21 Weeks

Thank you all for the sweet congratulations on Baby Girl #2! I am so excited for Nora to have a little sister, especially since I have two of my own and couldn't picture it any other way :).

jeans \\ top (clothes swap party) \\ cardi (BR old, similar)

How far along: 21 weeks, 3 days
Size: About 10.5 inches and 12.7 oz (banana)
Gender: Girl :)
Total weight gain: 10 pounds
Maternity clothes: I had fallen into the trap of wearing solely maternity clothes because it's easier than trying to find what still fits and what doesn't, but I spent a little time organizing my closet for spring this week and separated things that fit and things that will have to wait until after baby. I'm going to try to get the most use out of my regular clothes as possible in these next few weeks!
Stretch marks: Looking forward to making this soon! Have you tried something similar?
Sleep: I've been sleeping okay this week - waking up frequently but comfortable for the most part.
Movement: Baby girl is kicking a lot, and I'm loving it every time!!
Queasy or sick: Just some lingering stomach issues from the bug I caught last weekend.
Labor Signs: --
Symptoms:  This pregnancy has gone by quickly so far, but I realized this week that I physically feel about 30 weeks pregnant. It's already hard to bed over at the waist, my stomach feels huge, and my uterus feels heavy this time around. I know I have a long way to go so I'm going to focus on stretching and relaxing as much as possible. I've been taking lavender EO baths almost every night :).
Belly button in or out: In
Wedding rings on or off: On
Recap of the week: Nora and I spent a long morning at the park with friends. Matt and I went out for a double date Friday night, shopped a little Saturday morning, and rested Sunday afternoon. Things have been pretty low key since I'm still not feeling 100%.
Looking forward to: Starting to nursery plan this week and Gramps Aiken comes to visit next weekend.

And for comparison, here's my 21 week post with Nora. We were staying in Iowa in the process of moving from Seattle to Nashville! It's hard to believe that was almost 2 years ago!

Happy Monday!

+, Lauren Aiken

Meal Ideas for a Large Group

It has been awhile since I've talked about care group. If you're new here, our church has a ministry called Care Groups (a lot of churches similarly have small groups, community groups, etc.). Matt and I love this ministry dearly and have hosted and led a group since we got married in 2011. Every week, our group meets in our home to share a meal together and talk about what Jesus is doing in our lives. It is a huge blessing and encouragement to us.

We currently host 12 adults (and 5 kids under three) in our home, which isn't a huge group of people, but it's quite different than just cooking for our little family :). Below is the list of meals that we've had so far. For the most part, they are gluten-free and dairy-free (excluding toppings, etc.). 

{via}

Meal Ideas for a Large Group

Chili and cornbread
Chicken Taco Bar
Turkey Dinner
Baked Potato Bar
Holiday Appetizers
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup (tried a new recipe that I didn't care for but this one is my favorite)
Breakfast for Dinner
Ground Turkey Sloppy Joes
Beef Tacos (homemade taco seasoning)
Smoked Sausage, Spinach, & White Bean Soup

Do you prepare food for large groups very often? 
What are your go-to meals for a crowd?

We've made our way through this entire list, and I'm ready for some fresh ideas from you all!!

+, Lauren Aiken

20 Weeks

We've been majorly slacking the past two weeks with bump photos. This is the only one I have!

How far along: 20 weeks, 4 days.
Size: 12 oz according to the ultrasound.
Gender: GIRL.
Total weight gain: 9 pounds.
Maternity clothes: I'm really looking forward to buying some new things for spring and am going to try to shop more non-maternity items than last time.
Stretch marks: I'm still using up the last of my Burt's Bees Belly Butter.
Sleep: Sleep has been okay, but I think it may be time to bring out the body pillow soon. I'm consistently waking up 1-2 times to go to the bathroom.
Movement: YES!!! 19 weeks was the first time I started to feel movement daily, and this week I am feeling gentle kicks, mostly very low. Matt is able to feel them now also :). Now, we just have to work on getting Nora to hold her hand on "bebe" for more than one second!
Queasy or sick: I had an upset stomach on Sunday. Otherwise feeling pretty good!
Labor Signs: --
Symptoms: A couple Braxton-Hicks each day and some mega leg cramps last weekend that left me with stiff, sore legs for 48+ hours (note: lavender essential oils + epsom salts in a hot bath helped a bit).
Belly button in or out: In.
Wedding rings on or off: On.
Recap of the week: Created a new cleaning plan and organized a few things around the house. We had our 20 week ultrasound Friday and found out baby is a girl at our gender reveal party on Saturday afternoon!
Looking forward to: This week should be a bit slower than the past few have been. I'm looking forward to getting back into our normal routine, and women's bible study (on Gideon) is starting back up on Tuesday.

Promising more photos for 21 weeks :).

+, Lauren Aiken