Nursery Organization, Pregnancy Walks, and Food Cravings

Good morning and happy Monday, everyone! It’s a cold and rainy one today, so I’m using this as an excuse to stay bundled up inside and catch up on some projects. I’m hoping it clears up by afternoon so I can get out for my walk. Walks have been helping me a ton the past few weeks! I have been sleeping better, have less back pain, and helps to calm my mind. I love listening to podcasts and getting lost in my thoughts. Plus, Leo loves walks, and it’s a good way for us to spend time together. I can’t wait to take him and the baby out for morning strolls this summer. Leo is an excellent walker after working with him for a few years. I learned a lot when we went to training, and I still apply the rules when walking. He will do great with the stroller, and I think it’ll be a fun way for him and the baby to bond.

I have had a lot of questions about Tux and walks. Kyle wakes up at 5 am every day to walk Tux around the block. He’s still terrified of parked cars and people (but loves other dogs.) And when he’s afraid, he freezes. The only way to get him to start walking again is to pick him up and walk a few feet. It’s adorable to watch, but he’s way too heavy for me right now to lift. Plus, he looks forward to his morning walks with Kyle, and he’s up pouncing around and wagging his tail before we even get downstairs. Sometimes, I’ll sit in bed and watch him on the camera because it’s so dang cute. He throws his toys up in the air and pounces on them. I never thought I’d see the day, but he’s transforming right before our eyes, and it makes me want to cry just thinking about it.

On Tuesday of last week, I finished writing my recap blog, made a smoothie, and headed out for a three-mile walk with Leo. My smoothie had frozen raspberries, bananas, frozen peaches, unsweetened almond milk, and vanilla plant-based protein powder. My walks are a lot slower now and sometimes uncomfortable with the baby putting so much pressure on my bladder, but I know they’re good for me, so I push through! I always feel so relaxed and calm afterward. When I first found out I was pregnant, there was this crazy rush of anxiety (even though I was so excited), but walking was the only thing that helped! Eventually, it went away, and my doctor told me it was a rush of hormones, but I’m a massive believer that walking is one of the best exercises for your body!  After walking, I had Homegoods and Chopt Salad date with a friend. Those are two of my favorite things!

I had the Harvest salad with egg, kale, sweet potatoes, cranberries, falafel, chicken, brussels sprouts, avocado, goat cheese, and pepitas. This is one of my favorite combos! I usually get the house vinaigrette on the side for my dressing.

My cravings change almost every week. This week, I couldn’t get enough fruit! I wanted grapes, peaches, berries, apples, cantaloupe, and anything I could get my hands on. I watch my movies or shows during the evenings while snacking on big fruit salad bowls. I usually eat a big lunch around 3 pm, which keeps me full until evening. I can’t stomach big dinners, or I end up feeling sick or sleeping terribly. Since I go to bed by 7:45 pm, I like eating early to help digestion.
I spent the entire day cleaning the house on Wednesday. I always dedicate one day a week to power cleaning and laundry. I was going to hire a cleaning service while pregnant, but I kind of love doing it myself. I put on some podcast and start cleaning away! I consider it as being active, and it gets me up moving. One of my friends dropped off a lunch sandwich from Tega Cay Deli, and it made my day! It had chicken, tomatoes, onion, lettuce, bacon, Havarti cheese, and mayo on a wheat bagel.  Leo and I headed out on Thursday for a three-mile walk! The weather was so warm, and it started to feel like spring. I already need new walking shoes because my feet feel like they’re growing! These shoes fit perfectly a few months ago, but now my toes are touching the tips. Pregnancy does some weird things to your body!  I had a Chobani Cheesecake yogurt with bananas and almond Cheerios on top when I got back. If you haven’t tried the new almond crunch Cheerios yet, you’re missing out! I am so obsessed! They have the almond extract flavor that I love!

I was worn out on Thursday evening. I headed upstairs around 6:30 to fall asleep! One thing I wanted to share was this humidifier. I have had bad bloody noses, cracked lips, and dry skin the past few months. I know those are all pregnancy side effects. This past week, I used the Miko Humidifier, and it’s magically cured me. I cannot recommend this humidifier enough! I love how big it is because it can cover up to 500 + sqft. It has light-changing settings that are so calming, and it’s super easy to clean and use. I am purchasing another one for the baby’s room because I don’t think I’ll ever give this one up. My mom bought it for my birthday, and it was life-changing!
For breakfast lately, I’ve been having my protein oats. I mix protein powder and almond milk with oatmeal, blueberries, and bananas. It’s so delicious and warm for the cold mornings.
I finally found pots for my blueberries! The others I had were too small, and I’ll use them for, you know…more plants 😉 I have been gravitating towards bright colors lately, and when I saw these, I knew they’d be so fun to have on the porch this summer!

My indoor plants have made so much progress each week. If you go back to last week’s blog, you’ll see the crazy growth difference in these blueberries, the lilac tree, and my raspberries! I may have a bit of an obsession.

After getting my plants in order, I headed to the pharmacy to pick up some vitamins and then stopped at Starbucks on the way home. I ordered a double decaf cappuccino with oat milk and one pump of pistachio sauce! It was perfect, and not too sweet! I spent Friday organizing the nursery. The drawers are not complete yet because I need to order dividers and wash everything, but I wanted the clothes to be put away. My goal was to fit the baby’s clothing into one drawer. I don’t want so many clothes where laundry gets overwhelming because I let it pile up or end up with clothes we don’t need. I went with the neutral route, and I’ll be able to just at bows to some of these outfits If we end up having a girl. I’m better off not knowing the gender because if I did, I would NOT be able to keep the clothing minimal. I’d be buying so many themed outfits. After getting a ton of advice on Instagram, I did add some tie onesies and more zipper onesies to my list, but aside from that, I am done! 😊  On Saturday morning, I had my almond crunch Cheerios with almond milk, blueberries, and bananas. I have craved this combo since my first trimester. Cheerios are just the best! I have almond milk mixed with 4 ounces of Califia farms iced coffee every morning. I’m so happy my love for coffee is back because those aversions to coffee were terrible. Whenever Kyle would make coffee, I would have to sit outside until the smell went away. Or if he tried to kiss me with coffee breath, I would want to punt him across the room. 😂 Don’t mess with a pregnant woman going through it!

On Saturday afternoon, we headed to the outlet mall to do a little shopping. For lunch, we ended up splitting some food court Chinese food. I had been craving bourbon chicken since my 8th week of pregnancy. I was excited about having it but was a little disappointed because it wasn’t as good as I thought it would be. That’s probably a good thing, though, because I do not need that much salt at the moment! But the rice was the best part 😋

Oh, and look at my hydrangea’s new growth! During the ice storm we had, I took them in, and they decided to come out of dormancy. I won’t put them back outside until the temps reach the 60’s.
We had a delicious dinner Saturday evening! I roasted carrots, zucchini, and squash with avocado oil, honey, garlic, onion salt, and dill. Kyle cooked a filet minion on the cast iron to go with our vegetables.
My body has been craving steak lately, which I think has something to do with iron levels. I guess we’ll have to make this more often! We treated ourselves to chocolates from a local chocolatier, the Chocolat Boutique in Baxter Village. It’s one of my favorite chocolate spots, and I love picking out chocolates (they have hundreds to choose from!) and taste-testing them with Kyle! We did the red velvet, double-dipped mint, toffee, and creamy peanut butter. They were all equally divine!
I made a cup of hot lemon water and dove into a few books on Saturday evening. I’m currently reading the Newborn 101 and The New Born Handbook. They have a lot of great information about labor and raising your baby once you get home!
On Sunday morning, we decided to try out a local coffee shop, Chatty Cathy’s Coffeehouse.
I cannot believe I hadn’t tried out this place sooner. It was so cute and cozy, and the coffee was delicious! I ordered one of their carrot walnut muffins to go with my oat milk cappuccino, but I’ll be back soon to try their food menu! I can’t wait to visit there in the summer and sit out on their patio. What a gem this place was!

I worked a few hours pruning my backyard climbing roses on Sunday afternoon. I have a lot of work to do in the front garden to prepare for spring, but my mom will come to help me out later this week when the weather warms up. I have 20+ rose bushes in the front of my house, and I’m excited to have her help me with those! I love spring garden cleaning because it gets me excited for what’s to come!

I am over the moon excited about my tulips and hyacinths coming up! In about a month, they should start blooming! Kyle and I planted them in late October.
I ended my evening with a much-needed 90-minute prenatal massage. It truly helps my pinched nerve in the back, and I can’t wait for the next one!

Overall, I had a pretty great week! I hope you all have a fabulous Monday, and I can’t wait to share some exciting blogs with you this week ♥️ 

Questions for you!

1. Do you have any bulbs coming up yet?
2. Did you overbuy baby clothes?
3. Do you use a humidifier in your bedroom at night?