He's Here!

Alas, after 39 weeks, 6 days, 3 hospital visits, several appointments to the ob/gyn and maternal-fetal center, and 7 hours of active labor-- my 8 lb 13 oz baby boy was born! Ladies and gentlemen, meet my Jj.

As many of you may already know, this is baby number three for me. And let me tell you, every experience I've had with childbirth has been different. While I was younger and less experienced with my older son and daughter, I felt more at ease in my pregnancy with Jj. I was more relaxed, I was less stressed (until moving time came in August), and I was more in tune with my body. Unfortunately, I didn't have the same body or energy I had at 19 or 21, so I had a few issues with blood pressure and fatigue. Nevertheless, I pulled through that labor like a gangster for real and am bouncing back much better than I did with my other two children. Now ain't that something?

In the meantime, I am falling in love with this little guy more and more each day. He will be three weeks old this week and I swear my love grows stronger by the moment. It amazes me how happy he seems to be-- always cooing and smiling (unless it's gas lol) and how much sleep he's letting me get so far (win, win!). He does sleep longer in the daytime than at night, but I'm sure he'll get straight on that with time. He has a hearty appetite already-- just like his daddy lol. And he's in awe of his big brother and sister, as they can't wait to get home from school so they can ooh and aww over him in the evenings. I would say we are all adjusting well to the new addition to the family.

Overall, my pregnancy has been a beautiful experience. My husband has truly been my rock through everything and my two oldest babies have been a great big brother and sister so far. I've had such a great support system also-- among others, my mom has went above and beyond the call of duty and my bestie (aka Jj's godmommy) has been such a huge help to me. I could not have asked God for better. With the help of a great family and awesome group of friends, I am confident that our transition from a party of four to a party of five will continue to be seamless ❤

So what have I been missing out here in the blogosphere?  What have you guys been up to? I will be catching up on my blog reading and visiting today, so I hope to see more from you guys. Wave, wink, leave me a comment and let me know you all are still hanging in here with me! :-)

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Maternity Style: Day & Night Date Looks

Fellow mamas and mamas-to-be, what are you rocking out on your dates? You know, when you want to go out with your boo and look extra cute--even on those days when you feel like the baby has taken over your entire body? How do you dress yourself to still feel cute and confident? As I just attended a wedding last week, have my baby shower to attend tomorrow, and am hoping to squeeze a date in with hubby since he's off this weekend, I've been looking everywhere for outfit inspiration lately. And to be quite honest, I've been wearing the same few dresses for every occasion. But as I'm getting further along in my third trimester, I do want to put a little more effort into looking my best when out for my last few dates with hubby before JJ comes. So below, I came up with a daytime-friendly date look and a nighttime date look on Polyvore for inspiration.  I hope you guys enjoy!

This is my daytime look. I could see hubby and I going out for late lunch, a movie, and a walk in the park in this outfit. I'm not sure if I would still be rocking these wedges at this point in my pregnancy-- it depends on if we are going to take that walk in the park or not lol. The Liz Lange for Target Maternity Dress is really versatile though, so I'm sure I could wear it with flats, wedges, or sandals.

And this is my night look. I can see hubby and I going out to a fine restaurant in this dress. I have this look dressed to the nines with all the accessories in J's favorite color and everything! And I just love how the Isabelle Oliver Ruched Dress displays your baby bump, yet still accentuates your "other" curves lol. Oh, and of course, it wouldn't be me if I didn't have some sort of flower in my hair :)

LADIES, WHAT IS YOUR GO-TO OUTFIT FORMULA FOR DATE NIGHT?

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Currently: 07.30.13

CURRENTLY...

Obsessing Over: Making my new home a pretty place to live in. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it is official. I have moved, but not too far away from where I was before.  This time I'm just a little closer to our families and my best girl ;-) In fact, she's been helping me make everything pretty around here so for that I am thankful.  I'm just hoping that all of this excitement about beautifying things around here isn't just NESTING in disguise.  Either way, I'm packing my hospital bag just in case.

Working On: Writing in my spare time and trying to document everything.  I didn't start a pregnancy journal or anything when I found out I was pregnant, but I did start documenting my feelings and thoughts concerning the goals and plans I created for 2013.  I hope to share some of these thoughts with you guys soon, so stay tuned!

Thinking About: How I should get my hair styled next. I'm looking for something cute and low-maintenance to get me through the next month or two.  Do any of you guys have any thoughts or ideas to share?  I need some hair inspiration!

Listening To:  Lots of praise & worship music lately.  Nothing makes me feel better than waking up in the mornings listening to Tasha Cobb's "Break Every Chain," Kierra Sheard's "Indescribable," and William McDowell's "Closer (Wrap Me In Your Arms)."  Listening to these songs among others helps me focus and center myself.  With all of the lifestyle changes I'm going through lately, I feel like God is right here with me taking care of everything in His perfect timing as I listen to these songs and lean on His word.

Anticipating: The Baby Shower.  At first, I was apprehensive about having a baby shower, because I'm on baby #3, but it has been 7 years since I've had a newborn and I didn't have any baby stuff in the house prior to learning I was pregnant with JJ. And the fact that my mommy is throwing it for me and it's gonna be a small gathering of family and closest friends, I feel great about it. There's nothing like mixing it up on a good occasion with those you love the most!

Drinking:  Lots of water.  My doctor forbade me to drink my beloved sweet tea, I had to give up coffee several months ago, and now they're saying I can't even have fruit juice. It's not like I'm getting any extra calories from drinking "the wrong things" because I haven't gained hardly any weight this whole pregnancy. It's probably because my baby is always showing off and showing his athletic side each time I go to the doctor and they think I'm doing something to make him hyper lol.  Now where was I? Oh yes, drinking water. *side eye*

PREGGO UPDATE- 33 WEEKS

 *Here's a few pregnancy questions I saw on my girl Brook's site Urbanscenes and decided to answer*

How far along: 33 weeks-- 5 more until I'm full term!

Total weight gain: Hardly any.  Can you believe I've only gained about 9 lbs? Word of advice-- be careful what you ask for!

Maternity clothes: I've been wearing my regular shirts or my honey's shirts paired with maternity pants.

Stretch marks: I have the same ones I've had for the last 8 years, plus a few extra stripes around the midsection. I feel like a warrior! NOT!

Sleep: I feel like I'm sleeping on the baby's schedule already.  At this rate, I'm getting a full four hours of sleep before I'm interrupted by kicking or nature calling lol.

Best moment of this week: It's still a bit early in the week to say.  But so far, I will say being able to sleep in the same bed with my honey this weekend was the greatest.  It doesn't happen most nights, so I was excited about that.

Miss anything: Sleeping on my stomach.  Having a stronger bladder. Having the energy and balance to run after my little ones.

Movement: He is always moving! But I can tell a slight difference in his movements from last week. It feels like he's actually taking longer naps in the daytime. Now the night is another story!

Food cravings: I haven't really had any severe cravings. I've been sick for most of this pregnancy, so just being able to eat solid food with no problems is enough for me. I do, however, have a tendency to long for the things I can't have (like sushi and sweet tea, as I mention ALL THE TIME).

Labor signs: I've been having Braxton-Hicks contractions (or as honey calls them, Tamar Braxton contractions--lol don't ask me why) these last couple of days, but nothing to write home about.

Wedding rings on or off: On. I don't have any swelling at all, so there's no need to take them off :-)

Happy or moody most of the time: It's hard to say. I think I'm mild-mannered and content for the most part. But when I get hot or hungry I turn into the diva from the Snickers Bar commercials. And I've been very sensitive this whole pregnancy.  Everything makes me tear up!

WHAT'S CURRENTLY GOING ON WITH YOU?

Maternity Style: Out & About

Fellow mamas and mamas-to-be, how are you ladies styling your baby bumps this summer? During the late winter and early spring months, I found it quite easy to find things to wear, as I wasn't showing much.  But now that I'm in my 29th week of pregnancy, I've decided it's high time to stop trying to conceal my tummy.  Since my wardrobe choices now reflect that I'm only going out for doctor's appointments, store runs, quick errands, lunch dates, and just being out and about, I decided to share some of my wardrobe inspiration created on Polyvore with you guys.  Hopefully these three looks will tide you all over until I can post some baby bump pics later this week :-)

I would wear this look on days that I want to look cute & classy, yet comfortable. The Betsey Johnson earrings, Guess bracelet, C. Wonder sandals, and Dorothy Perkins bag give the look a touch of FAB. And of course, the Rihanna inspired makeup look adds a polished finish.

This look would be ideal for the 4th of July cookouts I plan on attending Thursday. I would be comfortable and cool in this trendy dress and still styling in the Tory Burch sandals and Dooney and Bourke bag. And of course, I'd be rocking my MAC Riri-Woo lipstick!

And while some may avoid stripes like the plaque, I happen to love them.  I call this my "on the boardwalk" look because I can envision myself taking a stroll down the boardwalk catching the summer festivities with my hubby or girlfriends in this look.  Since I'm loving shades of teal and seafoam lately, I would create a look with this limited edition Lancome Six Pan Palette and rock a manicure done with OPI Polish in Thanks a Wind-milion (from the Holland Collection).

MAMAS, WHAT IS YOUR GO-TO OUTFIT FORMULA?

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Blues Mama: FOTD + Baby Bump Reveal

Happy Hump Day, guys! I promised myself I wouldn't wait forever to share another FOTD here on the blog.  And since I rarely wear blue eyeshadow, I thought it would be nice to share today's look with you all. For some reason, I usually stick to neutral shades, pinks, or purples when it comes to adding color to my eyes. I even use a bit of green every now and again, but I can't remember the last time I've worn blue. So I pulled out my BH Cosmetics 120 Palette (1st edition), picked out a few turquoise shades that complimented the turquoise in my tank top (since I wanted to be bright like that), and rocked a neutral lippie using MAC Lipstick in Shy Girl and MAC Lipglass in Cultured. And I didn't care whether the eye would be daytime friendly or not, because I just wanted to be bold like that :-)

I wish I would have taken these pictures with my camera instead of my phone so you could get a better view of how intense the eyeshadows actually were. I'm sorry :( I'll make a note to take better pictures next time.

 Brows:

MAC Brow Pencil in Spiked

MAC Studio Fix Concealer in NC42

Eyes:

Ruby Kisses Eyeshadow Primer

BH Cosmetics 120 Eyeshadow Palette (1st Edition)

Avon Super Extend Liquid Eyeliner in Black

Avon Super Drama Mascara in Black

Wet n Wild Color Icon Eyeliner in Dark Brown (bottom lash line)

Face: 

Avon Illuminating Face Perfector (primer)

Avon Perfect Wear Foundation in Toffee (discontinued)

MAC MSF in Dark

(Flush of) La Femme Blush in Golden Ruby

Lips:

NYX Slim Lip Pencil in Bloom

MAC Lipglass in Cultured 

MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in Shy Girl

And while I'm sharing, I decided to share a few full shots of today's look. I'm at my 25th week of pregnancy and realized that I haven't posted any pics of the baby bump yet!  So here goes nothing!  

Too bad I can't rock these heels for too long! 

Guess it will be sandal city for me the rest of this summer!

What fashions & makeup looks are you rocking this week?

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