L'Oreal Paris Extraordinary Oil VoxBox Review

Time for another Influenster VoxBox Review! And what perfect timing for this one; my postpartum hair was a bit of a mess last time and I imagine it may begin to become that way this time around as well! It became very dry and brittle and this is exactly what this shampoo is supposed to help prevent. 
First off, I was very pleased by the scent of the shampoo and conditioner! I felt that it got my hair very clean and did not take long to rinse out. I always wash my hair twice, since I do not wash it horribly often, mainly to prevent it from becoming so dry and brittle. (Also because, admittedly, with a two year old and a newborn, often there is just no time!! ;D) The conditioner really did condition my hair well; it was quick and easy to brush through before drying. Before drying, I applied a bit of the oil and wrapped my hair back up in a towel for a couple of minutes. After drying, I applied more, before straightening my hair. I was pleasantly surprised that the oil really didn't leave an oily residue!! Usually after I use oil, I have to rinse off or wash my hands before I grab my straightener, but I didn't have to with this one. Another big plus, is that after using all three products, my hair didn't have any static. With a lot of shampoos and conditioners I've tried, I've noticed that my hair not only felt like it didn't get completely clean, but it was also had a TON of static, which I can't stand. 

All in all, I was super happy with everything! I have only used the products once so far, so I can't report any positive or negative long term results, but I am definitely going to use it all up and decide if I want to switch products! I also plan on purchasing the transforming oil-in-cream, using the coupon that Influenster included in the box. :)

Disclaimer: I received this product complimentary from Influenster for testing and reviewing purposes. 

Samantha - One Week Old!

Samantha Ruth is finally here!! We are so, so in love with her and happy to be home and together as a family of four! There have been a couple small bumps in the road, but aside from that, this first week has gone AMAZINGLY well. I seriously couldn't wish for a sweeter, more cooperative toddler and easy baby!! (Knocking on wood BIG time haha!!) As with Vincent, I will do my best to do monthly updates for Samantha from here on out, although they might be a little bit late! It's definitely harder to find spare time with two kiddos.

Height/Weight: We saw the pediatrician on Wednesday (5 days old) to check on her weight, since she had a significant loss at the hospital. She was 6lbs 8oz at birth, dropped down to a smidge under 6 and is now back up to 6lbs 5oz! :D She goes back on the 28th for her 2 week well exam.

Daily: She is actually awake a good chunk of the day! Which probably explains why she sleeps as well as she does at night. Her routine is pretty simple. Eat, diaper change, awake time, eat, sleep and repeat. During awake time, we do tummy time on the mat in the living room and she enjoys watching her big brother play. I've been doing everything I can to include Vincent in her activities, so that he feels he is being helpful; he will bring me her diapers and wipes, her burp cloth and even puts her binky in her mouth! And that's a BIG deal for Vincent, since we are currently partway into the process of weaning him from his own binky. The older Samantha gets, the more she will be able to interact with Vincent and the more they can play and learn together.

Sleep: Holy moly. This girl knows how to sleep. I realize she is still a newborn and it could all change very quickly, but I have to set alarms throughout the night to wake her for feedings! She is awake a pretty decent amount of time during the day - she sort of just naps wherever and whenever right now. I keep her out in the living area as much as possible, so she gets used to her brother being a noisy Ned and learns to sleep through noise. She goes down in her bassinet at night around 10 or 11 and sleeps there until we are up for the day. 

Eating: Breastfeeding is going a lot better! During the first 24 hours, Samantha had a latch issue, which caused me to crack and bleed. Her latch was just not deep enough, because she'd gag if anything got too close to the back of her throat. When we tried to give her a bottle or a pacifier, she'd gag. Since we kept encouraging her to use the pacifier, per recommendation of one of her nurses at the hospital, her latch has actually improved!! Unless she is clusterfeeding, which she so far has only done during the day, she eats every 2-3 hours during the daytime and eats about every 4 hours at night. I feed her on demand, unless she hits the 3 hour mark during the day or the 4 hour mark during the night, in which case I wake her to eat. She burps REALLY well - I sit her up and she burps on her own almost every time. But she drinks fast, so I have to sit her up to burp often, otherwise she projectile vomits. 

Sizes: She is soooo teeny!! <3 She is swimming in newborn clothes. I am certain she'd fit in preemie perfectly, but we didn't want to bother buying that size, since she would grow out of it very quickly. It's hard to keep socks on her, because the smallest ones we have fall right off, except for the super long ones! We have a huge stash of newborn diapers, but may end up having to buy more in the end. I never would have thought she'd be this small, since I carried her much bigger than Vincent! I expected her to be at least half a pound heavier - not a whole pound less! I love how itty bitty she is. I kind of wish she would stay this size forever!

Milestones:

• First car ride on the way home from the hospital
• First kiss from big brother!

• First ride in the baby carrier and first time out on a walk!

• First smile (look at this photo - there's no way that's a gas smile!! :D)

• Umbilical cord came off on March 15th. It amazed me how early it came off, especially since Vincent's came off so late!

• Lifted up head on her own. Yes, you read that correctly. This girl is STRONG. Vincent didn't start lifting his head on his own until somewhere between 1 and 2 months. Samantha started lifting hers in the hospital!! It blows my mind.

That's it for this week! I so much look forward to continuing with monthly updates! :) 

40 Weeks Pregnant - Baby #2!

How far along?: 40 weeks pregnant - it's my due date!!

Total weight gain/measurements: 178.4lbs (+38.6 lbs), belly 46.5 inches around

Maternity clothes: I can't tell you how much time I spend staring at my clothes before finally deciding on something to wear anymore, because hardly anything fits over my belly! xD 

Stretch marks? I've definitely gotten a few new ones this pregnancy, but it's hard to tell exactly when they pop up, because of the way they blend in with my old ones.

Sleep: It depends on the night! Some nights the sleep is just about non-existent and other nights I sleep like a log. I still wake up feeling hungover (totally not cool lol!!), but at least it was sleep!! 

Best moment this week: Two awesome things this week: Saturday, mom and I went to go get mani/pedis, which was exactly what the Dr. ordered!! My feet have felt a million times better since, despite the swelling. And Vincent's 2nd birthday was yesterday, so we took him to Chuck E Cheese's! Mike and I aren't sure if he had more fun or if we did! :D It's also been beyond wonderful in general to get so much time with Mike this past week, since he was off. It's the first time we've ever been able to really relax and enjoy several straight days of each other's company since Vince was born, without traveling!
Miss anything? Sleep and being able to walk without being in pain xD

Movement: She has been a little less active this week, which has worried me, but every time I find myself freaking out, she starts doing insane somersaults! I think it might just be a matter of her being tired and running out of room. On Thursday, I'll be having a NST at my appointment (if I am still pregnant by then), so that will definitely give me peace of mind.
Food Cravings: Ice cream. It's funny, I realized the other day that I never really mentioned a huge craving I've had, particularly during this last trimester of pregnancy! I have been LOVING strawberry cheesecake master shakes from Sonic! They are SOOOO good.

Anything making you queasy or sick? I've had a couple bouts of nausea this past week, particularly in the evening, but there's nothing specific I can think of that could've caused it. Other than that nothing!

Gender: Girl

Labor signs: Doc ended up checking me at my appointment last Thursday and I am 1cm dilated and 80% effaced. So there's not too much happening. I think I was 80% effaced and just under 2cm dilated with Vince at 40 weeks. On the night of the 3rd, I was having some pretty intense contractions, but they ended up stopping at around 2AM. They were strange - only lasting 30-45 seconds, but 2.5-3 minutes apart. I'm thinking I might not have had quite enough water that day, which would explain why they were so intense and stopped.

Symptoms: Same as last week; loads of braxton hicks contractions, fatigue, extreme nesting syndrome, swollen feet and back pain.

Belly button in or out? Out!

Happy or moody most of the time: Eh. To be completely honest, I've been a little moody this week, despite my best efforts. Because of there being no work and Mike getting the time off, unfortunately we won't be able to afford for him to take any more days off after Samantha gets here like we'd planned. It was SO wonderful to get to spend all that extra time with him, but I did do just about everything in my power to try and throw myself into labor this past week and it emotionally and physically took it out of me. He is back at work today, so I am waving the white flag and putting my feet up! Not in defeat, but because I know it is absolutely not worth stressing over and she will come when she is ready! :) And I am completely okay with that. I am a bit worried that I'll go into labor and not be able to reach him or that he will miss the birth, but I know somehow, it will all work itself out! As long as everyone is healthy, we are both happy! :)

Looking forward to: Meeting our baby girl! :D 

Here's a 40 week comparison photo! I didn't realize until putting these side by side how much bigger I am this time around!!

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(Hoping I won't have to add a 41 to this in a week! xD)

39 Weeks Pregnant - Baby #2!

How far along?: 39 weeks pregnant

Total weight gain/measurements: 177.4lbs (+37.6 lbs), belly 46 inches around

Maternity clothes: At this point, my clothing options are pretty limited! It's hard to find any shirt, even maternity, that will cover my belly at all times lol! And yoga pants and a single pair of maternity jeans are all that still fit me as far as pants go.

Stretch marks? A couple new ones here and there, but the majority of them are from last pregnancy.

Sleep: Some nights are awful, others are okay. It's nearly impossible to get decent sleep at this point, but I guess it's not a bad thing that it's helping me adjust to the newborn stage!

Best moment this week: Celebrating Vincent's 2nd birthday! :D We had his party on Sunday, so that it wouldn't be too close to my due date and we could focus solely on him. It was wonderful and we all had a blast! 
Miss anything? Sleep and being able to walk without being in pain xD

Movement: She is still very active, but her movements are becoming more and more restricted the bigger she gets!
Food Cravings: Cereal and Olive Garden

Anything making you queasy or sick? I will occasionally get that sharp pain in the middle of my back and right above my bump, that always makes me queasy. I haven't gotten sick in quite a while though!

Gender: Girl

Labor signs: Braxton hicks are getting to be quite a bit more intense and frequent. I notice them the most in the late evening. I am also 100% certain she is at at least a -1 station. Her head is SO low and I am constantly experiencing lightening crotch (it is seriously the best way to describe it!). I feel constant pressure and it feels like she is going to fall out! 

Symptoms: LOADS of braxton hicks contractions, fatigue, extreme nesting syndrome, swollen feet and back pain

Belly button in or out? Out!

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy :)

Looking forward to: Meeting our baby girl!! After Vincent's party, it hit me that we are absolutely in the home stretch right now. Now all my focus is directed towards enjoying my last bit of time with Vincent as an only child and getting through this last little bit of pregnancy, whether that be a few days, a week or a couple of weeks! (Also, lots of OCD cleaning lol!) :) We will see - I'm so excited!

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38 Weeks Pregnant - Baby #2!

How far along?: 38 weeks pregnant

Total weight gain/measurements: 176lbs (+36.2 lbs), belly 46 inches around

Maternity clothes: Maternity and whatever I can squeeze my large self into xD

Stretch marks? Not sure if I got any new ones this week, but the small ones I got last week have darkened a little bit

Sleep: Eh. I've had a couple nights I've actually gotten fairly decent sleep, but for the most part 5 hours or less. I'm so thankful that Vince still naps, so I can take a snooze during the day! My mom has also been great about letting me go back to bed for a couple hours after she has gotten up on a few mornings, so I don't have to wait until Vince naps. 

Best moment this week: 
Miss anything? Sleep

Movement: Seems like she moves non-stop! I LOVE feeling her roll around, although I'll admit that it's becoming very uncomfortable! She is not a fan of me leaning forward at all - it almost feels like she will stick her feet right up against my ribs and push up really hard!
Food Cravings: Cereal

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope!

Gender: Girl

Labor signs: None

Symptoms: LOADS of braxton hicks contractions, fatigue, extreme nesting syndrome and swollen feet

Belly button in or out? Out!

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy :)

Looking forward to: Vincent's 2nd birthday party on Sunday! :D

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Samantha's Nursery & Decor

Although technically, Samantha's nursery is also our bedroom/office, she has got her own little set up, which I felt was worth it's own post! ;) Plus, all the little decor projects have been SO much fun these past several months; I painted her four canvases, just like I did for Vincent, painted and hung up her letters and made a quilt, a couple of pillows and a taggie toy to go with the theme. I also put together four of the paper pom poms hanging from the ceiling. Everyone who attended our baby shower put their finger prints on the tree in the cream colored frame and Mike's cousin Alma made the beautiful diaper cake!  

Samantha has got the wall on my side of the bed for her bed (the same newborn napper in the pack n play that we used for Vincent), her dressers and the rocker that was in Vincent's room.

For the first several months, she will be sleeping in the newborn napper in the pack n play and I will use the pack n play's changing table for diaper changes, particularly at night. It worked great for Vincent and I'm hoping it will work well for Samantha! We are hoping that Vincent will be ready for a toddler bed by the time Samantha is ready for the crib, but we will just have to see! There's a bassinet underneath the napper and the changing table, which she can sleep in for a little while as well, after she's grown out of the napper. We've got the swing in front of our dresser at the moment; although it's not entirely ideal, it works for the time being. If she is anything like her brother was, it might be where she sleeps some nights!
I used my silhouette to cut out vinyl letters to label all her dresser drawers, just as I did with Vincent's. It definitely makes the plastic dressers more fun. :) They contain most everything she needs: newborn to 3-6M sized clothing, socks and shoes, hats, bibs, baby care items (lotions, brushes etc.), linens, blankets and extra diapers and wipes. 

The rest is kept in the pack n play storage: diapers, wipes, burp cloths, powder, rash cream, aquaphor and hand sanitizer, extra blankets, stuffed animals and swaddling blankets.

That's pretty much it! I am so excited to have just about everything checked off on the "to do before baby" list and beyond ready for this baby girl to make her appearance! :)

37 Weeks Pregnant - Baby #2!

Just before our baby shower! It was such a crazy busy week, I didn't get a chance to take a chalkboard photo!

How far along?: 37 weeks pregnant

Total weight gain/measurements: 172.8lbs (+33 lbs), belly 45 inches around

Maternity clothes: Mostly maternity, yoga pants and extra long tank tops! Only a handful of non-maternity shirts still fit and some of the maternity shirts have gotten too tight! 

Stretch marks? Got a couple more small ones this week

Sleep: Just about non-existent

Best moment this week: Our baby shower! It could not have been more perfect. It was absolutely beautiful and it was so lovely to get to spend some time with family! <3 We got some things we'd been needing for Samantha as well, which was a huge help.
Miss anything? Sleep

Movement: Lots of rolling around! There are also some times it feels like she is beating on my belly like a drum or running in place on the side of my belly haha! Oh and I can't believe I have yet to mention, that like her brother, this baby girl is SUPER hiccup-y! 3-5x per day is the norm. Poor baby!
Food Cravings: Cereal

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope!

Gender: Girl

Labor signs: None, although the braxton hicks are becoming a lot more frequent, especially when I'm cleaning or chasing Vincent around. I had a few last night before dinner that were stronger than usual and I needed to stop doing what I was doing and wait for them to pass. I am thinking it might've been because I was hungry though, because it stopped after dinner!

Symptoms: Fatigue, lots of braxton hicks and acid reflux. Also an almost constant aching pain in the middle of my back and my abdominal muscles from the weight of baby. I explained it to Mike like this: imagine you've got a hiking backpack full of bricks strapped to your front and you can't set it down; you carry it with you everywhere, go to the bathroom and shower with it and sleep with it as well! That's seriously what it's like.

Belly button in or out? Out!

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy, but I've been very tired, which definitely causes moodiness.

Looking forward to: Thursday's birthplace tour at the hospital where I'll be delivering! I think becoming familiar with what the L&D ward looks like will help ease my nerves in that regard. By the time I was in labor with Vince, I'd already been to L&D 4 times, so I felt pretty comfortable once we'd arrived!

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(Can I just say that marking one of those off ^^ every week is my favorite part of posting these blogs?! Hahaha!)