Acid Reflux - 1 Me - 0

I have been defeated. Tonight, my acid reflux took on a whole new meaning. It reared it's ugly head, as usual, in the middle of my slumber and caused such a frenzy that I vomited. Yep, you heard right. I puked my pretty, half asleep, self all over the place.

Prior to pregnancy I think I had experienced heartburn or acid reflux maybe a handful of times. But this, my friends, is no typical acid reflux. This is the work of the devil! Every night I am woken from my sleep, hours upon hours after having eaten anything at all, to an overwhelming burning sensation in my throat. I have tried Malox, Tums, Zantac, and Papaya Enzymes and while usually some combination of these things helps, tonight I was outdone. 

I couldn't win this battle, but I won't lose the war! It's on, acid reflux. You will not prosper! 

30 Weeks Pregnant

(ignore my really pretty bruise, no idea how I got that!)

How far along? 30 weeks and 1 day! Ah, less than 10 weeks to go!
Total weight gain: Well my scale decided to crap out on me this week so I can't say for certain but I'm gonna guess 28ishlbs at this point. Midwife said I'm on track and not to fret. Easier said than done, my friend!
Maternity clothes?  This outfit includes maternity leggings from Destination Maternity and a dress from Forever 21. I'm still fitting in my regular leggings but these have a built in belly band that I just love! I usually wear a belly band with my regular leggings but it's so much more comfy this way.  The dress is just a size up from what I usually wear in regular clothes. It's form fitting and shows off the bump. Pretty comfortable material too which is nice. This was actually one of the options for my bridal showers that are coming up!
Stretch marks?  Some on my hips but none on the belly yet.
Best moment this week: Vince and I are redecorating our living room and have been super busy with that. It's been fun and only a little stressful... I have a tendency to change my mind, a lot. Which he totally loves! Not. I'm really hoping it's all done within the next few weeks but we shall see. Also this week my mom came over and we had a sewing day! Or rather, she had a sewing day. I can't sew at all. Although, she bought me a lovely sewing machine for Christmas two years ago, I haven't buckled down and committed to trying it out. Did I mention I change my mind a lot? I tend to be a bit of a hobbyist without actually ever committing to said hobbies. Anyway! She did a fantastic job working on a pillow, bed skirt, and blanket for Baby T's room that I will post about later.
Miss anything? Being able to sleep through the night and get out of bed without looking like an 80 year old. Yeah... I miss that.
Movement: Yep! At our first midwife appointment she said he was head down but I'm fairly certain this stubborn little dude is now butt down because I think I can feel his head on the right side of my tummy. I still have time though for him to move, I guess by 34 weeks is when you want them to commit to the head down position. Hoping he moves back to where he's supposed to be or else we will have to have a serious talk about this business.
Food cravings: Pizza and Cadbury cream eggs.. Not together, though... Gross. 
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope
Gender: Boy! I still think it's amazing how I was so sure he was a boy from the very beginning! Just goes to show how powerful a mamas intuition really is.
Labor signs: I have been getting some occasional Braxton hicks contractions, or so I think. I also spoke with my midwife about how I get crampy doing any activity such as walking. She gave me a powder Cal-Mag Citrate to drink that is supposed to help and so far it's been doing wonders! It's even making me sleep a little better at night because my hips don't hurt as bad, which is a huge relief!
Symptoms: I am sad to say I have discovered the main antagonist in my heartburn story, his name is Chocolate. Oh chocolate, I will miss you! I went about a week without eating any and was regularly taking my papaya enzymes as recommended by my midwife. Then one rainy night I decided to indulge in some chocolate and holy heartburn! Even with the papaya enzymes, Malox, tums, you name it... I was being tortured by that darn Cadbury cream egg. Which is especially unfortunate because I seem to crave them on the daily. Oh well, goodbye for now my friend, til we meet again!
Belly button in or out? Outie!
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or moody most of the time: Happy as a clam :)
Looking forward to: Another midwife appointment on Monday! I'm now at the point where I have to go every other week but it's so nice because now that I've found a place I really like, I thoroughly enjoy the appointments and look forward to them. Last appointment at 28 weeks my fundal height was measuring at 30 so I'm curious to see what it is this week. I've read that the fundal height measurement usually coincides with the amount of weeks you are. So we'll see what it's like for my 30'week appointment on Monday.  And hopefully he will get back into position by then too!

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DIY Pallet Projects

I have been on the hunt for some great pallet project ideas and so a vision post was much needed. I need to get my hands on some pallets first but I have seen so many great ideas and projects and am just so excited to start!

Source // Pinterest

I couldn't find the original source for this [insert pouty face] but I love this fun idea for shelving. It doesn't provide a ton of shelf space but it would be a cool piece on a blank wall.

Source // Mandy Jean Chic

Another cool Pinterest find. What a fun wall! I would love to do something like this over our fire place/mantel but a much smaller version. This must have taken a lot of time, effort, and pallets! Also loving the green walls. 

Source // Pinterest

Again, I couldn't find the original source through Pinterest, grrr! But this is a beautiful coffee table that looks fairly easy to do. 

Lots of fun ideas on Pinterest. I swear I could (& I do..) spend hours on that site! We are in the process of redecorating our living room so I'm having so much fun finding all kinds of ideas. Vince probably doesn't love the process as much as I do but I'm sure he'll love the finished product!

Check back soon for updates on our living room revamp! 

28 Weeks Pregnant

How far along? 28 weeks
Total weight gain: 24lbs 
Maternity clothes?  The only maternity piece in this outfit is the white long sleeve shirt from Target maternity. The jean jacket is Forever 21 and black leggings are also Forever 21. Boots are Steve Madden
Stretch marks? A few on my hips but they are pretty faint. I've been applying lotion daily still. 
Best moment this week: We bought a new couch and new dining area rug! I'm really excited about that and to be finally redecorating. I tend to get tired of things really quickly so it's fun to change it up a bit. The couch was actually an awesome Craigslist find! I'll try to post later and show it off, I'm really loving it!

Miss anything? Sleep. It's hard enough with Vince working nights and not home to cuddle with me, but finding a comfortable position is just a pain in the ass! Literally!
Movement: Tons! He rolls over all the time and it's so funny to watch. 
Food cravings: Today I had a craving for Nerds... so strange! I always want pizza but that's been pretty consistent my entire pregnancy. It's not really a craving but just always sounds good. Oh! I did crave angel food cake and strawberries this week... holy moley that was delish!
Anything making you queasy or sick. No, certain smells make me feel a little queasy but nothing extreme.  
Gender: Boy
Labor signs: No
Symptoms: Heartburn has been ok lately actually! I am starting to feel a little tired and get burnt out really fast but overall I feel great. Still can't believe our little guy will be here in a few short months!
Belly button in or out? Outie
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or moody most of the time: I've been a little emotional this week... I can definitely tell a change in my hormones as I've been a bit more sensitive than usual lately. Normally I'm pretty level headed but for some reason things strike a nerve much more quickly than usual. 
Looking forward to: Our first appointment with the midwife on Monday! Oh yeah, and my stinkin glucose test which I am super nervous about. I really hope I pass!  

27 Weeks Pregnant

How far along? 27 weeks and 2 days - I have officially hit my third trimester, holy crap!
Total weight gain: Oh geez, do you really want to know? Ok.. I'm up 22lbs total. Fun stuff I tell ya.
Maternity clothes? I'm still fitting into a lot of my regular tops but maternity jeans are a definite must. I wouldn't dare squeeze into a pair of my pre-prego jeans.
Stretch marks? Just the one I found last week on my hip... I'm full anticipating finding more but so far we are in the clear (almost).
Best moment this week: We found out my sister-in-law is pregnant!! Yay! I am so excited for her. She is due end of August which means our little ones will be just about 4 months apart. Such an exciting time and I am so glad that T will have a cousin close in age. Most of my cousins are way older than me, I only have 2 that are close in age but we lived far apart during childhood so didn't get to spend much time together. My SIL lives just a few miles from us so I am sure there will be many play dates in our futures!
Miss anything? Normal sleep and being able to go a day without heartburn. Those are my only wishes. Sleep has been difficult because I just can't seem to get comfortable. I have a body pillow, as I've mentioned before (I think.. darn pregnancy brain!), but it doesn't seem to help very much. My hips kill me at night and I'm constantly switching sides to alleviate the pain. I'm lucky though that I don't have to get up at a certain time in the morning so I can usually get a decent number of z's. 
Movement: Yep, lots! It's been fun this week to watch him move... I've really started to notice a lot of his movements from the outside and it's a crazy sight to see. I keep trying to guess which body part I am seeing but it's so hard to tell! I wish I could just peek inside and see what he is up to.
Food cravings: No cravings per say, but I have been loving bananas and peanut butter. Oh Em Gee!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope
Gender: Boy!
Labor signs: None
Symptoms: Heartburn & Hip Pain = Fun Stuff!
Belly button in or out? Outie
Wedding rings on or off? On! I keep checking my fingers to see when I might need to take them off but so far, so good. I never take my rings off so if that time comes it will be really hard for me! I will definitely feel naked.
Happy or moody most of the time: Happy most of the time. I had a few moments of stress this week in which I just felt a little cooky but overall I've been happy. Still loving pregnancy!
Looking forward to: No big plans this coming week. However, the following week we have our first appointment with our new midwives and I'm really looking forward to that. Although, I have to take my glucose test that same morning and I've heard that is just no fun at all. So not really looking forward to that part but the rest will be exciting. And hey, only 13 more weeks until this little guy makes his big debut! Can't wait to meet you baby T!

Oh, and Go Hawks!

Honey, What's For Dinner?: Crockpot Chicken Taco Chili

Crockpot Chicken Taco Chili

(Excuse my ugly phone photo, I got a little hungry and immediately chowed down)

Are you sensing a theme here? I clearly love my crockpot! It's so easy and very little clean up. If you're like me and hate doing dishes, you must get yourself one of these bad boys. My favorite!

The recipe was found on Skinny Taste and has been modified slightly. Go see the recipe on their page to see the original and get nutritional facts, and also to see a much prettier picture than mine (pssh, whatever!).

This has definitely become a staple in my home and it makes a ton of food! It usually lasts us a couple days and is equally delicious. I might make it a little too often but oh well, at least this prego lady is cookin' something!

Ingredients: 

1 16oz can black beans

1 16oz can kidney beans

1 8oz can tomato sauce

10 oz package frozen corn kernel

2 14.5-oz cans diced tomatoes w/chilies (or fire roasted without)

1 packet taco seasoning (mine was from Trader Joes and I used the whole packet)

1 tbsp cumin

1 tbsp chili powder

3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 can green chillies (Again, Trader Joe brand.. I use about half the little can)

Directions:

Combine beans, onion, chili peppers, corn, tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder and taco seasoning in a slow cooker. Place chicken on top and cover. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. 

Serve over rice and enjoy!