Keeping Up With The Boys.

This was the day that my two-year-old wrote in pen on my white bed spread.

This was also the day he lunged toward the garage door as it was closing. Thank God for motion sensors.

This was the day that I cleaned bedrooms and went through old baby clothes while my 2-year-old zoomed trucks around my piles for his soon-to-be-bro. This was the day I did a zillion loads of laundry and cooked some freezable meals while he built block towers around my ankles. This was the day we finally collapsed in exhaustion onto the couch, and decided to watch Christmas Mickey Mouse on Netlflix (his favorite) with our feet up (my favorite). We both ate graham crackers in silence. Mickey gave Minnie a necklace.

This was the day that the 31-week-along baby in my belly learned how to do somersaults. Nay, learned to master somersaults.

These kinds of days aren't for the faint of heart. Keeping up with these boys requires all my concentration and energy, and even then, sometimes it doesn't feel like enough to fuel me through the day. When someone asks a mom (especially a pregnant mom), "How was your day?" the answer is almost impossible to summon. My day was wonderful, hilarious, exhausting, infuriating, impossible, delightful, and then exhausting again. As a mom, you can't sum up your day in a few words. Each new hour ushers in a set of circumstances and emotions that unbutton my pride and reveal my weakness once again.

During this pregnancy I've been on my feet a lot. I'm trying to refrain from being on them too long, but let's be honest - a woman's gotta walk! A mama's gotta play trains! And this lady has to get the laundry done, beds made, and meals doled out. After being on my feet too much and an enlightening visit to the ER (which I shared about here), it was recommended that I find a really good belly support band to help alleviate the weight and pressure. I shared last week about my favorite 2nd Trimester essentials, and one of those was the Blanqi Support Band that I started wearing when I was about 27 weeks pregnant. The band has made such an enormous difference in my day-to-day, and when I reached out to the company to spill my praise about the amazing support I've received from it, the lovely ladies over at Blanqi sent me a few more support pieces to try. And I am almost undone about the quality and, for lack of a better word, magic of these clothes.

If you want to know what I've been wearing for the past two weeks (by themselves and layered under other pieces), you're looking at it. The Maternity Belly Support Tank Top offers insanely maximum lifting support - it literally lifts my belly up and take so much pressure off my lower back.  The Maternity Support Wear Leggings offer moderate support and keep everything smooth and taut underneath clothes. And I've been wearing these two items together since they came in the mail - imagine the double support I've been experiencing! I was actually really sad yesterday when I was laundering everything again, just because I was missing out on the inexplicably great lift of this shapewear. I'll admit that the only downside to this shapewear is feeling hot from time to time- if you're like me and feel hot all the time when you're pregnant, then wearing leggings in this 80-degree Georgia heat can present some challenges. But still - I wish I would have known about this game-changing gear during my last pregnancy. It would have really alleviated that last 6 weeks of back pain.

I love sharing when I find things that really, really work for me. And these pieces are the real deal, a must for any maternity wardrobe. I am so grateful that I discovered this brand so that the final leg of my pregnancy doesn't have to be quite as miserable as the last time around. And it's just a bonus that the ladies who run Blanqi (which is based here in Atlanta - what are the chances?!) are the sweetest, kindest moms who just want to help other women have easier, more comfortable pregnancies. I love supporting U.S. businesses, women's businesses, and most importantly, businesses creating something that MAKES A DIFFERENCE.

These pieces might not be able to get the ink out of my bed spread, but they are allowing me to stay on my feet a bit longer to get all the home life chores done that need doing. So I can not only keep up with my boys, but keep myself well cared-for, too. Every pregnant mama's dream.

You can shop Blanqi with this link and receive 20% off your order, friends!

P.S. if you have a pregnant friend, this is the perfect gift to give her - seriously! She will thank you every single day for the remainder of allllll her pregnancies :)

Outfit Details:
Blanqi Support Tank (c/o), Blanqi Support Leggings (c/o), Wendy Bellissimo Maternity Poncho (on sale here!)

Blanqi Support Tank

Blanqi Support Leggings

Blanqi Belly Band

Blanqi Bodystyler

Many thanks to Blanqi for sending me the featured support wear. As always, all opinions expressed are my own.

Big Boy Bedroom Inspiration.

1. Target Arrow Curtain Rods
2. Land of Nod Half-Dot Garland
3. Target Crocodile Crossing Sheet Set
4. Target Hanging Terracotta Planter
5. Target Fox Throw Pillow
6. Ikea Hemnes 8-Drawer Dresser
7. Target Alligator Throw Pillow
8. Land of Nod United States Banner
9. Target Bear Throw Pillow
10. Target Alligator Print Twill Light Blocking Curtains

Over the past few weekends, we have been working on getting Everett's big boy room ready. We are going to move him out of his nursery and into a new bedroom - his "big boy" bedroom. And you guys, he is so excited. I was a little nervous that he would feel like he was getting kicked out of his room - I mean, to be honest, I didn't want to buy another crib for Baby Boy #2 (coming in December!) if I didn't have to. And since Everett has practically been launching himself out of his bed in the mornings (check out my instagram story if you don't believe me!), I knew it would be the right time to transition him out of the sweet nursery and into a room that is more "boy" - with a place to store all his books, toys and stuffed animals. We never kept any toys in his nursery, because I wanted the space to feel peaceful and soothing, in hopes of luring him to sleep in a distraction-free zone. But now that he is over 2, we are putting him in a twin-size trundle bed with a toddler rail and letting him keep toys in his bedroom to play with. Fingers crossed that my strategy to keep him in his bedroom in the mornings will pan out :)

I took him on a little shopping date to Target where we picked out some really fun decor and bedding from the Pillowfort line - have you seen how cute this collection is? I had serious inspiration swoon. We are going with an animal theme and lots of yellow, green and orange pops of color. He's been "helping" me as I prep the room - while I clean and move his books over, etc., he is playing with his trains and getting excited about sleeping in his "big boy bed". We haven't put up his toddler rail yet, and I want to get another baby gate up at the top of the stairs before we let him officially start sleeping in there, but we are very close to finishing all the last-minute projects that will land him in his room at last. It's so cute, every day at nap time he asks to sleep in his big boy bed. He is so excited! And it's helping me be able to talk to him more about his little baby bro that will be sleeping in his current crib and wearing his old clothes and all that good stuff - I'm trying to frame the whole life change as a promotion for Everett, so he feels really special and included in everything.

I'm excited to share the final room photos once everything is complete! In the mean time, mamas of multiples, got any advice for how you transitioned your kiddos into bigger beds and different rooms?

Falling for Fringe.

Outfit Details:
Forever 21 Floral Fringe Kimono, Kate Spade Charlotte Street Alek Crossbody Bag, Isabella Oliver Helston Maternity Top c/o, BDG Skinny Jeans (past season, similar here), Coach Lace Up Wedge Booties (past season, linked to a similar below)

Floral Fringe Kimono

Kate Spade Charlotte Street Alek Bag

Isabella Oliver Helston Top

American Rag Wedge Booties

I wore this lovely little fringe number last week on our date night. The date night where we toured the local hospital, formulated a birth plan, and ate Thai food. We know how to plan a wild night, right?

We are delivering at a different hospital this time around and we wanted to get the lay of the land, and honestly, hear about how much the hospital tends to intervene in birthing situations. It was really good to get the tour and ask questions (Stevie and I asked the most in the group, we are such dweebs), but then it was even better to drive away from the hospital and process everything that's coming up.

All the feelings that have been lying stealthily in wait from the last time I gave birth. All the hopes bubbling up in my heart. All the unanswered questions about how it's going to be this time around. We talked through the things we loved about Everett's birth, and the things that were different than we expected. The things we didn't like. The things that scared us. All the birth planning in the world can't really prepare anyone for actual birth, and we relived all the emotions involved with meeting our little boy for the first time.

And that was all before the dim sum arrived.

Have you guys had dim sum? I can't get enough in my life.

We ate our Thai food and laughed about the wonder of it all. This burgeoning season of Fall. The fact that we are going to have two boys by Christmas. The fact that we still really love each other (and like each other!) after 9+ years of marriage. The really cute kimono that I was wearing that my sisters gave me for my birthday (okay, it was just me going ga-ga over that one).

Life is so beautiful, friends. It's so beautiful and so fleeting and it's slipping away as quickly as it's brimming forth. Happiest weekend to you :)

Sweet Potato & Five-Spice Muffins.

I might tear up a little while I talk about these. Because I've been making a batch of these muffins every week for the past few weeks and YOU GUYS. They are so good, so moist, so absolutely autumnal and the perfect breakfast or snack for my boys. And the ingredients are so clean, I don't feel any kind of bad eating them either. I found this recipe in my Gwyneth Paltrow cookbook, It's All Good, but I tweaked it a little bit by cutting the sweetener and baking powder/soda.

Lately, every morning when my 2-year-old wakes up, the first thing he says (or shouts, rather), is "Is my muffin ready?!!!" And when I tell him yes, and ask him if he would like it heated up, he says no. He likes his muffin cold. He is the funniest little person, seriously.

For the record, I like my muffins hot, with a double batch of coffee on the side :)

I know he's not a muffin but I had to take his picture because he was so sweet and his eyes were so blue. He wanted to demolish these so very badly and I love him to pieces for trying his best to have self control.

Ingredients:
- 1 large sweet potato
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 cups whole-wheat flour
- 1.5 tsp. baking powder
- 1.5 tsp. baking soda
- 1.5 tbsp. Chinese 5-Spice powder

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place sweet potato on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 60-70 minutes. Set sweet potato aside and let it cool completely.

2. Peel the sweet potato, discarding the skin, and mash with a fork (or a potato masher) in a large mixing bowl. Add the melted coconut oil, almond milk, maple syrup and vanilla into the sweet potato mixture, whisking thoroughly. Then add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, five-spice powder and salt. Continue to mix well. This is where my heavy duty mixer comes in real handy and does all this wonderful hard work for me. But if you want to exercise your wrists, you can easily use a hand mixer for this, too.

3. If you're using this Williams Sonoma gold touch muffin pan (it comes in this bakeware set which I totally stand behind), then you need to only spray down the pan with olive oil or my personal favorite baking spray. Otherwise, line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners and evenly distribute the muffin batter among the cups.

4. Bake at 400F for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the muffins cool before serving.

Note:
- I cook 4-6 sweet potatoes every week and keep them in the refrigerator, reheating as needed. If you're like me and have maybe a potato or two left over at the end of the week, this is the perfect way to use those up!

- You can make these gluten free by replacing the whole-wheat flour with gluten-free and adding 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum.

- I always, always make a double batch of these. This past weekend I made a triple batch and brought some to a friend. I promise, doubling or tripling up will be so worth it. You can easily freeze these and bring them out whenever you have company coming over. Voila! A healthy, delicious snack!

Happy munching, friends!!

My 8 Must-Haves for the 2nd Trimester.

This pregnancy has been so weird. I oscillate between feeling really grateful and really over it. The good thing that I keep reminding myself is that I know what is on the other side of this experience - a sweet, delicious smelling newborn straight from Heaven. I am really looking forward to the newborn stage (don't quote me on that when I'm sleep deprived), because I know that I can look forward to it. I was so freaked out and on edge the first time around with my son, because he was colicky and cried all night long. And all day too. I felt like I had to be doing something wrong. But this time around, I feel like I will actually be able to enjoy those sweet, snuggling moments a whole lot more.

However, I am not there yet. I am currently in the home stretch of this pregnancy, but the items below were discovered and thoroughly enjoyed in my second trimester. Many of them have carried over into this third trimester, too.

1. Mason Jar of Water.
I'm treating hydration like it's my job these days. Because if I falter even a little bit, I am experiencing contractions a lot a bit. My goal is to drink four of these 32-oz. jars a day. It helps to add a bit of mint and lime, or lemon and cucumber. It also helps that it has a fun straw :)

2. Blanqi Support Belly Band.
I might cry a little while I talk about this one. After coming home from New York, I knew I had to do something about the insane pressure down under. I researched maternity belts and got scared. Those things look like they should be used in terrorist torture. Then I found the Blanqi site and drooled over all the support wear they offer - finally landing on the band for everyday wear. It has made SUCH a huge difference, I can actually walk around throughout the day and not feel like my baby is falling out.

3. Lavender Essential Oil (for diffusing).
I have been a long-time attempter of essential oils, and I have no answer in regards to which brand is best. But I do know that I feel a difference when I diffuse oils in my bedroom at night. This particular oil has been on rotation lately to help me sleep better. I also like to throw some eucalyptus in there from time to time, for funsies.

4. Deep Steep Chamomile Lavender Bubble Bath
My sisters gifted this decadence to me for my birthday and I am obsessed. I've started taking a warm bath every night at 9pm because it helps me sleep better. This stuff smells so good and is free of a lot of chemicals that other bubble baths have, so it's a big win in my book. My sisters are the sweetest.

5. Jarro-dophilus Probiotic.
Keeping things regular over here, with this handy dandy probiotic. Get you some.

6. Magnesium Spray.
This is probably a weird one, but with all the contractions I've been experiencing, I have been willing to try anything that will help. A few friends mentioned that I might need to take a magnesium supplement, and this is a spray-on version. It's like putting on lotion!

7. Nike Tennis Shoes.
All day, every day. These days I need support like you need air to breathe. In fact, I should probably get another pair of sneakers.

8. Bare Minerals Gel Nude Lip Color
Because when you're sweaty, hefty and hemorrhoid-laden, you need something in your life to remind you that you were once a cute girl. Lipstick is doing that for me these days, friends. Loving these nude matte shades from Bare Minerals.

Anything that helped you mamas out during the second and third trimesters? Because the need for support/input/encouragement these days is REAL. xox.