Bigger and Bigger

Bam. Look at that belly. 

Speaking of belly, my wardrobe selection gets smaller by the second. I nearly cried tonight while trying on dresses and skirts that were once loose...

"Everything okay, baby girl?" Justin asked when he came upstairs. 

"Well, besides the fact that nothing fit me anymore..." I said. 

"You are almost 27 weeks pregnant," Justin reminded me. "And you are going to get a lot bigger over the next few months." 

Bigger?

Than this? 

How much bigger? 

"But you are seriously so beautiful," Justin said and then kissed my forehead.

Thank goodness for a supportive husband!  

 

In other news, I presented at a marketing conference today!!!! 

I am writing a blog post to share the details + pictures tomorrow. Stay tuned. 

Much love, 

Ashley

My Feet Are Officially...Gone!

"I said, look ma- no...feet!"

Much love,
Ashley

Favorite Outfit Friday: May 31, 2013 (Johnny Cash Day)

I might change my "Favorite Outfit Friday" series to "Whatever Ashley Still Fits Into by Friday" - What do you guys think?

Every morning before I leave, I give Justin a kiss goodbye. Barely awake, he kisses me (sometimes missing my lips) and says, "You look so beautiful!"

Even though he has eye boogers and I know his eyes are half open, I always appreciate the compliment.

This morning, I leaned over and gave him a kiss. To my surprise, his eye widen and he said, "YOU LOOK LIKE JOHNNY CASH!"

Okkkk...sir. What does that mean?

"I mean, with all black like that!" he said, before I could ask if he was implying I look like a man.

Cute bow tie necklace!

You can't even see the toilet behind me anymore!!!

"Well, thanks!" I said. "But I'm wearing black and DARK blue jeans!"

"Same difference," Justin said.

I shake my head and begin walking downstairs as I shouted up to him, "HAVE A GREAT DAY!" 

And then, (obviously) he started singing his Johnny Cash voice, "And it burns, burns, burns -in the ring of fire."

Much love,
Ashley

10 Nontraditional Pregnancy Tips

You might be one of those people that lives by every word in those pregnancy guides. If that's the case, this blog post might offer you zero benefit. I'm not a pregnancy expert.  And I have to admit I haven't read a single one of those books cover to cover. The textbook format and lack of humor doesn't keep my attention long...

Instead, I found comfort in books like "Belly Laughs" and "Sippy Cups Aren't for Chardonnay" - and obviously, my personal experience has inspired me to write a book of my own.

And the movie "What to Expect When You're Expecting" is hilarious - pregnant or not, you must watch it! 

For the time being, I thought it'd be worth while to share 10 of my nontraditional pregnancy tips I've gathered thus far.

1. Pour yourself a mixed drink. No, I don't mean go out and get hammered with your friends.

And I am not even condoning that you take a shot of vodka after a long day at work or school. But, there is something relaxing about having a refreshing drink out of a wine or martini glass.

My current favorite is pineapple juice, grapefruit juice, and tonic water. I'm sure it's all mental, but having a drink like that after work really lightens my mood.

2. Have a stranger danger plan. If you thought everyone judged you as a teenager, just wait until your pregnant. Everyone has an opinion. Everyone did something better or different. And hey- that's okay!

But what is NOT okay is when complete strangers judge you.

And trust me - they will! The other day I was at McDonald's - I ordered my food and then stepped aside to get my drink. The Diet Coke was starring me down!

Now, I gave up Diet Coke pre-pregnancy, but sometimes I have the occasional sip from Justin. Anyway, I wanted a little sip so I put my cup under the button and filled my cup up less than half way.

I look across the restaurant and this lady is giving me the most disgusted, judgmental stare ever!

Something like this:

I was beyond annoyed. She watched me as I took a sip of my drink and smiled back at her. Then shook her head in disbelief. I told my coworker at the situation and he told me I just needed a plan. Here is what he proposed:

Get a little bottle of vodka, dump it out, and fill it back up with water.

The next time that happens, pull the water vodka out of from my purse and make eye contact with the judgmental stranger.

While maintaining eye contact the entire time, twist off the cap and dump the "vodka" into your beverage.

Slowly lift the beverage up to your mouth - still never breaking eye contact- and take a strong swig.

Then, with your eyes still burning holes through their soul, take your arm and wipe it across your mouth slowly.

THEN they will have a reason to judge you.

3. Suck up your pride and buy some maternity clothes. Listen, maternity fashion has come a LONG way! I've found some super adorable and affordable maternity clothes.

I've chatted with some woman who waited forever to take the maternity clothes plunge. They were too "proud" and burnt out the rubber band method. But trust me when I say being comfortable while pregnancy is critical to your emotional and physical survival.

Maybe you can't afford new clothes - I totally get it! Borrow something from your friends or hit up the thrift shops.

See - maternity clothes are SUPER cute and show off your adorable baby bump!

4. Suck up some MORE pride and buy granny panties. Seriously - best decision I ever made. Get comfortable underwear stat! This is how I felt when I stopped wearing underwear that rolled down and bunched up every single day 300 times:

Ooh-ooohhhhh!

5. Find your zen. Make sure you find time for yourself and do something - anything - that helps you reduce stress and RELAX! A few things that work for me: writing, working out, meditating, eating frozen yogurt, and watching teenage dramas such as Pretty Little Liars and Gossip Girl.

6. Make your chubby feet look cute. "There is no way I am getting chubby feet!" I once declared to Justin. Well friends- it happened. My feet, like the rest of my body, have gotten bigger.

Making chubby feet look good!!

Instead of hiding your feet, pamper yourself and get a pedicure! Can't afford a pedicure? Do one yourself! If nothing else, your significant other should give you a foot rub or 29.

7. Don’t do your baby registry unless you and your significant other are having the happiest day of your entire life.

Seriously, learn from us- doing your registry is extremely overwhelming and slightly scary. We got to the first wall at BuyBuy Baby and noticed there are 45 different types of bottles and nipples.

"We have no clue what we are doing." 

"How do you know which one is better?"

"What the heck is the difference?"

"What does that certification mean?"

"Wait, where would you put that thing?"

"Okay, but really- what if the ultrasound tech was wrong and we really have a girl?"

And this will be your response to all of those questions:

Yeah, that pretty much sums up our experience.  I guess what I am saying is...if you're having a bad day, just stay at home.

You will immediately be overwhelmed.

And you will definitely have differences on which crib is better or what stroller you should get...

So- do your research, ask your friends what worked (and didn't) work for them, and be open minded.

8.  Put your hands on your belly when you laugh. It’s adorable and makes other people smile.


9. Stop calling yourself fat. You are growing a baby! A small, tiny human that will potentially look and act like you or your significant other. That might be scarier than the baby registry experience...But remember, pregnancy a beautiful blessing and amazing journey - so enjoy every minute and toss out the scale if it helps ease your mind.

10. Stay away from Google and WebMD. I'm not saying you should be unprepared or uneducated, but there is no sense scaring yourself by reading about all of the awful and crazy things that could happen to you and (or) your baby!

Always listen to your body. 

Pay attention to any unusual changes or discomforts. 

And ask your doctor every question that comes across your mind. In fact, write down your questions before your doctor appointment because you're likely to forget what you wanted to ask him or her (pregnancy brain is a legit side effect).

That's all for now!

Much love,
Ashley 

20 Week Snapshot

This is what 20 weeks looks like in my world.

I took the first picture five minutes after I found out I was pregnant (so I am probably five weeks at this point).

And the second picture was taken last week!

Even though I weigh nearly 20 lbs more, I feel more beautiful in the right picture. I truly believe in the pregnancy glow! And Justin even says I am the happiest I've ever been (on most days).

Pregnancy is such a beautiful journey and gift.

Just a few more months until we meet our little Cooper!!!!

Much love,
Ashley

You're More Beautiful Than You Say

On Wednesday night, I went to a relaxation spa party. After a few extremely stressful weeks, I was looking forward to a night with some fun ladies, eating good food, and a getting in on a pampering session.

Little did I know, I would have a relaxation revelation that completely transformed my attitude and outlook on myself (and others).

After chowing down on some amazing food and getting a fantastic manicure scrub down, we went around the room to introduced ourselves. The consultant also asked us to say something nice about Hilary, the host of the party.

Saying something nice about Hilary was incredibly easy. She is kind, beautiful, and positive in nearly every situation. I couldn't ask for a better neighbor!

When it was my turn, I described her as I just did above and added that, "And she always knows how to make you feel good about yourself! The other day I was outside in the front yard - working on our landscaping- and she walked over and told me how good I looked! But in reality, I looked awful - I was in running clothes and sweating all over the place. But she made me feel so good about myself."

 After a few more people shared wonderful stories and kind words about Hilary,  the consultant said, "I just always like to have everyone say something wonderful about the host because as woman - we are so hard on ourselves. Like your story (she pointed to me), you were hard on yourself even just telling that story. So I think it's really important that we get told how special and wonderful we really are...because we probably don't hear it enough!"

Why couldn't I tell a story without putting myself down?

Why am I so hard on myself?

Is that a reflection of how I truly perceive myself?

Could the perception of myself be a reflection of how I treat the people around me?

My mind couldn't stop wondering.

And that's when I had my relaxation revelation.

I thought of the Dove commerical - take a few minutes to watch this video (if you haven't already):



You see?

It's not just me.

Or you.

It's all of us.

Your perception of yourself impacts everyone around you...and everything that you do!

This morning, my friend Meghan posted a Facebook status that got me thinking about this topic some more...She is a beautiful girl - about 6'0" and thin. She is a runner - extremely active. And she loves eating healthy (but certainly knows when to break lose and enjoy some ice cream when needed). She simply takes good care of herself. And looks great! Anyway, this morning - two woman walked by and made a comment about how thin she was...an offensive comment like, "That skinny bitch needs to eat something."

My heart broke for her...it's awful. Would they say the same thing to a heavier woman walking by? Would they tell her to stop eating?

My first thought is NO -they wouldn't. But then again -if you're THAT unhappy with yourself, you probably get satisfaction out of putting others down. Or people like that simply don't realize how hurtful their comment was because they speak to themselves like that every single day.

I remember when I would see an INSANELY fit woman running in a sports bra and short shorts. I would think, "Is that necessary!? Do you really need to run half nude?"

But I've gown up since then.

And even if my words don't reflect it all the time, I feel more confident and comfortable in my skin than ever before.

Today, when I see fit woman running in sports bras - I think, "You go girl! If I looked that darn good, I would be running in whatever the heck I wanted to wear too!"

If we have a negative perception of ourselves- we will instinctively treat the people around us in a negative way as well.

We will be quick to put people down.

Quick to judge someone.

And who wants to live like that?

Who wants to be that negative, unpleasant person?

Someone who is unable to give a compliment or see the positive side out of any situation.

Stop spreading the hate and filling your mind with harmful words.

Whether the hate you are spreading is internal, external, or both - make steps to live a more positive life.

Stop being so hard on yourself and the people around you!

Give at least one compliment a day.

Give YOURSELF at least one compliment a day. 

Find something beautiful in everyone you meet.

Focus on the positive aspects on your life and the people around you.

Stop being jealous of someone elses' life.

And make changes in your own life if needed.

So for my compliment for the day, I'll tell each and every one of you (my beloved blog readers) the same thing: 

You're more beautiful than you say...

Much love,
Ashley

How I Feel Tonight

Yes.