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  • March 02, 2018

    a belated 33 week update

    HOW ARE YOU FEELING? SYMPTOMS?
    Still feeling great! Defffffinitely feeling larger each and every day. I didn't know my belly could feel so stretched until the next day comes and it's even more than before, haha! Embracing my changing body, but kind of excited about the thought of being able to sleep on my stomach in a few weeks (that's if I'll be sleeping at all, HA!). The first trimester fatigue symptoms came back with a vengeance for a hot second.. NO THANK YOU! 
    SIZE OF BABY
    A honeydew melon! About 4.5 lbs. 
    CRAVINGS?
    Nada. I thought today that I was craving fruit, so I ate a couple raspberries, then was fine afterwards. LOL. Still no force-husband-to-run-to-dairy-queen type cravings! 
    GENDER
    Still our little dude :)
    MATERNITY CLOTHES
    I can't believe I haven't bought any maternity clothes being almost 9 months pregnant... I'd literally rather just re-wear cute sweat pants all week long than purchase some jeans that'll only last a few months in my wardrobe. I also have zero problem with secretly walking around with my normal jeans unzipped/unbuttoned... is that something you aren't supposed to admit? I think pride goes out the window when you're sharing a bladder with a tiny child and your belly inevitably peaks beneath your t-shirts.
    EXERCISE
    This has significantly slowed down for the last couple weeks.. I had a couple freak accidents with Braxton Hicks contractions that spooked me a few times that lead to a trip to my OB for testing, so I've realized I have to relax with my cardio and running a bit. Both of my nieces were born 6 weeks early (that would be 4 days from today if I were to follow in my sister's footsteps.. OMG) and I ain't tryna have a NICU baby over here! But still staying active and listening to my body whenever it tells me to chill out :)
    CHALLENGES
    My own mind! I swear I dig so deep in my head when I start thinking about the things that are to come, how unprepared I feel, the scary things about labor and afterward, continuing to be a good wife while learning to be a good, new mother.. you know.. very average, low key things. NOT. Sometimes I just have to stop myself and breathe! I am kind of a control freak and the fear of the unknown drives me crazy, so these last weeks of pregnancy are definitely testing my anxiety levels.. Any mamas with this type of issue that have any sort of solution to ease the mind - HOLLA AT YA GIRL because I am low-key flipping out over here :')
    Also.. bending over. That's very much so a challenge.
    BEST MOMENTS
    Whenever I'm able to chill out and breathe and start thinking of the magical, beautiful things that are to come so soon. Imaging Andrew as a father. He is going to be so unbelievable. I'm sure I'll be falling in love with him all over again every day.. just with a little more spit up on his shirt than normal :) Also, getting all his tiny clothes washed & hung up by teeny velvet hangers.. I DIE! This is why we have kids, guys. For the tiny, adorable baby clothes. (Just kidding.. obviously. Kind of). My mother-in-law and I scrounged around their basement and found a couple clothes Andrew wore as a baby, so those were especially fun to wash and hang up.
    PREGNANCY PURCHASES/FAVORITE ITEMS SO FAR
    A big blog post for this is still coming! Just add that to my procrastination list :)
    -I have been wearing this waist extender over my jeans on the days I feel like looking presentable and not completely expose that my pants are unzipped, definitely worth buying so I can wear my own jeans!
    -Since I don't have any maternity tops, these Madewell button ups are freaking fabulous for the belly. They're long enough to hit your waist and are flattering on the bump! I have this one and this one, too. (they run big and roomy, so size down if that ain't your thing)
    -Andrew got me this exact water bottle knowing my daily water intake needs to be no less than a billion ounces, hah! And I will especially need to while I'm breastfeeding. I'm obsessed with it and refuse to drink out of anything else. I love that it holds a ton of liquids without being bulky and obnoxious and the straw is my absolute FAVVV part, y'all. Doesn't take much, haha.

     

    Happy March, y'all! So happy to see Spring just around the corner. We will be out in the warm Texas sun this weekend, hope yours is just as fabulous. xo

  • February 23, 2018

    contacts - the millennial way

    I've worn contacts since I was in fifth grade, so ordering my monthly and yearly contacts have become a normal routine in my life. As I've gotten older, the time to renew my eye exam each year is like a that annoying dark cloud that i'd rather not have to address. Taking the time to physically go to an eye doctor and wait for the prescription to be made usually would take up half my day - ain't nobody got time for that! I have no shame to say I am a millennial when it comes to things like this, and then I come across the lovely Simple Contacts and found out I can order new contacts simply (HA!) through their app.

    *cue hallelujah song*

    The time we connected, I was literally down to one contact that I had stretched over a 6 month period (muuuch longer than what a contact life should be, hah!). That shows you how uninterested I was into dealing with going to another doctor and waiting a month to receive new contacts - not to mention, spending an arm and a leg. 

    So, here I am, blessing you contact wearers and making your life a teeeeny bit easier because I swear this is the only way I will buy my contacts from now on. The process is easy as cake.

    1. Open the app (or visit the website) and enter in some info that's shorter than a CVS receipt

    2. Literally snap three photos of your eyes to check for redness

    3. The shortest eye exam in history... all on your phone!!! This blew my mind, y'all. Thank heavens for modern technology.

    ANY WHO - once that's all over with (probably three minutes have passed by now) you pick your contact lenses and then all the information is on it's merry way, ready to be packaged up and promptly delivered at your doorstep. Their customer service is on top of every concern and I love when companies keep you constantly updated on your order. 

    This is not a drill. And even better, to save $30 on your first order, enter CELESTE30 at your checkout and your wallet (and spouse) will be happy :) I am passionate about great companies like this because we've all been screwed over one time and another... so I have to share any time I come across quality companies. I am too excited about my new friends over here!

    Cheers to living a smarter life and treating your eyeballs! ;) xoxo

  • February 11, 2018

    channeling my inner cupid

    shop my dress here - on sale y'all!! Also non-maternity, but still comfy as ever with or without the belly :)
    I thought i'd share some cute little numbers I've found browsing over the last few weeks. I am constantly virtually window shopping, so if I can't buy all the things, why not spread the love so I may live vicarious through whoever decides to purchase some of these finds, hah! Obviously I'm sharing all things valentine's related, because I thoroughly enjoy dressing up for each holiday. I also rarely ever wear much red, so it's always fun to mix things up every now and then.
    I was raised to dress accordingly on every Sunday each time there was a holiday that week - is that just a southern thing? Andrew thinks it's so silly when I help him color coordinate his tie with these cutesy holidays, but he participates. Bless his soul. And my soon to be son who will be doing the same, I'm sure ;) 
    I've shared some more expensive finds (but worth the pennies!) and affordable finds, because I am secretly the biggest bargain shopper there is. Either way, your closet will thank you. Happy shopping!
    1 | 2 | 3 | 4
    1 | 2 | 3 | 4
    xoxo celo
  • January 29, 2018

    celebrating a belated third trimester

     

    shop my dress here (non-maternity, but fits just fine with the bump!)

    HOW ARE YOU FEELING? SYMPTOMS?

     Honestly, like a million bucks! I am so grateful to be saying that, too. The first trimester was definitely as horrendous as they say it is, but since week 12, I've 100% felt like my normal self. Except maybe with a little more waddling than normal and the occasional pee-when-sneezing situation happens.. but that's about it. But I won't hold my breath, we're not quite done yet!

    SIZE OF BABY

    They say the size of a cauliflower! And almost three pounds.  

    CRAVINGS?

    I honestly hate when I get asked this because I know people expect a fun answer from me, but NO! Weirdly enough, I haven't had any gnarly cravings out of the norm that I wouldn't eat before pregnancy. In the first trimester, I had a lot of aversions so I could only eat bread and oatmeal without wanting to throw up - but other than aversions, nothing's changed about my diet, really! However, I do enjoy avocado toast (with a dash of salt + red pepper flakes.. YUM) a tad more than normal and have to have my daily boiled egg for breakfast every day... but then again, that's not out of the norm. I know, suuuper exciting stuff.

    GENDER

     Little dude! Chunky boy. Bebe. Bubba. Still can't believe he's a boy!

    MATERNITY CLOTHES

    It is so hard for me to justify buying clothes I'd only wear a couple months! I'm so hard headed to the fact that I'm still wearing my normal jeans, but completely unzipped and unbuttoned (with a shirt that covers my waist area, 'cuz modesty DUHH) .. HAHA! Should I be embarrassed of that?! So long story long, not yet (?). Only because I'm being a stickler about spending my money in more important places. Otherwise, I will continue to really look forward to Spring arriving early (HOLLA @ Texas weather) and just living in dresses again :)

    EXERCISE

    Absolutely! Not much has changed in my daily exercises how they were before pregnancy. It's such an important part of my life, so making it a priority even while I'm pregnant is crucial! My daily morning cardio/jogs have definitely progressively gotten slower and every now and then I'll have to stop and walk if I feel little aches or cramps - which I know is okay! Sometimes baby boy let's me know when it's time to rest, so I listen :) I do weight training 3-4 times a week with some small adjustments for my ever-growing belly. If you'd like to know more about this, I'd love to share! Ultimately, I know keeping my health in check will benefit me AND baby boy.. and even postpartum, so that's awesome.

    CHALLENGES

     I wouldn't say this is necessarily a challenge, but I really miss high waisted jeans. Or just jeans in general.. HAHA. Like I mentioned before, I am reluctant to buy maternity.. so for now I'm just wearing my normal clothes, but it's not the same! Something else I haven't loved lately is feeling like an elephant on my runs. Seriously, I feel like the ground is shaking with each leap I take LOL but hey, at least I'm moving, right?! Also, I'm not one hundred percent if I have an opinion on people rubbing my little bump without permission.. hah! Perhaps I will as time goes on, but for now, I just try to embrace it :)

    BEST MOMENTS

    This is easy. Feeling him move SO OFTEN! He is a kicking maniac in there! His favorite time to wake up is the moment I lay my head down for bed... thinking this is a foreshadow for what's to come this April ;) Sometimes I think he moves the bed with each punt he makes, no joke. Such a surreal feeling! Also knowing that everything is so far, so good. That's been my biggest worry for my entire pregnancy is making sure he's healthy and everything is moving right along. We are truly blessed with this happy guy! Also, seeing loved ones and family members so genuinely happy for you. It truly adds to the excitement of everything. Babies bring so much joy!

    PREGNANCY PURCHASES/FAVORITE ITEMS SO FAR

     I haven't bought too much for myself specifically for pregnancy, but I've stumbled upon so many amazing baby companies and items that I am so excited to share over time. For now, here's a few of these things at the top of that list to start off the excitement:

    1) These sweat pants. Honestly, the best buy I've made in awhile, y'all. They are so light weight, suuuper soft and really flattering (especially for that baby bump!) Pregnant or not, you need 'em. And while you're at it, these are amazing too. They're a little thicker for those chillier days. YES I own them and YES they are just as fabulous.

    2) While we are talking about clothes, I'm really adoring tea length and tasteful maxi dresses lately. Especially with a little bump to dress up :) This is a favorite with a cute turtleneck underneath, also this one, and this one... aaaand this one. And I'm waiting for this gem to arrive on my doorstep anyday!

    3) My skin is unbelievably sensitive and more acne prone from all the crazy hormones lately, so I've relied on wholesome skin products to help aid my facial skin. My go-to (and every day routine) is this face cleanser, followed by this serum (A MUST Y'ALL!) that keeps my skin tight and youthful. Once a week I do this mask and love it's creamy formula made of vitamins and vegetables. Literally makes my face feel like a baby's bottom every time I remove it! Take it from someone who rarely spends money on themselves -- the price is worth EVERY penny, especially when it comes to wholesome skin products with no harmful chemicals. 

    4) This bassinet. Breathtaking! I haven't purchased one for our little guy's nursery yet, mostly because I have a few sliiightly more important things to purchase (like a car seat and stroller..hah!) before getting the cutesie stuff. But obviously this is at the top of my list!

    5) I got one of these blankets for the baby boo, buuut I'm considering ordering like five more because... well.. duh. SO SOFT! My blanket hoarding is becoming unhealthy, but I just love all things softy, y'all!

    6) All things Design Dua. Easily one of my favorite brands. Moses' dog bed is from here and I get compliments on it all the time! Can't wait to share what gems I've stocked up on for little boy this year :)

    necklace was gifted, you can get the same from here 

    Is there anything on your must-have list that you have yet to pull the trigger on?! Any and all recommendations are welcome, I've only got a few more months of this preparing game - after that, there's NO looking back. Haha!

    until next time, xo! celo

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