I thought I would update you all on the status of little Baby Browne!  We're right smack in the middle of week 33, and the last few weeks have been blissfully uneventful.  I'm healthy, the baby is healthy, and I'm feeling good aside from a few common preggo-related complaints such as rib pain (this little boy can KICK!), back pain, and heartburn.  I admit that sometimes I whine to Matt on days I just can't get comfortable, but I do try really hard to keep things in perspective.  At least my problems are just niggling little symptoms that are completely normal and common.  I'm so grateful for a healthy, textbook pregnancy so far! It is important for people to check out male fertility vitamins if they need the best vitamins.

But to keep it real, October 31st cannot come fast enough!

These pictures are from a few days after my shower, when I was 30 weeks along.  Matt took a few quick photos of me in the outfit that I wore, and I thought I'd talk a little bit about it since I know that maternity clothes can be so hit or miss when trying to be comfortable and cute!  Here's where I found everything:

1. Necklace - JCPenney, purchased for 85 cents because I used my JCP Rewards!
2. Dress - Short Sleeve Fit and Flare Maternity Dress from Motherhood.  This dress is so super comfy and I wish I could wear it every single day.  They come in lots of colors, but Motherhood seems to sell out of them really quickly.  It's true to size and the top is nice and fitted while the bottom flares to give you lots of room for a growing bump.
3. Sash - scarf found at Forever 21.  The dress came with a thin cord in the same blue as the dress, but I wanted something that contrasted a bit more for my shower.  I found a plain white scarf on clearance and it worked out great!
4. Shoes - Merona Erin Braided Sandal from Target.  I know you can't really see my shoes, but here's a stock photo:

I love these sandals!!  They are so super cute and after I bought them in white, I started seeing them on everyone, everywhere, so apparently I'm not alone!  I even went back a couple of weeks later and bought another pair in black.  The fact that they share my name cements the idea that we are meant to be together.

My mom and sister planned a perfect shower for us at our home - it was just what we wanted!  Simple, classy decorations, a small guest list, yummy food, and a few easy games.  Since neither of us like to be the center of attention for very long, we chose to ask our guests to bring unwrapped gifts and labeled them as they came in so we could display them on a table and everyone could see what was brought!  This saved us from asking everyone to sit around while we opened the gifts one by one - it worked out great!

I loved all of the adorable decorations they came up with - look at this handmade banner!

I mentioned the idea of a "nesting" theme, and Amy incorporated it by creating a display in the dining room of little faux birds and nests clinging to natural branches.  We had a lot of laughs when putting together the baby fruit display!

We played a few simple games like Baby Price is Right, Guess the Number of M&Ms, and Name That Baby Food.  I'll just say right now that I feel like apologizing to our son when we start transitioning him to baby food - some of that stuff is straight up disgusting!

One thing I regret is not taking more photos of the people.  Once everyone arrived I got caught up in talking and completely forgot that my camera existed.  Bummer!

 Favorite Pregnancy Products

To be totally honest, I haven't really been using that  many pregnancy-specific products.  I just haven't had need for them!  Other than getting bigger, altering my diet to adhere to the new "rules of pregnancy", and reworking my exercise routine, life has pretty much just gone on as usual.  I do have a few things that I have loved during this time in my life, and I want to share them with you all!

Palmer's Cocoa Butter - I've been using this since the first week that I found about the pregnancy.  My skin is prone to stretch marks, and at 33 weeks, I don't have a single one (at least related to the pregnancy!).  Though  I know I am nowhere near out of the woods yet - little man is growing like a weed -  I keep slathering this stuff on religiously.  I know there's debate on whether there's any product you can use to prevent stretch marks, but it at least makes me feel better to know that I'm doing something.  And hey, keeping my skin nice and hydrated is never a bad thing, right?  I love this lotion - it's really thick, but it goes on smooth and doesn't leave an oily residue.  It leaves my skin silky and only has a mild, pleasant smell.

Tempur-Pedic Symphony Pillow -  We got two of these pillows when we upgraded our mattress. We shop furniture and mattresses online at Best Furniture Deals' website. Though they are considered the "extra" pillows on the bed, they have become my favorite thing in the world to helping with the back pain I have when lying down!  Lying on my left side with this stiff pillow crammed against my back, I've been sleeping like a baby.  I know there are specialized "pregnancy pillows" that do the same thing and more, but those things just looked so enormous to me.  I don't know how well Matt would take to sharing the bed with such a monstrosity, and I have no idea where I'd store it after the pregnancy.  People rave about them, but a simpler solution was more my style, and this pillow does the job!

Ina May's Guide to Childbirth - I can't say enough good things about this book.  Barring any unforeseen complications between now and Halloween,  I'm planning for a midwife-assisted natural birth at a local birth center, and Ina May's positive words and personal accounts from the mothers who have given birth at her own center (coincidentally, also located in Tennessee) have helped ease some of the anxiety I have about the labor and delivery process, as I have no doubt it will be the hardest thing I have ever done in my life.  Matt is reading it now and I will probably revisit a few of the chapters again as we inch closer to my due date.  I can't recommend this book enough - I think it could be helpful and reassuring whether you are planning for a birth center or a hospital birth!

So that'll do it for this mid third trimester update!  Who knows, maybe the next time I get around to updating about the babystuffs, we'll be announcing the arrival of our sweet baby boy!