With two months to go I've gotten pretty used to being pregnant. There aren't as many surprises and my likes and dislikes are quite predictable. I still can't stand red meat which is crazy considering I used to be a burger/steak fiend. And conversely I can't get enough coconut water these days but used to detest the stuff pre-pregnancy. Right now I pretty much can't live without these six things:

1. Vita Coco - I've been buying caseloads of these and going through them fast. Pregnancy has made me more parched than I ever thought humanely possible and these do quite a good job of keeping me hydrated!

2.  L'occitane certified organic pure shea butter - This stuff has been a lifesaver for my poor itchy belly. I always joke to husby that I'm "buttering up my turkey" when applying it.

3. Bananas - I have been crazy about bananas. I can eat up to three a day. All of a sudden in my second trimester they became my new best friend. I put them in smoothies, cereal or just eat them plain. 

4. New Chapter Perfect Prenatal Vitamins - I did a lot of research before I settled on a prenatal vitamin and these seemed to be the best. They smell like something awful and you have to take a lot of them but they pack in so many nutrients it's worth it. I discussed it with my midwife and she agreed that it was ok for me to go with 2 a day instead of the recommended 3 because 3 gave me a very upset tummy. 

5. Sports bras - The combination of significant growth and the fact that I carry high has made it completely impossible for me to wear any sort of "normal" bras. So instead I have been living in sports bras. Not terribly sexy but oh so comfortable. Target has some pretty cute ones right now.

6. Dark chocolate - We cut out sweets, candy and cookies from our diet years ago and thankfully I've never wanted to go back but my sweet tooth has made a resurgence during this pregnancy so I had to find something that worked. So I've been having a love affair with dark chocolate; it soothes my craving for sweets without dumping too much sugar and other yucky things in my body. I specifically love this Divine brand or the Trader Joe's brand. 

30 weeks means there's only ten more to go. And I am getting more and more anxious to meet baby bear. He/she makes her presence known at all times as of late and I feel like not a moment passes that the baby isn't on my mind. I think my belly finally dropped some which has made things a whole lot easier for me - sleeping, sitting, breathing! I also put on four whole pounds since our last prenatal appointment! I can't wait to share this news with our midwife!

I have to say that this pregnancy has made me the happiest I can probably ever remember being. I've struggled a lot with anxiety, depression and PMDD and I was very worried about how the pregnancy would affect me emotionally so I am thrilled that I've been feeling great! In fact if it weren't for the occasional aches and pains I would probably want to be pregnant always! In addition to that my skin has never looked better so I'm really soaking in all the positives of this pregnancy. 

We have a routine prenatal appointment today and I'm really looking forward to hearing baby bear's heartbeat, it's always such a special moment!

We spent our weekend with our family in MD. It reminded me of why living here, on the east coast, is so important to me. We shared many meals together in my parent's sunroom talking about life, family and everything under the sun. We always count ourselves so blessed to have parents that not only are the most incredible parents ever (I know, I know, I'm biased) but also our good friends. We laughed, we listened and we poured our hearts out. It was much needed all around.

We also had our, what is now becoming classic, brunch date. We still ate outside but it was markedly chillier than last time. And though at times the wind made it uncomfortable it was a nice reminder that autumn is practically here. 

We also spent way too much at the used bookstore. I must have bought every children's classic and "First Little Golden" book they had! 

I hope all of you had a great weekend too! And happy 1st October! Can you believe it?!