grungy mama

Over the past 8 years, I've gone from warm climate to warm climate and rarely seen temps deserving of my giant leopard coat. It was purchased for a steal from the new defunct Piperlime. I miss Piperlime, it was good stuff!!! Any who, this is as close to a winter look as you are going to get from me, I have been able to justify wearing my coat a total of 1 time... 30 degrees in the sunshine. That's stinking cold. Also, grab a pair of these Gap jeans, so comfy. I suggest going down a size as after a bit of wear they loosen up big time.

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Blissful's Back, Alright.

Oh my god, she's back again. Excuse my 90's reference. As a nearly 33 year old, I am wholeheartedly embracing my old-ness. Plus, that song still kicks ass 20 years later. I started blogging 10 years ago because it was fun. Then stopped because it was un-fun. Then started again. Then stopped, ah-gain. I've now done this a handful of times, wrestled with if it mattered and who cared... Then came to the conclusion, that I missed the creative outlet and will continue to blog when it's fun. Moreover I've decided to embrace the roots of my blog and talk clothes. Fashion. My original true love.

The idea of what dressing up means has changed for me. Having kids has something to do with that, but my time in SoCal has schooled me the art of casual dress. This look is fun, right!? What I love about my Storq dress is that while I look put together and dare I say "dressed up" the truth is, I'm in a stylish nightgown or at least that's what it feels like and I can throw it in the wash. That my friends is the goal. Comfort. Ease. Also, if you've been debating a shaggy coat, I say go for it. You will not be sorry.

[details]

[dress] [teething necklace - use coupon BLISSFUL for 15% off] [booties] [jacket]

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas.

And by white, I mean pearly white shiny smile. I used to pride myself on my sparkly white teeth, but due to increased coffee consumption and decreased me time, my shiny white smile has since faded to an interesting apartment beige like color. I've never been one for smiling with my teeth... It's usually because of my ptsd from braces, but lately I've been increasingly more bummed out by my less than brilliant smile... Boo. Enter Smile Brilliant Professional Teeth Whitening. Everything you need sent directly to your front door. Ummmm YES. YES. I definitely think I will. The kit arrives with all your goodies, I am using the sensitive kit. Everything you need to make molds of your teefs, Rocco's preferred pronunciation. You simply mix the catalyst paste and the base together until they are a solid blue, pop goop in the tray, and pop in your mouth. I have to admit, I was sweating bullets, but they give you enough goop to do 3 impressions incase you jack one up. And it's really pretty easy. Throw those in the mail and shortly thereafter your perfectly fitted whitening retainers are in your hands. Do we see a trend?!? EASY. And I when you're a mom. Nothing seems easy. This is ACTUALLY pretty stinking easy!  

Need a last minute Christmas gift?!? Use coupon code "blissfulhappenings" for 5% off of your purchase!!!

Oh and it wouldn't be Christmas without some presents!!! So I'm excited to announce a giveaway with Smile Brilliant click www.smilebrilliant.com/g/blissfulhappenings and leave a comment below to enter!!!! We will announce the winner in 2 weeks, plus debut my whitening progress!!!

It's about time

Before I had kids I can't say I thought a ton about time. But man has that changed. When will we sleep through the night? How long ago did they eat? What time do I need to start getting ready if I'm going to leave sorta on time? How is my first baby already 2 years old?? Has it really been 3 months since we went from 1 to 2?! It's truly amazing how children get you thinking about the future and just how quickly time moves. I find myself taking mental snapshots as often as I can, just concentrating on the amazing time in my life. We will never be here again. It's beautiful... and sad. Like, slow down world.Fact. I haven't owned a watch since the 90's. It was dainty and had Winnie the Pooh in the face. It. Was. Awesome. But not nearly as awesome as my new Jord wood watch, ummm it's wayyy too cool for me. I. Love. It. A Wooden Wristwatch, who knew!!? You can see all of their ladies watches here! GIVEAWAY TIME!!! Jord Watches is giving away a 75 dollar coupon to use on their site!! And all other entries with be sent a 20 dollar coupon just for entering! Free money!!! Dudes, it's so easy to enter, simply click this link here! The contest runs through November 27th! 

This post was sponsored by Jord Wood Watches.

Clean up, clean up everybody, everywhere...

Excited to have Kelsey here today to talk cleaning! Safe, non-toxic and actually works. Yes please!! Enjoy. Lo 

When it comes to cleaning we all often roll our eyes, take a deep sigh, and ready ourselves for the arduous task of removing the ick, the stink, and the germs from our homes to give our families a safe pleasant place to live and grow. In most homes, we do this not just daily, but seemingly ALL. DAY. LONG- often leaving us sore, tired, and downtrodden. Yes, there is that short-lived victorious moment when it is finally all done and we look around for a split second at our accomplishment before someone destroys it but on the whole, lets face it cleaning is the never ending pits! 

Unfortunately the task gets worse, cleaning with mainstream chemicals (yes, even some of the "green" ones) isn't just unpleasant it's actually unhealthy! According to the American Lung Association VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and other chemicals released when using cleaning supplies contribute to chronic respiratory problems, allergic reactions and headaches. Products containing VOCs and other toxic substances can include:

• Aerosol sprays in health, beauty & cleaning products;
• Air fresheners;
• Chlorine bleach;
• Detergent and dishwashing liquid;
• Dry cleaning chemicals;
• Rug and upholstery cleaners;
• Furniture and floor polish; and
• Oven cleaners

Recent research has found that even natural fragrances in cleaning products, particularly in air fresheners, may react with high levels of ozone from indoor sources or from outdoor air to form formaldehyde and dangerous fine particles indoors. Ozone is a harmful, but invisible, gas that worsens asthma and other lung diseases. Both ozone and particles can be life-threatening. Formaldehyde is a known human carcinogen The National Institue of Health's National library of health has a whole section referred to as Tox Town where it describes the harmful effects of many of the chemicals found in the average family home. For example, at home you can be exposed to solvents in cleaning products, personal care products. Some solvents are listed as human carcinogens or "reasonably anticipated to be human carcinogens" in the 13th Report on Carcinogens published by the National Toxicology Program and can cause cancer. Regular exposure to solvents can cause memory and hearing loss, mental illness, depression, fatigue, confusion, dizziness, feeling drunk or "high," lack of coordination, headache, nausea, stomach pains, skin rashes, cracking or bleeding skin, and irritated eyes, nose, and throat. Exposure to solvent vapors can cause hoarseness, coughing, lung congestion, chest tightness, and shortness of breath.

That is why I fell in love with Norwex which stands for the Norwegian experience. Their mission to improve the quality of life by radically reducing chemicals in our homes has lead to the development of an impressive line of completely non-toxic, waste reducing and money saving cleaning products. At its core is the micro-fiber cloth. To be legally called micro fiber each strand of the cloth must be 1/6th of a human hair but Norwex took this further, WAY further, than whats available in a retail store and took their fibers down to 1/200th of a human hair. Each cloth contains thousands of miles of fiber , if unraveled it would stretch from Canada to New Mexico! All of those tiny fibers knit together and combined with JUST WATER allow you to mechanically clean your surfaces rather then chemically.  Yes, you read that right- no soap. no chemicals. Not even baking soda and vinegar. The fibers actually lift and remove the dirt, germs, and residue from your surfaces and trap them deep within the cloth. Don't believe me? Check out this link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mKQMIcnTy8) where a local news station in Tennessee put this claim to the test in a real lab with real E-Coli bacteria. They not only tested Norwex's claim to remove the germs but also compared it to other leading cleaners and the results were astonishing- Norwex removed 92% of the bacteria from the surface, a store bought micro fiber cloth removed 84%, and the leading all purpose cleaning spray with paper towel 0%! But what really makes Norwex incredible is that the tiny fibers lock the germs inside the cloth instead of spreading them around or cross contaminating. Just google Norwex chicken test and see the numerous videos where users cleaned up raw chicken and then rubbed the cloth on a clean surface swabbed it with a protein test strip and found no evidence of protein (which would contain the bacteria) on the rubbed surface! But the best thing of all- cost comparisons (I will share specifics in a bit) show that over the 2 year warranty period of the micro fiber products Norwex can save you hundreds of dollars. 

I know this sounds too good to be true and probably like a big ole sales pitch so let me share with you the one thing I can't stand about Norwex- I miss my clean smell!!! I know, I know the truth is "clean" doesn't have a smell, but the leading cleaning product manufactures have done a pretty good job of brainwashing us into thinking that if it doesn't smell clean it isn't clean. To put it simply I am a little leary of having people over when my house doesn't smell fresh! Thankfully we have essential oils to not only bring back our beloved "clean smell" but actually improve our health instead of destroying it. But enough theoretical yammering- lets talk practical applications to clean your home into your safe haven!

1. The enviro cloth is the work horse of the Norwex product line- From this little cloth other variations have developed to help us better clean all the surfaces of our home from THE most incredible mop to the kitchen cloth and a whole lot of awesomeness in between. We already discussed how the micro fiber works and does a better job then its chemical counterparts but how to bring back the beautiful clean smell? Simply take a few drops your favorite essential oils such as orange, lemon or even tea tree for an extra cleaning boost and add them to a small spray bottle. Sprtiz your enviro cloth, mop pad or kitchen cloth and clean those surfaces leaving just a wonderful aroma and nothing else. But what about the cost? At $16.99 for an enviro cloth and $14 for a bottle of oil it may seem like an unfavorable trade off. Lets take a closer look- On average just in our kitchens we would use approximately 5 disinfecting wipes a day (wiping counters after each meal prep, our table once a day, and cleaning up at least one spill- some days way more a day sometimes less). The average cost per wipe is $0.04 X 5 times a day = $0.20 a day. $0.20 a day X 365 = $73 a year, $146 over 2 years. Replacing those disinfecting wipes just in your kitchen with an enviro cloth and a bottle of oil costs $31 saving you $42 a year, $84 over 2 years!

2. Organic material such as dead skin cells, germs, pet dander and dust mites often take up residence inside our upholstered furniture, mattress and pillows - items we either can't wash or can't wash often. Frequently we turn to products like air fresheners to cover this smell. Not only does this rarely work, it adds more allergens and harmful chemicals to our air space without removing or cleaning anything! Norwex has an amazing product called simply Mattress cleaner (though it can be used on pillows and upholstered furniture) that is enzyme based and actually removes the organic material that leads to allergies. Google it! Diffusing essential oils is a far better way to lightly scent our air space giving us that fresh scent we crave and unlike the chemical air freshers, essential oils actually improve our health, supporting our bodies immune system rather than harming it.

3. Our skin is our largest organ and it absorbs what we put on it in just 25 to 30 seconds. While we may not drink our soaps, cleansers, and cleaning products we regular consume them through our skin and our airways. Norwex has developed a softer version of their revolutionary micro fiber called the body cloth (and a travel/kid size version called the baby body) that mechanically cleans your skin, removing dirt and grime from pores rather than filling them full of synthetic fragrances and harsh stripping agents. While anyone can benefit from using our microfiber cloths and water rather than soap, this is especially wonderful for those with sensitive skin or those plagued by difficult skin conditions like excema. Essential oils paired with natural ingredients like sugar open more options for exfoliating and toning skin naturally, some oils, like rose hips, even offer antioxidant properties! Skin cleaners and soaps run the gambit in price, but Norwex body clothes come in a set of 3 for just $19.99 - yep add a $14 bottle of your favorite oil and you could be spending as little as $33 for TWO YEARS of skincare! The smaller version, the baby body, is perfect for travel and sells for just $14.99 for 3 cloths. The leading travel disinfecting wipe costs $0.09 a wipe even if you only used 1 a day X 365= $32.85, more than double the cost for just 1 year!

This body cloth IS my skin care regime and my skin has never been cleaner or softer! I also occasionally use an natural organic scrub for a little extra exfoliation.

4. Dryer sheets are one of the most toxic products in our homes- seriously people use them to kill mice! But oh the smell! The fresh smell of laundry! This is one of the areas where Norwex and essential oils really come beautifully together. A few drops of your favorite oil on Norwex's wool dryer balls allows you naturally and lightly fragrance your clothing all while reducing drying time and clothing ruined from tangles (especially in our HE machines)

5. For many of us our pets are like our children…our often smelly, hairy, dry skinned (dander!) children who hate being bathed. Norwex has taken the fluffy version of its mircofiber cloth (the dusting mitt) and recreated it especially for use on pets. Adding a few drops of tea tree oil (always check with your vet before using oils on pets!) to a spray bottle and spritizing the Norwex pet mitt allows you easily give your pet a daily freshening and brushing with out the struggle of a bath!

Need these amazing cleaning products like right now? Shop Here!!

I got all of this FREE the first week I signed up! Norwex spoils there hostess & consultants like crazy, comment below if you want to find out how to stock your house full of these amazing products FREE!!!

Confessions of a SkinCare Junkie

For as long as I can remember I've been obsessed with skincare. Even as a teen I buying and trying every kind of skincare I could afford. I had moderate to severe acne and literally spent entire paychecks from Pier 1 Imports trying to fix it. I bought all the products I found in my InStyle: La Mer, Murad, Mario Badescu, SonyaDakar, frou frou small batch organic stuff, the list goes on and on... Literally any kind of face junk you can think of, I've bought it. I can barely remember finishing a single product let alone repurchasing a skin care regime over and over. Enter Renée Rouleau. I found her in a magazine where Emmy Rossum was singing her praises. So I tried it. I took her skin quiz [in Cali I was a 6, in Florida I am a 2]. It takes into account not only your skin issues, but how much you sleep, travel, the humidity level. And for 3+ years now, I have been using RR products. I've adjusted a few for the difference in climate + postpartum dryness, but overall I've stuck with the same products. NUTS. I am just obsessed. I love her blog and delightful pink hair. My favorite product is hands down the AHA Smoothing serum or maybe the sunscreen... It's all so good. They have spectacular customer service and if you plan on spending over 100$ you can get a consult with one of her aestheticians!!  Oh yeah and the best part! I've been told, like a few times, that I have beautiful skin  and I can't tell you how good that feels. It's practically tear inducing. Those who've battled long term difficult skin will totally understand what I'm talking about. 

Anywho. That's my time. Comment with your fave skincare lines or products. Have you ever tried Renée Rouleau?! Do you want to now?! Do tell. 

Labor of Love...

So I’m just gonna say it, I’m birth obsessed. I love watching births, reading about births, yes yes YES. I love it. I follow dozens of birth photographers on Instagram and I can only say that I am in love with birth. So much so that I truly believe one day I will become a doula... What a difference a few years makes... So maybe you are equally birth obsessed or maybe you couldn't care less, but I’m gonna tell my story for anyone who wants to hear it. I promise, it’s pretty entertaining.

I was really unsure how to approach writing this post... I think labor is literally the most beautiful thing on the planet and I had many different, more serious versions of this post in the works, but what it really came down to was that my labor was NOTHING like my first and on top of that, nothing like how I envisioned it. Seriously, it was so far from my plan of "silent and calm" that we just had to laugh because it still ended with the most wonderful gift. Now on to the good stuff.

I was having just a terrible night's sleep, up to pee ever hour or so and feeling crampy. Nothing alarming, but bleh nonetheless.

[4am] Cramps [Pain Level] .0025

So at 4 I woke up with more intense cramping. My mind started to race. My inner dialogue sounded a bit like this, “Noooooo... No way... Impossible... Definitely Not... Go back to sleep.” There would be no sleep in my immediate, or distant, future.

[5:30am] Consistent Mild Contractions [Pain Level] .050

I was still in a pretty good state of denial when, apologies for the frankness, the poops arrived. I started to have to get up to use the bathroom every 15 - 20 minutes. I knew what was happening, but still hadn’t had any major signs that it was labor, no water breaking, no bloody show... I still thought that there was a possibility it would stop. I decided to time my contractions before I alarmed The Captain or my Midwife, Jenny. Sure enough every 5-10 minutes I had a contraction. I woke up The Captain and asked him what I should do. We decided to text Jenny and get her opinion. I should note, I LOVE my midwife... like, LOVE HER, LOVE HER. I am so grateful we found her during the move. I can't stress how amazing it is to have a caretaker who's completely and utterly on your side. LOVE.

[6:45am] Regular Mild Contractions + Poo [Pain Level] .25

Jenny suggested that we give it 30 minutes and see, then meet at the hospital to get checked, she would be in her office at 8:15. So I continued to time the contractions which at this point were like dull period cramps. We called in our babysitting squad to watch Mohawk who was still fast asleep. I showered. Shaved my legs. Put on some makeup. Felt super cute. Our savior, Regen, showed up shortly after. Leaving the house was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done... Saying "I love you" and hugging my son, for possibly the last time as my only child, choked hard in my throat. I didn’t want to put him down. Cue tears.

[8:45] Regular Moderate Contractions + less than 2cm dilated [Pain Level] .75

I continued having contractions while we drove. Once to the hospital, they got us into a triage room where they monitored and checked me. I was barely 2 cm and while my cervix was in the right position I was only 70% effaced. Same as I had been two weeks prior at my visit. Talk about disappointed. But I was indeed having consistent contractions. So I was sentenced to walk. And walk. And walk. I was monitored again and they sent to walk yet again. The Captain and I just strolled the unit floor, held hands, laughed... Now that I’m reflecting on the day, I’m so glad we had this time.

[12:30pm] Regular Contractions + 2.5cm dilated [Pain Level] 4

Around 12:30 I was checked again. This time 2.5 cm. I was epically bummed. My contractions were pretty uncomfortable, but manageable. So I just couldn't believe that things were moving so slowly, but I was trying to remain positive and praising The Lord for each contraction because it was bringing me closer to meeting my boy. By this time I was joined by Doula Amber who was helping me through contractions and giving me my options of what I could ask, etc. She was absolutely instrumental in keeping both of us calm and relaxed throughout the day. I talked to Jenny from her office and she suggested going to walk the mall or grabbing a light lunch, but because of our drive she would prefer we didn't go all the way home. I wanted bread and there was a Panera at the mall. Sure. I'd try it. So The Captain, Amber, and I made our way to the mall... Yes, the mall.

yes, you are seeing this right... 

[1:15pm] Active Labor [Pain Level] 5-8

We arrived to Cordova Mall around 1pm. I made my way to the Panera bathroom where my contractions took a big leap in intensity. I scared an employee half to death, but assured her I wouldn't deliver my baby on the bathroom floor. We headed next to Victoria's Secret because I had not packed undies, nor even wore them to the hospital [they were super unnecessary last time, oops] and if my water broke we didn’t want to leave a puddle. So picture it, if you can, mama swaying back-n-forth picking out undies and eating bread while having pretty intense active labor pains. I made The Captain take pics because, ya know, you can't make this shit up. With undies in hand we started walking towards a department store and the restrooms. This walk seemed to take 10 years. By time I had my new skivvies on I was certain I was going to give birth in the mall bathroom. I informed my crew that I had to get the hell out of there. As we made our way out, Amber mentioned trying out a reflexology massage place near our exit. Couldn't hurt to try, right?! So for 20 minutes a lovely Chinese woman rubbed my legs. She was very concerned about my due date and assured me she could help. Well, for the first half I swear I was in heaven. I didn't have any contractions for nearly 10 minutes. But then they started back... Oh Lord, did they start back.

So we paid and on the way out to the parking lot every contraction was just as intense. I was moaning and thrashing in the mall parking lot. The car ride back to the hospital was the worst. I started feeling like I was going to throw up and somehow just kept thinking about how badly I wanted to hold Mohawk. I was realizing that never again would I only have my first baby. I couldn't control the tears. Full blown ugly crying. I continued to bawl, dry heave, and painfully contract. The combo of the 3 made for a dramatic hospital parking lot show. Amber got me a wheelchair and we proceeded to make our way to labor and delivery.

[2:45pm] Intense Active Labor + 9cm dilated with bulging bag of waters [Pain Level] 9.

When we arrived at the nurses' desk the women looked concerned and in a tone I didn't appreciate said, "well honey, we are gonna have to find ya a room." I remember smiling at her and thinking, “bitch, I will cut you.” That's possibly the only negative thing I could say about my entire hospital labor. Luckily. They had saved me a room. So by 3:15 I was in my room. A nurse checked me and things had changed dramatically, she put in a call to Jenny immediately. I had dilated 7.5cm during my time at the mall. The Captain was so amazing, putting my chapstick on, rubbing my back, making all kinds of funny sounds with me... Having him home and there was just amazing. so for roughly 30 minutes, I labored in the quite, peaceful room.

[3:45pm] Pushing [Pain Level] 10.

Jenny arrived and after remarking, that she knew I was going to pull this kinda move, she said "let's push and meet your baby!" Ummm come again?! She just got there. Shouldn't she buy me a drink first?! I began pushing on my side. I had the most amazing group of women, Jenny, Amber, amazing nurses, and most importantly, The Captain, cheering me on. But let me just say it, the side push wasn’t registering with me. I was not understanding or connecting the pushing, but to my excitement Felix was still in his bag of waters. So my dream of an en caul birth was nearly realized and the side push is apparently more gentle on baby and mama, but it was NOT working. I ended up scooting on my back and with 2 pushes to go, my water broke.

[4pm-ish] Water Breaks [Pain level] 7 hundred million billion.

But I just absorbed that pain and used it to power my final 2 pushes.

[4:05pm] Baby Felix is born [Pain Level] Non-existent due to state of oxytocin induced euphoria.

And like that, I had a baby. Praise The Lord! After 8 hours of early labor. 3.5 of active labor. And 20 some odd minutes of pushing. Baby Felix was born with zero interventions, not even so much as a heplock or monitor. He was placed immediately on my chest and we all had a good cry!! I still cannot believe he’s here. Even staring at him right now. I just can’t believe. Already a one upper, he was 11 days early, beating out Mohawk’s 10 days early record...

I’m so grateful for everyone that helped welcome F-guy earth side. It wasn’t what I was planning, but it was beautiful none the less. Happy Birthday Felix!!

+A huge thanks to Ashley of Against the Grain Photography for our amazing photos!+

Nursery Rhymes

images via Against the Grain Photography

Despite the fact that it won’t be used for at least 3 or 4 months, decorating and finishing the nursery was important to me... Mostly because I knew it would never get done if we didn’t finish or mostly finish the room before Felix’s arrival. #FACT The desire to decorate decreases 2 billion percent once you are sleep deprived and covered in poo and breastmilk. So with a month or so to go, The Captain and I threw it into high gear and decorated the room from the comfort of our sofa whilest watching Justified [our latest tv obsession]. Excited to share some of my online finds with you.

[Sucre Dreamers] I found Hannah’s shop back when I first found out I was pregnant!! I was in LOVE with her sweet mobiles! This was the first piece I bought for the room after finding out we were having another boy. The custom colors were the jumping off point for the rest of the room. I love love love her AND her shop. I want felt garland ERRY WHERE!

[Bright Lab Lights] OBSESSED with these lights. I knew I was going to get these for the nursery the first time I ever laid eyes on them! With tons of colors to pick from, you can literally spend hours working out the perfect strand!!

[Aspen and Oak] Love Shelli and her adorbs shop! Had her whip up this custom "explore" banner a few weeks ago and I love it!!! I can’t wait to buy more goodies for the boys rooms!

[Watercolor Journey] We bought Baby Burrito a Rhino from the San Diego Zoo before moved and I absolutely HAD to use it in the room. I found this shop and fell in love the baby rhino print! I purchased a driftwood frame and had a stunning textured mat designed. Boom. Easy art work that looks custom and like a million bucks, all for about 55 dollars.

[Mini Learners] Adorable prints. Great Prices.

[Amy West Designs] [Oja Design] not pictured More great prints at killer prices.

[crib] ikea [sheets] land of nod [rocker] nurseryworks sleepytime rocker [animal knobs] anthropologie [zebra head] target

I'm in love with this chill little room, I’m excited to see how the space evolves as Mister F grows and acquires toys and books, etc. He and Mohawk are gonna have major fun times in here!

Pregnant, again...

[Soooooooo this post was supposed to go up today with my maternity photos that were supposed to be taken Tuesday... well, I had a baby Tuesday afternoon... Cause ya know, honey badger don't give a--- you get it. More details to follow soon!!! But for funsies, you can go ahead and read this post] Oh hi there, how ya doing!? I just sneezed and had to change my underwear, so yeah. I’m great.

I was obnoxiously vocal about how much I loved being pregnant the first go around... Like SHUT. UP. This second time, I would love to say that it has been the most fun ever, but in reality it has not been my favorite time. I’m super excited and grateful to BE pregnant and we are so thrilled for baby, but as far as “enjoying” my time being pregnant... meh, not so much. With my first, I was able to exercise throughout and rest whenever I wanted. I got achy towards the very end, but with numero dos I've been pretty uncomfortable from the start.

I had constant nausea which never manifested in throwing up, I just couldn’t eat like I needed or wanted to and had super low energy. We started our cross country move towards the beginning of the second trimester so during the time when energy was supposed to return. Yeah. Nah. Not this time. I was maybe 16-17 weeks before I got that energy back. I tried not to let that discourage me. I did my Tracy Anderson and Ballet Beautiful workouts pretty consistently. Walked almost every morning until the crotch pain. Yep that's right, crotch pain. My pelvic pain started getting out of control. My midwife informed me that due to shifting pelvic bone [yeahhhhh they aren't supposed to move, except when ya get ready to birth a baby] that I could try a number of things, but unfortunately it would probably only make it marginally better. So I couldn't really work out my lower half. Suck. Then Florida turned into a freaking sauna, so even at 7 am it's 90 degrees outside so there's no good time to walk. I miss Cali. I started seeing a chiropractor and massage therapist and that helped a TON. Well, it hasn't helped our bank account, but I've been much more comfortable.

So with all that said I thought it would be fun to do the same little BumpDate I did with Rocco last time as the end drew near!!

[How many weeks?] 39 weeks tomorrow. I was in labor with Rocco at this point, as he was 10 days early, but ready to go into overtime with this guy.

[Gender?] Boy

[Name?] Felix

[Weight Gain?] More than last time, but still within the “healthy suggested amount.” I feel huge and am very much looking forward to getting my post-baby fitness on. I would actually love to know your favorite work outs to get your sexy back!! Please comment with details.

[What foods have you been craving?] This time around my wants have been pretty basic. Veggie dogs with coleslaw and mustard. LOTS AND LOTSA mustard. I also have been devouring Alexia frozen onion rings, cooked until they are nearly burnt. Yum. Much like last time, I crave avocado sushi rolls and veggie tempura, as it is also Rocco’s favorite meal we eat this A TON. I get uncomfortably full very fast, so I don’t get to eat as much as I would like.

[How has your sleep been?] Pretty great actually! Rocco is a solid sleeper now, so I maybe wake up once a night to go pee. The only thing that keeps me from a great night sleep is heart burn, so I’ve been avoiding spicy which seems to have to most effect on it... I drink a ton of Earth Mama Angel Baby heartburn tea with almond milk and honey!!

[How are your emotions?] I am highly emotional, but different than last time... Possibly because The Captain is home... I’m very emotional about Mohawk becoming a big brother. I’m so obsessed with that kid and I worry about still being the best Mama I can be for him whilst distracted with a new nugget. I’ve also been sensitive to all the struggles and troubles in the world. I cry thinking about all the hate... I just want my sons to be full of love for others. That makes me emotional.

[Have you been nesting?] FOR SURE. This started much, much, much later than last time. All I want to do is clean, make freezer meals, and get the house/nursery ready, but alas, I’m also so freaking tired... It’s coming along very slowly.

[What’s on my nightstand?] My Rocco + Norah social media calendars, Kimberly Snyder’s Beauty Detox Foods [I’m making black bean mushroom burgers to freeze], After You, and about 30 journals.

I'm so HOT! 

[What am I super over!?] It’s so funny because I said “the heat” last time, but my delicate Cali heart didn’t know the meaning of the word heat. Panhandle summer = DEATH. It’s the worst thing in the world. Like ever. But honestly, I’m more over it being too hot to take Rocco on a walk or go to the park.

[Any guesses when you will go into labor?] I’m not sure. Mohawk surprised us, but I have a feeling Felix is gonna stay true to his due date. I say a few days after his due date [August 5] or tomorrow, who knows!?

[What I’m looking forward to?] Holding my sweet boy and watching Rocco interact with his baby brother. Also, I am dying, I mean DYING, to see what he looks like.