Maternity Style: One Dress Five Ways

Happy Sunday...

Today I am styling the dress I received in my box from Preggonista® five different ways. I thought it would be fun to share how I would wear this dress several different ways, mixing and matching it with items already in my wardrobe.

The dress that I received in my box was a Seraphine Side Ruched Gray T-Shirt Dress. It's a fun soft neutral that can be worn casually or dressed up for a fun date night out. I used the style guide that came in my box to help me select my outfits.

The first look I decided to try was inspired by a pin I saw of Reese Witherspoon wearing this exact same dress, so cool. I liked how she wore it with the touch of turquoise and natural colored sandals.

To glam the dress up a bit I paired it with black and gold accessories and sandals...

This chambray top makes it easy to transition the dress to a look ready for the Fall season...

My favorite grey sweater looked great with it too...

My green light weight trench coat and leopard print scarf paired with the neutral dress seamlessly...

What did you think of my outfits? Which one is your favorite?

 There is still time to enter the giveaway to win a Preggonista® style box!

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Chic Bump Watch: A Hospital Stay & Bed Rest

Last Tuesday I got a call from my doctor. She asked me to come up to the hospital to have some lab work done and to have my vital signs checked. After getting the kids ready, I dropped Savannah off at school and Little Mike and I headed to the hospital. 

Once we were there I did all of my lab work and headed up to Labor & Delivery to have my vitals done. Due to some of the complications that I experience while pregnant I am very use to being seen and checked on frequently so my doctor's request to do a pop-up check didn't alarm me in the least bit.

After having my blood pressure drawn the nurses and residents were concerned. It was running higher than they like to see. Personally, I wasn't concerned. My blood pressure has been high with all of my pregnancies so I thought this was just par for the pregnancy course. I was wrong. This time it was going to be much different.

Somewhere between, "Mrs.Smith we want to keep an eye on you for a few more minutes and Mrs.Smith we're going to admit you to the hospital" my mind went into overdrive. All I could think about was Sav being in school on the other side of town. My husband was giving a lecture at one of the local colleges and he was too far away to make it to her before school got out. Luckily, a friend was able to pick her up for us so that mini-crisis was averted. 

Let me just say that I felt fine. I felt completely normal. Like myself. I was admitted and Little Mike and I were put in a room. My husband made it to Sav and then to the hospital and that's when things got more real. The doctor wanted me to have as little stimulation as possible so my family left and I began receiving treatment.

Enter magnesium via IV. I have never experienced anything like that before in my life. "Mag" as the the doctors were calling it makes you feel a little crazy... and sick. I was nauseous and felt like I was having an outer body experience. I was told that would happen before the IV was started so I was expecting it but that didn't make it feel any better. It was the worst.

Magnesium is used to treat all kinds of things but in my case it was being used to prevent any type of medical condition that can be caused by high blood pressure, like a stroke. With the right medication and the "mag" my blood pressure returned to normal and I was moved to a different room on Wednesday morning.

My blood pressure was closely monitored and I had more blood work done to rule out the possibility of preeclampsia. Once those tests came back negative my doctors thought it would be best to keep me in the hospital on bed rest until my blood pressure dropped back down to a range they were comfortable with for at least 24 hours.

Thursday, Friday and Saturday rolled by and I was still on bed rest. During my stay I learned a lot about my body (which is a good thing) and became a big fan of the salad and baked potato meal. It was delish. I ate it everyday for lunch and dinner.

On Sunday afternoon I was released. My family was there visiting me when I got the good news. It was perfect timing because they packed me up with the quickness and we were out of there before the ink dried on my discharge papers.

So for the next few weeks I'l be on what my doctor calls "couch potato" rest. There's a list of things I can't do and list of things I can. I'm thankful that I'm not on a strict bed rest. Honestly the little bit of going out that I am allowed to do wears me out so I've been limiting my trips to school drop off/pick up and doctor appointments.

I have been getting tons of rest and keeping a blood pressure log at home between prenatal appointments. I can not wait to meet our baby in December. The weeks are rolling by and I am getting more excited as the time passes. I think I'll do one of those fun pregnancy updates with a bump pic in a few days to share more about my pregnancy journey with #grandfinalebaby.

All prayers, positive thoughts and vibes are greatly appreciated. Has anyone else been on bed rest while pregnant?

Preggonista® Maternity Style Box

Here I am a little more than halfway through my pregnancy! I cannot believe how fast the first twenty-two weeks have flown by. Hopefully the next half will zip by too because I can't wait to meet our new baby!

One of my goals during this pregnancy was to fully embrace my bump and growing body. Something that I can say I didn't really do during my first two pregnancies. Now that I'm feeling much better I have been embracing my bump and rocking it in style.

When I first learned about the monthly style box from Preggonista® I just knew I had to give it a try! I love the idea of a curated box that has some of the latest fashion and beauty items for moms to-be. I received my first box on Friday afternoon and it did not disappoint.

Here's what came in my first box...

● Preggonista® Style Guide

● Seraphine Side Ruched Gray T-Shirt Dress 

● Oopsie Loopsie Waist Extender 

● Bella B Glowing Skin Lightener 

I am beyond excited about this dress! Next week I'll be showing you several different ways to rock this piece for your bump. There will also be a giveaway starting on 8/31 for your chance to win a style box of your own! This is a great gift for a mom to-be. A winner will be announced on Labor Day.

You can watch the opening of my first box from preggonista® on my YouTube channel!

What was your favorite thing to wear while pregnant?

Second Trimester Maternity Wardrobe Haul

I have done a good bit of shopping lately. Now that my bump is officially popped it's been a little tough squeezing into all of my clothes. I live for a maxi dress or skirt and pretty much anything made out of a stretchy jersey material.

In the spirit of this being my #grandfinalebaby I really wanted to make sure that I had fun styling my bump. In my previous pregnancies I never got into the whole maternity clothes shopping thing but this time is different. I have learned how to shop and look for deals so I don't feel as guilty about buying clothes that I'll only use for a short time.

Here are some of the items I found during my latest shopping trips...



What do you think of my latest finds?

Mama Boxes: What's inside my Second Trimester box?

I finally got a chance to film the opening of my Mama Boxes second trimester box. Our weekend was crazy busy since we were preparing for a big family visit. Hopefully I can share some of our time around town with you here and on Instagram.

In the meantime, if you missed the Periscope sneak peek check out the YouTube video below to see what was inside my very first box from Mama Boxes!

What did you think of the box? It's a great gift for an expecting Mama! Be sure to check them out online to get a subscription!

Introducing: Mama Boxes

Happy Fri-Yay!!!

This has been a great week and I am looking forward to the weekend. My weekend couldn't have gotten a better start than it has. Today my very first subscription box was delivered and I am beyond excited to share it with you!

Have you heard of Mama Boxes? I discovered them on instagram and immediately wanted to get my hands on a box. I love sampling and learning about new products so this box is right up my alley.

I received the second trimester box today. I'll be sharing what's inside next week on YouTube (it'll be live Monday) but if you follow me on Periscope I may do a live unboxing Sunday afternoon so stay tuned! 

I hope everyone has an amazing weekend! Be sure to check out Mama Boxes on instagram and twitter to learn more about this service for moms to be!

Chic Bump Watch: Second Trimester Bump Style

So far I haven't been wearing maternity clothes during this pregnancy. I have been doing the ponytail holder (rubber band) trick on my denim shorts or wearing things with an elastic waist. My boyfriend shorts from H&M have been amazing during these hot Summer days.

Once upon a time they fit loose and comfy. These days they are little snug but they still feel and look great.

A photo posted by chicsahm (tia) (@chicsahm) on Jul 9, 2015 at 11:16am PDT

Black continues to be my color of choice. You know how it is when you're still kind of early in your pregnancy...

Sometimes you look pregnant and sometimes you look like you got extra meat and guacamole at Chipotlé. I fluctuate between the two daily.

A photo posted by chicsahm (tia) (@chicsahm) on Jul 11, 2015 at 1:08pm PDT

Due to the extreme heat that has finally made it's way to San Antonio I probably won't be wearing heels much after this. Maybe I'll pull out some booties in the Fall once it's a bit cooler. Maybe.

My husband and I will be going on a date in a couple weeks. I'm trying to find something cute and comfy to wear for that. We rarely ever get date nights so I always try to bring it with my outfit when we do get to go out. I'll share what put together on Instagram, stay tuned!

What do you think of my maternity style so far? What's your favorite thing to wear while rocking your bump?

Chic Bump Watch: #GrandFinaleBaby

Hi there everyone!

I'm back from what seems like the longest blogging hiatus ever. I really wanted to blog but to be honest I was just sick and tired, literally. You never realize how much energy you have until it's gone.

If you follow me on Instagram or if you tuned into to my Periscope premiere then you already know that I am currently expecting our third little bundle of joy. I like to refer to this baby as our "grand finale baby". It's our last baby and my very last pregnancy (I think.) Now that I am no longer hovering over a toilet or trash can all day and glued to my couch I am very excited about embracing the last two trimesters of this pregnancy.

My first trimester sucked. It was a mess and I am so glad that it's over. 

I wasn't sure when I was going to share the news about our new baby. It took a while for me to get over the fear that something bad might happen again. After lots of prayer I knew that the only way to release myself of that fear would be to start telling people I was pregnant. I have to trust that everything will be okay and just enjoy this journey.

Here is the announcement I used for Instagram. I decided to use the vision board that I created to share our news! 

So. If you were wondering where I've been now you know. I still have all the same plans for this space and now that my energy is picking up again you can expect to see more of me here and on social media. 

How has everyone been? Tell me what's new with you!

Chic DIY: Maternity Cut Off Shorts

Hey y'all!! This is a quick late night post I wanted to do to show my DIY maternity jean cut offs. I initially wanted to just buy some shorts but after losing several eBay auctions I decided to try something else. Over the weekend I went to Target to find some shorts while my Liz Lange coupon is still good but I didn't like what those shorts did to my butt.

Today I ventured out to Goodwill. After trying on several jeans (and some cute overalls) I finally found a pair that I liked. They fit perfectly. I knew it was meant to be when I realized they were going to get marked down an additional dollar due to their pink tag. So for $3 I'll have some super cute cut offs to take me to the end of my pregnancy. Love that!

This is what I used. You can always use chalk or a marker to mark your jeans but I already had this white pencil in my sewing bag. 

I measured 6 inches down my the inseam. You could always go shorter or longer if you want. I did 6 inches because I wanted to make sure that I didn't cut too much off on my first cut. I was very happy with the length after cutting.

Can you see the white line I used for my guide?

Voila! I haven't decided if I am going to cuff them or wear them as real cutoffs. We'll see. I tossed them in the wash after taking these pics. I plan to wear them tomorrow for a play date to the splash pad.

Just to give you an idea of the length... I could probably go shorter but I don't think I will. I think the shorts that are being sold right now at Motherhood have a 4 inch inseam. The additional two inches make me feel like I could bend over, sit down and stand up without pulling at my shorts. No one wants to see a pregnant woman's cheeks.

And these are the overalls that I just couldn't make work. They were so cute until you saw me from the side or from the back. I couldn't get them to fit both my stomach and my butt properly. It was weird. If I was pregnant during the Fall I probably would have gotten them. I just didn't think I would be happy with the results had I turned these into cutoffs. 

I hope y'all enjoyed this little mini project. I'll try to Instagram a pic of me tomorrow. Goodnight!

- posted from my chic iPhone

Pregnancy Update & Chic Bump Watch: 31 Weeks

weight gain so far ~ 14 pounds

Savannah and I just got home from another visit at the hospital. I went in for my Non-Stress Test and a growth scan. I also had to give blood and pick up the jug for another twenty four hour urine test. The twenty four hour urine test tests for pre eclampsia. We were at the hospital for a total of three hours so we were both very excited and happy when we left.

My blood pressure has spiked up a little again. It had been normal until this week. During my NST the monitor has been picking up very light contractions. I can't feel them and apparently they are normal. I never had them with Sav so it's a little weird knowing you're having contractions and not being able to feel them. During my growth scan baby boy and all my fluids looked great and there are no concerns from my Doctor. Can I just say that technology is so amazing? Ultrasounds machines and all the different machines and computers that are out there to help with pre-natal care is crazy. 

Before leaving the hospital I was finally given a tour of labor and delivery. I had to ask several times before I was given one and I'm glad I was persistent. I learned so much. I mainly wanted a tour so that I could better plan for Savannah's time at the hospital. I wanted to see how much space we'd be working with and what all the amenities were for families. To my surprise there were lots of things to help with having a little one at the hospital. The rooms are extremely spacious for one and they all come with cable TV and DVD players. The DVD will come in very handy while Savannah is visiting. The Mother and Baby wing also offers a kitchenette area that comes fully stocked with all kinds of child friendly goodies. They had everything you could think of that a young big brother or sister would want or need. There was milk, juice, applesauce, pudding cups, ice cream bars, popsicles...you name it! It's all free too. That's going to help out so much. Of course I will have packed her own snacks but there's nothing better than a free plan B.

I'll continue to go in for my NSTs two times a week in addition to my regular Doctor's appointments. We are getting close! We set up our baby boy's crib a couple weeks ago. My husband pulled all the baby gear out of storage and it's clean and ready to go. All I need to do now is wash all of his clothes and install his car seat. 

Chic Celeb Mom: Kim Kardashian

I know the title on this alone is going to make some of you roll your eyes. It's okay. Roll away. Since I have been pregnant during the same time as some of the most famous women in the world I've been doing a lot of style watching. I've been watching everyone from Princess Kate to Kim Kardashian. Everyone has their own since of style and I've enjoyed watching all the celeb bumps hit the red carpet.

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Kim Kardashian has been getting it from all sides during her pregnancy and I feel bad for her. Mainly because when you're pregnant you never know how your body will respond. You don't know how you're going to physically change. I think all women want to still feel like themselves while pregnant and one of the ways to do that is by your personal style. With that being said many people would argue that she can afford to dress a different way. Critics and tabloid magazines would say that she should be wearing more maternity friendly outfits.

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For the record. Unless you are in Kim K.'s body how do you know what is comfortable to her. If you watch her on her show or in the press you know that her look is one that embraces her curvy body. Did you really think that would change? Did you really think she was going to wear flats every single day? You're an idiot if you did. As someone who is pregnant right now I can tell you that I've still been wearing heels and non-maternity clothes that hug my growing bump. 

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The media has been having a field day with her. If she's comfortable with the way she looks then what is the big deal. Not to mention that some of her looks really haven't been that bad. If she wasn't pregnant there would be no story. I'm so over hearing about what this woman should and should not be wearing. I'll be so glad when she has her baby so that the focus can be shifted to something else. And can I remind these tabloids that you guys will be the same media outlets clamoring for the rights to the first pics of her baby. So. Choose your insults wisely because I'm pretty sure Kris Jenner is going to charge an extra milli for every negative story you write about her main money maker. 

Chic Style: eShakti's Spring Collection for Mother's Day

Happy Friday!! I for one am very happy it's the weekend. This is our first day of the week being home and I am not complaining. I'll be spending this unusually chilly San Antonio day hanging out with my mini me and of course doing some things around the house. I start my speaking appearances with the HEB Little Texans tour on Sunday. With a full week ahead of me I thought it would be a good idea to get my outfits together for the week.

I need an outfit for Sav's recital tomorrow, three outfits for my speaking engagements and something for Mother's Day. Can you believe it's Mother's Day already? I can't. This year is literally flying by. I plan to wear a dress that I was given at no cost from eShakti's Spring collection. I am such a huge fan of this customizable clothing boutique. I chose a very pretty maxi style dress and had it altered to knee length. It killed me to do it but part of our agreement this time was to actually customize something instead of ordering an item as is. The print on the dress is gorgeous and I can't wait to wear it. 

It's not too late to get your Mother's Day look. eShakti is having a great sale right now! There are so many amazing designs to choose from. If you're planning a wedding right now check out their Bridesmaid dresses. The prices are great and you can send in the exact measurements for your wedding party. I'll be instagramming all my looks for this coming week so please be sure to follow me there! Have a great weekend!

Baby Update & Breastfeeding

This past weekend flew by. I can't even remember what we did. I remember going to church and that's about it. I went in to see the doctor today and I am happy to share that everything is going well with the baby. My blood pressure is still high (it stayed high through out my entire pregnancy with Savannah), but I passed all the screenings for pre eclampsia so no worries there. :-) 

I have reached that point in my pregnancy where they start administering the "non-stress" tests. The "non-stress" test is a test they give to monitor the baby's heart rate and movement. I'll be going in twice a week for my tests until I deliver. They'll plug me up to a machine and I'll just lye there for about thirty minutes to an hour. I did the same thing with Savannah. This let's me know that the end is near. I can not believe how fast this pregnancy is flying by. So crazy.

Which brings me back to thinking about breastfeeding preparation. I've been pulling out all of my old books and resources to give myself a refresher on how things go and best practices. Since I really want to try to increase my milk supply this time I've been focusing on learning more about how to achieve that. If it doesn't happen that's okay too. Savannah never had a supply of milk in the freezer but I would love to try to have a few bottles this time around so that my husband can help more. I was able to find a good one sheeter on increasing your milk supply on pinterest. 

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Fenugreek never worked for me while I was pregnant with Sav. This time I am going to try the infamous Mother's Milk tea and Raspberry Leaf tea. Raspberry Leaf tea was actually recommended to me by a lady at church. I am hoping that the teas and a healthy diet will be the key for me. Anyone have suggestions for me that really worked for you? Anything that I can start doing now (other than drinking lots of water)?

Maternity Style: My Nicole Richie Moment

While I was doing a little pinning on Pinterest I noticed that a pin of mine had been re-pinned that featured Nicole Richie's maternity style. I don't even remember pinning it but it's a cute outfit. Then I realized that I wore something very similar to her look just last weekend.

We attended a birthday party for our little cousin. I wasn't sure what to wear but I wanted to be comfortable and cute. Since it was pretty warm that day (and because it was a family) event I didn't over do it on my makeup and my hair was in a ponytail. Other than that I may have hit Nicole's outfit almost dead on. What do you think?

                                                                     Source: ivillage.com via The Chic Stay at Home Mom on Pinterest

Dress and Mesh Cardigan: Express
Leopard Flats: American Eagle, Payless

And here's a pic of what I looked like before I ate all those hot dogs and ran around after Savannah...

See. Very little makeup but at least my red lips were doing a little something!

Chic Obsessions: Pregnancy Survival Kit

It's a thunderstorm rainy day here in San Antonio. I for one am glad to see some rain and cooler temps. We went to dance this morning and then out to run a couple errands before coming home. Savannah's dance class will be dancing to a song from the Winnie the Pooh soundtrack. They will be dressed as little Piglets. That should be cute. Once we were home I tossed some chicken breasts, beer and BBQ sauce in the crock pot for dinner. Super easy and fast. We'll have pulled chicken sandwiches with roasted mustard potatoes. I saw the recipe on Mimi's blog,  Lipgloss and Binky, and thought I would try it. 

Anyway. I digress. Last night I was thinking about how fast this pregnancy has seemed to fly by. I have exactly twelve weeks left. So exciting. I thought this would be a nice time to share some of the products that I have used during this pregnancy to help with some of the common pregnancy issues. This post is not sponsored and I have not been compensated to share these products. I just wanted to share what works for me in the hope that it would work for you as well. We're girls, right? If I'd recommend it to my bestie I'd recommend it to you too! Here we go... 

Lemon Heads. A morning sickness lifesaver.

Remember how bad my morning sickness was? It lasted forever it seems.

Everyone's body responds to pregnancy differently. I know stretch marks are said to be hereditary and that there's nothing you can do about them. When I was pregnant with Savannah I thought I would try to beat my odds and lather up twice a day. I read somewhere that keeping your skin moisturized helps. I used the the Palmer's Cocoa Butter line during both pregnancies and loved it. So far no stretch marks, but I do notice that I'm getting cellulite so trust me I'm not getting off that easy. :-)

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Love this lotion by Neutrogena too.

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My skin went through a lot of different changes during this pregnancy. It went from being extremely dry to acne prone. My acne is finally starting to clear up again. I found two different skin care lines to treat my issues. During the dry stages I used the Burt's Bees Intense Hydration line and Mary Kay's Velocity line for my acne. They both have worked wonders. 

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This BB cream has an SPF and it provides a slight bit of coverage. It makes getting ready to go so much easier. A little BB cream, mascara and blush or bronzer and I am done!

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 I discovered the Be Band during my first pregnancy when my pants no longer buttoned. This was a great way to still wear some of my jeans before investing in maternity clothes. 

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Those are all of the items I could think of for now. I also thought it would be fun to share some of the meals I've eaten recently. I live for grits, eggs and bacon for breakfast. A yummy "kitchen sink" salad covered in Thousand Island dressing is always good and the last pic is of our Easter dinner, delicious!!

Mac n Cheese, Mustard Greens, Rice and Ribs

What"s in your pregnancy survival kit?