Friday, May 22, 2015

Maternity Family Photos, Baby Number Two:

Maternity Family Photos, Baby Number Two:


I have been meaning to share these for a few weeks now, its amazing how my last minute to do list before this little angel arrives just keeps building and building.  My sister (Kelsey Steindler Photography) is an incredible professional photographer and I am truly so blessed by her graciousness! She is so giving of her time away from her family to shoot these sweet memories for us, and i will truly cherish these forever.  I also wanted to say a HUGE thank you to The Bloomin Gypsy for her incredible talent & creating this perfect flower crown for our maternity session. It could not have been more perfect. I wanted to feel feminine and represent all things girly since we are welcoming our first little lady into the home. I am just so grateful for the place the Lord has brought us to in this new season. Truly, we are so happy and at peace right now, its the perfect time to welcome this special little girl into our home.  

This post is dedicated to our babies, Cash and little miss that will be here in less than 3 weeks.  We love you with every part of our being and thank God for you every day. You both have touched our hearts and lives in ways we could never explain. You are our angels, you encourage us in our walk with the Lord daily and have brought so much joy to our home.  Daddy and I are closer today than ever before and more in love each day as we raise you little ones together as a team.  We are so ready to meet you sweet girl, and although it will be a big adjustment for us all, I know your brother is going to be so sweet and gentle with you because thats who he is and we cant wait for him to meet you. I am already melting inside thinking about your father becoming a daddy to a little princess, i am counting down the days until we see your sweet angelic face & bring you home with us. Carrying you in my womb has been magical, i will miss you always being with me and am forever grateful for this gift.

 





 














  






















Check out The Bloomin Gypsy for all of your floral needs! 
Instagram @thebloomingypsy

Instagram @kelseysteindlerphotography

Xo


Monday, May 18, 2015

What We Love: The Little Linen Company + 10% OFF Discount

What We Love: The Little Linen Company



Im so excited, today is my last day of work before maternity leave! And tomorrow we go on our little staycation babymoon! I cant tell you how much my exhausted body is craving some R&R.  It'll be our first time away from our little guy (hes done sleep overs at his Mimi and Papas house 3 times now but we hung with him all day before taking him over there, so this will be basically almost 2 full days away from him and im nervous for how ill do, but i know he'll be ok and have tons of fun!).

Any who, before I go I want to share about The Little Linen Company with you all because they have the cutest selection of swaddle blankies for babies with such fun unique prints. You'll see below they sent us this adorable veggie blanket called "Veg Out"  (Weegoamigo brand), my favorite as you all know are gorgeous florals so i am smitten with this Rose Toile (Little Linen Company) swaddle, and this Weegoamigo 4 pack muslin blanket combo called "Doll's House" is a perfect combo of gorgeous Spring colors.  Check them out for all of your swaddle needs, they also have stroller blankets, bedding, & cute baby towels/wash cloths.


vvvI cant wait to wrap my girl up in this heavenly print below vvv





^^^Could these colors be any prettier?!^^^


Shop The Little Linen Company here !
For 10% off Use Coupon Code: TESSARAYANNE for their US store

Friday, May 15, 2015

What We Wear: Sonnet James + A Trip To The Aquarium

 What We Wear: Sonnet James + A Trip To The Aquarium

 

 I have been dying to share this play dress with you all for all of my mamas out there or ladies that just like to have a good time and look pretty but still want to have fun and have the flexibility of not worrying about what you're wearing.  This play dress by Sonnet James is one of my favorite play date outfits right now. I could literally sleep in this dress its so comfortable.. and thats saying a lot for a pregnant women 4 weeks away from her due date? ha!

Heres a little inside scoop on Sonnet James: "Whitney believes passionately in being a playful and involved mother. She also believes that with the right dress you can look great without letting your clothes get in the way of the next big adventure! Sonnet James was born out of the idea that beautiful clothing should work for moms—durable, comfortable, and beautiful, yet easy to care for. So, enjoy your Sonnet James dress at the park, the museum, and the city".

... or in my case, at the aquarium. (:

This dress in particular is called the "Reese Dress" in white (although i love the grey and navy too), its my favorite! I also love their "Piper Dress" and "Remi Dress".  They're not maternity but they certainly work for us prego mums. Im in a size Small and couldve easily squeezed this bulging belly into a extra small and had plenty of space to spare.  You'll be seeing me in this dress all summer long, especially when im concealing my after baby belly hah.  You must must must stop by their website to check out what Whitney has created.  I think i need to order 5 more for when im running after two little ones in the near future.

We had such a great Mother's Day spending it together as a family at the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific. I loved watching my little guy take over the tanks one by one with the widest eyes and touching every part of the glass he could get his little fingers on. I live for these days.. the days i get to spend with all of my family members (almost four of us now!) and watch them smile, make memories, and play with so much love and joy in their hearts.  The weekends are my favorite, and anything we are doing together is fun as long as we are together.  As cheesey as that sounds, aint it the truth?!

I hope you ladies had a fabulous Mother's Day, and thank you to Sonnet James for making my so sweet with this beautiful play dress. (:


^^^sporting that 35.5 week pregnant peek-a-boo belly button ^^^



^^^The length & stretch is perfect for kneeling down to play with our littles^^^









Xo



Tuesday, May 12, 2015

35 Weeks: Pregnancy Update

35 Weeks: Pregnancy Update




 




How far along: 35.5 weeks pregnant (quickly moving onto 36 in 2 days)

Due date: June 11 2015

Weight Gain: 24 lbs. 


Symptoms:  Lower back aches at night, bathroom trips usually once a night, TONS of braxton hicks daily, cervical sharp pains here and there that stop me in my tracks and i have stand there cringing until they're gone. This week i had some really bad ones. I was told they are the baby either moving lower or hitting a nerve on your cervix that sends shooting pain.  Shes so active and her movements are sometimes uncomfortable but thats to be expected at this stage.  Im SUPER exhausted, all day long, so being motivated to do anything is tough. I have to go go go with my toddler so resting isnt really much of an option besides nap time and night time..which i look more and more forward to do these days (;  I have a little acid reflux here and there but not often, maybe once every few weeks. I eat spicy and acidic foods all the time and eat regular sized meals and dont seem to have an issue with heart burn, which is SOOOO nice because i crave mexican food and limes/tangerines.  I have that darn numbness under my rib cage (especially on the right hand side), i had this with my first pregnancy too, it seems to be aggravated by my bra and sitting.  At 35.5 weeks i started experiencing pelvic pain or lower abdomen pain, it just feels really really sore/heavy, the dr said thats "pressure" from the baby.

Still a little acid reflux (burning in my throat) but not really that intense, and hasnt led to that dreaded heart burn a lot of mommies talk about. Im still eating spicy foods, late at night, and big meals and haven't had too much of a problem yet. I have a numbness on my right upper rib under my right breast. I read this is common for a lot of moms and its just my uterus pressing up against my other organs  cramming them

Cravings: Chocolate, sandwhiches, and chips w lime and rock salt still.. new ones lately are smoothies, cold tangerines again, and sees candy loli pops.  Coffee is and off and on thing for me, i cant make it myself because the smell makes me gauge, so ive been opting for Chai Tea Lattes when my hubby and i do coffee runs.

Wedding Rings: on. Although im just wearing my engagement ring because im too afraid my wedding rings will cause another allergic reaction so i put them on only for special occasions.

Belly button: out, no question there!

Exercise: Lately just cardio once a week. Im lucky if i get to go twice.  Ive been so tired though that its probably for the best to rest more often.

Sleep: sleep is ok, i wake up tired though and it lingers throughout the day. I still use my pregnancy pillow and ask for massages nightly. Which reminds me, i had the best pregnancy massage at Burke Williams spa this past week, if you havent had a spa treatment during you pregnancy... get one!!

Maternity Clothes: Yes rotating between maternity pieces and non maternity pieces. Im all about comfort these days. Anything tight or restricting hurts.

Excited for:  finishing her nursery, our babymoon next week!!!, and meeting our little girl.

Missing: feeling comfortable. I often have waves of nausea lately, and ill get hot flashes and feel like im going to faint if im standing in heels or in heat for too long.


Pre Labor Signs: YEP, we are at that point where this is now part of the update!! AH! I started having a little menstrual like cramping in my lower belly with a dull back ache (at 35.5 weeks) for an hour here and there throughout the day. Im thinking this is just practice and/or dilating or effacing my cervix, who knows?! I remember having this all the time with my first pregnancy but not so sure it was this early on?  Im excited for my dr visit this week to check!  Im feeling sore around my lower pelvic region and my bones down there feel achey on and off.

Dr Update: My dr will start doing internal exams this next week! im excited to see if things are already progressing.  I also have a scheduled growth scan, the dr didnt say why she just said she would like to do one. My fundal measurement is right on track so not too sure what her curiosity is but im not too worried about it.

Life update: my sister had her baby 6 days ago!! My heart is so so happy! Her little girl is so precious. Being in the delivery room for my sisters birth just a month away or less frm being there myself was a little bit scary.. ive seen births before in person but my poor sisters epidural didnt numb her all the way down there, so she felt all of the crowning and babys head coming out, which looked so extremely painful. I wasnt expecting to feel that because with the epidural i didnt with my son.. but now im preparing myself for it just incase. and lets just say, thats the part im not looking forward to. The part where we meet her and get to see her little face and her personality is all i can think about at the moment though!

See my 35 week pregnancy update with my first here and 36 week update with my first pregnancy here

^^^35.5 weeks this past Saturday celebrating our sweet friends Andrea & Kileys nuptuals^^^

^^^& a huge I LOVE YOU and HAPPY MAMAS DAY to my gorgeous mom who has made me the women i am today, without her I would be so lost. Shes the best mom and I am so honored to follow in her footsteps with my own children^^^

& lastly, my sweet niece was born just a little over a week ago!! She is precious and makes me feel extra excited for our sweet angel to be here. 

I hope youre all having a lovely day!!

XO

Saturday, May 2, 2015

What We Wear: Tart Collections + 30% OFF COUPON CODE!

 What We Wear: Tart Collections + 30% OFF COUPON CODE!

 

The past two weeks have been so jam packed with so much going on, and not all the fun kind but the massive "to do list before the baby comes" kind. So I do apologize for the slight delay in posting lately! I will have plenty of time to catch up, im going on maternity leave very very soon here & we've been  narrowing down on that list day by day. I have a lot of things I want to share, a 'life lately' post, our maternity pictures, some great shops for little girly/boy items, a pregnancy update, "a health recipe and what we've been eating lately" post.. and the list goes on. We will get there eventually!

Today I have a really special company to share with you all, Tart Collections, im sure you've heard of them, but did you know they have a maternity line? Um yes please.  Tart Collections contacted me and gave me the opportunity to test out some of their great pieces! I was so excited because I know anything maternity is actually comfortable, and I knew they had a very very cute line to start so adding comfort to fashion was just what i needed to hear.  Check out some of the items below from their maternity collection, i also picked 2 items that are non maternity for all of you non pregnant ladies who follow along here and are looking for some cute spring clothes.







^^^I wore this non maternity (but very stretcy and comfortable) maxi dress to my second baby shower thrown my by mother in law last weekend, find it here^^^^


^^^This is my favorite color so anything that comes in it lets just say im all over it! I loved this materniy knee length dress, those leather sleeves are so adorable and its super flattering. I wore this out to dinner with my sisters (see below) Find the Judith maternity dress in maroon here^^^


^^^Sorry for all the poor quality iphone photos^^^ 


^^^This non maternity navy and white striped cardigan is a perfect spring cover up or throw on when the weather is off and on chilly. Find the Darla cardigan here^^^ 



^^^Here are some cute heels and wedges that can go with all of these dresses (i wore a nude heel), a few options of turquoise drop earings like the ones shown in the baby shower photo, & a couple really afforadable a fake tooth long pendant necklaces like I wore with the black and white triangle geo print dress^^^.

Shop Tart Collections website HERE
Follow them along on instagram @tartcollections

My readers get 30% OFF at checkout with 
COUPON CODE: tessa30

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

What We Wear: Humble Hilo

What We Wear: Humble Hilo

Hi all, i hope everyone has had a great week thus far, we have been so busy lately i feel like life is just going by so quickly! I have this feeling of restlessness where i feel like i have so much to do and not enough time to do it. It must be early nesting or something? Whatever it is, its good and bad. I get a lot of the fun stuff done but the things that i really  really need to do i keep putting off because of my lack of energy these days (pregnancy update post to come soon).  I am sooooo tired from being 32.5 weeks pregnant, third trimester is beating my bum! Anywho, one of the many things on my list of to do's is to share with you all some of the cute baby girl clothes ive been collecting for our sweet little lady on the way! Today i have SUCH A RAD brand to share with you. Humble Hilo.

Humble Hilo is a company that was started by two friends, Lauren and Erica, who share a passion for fashion and helping others!. Together they created beautiful bags, shoes and clothing created from Guatemalan textiles.  Humble Hilo creates job opportunities for Maya women and families living in poverty. They also give a portion of their profit to a hummanitarian organization called World Link Partners. This organization helps the Guatemalan people in 3 different projects: Infant and child nutrition, Literacy and Education and lastly Microfinance loans for women. With every item you buy youre supporting these families that are employed by them, as well as you get to choose which of the 3 projects your purchose will go towards supporting! HOW RAD IS THAT?! This is a company i can fully get behind. Find more info here.


"With more than 7 years spent in Guatemala working with non-profit organizations, we want to do more than just sell products; we want to create a change. We have traveled back to bring fashion-forward items to market. These unique items mix ancient techniques with modern style that will set you apart from the rest." -the lovely ladies of Humble Hilo.  They have hearts of gold and just want to help others in need.

I love this sweet little dress handmade and handwoven below and these leather sandals are probably my favorite sandals ive ever seen! 


With the purchase of JUST these $25 leather sandals, you can choose a portion of the proceeds to support one of the following humanitarian projects:
  • Nutrition: Feed a malnourished child 2 meals for 1 week
  • Microfinance: Provide a portion of a microcredit loan to a woman for the duration of 4 days
  • Literacy: Provide literacy classes for a woman for 3 weeks 
 
YES YES YES!!! 

^^^these handmade/handwoven (by Guatemalan women) dresses come in sizes starting at 6months all the way up to 24 months. Traditional materials used: Huipil patch with blue corte fabric^^^

Please be sure to stop by their site and check them out ((HUMBLE HILO))
Follow on instagram @humblehilo


XO