18 Weeks Pregnant - Baby #2!

How far along?: 18 weeks pregnant

Total weight gain/measurements: 145 lbs (+5.2 lbs), belly 39.5 inches around

Maternity clothes: Off and on. I was super excited to get my two new fun maternity shirts in the mail this week! I'm wearing one of them in the photo :)

Stretch marks? No new ones.

Sleep: Pretty good!

Best moment this week: Nesting. Many much nesting. I don't know why nesting gets me so excited! I think a lot of it is because of our tight budget and knowing we were going to move immediately after baby's arrival when I was pregnant with Vincent. It made it very hard to nest! Our bedroom is rearranged, I am 100% caught up on chores and my car is spotless and it's oil is changed! I also got my first credit card this weekend, so that I can start building credit and Mike and I can look into buying our first home once the baby is here. Super exciting!
Miss anything? Nope

Movement: Very rarely! This baby makes me so nervous - he or she is MUCH less active than Vincent was. And I had an anterior placenta with Vincent! I am still considering ordering a doppler.

Food cravings: Pasta, salad and cake. Chocolate cake. 

Anything making you queasy or sick? Just certain smells make me queasy. And pretty much all meat other than chicken!

Gender: Unknown - we find out next week! Any guesses?

Labor signs: Nope!

Symptoms: Back and tailbone pain - otherwise no complaints!

Belly button in or out? In

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy this week!

Looking forward to: The ultrasound next week! I am so excited :D

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Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs VoxBox Review

To be completely honest, I was not going to review this product, because I wasn't sure it would be a fair review. Here's why: I am pale. Pale as in WiteOut would be a good name for the shade of concealer I need to match my skin tone pale. Unfortunately, although the shade of leg makeup I received was "Light", I ended up looking like a preteen who had her first run-in with some self tanning lotion. (Because seriously - who hasn't done that at least once in their lifetime?!)

It doesn't look near as bad in the photo as it did up close and personal - trust me! But, wrong shade aside, it wasn't a bad product! It had a surprisingly pleasant scent; it reminded me of a pumpkin spice latte. (Which I thought was kind of funny, since it turned me orange hahaha!) It went on very smoothly with little streaking and was not difficult to apply at all. I like the fact that it is waterproof, which is particularly convenient in the summer! I'm not sure how well it would hold up in the pool, but I'm guessing not too bad, since I was only able to remove it with soap, warm water and a loofah. It really did even out my skin tone (as you can tell in the before and after photo), but it definitely didn't conceal freckles, blemishes or scars, as the product advertises.
It does come in one shade lighter than what I received, but in the end, this product isn't for me. One, because I'm a mom. I'm lucky enough to find time to apply regular makeup and that's a LOT of skin to cover! Two, it says it's transfer resistant, but I'd still be too paranoid it would rub off on my clothing. That's enough of a problem with face makeup! But it was definitely a fun product to try out!! Perhaps next summer I'll purchase the lightest shade and see if it works any better. For now, bring on the yoga pants!

Before: Snow White
After: Donald Trump ;D

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

Vincent's Nautical Bedroom Tour

This summer, we finally got around to re-decorating Vincent's room! It was so fun to pick everything out, most of which we got on sale at Hobby Lobby. I painted the four little canvases above Vincent's bed and I eventually plan to use the fabric we got to make some curtains and a blanket. I LOVE the theme so much and it will go perfectly with the toddler bed we plan on getting Vincent once he outgrows his crib; a ship bed! We plan on getting it for him once the baby is ready to move into the crib...I just hope that Vince will be ready for the toddler bed by then! *crosses fingers* Next to the crib, we have a couple of totes with Mike's things. It's the only place in the house we can store them, so I used the opportunity to put Vincent's noise machine, a homemade frame from his auntie and some hand sanitizer up on top, out of his reach.

His room does have a closet, but the arrangement is very odd. Our dryer hook-up is in it (don't ask me why), so we aren't able to store much in it, other than his hoodies, jackets and dress shirts, which are hanging up.
The rest of his clothing is in this plastic dresser, which is working great for the time being! We've kept the futon and my brother's old mattress in his room as well, for when my mom comes to visit.

We are still getting great use out of the changing table! In the cubbies on the top shelf, we have creams, personal care items, diapers, wipes, diaper pail inserts and pacifiers. The bottom shelf is stocked with extra wipes, diapers and the tote that contains all of his mega blocks. 

We keep all of his books, pajamas, sheets, shoes and socks in this cube storage shelf. I like for him to be able to access his books! Not to forget Twilight Turtle! :)

The rocking chair has been so wonderful to have. It's been great for nursing, bottles, bedtime stories and those awful nights when rocking is the only thing that would bring comfort. It was more than worth the purchase! However, once the new baby comes, we will be moving it back into our room and putting the rocking foot stool in it's place, in case Vince has a bad night and needs to be rocked. The wall hanging is part of a collection from a little German cartoon character named "Vincelot"! He is a knight and that is his flag. My dad and stepmother brought it over from Germany for Vincent's birthday and it's so adorable!

And that's it! Although he doesn't spend a whole lot of time in here during the day, I'm so glad that he has his own space to play in! It's 100% baby proofed (after I put the lotions and diapers up on top of the changing table lol) and the only thing I have to worry about is him pulling everything off the shelves. And closing the door on me! :D 

17 Weeks Pregnant - Baby #2!

How far along?: 17 weeks pregnant

Total weight gain/measurements: 143.8 lbs (+4.8 lbs), belly 39.5 inches around

Maternity clothes: Here and there. Regular pants have become a little bit uncomfortable around the waist! 

Stretch marks? No new ones.

Sleep: Good!

Best moment this week: Two fun things this week: Vincent's first time at Musikgarten on Wednesday and going to COM Aquatics this weekend! And Mike was off again, so he was able to go along this time :)
Miss anything? Nope

Movement: A bit less movement this week compared to last. It always makes me so nervous! I've been tempted to order a fetal doppler just for peace of mind.

Food cravings: Still pasta and salad xD

Anything making you queasy or sick? Just certain smells make me queasy. And pretty much all meat other than chicken!

Gender: Unknown 

Labor signs: Nope!

Symptoms: Occasional back/tailbone pain and a few headaches this past week. Other than that, nothing!

Belly button in or out? In

Happy or moody most of the time: I've been a little bit moody this past week.

Looking forward to: Our ultrasound!! Two more weeks until we know baby bean's gender!

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First Year (and a half) of Parenthood - What I've Learned

You know you're a parent when you find unfinished posts that were supposed to be posted 6 months ago in your draft folder. Whoops. Better late than never, as I always say, particularly on my blog! :P  A year ago, I was sitting on the couch in yoga pants and one of hubby's band shirts with a big, pregnant belly, wondering if I'd ever give birth or if I'd just be pregnant forever. I was a nervous wreck about becoming a parent, wondering if I'd know what I'm doing and if I'd be a good mother. But I wanted nothing more than to finally go into actual labor and meet the little person who had spent the past 9 months in my belly. 
I spent months preparing for motherhood - I read three pregnancy books, joined three online pregnancy groups as well as two online communities. I did my homework, in attempt to prepare myself to the best of my ability. But honestly, no amount of studying and research can fully prepare you for parenthood. So much of what I've learned has been from experience and a LOT of trial and error. Do I have it all figured out? Absolutely not. Not even close. But learning is all part of the adventure, and I wouldn't have it any other way!
In this past year, I've laughed, cried happy, angry, sad and confused tears and wanted to rip my hair out quite a few times. But it has been the most incredible year of my life! 
I will never forget the first moment I looked upon my child's face. Time stood still and when I close my eyes, I can still see those beautiful blue eyes looking up at me!  Never judge another parent. It is absolutely none of your business how a parent decides to raise their child and not your place to intervene unless the child is in danger. As long as you love and care for your children, it does not matter how you raise them. I have seen SO many arguments, wars and hurt feelings over things as simple as bottle or breastfeeding, cry-it-out or attachment parenting, pro or anti crib bumpers...even over organic mattresses. Seriously. I could go on for hours. As parents, it's important to stick together and support one another. If you don't want to be judged for your choices, you shouldn't judge others for theirs. It's that simple.
Sometimes it's okay to take a breather. I learned this pretty quickly. Mike was in Texas and I was 100% responsible for Vincent. There were nights that the crying would not stop. No amount of nursing, diaper changing, rocking, bouncing or singing would stop it. I would put Vincent in his bassinet, make sure he was safe and leave the room for a few minutes to have a short meltdown. I felt like the most horrible mother on the planet for doing this, but I know if I hadn't, I likely would've gone insane. 
Let unimportant things go. This is a hard one for me. I am the type of person who can't sleep well at night if I know that a chore has gone undone or something is out of place. I also tend to let our animals' misbehavior ruin my day. I will often walk into the living room in the morning to see dog pee and feces all over the floor, the garbage can emptied out and strewn through the house and cat vomit on the couch. It puts me into a fit of rage. I am STILL working on not letting the little things bother me and simply letting things go. It's not worth being in a crappy mood over something so minor and letting it affect your child's mood. 
On that note: your attitude and mood affects your child. If I am in a crappy mood or having a bad day, Vincent is in a crappy mood, too. If I cry, Vincent cries. If I laugh or smile, Vincent does! Notice if a baby smiles at you, she expects a positive response. If you don't react, the baby will become uneasy and upset. I had no idea that a baby that young could be so greatly affected by your mood and attitude. This has made it even more important to me to let things go and work on my attitude.
Schedules really do help. I was convinced that Vincent was impossible to get on a schedule, until I put my foot down and disciplined MYSELF to follow through with one. Since then, Vincent started sleeping and eating better and eventually sleeping through the night. It was worth setting my alarm every morning and for every nap and feeding for two months straight, to get us into a good routine! Even now at 18 months, Vincent does best when we stick to his schedule.
Quit comparing. Just like every pregnancy is different, so is every child. It's not a competition. Just because someone else's child is already walking, doesn't mean your child is behind because he is still crawling. There were so many times that I worried about Vincent being behind, when really, he just wasn't quite ready yet. I was so anxious to have him finally start crawling, when I saw so many other babies his age do it. Once he started, he started getting into everything! Not to mention when he started walking. ;) Now, same situation with speech, I remind myself constantly that he will eventually get there. No rush!
Don't be hard on yourself. This was a big thing for me, particularly when my milk supply dropped. And I can admit now, that a big factor was stress. I was so worried and stressed about my supply dropping, that I couldn't get it back up and had to eventually stop nursing. Even now, I still feel disappointed thinking about it. But then I try to remind myself that I managed to exclusively breastfeed my son for 8 months. That's a great accomplishment. I did the best that I could and that's all I can do.
Drop unrealistic expectations. I have done this in the past and still find myself doing it often. Saying things like: "I will NEVER let my child..." or "My child will..." ... Not necessarily. I swore I'd never let Vince watch TV before age two. I also swore he'd be potty trained by age two. Ha. Haha. Hahahahahahahahaha....
Yes, I sometimes turn the TV on as a last resort for my sanity. And *gasp* sometimes I turn it on, just for it to be on!! Oh the horror. And no, I do not see him potty trained by two - he is not showing signs of being ready yet. And you know what? THAT'S OKAY. As I said above, every child is SO different and every child has different needs. And children learn and hit milestones at their own paces. It is not worth beating yourself up for not doing things exactly the way you imagined and it's not worth pressuring your child into something he or she isn't ready for yet. No parent is perfect. And no child is perfect. You can't possibly expect that. (Repeating this to myself over and over again...)
Pick your battles. Is it really worth freaking out over the mess he is making with his yogurt? Toddlers are messy. Yogurts are messy. Go freaking figure. Is it really worth telling him to not play with that thing that isn't a toy, when it's causing no harm? Yes, there are limits, absolutely! And safety is #1 - no matter how hard he cries and screams, I will never let him play with cords or electrical outlets. Sorry, kid. Just trying to keep you alive. But saying the word "NO!" all day over every little thing is just not worth it 90% of the time. Hence why one of the cabinets in our entertainment center has been completely cleared out, so he can use it to put his things in. xD
If I could offer any advice to a new parent, I'd say this:
When you feel like your child will never stop crying, you will never sleep again or you're completely losing control of everything, stop for a moment. Take a deep breath. Look at everything around you. Is everyone breathing? Check. Is there a roof over your head? Check. Is there food in the kitchen? Check. Then it is going to be okay. And no matter how rough things are going, I can promise, you're doing a MUCH better job than you're giving yourself credit for. Take a moment every day to breathe, give yourself a pat on the back and remind yourself: you're human, you're a good parent and someday, I PROMISE you'll sleep again! ;) And never, ever hesitate to ask for help if you need it. Because there's no such thing as a perfect parent.

16 Weeks Pregnant - Baby #2!

How far along?: 16 weeks pregnant

Total weight gain/measurements: 143.8 lbs (+5.2 lbs), belly 39.5 inches around

Maternity clothes: Off and on. Fortunately a lot of my clothes work during pregnancy! But I've had to put a handful of shirts up to hibernate because they are definitely not working anymore! LOL

Stretch marks? No new ones.

Sleep: Pretty good! I still have my new pillows to thank for the most part - they are SO comfortable. And I am actually still able to sleep on my stomach somewhat comfortably!

Best moment this week: Having Mike home for the weekend :) I also had a fun shopping outing with my mom yesterday that I really enjoyed. Miss anything? Nope

Movement: Lots more movement this past week! Baby seems most active at night, just like Vincent was. :) 

Food cravings: I am still craving that salad that mom and I made the other night! We've made more since and I love it. I could eat it every day! And of course always alfredo pasta. 

Anything making you queasy or sick? Same smells still make me queasy, but not sick! I doubt it would make me sick anymore, but I will still stay away from hamburger meat until after the baby. It grosses me out so badly. Actually I haven't found most meat in general very appealing!

Gender: Unknown 

Labor signs: Nope!

Symptoms: Hardly anything this past week! I have to say, I'm really enjoying pregnancy this time around! :D

Belly button in or out? In

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy for the most part! 

Looking forward to: The gender ultrasound, even if it's still a few weeks away! I can't wait to find out what we're having :D

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15 Weeks Pregnant - Baby #2!

How far along?: 15 weeks pregnant

Total weight gain/measurements: 143.8 lbs (+4 lbs), belly 39 inches around

Maternity clothes: At home I mainly stick to tank tops and boxer shorts and going out, I've been favoring my stretchy black shorts and my maternity shorts! But I still fit in regular pants fine. There are some shirts that aren't working as well anymore, but only a couple that are short.

Stretch marks? No new ones.

Sleep: Sleep has been better! Vincent has been sleeping through the night again since he has been feeling better and my bathroom trips seem to be less frequent. 

Best moment this week: Getting to see my baby!! <3 Here are some of the ultrasound photos:

Miss anything? Not really!

Movement: Little pops here and there! I notice it a lot when I drink cold water.

Food cravings: Still alfredo pasta. Always. And olive garden salad - although my mom and I made a REALLY good salad the other night and I ate almost the entire bowl by myself.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Certain things make me queasy and I still avoid them - certain soaps, litter box (I try to scoop it as soon as Tombstone makes a stink), Vincent's diapers and hamburger meat. But I haven't been getting sick anymore and nausea is thankfully very rare! :D

Gender: Unknown 

Labor signs: Nope!

Symptoms: Very occasional nausea, tailbone pain, breast soreness and one that I keep forgetting to mention: nose bleeds!! As in at least every other day. The other day it was twice. They only last 1-2 minutes, so it's not a big deal, but a strange new symptom I never had with Vince! 

Belly button in or out? In

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy unless super hungry, nauseous or sleepy

Looking forward to: Mike being off! He has gotten the past two weekends off and will get this one off as well! It has been SO wonderful to get to spend some extra time with him! 

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