The year of the Blogger Babies

Tee: Motherhood Maternity (clearance) / Blouse: Kohls / Leggings: Target

Oh my word! Y'all didn't tell me how many of you were preggo out there in blogland!

After neglecting my bloglovin feed since *cough cough* February *cough*, I finally started weeding through and so many of you are pregnant too!! 2013 is clearly the year of the fashion blogger baby. I kinda wish I had been able to come back to blogging earlier so I could have been following everyone elses pregnancies too! Congrats everyone!!

So as I mentioned before, job hunting has been a real pain in the patoot. Due to the unemployment, the stark reality is - I dont get dressed every day (something tells me that will be the case post-baby too...). I spend a lot of time in B's sweats and an oversized tee or some combination of B's stuff and maternity stuff. But, occasionally I do have an errand that doesn't require full-on thinking about an outfit, yet still requires me to get out of my sweats. In those occasions, I go to my trusty leggings. I'm still rocking non-maternity ones... wonder how long that will last?

Anywho, hope everyone is having a glorious Thursday, it is Thursday, right?!

Hey, its almost an outfit post!

Cubs tee: Motherhood Maternity / Jeans: Liz Lange for Target / Camo Jacket: Surplus store / Glasses: Old Firmoo

Ok so it's not exactly blog quality photography, but I'm easing back into things, ok?! Prepare yourselves for another long post y'all, I promised a preggo update yesterday and here it is!

I mentioned baby in my post yesterday but realized I hadn't ACTUALLY announced that she is a girl!
We are thrilled cuz it's what B and I secretly both wanted for our first, though I had older brothers so I would have been thrilled with a boy too, because I know the value of having a great older bro (or two!! :)

We are 22 weeks and growing quickly. She's a ginormous wiggle worm and is on the move constantly. I LOVE feeling her move, but I'm also fearful of it because she seems to not need that much sleep, and I have a feeling that may translate to a not-so-good-at-sleeping baby out of the womb?? Oi.

B hasn't been able to feel her kicking on the outside yet, but I can't wait until he does. Right now it feels like a secret between just me and her, and I know Daddy can't wait to be in on it :)

I have been SUPER blessed with a really fun and easy pregnancy so far. Only mild nausea in the first trimester (and vomiting only twice!), by weeks 11 and 12 I really didn't even feel pregnant (which of course wigged me out). But doctors appointments confirmed she was still in there and healthy! I had some insane sugary candy cravings early on, and was forced to temporarily swear off white meat and garlic due to scent aversions, but that all has since quieted. Second trimester has also led me out of the fatigue woods and into the 'feeling like myself again' clearing, with my only major change seeming to be my growing belly. At this point, I feel fantastic. My skin has been super clear, and my moods totally stable (albeit with the occasional 'I don't know why I'm crying, I just am' fit). I'm sleeping well most of the time (thank you Boppy body pillow) and it's a rare day that I need a nap.

Of course there has been the swollen feet if I'm up and about too long and lightheaded-ness here and there, along with the occasional painful round ligament pain stabs and weird dreams, but it hasn't been anything unusual or too tough to handle. If the 3rd trimester, labor and birthing go this smooth, I have a feeling B will want to keep me in a perpetual state of pregnant as long as we can handle it! HA!

Overall I've been pleasantly surprised and completely thrilled at how well my body has adapted to this pregnancy. It has an air of 'meant to be' around it that I love!

Other than that, B and I decided to do her nursery a little 'shabby chic'. We found a great crib and dresser at a garage sale and are in the process of (safely) sanding, priming and painting it from its light wood state to a pretty dark brown. I also have a really cool plan involving scrapbook paper for the dresser drawers! We've got our registries pretty well nailed down and we hope to get our sage colored glider via that, and my mom is going to help me make her bedskirt once we find the perfect brownish/gray shade of damask. Its a lot of work, but its so much fun! I'm getting antsy and nesty already about putting together her room, and can't wait to do so after her shower next month!

We also do have a name we love (we've had it since our 2nd date - true story!), as well as a few backups, but we won't be sharing. We want to make sure that's who she is when we first see her little face. Until then, 'baby girl' is her official moniker (along with nugget, bean, wiggle worm and the occasional 'little shit' when shes causing mommy a little too much pain).

So that's that! As I ease back into blogging I'll share more on a week to week basis and less on a 'heres a giant blog post to cover the last 5 months' basis. Sound good?!

What the what? A new post?!

Hi guys!!! Any readers still out there?! I know, I've totally disappeared the past few months. I even missed my 1-year blogeversary! Gah! But I wanted to give you guys a bit of a life update, so I hope you understand where I've been - and how much I've missed blogging!! Next entry will be a baby/preggo update, so hold tight for that one :)

Ok - life. Where do I begin....
When B and I first moved to Lexington in January, I was about 8 weeks pregnant (I'm 22 now! Agh!!). I figured I still had plenty of time to find a job before I started REALLY showing, and I hit the ground running with my resume. I've always been very blessed (and lucky) when it came to job hunting, and I have never really applied for jobs and not gotten one. I saw a lot of jobs available here in town that I thought I'd be a perfect fit for, so I excitedly applied to all of them as they came up, and patiently waited for my phone to start blowing up.

It didn't.

Then I applied for a bunch of jobs that I was mostly overqualified for, but would 'pay the bills,' and I again patiently waited for my phone to start blowing up.

Again, it didn't.

I wondered if potential employers were googling me and finding my blog and Twitter where I had clearly already written about my pregnancy, so I immediately locked them down and deleted preggo-related posts.

As the weeks (and months, geesh) started going by, I had a few phone interviews, but one of them straight up told me I was one of 150 applicants. 150! Apparently Lexington is really heavy with job-seeking marketing coordinators. At that point, I had started growing so much that I knew I wouldn't be able to hide my bump if I got called into an in-person interview. And I knew if I was 1 in 150, there'd be someone "better" (ie. not going to need maternity leave soon after starting) for the job.

It wasn't looking good. And then I thought - did I really want to go back into corporate marketing anyway? Eeeeh, yes and no. I was good at it, and it paid well. But it wasn't really fulfilling, and it was definitely stressful. My whole life outlook was already changing with this little one growing in my belly, and making money and being queen of the world was becoming the less important part of my life (don't get me wrong, money is still nice, and I'll gladly take what we can get!), but it seemed to me God was putting into motion other plans for my life, and career path. There's a reason I'm not finding a job in what I was doing pre-baby.

What then, did I really want to do? Something I had never considered before, but was in the forefront of my mind - teaching. Getting to teach kids a subject I love, and help them grow, while having a great retirement plan and benefits, and summers off with my own babies sounds really, really good.

So now, I'm in the research phase of 'Project Katie's New Career'. My major was in journalism, and I'd like to teach English or Reading/Writing. Those don't necessarily go hand in hand so it looks likely I'll have to go back for another bachelors in order to get this gameplan moving. School and a newborn is a really scary prospect, but I wouldn't start until next spring to give me time post-September birth. I'm not sure how it will all look to me after baby girl is here, since I know I'll have my hands full, but I also know I wont be alone. And B is so incredibly encouraging and supportive of this path, that I know we could figure it out.

In the meantime I've picked up an awesome part-time job to get me out of the house and keep me sane - and also give me a discount on maternity clothes. Hello. Yes please. And I'll be working on my college application and any tests I need to take pre-going back to school (um. Scary.)

So there it is. What I've been mulling over and trying to figure out for the last several months.
What I want to be when I grow up.

Nothing is set in stone by any means. Everything that has happened in the last few months has been so insane and unexpected. I've gone with the flow and kept hope that God had a plan for me and for B and for this new little girl, and I think he does. So I'm going to keep giving it up to him and see where it takes us!

The flip side of this is I don't have to 'hide' my pregnancy any more, which also means - more blogging! Yea!!

Ok, so whats new with you guys??? Any teachers out there have any advice or suggestions? Or just want to tell me how amazing your job is? Cuz I'd love to hear it!!! Hope you all are fabulous!

A Grand Excuse

I know, I know. I took another hiatus and didn't even leave a note. Bad blogger!

Here's the thing. We all know I've been in the midst of a major relocation and all that jazz, and while I thought I'd have loads of unemployed time on my hands, I've actually been pretty swamped between unpacking, settling in, job hunting, hitting the gym and doing the domestic thang. Still no bites on the job front, but I just today unpacked the very last box in our room! Score!

As you can imagine, I don't do these things in cute outfits with my hair did and makeup on. In fact, I'm mildly embarrassed to admit that today I woke up, worked in our bedroom, showered, and put my pjs right back on. I'm sure B loves coming home to this hot mess every day ;) Anywho that's a large part of the lack of posting.

The other part?

Well -- remember THIS post, where I mentioned there were exciting things happening (re: our move), and no I was no pregnant before you even ask? Welp. Turns out I should have waited a few weeks before throwing that out there, cuz, well, I AM! Ha!! God sure has a funny sense of humor ;)

I'm SO excited to announce B and I are expecting a little bundle of joy this September!!! He/She was a lil surprise and we are so thrilled and excited. I had no idea how attached I'd be to this little being growing inside me so quickly.

What all that means for this blog, I don't know. I don't have a whole lotta outfits to share right now and I'm not sure how much of the pregnancy I'll want to put out there for the public either (I've already discovered that EVERYONE has opinions!) so I think for now I'll just play it by ear. But in the mean time, me, baby nugget and B are settling into Lexington and preparing for this next phase in our lives. And loving every minute. :)

Why hello there!

Dress: Groopdealz / Sweater: Kohls / Booties: Kohls

Just checking in guys!

I've been a busy bee over here getting ready for the move next week. We found a house in Lexington, and I'm finishing up at work - things are a little nutso! But thanks for hanging out! I'm about to be unemployed, so I'm guessing I'll have a little more time for bloggy things in the very near future :)

Also - check me and some other lovely ladies out over at D.I.Y. Louisville today!!

Hope everything is going well for yall!!

True Colors

Blazer: Target, old (similar) / Jeans: Forever 21 + / Shoes: Gap, old (similar) / Tee: WB Shop

I probably should have put a disclaimer on the nerdiness of this post. I have no problem talking about the nerdy things I'm super into, (re: video games, Ghost Hunters, Lenore comics, cats and anything-cat related, the occasional Disney movie... the list goes on) but I have a ridiculous love for all things Harry Potter. I'm not sure why it started, but around the time I caught the 3rd movie, I fell in love with J.K.'s wizard filled world. I think it stems from my mad desire to have magical powers when I was a kid. Hey, what kid doesn't wish for that?!

Anywho, B kindly indulges my HP love, and he bought me this tee recently. Thank's for enabling me honey! :)

What guilty pleasures do y'all have??

Simplicity.

Top: CAbi / Pants: AE / Shoes: AE (similar) / Scarf: Handmade gift

Hey guys - not a lot of time today, just a quick drop in to let you know I AM still getting dressed in the morning ;) There's nothing especially fashionable or extravagant about this outfit, but sometimes there's beauty in simplicity.

B and I are gearing up for our house-hunting trip to Lexington - can't wait!! I'm so excited to spend a little time in the city we are about to call home. I'd be lying if I said my head wasn't already there anyway.

Hope you all have a happy Tuesday!!

Jazzin' it Up

Cardi: Old Navy (on sale!) / Tee: Amos Lee concert tee / Jeans: CAbi / Boots: Steve Madden (similar) / Earrings: Target (old)

Some days you just want to wear a plain ole t-shirt. Really, that's a lot of days for me, but I try to refrain. In this case, Friday seemed like a good opportunity to jazz up a tee a little bit. I paired it with my awesome new cardi, a little animal print goes a long way. Its hard to tell, but there's metallic threads woven in it too, which makes it extra fun. A pair of heeled boots and some saucy earrings and wa-la. I love the way it turned out and bonus - I was super comfortable all day. 

What are your tricks to making a snooze-worthy outfit more fashionable??

Copycatted

Sweater: Target - old (similar) / Shirt: Kohls (similar) / Jeans: AE / Mocs: Minnetonka

I got the inspiration for this look when I saw it on Ms. Franziska over at Franish - she has a super cute blog and great real-girl style! I fell in love with the jewel toned color combo and I realized I already had all the pieces to recreate it. I decided to go flares over skinnies for an even more casual look, but I think it still has the same effect. Thanks for the inspiration lady!

So our move is picking up steam - we have our house hunting trip to Lexington planned out and our realtor there is on the hunt for a good rental for us. B has his start date and travel arrangements. I got a vet appointment set up to get my kittehs ready and get some sedatives for the flight, and I ordered another Sleepypod Air (we flew them separately last time so we used the same one for each flight!) -- sidenote, if you are ever traveling with your small pet in-cabin I HIGHLY recommend these. They are the perfect size and they are lined with super cozy fleece/fur stuff. They are easy to carry and the dark mesh kept my girls calm (for the most part. When the sedatives wore off mid-flight Lilly got a little chatty, but that's a story for another time.)

Anywho, its getting a little nutso around here, so you should probably follow my twitter to keep up with me! Do it, do it!

Have a happy Friday y'all!

Styling Faux Pas

Sweater: JCPenney / Dress: Kohls (similar - dressier - sexier) / Tights: Kohls / Boots: Blowfish (old) / Glasses: Firmoo / Necklace: Gift

I feel my lack of daily photo taking has left me with even less posing skills then I had to begin with (which was essentially zero anyway). Am I putting on a straight jacket in photo number 2? And seriously, whats on my boot?! Ah well. You can't win 'em all.

I'm pretty super in love with this sweater, but looking at the outfit now it could have used a belt. And different boots - if I had some! I'll try again tomorrow kids ;)

Hope y'all have a good day!