Asymmetrical Dress

^ "Mom stop kissing me, you're embarrassing me!" 

Dress:White Plum similar here c/o / Shoes: Madewell (on sale!!)

I decided to bust out my camera for these pictures and as I was looking through all the pictures saved, I came across pictures of Ella when she was a newborn!! I flipped because the only pictures I have of Ella are on my iPhone. The hubs took pictures of her when I was sleeping and I will forever cherish those sweet photos. She was so wrinkly and I can't believe she is 6 months now and growing!! I know I say this all the time, but time seriously needs to slow the heck down! I remember that newborn stage like it was yesterday. Tyler would let me get extra sleep in the morning and he would watch the girls. Am I crazy for wanting two more little babes? ha!

On another note, it feels good to start blogging again. My computer was packed up in the garage during our move because there was no place to put it. We are slowly but surely getting this place put together and it feels so good to finally have a place of our own! My family traveled from out of town to help us move and make our home more livable. I am feeling EXTRA grateful for them and all that they have been doing for us. My family is seriously so amazing!

Okay, moving on to this dress... it is so stinking comfy! It flows so beautifully and is perfect for you pregnant mamas. Did I mention that it is easy to nurse in? I have the hardest time finding clothes that are easy to nurse in. If you ladies know of any, please let me know. :)

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you all have a fabulous week!

Xo,
Nicole

My JORD Wood Watch + Giveaway

If you know me, I'm not one to wear a lot of accessories. Since having my two little girls, there are only two pieces of jewelry that I actually wear and that is my wedding ring and a watch. When JORD Wood watches so kindly gifted me this beautiful watch, I squealed with excitement. No joking, ask my husband! haha 

This unique, timeless watch instantly caught my eye and it was so hard for me to choose just one because I wanted them ALL. Eventually, I opted for the FIELDCREST series in the color "maple" and I have to admit I'm in love! 

The holidays are around the corner and if you are looking for that perfect unique gift 

for that special someone, I would highly recommend heading over to 

JORD Wood watches website and taking a look for yourself :) 

I promise you won't be disappointed. 

Click here to be directed to more JORD wood watches!

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Now, how would you like to win a $75 e-voucher towards any watch of your liking? 

No worries if you don't win! Everyone else who enters will receive a $20 e-voucher 

for any watch of their liking as well. It only takes a few short seconds. 

Click here to enter. 

Giveaway ends 9.7.16 

Good Luck!

Xo,

Nicole 

Meet Ella Rose Iwamura

It was a beautiful sunny morning, and I had officially hit my 40 week mark. Tyler and I were waiting for Grandma to come over so she could babysit Addy while Tyler and I headed to my 40 week appt. We finally arrived and my obgyn requested a nonstress test to monitor Ella's heart rate. While waiting, I could feel my contractions starting to get more intense and uncomfortable. I was anxious to see my obgyn because I was curious to know how dilated I was. An hour went by and it was finally time to see my obgyn, I had mentioned to her that I had seen a little liquid come out of me that morning but I wasn't sure if my water had broke or not. She then did a test to see if had broken and sure enough my water was slowly leaking and she said to go to the hospital immediately after the appointment. Tyler and I looked at each other in complete shock. It was time to meet our sweet baby girl!!!! She had mentioned that I would most likely have Ella before midnight so to be prepared.

I texted my mom and told her "it was time" and to head to San Diego ASAP! My parents are the best...they drove 4 hours to be with me while I delivered Ella. Tyler and I made it to the hospital and were finally settled in. The nurse wanted to monitor my contractions before giving me pitocin... they figured all I needed was a small dose and I would most likely go into labor shortly thereafter. That made me so nervous! I felt like everything was happening so fast and I needed to experience some type of painful contractions before getting epidural. It's weird... I asked to hold off on epidural until contractions got worse and the nurse had mentioned if we waited too long I might not be able to get it. Looking back, I have no idea why I wanted to wait haha! Well, I eventually was given the epidural and it was a completely different experience compared to when I got epidural while in labor with Addy! With Addy, it was a complete nightmare! I was shaking so bad and the anesthesiologist hit a nerve and my leg flew up! It was horrible!! Everything was so smooth during this labor I honestly felt like it was a dream... or too good to be true. It really is true when they say the second time around is so much easier.

After I was given the epidural, it was a smooth ride from that point. My parents had finally arrived and I was completely out of it ha! I was so happy they made it before it was time to deliver. By this time, I had Pitocin and epidural already so I felt like it was going to be time to push very very soon! Tyler was a champ and hadn't eaten since we first got to the hospital. He did this with Addy and I thought it was the sweetest thing. He said "if you can't eat, I won't eat." But with this labor I recommended that he eat especially since my parents were there and they could leave to go get him food. Plus, I knew labor wasn't going to be much longer.

 The midwife was checking on me quite a bit and I had mentioned I felt pressure so she checked to see how dilated I was and I was dilated 4cm! At that point, the waiting game began.... waiting was not fun. I had a ton of thoughts running through my head. A lot of "what ifs" and lots and lots of praying! Mainly praying for the health of our baby girl. If you aren't familiar with my daughter, Adalynn's story you can read that here. The fear of that happening again struck through my mind over and over again and I couldn't help but worry. These thoughts occurred throughout my pregnancy and I tried extremely hard to stay positive and hope for the best.

I felt an insane amount of pressure so I told the nurse that I think it was time to "push" she then went to get the midwife and she checked to see how dilated I was and I was at 10 cm! It was time!! I started freaking out so Tyler and I prayed together before it was time to push. I started pushing and I kept looking at my mom and Tyler's face as baby girl was making her way out...they had mentioned they could see her head and they kept staring with these blank stares! I thought something was wrong for sure. I kept pushing and pushing and I could almost feel the whole thing! I felt Ella's head stuck and it hurt so bad! 12 hours and 17 minutes later our baby girl was here. She didn't start crying at first because the umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck so the nurse unwrapped it immediately before handing her to me and all I could say was "why isn't she crying!" They examined her shortly after and I couldn't take my eyes off her. I looked at my mom and she looked at me with watery filled eyes and said "Nicole, Ella is fine." I started crying and leaned my head back and said, "Thank you God!" I couldn't believe she was healthy! I was so relieved that God blessed us with a beatiful healthy baby. She weighed 8pds 3oz and was 19 1/2 inches long. I had 1st degree tears which was a lot worse compared to Addy. What a huge difference they both were! Addy weighed 5 pds 7 oz. So giving birth to an 8 pound baby was quite the adventure.

I had prayed my entire pregnancy that I would be able breastfeed Ella since I wasn't able to with Addy. It was finally time to feed Ella and I was so amazed that she knew exactly what to do. She latched on like a champ and it was so beautiful. It took me some time to figure out how to position her, but we eventually figured out what worked best for us and it has been such a God blessing being able to breastfeed her. I still can't believe she is here and how perfect she is. She is such a blessing to our family and I couldn't imagine life without her. It's like she's been apart of our family this whole time. I thank God so much for blessing us with a beautiful healthy baby girl.

God is so good!!

Pregnancy Update: 37 weeks

Top: Ingrid & Isabel c/o | Slip: Free People | Socks: Free People | Lips: MAC "MAC RED" 

I am officially considered "full term" at 37 weeks (37 weeks and 2 days to be exact). Baby girl has been moving SO much it's insane! I'm running on very little sleep and to be honest, I'm to the point where I am completely uncomfortable. I am trying to enjoy this pregnancy as much as possible because I know I'll miss it once my bump is gone! Weekly appointments are in full effect and everything is looking good so far. Thank you God!! Baby girl can arrive any day now and typing that makes me nervous and excited at the same time! Ah! I can't believe I'm going to have two little girls, it makes me so excited to dress them the same! (yes, I'm going to be that mom haha!) I'm trying to soak up as much Addy time as possible because I know baby girl will be here before we know it. When it hits 4:30, Addy and I wrap ourselves in a blanket and lay on the couch until Tyler gets home. It's become my favorite thing to do as of lately, mainly because I have been having the worst backaches and laying down seems to be the only thing that helps. It gives me an excuse to cuddle with her. ;) 

Okay moving on to this Ingrid & Isabel top... pregnant mamas you need it! It's extremely comfortable and affordable! It can be dressed up for a date night or casual like the look I have above. When Tyler was taking these pictures, I seriously told him I do not want to change because I was so comfortable! I actually wore this top to my OBGYN appt yesterday and you will most likely see me wearing it until I pop! ;) 

P.S I'm not exactly sure what I am doing in the pictures above. I think my cheeks have been looking a little full so turning my head has become a habit haha! I promise once this baby is born and my cheeks go down I'll have more smiley pictures! :) 

Thanks for stopping by!

Xo, Nicole 

Ingrid & Isabel: Shirred Dress

Dress: Ingrid & Isabel c/o 

I am officially at 36 weeks and I am getting super anxious to 

meet my sweet baby girl! Nesting mode is in full swing and I am so excited that the nursery is almost finished. On Saturday, Tyler & I took a tour of where I will be delivering baby girl and it was extremely helpful! It brought back so many crazy memories and I can't wait to make more! :)

Okay... moving on to this fabulous dress! I own this Ingrid & Isabel dress in 4 different colors. I know in most of my blog posts I rave about each dress and how great it is, but ladies, this dress really is ahh-maze balls (yes I just said that). The material feels amazing, its comfy and it fits all stages of pregnancy! I have been wearing all my Ingrid and Isabel dresses since I was in the first trimester and my big ol' belly still fits in them. If you are looking for that all around perfect maternity dress, this is it. I have a blog post here featuring the black Shirred Dress and you can find the dress here. 

I hope you all have a fab week and thanks for stopping by!

Xo, Nicole 

Oatmeal Energy Bites

When Addy was in the hospital at CHLA, my parents came to visit us and my Mom brought these delicious Oatmeal Energy Bites. I immediately asked for the recipe. I have seen these bites on Pinterest before but everything I have made off Pinterest has been a total failure haha! So I asked my Mom how she made hers... because, after all, mama knows best, right?? 

I followed my Mom's instructions and added a couple more things to the mix, like protein powder and water. These bites may not be the healthiest option out there but they are Ooohh so delicious! If you're interested on how I made these the recipe is below. 

• 1 scoop protein powder (I used Quest Chocolate Protein Powder- you can buy that here)
• 2 C. Oatmeal 
• 2 tbs. Flaxseed
• 1/2 C. Water
• 1/2 C. Peanut Butter
• 1/2 C. Chocolate Chips  
• 1/2 C. Honey    
• Stir and roll in a ball with your hands           

*set in fridge for 30 minutes and enjoy! :) 

Shapewear

Shapewear: Jewel Toned c/o 

Alright mamas, when I come across something good I have to share it with you.

 I believe Jewel Toned Shapewear should be a staple in every woman's closet. Not Joking. 

It is designed to wear during or after pregnancy... talk about a mamas dream come true! When I received the Major Mini Dress in the mail I tried it on immediately and I knew I would get a ton of use out of it. 

The Major Mini Dress is designed to be comfortable and supportive while smoothing out all those areas we feel self-conscious about. It can be paired perfectly on it's own or under clothing. I am just a tad bit excited to wear this under my white sheer dress during the summer! Did I mention that it comes in multiple colors?? Genius!! Plus, it has removable straps which makes it perfect for you breast feeding mamas. AND lucky for you, Jewel Toned is offering my readers 20% off with the code "PREGGO".

Enjoy! ;) 

Asymmetric Maternity Top

 

Top: Pink Blush Maternity c/o | Jeans: AG (non maternity wearing with BeBand) | BeBand: Ingrid and Isabel | Booties: Steve Madden similar here 

Happy Monday! What's better than a loose and comfy maternity top that fits all stages of pregnancy? Nothing! Seriously... this top is a pregnant mama's dream!! It also comes in multiple colors! If you follow me on Instagram, don't forget to enter my giveaway for a chance to win a $75 gift card to Pink Blush Maternity. 

Tyler had a 3 day weekend so we explored La Jolla on Friday and absolutely loved it! We have lived in San Diego for almost a year and that was our first time going together as a family. I loved all the bright colored buildings! Also, we finally started painting the nursery (who am I kidding... Tyler started painting the nursery haha!) Tyler and I decided that Addy and baby girl are going to share a room so I'm trying to decorate it for the both of them. I have been on the hunt to find the perfect pink rug and I think I finally found one! I'll be sure to post pictures to my blog once the nursery/bedroom is finished.
Anyway, I hope you all have a great rest of the week and thanks for stopping by!

Xo, Nicole 

Burgundy Lace Dress

Dress: Pink Blush Maternity c/o | Heels: Ivanka Trump | Earrings: BaubleBar similar here

Happy New Year! I hope you all are having a great start to your new year. Tyler and I didn't exactly do much. This preggo mama couldn't stay up until 12 ha! Addy was in bed by 8:30 and Tyler and I were in bed by 10ish. Talk about an old married couple. ;) 

Since the holidays are over, I decided to do a post on an all around PERFECT maternity dress. I can't obsess over this dress any more than I already have. It is beyond comfortable! I thought it would be a perfect baby shower or Valentine's Day dress. Too soon? I love thinking about Valentine's Day because it is so close to our little one's due date. If Tyler and I make plans, I will for sure be wearing this dress with a faux fur vest and some booties. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Xo, Nicole