This week I had such a great opportunity to work with so many amazing companies, talent and girlfriends. We worked on a fun social promo for Fuji Film <movie clip coming soon>. We started the day by getting our hair done by the one and only Laced hair extensions. Clothing was provided by Sweaty Betty <long johns> outerwear <french connection> boots <ugg, their koala burra line> transportation was provided by Avis; which was hilarious watching our friend from NY drive in multiple feet of snow in a 13 passenger van 🙂 food and location was provided by the incredible Ice Castles in Midway and best part we got to play and be there all by ourselves. It was so incredible to say the least 🙂

Today Hudson has show-n-tale and he is so excited to show and take pictures of his class with his new Fuji camera. I’m actually looking at in on my kitchen table, he forgot to take it with him, so it looks like I get to bring it to him and watch him present today:)

Have a great weekend everyone!

- See more at: http://birdalamode.com/ice-a-la-mode/#sthash.jjBP44rJ.dpuf

Sometimes it’s fun to dress up and play business women. This week has been fun and it’s only just begun getting to mix and mingle with designers and get away for a few hours a day doing my second love, my blog/job.

Random Rant

It’s funny how much prep and emotions go into just getting away for a little while from the kids. A very rare occasion for me for sure. It’s been so long since I have gotten away just for a couple hrs by myself that it made me appreciate the little ones so much more. And probably why I have never gone on a trip with just Dallin & I alone. The idea sounds glamorous, but I would hate to miss them & for them to miss out. One day for sure it will happen, but not soon.

-Random Rant Over- - See more at: http://birdalamode.com/bordeaux/#sthash.DzcoNiiF.dpuf

This view though?!! One day in the future I’ll have neighbors, preferably with kids that line up in ages with mine, but until then I will use this lot, as the most incredible backdrop!!!!

Next stop, the mountains! I have been so excited for some fun in the mountains, spending time with my family and husband, and some super exciting projects and collaborations happening this week as the Sundance Film Festival is in town. Can we talk about perfect timing? It’s been snowing nonstop the last couple of days, spoiling all you out of towners. Stay tuned and be sure to follow the fun and enjoy the beauty of Utah this week, even if it’s only virtually.

Have a great weekend everyone!

- See more at: http://birdalamode.com/sundance-2017/#sthash.3GZddYlO.dpuf

The word of the month is “Grow”. With each new blogpost I slowly stop recognizing myself as my baby bump starts filling out. Today I went to the Dr.s and he said by my next appointment my baby will double in size, how fun and wild is that! -I’ll be in my third trimester very soon!

These last couple of weeks is crucial in my babies growth, which is why I am highly encouraged to stop nursing Briton. This appointment was music to my husbands ears. And something he’s been trying to tell me for a while now.

But there is something about hearing it from a Dr. and hearing all the reasoning why has me determined to stop today! I haven’t nursed Briton since my appointment and put Briton to sleep by rocking him. I’m not in pain yet, praying I don’t get mastitis this time around.

We also spoke of my birth plan and travel plans. We got some good news. I’ve been so worried about traveling with the zika virus. I got the green light for Hawaii, so babe start booking 🙂 I also got the red light for Dallin’s off roading trip he and his brothers have planned middle of April. That is if he wants to be there for the birth. I was told to plan on my birth and delivery to be similar to that of my others. From 36 weeks to 37 weeks, and to get in the car as soon as I start feeling my labor signs or my water breaks because we live an extra 25 mins away from our hospital and it doesn’t take many contractions to get me to go from a two to a 10.

With my babies coming early, getting the little boy inside of me as big as possible is our goal. Boy’s develope slower (lungs) so we don’t want to risk Briton taking any nutrients and calories away from him.

Wish me luck, I’m going to need it! Everyone has their battles and this is definitely mine. I hate being capable of giving my child what they want/need (nursing), but having to say no and to make them cry while I painfully fill up with lechè. Since this is my second attempt to stop nursing the Britzy, I think/hope it will go a lot more smoothly than the first time 🙂

Knock on wood

*A special thanks to Kate Spade for my new workout clothes, they are perfect to “grow” in and one day, I will shrink in them. Seriously the softest, prettiest and most comfortable yoga pants I’ve ever worn.

- See more at: http://birdalamode.com/going-beyond-yoga-with-kate-spade/#sthash.G9AnHy2w.dpuf

The winner has now been selected for the $75 Pink Blush gift card. Thank you all so much for participating in the giveaway and for all your fun tips on what to do this weekend with my family. My kids last day of school was Wednesday and we don’t go back until next Wednesday due to parent teacher conferences and MLK day. This long weekend kind of snuck up on me and I was looking for some fun ideas to do with the littles, and you all gave me so many fun ones. So thank you, thank you!

Check out what this fun dad did with his family in the snow here in UT!

- See more at: http://birdalamode.com/play-our-brains-favorite-way-of-learning/#sthash.S57yUSjf.dpuf

These pics are from our staycation over New Years. I was going through my camera roll and realized I had never posted them. For those asking about my vest, which I wear nonstop, I put a link above that will take you directly to it. I actually got this vest years ago and was so happy I found the exact same one.

I sure hope everyone is having a great day! This morning we have been on the GO! Last week we rearranged our schedules to make sure we were always home for nap time at noon. So it’s been fun getting new schedules and meeting new friends.

We even found a really good dance school for Holland which is right around the corner from Hudson’s gymnastics and just so happens to be at similar times. With zero expectations Holland surprising loved it. Half the time she does ballet and the other tap. She had a blast! I’m really excited for her. Not only does she like it she also gets to come home and sleep. Win-Win!!!

- See more at: http://birdalamode.com/park-city-main-street/#sthash.HLNwmxHn.dpuf

So much debate on what to title today’s post, I was torn between “I can do hard things” or “10 days of H.E double hockey sticks”.

These not so glamorous pictures, were taken right after my Dr.s appointment, the one where I was encouraged to stop breastfeeding Briton, and right before my husband took off on his first business trip. (see post here)

I threw on a dress that I could not breastfeed in along with multiple tight sports bras, kissed my husband goodbye and prayed like I had never prayed before. I was going to do this weening process solo. And to say I was nervous is an understatement.

*What made me so nervous is that if I did contract mastitis I couldn’t take the antibiotic and would just have to suffer through it. Because I am seven months pregnant and the medication would affect the unborn babies developing teeth, causing them to be yellow .Obviously I would never take it knowing that, hence all the praying.

The 4 days went by slowly, days ran into night as I just held my crying Briton as he so desperately wanted to nurse. Him smelling and feeling where he used to find comfort & with no else to hold him but me, I would just say repeatedly through tears “all gone”,”all done”.

Other than extremely itchy breasts. Which I never scratch, just rub lotion on, because I am paranoid of scratching severely stretched out skin (due to pregnancy) for the fear of stretch marks. I never got mastitis! Which I have gotten every single time I have weened.

My husband came home and went skiing with his friends who came in town and then he was off again on another business trip.

Even with him gone, the week ahead was an exciting one. I had some fun jobs and projects I was scheduled for and I found great comfort knowing I didn’t leave a breastfeeding toddler at home.

We were on the up and up. Thinking the worst was behind me. And we would start getting some sleep.

Wrong-o!

The night I came home from Park City, I close my eyes and hear 3 barking seals in the middle of the night aka my children coughing. UGH! Then my 5 year screams out in pain. He is holding his ear. Saying his ear hurts so bad. I google ear infections and it says its uncommon after the age of 4.

hmm….

I take them all in, they all have ear infections, and little Britsy has an eye infection. Mucus is coming from his little eyes so I have to put medication in his eyes every couple hrs. Which is just terrible.

Knowing my husband will be home this weekend I didn’t want to waste any time so I decided to take my glucose test while already doing the whole dr. scene. Jokes on me!

I take the drink and then get informed that it will be an hr. after I finish my drink that my blood will be drawn. The kids were as good as three littles ones could be in a severly boring waiting room. Pretty much the longest hr. of my life and I have never been so excited to get my blood drawn, ever!

I had two kids climbing all over me while Hudson covered his ears, closed eyes while his shirt was over his mouth spinning in a chair next to me.

*he told me he didn’t want to see, hear, or smell the blood coming out of my body – he is like me and hates blood!

And then we were done!

Hudson was so sweet to me and just hugged and hugged me. Even when we returned home I was doing the dishes and he just kept on holding on to me. He asked if I had to do that when he was in my stomach.

I felt so appreciated, even though I’d say me getting my blood drawn was by far the easiest thing that took place in a while.

I picked up my husband from the airport, on my way there I heard this song

- See more at: http://birdalamode.com/dancing-on-my-own/#sthash.0dpcZ3gN.dpuf

Even though the lyrics don’t totally make sense for my scenario. It just made me so excited to see my husband, hear a nice male voice in the car, and no more good byes, no more breastfeeding, the kids were now all on antibiotics and I was so-o ready to go home and to stop “Dancing on my Own”.

It’s such a mental relief having him home.

*long story short I am so grateful that I didn’t get mastitis (first time ever!) and that we are DONE breastfeeding. Although I miss my alone time with Briton when would drop the kids off to preschool and just he and I would get in a warm bath. He would nurse and then we would both take a nap. That’s the part I miss most.

*ps I don’t mind my husband traveling & he has a killer job that he does amazing at. I just wished I had maybe of chosen a different week to do the whole weaning process. One where he was here to do it with me. But it’s all over, Thank Heavens!

- See more at: http://birdalamode.com/dancing-on-my-own/#sthash.0dpcZ3gN.dpuf

Every Sunday is so exciting as I get one week closer to my due date. This Sunday I turned 27 weeks, which I thought was just a number, until I got an alert on my phone from my pregnancy app that said “congrats on making it to your 3rd trimester!” I got butterflies thinking of how soon, and how close I am getting to meet my baby. - See more at: http://birdalamode.com/hello-third-trimester/#sthash.nwXwUn7g.dpuf

And then all my kids fit in a picture.

Last night I asked my husband to take some “artsy” maternity pictures of me. When I exposed my bump my kids wouldn’t leave it alone. Briton wanted to be instantly held, Holland wouldn’t stop kissing it, and Hudson just laughed at it. So this is my impromptu maternity pics that my baby Birds just HAD to be apart of 🙂

*I love all my fillyboo boho maternity/nursing dresses. These are so fun to wear everywhere. I even wear to bed, and plan to wear as coverups to the beach and when I am not pregnant anymore. See post here where I wore another one showcasing my babies nursery.

- See more at: http://birdalamode.com/mother-bird/#sthash.OT7kktdD.dpuf

It’s feeling real, really real! This two crib thing is maybe the most real thing that has happened my whole pregnancy so far.

Words cannot explain how excited I am to put up another crib in my nursery. I am so excited for my two baby boys to share a room. We debated if we should move Briton into his own room, but I love the idea of not bumping Briton out into a big boy room just yet.

When Briton starts showing signs of trying to climb his crib to get out I will put the new baby in Briton’s current crib and move Briton into our new Delta Children Emerson 4-in-1 convertible crib. I love the beautiful headboard and how it converts into a toddler bed. I prefer the style of the Emerson with the headboard for a toddler bed vs. The “domino” look of my current one. Assembly was so simple, so I am not intimidated to change the crib into a toddler bed when the time is right.

Words can’t express how excited I am to have both my babies together in one room. We may not have a name set in stone, but baby boy we have your crib!

- See more at: http://birdalamode.com/adding-another-bird-to-the-nest/#sthash.p9fKa6eQ.dpuf

I know first-hand how simple changes to diet, exercise and self-care can lead to big transformations. I wish I had known this before I got married, or at least practiced it. I am just glad I now know what works for me. The picture on the left is what I looked like 6 months after marriage, and the one on the right is how I looked after I did some very simple alterations to my diet and workout routine. I am so excited for all of these people who get the chance to lose weight and make positive and healthy transformations before they say, “I do”. Looking back, I wish I had embraced these type of transformations, too!

Just the other day my husband said to me he wished he had done things a little differently as well. He said he had wished he had proposed to me in the spring, when he told me he loved me, and that he would have married me in the summer when a wedding would have been much easier for me. Instead he reserved his feelings and we traveled like crazy all spring and summer, rarely ever making mention of marriage, just having fun. The very night before Dallin proposed to me, and right before I was going to sign up and pay for my fall semester for college, I walked into his room and asked, “are we ever going to get married?” I had NEVER said something so bold to him our entire dating history. He said, “not to worry…we will talk in the morning and for me to get some rest!” I walked out of the room crying knowing I was going to have to break up with him if we were not engaged by fall semester. I couldn’t emotionally be with someone anymore that was taking this long to be in love enough to marry me… Or so I thought…. He paid little attention to me the entire next morning. (Little did I know he had a ring in his pocket and was just nervous) I thought he was thinking the same thing as me, that we had reached the end of our courtship. We went out to the court and played a silent game of tennis, then his sister yelled over the intercom “everyone we’re going to the boardwalk!” When we arrived at the boardwalk, I kept trying to hold his hand and he kept trying to walk ahead of me. My last attempt to hold his hand, I was like, “Dallin I really have to go to the bathroom” then he pivoted and dropped to his knee to propose!!!! I just about peed my pants! His family swirled around me and a huge crowd gathered around us. I was SHOCKED! I had no idea how to feel. I just kept saying FINALLY! My emotions got the best of me and I started crying. I obviously said yes…but Dallin kept asking me over and over again if I did actually say yes! 🙂

- See more at: http://birdalamode.com/altard/#sthash.CBE8uFjk.dpuf

I want to first start out by saying every time I have found out I was pregnant I experienced extremely different symptoms. Every “body” and every pregnancy is so unique and so special. Today I am sharing my experience I had a couple of months ago when I found out I was pregnant while nursing.

Rewind to June when I tried weaning 12 month old Briton. That plan changed and I continued to nurse him when we came to a hard decision on what to do for birth control and/or if we should/or shouldn’t have anymore children. -this is my least favorite conversation of all time!

Because nursing has always worked in the past and I have never gotten pregnant while breastfeeding, we decided I should just keep on doing it until we had a strong answer and a good feeling of what we should do in the family planning department.

I’ve had really bad experiences with various methods of birth controls. multiple times I had to get IUD’s put back in because I would cramp so hard they fell out coupled with uncontrollable bleeding, long story short not a fan. I then tried the pill, gained major lbs, so continuing to breastfeeding was a no brainer.

On Hudson’s birthday in August, I woke up early and told my husband I was going to go running before he went to work and told him to get the kids breakfast, I never do this. I actually snap chatted my run as I was passing out some last min. party invites to neighbors. My stomach was feeling puffy, which was odd because I hadn’t eaten a lot, and I was in the best shape I had ever been in.

I get dressed and the kids ready for school. We get in the car and when I sat down my pant button popped open. I was like what is going on with my body! What am I eating? I ran inside switched pants, and grabbed a pregnancy test. Of course I quickly took it, put it on the dash of my van and vowed I wouldn’t look until after we picked up Hudson’s class treat.

We go to the donut shop, we come out and I swear I see a faint pink line. I cracked open the test, removed the HCG strip to get a better look (please say I am not the only one who does this).

Not sure what to think, I continue with our busy fun day celebrating Hudson. We go to Hudson’s class room and start passing out the donuts and drinks. I bend over to help a kid who had spilled his orange juice and my pant button pops again! I’m so embarrassed.

My husband meets me for lunch while the kids are at school. I show him my unbuttoned pants, and he just says I think you’ve been drinking too much soda. And then I show him the HCG strip.

Immune to false alarms, Dallin was as cool as a cucumber and said you think your pregnant, and something about me being a pregnancy test scientist. He told me to get five more tests and then well talk.

So I did.

Later that day, we met up at Hudson’s birthday party spot. I take all 5 of the test and they are all faint pink.

I show my husband and he kissed me and said I think it’s cute you want to be pregnant again.

UGH! I’m either seeing things, feeling things, I actually know for a fact I am pregnant, I just know it. Or worst case I could just be crazy. Not sure if I was seeing things bc I wanted a baby, sad my first-born was turning 5, or if I just wanted to be right.

The next weekend we go to Sacramento California for a wedding, I am so sick when we get home. I actually hadn’t had my voice for a couple of weeks and then I started having major chest pain. I thought it was mastitis, but I had never struggled so hard to breathe and my chest was burning. I started gasping for air and having to arch my back to get a breath. I thought I was a heart attack.

My husband rushed me to the ER and before they took me to X-rays I told them I was pregnant just to be safe and so they would take extra precautions.

*I did a whole blog post on this (http://birdalamode.com/the-greatest-wealth-is-health/ )

I found out I did not have mastitis, and nothing was collapsing, or broken. I had a respiratory infection called Pharyngitis and Costochondritis. The best way to treat it was with steroid shots in between my ribcage. I had been having panic attacks, because I seriously was struggling so hard to breathe. I told them ok do it please, but they then proceeded to tell me they couldn’t because I WAS PREGNANT!!!. I was like I might not be. And they then laughed and said sweetheart we did blood work and you are very much so PREGNANT.

I was treated like a pregnant person aka i was put on opiates and told I was just going to have to ride this one out with the help of intense drugs. My husband came and got me a couple hrs later. I loved the comfort of breathing with the oxygen mask, it made me less panicky.

And there I was pregnant with number four struggling to breathe with barely a voice.

Unfortunately, Briton contracted my same infection and we ended up going to the pediatrician where we were omitted to the hospital because Briton wasn’t eating and losing a lot of weight and worst part he too was struggling to breathe. He got treatments and we were out in two days.

(See post here)

My pregnancy was off to an awesome start. I have never been so sick or worn out being pregnant, ever. My poor kids and husband saw me cry everyday, as I started up the nausea and vomiting. There were times I would have my husband pull over twice because I was vomiting before we even made it to church. Which is around the corner from us, my life was awesome.

I quit my calling, stopped even trying to go to church for a couple of months and just went through the robotic motions and only did what I had to do for my kids and family.

It wasn’t until week 14 I started turning the corner and instead of asking myself what I did to myself and my family. I started getting really happy again. I decided to start working out to increase my endorphins and I had Olivia come out for a couple of days to play with me. We went to an amusement park, farm, Cornbellies etc. I finally felt normal and that things were going to be ok.

(*see post here)

Whether it was the second trimester, the working out, or having Olivia around I am so glad grateful for week 14! And remembering that this is just a phase and it will soon pass. It was like the old, fun Shannon was reborn. And my attitude and mood changed drastically.

- See more at: http://birdalamode.com/getting-pregnant-while-breastfeeding-the-first-14-weeks/#sthash.xFPj8qYZ.dpuf