Finally, My Maternity Pictures!

Hello friends,

I hope everyone had a lovely weekend.  Our weekend consisted of time with family and friends, some organizational projects and time in the kitchen baking a new dessert (with a little rest in between for this mommy-to-be).  If you read my last pregnancy update (here), I mentioned that I was going to post my maternity photos last week.  I originally intended on posting them on Sunday (remember that pinking promise, sorry!) but a slight change of plans moved the date to today.  My husband and I felt compelled to fast from technology for a day - that day being Sunday.  It felt great to disconnect from all social media - it helped us focus our attention on what truly  matters most. 

I am back this week happier than ever to share this post with you.  Our dear friend volunteered to take our maternity pictures a couple of weeks back (big money savings right there) and I quickly accepted the offer.  We were blown away with his photography skills and couldn't be happier with the end result, he did an amazing job!  He listened to my ideas and was able to capture this beautiful moment perfectly.  As difficult as it was, I was able to narrow down my selection process to 18 pictures from the 60+ photos we got.  I hope you like them as much as we do.

 

I had a blast!  It truly was a one-of-a kind experience that I will always remember.  Next on the agenda is our son's first photo shoot!  I can't hardly wait for that one.  I've already spent countless hours browsing Pinterest for newborn photo ideas. :)  See why we needed a little technology break? :)

Hope everyone has a great week!

Karina

Live Simply

29 Pregnancy Week Update

Hello friends,

I am back with another little update at almost 30 weeks.  The single digit count down will soon commence and I couldn't be happier.  As you will see, not much has changed from last week but I am not complaining one bit.  Let's jump right into it.

1. How far along? 29.3 weeks 
2. Maternity clothes:  No new purchases this week.
   
3. Stretch marks: Still none to report. :)
4. Sleep:  Got worse this week, bummer.  Mother nature is really putting me to the test.
   
5. Best moment this week:  Sharing our maternity pictures with family and friends. 
   
6. Miss anything: Being able to sleep through the night, but I guess those days are over so I might as well enjoy the little sleep that I am getting now. haha
   
7. Food cravings:  No.
8. Anything making you feel sick or queasy:  Not really
   
9. Gender: Boy!
10. Symptoms:  Back to normal this week.  This pregnancy has really been good to me and I am so thankful for that (well, except for #4 above).
    
11. Wedding rings on or off? On
12. Happy or moody? Excited and anxious to meet my little boy.
13. Looking forward to: Completing the nursery.  This has been my absolute favorite home project thus far.  Especially because I got to share the experience with my dear husband who was very involved and helped turn my ideas into reality.  Loved that. :)

I haven't forgotten and will post my maternity pictures later this week, pinky promise.

Have a great week and thank you for reading.

Karina

28 Week Pregnancy Update

Hello friends,

Happy Monday! 

Here's a recap of my 28th week of pregnancy.  This week, baby is the size of an eggplant and weighs about 2 1/4 pounds. :)

1. How far along? 28.3 weeks 
2. Maternity clothes:  Still wearing maternity pants, leggins, and regular tops.  Although, the weather was so nice this Friday and Saturday that I actually wore some of my maxi dresses.  They were so comfortable! By the way, I am loving this shade of blue.
3. Stretch marks: Thankfully, none have come in yet. :)
4. Sleep:  Better this week.
5. Best moment this week:  My husband and I celebrated our 7th year anniversary this past Tuesday.  We realized this will be our last year as a family of two.
6. Miss anything:  Being able to sleep on my stomach.
7. Food cravings:  No.
8. Anything making you feel sick or queasy:  My dear husband cooked bacon for the first time this week and enjoyed every bite.  Conversely, I don't eat bacon and I didn't have the heart to tell him the smell was making me a little sick.  
9. Gender: Boy!
10. Symptoms:  Two new ones this week - light cramps (or maybe Braxton Hicks contractions?) and heart burn.  Not a fan of either one. 
    
11. Wedding rings on or off? On
12. Happy or moody? Excited.
13. Looking forward to: Printing our maternity photos!  We had our photo shoot this past weekend and I am in LOVE with every. single. picture.  I will be posting pictures soon (hopefully this week!). 

Hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Karina

Healthy Quinoa Chili Recipe

Hello friends,

Happy Friday!  We've survived yet another week.  Today I am sharing a healthy and delicious recipe with you that I made this past weekend.  We woke up to a cloudy and downright gloomy Sunday, so I decided to finally give this Quinoa Chili recipe a try.  I've had it pinned for a long time but never got around to making it until now.  Let me just say that I am so glad I did.  Even my husband liked it and he is not a huge fan of vegetarian dishes (husband 0 - wife 1).  This would be the perfect dish to make and freeze for when baby arrives too!

The original recipe is by Chung-Ah from www.damndelicious.net.  I am definitely going to attempt making some of her other recipes, she has so many to choose from!  The only ingredient I left out when making this chili was the juice of one lime.  I did a taste test and liked it just as is, but I can see how the lime juice could enhance the flavor to the chili even more.  I may try adding it next time just to taste the difference. I topped mine with low-fat mozzarella cheese and added some fresh avocado (not pictured) and it was so good and comforting. 

I hope you give this recipe a try as it is so quick and easy to make.  You may already have all the ingredients in your pantry/fringe, so happy cooking!   If you have any quinoa recipes that you would like to share, please feel free to post them in the comment section below.  I am always looking for good and healthy quinoa recipes.

Karina

27 Week Pregnancy Update

Hello friends,

Well, I am officially celebrating the beginning of my third trimester, whoa!  I still can't believe that I will be meeting my precious baby in three short months, crazy!  With only three months to go, I've scheduled my maternity photo shoot for next weekend.  I just hope the weather cooperates because it has been a bit unpredictable as of late.  Baby this week measures about 15 inches and weights approximately 2 pounds.  He can now recognize my voice and blinks, how cool is that? 

1. How far along? 27.3 weeks, eek! 
2. Maternity clothes: Yes, but I'm still able to wear my regular tops. Although, I must confess, I have been changing into my husband's PJs as soon as I come home - can't help it as they are so comfy. :)
3. Stretch marks:  Still none to report. I have been applying Burt Bees Mama Bee lotion and Palmers Cocoa Butter lotion in combination with coconut oil.
4. Sleep: Overall it's been good.  I still tend to wake up at random times at night
5. Best moment this week: Feeling lots of movement.  We also got to work on his nursery some more and finished a few DIY projects! 
6. Miss anything: Still tea, especially when it's cold and gloomy outside. :(
7. Food cravings: None to report.
8. Anything making you feel sick or queasy: Not really.
9. Gender: Boy!
10. Symptoms:  I don't recall being this thirsty since becoming pregnant.  I could not drink enough water this week.
    
11. Wedding rings on or off? On
12. Happy or moody?  Happy
13. Looking forward to:  My maternity pictures and my next doctor's appointment.

Wishing everyone a very lovely and blessed week!

Karina