jessicafwebb – Page 7 – Fashion With Jess

February 18, 2020

Andrew’s Birth Story

I am so excited to be writing this post about our sweet baby’s birth (and I am the luckiest to be looking over at Andrew while he naps as I write this)! It was a lot longer of a process than we ever expected but it was well worth it when we finally held Andrew on February 5^th.

My whole pregnancy I was convinced he was going to come before his due date so I was constantly trying to prepare all that I could every weekend leading up to February. I could barely handle the anticipation! My doctor asked if I wanted to schedule to be induced and I said absolutely. In my mind, I was so ready to have this baby, I was having a hard time continuing to work, and I liked the idea of knowing when the birth could happen. So, my doctor scheduled us to go to the hospital on Andrew’s due date at 5:30pm to start the process of induction.

Monday, February 3^rd rolled around and I was so excited! I headed to my regular appointment fully expecting to be ready to go into labor- unfortunately nothing was happening. Five o’clock finally rolled around, we said our goodbyes to Oakley, and Tyler and I headed to the hospital. The nurses got started right away and gave me Cervidil to get things moving along. We tried to relax and watch The Bachelor and settled in to go to sleep. I was having minor contractions but nothing terrible.

Around 1 A.M. I began experiencing contractions that were coming every 4-5 minutes and were very painful. The pain was in my back and it was impossible to rest. Tyler tried multiple ways of rubbing my back and trying to help. We tried stretches and everything. I thought for sure this meant Andrew would be here so soon! At 5 A.M. my midwife came in and asked if I wanted my epidural- there was no point in acting strong at this point- so I said yes please!! Getting an epidural was very weird but I am very thankful I did!!!

At this point it was around 7 am on February 4^th and we were so ready to meet our baby. My doctors kept checking but unfortunately no progress was being made. They started me on Pitocin to help induce labor and my water broke around 7:30 am. I was so excited!! We were headed in the right direction. The Pitocin made me very nauseous and I began to run a fever and get sick. They then gave me antibiotics and the rest of the day is really a blur. I do know that at one point my epidural fell out and I had to get a second one! Haha!! Luckily, I didn’t feel much in between. I was in and out of sleep and preparing for Andrew’s arrival and knew both Tyler and I needed rest. Our parents were in the room and keeping us company all day. It wasn’t until late in the evening where I was only dilated 4-5 cm and we were getting worried. They turned up the Pitocin but mentioned if I didn’t begin to dilate more I would need a c-section. We were getting close to the next day and typically you should have the baby within 24 hours after your water has broken. We kept sleeping and like magic, my doctor came in and discovered that I was completely dilated! It was time to begin pushing!

We were rested and excited and ready to start. I thought it would last maybe 2 hours and I could see the clock right in front of me! It was 4:30 am on Wednesday the 5^th. My nurses, doctor, and Tyler, were all so incredible and so helpful. My contractions never went past 3-5 minutes apart so I was able to rest in between each contraction. Somehow, it had been five hours of pushing (I don’t even know how that happened- it really went by fast!) and my doctor said I could have a c- section if I wanted because I had pushed past 4 hours. I asked Tyler what to do and he said it was my decision to make. I felt like we had made it that far and I felt motivated to continue that way. My doctor had us look in a mirror to help encourage my pushing. I was super hesitant for that at first, but I will be honest- it 100% helped me deliver Andrew!!

I continued pushing until about 10:40 am and finally I heard Tyler, my doctor, and the nurse cry out “He’s out, look at his head!!”. I immediately looked into the mirror and saw our sweet baby’s head and within what felt like seconds his whole little body was out and being placed on my stomach. It was the most surreal feeling in the world. I was overwhelmed with emotions and began crying. I could not believe I was finally holding my son. He was so small and alert. They had Tyler cut the umbilical cord and took him away to the warmer to measure him and wipe him off. Watching Tyler’s face as he looked at Andrew was incredible. It is true when they say you love your husband even more when he becomes a father. I could not have done any of this without him. He was the biggest help throughout the whole labor. We have been so blessed with the sweetest baby boy and I am so grateful for our little family.

I will never forget this day and holding Andrew for the first time. The rush of him coming out and the cord being cut is something I can never fully describe. I also cannot believe what my body was capable of in those long hours. To any other soon to be mommas out there, I hope you have a safe and easy delivery and can love on your sweet baby so soon!

February 2, 2020

Third Trimester Update

I have taken a LONG break from blog posts, but I am back and talking about my third and final trimester of pregnancy!! Tomorrow is officially baby Andrew's due date and we actually go to the hospital tomorrow night to start the process of being induced. I cannot even believe it- my excitement for this day to come has been unreal. We are so grateful!

The third trimester has been...long. It has had its ups and downs! I'll start by focusing only on the positive. In the third trimester, my belly started to grow A LOT. I started to look back on pictures from the second trimester and couldn't even believe how far we have come. Each day was a new day with this active baby in my belly and my clothes would fit tighter and my ribs would be a little more sore. I was amazed with how much he was growing. During this trimester, we finished Andrew's nursery and are so proud of it. We were showered three times by our families, friends, and coworkers and felt so much love. We went on endless walks so I could stay active (even when it was freezing). We got to see the baby one final time in an ultrasound at 36 weeks because they thought he was measuring bigger than age (I was so worried for this, but everything was fine!). It was crazy to see how much he had grown since the last ultrasound at 20 weeks. At 36 weeks, he was already head down and we could see his sweet nose, cheeks, hands, chubby legs, and lips. I am so biased but he looked so so cute! I still stare at those ultrasound pictures and can't get over his face! Another thing that was so interesting that I didn't even realize was that his but was the body part up by my ribs and his legs were folded over and down by his head! It makes sense once you think about it because they come out very long but your torso is not that long! That ultrasound was a great day. THEN FINALLY, he began to drop! There was a certain point around New Years where he was sitting so high in my ribs that getting through the day was uncomfortable. Magically within a few days he began to drop lower and I felt significant relief and was able to breathe (and teach) so much easier. I went back to school after a long two weeks off for winter break and felt very well rested. I was hopeful that he would be coming soon and was ready to enjoy the last few weeks with my students.

There were some negative parts to the third trimester, but it was important to me to try to remain as positive as I could and understand that everything is so very worth it. If you are also pregnant and reaching the end, it will be here before you know it! During the third trimester my heartburn got significantly worse and would wake me up every night at 2 am. So I would start rationing out my tums for the day right at 2 am! Hahah! Tums became my best friend 🙂 I took Prilosec once a day as well. I just really had to be conscious over what I was eating! Sleeping started to also become very difficult and some days I would find myself feeling frustrated but I then started to allow myself to really rest when I could. My weekends were made up of a lot of REST! If you're like me and feel like you have to constantly go - go - go- don't feel bad when your body needs to rest when you are pregnant! Listen to yourself when you are tired and relax. Last week I got the stomach bug and I was very very worried. I wasn't able to keep down anything- liquids included- and I had no idea what this could do to Andrew! My doctor had us go in to get checked at the hospital and as I was describing to the nurse what was happening I started crying right away- and I felt embarrassed to cry. The nurse was so nice and reassured me that everything is normal and would be fine. My hormones definitely took over me in that moment! They quickly attached the bands to my stomach where we could hear his heartbeat and he sounded great. I felt so much better. They gave me an IV and it helped a lot. I was having some contractions that were showing up on the computer, but nothing significant! After about an hour we were released to go home and reminded us that Andrew was healthy and active and would be okay. I will say that stomach bug really got me down because just lack of feeling good and being unable to sleep. Tyler was an allstar husband during this bug and took such good care of me. This was my first time our whole marriage ever being really sick! It just showed me what a great dad he is going to be.

Fast forward one week and here we are today one DAY away from our baby boy's due date. I can't believe the whole pregnancy is about to come to an end and we are about to meet our greatest gift. All of this is truly a miracle and we couldn't be more grateful to have this baby. We are going to spend our last day as a family of three together cuddled on the couch and watching the superbowl. We pray that tomorrow and the next day go well and for a healthy baby boy! If you are pregnant or trying to conceive I am praying for you as well. I hope everything goes smoothly for you and that you have a healthy baby! 🙂

I am going to share some of my absolute MUST HAVES for pants throughout the end of my pregnancy. Hopefully they can help you as well! I wore these three pairs of pants on repeat during the third trimester. I highly recommend them! The white jeans are also currently 50% off! Can't beat that.

December 8, 2019

Treat Yourself Under $20

Anyone needing a break from Holiday shopping?! I have rounded up a few of my favorite items (some I have, some I wishing for) all under $20 dollars each. I don't know about you, but when it comes to buying something for myself, if it is under $20 then I do not feel so guilty. All of these items would also make great gifts for any of your girlfriends if you are still shopping.

I cannot get over this gorgeous sequin top that is $19.99. This is so great for the Holiday season and New Years coming up! I would love to pair it with a pretty silk skirt, jeans, or leggings and some heels. These earrings are also stunning for any event that you might have coming up. I would actually wear these with the sequin top and these fun ear cuffs!

I own these headbands from Amazon and I love them so much. They are perfect for days when you want to dress up your outfit or simply if you don't feel like washing your hair an extra day! I think any of these color headbands would look amazing with this pretty off the shoulder sweater from Forever 21. I would add to the look with these gorgeous faux pearl hoop earrings that are only $8!! How can you beat that?!?!

Red and White Christmas Sales Trifold Brochure (4)

Sephora also has some really fabulous items that are under $20 and they are some of my favorites. I am currently obsessed with this lip sleeping mask. It is so hydrating and I use it right before bed every night (so does my husband!). I also really love this Becca primer and use it everyday under my make-up. This kit is only $15 and is perfect way to try out the primer, it also comes with a mini setting powder and a highlighter! Lastly, I love Nest fragrances. This set is the best way to try out their scents and see which one is your favorite. The scents last on you all day and are so light and airy- love them all.

I am linking all items below that are under $20! Happy Shopping 🙂

XO,

Jess

November 21, 2019

Second Trimester Recap

It is so hard to believe but I am currently well into my third trimester. I forgot to post my second trimester update earlier, but thought better late than never! I figure I will really want to look back on these some day.

The second trimester flew by to say the least! The second trimester has also been my favorite so far, for many reasons. I started feeling really good, my belly starting showing, we discovered the baby's gender, had a 20 week ultrasound, and I started feeling the baby move and kick constantly. Everything started to feel much more real and I realized that our lives would be forever changed (for the better), very soon.

One of the most exciting times during this trimester was the 20 week ultrasound. The last time we had seen the baby was at 8 weeks to confirm the pregnancy and the baby was so so tiny and looked like a teddy graham! This time around, the baby was so big! We could see him moving all around constantly! I was in awe just watching him- although I did not know his gender at the time. We even to see 3D pictures of him where I could start to see similarities in his face in comparison to my face and Tyler's face. It was magical. We asked the doctor to keep the gender a surprise and had a gender reveal party that weekend with our families and friends. It was the best time ever and so so exciting. We had our dog Oakley, be a big part of the reveal. He ran down the stairs with a blue balloon and bandana on to tell us that we were having a boy! Tyler was overjoyed with excitement because he had convinced himself that the baby would be a girl. I started feeling a strong sense that our baby was a boy, but I was still very pleasantly surprised. We began deciding on names that very night! We already had his first name, but needed to find just the right middle name.

Shortly after, around week 22 I started feeling him! FINALLY! I had been waiting for that moment to happen and was so excited when it did. Tyler was able to feel him move within the same week and it was such an amazing experience for the both of us. Each time I would feel him kick would feel like something new and exciting because it was just so surreal to me. Now, I feel him all the time when I am relaxing and he even responds when we talk to him or I rub my hand over my belly to see where he is. It's truly a miracle and I feel like we can already see a little bit of his personality. Around this same time I started noticing big differences in our dog Oakley as well. He certainly knows something is going on. In fact, he will lay on my lap next to my belly and I am just convinced that he can hear him. Oakley will also now sleep at my feet or up close to me every night and I like to think he is doing this to protect both me and his future brother, but maybe he is just feeling clingy. He is a sweet dog and I cannot wait to see him with his baby brother.

I still can't get over the feeling of happiness this pregnancy and baby has brought me. Yes, there are hard days where I am emotional (I once cried at dinner because they brought me the wrong meal!!), where my back and stomach are so sore, or where I have heartburn and feel so out of breath. But, there is an overwhelming sense of joy when I start to think about our baby and how life is going to be different and just how lucky we are. I have a huge sense of gratefulness towards both of our parents and all of the parents out there for everything they do and have done. As we move through this next trimester I am going to try my best to keep enjoying the pregnancy and get as much done on my pre baby to-do list as possible! If you have made it this far in the post, thank you for reading!!

XO,

Jess

November 21, 2019

Gift Guide for Her

Red and White Christmas Sales Trifold Brochure (3)

Finally, my gift guide for her! I picked out some of my favorite items and many of my wish list items that I have been eyeing for this gift guide. I don't know about you all, but I love to recieve gifts for Christmas that I wouldn't typically buy myself. These are all items I am loving. Why am I so obsessed with jewelry right now?! Along with all the jewelry, I am loving all the beanies out for winter. I love this two piece set from Nordstrom that comes with a beanie and a scarf. I think any girl would love this and it comes in another color if pink isn't for you!

If you happen to shop any of these items for yourself or for a gift, be sure to head to Baublebar's website. They are having a sale for 25% off full price items! Use code Festive25 for the discount. I am obsessed with all their bracelets, especially this customizable bracelet. I actually had Tyler get it for me for Christmas with our baby's initials. I cannot wait to wear it! I think this custom bracelet would be so fun stacked with these other fun bracelets they have as well.

I hope this helps some of you find gifts for some of the girls on your list! Happy Shopping 🙂

XO,

Jess

Additional Gift Ideas

November 10, 2019

Holiday Gift Guide for Your Mom!

Happy Sunday! This gift guide was my absolute favorite to make because I love shopping for my mom and mother in law. In my opinion, shopping for moms is the easiest! The women in my family love gifts and are fashionistas themselves.

Everything in this post is all under $50 and within a wide price range so you can purchase hopefully a few things for your moms! Let's be honest, moms deserve all the spoiling. Don't forget how much they have spoiled you! When I give gifts, I love when things match and all go together. I will share a few gift "clusters" that I think would go together perfectly.

Pretty and Classic

Chic and Stylish

Relaxed and Comfy

& Classic PJ's

I hope this helps you find some great items for the wonderful moms in your life. I already can't wait to put together pretty gifts for both of my moms. Happy Shopping!

XO, Jess

November 8, 2019

Men’s Holiday Gift Guide: Under $50

November is in full swing, which means it is time to start shopping for the Holidays! I am sharing my first ever holiday gift guide. This gift guide features all mens items for $50 or less. All of these items are things I would purchase for my husband, brother, father or father in law. If the men in your life are similar to the men in mine, they don't typically buy things for themselves. Therefore, Christmas (or birthdays) is the best time to buy them all the clothes they need!

When it comes to shopping for the men in my family, I stick to a few favorite stores. One because of price point and two because of quality and style. My two favorite places to shop for men in my family are J. Crew Factory (yes please outlet deals) and Old Navy. All items featured in this post are from both of those stores. I promise you can get something for everyone at either of these stores!

Work Wear/ Casual Outfits

First I will share some of my favorite items as work wear pieces or casual pieces to wear out on the weekend.

Comfy and Cozy

These next items are what I really love to buy for Christmas. All the comfy and cozy extra items! PJ bottoms, slippers, hats, socks. Basically all the things that would have come in a stocking when you were younger!

I hope this guide helps you find great items for the men in your life that you love! They deserve to be spoiled just as much as we love to be spoiled 🙂 What gift guide should I do next?? I'm thinking mom...

Happy Shopping!

XO, Jess

November 3, 2019

Sephora Holiday Bonus

The annual Sephora Holiday Bonus sale is finally here! I look forward to this sale each year. Depending on your level of membership, you can get either 20%, 15%, or 10% off your purchase. This is the best time to try new products, purchase gifts for the holidays, or restock some of your favorite items.

Here are the basics of what you need to know.

If you are Rogue member, you can start shopping now until November 11th and receive 20% off! Use code: HOLIDAYSAVE

If you are a VIB member, you can shop November 7th- November 11th and receive 15% off! Use code: HOLIDAY SAVE

If you are a Beauty Insider member you can shop November 7th- November 11th and receive 10% off! Use code: HOLIDAY SAVE

Not a Sephora Beauty Insider Member? You can sign up for free online and join today to get 10% off purchases! After you spend a certain amount, you can get even more off.

Now to the good stuff... I am going to share my favorites, gift ideas, and wish list items below. Click on any of the items to shop! Don't forget to use the code to get your discount.

Favorites for Face

Eyes

Gift Ideas

I have some of these products and I am wanting many of them! When I buy anything from Sephora, I am constantly reading the reviews to be sure it is worth it.

One thing I will definitely be purchasing and do every year during this sale, is a Perfume sampler. I love love love these perfume samplers that come out during the Holiday season! You get an amazing array of samples so you can discover your favorite scent. Then, you get to go in store and use the voucher from the set for a full size perfume! This is the best deal ever because with this sale, you can get one of these sets for around 50 some dollars. Then, get a full size perfume- that usually costs around $100! This could make a great gift for a mom, mother in law, sister, sister in law, etc. Or send to your husband, fiance, boyfriend with the code to buy it on sale for you for Christmas! `

Happy shopping girls! Remember this sale only happens once a year. If you buy anything, tell me what you love!!

XO,

Jess

October 27, 2019

Fall Styles with The Mint Julep Boutique

I have recently styled some new fall pieces with The Mint Julep Boutique and they are so so good! The styles I picked out are all ones that I can wear multiple ways. My first piece from them is this gorgeous leopard print cardigan. I love this to style with leggings and a black t-shirt, but also with white jeans and a white tank. It can also easily be dressed up with a black bodycon dress.

The next item I have styled from The Mint Julep is this cozy taupe tunic. I love this tunic so much because it is long and can be worn SO many ways. I have it styled here with my faux leather leggings and long plaid scarf. I plan on wearing this tunic so many times this fall and winter and now I feel like I need it in multiple colors! The material of the tunic is so soft and the high low hemline is perfect with leggings. This is a must in your closet! The tunic fits true to size.

Be sure to take a look at The Mint Julep Boutique website! They have the prettiest looks and so many outfits for fall. I am linking my favorite pieces below. Happy shopping!

XO,

Jess

October 27, 2019

What to Wear to Thanksgiving

Can you believe we are almost done with October?! With October being almost over, the holidays are right around the corner. We are a month away from Thanksgiving and only two months from Christmas! With that being said, it's time to start figuring out outfits (and gifts- oh boy)! I love pieces for holidays, especially when I can style them multiple ways.

This year, I am loving the satin skirt and chunky sweater trend. I think this look will be so fun for Thanksgiving- and any holiday party in the future. Not only is it comfortable, which we all know we need for Thanksgiving, but it is also stunning and can be restyled many many ways. The skirt I have styled here is from H&M and has a stretchy waist which is perfect for my growing belly. The sweater I have paired with the skirt stood out to me because of the pearl details on the sleeves! This sweater is from Forever 21 and the quality of it blows me away. I plan on wearing it again during Christmas with a sequin skirt as well.