The Cutest Customized Mermaid Blanket from Mend the Fabric Etsy Shop!

Spoiling my baby girl has become a serious habit lately. From buying her oodles of clothing to making sure I'm gathering all the perfect items to add into her nursery, I've really gotten into mama-bear mode. I suppose you could say I'm "nesting" already and I'm totally okay with that fact, my little darling deserves the best of the best... just as all babies do.

With that said, I recently found a sweet little etsy shop named "Mend The Fabric". This awesome little handmade shop makes the best handmade blankets while also providing phenomenal customer service, two things this mama bear needed in her life!

Mariah is the wonderful mama behind Mend the Fabric and she knows exactly what to do to make a mama-to-be more than happy!

We started our little collaboration out on a great note with a friendly chat about her little babe, her business, and who we both are... and once I let her in on the fact that I was working on a mermaid themed nursery for my little darling, she got the ball rolling.

Within a day or two she had come up with a handful of different design ideas, offered to let me choose the specific fabric for the blanket, and managed to sew a blanket that left me amazed and overjoyed.

Not only did she manage to make the blanket for our little pineapple's room in a few days, she decided to send over this adorable southwestern blanket and diaper holder! The cuteness overflows from this cowgirl-esque set, especially because our girl is going to be an "Oklahoma girl" at heart! I'll be honest and share with you, my only issue with this order is the fact that I'm really having trouble deciding which blanket I like more...

With so much detail put into every single item in her shop, it's easy to see why I'm recommending everyone shop her store... from tiny little perfect stitches to the softest minky fabric lining the blankets, she has mastered her craft and I think that's obvious in her workmanship!

If you're looking for a super soft baby blanket, a convenient and cute diaper changing pad, or an adorable small diaper holder, Mend the Fabric is the store to shop!

If you've fallen in love with these treasures from Mend the Fabric as much as I have, be sure to follow her Instagram for regular giveaways and updates on new merchandise!

Interested in finding more awesome items for babies and new mamas?
Click here to check out my Baby Shower Gift Guide!

20 Week Bumpdate - An Official Update on My Growing Baby Bump

While I keep talking about being pregnant, sharing little tidbits of information about my little darling in posts here and there... I have yet to officially make a post all about this experience of carrying a life inside me, although it's been on my to-do list for weeks. So instead of procrastinating any longer, today's post is all about my ever-growing baby bump and all the joy (and struggles) I've experienced thus far.

6 weeks pregnant

We'll start out by backing up a little bit... My first trimester was full of nothing but feeling like hell, to put it nicely. I spent hours feeling nauseous, I could barely eat without getting sick, and while I knew this was likely to happen... I didn't realize I would spend several weeks feeling like I had the stomach flu or food poisoning. With that said, going into the second trimester, I was finally able to resume a semi-normal life and start eating again.

Other than feeling ill the first few months, I suppose I should address the fact that I was a walking ball of hot mess as well. I would (and still do) cry at the drop of a hat, sometimes literally. This, yet again, was something I had heard from other mama's-to-be but had no idea how crazy I would feel with all these hormones raging through me. From crying at silly, sweet stories on Facebook to worrying about complications, I've been a bit of an emotional roller coaster but it'll all be worth it in the long run!

Now here's some fun facts regarding my pregnancy during the first trimester:

We've been calling our little babe, "our pineapple". I'm not even sure why it started but it's stuck around pretty much since we found out.

Speaking of finding out, I actually took a test on a whim because my monthly friend was late and wa-bam... There were two lines almost instantly. I couldn't even speak other than saying "OH MY GOD" over and over again. Hubby came flying in the room and his face lit up when he realized I wasn't hurt and that I was holding a pregnancy test. We had to go buy another, just as any rational couple would do... and again it was positive. If you've followed the blog, you know this was absolutely something we wanted but definitely something that we had longed for, for many years... so finding out we were expecting without medical intervention was so exciting and absolutely amazing.

Regarding amazing things, seeing our baby on our first ultrasound at 5 weeks was the best feeling in the entire world.

Another amazing thing, telling our friends and family. We shared the big news with mine and my husband's family during a visit up to the midwest and the outpouring of love was amazing. From tears to hugs, it was a blessed trip and an amazing feeling to finally share our news at just 6 weeks. My niece actually told me she was so excited to have another cousin and thanked me for my baby's life... Can you think of anything that would melt your heart more than that? I can't.

We announced the fun on social media on Valentine's Day and that was amazing as well.

And... now that I've given you a quick catch up session on the joys and sorrows of the first trimester with this pregnancy, I suppose I can go ahead and share the up-to-date deets on this bump of mine.

I'm rocking a 20 week bump and it's seriously getting heavy already.

These past few weeks I've developed, what seems to be, pregnancy insomnia... but again, it'll all be worth it in the long run.

While I'm lacking sleep and feeling thick, the past few weeks have also been full of fun.

We bought the perfect crib, we're receiving some totally awesome items from a range of amazing companies for my upcoming Baby Shower Gift Guide (stay tuned for some super cool giveaways for you guys), AND we recently found out the gender and started to feel our little "pineapple" kick.

Finding out the gender was more difficult than we anticipated... Our ultrasound tech at the Doctor's office couldn't confirm or deny her gender with 100% certainty so she refused to disclose any information. If you know me, when I have my heart set on something, I want it to happen... so after leaving our appointment slightly disappointed (but also totally happy because the baby was healthy), we decided to book an appointment at a local boutique that offers ultrasound scans.

We should've known with a stubborn attitude and a demanding little personality that required a second appointment that our little pineapple was a female... but alas, we didn't consider those facts until later! Luckily, we were able to book an appointment on the same day and see our girl and all her glory in a spread eagle position after getting yet another extensive scan.

That's right, I'm going to be sharing plenty of princess-related fun in the future and I'm super excited about that fact... I always thought I would be the mom of only boys, but now that I know my pineapple is a gal, I'm more than happy to be dressing her up in tutus and bows and you better believe I'm ready for a million rounds of Pretty, Pretty Princess and plenty of pink all through out her life!

With all the excitement of her being difficult and having to schedule a second appointment, I was able to put some other news we received during our appointment on the back burner. That news is a little less joyful, I have complete (or total) placenta previa... which is a complication of sorts, but isn't the worst situation so I have no need to seriously worry, from my understanding.

My doctor mentioned that most women that have this condition during the 2nd trimester anatomy scan tend to see improvement before delivery and some have their placenta completely move... while he told me not to google and worry myself, I'm the type to investigate so, of course I did just as he instructed me not to do.

The good news: I'm not on bed rest, I've had no bleeding, and I feel our little girl kicking fairly regularly so I have all the faith in the world that everything will be just fine. Plus, I get an extra ultrasound at my doctor's office out of the deal, to ensure everything is looking groovy... So I'm okay with that... and hope the results from that scan are phenomenal.

With that said, if you're a mama that was diagnosed with placenta previa (any of it's various stages - complete, partial, etc), I'd love to hear from you. I'm always wanting to learn more from other mama's so let's chat!

I don't want to end on that note, so here's some more fun facts about our gal pal that I'm growing in my tummy:

She's most active after I drink a bottle of ice cold water and least active when her daddy reaches over to feel her - stubborn like her mama, already.

She has been nicknamed "Blake" by my two (almost three) year old niece and while we think that name is cute, it likely won't actually be her name... but I have yet to convince my niece otherwise. This same niece loves talking to her in my belly over speaker phone... she's pretty much the sweetest.

We've decided that the theme of our little girl's room will be a mixture of mermaid and tropical/beachy, which fits our Florida lifestyle perfectly... and since I love mermaids, I'm more than excited to share all the fun little details!

I suppose now that I've nearly written a book, I'll end the first pregnancy update here. I'm going to do my best to keep track of this journey on the blog from this point on, but I also want to mention that I don't plan on making Lauren Paints into strictly a mommy blog.

This space is for sharing the things I love, so as you can imagine, my growing girl is going to be talked about but she won't be the sole focus. I'm so thankful for this little space, where I can share my thoughts with what feels like thousands of my best friends... so let me thank you, for being a part of this journey with me and my gal!

This is what a girl that finally doesn't feel sick at 18 weeks looks like!

Now, I'll be honest and also share with you, I'm going to go ahead and indulge a craving and eat a big ol' slice of chocolate cake in a few moments.

So tell me, are you expecting? Do you have little one's of your own already? Tell me all about your pregnancy in the comments below, as I mentioned above, I love learning from other mama's!

Save Big Time on Baby Necessities!

This review was made possible by iConnect and Luvs.  I was provided compensation to facilitate this post, but all opinions stated are 100% mine.

As I'm starting to gather items for my little darling expected to arrive in September, I'm realizing that parenting is going to be a truly rewarding and expensive adventure. I'm doing everything I can to save a few bucks here and there and today I want to share a few tips and tricks to help you save some cash as well!

With the Ibotta app (you can download it here for android or here for apple) I'm already saving big time! Since they are currently offering a great deal on Luvs, the favorite diapers of experience mom's, I'm stocking up and I suggest you do the same if you have a diaper wearing little one in your home or on the way! You can save $2 with a print at home coupon offer through coupons.com, with an additional $5 rebate via Ibotta on any boxed variety of Luvs diapers, 54 count or larger.

Offering large stretch tabs to make sure the diaper is secured and comfortable, ultra-leak protection to keep your babe from having a real accident, and a contoured hug shape for a great fit along with a cottony soft feel that's gentle on baby's skin, it's easy to see why Luvs are the best fit for most families! Plus, a money back guarantee means you'll never be disappointed with your purchase and you're saving big time with Ibotta... so what do you have to lose? Grab a pack of Luvs at your favorite store, be satisfied with your choice, and save big!

Don't forget to print your Coupons.com coupon here and rack up the savings by verifying your purchase with the Ibotta app!

The Perfect Baby Monitor!

This post was sponsored by Baby’s Journey as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central. I received complimentary merchandise to facilitate my review.

In case you haven't heard the news, after years of hoping to become parents, we are finally expecting our little one in September and we couldn't be any more excited! With that said, we are already nesting like crazy and want to prepare the perfect room for our little bundle of joy, as you can probably imagine. I'm choosing fabrics for personalized blankets, picking out little trinkets to decorate the nursery furniture shelves with; I'm already washing and folding all of the adorable little clothing and obviously, trying to equip the room with the best of the best when it comes to her safety and well-being!

While I'm a newbie to this parenting stuff, I've heard from seasoned parents that choosing a baby monitor can be difficult. I've been told that you don't want to be stingy when it comes to being able to keep an eye on your precious bundle of joy and I tend to agree.

So after doing hours of research, I decided that the new AT&T Smart Sync monitor will work the best for our little family. This beauty from AT&T and Baby's Journey, an innovative children's products manufacturer, offers all of the features that I know we will use! Not only does it offer the ability to see my baby at any time, it also will come in handy for documenting (and sharing) our lives!

Once I received the Smart Sync monitor in the mail, I knew I made the right choice! This super cool and sleek little gadget is SO MUCH MORE than just a monitor; I know I'll just love being able to keep track of the little things like diaper changes and feedings while also keeping an eye on my angel at any time, from the monitor or my cell phone! This simple feature provides me with true peace of mind and allows my hubs and I the ability to co-parent easily!

Plus, as I mentioned, this monitor is made for sharing! If you know me, then you know this social media guru was pretty stoked to find out I can share photos directly to Twitter and Facebook whenever I want my family & friends to see the adorable baby doing something adorable or accomplishing a milestone like sleeping through the night or rolling over on her own, all of these memories can be documented and as you can imagine, I'm so excited to share each and every accomplishment!

I know the adjustment into parenthood will be unlike anything I've ever experienced before, I've been warned; but I find comfort in knowing I'll always be able to check on my darling baby no matter where I am with the Smart Sync monitor.  The monitors are now available online and in-store at Babies “R” Us locations. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/ATTSmartSync.