37 weeks!!!

I'm 37 weeks pregnant today.... only 21 days to go until my due date! I can hardly believe it! Lea is now considered full term, so if she decides she wants to come a little early her lungs should be in good shape. (Mommy wouldn't mind too much, either!) She should be well over 6 pounds by now and about 19 inches long.
Kevin and I had a nice weekend. As always, we cleaned around the house some more. I actually had a chance to take it easy on Saturday while Kevin went to his friend's house for their Fantasy Football draft... but did I? NO! Of course not... I did laundry and vacuumed until I was exhausted. I seriously need to stop doing stuff and just relax these days!!!

Yesterday we enjoyed our last baby shower given by my mother-in-law and sister-in-law. We had a lot of fun and got a lot of great 'necessity items'... such as diapers, wipes, gas drops, baby bath, lotion, shampoo and a nifty health care kit (which has nail clippers, thermometer, etc). I think we are all set, now! Just need the baby!!! My niece, Lilly, was a great little helper. She opened all the cards for us. My favorite part was when she opened one, it fell to the floor, so I picked it up. She immediately snatched it from me... waited a second... then handed it to me very nicely. I am sure she was thinking, "Excuse me!? It is MY job to hand you the cards!". :)

(My mom and sister-in-law were the photographers at the shower, so as soon as I get the pics, I will post a few!)

Bravado Review & Giveaway!

Check out Natural Mommie's blog... she did a great review of the Bravado! Body Silk Seamless Nursing Bra. You can enter to win one, too! :)

Rockabye Baby Review & Giveaway!

Scoot on over to Tales from a Marketing Mama and check out her review of the fabulous Rockabye Baby cd's. I have a couple of these albums and LOVE them!

(You can enter to win the new Queen cd, too!!!)

Belly pics!

Slowly getting bigger!

36 weeks!

We're getting closer and closer! According to BabyCenter.com, at the end of this week, Lea will be considered full-term. It's also estimated that she weighs almost 6 pounds now and is well over 18 inches long.

My doctor has already confirmed (twice) that she is head down. It's very unlikely that she will turn upright in the next few weeks, so I don't have to worry about her being breech. Last week, I believe I had a few Braxton Hick's contractions. It was very strange. My entire abdomen (which is pretty big these days) got very tight... so tight that it felt like a brick wall to the touch. It didn't hurt, but was uncomfortable. I haven't felt them since then.

Besides being pretty tired all the time, a sore back and swollen feet/ankles, I am doing well. Kevin and I have been very busy cleaning around the house. Today, we (actually Kevin) cleaned behind the fridge, stove and washer & dryer. We have also cleaned the drapes and ceiling fans in each room. I am sure we'll find something that just HAS to be cleaned next weekend, too! We have one more childbirth class at the hospital. I am glad we signed up for the five week course. We have learned quite a bit, but most importantly we have more confidence now (even though we're both still pretty nervous!).

Last weekend we spent a couple nights at the beach with Kevin's parents, sister and neices & nephew. It was nice to get away and not have any plans for a change. The weather was perfect and the kids had a blast. They just wanted to stay in the water, which felt wonderful, however the waves were pretty rough. I got plenty of exercise helping to hold them up each time a 'big one' came!

Baby Bump Winner!

Congratulations, Tess!

You have won the Baby Bump stretch mark and massage oil.

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Update

My doctor's appointment went well this morning. I have gained about 3 pounds since the last visit (two weeks ago)... my fundal height is 36 cm... Lea's heartbeat was about 150 bpm...

and now I will go for a check up every week!

Whoa! Where is the time going???

35 weeks!

We've made it another week! Lea should be about 5 pounds (and perhaps slightly more) by now. She has fully developed kidneys and a working liver. She's getting noticeably bigger as I can often feel her all the way up to my rib cage.

I haven't felt any Braxton Hick's contractions (at least, not that I know of). Like I have said before, every day tasks are still becoming more and more difficult. I become out of breath so easily these days, too! My next doctor's appointment is tomorrow morning. I love listening to Lea's heartbeat and knowing that she is still safe and healthy in there... however I am not looking forward to my weigh in. At my last appointment, I found out that I have gained 30 pounds! (that's actually a very healthy amount to gain, but it's so outrageous for me because I have never gained weight like that in my life!) So, I need to prepare myself... it shouldn't be a surprise if I am up to 35 pounds by now. (oh vey!)

Baby Bump Review!

As I mentioned before, I was lucky enough to receive some fabulous products from Baby Bump. And, when I say 'fabulous'... I mean FABULOUS! Baby Bump is a luxurious skin care line made specifically for pregnant women.

Founder, Kate Mistol is a mom, so you know right off the bat that she has 'been there and done that'. She created these products from her own experiences... experiences that the majority of women go through when pregnant (dry, un-even skin, for example). Another road bump when pregnant is finding products that are safe! So many skin care products on the market contain ingredients that are not considered safe to use when you are doing the hard work of creating a new human being. Baby Bump skin care products contain carefully selected, natural ingredients so they are worry free... and they allow you to simply enjoy being pampered (which is something all pregnant women want and deserve!).

I received the 2 in 1 Face Mask & Scrub. My first reaction when trying this was 'YUM!!!' The light, gentle scent was just heavenly. Perfect for sensitive noses. Gentle micro beads do not scratch the skin, rather they lightly scrub your face revealing the smoothest skin once washed off. I have used this scrub almost every night for the past week or so and my face is soooo soft! You can also leave it on your face for a few minutes because papaya and pumpkin enzymes do their job of naturally exfoliating before your fingertips finish whisking away the dead skin cells.

I also received the Stretch Mark and Massage Oil. To be honest, I wasn't as excited to try this product as I was with the face scrub. I believe that stretch marks can not be prevented... if you have the genes for them, you will probably get them. However, I also believe that it doesn't hurt to try to prevent them! Not only that, but these days my belly is really beginning to stretch to it's limits. I need to pamper that precious skin as much as I can, right?! So, I began using the massage oil before bed every night. I am not a fan of thick oils and was happy to find that this was not too heavy. It only takes a few spritzes and feels fabulous on my growing baby bump. It also smells heavenly, too. I liked it so much, I even had my dear husband use it to give me a shoulder rub!

While Baby Bump skin care products were originally created for pregnant women, you don't have to be pregnant to use them! I can see myself using these products long after my baby girl arrives.

Guess what?! Baby Bump has been generous enough to offer my readers a chance to win a FREE full size bottle of the Stretch Mark and Massage Oil! All you have to do is visit their web site and tell me a key ingredient that is used in their products and why it is beneficial. (there are over 20 key ingredients so I shouldn't see many duplicates listed!) Leave your comment below. For an extra entry, follow me on twitter and re-tweet this awesome giveaway (leave another comment letting me know that you re-tweeted). I will announce the giveaway winner next Friday.

Good luck!

Maternity Pic

This one is my favorite!!!

39?

YIKES! Only 39 days until my due date?! Where is the time going?

I just received our maternity pictures (credit to Tess Jensen Photography) and they are fabulous! Now, we just have to decide which ones we want to order...

Hospital bag?

It's no secret that my husband and I are serious planners. We are not spontaneous, 'fly by the seat of your pants' kind of people, but that's ok because it works great for us!

That being said, we make lists... lots and lots of lists. Lists for the grocery store, lists of baby things to get, lists of music we want to download, lists of chores, lists of how our money is spent, etc. If something needs to be done, we will have a list for it. Which brings me to a NEW list! We have decided that we are going to go ahead and pack a bag for my hospital stay. (I know we have 5 weeks and 4 days until my due date, however didn't I just tell you we are PLANNERS!?)

My question is, what do we need? Obviously, the basic essentials: tooth brush & paste, mouth wash, Chap Stick, socks, flip flops, lotion, comfy clothes there and to wear home (for myself and Lea)... but what else?

Please leave me a comment and let me know of anything that you wish you had, didn't end up needing or were so glad you took to the hospital.

Thanks for your help in our list making!

34 weeks and (still) counting!

Yowser! Only 6 more weeks to go! (give or take a few days, either way). I seriously can not believe how fast time is flying by!!!

Lea is probably close to 5 pounds now and she's really filling out these days (which was evident in our 3-D ultrasounds... she has adorable chubby cheeks and even a little double chin!). Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well.

(It certainly feels like there is a cantaloupe in my belly these days!!!)

I am becoming more and more tired lately... sleeping is very difficult as I just can't get comfortable and I have to get up about every three hours to use the restroom. Normal, everyday tasks (like walking across the room or carrying a load of laundry) makes me out of breath, too. Since we have finally gotten the house back in order (and it looks fabulous!), it is time for me to start taking it easy. I need to rest up for the big day ahead of us, which will be here before we know it!

My co-worker, Tess, took some great maternity shots of Kevin, Bailey and I Saturday morning. There are a couple in the right column of this blog. I can't wait to see the rest of them! Then, Saturday afternoon, we had our 3-D ultrasound! That was simply amazing. For any mamas out there thinking about doing this, DO IT! We actually watched Lea move in real time... she was touching her face, sticking out her tongue, grabbing her toes and making silly faces at us. As I said above, she has chubby little cheeks and a little double chin. It also looks like she will very closely resemble her mommy when she is born! We compared her picture to one of myself when I was born. The ultrasound tech also said it looks like she just has a little bit of peach fuzz on her head (so, she'll take after her daddy (who was born bald) in that department!). I can not wait to meet her!!!

I will post pictures soon!

Baby food Giveaway!

Guess what!?

Motherhood in the Industry has extended their baby food giveaway! Check our her review on Happy Baby baby food and then enter to win some. Yea!

Hurry, the giveaway ends on Monday the 10th.

Stay Tuned!

I was lucky enough to receive some fabulous products from Baby Bump and will be posting a review soon. Rumor has it... there may be a giveaway, too! Check back often!

Update!

I had a check up at the doctor's office this morning. First, I was weighed... I have gained 3 pounds since my last check up, two weeks ago. Yikes! Then, we listened for Lea's heartbeat. It was a little hard to find because she was moving around so much. Doc said, "Wow, you have a little wiggle worm, don't you?!" Finally found it and it was 155 bpm (perfect). My fundal height was 33 cm... also perfect. And, Lea has turned head down! I am so happy she (and I) are well and she is getting ready for the big day. Now, Kevin and I just need to get ready for the big day!!!

National Brestfeeding Awareness Month

August is National Breastfeeding Awareness month. There are TONS of reasons why breastfeeding is beneficial to you and your baby.

Some benefits for baby include:

• diarrhea, lower respiratory illnesses, and ear infections happen less often in breastfed babies, and are less severe when they do occur
• breastfeeding for six months or more makes it less likely that your baby will go on to develop food or respiratory allergies
• Several studies have found a possible connection between breastfeeding and higher IQs
• Studies have shown that breastfeeding can lower a baby's risk of developing both acute lymphoblastic and acute myeloid leukemia
• Breastfeeding for more than six months appears to reduce a child's risk of developing insulin-dependent (type 1) diabetes

Some benefits for mother include:

• helping you shed pounds more quickly, especially during the first year
• help lower your stress level and reduce postpartum bleeding
• Numerous studies have found that the longer women breastfeed, the more they're protected against breast and ovarian cancer
• Two studies show that breastfeeding may actually improve a woman's bone density in the long run and reduce the risk of hip fractures in old age

I have never actually heard of any disadvantages to breastfeeding... so do it if you can!!!

This information was gathered from BabyCenter.com.

33 weeks!

Another week has gone by! I can't believe I have only 7 weeks left until my due date! Lea is probably a little over 4 pounds by now.

I am getting bigger and bigger which in turn is making everyday tasks (such as putting on socks, picking something up off the floor, sleeping and even sitting) more and more difficult. I can physically feel my lungs getting compressed so breathing is becoming more difficult, too. Lea is still moving around all the time. I wonder if she is starting to turn head down? We will find out soon because we finally decided to schedule a 3D ultrasound! Our appointment is this Sat. afternoon. We are so excited, but nervous, too. From what I hear, people say that the pictures are pretty true to what their babies look like when born. Here are a couple examples of pictures that I found on-line...


I hope we can get a good picture! It will be so much fun to compare it to Lea when she is actually here. :)

Today we are visiting another pediatric office so that decision should be made soon. Our floors are finally getting finished today, too. Apparently the contractors laid the quarter round incorrectly so they are coming back to re-do it all today. Then, we can clean everything (there is still quite a bit of dust around) and put all of our furniture back into place. I told Kevin, once this is all done, we aren't doing anything for a long while!!! It's time for me to start taking it easy and really get prepared for Lea's arrival. Her nursery is still a bit of a mess and I want to start cooking some meals to freeze for the few months right after we bring her home.