♥ Skip Hop Via Messenger Changing Bag ♥ Accessorize Cherry Blossom Weekender Bag ♥

I’m running out of cute outfit pics because I’ve just run out of cute outfits. He dropped significantly in the past week and things are really not fitting (or just not all the comfortable). Right now I’m wearing leggings for pants and a big grey hoodie–who wants to see photos of that? The honest truth is that pregnancy is not always pretty.

So while I face the sartorial challenge and try to patiently wait for my little boy to decide to be born, I hope you’ll forgive another lapse in posting. But rest assured that I’ll be taking up the challenge of being a cute and uber-thirfty mom soon!

@38WeeksΞI adore this top and am so glad it has fit throughout my maternity (although the last snap is a bit snug). I feel very Brady Bunch mom (or maybe Alice) in this top and love to wear it when I’m doing housewifey things. On this occasion, we didn’t have electricity from 9am-5pm so I listened to a battery powered radio (okay, an iPod) and worked on hand stitching pillow cases for the baby’s room. It’s probably super cheesey, but I enjoyed wearing a thrifted, vintage top on such a low-fi day.

♥ Vintage babies love little blue gym shorts, hipster-to-be cardigans and little champ baseball shirts! ♥

Check out Hart+Sew on Etsy or visit the sweet blog chronicling the adorable life of Stacy her Little Miss.

@36 WeeksΞAlong with the Gap Trench, this dress from Old Navy Maternity was definitely one of the best investments I made in my maternity wear (and they were both on sale!) It is so easy to wear and despite being ridiculously bright pink, accessorizes with lots of different things. I only wish I had it in many different colours. I’m pretty sure it will last me well into my post maternity as the bump deflates. Here is the dress at 24 weeks when my bump was barely there. The secret to maternity longevity is generous stretch in the bump area (so good draping and jersey) and length. This dress is a bit longer than I might usually wear, but at 24 weeks it was below my knees and at 36 weeks the bump brings it above my knees.

This is in the Drawing Room of the Bellinter House. I just love the mixture of curious art, mid century antiques and an old manor house. Its such easy style.

@35WeeksΞ This is one of the most comfy outfits for my late maternity wear and I throw on this tunic all the time! Light cotton is great for the warm, rainy days of summer–and the plaid brings me back to my country roots. At first I had some misgivings about the tunic. I do wish it was either longer and had a straight hem, making it a dress…or was a bit shorter, making it a longer top that could be worn with shorts. But right now, anything that is remotely cute and covers the bump is good enough for me. With only a few weeks to go at my maximum width, it’s not time to start shopping. I think I might consider altering it for post-maternity because I love the colour combo (also the main colours in the little guy’s nursery)

This change to my daily routine comes hot on the heels of another change in my baby bumb care. After using Palmer’s Tummy Butter for 5 months, I decided to try the Palmer’s Massage Lotion for Stretch Marks. They are about the same price (around €7-9), but where the Tummy Butter is rich, thick and delicious smelling –the Massage Lotion is light and sinks right in. Plus it is in a much more convenient pump bottle. Both Palmer’s products have been superb and so far, there are little signs of stretch marks on me.  Of course, the proof will be well after this (fashionably late) little guy is born.

During the winter months and the mid section of my pregnancy my mid section grew rapidly leaving my skin feeling wrecked and dry. Comes with the territory, I know. But a generous slather of the Tummy Butter made me feel so much better. Almost like I was plastering my over-stretched skin. However, it took forever to dry and most of my leggings were left with a waxy coating around the waist. Yuck. Because it was so soothing, I was hesitant to try anything new. But last month out of desperation, I reached for the massage lotion. It feels just as moisturizing (although I’m not growing as rapidly as before) and leaves me feeling much lighter and cleaner.

SlingPea Charcoal $34.95

@36WeeksΞTo celebrate the beginning of the end and to thank my hubby for all the amazing support he’s given me during this pregnancy, I arranged a super surprise weekend for him including a scavenger hunt, lunch at the Farmleigh Boat House (delicious!) and a weekend of swimming and picnics at our favourite hotel in Ireland–Bellinter House, Co. Meath (seriously, go there sometime!) This outfit was perfect for sweet scheming and wouldn’t give away where we were headed next. I’ve loved this precious white top from Mothercare and wear it all the time as the bump grows. The clean, white cotton feels so fresh and feminine in the dog days of summer and helps me feel like I’m glowing as a pregnant woman should.

There comes a time in every gal’s pregnancy when you start to feel a bit puffy and rings may not fit. My hands are only really swollen on humid days, but since this is Dublin in the summer–that’s almost every day. To save any tight-ringed drama, I’ve decided to start wearing my rings close to my heart. ♥

@31 WeeksΞHappy August Bank Holiday! Here’s hoping the weather is a little better than the June Bank Holiday. Despite the massive downpour, the hubby and I had a great time on a surprise trip to Dublin’s north coast. We were determined have fun–even in the rain. Foul weather essentials included my maternity trench (the best investment of this pregnancy) and a trusty umbrella. I’m not sure if I would go with the white leggings again, they were a last minute addition when I realised my legs were going to get soaked. After our walk, the leggings and trench came off and were replaced by sandals and a cropped cardigan.

I thought the dress was missing something up-top and couldn’t find any accessories that I liked, so I added a halter top under the dress to give the illusion that the dress was a halter and not strapless.

At the end of a wet day, nothing is nicer than sitting in a cozy chair in an old castle with a cup of tea and a biscuit or two!