Fall fashion & fun!!!

So here I am at almost 22 weeks and I think I finally look pretty preggers!!

Keep in mind, this was BEFORE I had the Ben & Jerry's :)  Rob and I just spent a lovely weekend in Stowe, Vermont...it was our First Anniversary celebration!!!  I can't believe it's been a year~and what a year it's been!

While we were away, we felt the baby kick for the FIRST time and it was nothing short of amazing!!!  I mean to think that something the size of a carrot has that much power!  I can confirm she will either be a Rockette or he will be a field goal kicker for the Giants...nope, we don't know and I don't know if we'll find out.  EVERYONE has their opinion on whether or not we should, but we're happily not taking anyone's advice.  Not even yours eager Grandma, sorry :)  Who knew my VERY traditional mom would be dying to know, and I quote, "what kind of baby I'm having"...as in her, not me...because this is what happens when your mom waits 40+ years to be a grandma...it becomes HER baby :)  And Grandpa Baca has declared this his most stressful pregnancy to date!  Keep in mind he's a father of three, but being a grandfather of one to his Advanced Maternal Age daughter is VERY stressful for him.  Funny, it's been pretty darn enjoyable and non-stressful for me :)

Look, I even hiked up a mountain this weekend...

Begin at Smuggler's Notch and hike a 1.1 mile trail climbing up 1000+ ft in elevation, and you will be rewarded with Sterling "Pond".

We had a FANTASTIC weekend full of activity and it wasn't even ski season!!!  I HIGHLY recommend Stowe, Vermont as a relaxing destination and the Stowe Mountain Lodge as a place to stay.  They took EXTRA special care of us because it was our Anniversary and can I just tell you...the spa treatments were AMAZING....the facial has really helped my baby acne :) Thanks to my sister and brother-in-law for finding these amazing spots and letting us carbon copy your trip!!

So, remember my last preggers post I talked about the lack of maternity fashion?  It is NOT just my imagination, there really is NO resource for this!!  I even consulted with experts...

 

That's my friend Vinnie and me with fashion expert Stacy London from TLC's "What Not to Wear"!  We met her at this year's Fashion's Night Out and I asked her about maternity fashion.  First, it must be said that she gave my cropped leggings and crocheted dress a thumb's up...yippee!  Ok, so Stacy (we're best buds on a first name basis now) said I was right!!  There IS no place to go for advice so she gave me some of her own, which I will happily share with you!

 

1-Jersey is our friend, it will show off our bumps yet hug and hang in the right spots.

 

2-Dresses are easier than pants.

 

3-Wear open closure jackets (in other words DON'T button a blazer).  We want to still show shape in our upper body as our lower body begins to expand.

 

4-For petite pregnant peeps, keep your hemlines no longer than knee length...longer lengths will cut us off and make us look shorter and wider.

 

5-In the early months of pregnany, continue to wear regular clothes...maybe just go up in size.  Many styles still work!

 

She really is THAT good...this delicious advice was given in under three minutes!!  I can't wait to check out her new book "The Truth About Style" when it hits shelves on October 2! No, I'm not getting paid to advertise, I just like her!

 

Armed with Stacy's fashion tips, we headed out on our vacation and because I don't get to dress in "regular" clothes that often, I thought I'd use the weekend as an opportunity to try out some maternity fashions!

OK, so these are maternity skinny jeans BUT the sweater is not! This is my fall look :)

sweater is Kirna Zabete for Target, jeans are Citizens of Humanity BUT purchased at the fab Charlotte, NC maternity consignment shop, Womb and boots are my faux Frye's also from Target and have lasted several seasons!

Again, not YET maternity, but a great empire waist, knee length hem dress by Susana Monaco that I got several years ago and still looks great! Notice, mama can still rock the high heels as long as we're just going from car to Anniversary dinner :)

This was my comfy road trip wear...back with the maternity skinnies cuz they don't have a waistband or button to bother my belly in the car!  The top IS maternity from Michael Stars Maternity again purchased at the fab Womb consignment. I'll admit neither my bust line nor my belly quite fills it out....yet!

Here we go with the open closure jacket!! Nothing is maternity...in fact, the top is a dress

from Everly that I tucked into my new Kirna Zabete for Target faux leather pants!  They stretch like leggings and fit under my baby bump so they're comfy!  Notice...open closure vest?!?!  This was a Christmas present from my fashionable hubby (who pays attention when I say "oh that's cute")...it's faux fur from Rachel Zoe.  I die!!

 

So that was my weekend in a fashion nutshell.  It was so much fun dressing up and trying new things, now it's back to...

But that's ok, I'm having fun displaying my baby bump in my workout wear too!!!

 

I am finding my own way in this new body and LOVING it!!   I am also enjoying taking a daily nap, I like guessing what we're having, it's fun to read about all of the incredible things going on in my body and with our baby, and I relish the fact that if I need a snack before teaching class I have it cuz no one can tell if I'm bloated or just pregnant :) Case in point....

 

Last week I saw someone I used to train for the first time in months...she asked me how married life was treating me and I rubbed my belly and said, "pretty great".  She replied quite seriously, "Woah!  Who's cooking, him or you?"  She was pretty embarrassed when I said, "No, I'm pregnant,"  and I'll admit it, I kind of enjoyed that! 

 

I said it before and I'll say it again, this is AMAZING!!!! 

 

Here's one last pic, it's the 5 month bump shot (taken two weeks ago):

I'm not gonna lie...in the past few days this baby has POPPED!  I can't wait for next month's pic! 

 

Whadya think of my fashion finds?  Have some of your own?  Comment below, I'd love to hear!