Oh Baby Bump!!

29 Week Pregnancy Bump

Who says being pregnant can't bring a little bit of happiness. Although the first few months of my pregnancy was torture with the nausea 24/7 and losing weight because I couldn't eat or drink I am now enjoying my 29 week bump! It was tough but we finally made it. 

This week I've experienced a few symptoms such as heartburn, car motion sickness (if I wasn't driving) and getting the wind knocked out of me. I really haven't had any craving besides those oatmeal cakes and an occasional cupcake. For the most part I eat healthy and make good decisions on what I put in my stomach. Partly because I do not want to be working extra hard in the gym to fight off any unnecessary pounds I could gain from eating whatever is out there. I've never been the type to just gorge on anything and nor have I been the fast food type. 

So I'm pretty much all belly and this baby may come out over 8 pounds! We'll see! Her daddy is 6'2" 235 lbs of muscles and I'm 5'6" 151 lbs (hey hey hey its baby belly weight) I started at 144. So far I think I'm doing great with the amount of weight I'm suppose to be gaining. 

Our little girl is very active and kicks and squirms all through out the day. I hear it's pretty normal and if that changes to call the doctor. No movement in a 24 hour period is bad!  I've also gotten better with taking all these pills thanks to my pill case and my nails have started growing back. I noticed they were constantly breaking and chipping so I knew I had to get on it with increasing my calcium. Problem solved. 

My Pregnancy Tips:

1. Eat your fruits and veggies throughout the day it will help with heartburn.

2. Avoid red sauces if possible if your experiencing bad heartburn.

3. When at all possible stay limber and loose and do some yoga/stretching and pregnancy pilates. 

4. Drink PLENTY of WATER this will help with constipation.

5. Don't over do it on house chores, prop your feet up throughout the day and relax.

6. Try to nap once a day mid day, it will help trust me!

7. If your bra no longer fits and the underwire of it hurts use a sports bra they are miracle savers. Not only do they give you support but they're comfortable to wear under any shirt.

8. Take your prenatals this will help with hair and nails. 

8. Enjoy this stage: rest, walks and naps. Baby is almost here!!

Girl Behind the Lens

~Girl Behind the Lens~

As you know I can't take photos of myself! But my beautiful teenage daughter, who has been the helping hand of my photos galore, has been the one behind the lens. She has always been into taking photos so I've decided to let her use my camera to get in some practice. Thus far, I can't complain. I think she does a wonderful job for what I need. 

She told me a few ideas on what she wants to be when she is older but nothing solid yet. Maybe photography might be for her?

So I thought I'd blog about her today and maybe YOU guys can leave her some comments and tips on photography! If you have any experience please feel free to share. 

Our Gardening Adventure

~ Sewing Our Seedlings ~

Today we planted some amazing marigolds and a red bell pepper plant. I couldn't wait to get them into the ground! My daughter helped till the soil and put down some great compost, dirt and food for these lovely blooms!! 

This is our first cherry tomato plant! I didn't want to go crazy with tomato plants every where and being that I have never tried growing them, and I am new to gardening, I decided to only buy one from the nursery just to get a feel for it. I hope it survives! Up i the top left corner is the only surviving head of lettuce from September. It has survived the frost and cold nights these past 9 months! Imagine my surprise when I just kept seeing it bloom! Go baby go! 

These are turnips I planted maybe about a 2 weeks ago. They are blooming beautifully but I'm having trouble because some bugs are deciding to munch on them! Im one for using organic ways to rid these pest from my potted plants but I had to spray them with a store bought insecticide until I can get a great formula from online to handle the bug problem. Any suggestions? 

Last but not least I also planted 2 watermelon seeds but only one survived. I've been babying this thing like its the last one on Earth to make sure it doesn't get eaten by bugs or taken out by birds or bugs! They say watermelon doesn't grow as sweet here because of the amount of sun they need or something but I have hopes that this plant will produce a delicious tasty treat!  

Tips for beginners:

1.)To avoid multiple trips to the store for supplies have all of what you'll need before starting:

Such as: tools to dig, soil(more than a few bags), compost, fertilizer, fencing, food/miracle grow to feed your plants (THEY DO NEED MORE THAN WATER!!) 

2.) Till and nourish your soil with the proper compost, dirt and additives for the type of garden you will be growing.

3.) Pick a sunny spot so your plants will have as much or a little sun needed for your type of plants. This is very important. If your plants do not get the correct amount they need they may not produce or if they get too much they may wilt and die!

NOW FOR THE FUN PART!! ;)

4.) Pick your plants! You can either buy them already ready to plant or start indoors. But be sure if you grow indoors you have proper lighting and check the packet of seeds to see when the best time to plant them indoors is. 

5.) Most important is to water on a schedule with their food and before the sun is out. You don't want to have your little leaves burning. So water early morning..the earlier the better. That way your plants have time to drink and the water can dry off of the leaves before the sun hits them! 

6.) Have fun with your garden and explore! If at first you don't succeed always try again.  No matter how frustrating it can get with plants dying on you or bugs eating your prized veggies. Always search for solutions to help extend your knowledge of growing and gardening. Nothings more satisfying than watching the blooms of all your hard work! 

~Enjoy & Good Eatin'~

28 Weeks & Counting!

~ Feeling the Love ~

     I'm enjoying another great afternoon before the rain! Pregnancy is such a beautiful thing when you can experience it. After feeling sick for the first 3 months I'm glad that I can finally breathe in the smells of nature, food and soaps without wanting to puke my brains out! I am 28 weeks along and experiencing lots of strong kicks, jabs and punches. I believe she will be destined for something great with those Kung Fu hands. 

     Although I have been experiencing those fake contractions I get plenty of water and rest with my feet propped up-sorta. I usually lay on my side with a pillow tucked between my legs. For the longest I craved Nutella and strawberry jam on bread. I finally found a spread my daughter doesn't like! We also cooked lumpias this week and enjoyed them with white rice and broccoli. My food palate is changing and I'm trying a whole other variety of cuisine spices and flavors. 

Now if only I could get to planting my garden! 

Pregnancy Photo Shoot (26 wks)

I had such a fun time letting my daughter capture these photos of me on this beautiful day! Good thing we did this because its the end of May and it's still 50 degrees at night and raining during the day. It can be a bummer but hey I'm in Italy can't complain to much!