bishop&holland

Dallas Fashion Blog

Non-Maternity Striped Maxi Dress

The last time I wore this striped maxi dress was when I was 39 weeks pregnant with Henry! It’s non-maternity and I wore it a lot both during and after my pregnancy. I had actually forgotten about it last year – I must have packed it up when we moved. Earlier this month I discovered it again while trying to organize my closet. I forgot just how much I love this dress and how comfortable it is!

The maxi length and the long sleeves make it a great transition dress, too! I’m hoping I can wear it up until 40 weeks again this pregnancy but my bump seems to be rather larger this time around!

striped dress // denim jacket // handbag // sneakers // sunglasses

Shop Non-Maternity Striped Maxi Dress:

striped dress // denim jacket // handbag // sneakers // sunglasses

Cheers,

Stia, Jean & Katherine

39-week bumpdate

39 week bump date stripe maxi dressAny day now! I can hardly believe it. All in all, I am feeling pretty good! I get tired easily, but if I don’t overdue it I feel fine! It’s been nice having a long weekend to relax, finish last minute to-dos and enjoy a few days as a family before baby arrives. William is so sweet and is getting so excited to meet baby brother or sister. Every morning he gives my belly hugs and kisses – I can’t wait to see how he interacts with baby when he/she arrives!

The past week has been so much fun – I enjoyed a spa day with my mom, snuck in a mani/pedi this weekend and had fun spoiling William on his last days as an only child. Our hospital bags are packed and now we just wait! I do have an induction scheduled because of gestational diabetes, so I am praying that my body will go into labor before that day! In any case, we are so close!

Thanks for following along throughout the past nine months and we can’t wait to share the news with you soon!

non-maternity striped dress|tote bag|sandals|sunglasses (similar)|earrings

HOW FAR ALONG?

39 weeks and four days.

HOW ARE YOU FEELING?

I am feeling ready. And anxious. I talked about it here, but I have so many emotions! I am so excited to find out if we will be adding a baby boy or baby girl to our family and I can’t wait to see how William is as a big brother. I’m feeling a little overwhelmed at the idea of having a one and a half year old toddler and a newborn, too. More than anything, I can’t wait to meet our precious baby, but I am soaking up and enjoying the time as a family of three before we are a family of four!

 

GENDER GUESSES

Now I feel like this baby is a boy! All in all, I am carrying the same way and besides the morning sickness and emotions, I feel like this pregnancy has been so similar to my last. We will see soon!

NAMES

I can’t believe it, but we actually have our names narrowed down to one boy and one girl. We are still deciding on middle names, but will most likely wait until we meet our baby.

CRAVINGS

Still wishing I could eat sweets and real ice cream, but Halo Top Birthday Cake Ice Cream will have to do in mean time.

GESTATIONAL DIABETES

All is well for diabetes and it is still controlled through my diet. Because I do have gestational diabetes and my OB won’t let me go past a certain point, we have an induction scheduled. I am praying that baby decides to come before then (I love the spontaneity and unknowing of when baby will arrive), but at least we have an end in sight!

WEIGHT GAIN

So far I’ve gained 16 pounds. I’ve had a hard time gaining weight while on the gestational diabetes diet. We are focusing on more snacks, a lot of protein and tons of water.  

MATERNITY CLOTHES

I highlighted a few of my favorite maternity brands earlier this month, but I am pretty much living in loose dresses like this striped one, this floral one and this off the shoulder dress.

EXERCISE

Well, I am officially just walking for exercise when I can. I stopped taking Flywheel classes at 38-weeks. It was getting more and more difficult with a huge bump and my energy levels are gone!

SLEEP

Oh my goodness, sleep has been non-existent! Pregnancy insomnia is no joke and I just want to say thank you to all of you who sent suggestions on how to get some sleep on Instagram! I don’t usually like taking any medication (unless it’s absolutely necessary) but I gave in and started to use a sleep aid. I am so thankful for some rest the past few nights.

SIGNS OF LABOR

Exhaustion, lack of energy, braxton hicks contractions – but other than that, nothing!

Shop 39-week bumpdate:

Cheers,

Stia, Jean and Katherine

hospital bag essentials

pregnant woman in maternity robe packing hospital bag

|bringing this cream and blush pink robe to the hospital!

We are officially on baby watch! Now that my hospital bag is packed and filled with the essentials, I feel pretty ready for (or ready as I’ll be) for baby to arrive. When I had William, we brought way too much stuff to the hospital with us (ie: pillows, blankets, boppy pillow, too many pairs of shoes, etc.). I didn’t really change out of the hospital gown the first day and wore pajamas the rest of the time. For baby, we pretty much kept him swaddled in the hospital blankets and onesies. This time around, I am packing only the things that I truly need/want to bring to make our hospital stay as comfortable as possible!

|A nursing nighty and nursing bras are must-haves if you plan on nursing!|

|my absolute favorite nursing bras |

|we can not wait to meet you baby!|

Clothing

Pajamas

  • Long-sleeve pajama set: It’s no surprise how much we love Cosabella pajamas and I love how this set is nursing friendly and has long sleeves!
  • Nursing nighty: I am so excited to use this nursing nighty this time around. It’s perfect for those middle of the night feedings and it’s so pretty and soft, too.

Robe

  • The perfect thing to slip-on when visitors stop by and to stay cozy in the hospital. Love the pretty cream and blush pink combo!

Nursing Bras

  • I wore these nursing bras for almost the entire time I nursed William (15 months). They are super comfy and I love how many colors they come in. I added a few new ones because of how much I wore them and I’m excited to try the racer back version.

Boyshorts

  • Boyshorts or regular cotton underwear are a must-have for post-partum recovery.

Going home outfit

  • I’ll pack a light weight, nursing friendly dress for heading home from the hospital. In fact, I’ve worn this striped dress so much throughout the last couple of weeks that I’ll probably just bring it!

|the softest pajama set and a cozy robe|

Toiletries

Skincare Routine

  • Kefir Replenishing Cleansing Oil (20% off w/code BANDH): This 2 in 1 product has been a time saver (and every bit of time counts!). It’s a cleaning oil that also takes off make-up – win/win!
  • Sheer Renewal Cream (20% off w/code LABORDAY): This everyday moisturizer is a new to me product and I have been loving it. It’s so lightweight that you hardly even notice it!
  • Aromatic Stress Treatment: I’ve been using this at night before going to bed – the past few weeks have been rougher on the sleep front! Since I do feel a sense of calming when using it, I plan on bringing it to use during labor. I’m feeling some anxiety about the whole process (mostly because I know what to expect), so I think this will help ease some of that!
  • Vitamin C Serum: I am obsessed with this Vitamin C serum. I use it every morning and I love the hydration it adds to my dry skin.
  • Complete Eye Cream (20% off w/code LABORDAY): I’ve been switching between this eye cream and La Prairie and will be taking this one to the hospital with me. I love the way it makes my skin feel and we all know those first few days/weeks/months are tiring! I’ll need all the help I can get.
  • Vitamin D Moisture Mist: My skin was so dry at the hospital last time, so I am excited to bring this moisture mist to use in between nursing sessions and visitors!
  • Beautifying Face Oil: Planning to use this before going to bed on both of the evenings we are at the hospital. I will need all the extra hydration I can get! Plus, it smells amazing.

Chapstick

  • Fresh Lip Treatment: I remember labor making me so thirsty and my lips were SO dry. Fresh lip treatment is lightweight but so hydrating.

Makeup

Dry Shampoo

  • This may be gross, but I didn’t end up washing/fixing my hair until we got home. My hair was mostly in a ponytail, but this time I want the option for dry shampoo to make my blow out last the whole time.

Earth Mama Nipple Butter

  • I started to use this right after William was born because nursing was so painful. Come to find out, he had a tongue tie which caused most of the pain I was feeling, but I want to be prepared and try to prevent any cracking/etc.

Nursing Pads

  • I brought these with my last time, but didn’t need them until I was at home and my milk came in. I hear your milk can come in faster the second time around, so I plan on bringing a small stash of nursing pads just in case!

|love this racer back nursing bra|

For Baby

Going home outfit

  • We brought William home in this polka dot outfit and I plan on bringing the same outfit if baby is a boy! I also picked up the girl version in case we have a girl!

Blanket

  • Even though it’s warm out here in Dallas, I plan on bringing a soft, lightweight blanket for baby. We had a blue blanket like this for William but it was lost during one of our trips, so I picked up a blue and pink blanket.

Car Seat

  • Next on our list is to re-install the infant car seat base in our cars so we are ready to head home from the hospital!

|pretty and practical|

Miscellaneous

iPhone charger

  • Extra long iPhone charger: I am notorious for leaving behind chargers and last time I bought a new one, I accidently bought an extra long charger. I’ve loved having it at home, but I think it will be even more handy at the hospital with the plugs being far away from the bed.

GH Mumm

  • We’re continuing the tradition of opening a bottle of GH MUMM champagne (My parents started the tradition with my brother) to celebrate the arrival of our new baby!

Snacks

  • My water broke with William at about 9:30 am, so we had to go straight to the hospital even though I wasn’t truly in labor yet. By the time I delivered him at 10:57 pm I was starving. I finally got a to eat a yucky turkey sandwich from the fridge of labor & delivery and let’s just say this time I will have some of my favorite snacks with me to eat following delivery!

Gift for William

  • He’s so young that I am still deciding if this is something we should do or not? Any moms have babies around 19 months that got a gift from the new baby? Would love to hear ideas!

Food for Nurses

  • I think the thank you nurse bags are such a great idea, but I honestly don’t have the time or energy to get anything together. When we made it to the hospital last time, my parents met us up there with Chick-Fil-A nugget trays, french fries and lemonade for the nurses and my goodness were they excited! We are planning to do the same this time, unless we check-in on a Sunday 🙂

Breast Pump

  • I never could get my breast pump to work, so I had to use a manual pump when I needed a bottle. I plan on bringing my pump to the hospital to see if the lactation specialist can help me figure it out.

Google Home

Shop Hospital Bag Essentials:

Cheers,

Stia, Jean and Katherine

A special thank you to Cosabella, TULA, One Love Organics, Tata Harper and Colleen Rothschild for partnering on this post!