third trimester favorites

as I'm nearing the very (very!) end of the third trimester (which means the end of PREGNANCY all together!) I wanted to share what my favorite things have been these last weeks.

and with having a summer baby, it's mainly been geared towards comfort and staying cool.

comfy tanks // a comfortable tank that I can wear with absolutely anything has been my number one go-to. shorts and maxi skirts if I'm leaving the house. lounge pants/shorts around the house. and even as swim coverup when we're headed to the pool. I've always loved these basic tank tops. pregnant or not- I wear them all the time. they are long + stretchy + comfy! I've recently discovered these tanks and have a new found love for them! they're lightweight and there are so many color options that I may or may not have bought myself seven or so of them! but when they're on sale (and they are now- for only $6!) who can resist??!

Schick Intuition Razor // a friend of mine told me about this razor while she was pregnant and as I entered into the third trimester of being bigger and harder to bend down... I went and got myself one. it's AMAZING! you do not need any shaving cream! it makes for shaving my legs (which should happen far more than it actually does) so, so much easier. without this razor.. let's just say shaving my legs would be a task that would've gotten thrown out the window :) so we should allll be thankful for this razor! ha!

Flounce bralette bikini tops // I hadn't ever worn this style of swim top until recent. I picked one up before we went on our trip to Hawaii and after the first time of wearing it, fell in love! being pregnant there's a bit more going on up top ;) and these have great coverage! I can wear it all around the pool with a toddler whom I'm carrying, bending over to help, throwing around in the pool, and never feel like I have to be adjusting my swim top to keep things 'contained'. my favorites that I purchased were from old navy and are they ever on sale right now(!!), but I also JUST scored this one for $5!

Dr Teal's Epsom Salt // what pregnant woman doesn't love a nice bath soak in lavender epsom salts??! I wish I was able to do it more!

Tumbler // it's must to keep hydrated and it's even that much more important in the heat! a good (non-leaking) tumbler makes it simple and easy to drink throughout the day. I fill mine about 6 times a day.

Electrolytes // in the summer when sweating more, it's a must to not only replace fluids, but also electrolytes. this body has to be well hydrated and prepared for the marathon of labor! I also make a labor aid drink (provided by my midwife, but there are lots of recipes out there) that I freeze into ice cubes and add to my drinks throughout the day to just boost my electrolytes that much more.

labor aid recipe:

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup honey

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp liquid calcium

6 cups water

-mix it all together & drink or freeze as ice cubes.

hydrated + comfortable. that's the focus this trimester!

and only about 2(ish) weeks left!! can't wait to meet you, sweet boy :)

xoxo

-Brittney

follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth

36 + 37 weeks

full. 

term.

whoa.

baby.

we're here. we've reached the point where baby boy is welcome to come any day now! I'm certain he won't, but he's (semi) welcome to ;) I went 8 days past my due date with Harper & I still have a few things to finish up before he comes, but soon, very soon he's going to be joining us!

hitting the 37 week (full term) point (and still being low risk) gives me the 'good to go' to deliver at The Birthing Inn. 

we had an amazing experience bringing Harper into the world at TBI and as long as all continues as 'normal' we plan to grow our family and become a family of four the same way.

the last two weeks have been a whirlwind. 

day trip getaway + bridesmaid in Jill's wedding + pregnancy sickness/exhaustion

but I'm getting myself back to life now and we're all doing good! (and Brandon is still busier than ever with work!)
I've got a burst of energy back and have plans to tackle some freezer meals this next week for after baby is born. I did this with Harper, and hands down the BEST thing I did to prep for baby!

here I am. 37 weeks pregnant and officially doing the 'waddle' when I walk.

this baby is LOW! and I can feel him being all comfy there in my hips. lower than I ever felt that Harper was in pregnancy!

sunday afternoon as we're about to run off to the pool for the day, I realized I hadn't yet taken my bump pic for the week! so swim suit and all.. we hurried and got it taken care of!

adventure awaits.

it sure does!!

How far along? 37 weeks

Total weight gain: 37 pounds. my weight had dropped when I was sick for a couple days, and it has now gotten back up to where we were two weeks ago.

Maternity clothes? honest. I would prefer to run around in my sports bra and underwear all day. the weather is suppose to get nice again this next week (it's been yuck lately!) so maybe I'll live the days in my swim suit at the pool. I don't think Harper would oppose tagging along for that.

Stretch marks? oh yeah. just embracing it, because who really cares :) and what am I to do about it anyway.

Sleep: hit or miss. the last few nights- great. the few nights before that- not so great.

Current symptoms: here's to the longest list of pregnancy symptoms I've ever had... carpal tunnel syndrome. random throwing up + achy stomach. sore back and neck and feet and hands (time to get in for another prenatal massage!).
Miss anything? sleeping on my tummy!

Movement: yesss! he's settled on a side though and seems to be staying put. 

Food cravings: no cravings. lunch has been a struggle. for some reason it's the meal of the day that I just do not have any desire to eat. I'm finding myself to snack my way through from breakfast to dinner.

Labor signs? just irregular braxon hicks throughout the days. nothing consistent, though I sometimes do find them to be more uncomfortable than ever before.

Looking forward to: we're on the weekly schedule for check ups now so after having an appt this week, we'll be back again next week to check that all is still going well!

I had forgotten how itty bitty teeny weeny newborn diapers are!!

(especially when I'm currently seeing Harper's size 5's every day)

here's to the very, very tail end of carrying our sweet baby boy!

I am so thankful for the blessing of carrying to term and that God has entrusted Brandon and I with these sweet children we've been giving.

it's true- children are life's greatest blessing.

can't wait to meet and hold you baby boy!!

Xoxo

-Brittney

Family Getaway | Cannon Beach, OR

life is busy. life is great. 

and it's about to get a whole lot busier and even that much better.

but before we bring the fourth member into our family (and while traveling is still ok for me) :) we decided to put a pause on 'normal' life for a day and took a little family day trip to the beach!

and it's just what our hearts needed at just the right time.

I tell ya... there honestly isn't anything in this world like family time. 

these two are my life and bring me more joy and happiness than I ever could've imagined I needed.

ok, enough with that... here's our trip! :)

a three hour road trip didn't sound too bad with a toddler. we had snacks packed, books, toys, and when needed, we could pop down the dvd player in the car.

little miss is currently working a couple two year molers in and well... enough said.

though she isn't really that bad of a teether, it does play on some of our days/moments.

about 45 minutes from arriving, and she was not having it. getting tired + cranky. and just not falling asleep... ahh! we were really having to practice our patience to say the least ;) 

and then. no joke. two (maybe three!) minutes out. she fell asleep.

cue driving around town to buy a little time for her to at least get a small cat nap in.

three hours of driving when there was perfect opportunity for a great nap... the life of traveling with children!

...and the real estate world... never.sleeps.

I was too eager for this day to really begin to just keep waiting in the car while Brandon worked and Harper slept...

so we woke Harper, got some lunch, and began to explore!

the candy store!!

this girl LOVED going around to each taffy bin and filling our bag one salt water taffy at a time! :)

and 10 dollars worth of salt water taffy later...

happy campers!!

it was just a perfect day all around. 

my absolute favorite though... watching Harper explore the beach for the first time. 

she was in heaven! we all were :)

leading up to going, we had been talking about our road trip and going to the beach. and Harper couldn't stop talking about it.

"road trip!"
"beach. ocean."

"see whales. fishies. dolphins."

this was the moment she had been waiting for!

building sandcastles with daddy.
even today she's still talking about her sandcastles :)

time to make our way to the water! this pacific northwest ocean water is cold, but she had so much fun dipping her feet in!

oh my heart. the bond between these two is enough to bring me to tears. their love for each other is so sweet.
just looking at these pictures now and remembering our day makes my eyes water. the pregnancy hormones could have a little to do with that! ;)

it was thee best day.
just the three of us away together.
it was the first day trip we've taken and I foresee it being the first of many!

Xoxo

-Brittney

35 weeks

as if I haven't said it before.... time is flying! and what a thief it is. 

it saddens me to think I'm only a handful of weeks away from being done with this pregnancy. I know, call me crazy... but after I had Harper, I so missed being pregnant and felt like I didn't cherish it enough. the same day she was born and I felt that immense love for her, I was ready and excited for more babies! and here we are. already so close to meeting our second baby!!

I certainly find myself getting nervous for labor/delivery. this time I don't have the benefit of being naive on what's to come. but then again I have the benefit of knowing (kinda) what's to come. 

a natural childbirth is no joke (but so great!) and with time being so short until baby boy begins to make his arrival, I am trying oh so hard to prepare myself mentally. as well as I can, that is :)

How far along? 35 weeks

Total weight gain: 37 pounds. I've now officially passed my total weight gain from pregnancy with Harper! this time I'm having swelling that I know is contributing to this weight gain. I didn't experience any swelling with Harper. but I'm also on my feet and running around all day A LOT more than I was first pregnancy. this time I have an active almost two year old to be running after allll dayyyy longggg! :)

Maternity clothes? throw 'em at me please! I'm determined to now not buy any more clothes to wear while pregnant. because well... I can't find it worth it for only a few more weeks! so here I'll enter the phase of 'wearing the same 5 things over and over again' :) and if it were really up to me (and socially acceptable) :) I'd be wearing boy short underwear and a sports bra all day every day. in the house it isn't an uncommon site to see!

Stretch marks? well yeah. pretty certain more have formed (I think). when I no longer have this big belly, I'll be able to better see what has happened in this department!

Sleep: just more of it please!!

Best moment this week: we had a midwife appointment this week! love hearing that little heartbeat! and now we've moved to the every two week appointment schedule. it's getting close to go time!

Worst moment this week: my hormones are getting the best of me. as well as thinking of the changes to come for my little family and I. Brandon has been super busy with work. which is such a blessing and we are so thankful for the business that comes his way! but it certainly isn't always easy on me. when he's busy with work, it makes for longer days for me too. but when you add the pregnancy hormones on top of that... well I just start missing my husband! but tis the busy season of real estate and all is good!!
Current symptoms: carpal tunnel syndrom. this is related to the swelling. but it's no joke! tingling/numbness in my hand and arm, and soreness in my hand and wrist joints have become quite the disturbance. especially at night! I'm trying so hard to get my fluids and electrolytes in but I just can't seem to get a handle on it. 

Movement: yep! and he flips from side to side in my belly. each day he seems to be in a different spot. although he is head down (yay!!!) soon he's gonna need to settle on a side and hopefully it's the preferred left side :)

Food cravings: I'm more so having an issue of finding things that actually sound good. as of late it's been rare if I actually eat lunch. my go-to has been snacking on some cheese and crackers. I try to thrown a fruit in with it and call it good. oh and redvines!! I think I could eat nearly a bag a day!

Labor signs? just an increase in braxton hicks. but no significant discomfort there.

Wedding rings on or off? well I never take my ring off. really, I  n e v e r  do. and well with this swelling... I don't think it would be possible for me to get it off if I tried.

Looking forward to: we're making a day trip to Cannon Beach, OR and I am so excited for one quick little getaway before we welcome our fourth family member!

Xoxo

-Brittney

Baby Shower | Baby Boy Hjelseth

allll day I have been thinking today is Thursday.

well to my surprise at 3pm, I just realized that it is actually Friday!

which I guess is good news! ;) BUT I then also realized that I am officially 35 weeks pregnant- that only leaves 5(ish) weeks left until we meet baby boy! ahhh!!

in some ways we are sooo ready to meet him. and in some ways we are sooo not ready to meet him.

I feel like my to-do list is just too long!

but more on that when I get a 35 week update posted. until then I'll pretend that I am still just 34 weeks ;)

last weekend Angela threw me the greatest baby shower. 

I felt so loved by all of our family + friends. it warms my heart beyond words just how blessed our baby boy is. he is surrounded by the greatest love. my little family and I couldn't be more grateful for the love and support we have. growing a family isn't always easy, but it makes it all the better when we're doing it surrounded by loved ones!

an afternoon full of being spoiled! 

treats + drinks + friends + family + gifts + laughter + love

we are so excited to meet you little one! the gift to be your mama is one that I can never repay. the Lord has already blessed us beyond measure by giving you to us. as I feel you in my belly, I can only try to imagine how much my heart will grow once you're here.

you are so loved and that won't every change!

Xoxo

-Brittney

34 weeks

34.weeks.

no.way.

I had to do a double check to make sure I was tracking right and not ahead of myself. I was pretty sure today was 33 weeks. but NOPE  a n o t h e r  week flown by! and here we are at thirty four weeks into this pregnancy!! with a baby the size of a cantaloupe!

I am getting so darn excited to become a boy mom and have our little here. looking forward to those sweet newborn snuggles and that sweet newborn smell :)

and I'll guarantee at the same time (once he's here) I'll be thinking how great life was being able to get an entire night's sleep. but I know he will be oh so worth every bit of sleep deprivation! I'll have to remind myself of that over and over in the moments of exhaustion though ;)

Harper was (and is) overall such a great sleeper. praying this little guy is the same way, but I'm certainly not getting my hopes up! but we will take it all as it comes and only control what we can.

but please Lord, give us another good sleeper!

How far along? 34 weeks

Total weight gain: 34 pounds- I believe this is the first week of the pregnancy that has gong by where I haven't gained any more than the previous week. crazy how these pounds are packing on! I'm only two pounds shy of reaching my total weight gain from pregnancy with Harper.
Sleep: definitely getting harder to get comfortable in the night. but thankfully I'm so tired by the end of the day that it hasn't been a challenge to fall asleep. just more tossing and moving to find that comfortable position.

Best moment this week: I had the greatest massage AND got my hair done. it was a good week! and thanks to my amazing hubby for helping to make it happen!

Current symptoms: ahh just third trimester stuff. sore feet. tired body. and starting to feel a little bit of nesting coming on! I've been wanting to take on tasks that I really shouldn't be worrying about right now. like organizing all of our pictures on the computer and completing house decorating in the areas that have been neglected since we moved in. but let's be real- those are not the things I should be putting this nesting energy towards! oh and though I don't always feel them and they aren't too uncomfortable (other than lower back cramping) I'm noticing more and more braxton hicks contractions. my uterus is definitely practicing for delivery day!

Looking forward to: baby shower today!! and a fun weekend ahead with a m a z i n g weather!! hello June!!

Xoxo

-Brittney