32 weeks /  by jen geigley

32 weeks, and I've got a four-pound baby boy in there. But let's focus on big sis for a minute here. (Gosh, she's seriously the sweetest.)
Little Lo is my number one sidekick and we have spent almost every single second of her 4.5 years together. We are tight. She's definitely old enough to know what is going on with this new baby-to-be, and it's clear that she's noticing the changes and preparations we're making.
She's very excited to talk about all the fun things she'll get to do once the little dude arrives, but I'm careful to warn her that it's not all sunshine, cuteness and baby powder. That he'll also cry a lot, wake up at night a lot, spit up a lot and poop a lot. That we can't put him back. That I might not have as much one-on-one time to spread around at first. Gulp. We're obviously going to do our very best to make this special for her, too, and to include her in every way that we can. But naturally, I worry about what this new addition is going to do to this thing that she and I have, and it does make me a tiny bit sad. Because what we have is such a good thing. I don't want to break it.
 
But her deep-down sweetness is what assures me that everything will be okay. She's super nurturing, sensitive and wise beyond her years. She's already a natural caretaker. She's gentle and loving and I know she's going to be the best big sister ever. So I try not to worry. It's going to be good. So good.

31 weeks /  by jen geigley

Dude, can I just say ... ow?
I'm officially at the uncomfortable point. Let's be honest. Hips hurt, can't sleep a wink ... and hot dang, this kid kicks hard. The little dude is also breech right now. What exactly is he doing in there? Kickflips and frontside airs? If you looked across the room at me, you'd see my belly jumping in four different directions at any given moment. I know all too well that I'm going to get huge over the next two months and things will be getting even more crowded in there. I still have a long way to go, but I get to have another ultrasound right after Christmas to see how we're doing. (This will be my fourth ultrasound ... or fifth?) I hope he flips back around to where he needs to be. Can we just fast-forward things a little bit?

chalkboard ornament DIY /  by jen geigley

DIY chalkboard ornaments! So much fun. So, I was having one of those days where random craft supplies were jumping into my cart. Calling out to me. Like, 'You don't need me ... but you really want me.' And one of the craft supplies that was tempting me was this Martha Stewart Crafts chalkboard paint. It was right there on the shelf with its cute packaging in my two most favorite colors. So I grabbed it. Along with some plain frosted glass ornaments. And that pretty much explains what's going on here.
It's the easiest of easy DIY ornament projects you'll find this season. (And there's something weirdly soothing about painting on glass ... I don't know. It's just fun?) You'll need Martha's multi-surface chalkboard paint (I grabbed the mint green and light blue, but it's also available in gray and black,) a soft paint brush or sponge brush, a glass ornament and some chalk. I used inexpensive frosted glass ornaments, just because I thought they might take the paint a little better than a regular glass surface. But I'm sure this project would work on normal glass as well.
Remove the little silver cap from the top of your ornament and paint a thin coat of the chalkboard paint over the entire surface of the ball. Don't worry too much if your brushstrokes show a little bit; it will even out as it dries. (My personal drying method is shown above. I had good luck with wooden spoon and spatula handles.) Let the ornament dry for at least one hour, and then paint a second thin coat. Wait until the paint dries completely – another two hours or so – before you try writing on the ornament with chalk.
Then have at it! Make an ornament for each person in the family, or have everyone in your household sign their name and give the autographed ornament as a gift. Bust out the sidewalk chalk from last summer and let your kids draw all over them. So fun, so easy. Happy holidays.

30 weeks /  by jen geigley

30 weeks, and hi there ... I am round. The sweet barista at the coffee shop where I knit told me that I had really 'blossomed' this week. I think that's the nice way of saying, 'wow, you're round!'
I'm grateful to have winter coats that I can still manage to button/zip to stay warm. This is not one of them. My outerwear options are narrowing day by day. But no complaints! Time is going fast and I know the holidays will make things fly by even quicker.
 
This week was kind of hectic. I was rear-ended in my car (but everything turned out okay.) Bo went to Aspen on a snowboarding trip. Lo and I had lots of slumber party/movie nights and went to Ballet Des Moines' Nutcracker. Which was amazing. Christmas prep and random craft projects are in full-swing around here and the hustle is starting to wear on me, but there's still lots to be done (and lots of extra little things I want to do.) How about you?

felt baby shoes /  by jen geigley

Over the weekend, I finished up this quick DIY project from the Purl Bee. Tiny felt baby shoes.
You probably already have all of the supplies, and these are super fast to make. You just need a small amount of wool felt, embroidery thread, a tiny bit of 1/4" wide elastic, scissors, straight pins and the printable template.
I used gray felt and chartreuse embroidery thread, and I'm pretty much in love with how they turned out. How can you not love tiny felt shoes? So sweet. (You should make some.)

sale EXTENDED ... :) /  by jen geigley

Hey, lucky you! I got a few emails last night and have decided to extend the sale through the weekend ... enter the coupon code WEEKEND when you place an order from my Etsy shop and receive free shipping (sorry, U.S. only.) And, all of my Boheme cowls (shown above) are still $10 off. Good through Sunday night at midnight, CST. 'Tis the season to be awesome. Go, now ... go!

pregnancy picks /  by jen geigley

I hadn't played around on Polyvore for awhile, and thought I'd share some of my favorite pregnancy must-haves. (A couple of these items are on my wish list, like that super cute dotted dress from Boden, but I own and recommend most of the other things shown here.)

GAP empire waist top
gap.com
Super nicely shaped sweater to show off the round belly.

Boden maternity easy tee and skinny jean
bodenusa.com
I don't own this exact outfit, but have some purplish skinny cargo maternity pants that look similar. Loving the colors.

Boden maternity knot front top
bodenusa.com
Recently scored this awesome mustard yellow printed top on sale.  :)

Forever21/Love21 maternity starter kit
forever21.com
For only $16, you get a tank, leggings and a belly panel/band from Forever 21's maternity line. Must have!

Gap maternity forever skinny jeans
gap.com
These have been my go-to jeans for my entire pregnancy, along with Gap's 1969 full panel sexy boot jeans. They look just like regular jeans and fit the best.

maternity fold over underwear
motherhood.com
The comfiest, and from what I hear, a must-have if you're having a c-section.

Boden maternity easy jersey dress
bodenusa.com
I love love love this dress! The print, the colors ... everything. And it looks comfortable.

True Blue® Spa - Lay it on Thick
bathandbodyworks.com
For the belly. 

Vitafusion PreNatal gummy vitamins
drugstore.com
In my first trimester, I was down and out with morning sickness and couldn't keep down any prenatal vitamins. Until I tried these. I was really skeptical about gummies, but they actually taste GOOD. I promise. I'm picky. 

Mama Bee Belly Balm - Burt's Bees
burtsbees.com
Again ... for the belly.  :)

29 weeks /  by jen geigley

This week, I had another ultrasound to check on things. The news was not what we had hoped for but everything is still okay. I feel good. I'm on something they call 'pelvic rest.' I get Braxton Hicks like crazy. We signed Lo up for sibling classes at a local hospital, so she can hone her big sister skills. I watched 'The Business of Being Born,' researched the pros and cons of circumcision, and continued on the search for the perfect name. We have one we that we like, but we still need to sleep on it.
I made lists ... a 'what we already have vs. what we still need' list and a list of things to pack in my hospital bag. I feel like I have forgotten about all of the gear a newborn requires. The little dude is a major kicker ... way more than Lotus was back in the day, although she was really active, too. I'm already to the point where I can look down and see my stomach shift shape as he rolls around in there, jabbing outward with his elbows and knees and feet and rump. I really think he's going to be a mini-Bo. 
I've fallen in love with a new late-night indulgence: Edy's Key Lime Pie Slow Churned Frozen Yogurt. Which tastes much more like ice cream than yogurt. It is divine. I desperately want to nest and move things from Lo's old room to her new room, but I'm not supposed to lift more than 10 pounds now, so I'm trying to relax and wait. This is hard. I did a lot of knitting this week (for other people and to fill orders) and will be taking part in my last craft show of the season tonight. I can't wait to start knitting a few projects on my own list ... stuff for the kids. I'm going to have two kids. (I can say that out loud now, right?)