pregnancy update + pregnancy must haves

Some days this pregnancy feels like it's flying by and others I feel like I'm going to be pregnant forever.  We hit some rocky waters around week 20 when Phoebe decided to nuzzle so deeply in my pelvis that our ultrasound tech could not identify several needed measurements.  Our plan was to check again at the next ultrasound at 24 weeks, but an atypical migraine had me back in the office at 21 weeks and we decided to check to see if she had moved then.  She had not.  The measurements they were able to obtain were measuring behind schedule (under the 15th percentile) and because of the placental insufficiency we endured with Ellia's pregnancy, our Doctor thought it best we schedule an assessment with a high risk specialist.

(side thought: has anyone else had/have hormonal migraines during pregnancy?  I was fine with Beckett, but both girl pregnancies have resulted in debilitating headaches!  I never had issues with vision until this pregnancy and let me tell you, sudden visual black outs/spots are terrifying!)

little thumb sucker! 

bow: beckandbelle.etsy.com

We made an appointment with the wonderful high risk specialist we saw with Ellia.  About 2 days before that appointment (around 22 weeks)  we were laying in bed when Phoebe completely rearranged her position-from our perspective it looked like a complete headstand! When we got to the high risk they confirmed that she had moved and they were able to get all the images needed, yay! Measurements all look great and Little Miss is actually measuring around the 70th percentile, easing our worries and making her, potentially, the biggest Alpert baby yet! She also has an oval head and seems to be taking more after mama a little more than Beck or Ellie Belle.  We have several pictures of her sucking her thumb, resembling the images my mom has of me sucking mine in utero as well!

I so badly want to love all our 3D images... but I'd be lying if I said they didn't creep me out a little. 

onesie: hudsonandruthie.com // headbands: beckandbelle.etsy.com

The kids are so excited to meet their sister, Beckett especially.  He asks about Phoebe all the time and if it's the day for her to come home yet!  He loves to feel kicks and movements and my heart just explodes every time I see his face light up because of it!  Ellie is also excited, but not as enthusiastic as Beckett.  She felt a few kicks the other day and looked up at me with an expression that could only be described as, "what the actual f*@#?"

Chasing two kids while pregnant is no joke.  I feel like I have a medicine ball attached to my stomach hindering my ability to move, chase and carry the babes like I would have before (and in a sense, I do). By the end of the day I can hardly keep my eyes open and sometimes I even crash before the kids.  While I don't have a huge list of must haves, there are a few things this pregnancy that have made things a little easier and more comfortable.

     
My MIL gave us her soda stream a while back and it's my favorite thing, ever.  I have never used it to make soda, though.  I make my own sparkling water and infuse it with my beloved YL oils, which I actually enjoy more than the canned sparkling water.  Not to mention, it's way more cost efficient than drinking a 12 pack of La Croix to myself in 2 days time haha

Birkenstocks.  I have eyed these for years, but never bought a pair because of the price.  I tried on my first pair this year and you guys, they are amazing.  They are so comfortable and they have arch support for your toes, YOUR TOES.  These will be the only sandals you'll find my swollen pregnant feet in this Summer.

Living Proof Dry Shampoo smells amazing and is great for the mom that's too exhausted to wash their hair more than 1-2 times a week.

Blanqi pregnancy tanks.  I was pretty turned off by the price of this tank, but decided to give it a try anyway and it's worth every penny!  Very comfy, easy to layer and I imagine this will be a closet staple this Summer, the belly support is ahhhhmazing.

Bio Oil.  My favorite stretch mark treatment/prevention oil!  I've used it all 3 pregnancies and it works like a dream.  My favoftire thing about it this pregnancy is that it soothes the aching that comes along with stretching skin.  I don't remember experiencing that with the other two and I love that pain can be eased by simply applying a mild oil.  I also love mixing in a little frankincense for the grounding aroma and beneficial topical properties ( I mix frank in with my face moisturizer every night, too! It is my liquid gold.)

Gigantic support pillow.  I used the same $20 body pillow from Target for both Beckett and Ellie's pregnancies and survived fine. This pregnancy, that pillow was not cuttin' it.  My hips still ached, my back and neck were sore every morning and I was desperate for relief.  When I found this pillow, I decided to go for it and I'm so glad I did!  It offers support in all the necessary places and I don't think I would have had a decent nights sleep without it these past few months.  Though, don't make the mistake of letting kids or husbands get a taste of how sweet this pillow is, or they will try to steal it from you ;)

As of right now, we are a week shy of 7 months, Miss Phoebe has happily repositioned herself in my pelvis and we are so excited to be closer to meeting our sweet girl!

20 week update

It's hard to believe we're already half way through this pregnancy!  Morning sickness, migraines and exhaustion were all consuming through about week 17, I'm so thankful to be feeling better now!  Headaches are still a daily occurrence, but they've become a little more manageable without those other symptoms :)  Beckett's pregnancy was a piece of cake, I was sick my entire pregnancy with Ellia (migraines + nausea) and this go around I feel like it's kind of a blend of the two.

Our 20 week ultrasound picture is crinkled all to bits because the kids can't stop sneaking peeks of their sister and the picture itself is hard to see because Phoebe is already a dedicated gymnast. The anatomy scan was a partial success but because of said gymnast, we're being treated to round two in a few weeks. Hopefully she'll move her head up a little from my pelvis so we can see what we need to. Just like Ellia, Phoebe has started to fall behind on her growth curve so we'll be keeping an eye on that. Overall, it was a successful visit! 

Note to self: when you tell your 5 year old you're going to see the baby, make sure to specify that it is an ultrasound and will be pictures only.  I failed to do so and the disappointment that loomed over Beckett when he realized he didn't actually get to meet his sister yet was nothing short of heart breaking!  His words matched with puppy dog eyes, "but we already have pictures.. this means I don't get to hold her yet?" 

I developed a few new food allergies between my last pregnancy and now, so working around cravings has been a bit of a challenge.  I burst into tears over a fried egg around week 14 and lord knows I would jump through hoops for some glutenous baked goods.  In leu of these cravings, I am learning a lot about allergy friendly cooking/baking, so I suppose it's a blessing in disguise ;)

Unlike my previous pregnancies, I'm craving meat.  I could eat beef for every meal.  Steak, roast beef, pastrami, ribs .. I love it all!  We keep joking that it's not a baby bump, it's a beef bump!  Another staple in my diet is chia seed pudding.  I eat it almost nightly for dessert.  I'm also loving nut-butter + honey + banana sandwiches, smoothies.. anything fruit related, HOT TAMALES and of course, Chipotle.

We didn't have a gender reveal for Beckett or Ellia so we decided to have a little one with family this time.  Since we are Friends fanatics, the reveal took on a "Phoebe or Phoebo" theme.  Turns out baby number 3 is a Phoebe and it's stuck as her nickname ;)

Beckett and Ellie are both very excited to have a little sister. Beckett hugs my belly all the time and tells Phoebe how much he loves her.  He's such an amazing big brother and our girls are lucky to have him watching over them!

His current belief is that the baby came in a package, climbed out and tip toed over to me while I was sleeping, opened my mouth real wide so she could crawl down to my belly.  Then, when she's ready to come out, she's going to crawl back up and climb out of my mouth.. Oh kids ;)

Ellia loves feeling for Phoebe kicks and is certain she's right inside my belly button.  I'm excited to get her her own baby doll sling and little bag to match mama and hopefully ease the transition from baby to middle child!

I have loved each pregnancy for a different reason, but this pregnancy might just be the most special.  Sharing it with Beckett and Ellia and watching their curiosity and love grow for their little sister is nothing short of magical.  Seriously.  All the warm and fuzzies over here.  

We cannot wait to meet you little Phoebe!

Baby #3 Due August 16th!

Surprise!  But I can guarantee you aren't nearly as surprised as we were!  

My doctor had me go in for my first mammogram because of some worrisome tissue, breast cancer is very prominent in my family.  Turns out all that worry was over pregnant boobs!

The kids are very excited, Ellia now squeals with delight every time we see a baby.  Both kids are certain it's a girl and Beckett feels strongly that 'her' name should be Hulk... Channeling his inner Tribbiani.. I won't complain ;) 

Any time I go to the doctor, Beckett is sure it's time for the baby to be born... it's going to be a long 

6-7 months haha 

We're now painfully outnumbered.. 5 dogs, 1 cat, 3 kids.  Shits going to get crazy.  I'm looking forward to documenting this little journey and hope you'll join us!

sweat shirts and sleeper by Lulu and Roo

Are you expecting?  What's your due date?  What's the craziest way you found out you were pregnant? 

Until next time! Molly

Vegan Gluten Free Sugar Cookie Recipe

Vegan Gluten Free Sugar Cookies

1 3/4 cup gluten free flour

( I love Bob's blend.  Pamela's blend is also great!)

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tbsp corn starch

1 tsp salt

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 tbsp molasses

1/2 cup vegan butter

(I use melted, it's made with coconut oil and has a nice buttery taste)

1 vegan egg

(I recently found the glory that is canned pumpkin and it's what I use here. 1/4 cup = 1 egg and works great in this recipe, you can also use, Ener G egg replacement or a flax egg)

1 tsp extract

(I use vanilla but almond and peppermint are great too.. try mixing it up!)

Frosting

I mix up my frosting recipes.  Your ultimate goal is to have icing that is NOT runny.

1 bag of powder sugar

1 tbsp corn syrup

tsp in almond or coconut milk to your desired thickness.  You can also use vegan butter or coconut oil or lemon juice.  Lots of choices ;)

To begin, mix dry ingredients together in a bowl (flour, baking powder, corn starch, salt), set aside.

In a separate bowl (I use my mixer) mix the molasses and sugar.

Then cream your sugar and "butter".

Next add your vegan egg.  My favorite vegan egg for this recipe is pumpkin.  The taste doesn't carry over to the cookies and it works great!  Energy Egg replacement is my second favorite!

Now you'll add extract.  I love vanilla so that's my go to, but peppermint is also lovely especially if you're using peppermint to sprinkle on top of them after icing!

After everything is all creamed together you'll slowly add the dry ingredients, 1 to 2 cups at a time.

THIS PART IS THE MOST IMPORTANT.

Cover your dough and put in the fridge for 30 minutes (and up to 4 hours)  This dough is NOT the same consistency as your average sugar cookie.  It's much stickier.  If you don't chill before rolling and cookie cutting, you'll wish you had!

ready to chill in fridge

This is the time I preheat my oven to 350 degrees F.

Once chilled, pull out your parchment paper and cookie sheets.

Like regular sugar cookies, you'll need some extra flour to roll the dough on so it doesn't stick.

Cut your cookies.

SECOND MOST IMPORTANT

Place your cookies in the freezer for 5 minutes before baking.  While vegan butter is similar to regular butter, it melts faster and you need to chill the dough again so your beautiful cookies hold their shape!

Bake cookies for 7-9 minutes depending on your oven!  My takes 9 minutes exactly.

Pull them out, put them on a cooling rack and repeat!

Christmas Eve Pajama Tradition

The holidays are in full swing over here.  Christmas music on repeat, endless decorating and whipping up holiday orders as fast as humanly possible!

(Our next restock features bowties for the little guys as well as a restock on most holiday bows, don't miss out! Monday, December 12th)

beckandbelle.etsy.com

We decided that besides a few things we picked out ahead of time, we weren't going to brave Black Friday at the mall this year.  That said, I knew I wanted to pick out our annual festive pj's.  Opening new pj's on Christmas Eve is one of my favorite traditions.  Here are some of the pieces I loved!

 

Did anyone else experience the website crash on Hanna Andersson Black Friday?  After a slight panic (happy hanna's is never 50% off) I called our store and they overnighted the gnome pjs to me!  The only thing I love more than festive pj's is exceptional service ;)
I don't know if I've ever written why we love Hanna Andersson so much.. essentially, their fabric is incomparable to any other brand.  Doesn't fade color, doesn't rip and all of ours have made it through 2 kids with potential resale value.  We were too late to snag their adult pj's, it seems like our sizes sell out overnight.. buuuut I wasn't too sad about it because the polka dot pj's from jcrew are lust worthy and I know Michael will love the plaid lounge pants.  Win win!  (Also, I feel like the those light pj's are going to be on repeat every holiday season for the next 10 years.)

One of our other favorite traditions is making homemade gifts.  This year the kids took over and are making necklaces for family and friends!

I'd love to hear about your favorite holidays traditions! xo

Monday Must Haves

It's been a while since I posted on products I love.. or would love to get my hands on ;) so grab a cup of joe and enjoy these pretty picks!

These adidas sneakers have quickly become my go to.  They are so comfy and the perfect everyday shoe...

ellis's dress is alice & ames, yellow glitter bow, beck's june and january shorts

I may have been biased in purchasing since I wanted to match my adidas wearing babes, ha!

I've LIVED in Nordstroms socialite dresses this summer and I get compliments on them every time I wear them.  I wear my black one so much, I bought another for back up.  Yes, I'm one of those people.  I can't wait to pair it will flannel and boots this fall.

 These skinny jeans are adorable.  I want them to be apart of my closet immediately.

I have a coat similar to this green swing jacket, but with ivory sequined sleeves.  Its the perfect extra layer for Fall!

I really don't wear lipstick, but I'm all over lip tints.  This rose tint is now an everyday staple for me.  It's such a delicate color, it's perfect for an every day look!

A few of you have reached out to me over snap chat about my mascara and I use Tarte.  They are primarily vegan and are an animal cruelty free brand.  It's not clumpy and adds a natural curl to my lashes when I use it.  It's by far my favorite right now!  I've also added a few other steps into my nightly regime to stimulate lash growth and I'm happy to share if anyone's interested! 

I've been looking for a large tote and this one immediately caught my eye.  It's so cute!

I knew this quilt needed to be apart of our master as soon as I saw it.  It's so beautiful and the scalloped edges make me swoon!  I've been adding to our bedding over the last month and can't wait to share the completed look.  Grey & dots & blush, oh my!

I may have also picked up this sweet owl trinket dish for my vanity, isn't it adorable?  Anthro gets me every. single. time.

I hope you all have a wonderful Monday! xo

Dollhouse Reno

Renovating my childhood dollhouse for Beck + Belle is something I've been over the moon excited for.  My dad made this dollhouse for my sister and I when we were young and I'm so happy that we're going to be able to give it a second life nearly 11 years after his passing.

The dollhouse itself has been in our garage for nearly a year.  I've been waiting for a bit of inspiration before getting started and through recent family troubles I found peace in planning the future design.

I'm excited to spruce it up with some fresh paint and vibrant pastels!  I wish I had taken a before picture.. I'll have to see if I can find one somewhere.  Here's a picture of it stripped of the wallpaper and flooring, with a fresh coat of white paint.

I'm going to use pastel corals, teals, and potentially add a little mustard into the mix.  Here's a few images I'm using as inspiration.

image(s) source

I can't wait to share more, I've already painted the exterior and colorful shingles are in the works.  I hope it turns out as beautiful as it is in my head haha  

On another note, we took our first trip the the American Girl doll store to see if they had dolls for the house.  Ellia Belle ran around in circles from the babies, to the girls, to the babies and then she noticed the dogs... Can you guess what we made it home with?  Meet the doll houses first resident, Cake the dalmatian! 

Clearly we like spots in our family ;)

Until next time, Molly