Love My Belly

So, there is the sweetest company called Love My Belly. They recently had one of their T-shirts photographed in a gossip mag cause Selma Hayek was wearing it! I remember seeing it and thinking, "that's so freakin cute! I want one!" Well, yay for me! I got one~! it's adorable. it says, "stylish sexy pregnant" and it's really cozy black cotton. i love it! i can't wait to sport it! I need my belly to get a little bigger before i can fill it out nicely...but will definitely rock it when the belly's there =) They also sent me a really fun Horoscope T for me. it reads, "love my virgo" cause i'm having a virgo baby! =) super fun. super sweet. make sure you check out their things. They are online and great!~ If you need help contacting them, feel free to contact the girls at chicblvd by going to WWW.CHICBLVD.COM

XOXO,
alli

For more updates on my journey, sign up for www.getchicmail.com at ChicBlvd.com.

water did the trick

Today was my second monitor testing at the dr. last week we did the same thing and deige didn't move a whole lot...so, one week later we did the same test. i got tot he dr. early and they told me that my normal dr was out sick =( sad. but i really wanted to be hooked up to the monitor. so i chose to wait for a midwife named marcia. she was super nice. and i felt very at ease. i always do at dr. offices for some reason =) some girls hate dr. visits...i love them!

anyway, i was hooked up to the monitor for about 20 minutes before they came in with a glass of ice water for me. i drank it and they disappeared for another 20 min or so. and then in they came with more water! i was thinking " they didn't do this last time. i wonder if they're worried i'm dehydrated or something." but on and on the waiting and water drinking went. until marcia came in to see me. she said, "oh good! the baby likes the water!" i smiled and said, "what?"

"i had the nurses give you water in intervals to see how the baby responded and he responded beautifully!" i guess he had several huge kicks within 5 minutes of me drinking the water. so, looks like water did the trick! deige was a happy little fella at the dr today. kicking and moving a lot. and his heart beat was perfect! i love listening to the heartbeat. it makes me feel relaxed. i didn't even realize how long i was at the dr today cause i was so in love with that heart beat. =) so fun.

yay for deige. his movement is perfectly normal and his heart is very steady. i celebrated after the visit by going to target =) i bought a few little outfits for deige to celebrate how good he did at the dr today =) so fun!

anyway, my day got even better because my hubby called me from skype. it's an online instant message, phone, and video service thing. he popped up on the computer screen adn i was able to see him AND talk to him for quite some time today. so, i really enjoyed that. it was a great bonus to a great day. i miss him so much and can't wait to have him home. =) thursday is the day! i'll get him around 1230pm. =) can't wait.

XOXO,
alli

For more updates on my journey, sign up for www.getchicmail.com at ChicBlvd.com.

happy anniversary!

today was our 2 year wedding anniversary! =) it's crazy how different our life is now...2 years later...it's not just us anymore. there's a little one on the way. just like the last 2 years have flown by...this pregnancy has flown by as well! today more than ever, i find myself extremely thankful to have micah as my hubby. i know it's cause it's our anniversary and i'm all googley over him. but, seriously, i'm so lucky and blessed to have him in my life. to be sharing this journey of new life with him. micah is going to be the best daddy in the whole world. i can't imagine a more perfect hubby, a more perfect man to raise our kids. lucky deige to have micah for his daddy! =)

i can't wait til micah comes home from guatemala so i can hug and kiss him and tell him just how much i appreciate and love him. and how i know he will be the best daddy in the world. i think it's important to tell your partner things like that along the way in pregnancy. because it brings them into the pregnancy...they don't have the blessing of carrying the child like we do...so we have to build them up and encourage and love them so they know how important they are in the child's life. and in our life. so...encourage your loved one and make him a special part of your pregnancy. for more tips during pregnancy, always check out www.chicblvd.com. they are full of great ideas on various subjects pertaining to pregnancy! and make sure you sign up for the e-newsletter. =)

anyway, i'll keep you all posted on our post-anniversary celebration. micah comes home on thursday. but leaves to go fishing the next day =( so..we're celebrating our 2 years on sunday or monday. =) also...i have another dr. appointment tomorrow. so stay tuned!!!!

XOXO,
alli

For more updates on my journey, sign up for href="http://www.getchicmail.com">www.getchicmail.com at

no! not again!

So, the last few days i've been feeling sick again. just like i was at the beginning of the pregnancy. but, it's way more intense. i think i had all the food that i ate for the day exit my body last night. it was really horrible. thankfully my sister anna was here to comfort me. it's the worst to be sick and all alone. i was glad to have her here. last night was one of the worst nights ever and all i kept thinking was, "no, not again!" i thought i was PAST the sick phase of pregnancy. but, apparently it's normal for morning sickness to come back in the last trimester if you had it bad during the 1st. so...that could be it! or else i just have a little bug...either way, it hasn't been fun.

ps. just a tip to those of you who may be experiencing morning sickness, or all day sickness (which is what happens to me)...the prego pops work magic! you can buy them online or at babiesrus. they are so good. taste like candy and really do help lighten nausea and ease upset stomachs. so...worth a shot. =)

XOXO,
alli

Guatemala

Micah just left for guatemala for ten days. =( i'm sad. i always get sad when he leaves cause i just LOVE him so much! but, i especially get sad now that i'm all prego and emotional. poor micah, its hard on him to know that i'm at home and feeling all emotional. i know it's not fair for him that i cry and get sad. so i try so hard to be brave and say goodbye with kisses and smiles. and then i cry in the car all the way home from LAX. Thankfully I had ava with me. =) she slept in my lap all the way home. so cute! it cheered me up. anyway, i'm home now. it's 1030pm..WAY past my bedtime =) oh! tonight at dinner, i felt deige move quite a bit. and it made my heart so happy. okay, that's all for tonight! sweet dreams!

XOXO,
alli

quiet baby

So, my visit with the doctor went well. i had a glucose test today, don't know the results. but DO KNOW that the glucose drink was disgusting! would not want to have to repeat that test ever again! it's nasty! anyway, i had to wait around the lab for an hour, but luckily i scheduled an OB appt during that hour of wait time. =) so, that helped pass time nicely. i only gained 1.5 pounds today. so i'm at a total of 13.5 pounds for the 26 weeks of pregnancy. it's weird to think that i only have 14 weeks left! that's going to fly by! weird! ah! i'm nervous! the closer i get to the due date the more nervous i am! i just don't know what to expect, so i'm so scared. but still excited! =)

anyway, while i was in the doctor's office, i mentioned that the baby hadn't been moving as much as normal. she listened to the heart beat and it was strong. =) but she was concerned so she had me stick around for a few hours to test his movement. i had to wait there anyway to have my blood drawn from the glucose test. but even if i hadn't had to wait for the glucose test, i would have been more than happy to sit there on that machine all day if she wanted me to! it's just an uneasy feeling to think that maybe something could be wrong...

so, she hooked me up to the monitor and after an hour and a half, he had only one big solid movement. she said most babies move every 10 min or so. Deige was just super still and quiet today. just as he has been the last few days...i was nervous when she looked over the results and told me he had only one big movement. his heart was strong and steady and he did move. just not big movements that the monitor could pick up on. i did feel him turn and do little kicks and what not. but he's normally such a little monkey in my belly! so, small movements seem like zero movements to me. since i'm used to him pounding on my belly all day long! anyway, she had to detach me from the monitor so i could go have my blood drawn. and when i came back into the office she said she was going to speak with another doctor for a moment. i got sooo nervous!

when she came back she said, "allison, it's okay. we're sure everything is fine. his hearbeat is beautifully strong and steady. and his movement was normal, other than we would have liked to see a few more BIG movements." i kind of just starred at her. i still felt uneasy about it all. she said, "he's probably a small baby, but we will re-check everything on monday. if you need to come in sooner, please call. let me know if you dont' feel like everything is normal. monitor movement at home as best you can. but don't worry. dr. erickson and i feel like everything is fine."

so...quiet baby. why is he so quiet and still right now? my mind is so frazzled. it's just an uncomfortable, uneasy feeling knowing that he's not moving as much as he used to. micah said that they wouldn't have let me go home if it was a really big deal. and he's right. but i still felt like it was a big deal. and now i'll probably worry all night long. waiting up all night just to see if i feel him move a little more.

anyway, that's the news from today. i'll for sure update you all on his movement and also my next dr visit on monday =) say little prayers for deige...i only have 14 more weeks to grow him big and strong! =)

XOXO,
alli

my hubby, the fisherman

my hubby is such a water boy. he surfs, he swims, he loves to fish...anything that has something to do with the ocean, he's all about it! =) the other day when i came home from the baby shower in colorado, micah was so proud to show me the fish he had caught! he had gone fishing all afternoon with our neighbor. they apparently caught a lot of fish and had a ton of fun. and my cute husband is so excited to teach our son to fish. i know it will be a while before he can do so, but...he can't wait! micah even bought Deige a bunch of fishing reels and what not. He is also in the process of collecting old family fishing photos. Pictures of great grandparents, grandparents and his dad and mine. It's really sweet. I hope for Micah's sake that Deige falls in love with the sport of fishing. =) it will be nice to have my boys enjoying the same thing. especially since my hubby is such the fisherman =)

XOXO,
alli

can you see your feet?

today my sister and i were in the post office and she looked at me and said, "hey, al, can you still see your feet?" i thought it was so cute and so funny! i looked down and realized, wow! only the ends of my toes! pretty soon this belly will be so big that i really WON'T be able to see my feet! that's a trip! this pregnancy is flying by and i get bigger every day! i go to see the doctor tomorrow for a check up. we'll see how much i've gained after tomorrow. =)

XOXO,
alli

No more office...

We moved my sister Anna into our office. Micah got rid of his desk and we moved all the guest furniture into the office. it all looks really nice in there and actually anna has a lot more space in that room. so...it was a good move! =) now, we can focus on getting deige's room together. we are painting the wainscoting and will put that up as soon as micah has time. He leaves next wednesday for guatamala. =( i'm sad, but it will give me some time to myself. Ava and I usually go on a lot of walks and order a lot of pizza when he's gone =) anyway... we are currently re-vamping deige's closet and the closet in our master bedroom. that way we have tons more storage! it's going to be so nice when it's all done. but right now it sucks! all of our clothes are on the bed, our shoes and everything else is covering the floor around the bed. it's a mess! last night we had a slumber party in the living room cause our bed was too full of stuff from the closet! we are hoping to finish this project today. i'll love getting everything re-organized in there. it will be nice. i can't wait to post a picture of deige's room once it's all done. our crib finally came and our changing table should come this week. =) micah and i will take pictures so all of you can see =) we're doing a bumble bee theme! soooo cute! we'll keep you posted...


XOXO,
alli

sleeping sucks

I have the hardest time sleeping these days. nothing is comfortable! my ribs hurt when i'm on my left side, and my right side hurts my shoulder. i'm so used to sleeping on my back, that this side-sleeping bit is really hard to get used to! everyone keeps telling me that it will only get worse from here! =( but...if anyone has any special tricks at all...pass them on to me! i need a good night's sleep. it's been so long and only gets worse each night. any pillows you know about...any bit of information would help me out! seriously! thanks, girls!

XOXO,
alli

Father's Day

Today was fun because my husband was so excited that it was Father's Day. You could just tell he was all cute and excited when ava (my dog) and i got up this morning to make him a special breakfast. we made him pancakes and eggs and these special sausage balls that my family has always made! oh! i should share the recipe with you all. it's so yummy! you'd love it! it's one package of jimmy dean sausage. i like turkey sausage better, but do whatever you'd like. add 1/2 cup of bisquick, and one package of shredded cheese. i use mild cheddar. my mom and dad use sharp. you can pick whatever you'd like. mix it all together and place in oven preheated to 375' and bake for 20 min. they are seriously delicious! and my husband LOVES them~ so make them for the special guy in your life and see if it's a hit! =)

anyway, we later went to his parent's house where we bbq'd and just relaxed and enjoyed one another's company. micah was thrilled when his mom and dad each gave him a present for his first father's day. he got a baby aquarium bath tub from his mom. she said that when micah was a baby, that was the way his dad bonded with him. by giving him baths. so...she gave micah a baby bath so he could bond with his son over bath time. =) i thought that was sweet. =) and his dad gave him a tool belt! =) micah was really excited!

all in all it was a really fun and special day. i really enjoyed seeing how happy micah was to celebrate being a father. =) he'll be the best daddy to our little boy! i can't wait to see them together!

XOXO,
alli

Deige Byrne

His name is going to be Deige. =) i know, it's so different. =) it's pronounced like "beige" but with a "d". i really think it sounds good with my last name. and it sounds like a hot boy name! =) you know? like, if i had known a boy named deige, i could totally hear my sisters and i coming home to mom and dad saying, "i have such a crush on deige byrne." like...it sounds good. =) and i feel like deige byrne is a great name on a business card and everything! of course people might call him "deja vu" or something dumb...but he'll be such a stud, he can handle it! we LOVE the name and are so excited to meet him face to face. i am so anxious now more than ever to get to meet him! this is the longest 9 months ever! 3 more to go! See you soon, little Deige!

XOXO,
alli

Colorado Shower

My best friend, Molly, wanted to throw me a baby shower for my colorado friends and family. I have known molly since we were in middle school. she's so sweet and such a genuine friend and person. i'm lucky and blessed to call her my best friend. and even more blessed to call her my son's godmother. =) She did a beautiful job with the shower. She had 24 people there that i haven't seen in YEARS! it was so much fun! She had tables set up in her living room for an early afternoon brunch. =) blue and brown linens and the cutest pacifier napkin holders. so cute! she had a place card with each guest's name on it. and it was just so special. beautiful roses on each table...just so fun! she served a sausage and egg dish and an egg and cheese souffle. She had frozen berry cups and chocolate cupcakes!! and these things called duffy rolls. =) they are mini cinnamon rolls from a place called duffy's =) so good! if any of you go to colorado, stop by duffy's and try them! okay...back on track...so, we ate and played games. the guests each decorated a bib and onesie for my little one. and we took pictures with every guest. that was special too. i'm excited to get the pictures back so i can put them in the photo album i'm making. =) the shower was a shower!!! i was completely covered in gifts! it was so fun! just like christmas! He got a mattress, a swing, lots of clothes and blankets and a monitor! =) i came home with 2 suitcases full of stuff. and still had to leave 2 boxes and a bag of baby stuff at my parent's house! i plan on going to colorado again before the baby comes, so i will get the rest of it then. =-) it was just so fun to get all that stuff for him. Micah and i were overwhelmed with how much stuff we needed in order to provide for this child, and the shower totally helped us with all our worries and anxiety. We are so blessed to have good friends and family who showered us with love and generosity. it was such a great party! molly should go into party-coordinating! =) anyway, it was a special day. with special people. and i couldn't have been more touched! molly, thanks so much! i love you!

XOXO,
alli

Tori Spelling loved it!

So, i don't know if any of you watched the Tori Spelling show called "Tori and Dean Inn Love" but my husband and i did...and we loved it! =) Anyway, i became a huge tori spelling fan after watching it! =) ha ha. i know, i'm a nerd, but she's so funny! and i loved the show! But my point is...she got this pair of pajamas from Sweet Dreams Maternity Wear and LOVED them! So you can imagine how thrilled i was to receive a white lounge set from the same website! hers was peach...but i like my white ones just as much =) Anyway, it was a nice treat because they are so comfy and fun to wear. It's hard being prego at night. cause everything is uncomfortable and sleeping is such a drag...but i think knowing my jammies are so cozy and soft makes me sleep better =) silly, i know! but i think it helps!

So, if any of you would like to try these jammies out, you can now get 10% off!!! The owner of the website sent me a letter and gave me a secret code just for chicblvd readers! if you type in SMAIi-10 you will automatically get 10% off. It's worth it! These are so cozy and would make a great gift for you or someone you love. Also, they have cutie bbabybling stuff on there website. i got the baby blue bib and hat for my son and it's freakin cute!!!! So, check it out, and use the coupon code! Hopefully you all like it as much as Tori Spelling and I =) hehe

XOXO,
alli

Growing Belly

My belly is growing fast! I can't believe it! My first 5 months, i only gained one pound for each month. so, by the start of my 6th, i had only gained 5 pounds...well, during my 6 month checkup i learned i had gained 7 pounds in one month! ah!!! i was mortified! i know its not a big deal. i mean, it's only 12 pounds total for the last 6 months. so...with that said, i'm in good shape weight-wise...but it just shocked me that i had gained 7 pounds in a month! i don't think i've ever done that before in my life. it's kind of fun because this is the time in life when it's okay and healthy to put pounds on. =) i really have enjoyed watching my belly grow. it will be fun to see the changes that occur in the next 3.5 months. =) i'm still wearing size small and medium tops and my pants, i just went up a pant size and wear them really low on my waist. =) so far most of my clothes still fit. but my bras are a different story! oh man! i went from a large A or small B to a....are you ready for this??? a 34dd !!!! AHH! i have never in my life imagined my boobs would get this large! its pretty fun, but such a pain to bra shop. and the worst part is that my milk hasn't even come yet!! i can only imagine how big i will be in the end. =) anyway, this is really an exciting part of the journey. the female body is so neat! we're so lucky to get a chance to experience pregnancy and all its glory! =) okay, so enough about my growing belly and shrinking bras...more later! =)

XOXO,
alli

Little Monkey!!!

I just received a gift from mommyslittlemonkey.com! so so so adorable! i absolutely adore their products and was thrilled to get a bib, onesie, and t-shirt for my little one on the way. also, my husband and i have decided to breast feed our son, so...i got this adorable nursing curtain from mommy's little monkey! =) so fun! and i feel so closely attached to the owner of the company cause she has three sisters just like me! =) so, that was fun to get to know her a little bit! i highly recommend these products to anyone and everyone!!! do check it out!

XOXO,
alli

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Seven Pounds

Today was my 6 month check up. I was a little disappointed to find out that I had gained SEVEN pounds in the last month. I know a lot of you are thinking I'm crazy for being upset about it. But it shocked me simply because in the last 5 months, I've only gained one pound per month. So 7 seemed like a lot! And when I asked the doctor, she agreed! Seven is a lot for the month, but my over all weight gain is completely on track! 12 pounds total. I think if I made a routine out of it...gaining 7 pounds each month from here on out, I'd be on the road toward unhealthy pregnancy. At least for my body. But, the way I look at it is that my body was just catching up! I had a lot of weight to gain because I was so small for so long. The baby is healthy and that, in the end, is ALL that matters. I would encourage any mommys to be to eat healthy and exercise routinely. Walking is the best for me. I love to walk my dog on the beach =) Anyway, the doctor said that the healthier I eat, the easier my pregnancy will be. So, even when my baby belly craves Grape Soda and Twix bars, I have to think about the end result. I now eat a lot of fruit for my sweet tooth. And because of that choice alone, my "cravings" for chocolate and naughty stuff have lessened. I love feeling my sweet little boy move around inside my belly. This makes me want to be healthy for him. He depends on me to be healthy. So, I'm doing my best!

Gifts from the mail man!

So, as every new mommy will tell you...it's super fun shopping for the baby while you're prego! It gets you all excited and helps prepare you for the arrival! Though I have done my fair share of shopping, I've been blessed with a lot of gifts from family and friends. So nice! And its even more fun when the mail man brings a package for the baby! One of my favorite things arrived in the mail yesterday! I received the CUTEST changing pad from pineapplecove.com I have loved their products for a while and have actually been looking at their products online since we found out we were pregnant. So I was beyond thrilled to receive one of their cute changing pads in the mail! The fabric is really pretty and feels super durable. I can't wait to test it out...only 3 and a half more months! Wow, time flies! Crazy! And I also got a really fun package of cutie boy stuff! It's a sweet surfer bib, changing pad, blankie and burp cloth from a website called PatriciaAnnDesigns.com The really fun part about that gift is that my husband is a pro surfer! So, I always think it's cute to see baby surfer stuff. =) I know a lot of people may think I'm cheezy for liking that, but I think it's so cute! Like a miniature version of his Daddy! Anyway, the fabrics are so soft and I know I'll end up ordering more in the future! Definitely check these two retailers out if you're online shopping for baby stuff! It is addicting~ online shopping, but it's so fun and so worth it when the mail man brings a little present to your door...even if you buy it for yourself! =)

XOXO,
alli