28 weeks

the days have f l o w n by quicker than normal lately and I had to have Brandon quick snap a picture for 28 weeks before it passes us by! 

we had such a busy week/weekend and one of the best parts was finding out whether Tyler + Angela are due with a baby boy or baby girl in Septemeber... 
...and it's a B O Y!!

these little cousins are going to have so much fun growing up together!

oh baby brother, I can't wait for you to be here and fill these little things. 
we are getting close. two thirds of the way there!

banner // hooray everyday

Jesus saves, bro // imperishable clothing co

crib bedding // pottery barn kids

How far along? 28 weeks + 4 days

Total weight gain: 28 pounds

Maternity clothes? yep! 

Stretch marks? still just the oldies from pregnancy with Harper :) but I know there is still plenty of time for that to change! 

Sleep: sleep is too good. I could stay in bed all day if there weren't house chores and a toddler calling my name. I'm waking 1-2 times in the night to run quick to the potty, but I am right back to sleep once my head hits the pillow.

Best moment this week: many of them! finding out the gender of Tyler + Angela's little babe! felling little babe's hiccups for the first time :) it's one of my absolute favorite things of pregnancy. and then there's the part of the week where I got a new car! (gmc yukon denali- picture to come!) we're really prepping for this baby ;) I just love it and I love picturing our growing family piled on in. 

Current symptoms: in the afternoons I'm really feeling that third trimester tiredness. most days I try to nap while Harper is down for her nap, but that doesn't always happen. getting my weight off of my feet feels so good to help with the aching that hits by afternoon.

Movement: oh yes!

Food cravings: as of last week I started eating whole wheat toast + almond butter + sliced strawberries for breakfast and it is heavenly! I've eaten it nearly every day since and often I eat it twice a day :) I could call it a craving but I don't foresee it stopping once the baby is born. Angela had told me about this breakfast combo (but with peanut butter) a couple of years ago, but I never believed just how good it could be! any nut butter would be delicious on it!

Gender? BOY!!

Labor signs? no- thank goodness!

Looking forward to: our Hawaii getaway in just a little over two weeks!! bring on the babymoon!

Just how sweet is big sis in this picture!?? :)

Xoxo

-Brittney

2nd trimester favorites

how. how. and another h o w!!?

we're at the last week of my second trimester and I know as cliche as it sounds... time has just flown by! I felt that my pregnancy with Harper went by quickly, but that's nothing compared to this one. I'm sure taking care of chasing a busy toddler around all day has something to do with it ;) all while getting things ready for this new little bundle to join our family!

with the second trimester's end rolling around, thought I'd share a handful of my favorite things from the last several weeks.

1. hydro flask water bottle - I received this as a Christmas gift and hadn't actually used it until recently. I am in love with it! with trying to keep up on my fluid intake throughout the day, I keep water with me all day long. this water bottle is insulated and keeps my water cold for hours on end.

2. honest co. belly balm - well. stretch marks. we all have this dilemma, and know that it really comes down to genetics. but if there's something that can be done in hopes of reducing them, I'll do it. although I do already have them on my hips from the first pregnancy. embrace it :) I also love this essential oils product too!

3. palmer's cocoa butter - again for stretch mark assistance :) but my skin has also been dry all over and this lotion has been so so moisturizing. and the smell! yum!

4. honest co whole-food based prenatal - so easy on my stomach and it doesn't have that strong smell that some prenatals can have. I've been very happy with these!

5. ooh la lift - this stuff is so great! those no make up days where I would still like to care for the bags under my eyes... (which I never really understood until joining motherhood!) this gives me a quick little eye lift ;)

6. full panel maternity jeans - these are heaven sent! I don't know what it is as a pregnant girl, but I put off buying maternity jeans for wayyy too long! I so wish I would've started wearing maternity pants sooner. my pregnant self is so comfortable in them! and these ones here are so cute!

7. snoogle body pillow - if my husband would be ok with it, I would use this for sleeping even after pregnancy! it takes up half of our bed, but when I'm pregnant, it is so great for finding comfortable sleeping positions. it is so worth it!!

8. chewy with a crunch kind bar - recently ran across these and love them as a good snack for when we're running out the door. I love that they aren't too crunchy and crumby. great ingredients and a yummy on-the-go snack when needed. which is often!

so there ya have it. 

I use most all these products every day and I'm certain that will continue on into the third trimester (plus some!). 

second trimeter bliss is about to end, and I'm sure more and more days of uncomfortableness are in my future. but so be it :) baby brother will be here in 3 months and I'm sure it too is going to fly by!

Xoxo

-Brittney

follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth

27 weeks

this Washington weather just can't decide what it wants to do! it was sun sun sun last week, and now we've had days full of cloud + rain. yuck! BUT it looks like the sun will be returning and I just.cant.wait. 

we just love being able to enjoy our days outside and then eating dinner out on the back deck is one of my absolute favorites. this year Harper is old enough (& walking) to where she can play in the backyard while dinner is being prepped :) there isn't anything better! 

to think we will be adding little baby brother to this mix in just a few short months- ahh! get's me all giddy inside to think what this summer is going to be like with him here :)
oh and his nursery furniture came! yahoo!!
it was delievred 10 days earlier than we expected. I was completely shocked. that never happens with deliveries! especially the ones you are highly anticipating :)

banner / hoorary everyday

tank / gap

How far along? 27 weeks

Total weight gain: 25 pounds

Maternity clothes? I need to start looking into some maternity tops, because my options from my closet are running slim! 

Best moment this week: appointment with my midwife, Susan for sure! you know how I love going in for these checkups! :) baby boy sounds great and is growing well. we're actually measuring to be about a week ahead, but Susan believes that's due to him being long ;) that's what ya get with a 6'6" daddy!

Worst moment this week: last week I had my glucose tolerance screen- which I passed (yay!). but the downside is we found out that I'm hypoglycemic. so my blood sugars can really drop down on the low end. which makes me feel real yuck if I don't eat to keep my blood sugars up. Brandon and I have always joked that I get hangry (hungry + angry). well apparently there's a reason for it- low blood sugars! and that's likely what the sickness in the night has been related to. however, I've found that if I make sure I have a snack right before bed, that makes a huge difference! which makes total sense. we also found out that I'm anemic with low, low iron. hello- reason for the tiredness! and in comes the iron supplement. so... with all that I'm having to really make an effort to focus on myself and my nutrition (good thing I have that RD behind my name) ;)
Current symptoms: t i r e d feet at the end of the day! I'm really feeling this extra weight. I vacuumed the house and mopped the hardwoods yesterday and after that, my feet were aching with any weight that I put on them. that might be the last time I clean the house in awhile ;)

Movement: I really feel him all throughout the day and I can't help but try to imagine what he looks like in there moving around in my belly. those little arms and legs are active!

Happy or moody most of the time: I felt like I woke up on the wrong side of the bed yesterday morning, but getting out of the house for a couple errands made all the difference.
Looking forward to: the sunshine that is suppose to be coming our way this weekend!!

*oh and as you see I'm sure, I changed up the background on the blog page.
goodbye pink and hello white! it feels so much more fresh to me :)

Xoxo

-Brittney