A Little Sunshine & A Lot of Bathing Suit Material

Praise God, the sunshine is making a more consistent appearance. We've been blessed with sunny 80's the past couple weeks, and today it will hit 90! YESSSS!

I realized that I have only one month's time to enjoy the quiet solitude of our community pool before it becomes infiltrated by kids blowing off steam from the school year. I've been taking full advantage of this little slice of (quiet) heaven while I can...

Have you ever seen yourself in a picture or looked in the mirror and had to do a double take, like WHO is that person?! I must admit, I looked down one day at the obscene view of someone much too large to be stuffing herself into a bikini, and realized it was yours truly. Gasp! As much as I love the warmth of the sun on my belly, and the fact that a little sun has lessened the appearance of the lovely Lovenox bruises still making a daily appearance on my tummy, I decided it was high time to cover it up already!

Just the thought of trying to find a maternity bathing suit made me want to curl up on the couch and read a book instead. However, low and behold Target saved the day yet again. Actually, this was not a "maternity" bathing suit, but many other clothes I've bought recently aren't either. It just happened to cover my rump and my bump with enough square footage of cloth, and for only $40 total SOLD...

$25 for top & $15 for bottom @ Target

I happen to love this shade of blue and not because my hubby is a FL Gator. This is the 3rd bathing suit I've owned in this color. When I got home, I realized I must document this momentous occasion by making a "before and after" pic, because it's just too perfect an opportunity not to.  If there is one thing I can do well, it's make fun of myself, and I'm brazen enough to share if it can bring a chuckle to someone else's day...

After @ 24 Weeks

HA! If that isn't a reality check, I don't know what is! Someday in the far far away future, I will hopefully have some semblance of the ole bod back, but for now it's worth every sacrifice in the world to be topping a record scale weight and sporting a "mom suit."

Then came the reality check that laying out is not such an easy task anymore either. Not allowed to lay on my back for an extended time, and there is no way I can lay on the belly either. After trying the whole laying out on my side thing (sans pillow between knees...big mistake), and then not being able to walk for 24 hours afterwards, I sought out a better option and found this...

$17 @ WalMart

I highly recommend one of these spring rafts w/mesh hammocks to float in. It's super lightweight, only requires a few seconds to blow up the outer ring & pillow, and folds up into this handy little bag. You can lay face down with your tummy on the mesh hammock immersed into water. There is zero resistance and you can finally get some sun on your backside. Score!

OB has assured me I can swim safely the entire pregnancy, and there are no restrictions as far as laying in cold water or sunning myself. Both he and my dermatologist have also told me there are no specific ingredients or chemicals to avoid in sunscreens either, although I take that sort of advice with a grain of salt and try to make the best choices I can, despite their lackadaisical approach to consumer products.

Obviously, the best choice for sunscreen would probably be slathering ourselves with mud, but that's no fun to lay out in. And because I'm not appearing on an episode of Naked and Afraid anytime soon, I highly doubt you'll see me sporting mud head to toe. The other option is a 100% mineral sunscreen, but unfortunately most I've used are thick and pasty, and I'm not even going to try applying that mess on my back. So, I decided I'm not fixated on being "perfect" in regards to a sunscreen choice, but will be "better" where I can. I found this sunscreen spray, which I LOVE! Although it's not perfect, it doesn't contain oxybenzone or nanoparticles, and it's a brand name I trust more than others.

$10/bottle @ Sprouts

Looooove this stuff. Check it out if you are looking for a sunscreen that feels soft (like a very light oil), smells fabulous (like a dreamscicle), sprays upside down, and prevents burning while still leaving you with a nice even tan. If you have a Sprouts nearby, they are having a 25% off sale on all body products this month, and there is a $2 coupon on each bottle on top of their store discount. If you are a fellow fan of the EWG website, they have a pretty handy page with other options in their Guide to Sunscreens you can check out as well.

Changing gears and speaking of exciting new products, we received our first registry gifts from some sweet friends recently (Thanks Tim & Kristin!). It was a sweet moment to open up those gifts. Everything makes me cry these days, and of course that brought a couple happy tears. People are so generous, and I'm very thankful to those reaching out with love and support and celebrating right along with us. Still pinching myself that this is actually happening, and that we are getting to experience some fun milestones of pregnancy like other "normal people." :)

We had our 24 week apt. with our OB on Friday, and although we didn't get an u/s we weren't disappointed.  Preston has been throwing some major kicks and jabs and doing well at reminding me that he's alive and well in there. His kicks are definitely up a notch from what they first were at 17.5 weeks, when movement was first evident. The TV remote, which was resting on my side the other day, actually jumped from his kicks. So wild. Hopefully hubby won't get too sick of me remarking about the movement, because it's just so cool to feel, and I don't think I'll ever lose my fascination with the whole thing.

Preston's heartbeat was strong @ 151 bpm, and I still get all giddy every time I hear it, especially since I don't use an at home doppler and am resolved not to buy one. Not being a control freak with at home monitoring is helping me strengthen my "faith muscle, " and waiting for doctor's apts. to hear the heartbeat makes it that much more special each time.

All in all, things couldn't be any better. A happy wife is a happy life. We've gotten quite a bit done with the nursery, but still aren't completely finished. Will post an update on that once it's complete. Right now, the sun is calling my name. :)