baby bloomer bump update: meet sage!

Sorry guys...I've gotten VERY behind on my blogging. But my little one is here and time really seems hard to come by, although things are starting to settle down a tad. Anyhow, I just wanted to post my final Baby Bloomer Bump update. Please meet little Sage Delilah, born July 12, 2010! And at 9 lbs., 11 oz. she was a whopper! Especially since I am kinda little myself. Note my quite 'unkempt' new mommy hairdo in the latest photo! I don't quite have time to blowdry and straighten my hair anymore! But having no time and looking disheveled is so worth it. Sage is a complete joy - a very sweet baby. I will post some more pics of her soon!

baby bloomer bump update: 9 months {almost there}

Well I'm a little late with this update, but here it is! My last Baby Bloomer bump photo...well at least let's hope that it's the last one, and that the final photo has a baby in it! Things are getting pretty tight and heavy, my feet have swollen to elephant proportions and I'm getting a bit tired of strangers asking if there are twins in there. Nope! Just a really large baby girl. For those of you who don't know me, I'm a pretty tiny person - so I'm not sure how I cooked this baby so big! The doctor thinks she will be at least 8 or 9 pounds. But I am just happy she is doing well and she continues to entertain me with her squirming and by poking out her little elbows, knees and feeties.

The Baby Bloomer {also known as Peanut and Lil Miss Pixie} is almost here! Can't wait to meet her! Can't wait to into introduce her to you!

baby bloomer bump update: 9 months {almost there}

Well I'm a week late with this update, but here it is! My last Baby Bloomer bump photo...well at least let's hope that it's the last one, and that the final photo has a baby in it! Things are getting pretty tight and heavy, my feet have swollen to elephant proportions and I'm getting a bit tired of strangers asking if there are twins in there. Nope! Just a really large baby girl. For those of you who don't know me, I'm a pretty tiny person - so I'm not sure how I cooked this baby so big! The doctor thinks she will be at least 8 or 9 pounds. But I am just happy she is doing well and she continues to entertain me with her squirming and by poking out her little elbows, knees and feeties.

The Baby Bloomer {also known as Peanut and Lil Miss Pixie} is almost here! Can't wait to meet her! Can't wait to into introduce her to you!

baby bloomer bump update: 8 months

Oopsy...about 2 weeks late posting these pics, but here I am at 8 months - almost there! What a transformation. Remember how I used to say how fast the pregnancy was going? Well that has all changed! Mostly because I feel gigantic, stretched, slow and maybe just a tad waddly. I've heard the 'stretched belly' feeling likened to Joan River's face after having plastic surgery - yep, pretty much! It's getting harder to walk up the stairs, especially in my 3-story house {4 stories, if you count the basement...ouch}. And yesterday it took me 15 minutes to attempt to buckle on my gladiator sandals - and it didn't end in success. Flip flops it is!

It's also feeling a lot slower because of the anticipation. We just cannot wait to meet the little person who is actively dancing around in my tum. Who will she look like? Will she be artistic {like mom}, or musical {like pops}, or both or neither? So much to look forward to!

baby bloomer bump update: 8 months

Here I am at 8 months - almost there! What a transformation. Remember how I used to say how fast the pregnancy was going? Well that has all changed! Mostly because I feel gigantic, stretched, slow and maybe just a tad waddly. I've heard the 'stretched belly' feeling likened to Joan River's face after having plastic surgery - yep, pretty much! It's getting harder to walk up the stairs, especially in my 3-story house {4 stories, if you count the basement...ouch}. And yesterday it took me 15 minutes to attempt to buckle on my gladiator sandals - and it didn't end in success. Flip flops it is!

It's also feeling a lot slower because of the anticipation. We just cannot wait to meet the little person who is actively dancing around in my tum. Who will she look like? Will she be artistic, or musical, or both or neither? I do know for a fact that she is quite excited to meet her little cousin who is only a few months behind.

This will definitely be a very fun {and busy} year ahead for the Bloomers!

baby bloomer bump update: 7 months

Here we are again! Another Baby Bloomer Bump update. Holy smokers, 7 months! All continues to go well with the pregnancy though and I'm getting very excited to meet the little Bloom who is squirming, kicking, rolling in my tummy.

The nursery has been painted, and now it's time to decorate - my favourite part. I will give you a photo update on the nursery as soon as we organize and tidy and find a place for all of our wonderful baby things. Right now the room looks a tad like an episode of Hoarders!

baby bloomer bump update + maternity clothes survival guide

Here we are already...another Baby Bloomer update! I'm six months this week. My 'crumb-catcher' is growing daily, and I keep asking myself: "How can I possibly get any bigger?"...only to get replies of "Just wait..."!

A while ago I posted about my quest to stay stylish while preggers on a budget, and I just wanted to follow up as I have become a bit of an expert since then. For those of you soon-to-be yummy mummies in the Toronto area, here is what I have found!

Maternity Clothes Survival Guide
I didn't really want to spend too much money on a maternity wardrobe, but I still wanted to look nice! I would recommend looking in your closet to see what you already have, as I've been able to use a lot of pre-peanut clothes - dresses that either have an empire waist, or are made of stretchy material. Long tank tops and t-shirts are great and I can't recommend leggings enough! So good to wear with dresses, tunics and long sweaters and very comfy too. Don't forget to pair them with boots! Boots always make an outfit look good. Or else, in the summer, a nice pair of flats would do quite well.

In addition to using what already existed in my closet, I did get quite a few maternity basics: jeans, some shirts and dresses as I've had a few fancy functions in the past little while. Here are some of my recommendations!

Some stores I've had luck with:
Thyme Maternity - They are ok, but I found their sizing doesn't fit me that well. I got a nice shirt there though.
Motherhood Maternity - Same as above; I got a simple black dress there but the sizes don't fit me too well for some reason.
H+M - I got some jeans there and some shirts. Their maternity section is pretty teeny, and you really have to go on a bit of a treasure hunt! But definitely reasonable in price.
Old Navy - Their maternity section is piddly, but with the advice of a friend, I found that their 'regular' line of clothing is roomy enough for a blossoming belly. Check out their sale racks for long shirts and dresses.
Bella Band (www.ingridandisabel.com) - I got one of these hoping I could just wear some of my older pants or jeans and 'close' them with the band. However I soon realized that my old pants didn't make it very far up my new heftier thighs and hips! I use it now to cover my belly if some of my old t-shirts or tank tops are too short! They can be purchased online, or at pretty much any maternity or baby store.
Bella Mom Maternity (www.bellamom.ca) - In the plaza just outside Vaughan Mills Mall, this store has some beautiful clothes! A bit out of my price range, however I did get a dress there for a wedding. They have designer jeans there too like Paige jeans, and Habituals that apparently you can wear post-peanut! I would recommend checking them out.
My Bump Maternity (www.mybumpmaternity.com) - Located in the Beaches, this store is much like the store above, a lot of really nice things! I got a light summer dress there.

Other stores that I haven't shopped at, but sound pretty good:
Belly (www.bellymaternity.ca) - This is in my old neighbourhood of Mount Pleasant, between Eglinton and Davisville. And I will admit that way before I was pregs, I would visit this store as it always had very cool clothes in the window. Not really in the 'economical' range, they carry high-end designer labels like Diane von Furstenberg, if you need some fancies.
Evy Mama (www.evymama.ca) - I haven't been there but it looks good!
Target (www.target.com) - I haven't made it down to Buffalo to check it out, but apparently they have a pretty good line of stylish maternity wear, and no doubt very affordable.

Some online stores:
There are tons of online stores out there, and I have to admit that I haven't bought anything online yet. But here are a couple that have been recommended, or that I have found:

A Pea in the Pod (www.apeainthepod.com)
Haute Mama (www.hautemama.ca)
Euphoria Maternity (www.euphoriamaternity.com)

I hope this helps! If you have any other suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments section. Have a wonderful weekend!