The Fogue Abode

There are certain events happening that really put into perspective the reality that baby will be here soon.  Like grocery shopping, when I picked up a tub of sour cream and noticed the expiration date is after our due date.  Or, the start of college football season in which baby Wes will get to enjoy the second half of.  How about before I freak myself out even more, we go through week 33.




Baby Size: This week, Wes is weighing in at about the size of a stalk of celery, or 4.19 lbs and 17.2 inches long. 

Symptoms: Continued pregnancy insomnia is plaguing me at night.  I can probably thank my squashed bladder for this problem.  And speaking of squashed, I can certainly tell everything is running out of room these days.  Tasks, like breathing or even bending over are extremely difficult.  It's making me go a little stir crazy not being able to pick up toddler disasters.

Currently Missing: Hot baths.  It's never a good idea to be in hot water because it could cause my temperature to rise.  But a nice hot bath is what my achy ribs are wanting. 

Sleep: Becoming more and more limited these days. 

Cravings and favorite foods: I'm currently craving (and indulging in while I write this post) brownies.  I'm loving those little mug brownie single servings.  So easy to whip up and I don't have to share them.

Mood: Busy and Tired.  I'm trying to get everything ready for baby which makes me needing a date with the couch more and more frequently. 

Buying: This week I'm into baby swaddles.  There are so many fun muslin swaddle prints that will make accessorizing a baby boy a little more fun, you know since bows and headbands aren't acceptable for little boys. 

Aspen's Reaction:  Aspen's patience for baby brother is growing short.  She is frequently asking for brother to be here and when he is coming out.  Now how to explain the waiting game to my 2 year old. 

The stomach virus tore through our house this week like a hurricane leaving a path of destruction.  That path included the mess that was the clean out of our spare bedroom to get it painted for the nursery.  It's remanence littered the hall, Aspen's room and the living room.  The not so fun part of eany room makeover, making sense of the mess.  What stays, what goes, and where to put the items we want to keep.  Since I'm still trying to regain my strength to tackle that mess, I figure this would be a great time to share my top 5 nursery must-haves.

I wanted to outline our favorite baby items that we are using in Baby Wes' nursery.  Most of these items are second hand from Aspen's nursery.  We loved them so much that we are chomping at the bits to use them again. 



1. Jayden 4-in-1 Crib  This mid-budget crib is both classic and functional.  When searching for a crib back 3 years ago, I wanted a crib that would grow with my child.  As the title mentions, this crib can pose in 4 different positions making it a great long-term investment. 

2. Changing Pad This one is iffy when it comes to peoples top 5 lists.  Some love it and some hate it.  Us, we loved it and used it daily.  I purchased this changing pad to go on top of the dresser that has now made both of my babies nurseries home.  It makes changing diapers and clothes easier for me as I'm not having to hunch over on a bed or chair.  Don't get me wrong, we still change in these other locations, but the changing pad was also a highly used object in our nursery

3. Rock-N-Play This was a must for my first baby, so I've got it out and ready for baby #2.  My little Aspen was a cuddler right from the start.  She was content as long as she was being held.  Laying her down was always a sure way to wake the sleeping baby.  We found that the cocoon of the rock-n-play helped to ease her into sleep without being curled up in someone's arms.  I know the risks of allowing an infant to sleep anywhere other than on their back in a crib.  But when that is simply not an option, I'm also a fan of doing what gets you and baby the most rest.

4. Video Monitor Another must have nursery item is a video monitor.  I was a big fan of this monitor from day one.  Not only does the monitor provide great sight and sound, it streams through our wifi making it a little more difficult for someone to hack into and view or talk to our little ones. 

5. Sound Machine The one item that wasn't on my mind or my nursery list with our first was a sound machine.  As I was being discharged with our fresh little bundle of joy, my sweet doctor gave us one piece of advice, a sound machine.  We made a quick pit-stop by Bed Bath and Beyond for this machine on our way home. 

This rounds out my top 5 products for our nursery.  As we finish up the nursery during the coming weeks and begin prepping for our next little one, I'll share even more of what is included in our second's nursery.  I've got some really great and fun pieces going up.  Make sure you are also following along on Instagram for some nursery sneak peaks like this .

This week equals worst week ever.  I'm really glad to see 31 coming to a close, it's been quite the roller coaster of a week.  But the best part is Wes' baby cousin was born on Tuesday meaning we are just a month and a half away from meeting our little one.



Baby Size: This week Wes is about the size of a large Squash.  He is closing in on 4 lbs and around 16.6 inches long. 

Symptoms: Braxton Hicks has been the word of the week.  These practice contractions are getting stronger and more annoying.

Currently Missing: Being able to bend over.  I pretty much give up on anything that hits the floor these days.  Being able to paint my toes is also a lost cause now.

Sleep: This week has been really rough in the sleep department.  With a sick toddler and then catching the bug myself, I've had several nights of 3ish hours of sleep.  If this is mother natures way of prepping me for a newborn, it's really cruel.

Cravings and favorite foods: Nothing these days.

Mood: My mood this week has been exhausted and impatient.  I think had I not been sick, this would still be my mood.  It's the third trimester ready-for-this-to-be-over mentality. 

Maternity clothes: This week has been all about the stretchy pants and Chris' t-shirts.  I'm also really loving these nursing tank tops I found at Target.

Buying: Do you follow along on ?  If you don't then you missed out on our crib bedding preview.  How cute is this Dakota sheet from Copper Pearl?  I'm loving the simplicity of it yet it's adding a touch of our adventure element with the arrows.

Aspens Reaction: On Tuesday, the kid's got a new baby cousin and I became an aunt for the 6th time.  Aspen has also dubbed sweet Baby Kellen as "Baby Fry."  If you've been following along, this is the name she chose for her baby brother.  I guess she has resigned to the fact that baby brother is in fact not going to be named French Fry and has chosen to pass it along to her baby cousin.

Speaking of our social media outlets, are you following along on ?  I'm always on the look out for more followers.  If you enjoy this blog, please share with your friends.  You can even do a quick share of our blog posts with the Facebook buttons along the side of the blog and the pictures. 

This week is full of mommy milestones.  While Baby Wes has been growing away, my energy and "must get everything done" attitude has taken over.  Chris called me a little bird the other night as I was in the nursery putting his crib together at 10 pm.  If you know me, I'm usually in bed long before this time.

Along with full on nursery prep which you saw a preview of earlier this week in our nursery mood board post, I've been training my maternity leave replacement for my day job.  Needless to say, prep work is in full force.



Baby Size: In this corner is Baby Wes, weighing in at 3.31 lbs and 16.1 inches long (a pretty big growth spurt from last week which mommy fully feels.) In veggie weight, he's about the size of a bushel of asparagus.

Symptoms: Swollen cankles.  Fortunately, it's nothing health wise I have to worry about and just the result of being pregnant during the summer.  Also new in the symptom department is rib kicks.  Wes is head down in preparation for his debut so those little feet have found a new home underneath my rib cage.  Bluh!

Currently Missing: All the caffeine.  So last pregnancy, I was the saint of abstaining from caffeine.  I've limited myself to one drink a day.  But those really large Starbucks coffees have been screaming my name.  Especially with pumpkin spice season nearing. 

Sleep: Sleep has been limited this week.  Not because of my little baby, but my bigger one.  She's been battling a stomach virus which has thrown her off of her usual good sleep routine.  All in preparation right!?

Cravings and favorite foods:  Speaking of pumpkin spice latte's, I'm ready for a giant pumpkin roll.  Can you tell I'm really getting into the fall mood, it's the nesting right!?

Mood: Productive.  I don't think I've felt this productive since I found out I was pregnant.  Which is a good thing.  I'm usually in my happy place when I'm getting stuff done and seeing results.  This nursery project is making me extra happy.

Maternity clothes:  I found the top I'm wearing today on Zulily.  It is white with coral stripes and has a cut out back.  It's nice for the summer time.  Jeans are my usual Motherhood Maternity pants.

Buying: This week's purchase is a pendant light for the nursery.  Instead of purchasing a whole light, I bought a hanging pendant light kit and a large drum shade for less than $30.  It currently houses a white and 80s brass ceiling fan.  Lighting has been the source of my anxiety with this room.  So finally deciding on something basic that will flow nicely with this room has me screaming at myself "Why didn't I think of this before?" 

Aspens Reaction: As my belly grows larger these days, so has Aspen's excitement for baby brother.  At night we love to cuddle and she loves to give brother hugs and kisses.  A few nights ago as we were laying in bed, Aspen was talking to baby brother.  This was her conversation:

"Goodnight baby brother."
"Tinkle, Tinkle wittle star..."
"Mom, I'm ready to see baby brother."
"Mom, can we just take him out now."

I had BIG dreams!

When 2017 rolled around I had one project in mind.  I was ready to tackle our Guest Bedroom redo.  I was going to make it a huge spring project.  So many fun ideas, including using some classic granny-chic floral wallpaper.  Trust me guys, it was going to look great! 

Then February blew in and we got that big fat positive, you know those two pink lines, meaning there was a baby in our near future.  Ok, that wasn't a huge issue, I quickly reworked the renovation ideas to add in a crib while keeping this totally girly theme.  I was secretly hoping for a little girl just so this room would work out.

Then God said NOPE!  And handed me a little boy.  Chris is over the moon and I'm beyond happy to add a little boy and balance to our family.  But that meant I had to scrap all of my ideas for our guest room.  I just wasn't putting pink floral wall paper in a little boys room.  Here I am six months later and I finally have a plan for our nursery/guest bedroom makeover.



I was starting this project with all of my big pieces of furniture.  We were given a green bed and would use the crib and dresser from Aspen's nursery.  So my color scheme was already in place.  How classic and fun blue and green would be for a boy.

The hard part was the specifics and keeping this room nursery themed while also providing a space for guests to stay. 

I started collecting things I loved for this room and soon an adventure theme was born.  Wes' room will have any and everything from arrows and mountains to airplanes and globes. 

To bring a bit of light and airiness to the room, I went with the paint color of Mink Frost from Valspar.  Thanks to all your input over on IG.  We spent this past weekend tackling the painting.

To tie these two separate living areas into one room, I will use this rug I purchase on Amazon Prime Day to give the room flow and cohesiveness.  The key to this trick is placing the rug where all key elements will be on it.  I've also considered adding a fun sheep skin rug under the crib for a nice layered look.



Want even more?  I'm usually hanging out over on Instagram, you can find me .

Another week has come and gone and here I find myself at 30 weeks pregnant.  Only 10 more weeks to go (and if I'm lucky at all, a little less than that.)  I guess I can say it's crunch time for getting everything on the baby to-do list checked off.  Let's get this weekly pregnancy update rolling shall we? 






Baby Size: Baby Wes should be clocking in around 2.89 lbs and 15.7 inches long.  That puts him, according to The Bump, about the size of a zucchini. 


Symptoms: Rib aches, heartburn, difficulty getting comfortable while sleeping, swollen ankles, constant desire to lose the bra.  The list could go on for miles at this point. 


Currently Missing: Skinnier me! 


Sleep: Lacking these days.  And when I do get a good night full of sleep, I wake up with so many aches and pains that it doesn't really feel like a good nights sleep.  Not to mention I've been fighting a 2-year-old this week for pillow space. 


Cravings and favorite foods: Hibachi which I indulged in the other night.  I'm quite positive that didn't help with the swollen feet one bit.  But it was delish, as were the left overs the next day.


Mood: Tired and crabby.  As I mentioned last week, I'm trying to cram in a ton before the baby is born.  That plus just being slow and tired doesn't help motivate me for the typical house hold chores (like laundry.)  So things pile up which make me crabby.  Yet, I don't have the energy to do anything about it.  So is the story of my life right now.


Maternity clothes: Today I am wearing a Target striped top with my favorite Motherhood Maternity jeans with the side panel instead of the full belly panel and a kimono from LulaRoe since it's a bit cool and rainy again.  I'm loving kimono's this pregnancy.  The bigger and flow-ier the better. 


Buying: I'm excited about this week's purchase.  We never had a movement monitor with Aspen, in fact, they were still relatively new when we had her and it wasn't even on my radar.  But knowing now how little sleep I got in those first few days because my anxious mind would stare at her while she slept to make sure she was still breathing, I decided that this would be a must for baby #2. 


So I read and reviewed all the monitors out there, talked to friends and then did, even more, research and we decided to get the Snuza Hero Baby Monitor.  I liked how this was small and compact, I can easily pick the baby up for feedings in the middle of the night without having to pause anything.  But I mainly loved the fact that if it senses no movement for 15 seconds that it will begin to vibrate as a first attempt to arouse baby.  I'll make sure to come back and update you later on how this holds up.   


Aspen's Reaction:  Have you guys seen Boss Baby yet?  We watched it with Aspen last night.  She was excited about the baby movie, I am hoping it didn't put any wicked thoughts in her head, like shooting the baby out the window.  And what was with all the scary movie references like The Exorcist and Walking Dead?  Creepy!

Hey Girl Hey!  I just got back from the most amazing weekend full of creative, innovative and fearless gals (and a few awesome guys) sharing all about their keys to success in the social influencer world. 

This was my first year to attend Megaphone Summit, an influencer conference held each year in Arkansas.  It was 2 full days jammed packed with great sessions on how to be a better blogger and influencer. Since I have managed to blog pretty regularly for the last 2 years (Whoo Hoo!), I figured it was time to invest in myself and my brand.  Because yes, holy cow, I am creating a brand. 

I learned so much valuable information from some influencer superstars.  It would be super easy for me to rehash what my weekend was all about, but I figure that to 90% of my readers, that would be a boring read.  So today, I'm here with my top five takeaways for the average Jane (or Joe.)  Here are just a few tips I've learned along the way that will help you create a better social media image, whether your go-to is , , or .  (While you're at it make sure to follow me.)

I swear these weeks are going by faster and faster.  This week's adventure with the bump included the dreaded Glucose Test that all pregnant women hate.  For those in the know and that are interested, I went with the Fruit Punch drink again.  It made me feel woozy, but I wasn't anywhere near passing out like I did last pregnancy. 






Also on the bump adventures this weekend, baby Wes is tagging along with me to Megaphone Summit in Fayetteville, AR.  This is a local influencer conference and I'm excited to be attending for the first time.  I'll have loads to unload on you next week regarding this trip.
 
Baby Size: This week, baby is the size of a cabbage or an acorn squash.  He should be weighing in at 2.54 pounds and around 15.2 inches long.  It's safe to say, his room is becoming quite cramped.


Symptoms: Braxton Hicks contractions have really geared up.  These are the practice contractions before the big show.  I've had them on and off since the start of the second trimester.  But I had several episodes on Tuesday that had me, let's just say, observant.  Since they disappeared with water and some rest, my doctor wasn't concerned, just asked that I watch them.


Currently Missing: My regular clothes.  The struggle with tight clothes is real these days!  And that's all I've got to say about that.


Sleep:  I'm happy to report the middle of the night leg cramps have subsided.  I still have the occasional insomnia bout.  But all in all, I had a good week in the sleep department. 






Cravings and favorite foods: Chick-Fil-A!  I treated myself to this southern delicacy not once, but twice this week.  I can rate this treat an A+ by bump standards. 


Mood: Tired yet excited!  Guys I've been so busy lately squeezing in as much as possible.  I've tried to get in a few little fun things for myself since I know that I'm looking at a year worth of all things baby related.  I'm very much appreciative of this outlook from a second time mom's perspective.  I know that I was ready for a baby when we had Aspen, but I don't think anyone has any idea the amount of time and energy it takes from you that first year.  It's so much more than just dealing with the baby basics, but also learning to live your new life and how your new role defines you as a person. 


Buying: Did you catch the fun globes and baskets from the paper airplane baby shower I helped to decorate?  Those are also going to the nursery.  I finally have things coming together in my head as I've been collecting bits and pieces along the way.  Hopefully, work will begin on our nursery/guest room soon.


Aspen's Reactions: This week's reaction is brought to you by the letter S, as in sharing.  Aspen has been all about sharing with baby brother.  We have tried to prepare her little 2-year-old mind for how childbirth works, in that baby is currently in mommies tummy but soon he will be out like her baby cousin.  Who knows if she really understands.  As for now, she wants to share her toys and her food with my belly button.  Which she also finds fascinating because it pokes out.

There are few things I love more than getting to be creative and showering those I love with pretty parties.  So when us sisters got together to plan a baby shower for our youngest sister, I jumped on the decorating train.  I'm pretty pumped that she is due about a month before me, also with a little boy.  In our family, we've been blessed to have so many sets of cousins the same age.  It's just so cute and sweet to watch them grow up together.  I know these two boys will get into boat loads of trouble and have tons of fun together.

For her shower, I was inspired by a paper airplane banner I saw while at Magnolia Market.  Who didn't have a childhood that involved shooting paper airplanes around?  Sounded like just the right size of adorable trouble for this little boy.







Since I was going old school with the paper airplanes, I figured some old school crepe paper garland would fit perfectly with the theme.  Didn't the drink station turn out adorable?  And we haven't even made it to the food!




The cake was mom-to-be's favorite, Italian Cream.  It was provided by a local bakery, .  I loved the folded fondue airplanes on top. 




Food included the traditional shower affair of sandwiches, pinwheels, fruit, and cookies.  All prepared by my mom and grandmother. 




There were so many paper airplanes around.  By the time the shower was over, the kids were tossing them around in utter amazement.  I'm thinking this was their first taste of paper fun.  And I must say, I made some pretty decent fliers.


We strung several airplanes up to helium balloons so that they could fly around.  I think we had more diver-bombers than fliers. 




Here are the girl cousins, soon they will be outnumbered by the boys 3 to 5.   

And mom-to-be, looking radiant in her dress with her adorable bump.  She was showered well with the sweetest gifts for baby Kellen.