We are having a....!!!!!!!

Our amazing friend, Dave, agreed to take our gender reveal pics for us over the weekend, and I have to apologize to everyone who I said I didn't know gender yet!!! I just felt so bad because Mike wanted to tell his parents in person today (he is in Jackson, MI, this weekend-- happy birthday to my father-in-law, Jack!), and I needed to be sure to tell my dad first, too. I was lucky enough to tell my mom and Gary in person last weekend when they were in town to watch Finn (check my FB and Instagram for the video of my mom finding out!). I Facetimed Anna, Shawn and Finn minutes after we found out (I held up Bella and Bentley and asked them to guess which gender! hahah!). 

But, I hate lying, and I am very sorry for saying I haven't known!!! I just needed to be sure we told our immediate fam before I went blasting it all over the internet. I apologize!  But seriously, Dave Jennings, is the man. He took these incredible pics that I will share below. Hire him, you guys (mrdaj78@gmail.com). For Christmas card pics, engagement photos, your wedding, etc. I just got Anna to book him for her Christmas card pics. He's so reasonably priced, he is freakin' hilarious, and he is just a really great man/teacher. Now, look at his handiwork! 

Total teaser^^ that's us popping a balloon to show the gender with colored confetti... scroll down to see!!! 

I love this picture of Mike! 

^^ In Wayne, IL, right before 4 horses trotted by (with their owners, obvi). Little known fact: I am actually terrified of horses, even though some of my closest pals love them and ride them professionally (which truly amazes me)! But they literally horrify me. haha! 

A horsey pic for my friends Jenny, Val and Taryn-- haha! 

^^I love this one so much. Future canvas pic, perhaps?

Dave goes, "think autumnal thoughts, you guys!" hahaha

It is a BOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Soon after this picture was taken, a cop pulled up, and I almost cried ahhaha. I didn't want to get in trouble! We did pick up all the little confetti chunks, I swear! (Mike tried to bring the hand vac, but I love that device too much to get it dirty LOL).  The cop was just checking in to make sure we were okay. Good ol' Wayne, IL! 

Our little prince is coming in April!

Prince onesie (sold out), similar here: Baby Gap

^^ Probably my favorite picture of Mike ever. How handsome is this daddy-to-be?

Man of the house onesie: Baby Gap

Lilly Pulitzer dress:

Lilly Pulitzer earrings: 

Mike totally thought girl. I had no idea!! We definitely had girl names, but we need to start working on boy names! 

Have you heard of the app called "Baby Names"? It is literally Tinder for baby names. You get names and swipe left if you don't like and right if you do. Then you're alerted when your partner matches! It is brilliant! Of course my tech-savvy hubs decided he needed to upgrade to the 5,000 names premium package hahaha God bless. You get some funny ones, though, like Odysseus. #nope

Now we have narrowed it down to only boy names! 

Dave seriously had us cracking up in the fields the whole time. No sign of ticks yet, Dave! 

That sunlight, though! Come on! Dave is the bomb. 

See below for outtakes of us trying to recreate the confetti bomb, AKA Dave throwing glitter chunks at us and trying to photograph at the same time. Needless to say, we were cracking up soooooo much! 

Omg, I haven't laughed that hard in sooo long. Baby Boy Fremeau was probably like what the heck is happening out there, mom?! 

When we had our ultrasound on Wednesday, it was just like a huge weight had been lifted from our shoulders to see Baby Boy Fremeau growing and moving and thriving (and also, one of my friends from Pure Barre did our ultrasound! It was so fun!)! We have had some scares along the way, but by the grace of God and all the prayers from loved ones near and far, we have gotten great news that Baby Boy Fremeau is looking healthy and good inside my growing belly!! (Check out my @belleontrend Instagram for some bump pics!).  We just keep praying for continued positive news. Being pregnant is the best thing that has ever happened to me, but I definitely have to say it's one of the most worrisome times of my life. With every pain or ache, I automatically panic. But, I'm trying to be calmer, for BBF's sake! He doesn't need a scared mama!! Thank you so much for reading, and I can't wait to meet him in April.

xxoo
Mary

Cozy Fall Sweater and Loft Jeans (Non-Maternity)

Hello! I hope you have had a great week and weekend. This week and last were pretty hard with feeling really sick, but yesterday I felt good ALL DAY for the first time in 16 weeks and 2 days! lol! It was so nice! I went to Pure Barre, cleaned the entire house (while Mike painted the living room, which we are turning into our office!), did a blog shoot, and even went to our friend's 30th birthday party! It is amazing when you feel like yourself again. I hope it stays; I am praying! I would of course endure anything for this little nugget inside of me (baby is currently the size of a full pickle- haha!), but life is much easier when you aren't nauseous. 

This sweater comes in 4 colors, and I got it on sale for $40! I am wearing a medium, so I can hopefully wear it for a few more months. It is soft as can be, and I adore the high-low style. The bow-ties on the bell sleeves are such a fun touch! I adore this Cabernet color for fall. 

Bella posing with mama! 

She was posing so nicely! LOL

You can tighten up the drawstrings on the sleeves, but I like them to be belled. 

It is so nice and loose-- perfect to pair with black skinny pants for work or jeans on the weekend. 

It is split on the side, and the back is longer that the front. 

These split hem jeans from Loft have been my go-tos lately!

They are currently 50% off, too! They are non-maternity. 

My favorite mug, ever! It says "Trendy Miss" from my bff, Jamie! The mug came in a set, with one for Mike that says, "Hip Sir"!

Perfect for my preggie tea (anti-nausea! it works wonders!). 

Lip color:

My mother-in-law bought us this great pillow, without even knowing our whole color scheme in the family room is yellow and gray! Isn't is adorable? 

Here are some more cozy sweaters from J. Crew:

More Loft jeans (all 50% off!) :

It is super rainy and gross out currently, so we are hibernating a bit after mass! haha! 

I hope you have an awesome week!

xxoo

Mary

The Perfect Fall Outfit -- (Non-maternity)

Hello and happy Sunday! I can't stop smiling from all the love I've received this week since announcing our pregnancy. It makes me so happy to know that in 5 short months, I will be a mom! And knowing that Mike will be a dad is even more awesome; he's going to be an incredible father.  Thank you all for reading and for the kind words you've passed along to us. It makes the nausea and other tough parts of being pregnancy just blips on the radar. It is so worth it to just be pregnant.

I want to talk to you about a new fall uniform I have been loving lately. It has been influenced by feeling uncomfortable in all my regular pants (pregnant friends: do you know the hairtie trick? This worked for me for a few weeks!). Just tried a Bella Band from the recommendation of my bff, Amanda, today for mass. It's a crazy concept, but it worked!  I just picked it up at Target yesterday! You can keep your normal pants unbuttoned/unzipped, and throw that on top. It's like wearing a long tank top under your tops. I tried to explain this to my step dad, and he didn't really get it-- haha!

But I digress! The perfect fall outfit has three main components: a flowy dress, high boots and either boot socks or these boot cuffs I am gaga over.  Here we go:

This dress is soooooooo soft and comfy. I originally bought a medium with the future in mind, but it was too big. I returned it for a small. SIZE DOWN! It is currently 50% off! The material is luscious! It is so cozy, but it is also perfect for work.

Add to it these Frye boots: 

A word about Fryes: yes, the prices can be alarming. But hear me out: I have one pair of Frye boots (the Melissa brown ones) that I bought in 2012. I know it was 2012 because I was living in my St. Charles apartment, and the box was as tall as me when it arrived-- haha! They are in impeccable shape to this day. There is simply no better knee-high boot. I used to buy $100 and under knee-high boots, and I would wear them one winter and have to replace them. I would do this for years-- adding up to so much more than 1 pair of amazing boots that withstand winters with ease. Do yourself a favor and go to Nordstrom or Von Maur, and try a pair on. They are SO STURDY!  I got my typical size, and they have lasted 5 winters thus far. Trust me on this one. It's a splurge that is worthwhile. 

Finally, top your boots with these: 

Of course, in your own monogram haha! I bought the brown ones with white writing, and they came so quickly. I also ordered a pair for my friend, Lauren, who is letting me borrow her adorable maternity clothes. These are tucked into the top of your boots to resemble boot socks, but they are just little cuffs! They keep your knee/upper shin warm! Aren't they darling? They are on sale, too!  And, if your boots aren't super loose, they are convenient because you don't have to wear a full-length heavy sock.  I got the idea of these boot cuffs from a blogger I just love: https://dailydoseofcharm.com/. Follow her blog!  

Oh! I would additionally recommend a statement earring to tie the look together, too: 

Now a few other permutations of the same 3 (actually four with earrings, haha!) pieces:

Either of these two Loft dresses-- I have the window pane choker dress in a small. (Both are on sale, too!!). 

Add black Frye boots: 

A fun boot sock or black tights:  [side note-- I get all my boot socks from Target! They are super cheap, and they last forever.] 

Top with your favorite black statement earrings, and you are ready for work and weekend:

9 more fall dresses to pair with high brown or black boots:

This comfy dress-high boot combo is going to be my saving grace for the next few months! Which is your favorite one? 

xxoo

Mary

We have some exciting news...!

Sorry for the click bait, but I have been patiently waiting 14 weeks and 3 days to tell you all this news:

WE ARE PREGNANT!!  Baby Fremeau is expected to make his or her debut on April 6!

^^ Thank you to auntie Anna for baby Fremeau's first ever SHOES! 

^^Thank you to auntie Jamie for the best onesie ever: "my mom is going to blog about this #belleontrend"!! 

We don't know gender, yet, but we will be finding out ASAP. More details to come when we know!

^^ Thank you to auntie Jackie and uncle Pete for Baby Fremeau's first ever Notre Dame outfit!!!

You may have noticed that I have been talking flowy tops and loose-fitting dresses for a few months, and this is why! We are so happy and keep thanking God for the opportunity to be parents in a few short months. If I said this process was easy, however, I would be a huge liar.

(My earrings are from Von Maur-- on sale for $12! So lightweight and fun with the fringe.) I also bought these to choose between!

You may have noticed the blog slowed down. WAY DOWN recently. Typically, I blog less once school starts (obvi), so I can grade papers quickly and have my plans set for each day. However, I haven't been able to do much after school at all these days. I typically try to get to Pure Barre 3x a week (it is so hard because I have been soooooooo tired and nauseous), and then sometimes I can't even function to check my email before I am starting to pass out at 7 pm. True story: exercising actually does make you less nauseous, but getting there is a whole challenge in and of itself. It. IS. Hard.


The first trimester of pregnancy is no joke! You're exhausted, nauseous, super emotional and not yourself. The other day I cried because I thought Bentley (our dog) could tell I was sad. THE DOG. hahaha. But, of course, I would do anything for this baby, and I will take the brunt of anything to make sure he or she is safe.

I just pray every day that Baby Fremeau will continue to grow and be healthy; that is all I can ask. It is a blessing to be pregnant, and it breaks my hearts to see friends who are struggling with getting pregnant, so I never want to complain about being sick to my stomach or comatose by 6:50 pm.


As for the blog, I will keep trying to build back up momentum. They say the second trimester can bring about a newfound energy. I am hoping that is the case!  This dress is not maternity, which is so great about the styles currently. I will continue to blog about non-maternity clothes, but I will put a disclaimer on anything that is maternity, so if you're not expecting, you can skip over the post.

(My dress is Ann Taylor. Not maternity! I love the fringe details! I got it for 50% off-- swoop it up on sale now. I love it so much, I might get the black, too. Here I am wearing a medium for reference.)

Now that you know I'm pregnant, and not just super into my Oreos, I can start wearing normal-fitting clothes! haha! However, about the Oreos... food aversions/cravings are real! All I wanted in the first trimester was La Croix and fast-food chicken sandwiches (thanks to my girl Kelly for suggesting that; it was a saver for my nausea!). Now, I seriously want to puke thinking about La Croix! I gave it all away to my coworkers and friends. HAHA! I seriously just need all of the carbs and cheese in my life. It makes me feel so much better-- haha! Mike makes me quesadillas 1x or more a week; again, he is a gem of a husband. Also, give me allllllll the Jimmy John's veggie subs (number 6) with salt and vinegar chips ON IT. You have to open up the sub, and place all the flat chips on the inside. OMG. I could eat this for breakfast, lunch and dinner. If you follow me on Insta, you may have seen me blabbering on about how delish it is. That *may* have blown my cover... haha!

(My makeup was done by the incredible Jean Smith [jeanmariesmith4@gmail.com]. She is my friend and super talented makeup artist! Check her out to book here. Follow her on Instagram, too! @jeanmariemakeupartist).

Mike is a gift from God, which I seriously have known since the day he emailed me on Match.com, but this man has been buying me everything that *might* not make me sick to my stomach, food wise. He's done all his research, and for the nights I was in the fetal position on the couch, he'd come back with seasickness wrist bands (didn't really help), pregnancy tea (sort of helped) and ginger everything (couldn't even look at the ginger cookies-- lol!). He is the best partner to deal with the ups and downs of life, and I can't thank him enough. Side note: my friend Lauren gave me "preggie pop drops", and they have been amazing! Hit me up if you need any more advice on quelling the nausea.

(My shoes are the comfiest sandals on earth. I swear I prefer wearing these to flats! They run TTS!).

The fun part has been slowly telling friends, family, coworkers and my students. For my students, I totally tricked them: I said they had a Google Classroom quiz on the reading from the night before. On this "reading quiz" was actually a picture of the baby's 12-week ultrasound, and questions about the baby. I asked things like, "what should Mrs. Fremeau name her baby?" "when will Baby Fremeau actually arrive?  He or she is due April 6, and many women deliver earlier or later than their due dates." (One student guessed May 26-- haha!) "What is some advice for a first time mom?" My kids were soooooooooooooooo cute about it all. They started to see the ultrasound picture pop up on their quizzes, and they started shrieking with delight! ("You're PREGNANT!!!???? WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US? HOW LONG HAVE YOU BE KEEPING THIS FROM US!" haha, I explained that women do not tell until 12+ weeks, just to be sure everything is going okay. They forgave me.)  Their advice was so precious; my favorite was "dump him in holy water" or "I don't know because I'm not a mom, but you'll be a great mom! Just pretend you're sick so Mr. Fremeau changes the diapers!" Just sweet, thoughtful, wholesome advice from 110 freshmen.

Overall, we can't be happier to be parents in April. This is such a wonderful and exciting time, and we are constantly saying prayers for little Baby Fremeau. I always talk to Baby F on my way to and from work, just to tell her or him to keep growing and being healthy. It is a scary process, and you're constantly worried, but you have to let go of the negativity and know your baby will be okay. EASIER SAID THAN DONE! If you are pregnant or want to talk babies, please feel free to comment or email me (mary.fremeau@gmail.com). I can give you any advice I have picked up over the last 3.5 months, and then maybe I can pick your brain, too! :)


(Our amazing pictures were taken by the incredible Andrea Swofford of Swofford Photography. Book her for weddings, engagement sessions, baby pics-- anything! She is so talented and the sweetest human ever. Email her at: swoffordphotography@outlook.com). Funny story about Andrea: she was actually at our house watching Finn the night I told my mom and Gary and cousin Ashley and my uncle-- so she found out super early, too! She is such a thoughtful, kind person; I'm so lucky I met her as her teacher two years ago!


As always, thank you so much for reading, and I will continue to update the blog about our journey to be parents.  I can't wait to find out gender so I can start buying baby clothes! haha! Mike keeps joking that he will have to drive an Uber on the side for us to pay for baby clothes if we have a girl. I keep saying I should just drive for Jimmy John's to earn extra money (and then get allllll the veggie sandies I desire) for baby clothes. LOL!

xxoo
Mary