Maternity Style // Week 19 + 21

I won't lie, I'm getting to the point where I miss my old clothes and having a waist and dressing the way I'm used to dressing.  At 19/21 weeks, when I shot these outfits, I could still pull off a pretty non-maternity look, but at 28 weeks now I'm approaching the "large and in charge" phase of pregnancy.  Luckily I've acquired some stretchy, but cute, things that have been really nice for getting dressed without feeling like a total scrub (although there are definitely days I spend the whole day in sweats or leggings.

Dressing for pregnancy is definitely a challenge, especially because your body looks so different than you're used to it looking. I need to go thrifting again because last time I scored big time on some really cute (non-maternity) things that work perfectly for a growing bump and those items really helped me be able to get dressed and still feel like I look nice.  Having 3 or 4 more pieces in my closet that fit that bill will be nice, especially for remixing.  I'm really not into buying maternity-specific clothes, except pants, which are the best.  Having clothes that work for a bump but will transition easily into being regular non-pregnant clothes is my goal when shopping.  I don't want to end up with a bunch of stuff that doesn't work once the bump is gone.  

Dress : Forever 21 (similar) | Cardigan : c/o Modcloth (similar)| Necklace : c/o Tribe Jewelry
Shoes : c/o Seychelles (similar) | Belt : Souvenir Shop in Calico, CA
photos by Dan

Dress : c/o Modcloth (similar) | Shoes + Necklace + Shades : c/o Moorea Seal

Maternity Style // Week 18

Well folks, it's begun.  I bought a crib and baby clothes.  The first actual baby things I've bought during this pregnancy.  Our nursery room is cleared out (it used to full of stuff in storage), and it's a blank slate!  It's super bizarre to think that a real live baby will be in there by Christmas.  A fact that I'm pretty positive won't sink in until I've pushed it out and am holding it in my arms.  

Little yellow leaves have started falling and it's been interesting to think about how my trimesters have synced up with the changing seasons.  I've been enjoying the shift in season, and I'm so looking forward to having a "real" winter this year, complete with snow (don't let me down, Anchorage!).  I'm usually holding on to summer for as long as I can, but there's something about this year that has me craving the crisp, chilly days of fall and winter, and I'm not even a PSL person!

Dress (old) : c/o Modcloth | Succulent Crown : handmade | Necklaces : c/o Tribe Jewelry

Maternity Style // Week 17

Guys.  We need to talk about maternity jeans.  I know, if you're not pregnant you're probably like, "no, we actually don't."  But let me tell you, they are a godsend.  And if you're not pregnant and you like eating a lot of food at, say, Thanksgiving... you just might want to grab yourself a pair of these bad boys.  Life changers, I say.  And also: thank god for designers making decent maternity pants these days.  Pretty much every woman from my mom's generation laments to me about the maternity wear options when they were pregnant saying that everything looked super dumpy and gross.  I pour one out for you, ladies (well also: I pour one out because I can't drink it anyway.  Sad face).  These Jessica Simpson maternity jeans are my only maternity jeans and I need to buy at least 1 more pair because they are the only pants I wear any more.  Oh stretchy, high waistband: bless you.  

My "Death before Decaf" shirt has become my new favorite because: irony.  I only drink decaf now, so this shirt is like an inside joke to myself.  I actually got berated (okay, berated might be too strong of a word) by a barista recently for ordering a decaf americano and I was all, "It's for the baby." Already blaming things on this kid.  Apparently I'm still not pregnant enough for people to immediately notice I'm "with child" and understand the decaf thing.  I get it, uppity male barista, I too was once behind that counter slinging artisan 'spro, just give me my decaf crack and let me be.

Top + Jacket (both old) : c/o Modcloth | Jeans : Motherhood Maternity | Shoes : c/o Seychelles
Necklaces : c/o Tribe Jewelry | Shades + Hat : vintage
photos by Dan

Maternity Style // Week 16

This entire outfit is something that I kept during our pre-move purge because I knew it'd last me through my entire pregnancy.  The top has a peplum-esque bottom to it that is perfect for a growing mid-section, and the skirt, which I used to wear at my natural waist, now fits just right with the waist band above my bump.  I'm tempted to re-style this outfit when I'm well-into my 3rd trimester and see how it works with a big ol' bump.  The peplum top pretty well camouflaged my bump at 16 weeks.  Until I was at least 20 weeks I wasn't really showing all that much and felt weird "rocking the bump," as they say, since it mostly just looked like I ate way too many tacos.  

It's kind of funny realizing things about pregnancy.  I remember seeing pregnancy outfit posts on other people's blogs and thinking their bumps looking cutely styled and, really I'm only just now (I'm 27 weeks when this post gets published) actually showing that much, which means I only have 1 trimester of actual baby bump maternity style.  Kind of funny!  I've heard lots of people say that with your first kid your bump is much smaller and starts getting big much later than with subsequent pregnancies, so who knows, maybe if I end up going through this again someday later, I'll have more weeks of large-bump outfits.  I actually have enjoyed being more incognito with this pregnancy.  I'll tell you, it helps when you go into the liquor store to buy your husband a 6 pack (but I still feel like I'm going to get "caught," even though I'm SO of-age and also not drinking it myself).  Not sure how many more weeks I have of liquor store shopping without dirty looks though...  and really, going in there is cruel anyway.  I miss wine #realtalktho.

Top (thrifted) + Necklace : Free People | Skirt : c/o Modcloth | Shoes : c/o Moorea Seal
photos by Dan

Maternity Style // Week 15

All hail stretchy fabrics!  This is one of the few dresses I kept in my closet to move up to Anchorage because I knew it'd be able to grow with my growing belly (sidenote: is there any other word besides "belly" and "bump"?  Belly makes me think of jelly... jelly bellies?  Eh. I guess bump is less visceral at least).  This is one of my favorite dresses in my closet but it's just a smidge too fancy for everyday wear, at least for me, so it rarely gets to make an appearance.  Solution: I just need more fun events to attend.  Now to figure out how to procure invites to events in which this dress would be appropriate garb...

The blogosphere feels so different from even a couple years ago, or perhaps I've just fallen out of the scene.  I remember going to so many blogger events and meet ups, does that still happen or am I just one of those people musing on about "the good ol' days?"  Perhaps in my sabbatical from blogging I just lost touch with any local bloggers or blogger groups.  As an introvert I find it's definitely easy to sink away from events and groups and just live in my own "fishbowl."  But I see the ocean out there and I ache to be a part of it.  Now I just have to Finding Nemo myself out there...

Dress : c/o Modcloth | Shoes : c/o Moorea Seal | Necklace : c/o Jewelmint