I know you guys are anxiously waiting for a birth story and lots of photos (right?!), but we're still in recovery mode and soaking up all the newborn snuggles. Join me on Instagram for daily baby updates and I promise to have you all the details on the blog next week! In the meantime, let's take one last look at the baby bump, shall we? One of the things on my to-do list before baby's arrival was to finish up some organizational projects. When we were cleaning and organizing our first floor last month, I moved many plastic tubs filled with photographs and mementos from the last twenty-ish years. Josh & I took a hard look at everything and tried to let as much go as possible, while still maintaining a healthy collection of our favorite things. There was one tub that still gives ...
Currently | September 2018
Today's post will be super brief, because WE'RE HAVING A BABY?! I know I've mentioned that we were within a few days of delivery, but I haven't shared many specifics, just because I didn't want an influx of questions that I didn't have time to respond to. We are having a baby today, barring any scheduling conflicts with mamas already in labor, so by the time you read this, we might already be a family of FIVE. I love record keeping and didn't want a gap in this series of posts, so I scheduled this a few days ago and hope that it tides you over until we have baby pictures to share. P.S. I know my blog has already turned into baby central, but let me apologize that these answers will probably all be related to pregnancy and delivery. It's all I have to talk about at the ...
Book by Book | What I Read in August 2018
Affiliate links appear in this post. Any purchases made using these links will earn Taz + Belly a small commission. You can read more about our affiliate relationships here. I'm pretty sure I've said this every month since January, but this has not been a good month year for reading. It's not for a lack of trying, but especially in August, I've been so tired and distracted and if I'm still long enough to read a few pages -- I fall asleep! I didn't work as many days in the office this month, so I only tackled one audiobook (spoiler alert: it was a great one!). I read Anne's book as a part of her launch team and I've already shared that with you once, and I also picked up a parenting book because I haven't read a single one this entire pregnancy. It was kind of a weird pairing this ...
Bumpdate | 39 Weeks
I might only be sharing a monthly bumpdate, but I’m still taking weekly photos to share on Instagram — and to preserve for the baby book — so I figured I would catch up at the beginning of each update post. Here are our weekly photos since we last checked on baby. I'm coming to you a few days early and with one less photo than usual, because WE'RE HAVING A BABY THIS WEEK! It's still so hard to wrap my mind around the fact that we're only a handful of days away from meeting this little one. Obviously we knew it was coming, but these last few weeks have gone by so fast?! For any mama who has suffered a previous loss, there is this nagging sense of doubt in the back of your mind and it's completely fascinating to find yourself at the end, in a place you were worried you might never be. ...
Waiting
I wish I had more words to share today, but I think I'm at capacity. I'm overwhelmed at work, in a lot of pain, and not sleeping well at all (I've been awake since 1:42 a.m.?!). My mind is in overdrive, thinking about all there is to do, all that is to come, how next week will go, if I'm even ready. The baby is kicking non-stop, our air conditioning is making a weird noise, and the dog threw up (grease, maybe?!) on my new rug and I can't figure out how to get it out. I have a few posts already scheduled for next week, but I'm going to take a little break from stressing over whether there is a new post ready to go each day. I'll be sharing tons on Instagram over the next few weeks, so be patient as we settle in to a new schedule. I hope your holiday weekend is perfect and that you'll say ...
DIY Baby Belly Photos
This post contains affiliate links, meaning any purchases made using these links will earn Taz + Belly a small commission. You can read more about our affiliate relationships here. Each week, I share a series of baby bump photos on Instagram + Instagram Stories, and then later post them here as a part of my monthly bumpdate series. I've had a few questions here, but so many people have asked on Instagram, how I'm managing to take them myself, make them look like I have a massive white wall, and keep them all so consistent. I hesitate to share a true tutorial, because everyone's homes are different, we don't all have the same photography equipment or skills, and the majority of us don't have a white wall with perfect lighting. Instead, I thought I'd show you how I pull off this weekly ...
I’d Rather Be Reading
This post contains affiliate links, which may result in a small commission if you click through to purchase. I was so thrilled to be chosen as a part of the launch team for Anne Bogel's newest book I'd Rather Be Reading. I got an advanced copy to review, plus lots of fun social media goodies, and it's been so neat to see what other readers had to say about this adorable read. I'd Rather Be Reading than: working, driving, sleeping, folding laundry, cooking dinner, dealing with dramatic middle schoolers, preparing for maternity leave, waiting on baby, checking off my to-do list, grocery shopping, unpacking boxes... basically everything on my list except for snuggling our new baby (NEXT WEEK!). From Amazon: For so many people, reading isn't just a hobby or a way to pass the ...
Being Baptized at Home
Sophie is a talker, a question asker, a truth seeker. She's the girl you pick up from Sunday School, who talks all the way home about what they learned, why it does (or doesn't) make sense, and where it can be found in the Bible. It's been fun to have deep conversations with her as she grows and to watch as Biblical principles start to make sense in her own mind. Back in October, she -- very matter-of-factly -- came home and asked us how many times she had to ask Jesus into her heart before we would let her be baptized. This question is so Sophie and we knew right away that something was brewing deep in her soul. Our church's kids' service, offers the plan of salvation and an opportunity to pray every week, and while she hadn't told us about her decision quite yet, it was obvious it ...