying vacation mode!

When you have a guest in the house it's easy to stray from a healthier meal plan. Not only that, a lot of time visitors equate to eating out a lot more! I'm making an effort to avoid that, but this week my plan isn't as light as I would have hoped. I changed it up so many times, I may be overthinking things...I decided to leave it as is and bulk up the sides with veggies and salads. On the heavier meal nights (such as tonight), I'll have to pace myself. This creamy vodka sauce recipe does sound heavenly though! 

Sunday: Penne ala Vodka - with chicken and a side salad
Monday: Margherita Pizza
Tuesday: Dijon Pork Loin with Lemon Green Beans and salad
Wednesday: Steak for the boys....Mamma is having a girl's night!
Thursday: Bowties with Tomesto Sauce
Friday: Tacos!

It has been awesome having Gramps in town....how cool is it that at this point we can say he's down here for good!!! Now we need to countdown for when Grandma gets here, she needs to join in on the Florida fun...SO SOON!

 Good thing Grandpa is so good at sharing! This girl loves having her Gramps around! 

I'm not sure what the rest of the day holds for us, maybe some blackberry picking at a farm around the corner...I hear they have awesome watermelons too! It's getting HOT out, so I better get moving!

Happy Sunday!!!

27 Week Bumpdate #BabySkoDos

My little "chiquita" is the size of a bunch of bananas....see what I did there.

Changes I've noticed:  This dry little patch on my left cheek has been going strong for over 2 weeks now, and I finally feel like it's clearing up now that I've switched from using eczema cream, to hydro-cortisone cream.

How I've been feeling:  My legs are still very sore and VERY easily prone to cramping and muscle pulls. I think I'm stretching enough and drinking enough water. Obviously I'm very wrong and wrong! More stretching and more water....got it. I'm going to check with my doctor on Monday to see if she has any other suggestions. We're getting into the real hot/humid season and it's doing a number on me. I'm just trying to stay cool and take it easy. I don't remember it bothering me too much first time around. Then again, I wasn't handling a 2 year old at the time...I also was 3 years younger.

How I've been sleeping: Before bed, we've been cranking through some Bob Ross videos on Netflix...and it's just so riveting that I've been a bit of a night owl. This adds to my exhaustion during the day, so I should probably lay off the painting shows!

Food and exercise:  YES! I've gotten a few REALLY good workouts in this week! My June challenge group is just what I needed for a boost of motivation. My favorite is Autumn's Active Maternity workout videos on Beachbody on Demand! I did this quite a bit in my first trimester, but haven't been consistent with it so far during the second. It feels good to get back into it (and to do something other than yoga), and I'm looking forward to starting the third trimester video next week! I've been doing well with my breakfast and lunch choices, and as far as dinner I've been better about not eating until I'm completely stuffed! I've also been laying off the sugar. I should find out ANY day how my glucose test went on Monday!

Maternity clothes:  Shorts, shorts and more shorts! This is definitely different from last time....obviously I'm not handling the heat well because it's so not like me to not LIVE in leggings!

Movement:  This one was supposed to be my "quiet one"...and I'm not so sure that's going to happen! See for yourself! #shecrazy
Best moment this past week: That post-workout high! LOVE the feeling of accomplishment when I finished my workouts from beginning to end....lots of times I only do half and say I'm going to save the rest for later (which often doesn't happen).

Click HERE to check out 27 Weeks with Ella Rose!

What's cooking this week?

Even though the week is halfway over, I thought I'd share and let you know what's up! The other day, I posted this on Instagram....

1. I'm aware that I need to work on my chalkboard writing skills!

2. I felt the need to follow through and elaborate a bit! 

Sunday: Shawarma - Spiced Grilled Chicken w/ Garlic Yogurt 
Tuesday: Grilled Chicken & Pineapple Sandwiches
Wednesday: Barbacoa - Chipotle Copycat Recipe
Thursday: Spinach Stuffed Shells

This was what I made on Sunday, and it's the main reason I decided to still follow through mid-week with this blog post! I just had to share how delicious this Skinnytaste recipe is - I'm giving it my seal of approval! This is not the most appetizing cell phone pic, but take my word for it, it was GOOD! Hubs grilled the chicken along with some onion. For sides, I made some couscous and a simple Greek salad. It was all so fresh, and so simple....and just plain delicious! Anddddd, now I'm hungry. Going to sleep, so I can eat some breakfast!

I hope everyone is having a fabulous week!

26 Week Bumpdate #BabySkoDos

This wild little girl is growing! She's the size of a butternut squash or a bowling pin! 

Changes I've noticed:  My legs are killing me....probably because of two days walking around the Magic Kingdom. Soooooo, let's try this again....changes I've noticed....I can no longer handle walking around theme parks. Noted.

How I've been feeling:  Sore and still recovering from a very exhausting (but incredibly fun) Disney trip. Summer vacation JUST started, so let the relaxation begin! I have a lot of catching up to do!

How I've been sleeping: I've been sleeping just fine, but waking up REALLY early! I imagine this will change as I adjust to a summer schedule and start going to sleep a little later.

Food and exercise:  My challenge group started and I am MOTIVATED! Since coming home from our trip, my food choices have been on point. There was one meal where I went out to an amazing restaurant with co-workers and had "ultimate grilled cheese"! We will just count that as my cheat meal for the week because there was no way I was passing up such a thing. I've also been doing lots of stretching and yoga which has helped with all the aches. 

Maternity clothes:  It's hot! I'm swapping out my leggings for running shorts (not maternity, but they fit for now)....bring on the heat, Florida!

Movement:  Baby Girl has eased up on kicking me in the ribs this week, but she is kicking me everywhere else. She is so strong, it makes me jump quite often. The minute I start to settle in for the night, she starts going bananas!

Best moment this past week: Spending my first day of summer vacation with my sweet Ella Rose! I'm going to cherish every moment we have "just the two of us"!

Click HERE to check out 26 Weeks with Ella Rose!