Summertime, when the living is easy!

Thank goodness it is summer!  We have been having a blast relaxing, traveling, going to weddings and getting the house ready for Sammie to make his arrival in October.

This post doesn't really have anything to do with the above, but I wanted to give some tips on saving money during pregnancy starting with maternity clothes.

I remember very clearly the day I realized my fat pants weren't going to cut it anymore.  With the stress from Paul having been sick and me being sick, I was pretty slim for my standards when I got pregnant so I wasn't anticipating getting huge so quickly.  That was fail #1.  I was about 10 weeks when I was trying to get comfortable in my office chair during casual friday at work.  My coworker and I decided to hit up the Indian buffet for lunch and when we got back that was the end of my ability to wear fat pants instead of maternity pants.  That morning I had already tried just unbuttoning the top button, then using my friend's suggestion, I tried fastening a rubberband to connect to the button so my pants wouldn't fall down when I walked.  When we got back from lunch, I was miserable, sitting practically horizontal in my desk chair to take the pressure of the waist off my tummy.  Imagine this but me behind a desk, feet propped up on a xerox box:

Then right as I was about to call it quits for the day, I got stuck in a 3 hour meeting with a VP pants buttoned and all, I seriously thought I would die.

Fortunately, my good friend Kari and I had a shopping date planned for the leesburg outlets (one of my fav places, just FYI).  There is a motherhood maternity outlet (carries pea in a pod, mimi maternity and destination maternity clothes) there that has decent prices in maternity clothes.  I have found that maternity and pregnancy are a lot like weddings.  Kari was so excited for me to go maternity shopping and I aside from the sweet relief of having an elastic band I was dreading it.  All I could think was do I really need to spend $30-40 on basics I will only wear for 6 months when I already own a perfectly good pair of the exact same pants sans elastic waist band?  They know you have no choice in buying certain things and they totally take advantadge of you.  You really can't buy out of season clothes on the sale rack, who knows if you'll ever be pregnant in the summer and need shorts again.  FML

So, personally I refused to go crazy with the maternity shopping and thus far 6.5 months in I am doing great with my plan.  I figured since I am petite in height (key word), I could just buy the normal size small and tops would be long enough to cover my belly.  So far that has been very successful and I have new shirts I can wear after Sammie is born.

Here is what has gotten me thru 6.5 months of pregnancy:

• From the MM outlet:
• 1 pair of jeans $30
• 1 clearance skirt $20

• From Kohls:
• 1 pair of Khaki Capris $30
• 1 pair of clearance (YAY) brown dress pants

• From my Sister:
• 1 pair of black maternity pants from target that didn't fit her

• From my Neighbor:
• 1 pair of shorts
• 1 pair of jeans
• 1 maternity shirt

Since I'm big and pregnant in the summer what I've enjoyed wearing the most is my summer dresses.  I fortunately had a small obsession with them over the last several years so I have plenty to choose from (mainly from target or ross).  Everything else that I've gotten has been loose fitting tops on clearance in smalls or mediums.  Some from Macys, 2 from Old Navy @ 2.50 a piece during their memorial day sale (go me!) and that about sums it up!  The only thing I really want/need is another pair of maternity shorts.

I even made it through weddings without having to buy special maternity clothes.  Here are some recent pics from said weddings.  Enjoy

Me and Paul in Miami, I am about 23 weeks

Me and my sister in law, she was about 34 weeks, I was 20 weeks.  This fitted bridesmaid dress was purchased before I found out I was pregnant and unfortunately had to have the zipper switched with a laceup back to fit, however it worked out perfectly!

And as luck would have it, just as I bought myself a brand new bikini thinking after all my bootcamping I'd look like hot shit at these weddings, I finally end up pregnant.  Well I rocked the bikini anyways.   As my cousin said, maybe it will fit later...thanks Will, so sweet of you!