Baby Brine Style: Shoes

One of the things I'm looking forward to most about having a baby girl is shoe shopping! When Hubs and I were looking for gender neutral booties for our annouvement photo, I couldn't help but notice how many options there are for shoes for little girls! Here are some of my top pics for shoes- and considering she'll (most likely) be a May baby, I think the Sperry's are my favorite!! 

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Merry Christmas Eve!: 21 Weeks

Yesterday marked week 21! Can't believe we're over half way....Here is a bump pic update, and some current stats....

How far along?: 19 weeks

Weight gained?: 5.5 pounds as of last week
Showing yet?: Yes, but I feel like I should be showing more!

Clothes?: Yep, still in some regular sweaters, though!

Cravings?: None, really...   
Adversions?: Nothing...

Sleep?:  Getting better. Between the pillow propping, humidifier and saline spray, I'm working every angle to get some good sleep!

Gender?:  GIRL!!!

Movement?: Yes, I think...She's an active little lady, that's for sure!

Symptoms?: Back pain, stuffy nose, and my legs get really tired really quickly. Not good for Christmas shopping! 

Bluum Box: December Review

My wonderful sister has sent us a Bluum Box subscription as an early gift for both mom and baby. Have you heard of this? We both receive the Birch Box every month, and it's the same concept, except instead of makeup and beauty products, it comes with a glorious assortment of gifts for baby and mom! I told her how fabulous the box was this first go 'round, and she suggested I do a review. Sooo, here goes!

1- Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Skin Therapy Oil : This oil can be used for stretch marks, scars, dry skin and even wrinkles. I won't be able to use it for anything but stretch marks (fingers crossed I don't get them...) and scars since any oil near my face will cause a massive breakout. I've already used it twice on a scar I have on my hand. Keep you posted on the outcome!

2- 7th Heaven Mud Mask : As a woman with sensitive skin, I'm always so hesitant to use face masks. These puppies are all natural and contain only fair trade ingredients. I'm going to try this out over the weekend and will let you know if it gets my OK as far as skin sensitivity goes!

3- Bonne Maman Preserves and Jellies : I haven't tried the preserves out yet, but am looking forward to doing so this weekend!

4- Child's Play Pocket Pals : The Pocket Pal book that we received was the Mouse version. Super cute story, small, and short. Will fit perfectly in a diaper bag or purse!

5- Angel Dear Monkey Ring Rattle : This rattle is so soft and tiny, and not to mention adorable. It'll be a great rattle for our wee one once she's able to grasp.

6- Tender Defender Bio-Active Aloe Base Gel : Since our little one hasn't arrived, I can't review the Tender Defender Gel. It's a butt cream, but it's all natural and organic so I'm hoping it's one of those green prodcuts that's also effective!

Baby Brine Style: Wardrobe Part 1

I was a bit nervous to start shopping for our baby girl.  I think about who she'll look like, who she'll be, what her interests will be, and obviously what her personal style will be! But until she grows up and can make those choices on her own, here are some of the things Hubs and I have purchased for her, so she'll have something to wear before she turns 2! :)

Navy and Orange Bodysuit-Hot Pink & Gray Sweatsuit

Baby Pink Elephant Bodysuit-White Faux Fur Hat

 Leopard Pink PJ's

I also bought her some headbands from Jameson Monroe, including a navy flower headband for her to wear with her Pitt and West Virginia gear. I thought a tutu would be going a bit overboard! I bought her these cute leggings from Vibeka Falk and can't wait to put her (hopefully) chubby thighs in them!

P.S.- The Carter's Hot Pink & Gray Sweatsuit was purchased by Hubs. He said he thought she'd be more of a hot pink girl and not so much a baby pink girl, and if she's anything like her mama, he's 100% right!

Gender Reveal Party!

Here are some party details from our Baby Girl's reveal party! Mostly DIY inspired by Pinterest.

Tissue Tassel Garland DIY (inspired by Green Wedding Shoes)

S'mores Pops (inspired by Living Locurto)

Voting Station (ballots and stickers by Le Partie Sugar)

Sparkling Pear Sangria 

Sugar lips and mustaches from Cupcake Social

Close up of the cupcakes!

It's a GIRL!!!!

It's a GIRL!!

Meet Baby Brine!

This morning Hubs and I went to the hospital for our anatomy scan. Baby Brine measured ahead of it's gestational age, and all organs look perfect!! Friday night is our big reveal party- we can't wait to tell all our friends and family!!

Second Trimester Must Haves: Part 1

I thought I'd start off with some of my current second trimester must haves. I know I'll add a lot more as time goes by, but as of week 19, here are some of my go-to items!

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1- I have been using a humidifier for weeks now. It's one of the first things I bought to help get some sleep!

2- I haven't purchased the Snoogle just yet, but have heard rave reviews about it. My only question is where do you store this thing?! It's huge!!

3- Ah, maternity leggings. Such a staple in my wardrobe, especially for working out and laying around in the evenings and weekends. I haven't found any workout pants that I like, so I've been sticking to these.

4- These tanks from H&M aren't maternity wear per say, however I LOVE how long they are, and for only $5.95, you can't beat 'em!

5- Such a cute frame. This one is on back order but once we get some updated ultrasound pictures, we'll be purchasing one very similar to this!

6- Belli Brand Acne Cream. Love. This. Stuff. There aren't many approved acne products that are strong enough to be effective. And when your hormones are all kinds of crazy, you appreciate a good, effective cream to help keep you from feeling like a teenager.

7- I got this kit as a gift from one of our friends. I've only used the "Boob Tube" cream thus far, but will start using the "Tummy Rub" in the next few weeks as my waist continues to expand!

8- Baby names book. This one looks like it'd be fun to peruse through, although we don't have it. Hubs and I have put the baby names on hold until we find out the sex. I figured it'd save us a bunch of time and maybe a few arguments along the way!

19 Weeks!

Happy almost half-way there!! We got a blinged out babe, today. Only 2 more days until we find out the sex! EEEEEK!

How far along?: 19 weeks

Weight gained?: 6.5 pounds as of last week
Showing yet?: I think I “popped” this weekend. Maybe it was all of those Christmas cookies we baked??
Clothes?: Been in maternity pants since about week 16. Baby is definitely   laying low, so most of my pre-pregnancy pants won't button...   Still able to wear pre-pregnancy shirts.

Cravings?: None, really...     
Adversions?: Really sweet things, like our anniversary cake icing. Had to throw the rest of that sucker away!
Sleep?:  Ugh...I have been struggling with sleep for weeks now. Using a humidifier since my nose is super stuffy at night. Going to get some saline spray to see if that works any better.
Gender?:  Hubs and I find out Wednesday morning, and our reveal party is
Friday night! We both are thinking boy, and that seems to be the theme amongst our families too!
Movement?: I think so! I believe our child was ninja kicking me in the bladder
on Friday night. To say the least, it's an uncomfortable feeling!

Symptoms?: Back pain...especially when I stand on my feet too long. Like
Saturday when we baked cookies for 6+ hours...



Baby Brine Style: Nursery Edition

Our former office is going to become Baby Brine's nursery. When we bought the house over 2 years ago, we painted it a light yellow, and my mom immediately dubbed it "The Nursery".

It's a good size, and should allow enough space for the crib, dresser, chest of drawers, and a glider with a small night stand. It also has a deep closet, which means there is a ton of space for a nice large wardrobe!

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First Trimester Must Haves

The first trimester can be full of excitement, stress, nausea, worry, and a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Here are some of my must haves for any new mom-to-be!

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1- The Belly Book was a great way to document early symptoms including cravings, adversions, starting weight, waist size, etc. I didn't actually write in it until I was closer to the end of my first trimester just in case something went wrong.

2- I would say be VERY careful when purchasing an at home doppler. Make sure your Doctor is okay with it, and only purchase if you'll be okay with NOT finding the heart beat. I waited until after my 9 week appointment, when the doctor was able to find it, to purchase this doppler. It helped ease any concern during that early stage of pregnancy.

3- Obviously a new mom-to-be staple! Such a great investment for all stages of pregnancy, including detailed signs and symptoms and how to adjust to being pregnant!

4- Although baby can't hear you until closer to the second trimester, this was Baby Brine's first book. Hubs has just started reading to my belly and the book is super cute and includes characters from ALL of Dr. Seuss' infamous books.

5- I didn't use this prenatal yoga DVD, but I started yoga when I was 8 weeks pregnant. My doctor said that she was okay with me starting a new workout regimen as long as I didn't put any strain on my abdomen.

6- I found these Preggie Pops after my nausea subsided, however I heard great things about these, and they're organic!



Gender Reveal Party Details

Next week we find out if Baby Brine is a boy or girl. Hubs and I are both thinking boy, although we're not sure why!

In true family fashion, we're going to have a reveal party the Friday after our appointment.

Here are some of the confirmed details and a few ideas that we're still deciding on!

I purchased the Gender Reveal Party Little Miss or Mister Invitation and Reveal Kit from LePartieSugar's Etsy shop!

When I purchased these items, I included all of the details and specifics for the invitation, favors and food labels, and had all of the customized pieces within a few days. It was so convenient and they look adorable! I printed the invitations at Rite Aid and used Fed Ex to print the reveal kit. It was slightly tiresome cutting out all of the details, but it'll be so worth it once all of the party details are in place!

I'm also going to use some of the ideas from her website for some finishing touches, including the tassel garland hanging above the food table.

I found this awesome tutorial on how to make your own tassel garland. I thought about purchasing one on Etsy but I always like a good DIY project!

Hubs and I decided that we'd find out the gender at our appointment, and then surprise our family at the reveal party. I think we'll both enjoy having some time to let it sink in before we share the news. The other bonus to it is that I'll be able to make the cupcakes with the blue or pink filling!

I may have been inspired to go this route so that I could purchase these and these to decorate them with :)

I also bought some other items from CupcakeSocial's shop to use, including these striped straws. I found the same straws at Target for $4, which are in red, so they also go with the theme!

Last but not least, the favors.

My Grandma, Aunts, cousin and sister make dozens of different types of cookies every Christmas. We make trays of cookies to take to everyone and their mother for the holidays. I thought cookie favors would be overkill for our family, so I found this cute idea on Pinterest that I think will be fun and easy. I'm going to use the ginormous campfire marshmallows, so that they're worth being considered a favor :). I'm thinking white chocolate with oreo, and milk chocolate with crushed graham crackers!

First Anniversary!

Yesterday marked our First Wedding Anniversary! Andy and I spent the weekend in Washington, D.C., exploring the city and walking around talking about all of the amazing things we've done and accomplished in the last year.

The weather was perfect, just like it was on our wedding day. It was sunny and in the mid 50's, which was a welcomed surprise last year! Here's a picture of us from our wedding day, at Market Square in Downtown Pittsburgh. I had borrowed a fur coat for the day but ended up taking pictures without it!

Our photographer did an amazing job, even capturing our entire wedding party in the middle of the street!

We ate breakfast in Georgetown, and shopped around a bit before heading back home. We got home and had dinner, and then started watching our wedding DVD. After the ceremony chapter ended, Andy was ready for a piece of cake so both took a slice of our year old cake to enjoy in the tradition. Much to our surprise, it was good! I ended up not finishing mine becuase the icing was super sweet, which is typically my favorite part of cake, but sadly overly sweet things have been an adversion of mine since early on in my pregnancy. So sad...

Slice of year old cake, and a fire

I'll have a bump update up sooner than later, since we hit the 18 week mark on Sunday! Almost half way there!

Baby Brine Due 5/5/12

One of my new years resolutions was to start a blog. I added it to my bucket list in the hopes that even that would motivate me to start one.

Well, 11 months later, here I am! The hubs and I decided to start a family blog to document our growing family.

On August 27, 2012, we found out we were expecting our first Brine baby. We are over the moon excited!

As of today, I am 17 weeks, 4 days along, with a due date of May 5, 2012. Cinco De Mayo, baby!!

Here are some pictures we've taken to document our journey:

Andy made me take 2 digitals just to make sure...

Dating ultrasound on 9/14/12, 6 weeks 5 days

Crappy picture, hubs was out of town and I had to fend for myself! This was around 12 weeks.

Turkey Day Bump! 16 weeks, 4 days

Oh, we haven't establised we're big Steeler fans? Ya, so is Baby Brine! 17 week bump!