maternity photo ideas!!

One thing about this pregnancy that I am most excited for is our maternity photos. I have been thinking about them the whole time and what I would want them to be like. I'm not really a winter person and was worried I wouldn't be as excited about having maternity photos taken in Dec or Jan but ever since I started a Pinterest board for inspiration...I can't wait!!

We were going to have them done in Nov but things fell through, so we've moved them onto either the end of Dec or Jan. One of Luke's best friends is going to be taking them for us and he is wonderful! He shot amazing photos at our wedding and I am so excited to see how these photos will turn out.

Luke came up with the idea a couple months ago of having the majority of them taken inside at our house, just being casual/going about our day...making breakfast, drinking coffee/tea, playing with Monty and snuggling in bed. At first, I wasn't sure and wanted them outside but the more Luke and I talked about it and all the cute set ups we could do, the more and more I became excited!! We bought a beautiful house and have worked hard at making it beautiful and cozy, so its setting for our photos as we make this house a home for our little family.  I love that these photos will be uniquely as ours and mean something when we look back on them after we've moved out of this house one day and remember where we started and that those rooms hold those memories and many more.

Here are a few of my favorites that have inspired our at home photo shoot!

sources on pinterest

We'll also be having newborn/family photos take after River is here that continue on the at home story. We thought it would be cute to have the same sort of photos, doing the same sorts of things but with River incorporated into them.

This is such an amazing, special time in our life and I'm so excited to capture it.
I haven't felt like many people in our lives have been that enthusiastic or involved in our pregnancy or that I have got to share many of my firsts with other people because we don't live where everyone else does. I think most women want to feel a little extra special during their pregnancies and I just haven't felt that, so to be able to get dolled up and have photos taken just feels extra special to me and I know it does to Luke as well. 

How far along? 29 weeks 4 days. At my last appt I was measuring ahead and the doc thought I'd be closer to mid Feb due date but as of my appt on Tuesday my belly hasn't grown and is back on track for my original due date of Feb. 23rd...so its like a week got taken away from me, ha.
Total weight gain/loss: 16lbs
Maternity clothes? I haven't worn the maternity jeans since the last time. I have two maternity sweaters and two maternity dresses...I've worn the sweaters and not the dresses but there is still time! I can still fit into my jeans with the hair band trick and most of my shirts/sweaters still fit. 
Stretch marks? nope. I thought I got one and poor Luke endured a long evening of crying and freaking out. turns out my underwear is just too tight. 
Sleep: still sleeping good.
Best moment this week: I lost my mucus plug last week and wasn't scared but nervous a bit that my cervix was starting to open...I called my doc and he said as long as I didn't start having contractions he'd wait to check me at my appt on Tuesday. My cervix is open a tiny bit but nothing to be concerned about, so that was nice to hear!
Have you told family and friends: yup, everyone knows!
Movement: All the time. He goes bat shit crazy sometimes and it makes me wonder what he is doing!!
Food cravings: it was coconut donuts...I fulfilled that craving and now I'm good. Eating super healthy these last couple months to keep my body in tip top shape!
Anything making you queasy or sick: nope!
Have you started to show yet: yup, I've popped!
Leakage: some
Gender prediction: Boy. and I was right!!!
Labor Signs: Braxton hicks have started but they're nothing I can't handle!
Belly Button in or out? In.
Wedding rings on or off? on. 
Happy or Moody? Happy. 
Weekly Wisdom: Always tell the person/people you love how much you appreciate them. Luke and I have always told each other "thank you" at least once a day whether it be just for loving one another or for what meal I made or letting him play Madden instead of doing dishes or for the times he snuggles into my neck and gives me one soft kiss. I am so lucky to have Luke as my husband, the things he does for us and how hard he works and his ethics and priorities never cease to amaze me. I never have to worry and I think that has helped me to have such a carefree pregnancy...I haven't been nervous about a single thing and even after our birthing class, I'm still nonchalant about it all. Knowing I have such an amazing partner has kept me upbeat and positive and made me realize that its just our little family that matters during this journey and no one else! 
Milestones: We had our birthing class and enjoyed it so much! Next Thursday is our hospital tour and that Saturday is our breastfeeding class. I've also picked out my large purse/diaper bag and ordered a little suitcase for River's hospital items and plan on going shopping for all the hospital essentials after Christmas! Its so fun to plan and get organized!!

You will...

I read this on another blog and thought it was great...I was told/heard all these things about what till happen to me during pregnancy and at the beginning, I believed it all and was sure it was going to happen to me. I was dreading it and wondered if I would enjoy pregnancy at all because I am not one for not feeling like myself and the thought of my body not feeling like my own, terrified me. 
Then as the weeks went on, I realized I am not like everyone else and my pregnancy wouldn't be like anyone else's and this made me happy.
Then as the weeks went on, I realized I am not like everyone else and my pregnancy wouldn't be like anyone else's either...thank goodness!!
1) Your boobs will get ginormous. It took a long time for my boobs to grow at all. I wasn't sure they ever would and wondered if I would be able to breastfeed. I wasn't too upset though because up until a few weeks ago, I didn't have to buy any new bras and the only reason I did was because a strap broke, otherwise I think I would have been able to survive a little longer with my pre-pregnancy bras. 

2) YOU will get enormous. Not for me, not yet and I don't plan on letting it happen. I didn't start gaining weight until about week 17 and even then it was 3 lbs. Even with morning sickness, I still managed to get out for runs and to the gym at least once a week between weeks 7-13 and then we bought a treadmill off of one of Luke's friends and it has been my best friend, along with some pregnancy DVD's and my Barre class. I love working out and being healthy and knew I was not going to let pregnancy change me. I also have my acupuncturist focus on points that controls cravings and know that has helped me tremendously!

3) Your feet will go up a shoe size. Nope, still wearing the same size. 

4) You will become a moody bitch. I haven't been very hormonal at all. I cried a few times while I had morning sickness because I wasn't able to work out as much as I was used to and I missed it. It helped control my hormones and keep me happy, so not having that outlet left me feeling out whack on top of feeling sick all the time and dry heaving/throwing up everyday. Lately, if I've been upset its because I've felt quite alone during this pregnancy, my mom watches my niece and can't come keep me company or hardly talk on the phone, my mother in law doesn't drive and most everyone else is just busy. I haven't had many people to talk to about my pregnancy or my appointments or share ultrasounds with or clothes I've bought or nursery plans, its mainly Luke. I know he cares and is so involved, I love it but I still sometimes just feel alone. 


5) Your nails will grow fast and beautiful.  My nails have always grown fast, so I haven't noticed a difference.

6) Your hair will be amazing.   I actually lost a lot of hair during the first trimester, it grossed Luke out a lot (poor guy was constantly covered in dog fur and my hair) 

7) You will have acne or a ton of zits. Thank goodness, no. My skin has been great and I feel very fortunate. Now that its getting colder, my skin is getting dry but I found a new moisturizer to try out so I'm hoping that helps!

8) You will have a crazy "nesting" instinct.   I do have that crazy nesting feeling but we moved into our house almost two months ago and I have been focusing on decorating it and making it a home...I haven't done anything yet to the nursery. 

9) Your back will kill you. Nope, not really. I have scoliosis, so that bothered me pre-pregnancy if I did too much and nothing has changed. 

10) You will have frequent headaches and/or migraines. I did suffer from this. It was horrible. It caused a lot of vomiting and a lot days spent inside because I was scared to drive. 

11) You will be super constipated. Nope. Again, thank goodness!

12) You will have very vivid dreams. I've had maybe two. And only a handful of dreams about River. 

13) You will have very specific food cravings. During the first trimester, they weren't really cravings...it was just the only food I could keep down so we ate it constantly and that was Indian or Thai and Chipotle. Luckily, the weekend we moved I started feeling normal again and got back to eat clean and healthy. Since then I've had two specific food cravings, M&M McFlurries (I ate three in two days and haven't wanted them since) and a biscuit with jam from a restaurant in Columbus, it was the most glorious thing I've had during this pregnancy.

14) Smells, like the smell of coffee, will make you nauseous. The only smells that bothered me were chemicals or cleaning supplies and now they don't anymore. I did make a parsnip/cabbage soup the other week and the smell of it made me sick but those are the only two things. 

15) You will be SUPER hungry all of the time. This just started happening and I've already learned my lesson. I gorged myself on chips and salsa yesterday, which made me super thirsty, so I drank a big glass of water and promptly threw it all up. This was all after eating my dinner 30 mins before. I need to remember I do not have a lot of room in my belly anymore. 

16) You will gain a ton of water weight. I haven't retained any water weight, yay!!

17) Watch out for hemorrhoids! Nope!! I hope it stays that way. 

18) You will be exhausted during the first trimester. I wasn't at all. I napped maybe twice and only because I had a horrible headache and would rather sleep through it than be awake. I was able to keep up the grocery shopping and cleaning and walking Monty and working out pretty well. 

19) You will have a TON of energy during the 2nd trimester. I have felt 98% normal during the 2nd trimester, I've had a few days where I feel exhausted but I don't give into it. I do a lot, Luke worries that I do too much but I can't stop, I've got too much to do and hate sitting still for too long. 

20) You may get varicose veins. Nope, I feel lucky!


The majority of things I was so nervous about hasn't happened to me and I am so happy and grateful for that. It was really important to me to enjoy this pregnancy as Luke and I aren't sure if we will have another and I didn't want to remember my possibly only pregnancy as a horrible time. 

I'm in my 24th week now and I can't believe it. Time felt like it was crawling by and while it still does, I don't know how I'm in my 24th week already...its craziness!! I'm so anxious to meet River and talk about it daily, Luke reminds me not to wish for him here too soon, that he needs to grow and become stronger and I know all that is true, I just wish I didn't have to wait maybe 16 more weeks!!

week 22

How far along? 21 weeks 4 days...I think. ha, I'm losing track!
Total weight gain/loss: 11lbs. 
Maternity clothes? my mom bought me a pair of maternity jeans and they're a little too long for my taste so I have to take them to get hemmed. I did wear them one day though and my bump is not big enough to hold them up yet, I kept having to pull them up.
Stretch marks? nope.
Sleep: still sleeping good.
Best moment this week: Luke saw River kicking!
Have you told family and friends: yup, everyone knows!
Movement: Yeah, usually a few times a day. Its a muted feeling...I have an anterior placenta so my doctor said I probably won't ever feel strong movement or see him rolling over or see his feet.
Food cravings: sweet potatoes, avocado and sour candies. 
Anything making you queasy or sick: chemical smells still. fast movements, veggie burgers
Have you started to show yet: yup, I've popped!
Leakage: no.
Gender prediction: Boy. and I was right!!!
Labor Signs: No. Too early.
Belly Button in or out? In.
Wedding rings on or off? on. 
Happy or Moody? Happy. 
Weekly Wisdom: even when I'm tired and my stomach hurts from being stretched and I'm tired of eating every fews hours and get sad about gaining weight, I need to remember how precious this time is and how lucky I am. 
Milestones: We bought the stroller, crib and mattress!!!

week 20

How far along? 19 week 4 days
Total weight gain/loss: still around 118. 
Maternity clothes? not yet, I have two maternity sweaters and one dress but they're all too big for now. I've ordered regular jeans in a larger size, so hopefully those work for awhile! Right now, its jcrew minnie pants and fitted tanks with open flannels or longer sweaters.
Stretch marks? nope.
Sleep: still sleeping good. Last night was the first night I had to get up and pee every 5 mins until I fell asleep. 
Best moment this week: Moo has started cuddling with my belly-laying his head on it. 
Have you told family and friends: yup, everyone knows!
Movement: Yup! I started feeling him kick last week. Luke is able to feel it too and a couple times I was able to see the kicks. 
Food cravings: Grapefruit soda. Pink lady apples. pineapple, Indian food, roasted potatoes, salads, water, chili.
Anything making you queasy or sick: chemical smells still. fast movements, veggie burgers
Have you started to show yet: yeah, I've got a tiny bump. its definitely bigger in the evening than in the morning. 
Leakage: no.
Gender prediction: Boy. and I was right!!!
Labor Signs: No. Too early.
Belly Button in or out? In.
Wedding rings on or off? on. 
Happy or Moody? Happy. 
Weekly Wisdom: I need to remember to eat something every couple hours even if I feel ok because it will come back to haunt me when I least expect it. 
Milestones: We've registered and have the nursery all planned out!!!

week 17

How far along? 16weeks 5 days.
Total weight gain/loss: my scale says 2 lbs...the doctors scale says 5lbs. not sure which is right, either way I'm between 114-119
Maternity clothes? not wearing any yet but I did just order some-a few dresses, a pair of black matte leggings, a couple sweaters and a couple tops. I did buy a pair of maternity jeans but they were waaaaay too big, so back they go. 
Stretch marks? nope.
Sleep: still sleeping good. I've built my pillow fort around myself and it keeps me comfy all night. 
Best moment this week: finding out that we're having a boy!!!
Have you told family and friends: yup, everyone knows!
Movement: I don't think so. Sometimes I wonder if the flutters I feel are him or just gas...probably gas. :)
Food cravings: I've back to eating my normal diet of fresh, healthy foods and I am sooooooo happy!!! I've been craving strawberries, pineapple, brussel sprouts, salad and avocado with liquid aminos and sirachia!
Anything making you queasy or sick: too strong of chemical smells, dog poop and still quick movements. 
Have you started to show yet: yes, finally. though its still small and almost gone in the morning. at night its pretty pronounced. 
Leakage: no.
Gender prediction: Boy. and I was right!!!
Labor Signs: No. Too early.
Belly Button in or out? In.
Wedding rings on or off? on. 
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy.
Weekly Wisdom: running without super supportive sports bras is not a good idea. 
Milestones: We found out its a boy and have his name finalized!!!

creeping towards the second trimester!!!

Again, not much is going on with the babe. I'm slowly creeping towards the second trimester and I can feel it, thank god!
The morning (but actually evening) sickness is getting better and I'm not feeling as tired, though I thankfully never felt tired enough to sleep my days away, I would have hated that!
Our next appt is August 14 so I'm counting down the days. I know all is fine, but its nerve wracking not knowing for absolute certainty. I just want to see him/her and hear the heartbeat and I'll stop with all the what ifs.

One exciting thing that has happened that in part was due to the little one, was that we found and bought a house!! We had been looking but hadn't found anything promising and talked it over and decided we could have a baby in our apartment and make it work and be happy. We love living downtown and it allows us to have one car, so we content staying here. That is until our realtor sent us a house and said look at it and get back to me asap.
I knew the moment I saw the house that it was our house, we went to a viewing and put in an offer the next morning!!! We move in on August 31st and we cannot wait!!!!
I'm so excited to decorate and set up our home and eventually get started on the nursery!!

Thats about it for now, so on to the survey!!


How far along? 10 weeks 4 days (according to my last period) 11weeks (according to what the babe measured and what I think is correct)
Total weight gain/loss: staying steady at 112, except when I'm bloated then its 114. 
Maternity clothes? not yet but I did buy a super cute sweater from ASOS but only because it was on super sale.
Stretch marks? nope.
Sleep: back to being good. though once I wake up to feed Monty at 6, its impossible for me to go back to sleep. 
Best moment this week: my mom, sister and niece coming down yesterday to hang out with me and do a little shopping. 
Have you told family and friends: most everyone knows, though we haven't gone public as far as social media outlets.
Movement: Too early. 
Food cravings: all I seem to eat is Indian food, chipotle, french fries and iced coffee.
Anything making you queasy or sick: veggies are still a no go, which is sad because I miss them. and lemonade, I was craving it, bought it, drank it, threw it up. 
Have you started to show yet: only when bloated.
Leakage: no.
Gender prediction: Boy.
Labor Signs: No. Too early.
Belly Button in or out? In.
Wedding rings on or off? on. 
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy.
Weekly Wisdom: I have to eat by 5-6 or I get sick and sometimes a hug is the best medicine. 
Milestones: my boobs finally got a little bigger, though not by much. I don't mind because I don't want to buy new bras. 

Not much has been happening in regards to the baby since its still pretty early so I haven't had much to update about in that aspect of our life. We have our first appointment on July 17th so hopefully then we'll have heard the heartbeat and had an ultrasound and I'll have more to talk about and feel more comfortable sharing with the rest of my family!
For now I'm just going to update the survey though I'm sure its going to be quite similar to the last. 


How far along? 6 weeks 6 days
Total weight gain/loss: staying steady at 112.
Maternity clothes? not yet but I have been living in leggings for the most part because of stupid bloat.
Stretch marks? nope.
Sleep: sleep has got a bit hard, my abs are so tender when I lay down that I find it hard to get in a comfortable position. 
Best moment this week: morning sickness going away and being able to run/workout again!!!
Have you told family and friends: I've kept my mouth shut since we told the people we wanted to tell. I can't say the same for Luke and his parents...ugh.
Movement: Too early. 
Food cravings: the other day it was pizza and french fries. luckily, that has stopped. now its popsicles, apples, pickles and veggie sausage patties. 
Anything making you queasy or sick: the smell of trash. car rides. 
Have you started to show yet: only when bloated.
Leakage: no.
Gender prediction: Boy.
Labor Signs: No. Too early.
Belly Button in or out? In.
Wedding rings on or off? on. 
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy.
Weekly Wisdom: My stomach can not handle iron in prenatals and I can't go two weeks without acupuncture.
Milestones: having morning sickness and getting through/over it.

Baby Sedmak

Well, it finally happened! We're pregnant.
After 5 months of trying and feeling lost and confused, we finally did it!
Those five months of trying were filled with anger, frustration, questions, confusion, feeling lost and then towards the end acceptance and realizing this could go on for awhile.
We have family history that allowed us to get a few tests done and get an appointment with a fertility doctor and actually had our appointment scheduled for yesterday...we found out we were pregnant on Sunday, after we had gone for testing on Friday!! Gah, its funny how things work sometimes.
Needless to say, I cancelled the fertility appointment and we still haven't received the results from this round of testing.

Without going into it too much, we tried so many suggestions we read on blogs and forums and honestly, we both believe that it was acupuncture that was the life saver.
I go for my third appointment tomorrow and plan on going once a week all through the pregnancy.
The place I go to is amazing and works on a sliding scale structure, meaning you pay what you can afford based on how often/long you plan on doing acupuncture.
This is so great because it allows me and others like me, to be able to afford a treatment that would normally be triple what I pay!

I didn't even think I was pregnant, all week I had been feeling like I was going to get my period and I was ready for it. I had a pity party in the morning one day and then after that, I went about my normal life. I wasn't thinking about it too much and was just waiting for my period.
I woke up Saturday and decided to test just in case, since the next day was Father's Day. I didn't expect two lines to show up at all, but they did!
I ran in and showed Luke, he said the line was faint and that he was tired. He went back to sleep (it was 6 am) and I grabbed Monty and we went over the river to Kroger for a digital test.
I made myself coffee and breakfast and watched a few episodes of Pretty Little Liars and then took the digital test and within two seconds, it read PREGNANT.
Again, I ran in and told Luke. This time he believed it but I didn't. I still felt like I was going to get my period and didn't want to get my hopes up.
But my period still hasn't come, so I finally believe it.

We haven't told many people as of right now, just our parents, siblings and their significant others and three friends.
We're planning on not telling anyone else until after our first appointment which isn't until July 22nd when I'll be at 8 weeks.

Right now, we're just living life like normal. 
I still go on long runs, go to the gym, take barre and yoga classes and drink coffee.
Luke is working a lot and working hard.
We're going to San Diego on Monday for a week and plan on taking a couple more mini trips over the summer.
We know life is going to change in the future but right now is not the time.

I haven't taken any baby bump photos, because there is no bump, but I plan to when there is one.
For now, I'm just going to do these little surveys, so here is the first!

How far along? 4 weeks 4 days
Total weight gain/loss: none. still between 110-112 daily.
Maternity clothes? not yet.
Stretch marks? nope.
Sleep: my sleeping patterns are still the same, going to bed around 10 or 11, waking up at 6 to feed Monty and then again at 7 to walk him.
Best moment this week: not getting my period!
Have you told family and friends: Yes, just our parents, siblings and select friends.
Movement: Too early. But I do feel little flutters every once in awhile, not the baby obviously. 
Food cravings: salad and fruit but thats normally all I eat in the summer anyways. 
Anything making you queasy or sick: nope.
Have you started to show yet: nope.
Leakage: no.
Gender prediction: Boy.
Labor Signs: No. Too early.
Belly Button in or out? In.
Wedding rings on or off? on. 
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy.
Weekly Wisdom: Drink lots of water and slather on shea butter and rose hip oil!
Milestones: actually conceiving! it took 5 months!

A new month

Its been awhile since my last baby post. Things have changed a bit for me and how I feel about blogging all of this before it actually happens.

I got a little discouraged sharing some things and have decided to keep specifics to myself until the time is right, so no pregnancy announcement, gender or name reveal until I get back to being comfortable sharing this very special first experience with anyone other than Luke. I only get to be pregnant and have our first child once and I don't want any of the specialness of the experience taken away. So when the time is right, I'll post more and more often.

Unfortunately, the time is not right, yet.
It was a very hard experience to have and after having a quick pity party in the morning, Luke turned the day into a day of fun-we went on a walk, made lunch, went shopping, lazed around a bit, walked to dinner and then went to an arcade. It was a day of not thinking about babies, money, job hunting, the rest of our usual stresses or anyone else but ourselves.

Its a new month now and I'm trying to stay positive and believe that this month is our month.

Sweet dreams are made of these

Holy crap, there are some amazing baby nurseries out there!!!
I can't wait to set our plans for a nursery into motion once we're pregnant and find out the sex.
It will be a challenge to not go overboard since we're uncertain where we will be living once our lease is up. We want to stay in our current apartment but the downtown lifestyle gets a bit loud and we'd like at least a patio for Monty...we'll see!

For now, I am having fun browsing Pinterest and day dreaming about the perfect little spot for our perfect little baby!!

Luke and I both like neutrals with pops of color, something that will be easy to transition the pieces and colors from baby, to toddler to little kid.

Here are a couple of my favorite finds on pinterest for Indy and Lowe:

How perfect is this room for Indiana?! Luke and I have already bought a couple Indiana Jones prints off Etsy that will be perfect for this room!!

I love the woodland theme of this room (the pin on Pinterest didn't have the original link). I think we'd switch out the wood furniture for white though and chevron instead of plaid.

This room is just what I imagine for a little Marlowe (without the bird pillow). I love the wall paper and plan on having an accent wall with it and the best part is, Luke loves wall paper too!!!

Not going to lie, I kind of want our bedroom to look like this...Luke would object, its too girly for him but for Lowe, it would be perfect!! The light and the floor pouf are my favorite!!




Luke and I had so much fun planning our bedroom and decorating it, I know when the time comes we're both going to put just as much thought and effort into the babies room as we did ours!

You make my dreams

Since my last post, Luke and I got married, moved into a new apartment, FINALLY got Monty living with us, bought lots of new things together to fill our new space and are now in the process of getting ready to start a family!!

I won't go into our planning process or our discussions or anything like that-that stuff is private but I will say we aren't going into this lightly or just because we want a cute baby. We had big, long talks and decided together that we are ready!

Being ready and having a planning period before we actually get pregnant is one reason I decided to blog again or eventually start a new one, because we live about an hour and half away from both of our parents, I thought a blog would be a good way to let them know whats going on in our lives on this new journey since we can't always make it up there or phone calls aren't enough.

Since we haven't "officially" started the nine month journey, I don't have any pregnancy things to talk about but I have started reading a couple books, bought a couple creams and oils that were on sale and even bought a super cute pair of baby leggings from H & M. Its been fun having this sort of seque period but its also making me impatient!

Pinterest has become my best friend-I thought it was fun searching and pinning stuff for a wedding, but oh my, its even more fun doing it for a baby!! There are so many cute nursery ideas, adorable onesies and awesome baby gear! I started board for each gender under the names we have picked out, I LOVE, love love our names, we picked them together and they flow so nicely.

Indiana Jamin Sedmak is our boy name. Indiana has been the name I've had picked out for a boy for forever! I love Indiana Jones, when I was little I wanted to be him when I grew up...I kind of still do, hes badass. Jamin is Luke's middle name and its important to him to have our potential son carry on the name, which I think is so sweet.

Marlowe Wren Sedmak is our girl name. We both think Marlowe is such a sweet name and it has a bit of my Great Grandfathers name, which is where my middle name came from-Arlee/Arlene. Wren is just adorable and makes me think of a cute little bird, I love it.

For now thats all we have going on with expanding our little family. I can't wait to have more to share and to share the news with all our friends and family!!