Alrighty, folks.

I hope you’re ready for shots of…The Belly.

Because you haven’t seen just tons of it yet here on the blog, and it has definitely “blossomed,” as one of my fellow fitness teachers put it, a few weeks back.

Or, to quote another gym member, “Wow, Abbie, you went from ‘Is she pregnant’ to 9 months in like a week!”

Oh dear.

But at 25-weeks-pregnant with twins, I suppose I’d best be showing a bit since those baby girls need to be growing healthy and strong.

Right? Of course, right (props if you can tell me who says this line in which movie). 

ANYHOO…

Last week, I mentioned that our anniversary weekend trip to Chicago was a blast right before I launched into Our Love Story, and then I didn’t say anything else about it.

But I did wear clothes while there (huge sigh of relief, I know), so I thought for Wardrobe Wednesday we’d head back to ol’ Chi-Town for a fashion recap.

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I wore that royal blue maxi ($13 from Ross and one of the contenders for the Dinner Party Dress) and those decidedly UN-airport-security-friendly wedges on the plane ride there, where Shaun met me with a pretty red rose and one of my favorite drinks.

And then I changed into something a bit more suited for a fun anniversary dinner later on that night.

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The dress was a $7 Target clearance rack steal from a few years back that I had never worn, and the shoes, which, with their watercolor print and nude heels, are definitely not my usual cup of tea, were a Dillard’s 65%-off buy right before the trip.

At $35, I wasn’t completely sure about them, but they were surprisingly comfortable considering their height, and I ended up really liking their dressier-than-usual-for-me vibe.

PLUS, by the time I got back from my trip, the whole 3-days-to-return-your-65%-off-clearance-items business that I’d forgotten all about had already expired.

So, into my closet they go, and I will be finding more stuff to wear them with!

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I’ll talk more about the food tomorrow, but let me just say that if you ever get the chance to go to a restaurant called Wildfire (it’s a chain but has a very limited area in which it can be found), do it.

Even if you’re not a steak person (I’m not).

Every last thing we ate there was crazy good.

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You can’t really see it in this pic, but my purse was red, which means that, with the green, green grass, I had practically every single one of the primary colors covered with this outfit, which was a mix of Goodwill (flats—that rubbed a hole in my right heel—and white shorts originally from Delia*s), Old Navy clearance (striped top for maybe $4), and cute rolled flower necklace from Vintage Wanna Bee. I’ll talk about that jeans jacket more here in a minute.

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A shot from Navy Pier. I don’t know what color it will be on your screen, but the water in the bay was sooooooo blue—teal, really—that Shaun and I kept joking about how we were surprised any fish were still alive and swimming after how much dye they must’ve dumped in the water to get it that color.

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I didn’t wear that belt until right before we took the picture (when I had a sudden fit of, “This is too drab!”), and now I’m glad that I went without it, since it makes the skirt of my Target dress (a $25 splurge which is going back because it’s already starting to fall apart) too short.

And then there’s that denim jacket that I said I’d bring up again.

About that…

You guys know I’m thrifty when it comes to most things and above all clothes.

But I do tend to spend a little more when a) I have a specific event/idea for which I’m buying and b) I’m pregnant.

After all, there are only so many Goodwill shirts you can find that will actually cover the whole bump, and slivers of pregnant belly skin sticking out from under your shirt are just not cool. Ever.

So, I actually paid $50 for that jeans jacket at Macy’s because a) I liked it well enough (even though it wasn’t the wash I was looking for), b) it fit really well, c) I hadn’t packed a jacket and realized it only when I was already in town ready to head to the airport, d) apparently it is not jeans jacket buying season, so my options were ridiculously limited, and e) I figured if I wore it briefly, took a picture or two and realized I hated it, I could always take it back.

I ended up wearing it throughout the weekend, so returning it wasn’t really an option, but it became an absolute IMPOSSIBILITY when I walked into DFW’s TGI Friday’s and plunked my tired self down in a booth only to discover that my jacket was no longer looped over my camera bag like it had been throughout my entire airport hike.

I immediately ran out of the restaurant and began retracing my steps (I even stopped a complete stranger who walked by carrying an almost identical jacket at a very odd angle—as if to say, “This isn’t mine…I’m just delivering it to lost and found”—to ask if her jacket were, indeed, her own. She confirmed that it was without giving me too big of a, “Step off, crazy pregnant lady” look).

I finally concluded that it had slipped out of the camera bag loop while I rode the Sky Link between gates and that I could either spend the rest of my layover waiting for trains to come in and checking each one or actually eat some dinner.

I’m not gonna lie.

I thought about doing the former, but then the twins said, “Mama, feed us now or we’re going to do BODYCOMBAT on top of your innards until you do!” and I caved.

Grrrrrrrrr…

I actually posted about this on our FB page, and one of my sweet readers said that she liked to think of instances like this as God’s way of telling her that somebody else needed whatever she’d lost more than she did.

I love that.

Maybe just because it makes my carelessness seem somehow holy.

Mostly, though, I admire the positive, generous spin it puts on a frustrating situation.

But here’s the kicker.

The $50 jacket is gone, but once I get an idea in my head, it’s hard to get out, so I immediately started trolling Ebay for a replacement option and came up with the following:

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(Ignore all the pillows and the lounging toddler if you can. We were having a movie night on the floor).

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It’s cute…great quality…and I love the wash along with the distressing and fraying, etc.

BUT…

It’s snug.

The Ebay seller provided measurements, which I then applied to the best of my ability to my own body, but it’s still a bit on the smallish side, especially in the shoulder area (I don’t mind the shorter length).

And it’s 100% cotton, which means no built-in stretchiness.

But cotton does tend to stretch a bit after wear, and I’ve already noticed after wandering around the house in it for half an hour or so that a good bit of the stiffness has mellowed out.

Still, my question is: do I keep it?

Does it look too small?

I specifically plan to wear it over sleeveless maxi dresses and the like while I’m pregnant (assuming I actually end up in any possible location where wearing a jacket instead of just the sleeveless dress will not result in immediate heatstroke).

And once I’ve had the babies, I’ll (hopefully) be losing some of the weight in my arms and DEFINITELY in my belly (or should I just say hopefully again? This twins business is all new to me).

So, that’ll help.

But…yeah.

I’m pretty much a fan, but if it looks like I should start singing “fat pregnant woman in a little coat” or you think that post-baby weight loss won’t help the tightness, please let me know because I don’t want my love of the style to skew my judgment.

As always, I treasure your input.

Sincerely,

That (needy, pregnant) girl who always wants to know what you think about her clothes

Linking up with The Pleated Poppy.

0 Comments

  1. I haven’t read blogs in along time. Now I have an injury and I am bed ridden which gives me loads of time to read blogs. Any hoo reading this post absolutely reminds me why I became a follower of your blog some time ago. What a fun personality you have to go along with your keen fashion sense! I love all of your outfits! The sonogram of your twin girls is so precious and you are the cutest preggo ever! Good for you for still teaching kick boxing. Thank you for being so entertaining!
    From Amy at amyscraftbucket.blogspot.com

  2. You look SO cute!! And can I just say – I am totally jealous that your belly button is already popped out. Mine NEVER did – with either of my kids!! I so wanted it to.

  3. Hi Abby,
    I never comment, but thought this was an appropriate starting point. I lost my wedding ring in Hawaii, which had a very large diamond. I was absolutely distraught, and in very big trouble with my husband (now ex). Retraced my steps from the night before, and found nada. We left the following day, and I was beside myself for losing it. Something told me to call the local police station, and long story short, they had it. YES, someone turned it in to them. Of course, I had to prove it was mine by providing picture after picture of it, close up and with it on ‘my’ finger. I recommend you call the lost and found at the airport to see if they have your jacket. Worth a shot, because they’re are a lot of good simaritans out there!
    Good luck!!!

  4. Such cute photos. Wish I was as stylish when I was pregnant. Wait a second..now too. You’re a lovely mama and I’m so excited for your family!

  5. Sorry Abby, Cute but too small. I don’t think your shoulder width is going to shrink post babies.

  6. Girl you are too stinking adorable!!!! I always love stopping by here and seeing your fun style! I’m not crazy about your replacement jacket…maybe return it and keep looking? We love having date nights in Chicago too…although now that we are a little farther away that doesn’t happen as often.

  7. I’m sorry to say that I think it’s too small….mainly because you can’t get it buttoned in front, but also I think you can find a better one in the darker wash as well. I’m a consistent Goodwill & other thrifts shopper and sometimes the thing you’re looking for just finds you!

  8. First of all, you don’t even look very preggo….much less 25 wks w/ twins!! You are rockin’ it mamma! I’m pretty sure I was twice your size w/ #2 & #3 and I only had one…..haha!
    The blue maxi is my fave….great color!
    What a bummer bout the jacket….That happened to me at a small graduation party at a friend’s house. Took off my fave black bolero jacket cuz I was warm. Walked off & forgot it…and it was gone…..amongst friends??? Never saw one of my friends sporting it, but still wonder??? 🙂
    the replacement jacket is not my fave. I think you should return it and keep searching for the right one. I have one that I love and wear it all the time.
    Blessings!

  9. I was perusing WIWW on pleated poppy for pregs bc I’m preg and frankly, I feel blehity bleh bleh about my style right now. And I’m not even showing yet! (well I am to me, but not to others..it’s my 3rd so I know I’ve popped out a lil sooner). But anyway! I love your style- so cute! I’m not crazy about denim jackets but looks great on you! I will definitely be back for more preggo style inspire-ation! 🙂

  10. You are such a cute pregnant lady, I love the outfit with the stripped top and the white shorts and your now lost jean jacket. :(.

  11. First off, what a bunch of adorable outfits! You look so cute. 😉 Second, sorry to hear about your jacket mishap. I have totally had that happen before. Third, I think the jacket looks great on you. You might also want to check into a chambray blouse – same general look, slightly lighter weight for summer. 😉 And finally, thanks so much for sharing your story over the last week. It was so beautiful and fun. I looked forward to reading your post everyday. 😉 As a youth pastor’s wife, I have to say, it would be awesome if you would be involved with the youth group (you may already be) at your church. You have such a great fun personality and are such an amazing example. We were always looking for people like to you to spend time investing in our youth. 😉

  12. Ok I will be honest here I am not a fan of the faded washed out denim look – liked the one you lost so much more… but alas it is gone… once a girlfriend and I were walking along the beach and she said “Lets leave our shoes in a pile here we can pick them up on our way back”….me “um… Ok…” needless to say I was speechless when we returned our shoes were GONE!!! My friend said “someone must have really needed our shoes”…. I was disappointed they were my favourites. But then again I have alot of shoes. Anyway back to you. The photos of your blue maxi and other outfits look great. You are glowing and your babies are growing and what more could a girl want. Take care 🙂 P.S. Love the photos of the pillows on the floor – looks like fun.

  13. 1) Congrats on the twins! So exciting!
    2) You look SO cute preggo! 🙂
    3) I live in the Chicago area and actually just saw a Wildfire restaurant (in Oakbrook) and wondered if it would be any good – I’ll have to check it out now!
    4) Keep the jacket!!
    5) I think all of my sentences need to end with exclamation points!!! haha

    Brie @ BreezyPinkDaisies

  14. haha! “pregnant woman in a little coat!” tommy boy is one of my favorites!! and no, it doesn’t look too small at all. i’d keep it!

  15. You are cute, cute cute Abbie! You look AWESOME with a capital A. I love the jacket. I think it looks great. I would definitely keep it. Man, what a bummer about your other jacket! Shoot, I hope someone gets to enjoy it as much as you would have! Thanks for the baby bump pictures…I think we were all waiting for those 🙂 Love it! I’m so excited for your family. Keep the pictures coming!
    Sincerely,
    Erica

  16. Abbie, I have a darker wash maternity denim jacket from Old Navy. Size M if I recall correctly. You are welcome to it if you would like! We are done building our family. Sniff 🙁

  17. Shut the front door!! You’re pregnant? How did I miss this? Congratulations! You and your baby bump are looking very cute. And I like the jacket… others are right… it will fit differently after giving birth. 🙂

  18. I would say to keep the jacket. After the twins are born it will fit better;) Btw….I may have missed it,but any ideas about what to name the twins??
    Love the blue maxi:)
    Emily

  19. Tommy Boy 🙂

    Your hair is insanely gorgeous in the jacket back shot.

    It looks a skoshe small through the arms and shoulders.

    Your anniversary dinner outfit is lovely and I’m glad you kept the dressy shoes.

    How’s that for a criticism sandwich? 🙂

  20. Super cute. I vote to keep it, as long as it’s comfy. I’ve purchased a few things that don’t fit me now, but I think should fit me after, just because I liked them.

  21. It does not look too small. Once you have the baby, it will feel differently. Btw… You look radiant!!! :). Will you by chance be going to Haven??

  22. I think the new jean jacket looks great! I was surprised when you asked if it looked too small because it doesn’t look it at all. It doesn’t cover your belly quite as much as the first one, but you are probably showing more now too. Also is your hubby upset that you lost the first coat? Because if not he would probably be just fine with you keeping the new one if you feel cute in it and not waste time stressing over whether you should have it or not. My hubby always says Happy Wife, Happy Life! 🙂 You always look beautiful anyway!!

  23. You look adorable! Love the twin belly…I remember being about that size at 25 weeks too (most people were asking me “any day now, right?” 🙂 So sorry about your jacket…what a bummer! I think the new one looks great!

  24. You are so cute in all of it! Even the new jacket… the question is.. is is comfy?

    Sorry you lost the other one! That bites!

  25. You look fantastic at 25 weeks (with twins!!)!! You look beautiful in each picture, and I love the way you styled your outfits. The belt detail in several is awesome. Love it!

  26. Baby buuuuuummmppp!!!
    I’m mostly excited about this adorable new addition to your already adorable clothes. I’m secondly excited to be the first poster in your comments.

I love hearing from you guys!