Pregnancy #2: Week 26

I had another maternity photo shoot with my lovely friend Caitlin this week and it was just so hard for me to decide which pictures to post from it! 

Cait is so much fun to work with and I just am so thankful for her offering to do this fun little series! 

The day we had our shoot it was a whopping 50 degrees and sunny outside and it felt so wonderful!

After so many months of weather in the 30s and below, 50 degrees felt like fresh springtime.

It did my soul so much good to traipse around the woods for an hour without freezing to death. 

This outfit was a pregnant women's dream.

Dressing this baby bump is starting to become a bit more challenging but I'm loving it.

I think I will probably wear this outfit a dozen more times before the baby is born - it was that good.

Here are a couple tips for dressing your baby bump:

1. Elastic waistbands are your best friend - embrace them. I'm not talking yoga pant waistbands or leggings-as-pants waistbands (just say no to those unless you're staying at home all day). I mean elastic waistbands in skirts and dresses! They will be your saving grace when you can't comfortably fit into your favorite jeans anymore and you don't want to look like a frumpy mess. This particular skirt has an elastic waistband and I can wear it under my belly, on my belly, or even over my belly for 3 different styles - there really isn't anything more versatile during pregnancy than an elastic waist maxi skirt.

2.  Layering Tanks. This is probably a super obvious and basic thing that everyone already knows but I think is so important to mention. With a basic layering tank you don't have to worry about that belly popping out from under your regular shirts (because I'm sure you're not only wearing maternity shirts). They're also a great support for your newly acquired "chub". I get all my tanks from Forever 21 for less than $4 each and they come in every color imaginable. 

3. A Flowy Shawl. A flowy shawl or cardigan is perfect for throwing on over a boring tank to dress up a little bit. You still get the comfort of wearing your simple tank but without feeling under-dressed or frumpy. 

My outfit details:

Skirt: Forever 21 (they have a bunch more colors in-store)

Tank: Forever 21 (tunic length is my favorite because they're extra long and provide more belly coverage!)

Shawl: H&M (a few seasons ago)

Thanks again, Cait for more beautiful photos!

You're the best! 

Maternity Shoot!

On Tuesday I got together with my friend, Caitlin, to do a "week 22" maternity photo shoot!

I've been following Cait's blog A Daily Dose of Dress for what seems like years and we just finally met this week! 

I may or may not have been a little starstruck, hehe. 

As wonderful as she is on her blog, she's even better in person!

When she offered to do a photo shoot with me awhile back I got super excited and anticipated the day until it came - I felt like a giddy little girl. 

This is the first set of photos in what we're planning on being a fantastic maternity series throughout the rest of my pregnancy!

(p.s.  you seriously need to check out Cait's blog. She has a vintage wardrobe (that I constantly envy) that is to die for and her photos are always perfection. Sometimes I visit her blog just to get cheered up on a bad day because of all the lovely things she does.)

I was originally going to make this post one of my weekly pregnancy update posts but I didn't want to take away from the photos with all my boring statistics! 

So I'll do a separate post for that tomorrow.

It's kind of hard finding outfits that works with being a mom to a one year old AND being pregnant without looking drab and frumpy. 

One of the things I'm most passionate about (hobby-wise) is fashion, so it's hard for me not to try and look my best all of the time (and also on a budget).

I kind of have to be selective now that my belly is starting to grow and I'm always chasing after Vivienne because there aren't many options that really work.

I wore this outfit twice this week because it was cute enough for a photo shoot and also great for running around trying to keep up with my toddler. 

(Though Cait did have to brush off some kid food from my elbow at one point even though I was sure I scoured my outfit for food, boogers and poop before heading over to meet her!).

My go-to outfit these days is:

- a comfy but fitted dress

- some fun colored/patterned tights

- a pair of oxford shoes

----

Thank again, Cait! 

You're the best and I can't wait for more adventures!