(less than) 10 weeks to go!

Oh. My. Goodness.

This pregnancy is going by so fast!

I can't believe that our little girl will be here in 10 weeks (or less).

Lord knows I'm ready for her to be here!

Her arrival date is set for July 2, but I have a gut feeling that she is going to be a June bug.

Here's what's new:

Mid-March I went in for another ultrasound to see if my [marginal] previa had cleared... 

and it did!

I had my glucose tolerance test and passed! It was not as bad as I have heard.

Its kind of like a super sweet sprite - a little stomach upset afterwards but not too bad.

Luckily my OB/GYN office is right next to Whole Foods so I immediately

went over there and macked down on a pint of soup! Problem solved.

Miss Hayley is growing and growing.

Her movements are getting softer because she is running out of room

to do round-house kicks and now just kind of rolls and stretches her

arms and legs as far as she can (and a little farther sometimes).
The only complaint I have here is that her adorable little feet tend to
find and kick on the exact same spot on my uterus every. single. time.
I am not sure if bruising is possible from this, but its becoming quite unpleasant
and then I remember how cute her little feet must be :)

My new favorite pregnancy thing: baby hiccups!
They are so so cute. just little *ticks* in my belly.

Slowly but surely her clothing collection is growing!

My mother-in-law scored a ton of cute clothes at a garage sale

*a tip for mamas-to-be: do this! Babies outgrow their clothes so fast

so garage sale clothes are very gently used - if at all -

some still had tags on them.

And my mom took to Etsy and stacked Hayley's headband & bow collection. 

Over the next few weeks I will begin to pack our hospital bags

(just in case!)

and of course I'll let you know what is in there when I actually have it figured out.

I have already plotted mine and my husband's fastest routes to the hospital 

- we work on opposite ends of the city -

and have booked our Hospital Tour!

We decided to forego formal birthing classes for the sake of time and convenience.

I did find a free online Birthing Course from Baby Center and will let you know how it goes.

I asked my OB and she said that with the internet and books, you already know most of what you need to and to definitely take the time (and money) to partake in an Infant CPR class

which is offered at our Hospital.

If you have fur babies:

As we have been receiving things for the baby,

we have been letting our dog, Shelby, get used to the items.

She is our personal baby-product-inspector!

She is allowed smell everything but tries to take it in her mouth.

We are allowing her to lick the items so she can get a better sense of what they are

and we let her know that these things are "Hayley's".

- everything still needs to be washed so as of now we are not concerned with her licking things -

We are teaching her "Leave it" and so far she is doing very well :)

Every once in a while she will get a hold of something and just cuddle up with it.
Except for this super cute lady bug jacket... She must think it's a giant bug haha 

Fingers crossed that she doesn't destroy anything!

Shelby will be about 2 years old when Hayley is born; she is maturing and 

coming out of her puppy phase.

She is showing us signs that she will be a good Nana to Hayley

and I cannot wait to see them bond and grow up together!



Sorry I do not have a picture for this update; we have been extremely busy
(and I have mostly been forgetful)
but I have included this lovely too-real-life-to-handle illustration from Lin Severinsen.
 To see more of her adorable/hilarious illustrations on pregnancy and motherhood:
http://www.kosogkaos.no/

Stay tuned for my next update in a few weeks!
(with photos, I promise!)

I have had the fortunate opportunity to work with 

PinkBlush Maternity

this past week and am thrilled to bring their product to my blog!
(scroll to bottom for giveaway instructions)

I absolutely fell in love with this company after reading rave reviews on their clothing.

 ...

Around my 18 week mark, I was desperately needing some maternity clothes.

I searched and searched stores for cute and comfortable maternity clothing

and ended up disappointed every time. 

Then I found PinkBlush!

I spent days browsing through their website as they are 

constantly adding new product and keeping up with the flavor of the week.

It was (and still is) extremely difficult for me to not spend my life savings

and their adorable clothing.

I was able to find the typical t-shirt and jeans/shorts in department stores

but the one thing I was lacking was comfort.

Now being 25 weeks, none of my cute pajamas fit me anymore, 

and although I am super comfortable in my husbands t-shirts, 

they lack that feminine quality that a pregnant woman needs to keep her morale high.

I am absolutely in love with my PinkBlush Hospital Robe!

I wear it around the house whenever I can and love coming home from 

work, throwing it on after a log day and freeing my bump.

I cannot wait to wear it to the hospital over those hideous gowns

and welcome our baby girl into the world surrounded by bright, beautiful colors.

 Also, it will be perfect for me to continue wearing around the house

when I am home with her during the very warm San Diego summer months.

GIVEAWAY!

One of my lucky readers will win a $75 PinkBlush giftcard!

To enter to win:

1. Follow me on Instagram @themckowns

2. Like this photo

3. Tag a friend in the comment section of this photo

You may comment and tag as many friends as you would like to 

receive more entries.

All 3 steps must be complete to be entered.

I will choose and announce a winner on April 1st!

Good Luck!

Pregnancy is not easy. 

(not for me anyway)

Now that I've made it to six months,

I finally feel like I have a good grasp on what my body needs

to be as comfortable as possible to make it through the last 2 months.

Here are the things that have made it easier for me to get along

without going completely insane.

-click item name for link-

1. Leachco Snoogle

I insisted on my husband getting this for me as a Christmas present!

I was about 12 weeks along at the time and even though my bump had not

quite made its debut, this was a lifesaver for helping me get to sleep!

Now, it gives me incredible belly and back support.

Unfortunately our dog has taken an extreme liking to it

and I have to pry her out each night.

2. Vaseline Intensive Care Cocoa Radiant Lotion

  

I started off using Aveeno 24-hour Moisture lotion which was great but 

as my belly started to grow, I felt it wasn't moisturizing quite well enough.

I love that the Vaseline has cocoa butter in it and leaves my skin feeling

soft and smooth and non-greasy. Plus it smells amazing!

3. TUMS

This seems silly and cliche pregnancy advice

 but TUMS is a lifesaver!

I haven't had heartburn yet - thank goodness-

but I have been experiencing some crazy acid reflux just before bed.

Pop one of these bad boys in and everything is cured.

It's like duct tape but for your stomach (fixes everything).

4. Motherhood V-neck Ruched Tee

I absolutely love love these t-shirts!

Evan took me shopping for Valentine's day which also happened

to be President's weekend so every store was having huge sales!

These shirts are so soft and comfy and the fabric is thick (non-sheer)

and super stretchy for my growing belly.

I wish I could have one in every color!

5. A Pea in the Pod maternity shorts

On a normal day these are definitely a splurge.

But during the President's Day sale they were half off!

-yes, in San Diego, we buy shorts in February- 

These are by far the cutest and most comfortable maternity shorts ever.

I also bought some shorts from Target which are okay but stretch out a. lot. during the day.

6. A Maternity/Nursing Bra

I've been hesitating buying one because I'm in love with my VS bra

but I am now seeing/feeling the importance of one of these.

Obviously going to need one soon here as the girls keep growing.

As soon as I find one that I love, I'll put up the link!

7. An Amazing Support System

duh. Pregnancy is a new and exciting experience 

- at least for first timers -

And having either your partner, family, or close friends around

to help you get through the pains, fears, and emotions that come along

with being pregnant is something that is absolutely invaluable.

BONUS: 

We can finally see Hayley moving from the outside!

Her kicks are getting insanely strong.

I have a feeling she is going to be a tap dancer or something in that field.

(I was in the middle of watching a video at work when she went ballistic) 

It's not much and looks more like video glitches (right side) but that's our little girl!

Now that we know the gender I have been

anxiously thinking about my baby shower!

 I actually started my registry when I found out I was pregnant

as a way to keep me excited through the first trimester trials.

I have read numerous articles and blogs about

what should/should not be on the registry,

what's necessary and what could be left out.

Of course there are many 'staples' to register for when it comes
to preparing your home for baby.. bottles, diapers, bedding, etc.
but these are the few things
I am looking most forward to sharing with her!

(click item name to view website)

1. aden + anais swaddles 
along with matching stroller accessories of course!

 

 

 

2. sophie la girafe teethers

 

3. Boppy nursing pillow & slipcovers
 4. 4moms mamaroo



I will be working partially from home so this will keep her calm while I'm busy



5. Skip Hop diaper bag
Because every mom needs a practical yet stylish diaper bag for all those bitty things



6. Chicco Bravo travel system

One of the top rated and most function travel systems!

I can't believe I'm half way there!

The second trimester has been much more friendly to my body.
Nausea has subsided and I can actually eat again!

However, it has been traded for pretty bad headaches,

nasal congestion, a few aches and pains.

At 12 weeks we had our Neuchal Translucency scan

and our little baby passed with flying colors

and everything measured exactly how it should.

 Except the Sonographer found a cyst on my ovary... eek.

Apparently this is normal. 

Little One was squirming around but was kind enough

to hold still for a bit to get a few good pictures.

12 weeks - apologies for the glare

At my 16 week check-up everything was still looking good.

Baby's heart rate was a whopping 160+ bpm!

The only problem was that I had not gained enough weight

thanks to my first trimester nausea.

The Doctor suggested to load up on the carbs - NO PROBLEM!

 This brings us to the present.

On February 5th we had our anatomy ultrasound to 

look at all of the parts of the baby and make sure 

he/she is developing properly.
Little one was being a booger and hiding the goods and remained in a position
that made it difficult for the tech to get all of the measurements. 

I went back the following Thursday (19 weeks + 5 days)
and baby was being super cooperative!
My Grandma came along and got to see her great-grand baby
(her birthday was Valentine's Day so this made for a nice present)
 Baby was being adorable as ever!
We even got to see the tongue going in and out!!
and the poor thing was having a heck of a time trying to get a thumb in the mouth.
and... 

It's a girl!

She is already a camera hog with that little smile :)

 Apparently she has crazy long legs which she has not
been shy about showing off...
some of these kicks are pretty insane!
(and somehow manage to find each of my organs)

We are so excited to welcome our sweet baby girl this summer!

This is Shleby's last Bark Box :(

She has loved receiving her brown box each month.

I didn't do a post for December because as we all know,

the Holiday time gets crazy.

As usual she got a few different Holiday themed treats,

along with a squeaky Frosty hat and Carrot chew toy (think KONG).

 The January Box has completely changed her life!

It came with a companion :)

We call him "little man" and she takes him

everywhere she is.

The moment we get home, she greets us and then finds

her little man to greet us too.

Also in this month's Bark Box was:

- Disco Waffle Cheddar Biscuits

- Duck Jerky Tenders

-Elk Jerks Sticks

- VW Plush Bus

(I can't bring myself to give her the bus because it 

is so dang cute and I would hate for her to destroy it)

Shelby with her Little Man (pardon my poor phone camera quality)

Our experience with Bark Box has been absolutely amazing!

Although some of the toys were completely destroyed

within 24 hours, Shelby has cherished most of them 

and they are still in her toy basket.

I'd also like to mention that their treats are AMAZING!

They all contain good, quality ingredients such as chia seeds,

sweet potato, protein, and/or something delicious

such as PB or cheese.... and she loves every one of them!

Maybe, down the road, when she finally runs out of toys and treats,

we will purchase an actual subscription.. who knows? :)

There has been a legitimate reason for my lack of 

activity for the last 2 months...

I'm Pregnant!

We found out a few days before Halloween

and since the first week of November or so, 

I have not been able to conjure up as many posts, recipes,
or DIY as I would have liked

because all of my energy has been spent making a little one.

(and combating nausea, and sleeping, and trying to eat)

But I have just entered my 2nd trimester and am finally beginning to feel

more like myself, although still a bit sleepy most of the day.

I am so excited to share this journey with you 

and give you my tips, tricks, and do-and-don'ts

from my experience so far.

Weeks 4-8:

were by far the absolute worst!

I had trouble keep my eyes open and

ended up telling my boss the news sooner than I had 

planned so she would understand why I was taking 

little cat naps throughout the day.

(also, she told me she has a super power for

telling that women are pregnant before they

tell her, so I wanted to beat her to the punch!)

Before I even found out I was pregnant, I bought my prenatal vitamins,

started reading up on "What to Expect...", changed my diet

and developed a post-shower lotion routine.

(we were SO ready to have a baby!)

6 days before Aunt Flow was due to visit, 

I started taking First Response tests every other day..

all of which came back negative. 

2 days after AF was expected, we went out and bought the 

Clear Blue Digital tests and VOILA!

(I really did not want to try and decipher little pink lines I wanted results!!)

I was able to eat my breakfast each morning - toast, banana, OJ

and for the rest of the day, the smell, sight, or 

thought of any food made me want to barf.

I had to eat out almost every night ($$$) because the 

instant something sounded edible, I had to scarf it down.

For some reason the only things that ever sounded good were

Chik-fil-A Spicy Chicken Sandwiches, smoothies

 and the occasional burrito from our local Mexican place.

My evenings were spent curled in a ball on the couch or bed

 trying my darnedest to keep down whatever food was in my tummy.

My symptoms were pretty friendly otherwise, thank goodness.

I had super sore boobs for the first few weeks and it has

since simmered down a little, but still a tad sore.

There was a little cramping which I think is mostly 

from my organs making room for the little one.

And I still have yet to spend a moment kneeling over the toilet.

Here we get intimate because I think any mother-to-be should know this.

I had the typical brief implantation bleeding.

About 1 week later, I woke up to bloody underwear.

Ladies, if this happens, notify your Dr. immediately. 

This went on for a few days, but was less and less. 

I saw my Primary and she said as long as there is no pain or cramping,

there should be nothing to worry about.

1 week later I saw the Physician's Assistant at the OB/GYN office.

She did an ultrasound and said everything was perfect :)

we got to see the heartbeat and she measured baby to be about 6 weeks. 

I had a follow up with her 2 weeks later.

Again, a perfect little gummy bear!

(that is actually the scientific term she used for an 8 week old fetus haha)

and this time we got to hear the little heartbeat 170 bpm!

So everything is in the clear!

I wanted to share this because I searched and searched

the internet, forums, etc. and only found stories that ended in miscarriages.

I want women to see that even though it is scary, it can still be a happy ending!

I look forward to sharing the rest of my journey with you 

and keeping you up-to-date on our little gummy bear

Shelby's November Bark Box arrived on November 17 

and it is Thanksgiving themed!!

so adorable.

What she received:

Holiday Hamwich baked treats

Grain-free jerky bites

2 Beef Jerky Sticks

A plush squeaky Turkey

- the squeak is more like a gobble -

Rope with plush squeaky leaf

I unfortunately am unable to get a picture of her

actually playing with the toys 

because she is either running around and squeaking them

(especially the little Turkey)
or we have to hide them to get a few moments of silence.

I can't wait to see what she gets next month!

It's no secret that November is the time of year

when we start remember all the things we are thankful for in our lives.

Although I believe shedding light on these thankful things

should take place on a daily basis, it is always good to know

that November and Thanksgiving comes around and reminds us to do so 

when our lives have become a chaotic mess throughout the year.

Here are the things that I give my greatest 'thanks' to...

my husband 

and his unwavering love and affection

all the things he does for our little family

and the support I receive from him every. single. day. 

our sweet puppy shelby 

we adopted her the day after Christmas last year

and it was been a wild and amazing adventure

her quirks and cuddles warm my heart

our home

our little two bedroom condo has become

safe haven for us to return to after a long hard day

it gets a little cramped a times but it is ours and we love it

luxuries

cars. jobs. food. hot showers. clothes

these are luxuries in my opinion

these are things that not all people have

I am always thankful that I can have a full belly,

steady income, and place to wash myself at the end of the day 

nature

I love the outdoors and looking at all

the spectacles that nature has given us

fresh air, trees, wild flowers, weather

not so abundant in southern california

but when I have the chance to explore - i take it

click & print me :)

On October 21st, we were lucky enough to get tickets

to attend the Price is Right (so fun!).

Anyway, it was pet adoption week and everyone

in the audience received 1 Bark Box as well as

a 3 month subscription to Bark Box;

since there were 4 of us, Shelby gets an entire year's worth!

She loved her sample box that we received that day!

It included 3 packs of treats (Duck/Chia gummies, Bully stick, Bacon treats, 

a rope with a giggle toy on it

(think back to those sticks when you were 5 that make a 

high pitch whoop noise when you tilt it back and forth)

and a Hound Bark-ula (Dracula) squeak toy that she has taken 

a liking to an refuses to actually destroy it!

At the end of October she received her first customized Bark Box.

It was New York themed with a Big Apple Snack Bar, Bacon treats,
a squeaky Stature of Liberty ball, and a Pretzel Rope.

The pretzel, sadly, was destroyed within 48 hours.

Although it doesn't look like it in the photo,

she is obsessed with the Statue of Liberty ball

she goes for it first thing in the morning and squeaks the 

daylights out of it ALL DAY LONG.

Bark Box sends their products out on the 15th of

every month. I (and Shelby) can't wait to see what comes next!

Husband Evan, Me, and my Step-Dad

(Mother-in-Law was taking the photo)

Our Episode air date is December 10, 2015!

You'll spot us next to George Gray

Fall is my absolute favorite time of year!

This is the time when I whip out the seasonal decorations

and make my annual trip to Yankee Candle Co.

and stocking up on sale items at Michael's and Joann

to get me through the season. 

I love the chilly evenings, early sunsets,

colorful landscapes, rain, boots, sweaters, 

bringing out the blankets, and stocking up on tea and cider.

(unfortunately this year is insanely HOT.. again. thanks San Diego.)

 To fond out how I made my October wreath, click HERE

Hello and welcome to my blog!

My name is Erin McKown.

I am a 20-something year old wife to my 

amazing husband, Evan, mother to our boxer-shepherd Shelby,

an avid dreamer, and a blossoming photographer.