15 weeks and things we're loving lately.

15 weeks today! gosh, it seems like time is flying by. i'm so excited we have just over a month until we find out if this little friend is a boy or girl!

baby: size of a naval orange, about 4 in. long and about 2.5 oz.

cravings: nothing strong. i'm loving honeycrisp apples right now!

aversions: none! finally feeling back to normal!

aches/pains: i'm starting to get to the point where i'm not really able to sleep on my tummy, so i have a hard time getting comfortable enough to fall asleep. may need to pull out that body pillow again! other than that, i feel great!

body: nothing new. tummy is just getting bigger!

boy or girl? we find out nov. 7th! i can't wait!

names? pretty sure we've figured out our number one boy name and our number one girl name. we haven't talked about it much lately, though. i'm sure it'll be the focus of conversation after we find out the gender!

now for the things i'm loving lately...

1. MAMA parka in khaki green from H&M ($39.95)



who knew H&M has a maternity line?! the length of this jacket is great and i like that it doesn't make me feel huge (like a lot of other maternity coats i've tried). it's perfect for the crisp fall mornings we've had!

2. aveda smooth infusion glossing straightener ($23.00)


helps control frizz without making my hair feel "producty". use a pea-sized amount and run through damp hair before blow drying. done.

3. envelopes app (free)



joe and i did dave ramsey's financial peace university when we first got married and we were pretty diligent about it. since then we've continued to use a modified version of the system. but for me, carrying around that much cash didn't work. i couldn't keep it organized and it was just too much to manage. this app (which a coworker just told me about recently) is amazing. i can divvy up how much i have for each category (and you can pick your own categories) and "deposit" it in the envelope. then i can "withdraw" based on what i spend. this way i can use my check card still and not carry around cash, but i know how much money is allocated for each expense and how much i have left at any given time. LOVE IT.

this is not a picture of my envelopes, by the way. it's just a generic one showing how the app works. i wish i had $500 in our vacation budget. wait, what vacation budget?

4. beco gemini baby carrier in metro black ($129.00)



so i am maybe jumping the gun a bit saying i'm loving this considering i haven't gotten it yet (but i ordered it!). i know there are carriers that are made to be used up to 35 lbs. we stopped using the baby bjorn MONTHS ago because bennett was just way too heavy. but he's been having a hard time sitting in a cart for long stretches at target and after some research online, i think this might be our solution! you can carry children from newborn up to 35 lbs. the child can face either in or out and can go on your front, back, or hip. with another baby on the way i like that i can use this with bennett (who's about 25 lbs now) but can also use it with a newborn (without having to buy extra inserts, etc.). i'll let you know what i think once i try it out, but i'm excited!

5. wicked soundtrack ($10.99)



my cousin and i are going to see this next weekend when she and her husband come to visit from denver and i can't wait! i've seen it several times and absolutely LOVE it. the songs are so great and i could listen to the cd over and over.

things joe is loving lately...

1. old navy terry-fleece henley hoodie in charcoal gray ($29.94)



joe loves hoodies and is obsessed with his clothes being "lightweight." this fits the bill for mr. particular and he's basically been living in it since it arrived.

2. adidas adizero tour golf shoes ($179.99)


these were joe's anniversary present this year and he loves them! they're lightweight (go figure that's his favorite feature) and super comfortable. he always loves having the "latest" when it comes to golf stuff so he's been pretty excited to rock these.

3. whoppers ($2.99)



i always thought joe's favorite candy was reese's peanut butter cups. then when we had people coming over, i bought some various candies to put out in a candy dish we have and the whoppers were seriously almost gone before anyone even came over. he can't stay away! and he's shared the love with ben, who now aggressively signs "more" and "please" whenever he's by the counter where the candy dish is. awesome.

4. new girl (fox)



i must say we both love this show, but joe especially looks forward to it. it's hilarious and we absolutely love schmidt. and winston. and jess and nick's relationship. ok, the whole show.

5. google play music all access ($9.99/month)



joe has this app on his phone, which came with a free 3-month trial. he loves being able to download and listen to any song he wants at any time and then they're stored on his phone. it's like itunes but you can download unlimited songs for the $9.99/month, but you only keep the songs as long as you pay the monthly fee. joe's advocating to keep this when his trial is up, and since it's WAY cheaper than satellite radio (a year free trial came with his new car), i think it makes sense. plus, he has music playing all the time at home over the speakers on his phone, so we all benefit, including mr. dancin' feet himself, bennett.

things bennett is loving lately...

1. jif natural peanut butter ($4.89)


i don't think bennett actually cares what brand of peanut butter it is, but he loves it. on crackers. on toast. from a spoon. in a reese's (another treat joe introduced him to...). we use a little of this on some wheat ritz crackers as a bedtime snack and he's all set.

2. bubble guppies (nick jr)



we *try* not to let bennett watch too much tv, but we don't mind a little. he is obsessed with music and loves to dance. this show has such cute little songs and bennett just lights up and moves his feet like crazy when it's on.

3. good night, gorilla by peggy rathmann ($7.99)


i think we've read this book about 146,875 times in the last month. bennett will grab the book and back his little buns right into your lap, ready to read. who can resist? and it's just so cute when he roars when we get to the page with the lion.

4. TOMY john deere animal sounds hayride ($20.99)


i found this at a jbf sale recently and bennett LOVES it. he loves putting the farmer in the driver seat and hearing the little tune it plays. by the way, if you have kids and have never been to a jbf sale, you have to go. i don't buy many clothes there, though i know many who do. but i LOVE the sales for toys, books and other baby/kid gear. i just got a snap 'n go for baby #2 there for $15! score.

5. stride rite SRT palmer ($46.00)


bennett LOVES when we put his shoes and socks on. he'll sign "more" when we have one on, excited for the other one. mostly because he really likes playing outside and knows that when we put shoes on we get to go outside. it's really sad in the mornings when we're trying to get out the door for daycare and he just wants to go play in the backyard once his shoes are on... but these shoes have been great for him. he is starting to run and these don't trip him up like his little crocs were. stride rite shoes are pricey but i like that they're designed for each walking stage. plus, they fit his little chunky feet (he's in extra wide widths!). with other shoes i had to go up a size or two to accommodate his need for more width, but then those shoes were way too long.

what are YOU loving lately?