CLICK HERE FOR FREE BLOGGER TEMPLATES, LINK BUTTONS AND MORE! »

9.30.2012

32 Weeks




How far along? 32 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Down 2 lbs at my last appointment, so I'm up a total of 8lbs


Maternity clothes? Everything with the exception of a few regular t-shirts and pj's I wear to bed! 


Stretch marks? same old same old


Sleep: I'm sleeping like a rock again, the only time I wake up is to turn which is pretty difficult to do at this point. 

Best moment this week: Boogie is starting to acknowledge that Bubby is her brother and she loves him :)


Movement: Movements are slowing, it's more rolling and moving then kicks and punches.


Food cravings: Granny Smith Apples, juice, cereal... at least today. lol


Gender: Still a boy...


Labor signs: Just the normal aches and pains

Belly button in or out? The top of my belly button sticks out... looks really weird.  


Wedding rings on or off? Wearing both wedding band and engagement ring, they both fit at the moment. Totally different from Boogie, I couldn't wear either at this point!


What I miss: Shaving my own legs... yea, J totally does that for me! What a good hubby lol!


What am I looking forward too: Holding our sweet boy in my arms, this has been a pretty easy-going pregnancy but I am ready to see his precious face!

Weekly Wisdom: Sllooooooow down!

 
Milestones: Bubby apparently could weigh in at 4.5lbs and be 17" long, but I doubt that considering Boogie's size at birth (5lbs 13oz, 18.5"long).... but you never know!




9.21.2012

Away We Go!

I have been a terrible blogger this week, but I have a good excuse! I've been cramming all my homework in this week so that I won't have any while we go on VACATION. Hallelujah! Vacation! Vacation! Vacation! I've never needed a vacation more than I need it now, and I know J feels the same way! We are all way stressed and I can't wait to relax, shop, and enjoy our time as a family. So, you probably won't hear from me until next weekend, we will actually be back on Tuesday night... but we all know that with vacation comes the "Oh I'm home... and have tons of laundry and crap to put away." That's the not so fun part of vacation. :-p  Anyways... so yes. We will be back, so don't miss us too terribly :-D



9.16.2012

20 & 30 Week Belly Comparisons (Boogie to Bubby)

We were looking through my belly photos with Boogie and Bubby... looks like I'm showing a little more this go around, which is pretty normal but fun to see the difference!






30 Weeks



How far along? 30 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Up 10lbs, so 4lbs since 28 weeks.


Maternity clothes? Everything with the exception of a few regular tshirts and pj's I wear to bed! All of my tank tops are non-maternity 


Stretch marks? same old same old


Sleep: I sleep pretty well aside from tossing and turning all night from hip pain. I sleep, but most nights I don't feel like I've slept super well because of that.

Best moment this week: Bubby's movements have gone from kicks and nudges to him rolling and shifting!


Movement: SOO much! He's a wiggler!


Food cravings: Cereal, chocolate milk, caramel apples!


Gender: Still a boy...


Labor signs: Nothing this week, although I am feeling more pain in my hips and pelvis this week.

Belly button in or out? In, but slowly being pushed out.


Wedding rings on or off? Just my wedding band right now, although I could probably put my engagement ring back on... my wedding band is feeling rather loose lately.


What I miss: Hugging my hubby close... Bubby is just too much in the way now!


What am I looking forward too: Tying a wrap and Bubby immediately going to sleep... some days I wish Boogie would still do that!

Weekly Wisdom: Don't overdo it... you'll totally regret it. (i.e. hips and pelvis.... too much walking and getting up and down means pain later!)

 
Milestones: According to Baby Gaga Bubby could be weighing in around 4lbs!








9.15.2012

FIVE Years!

It's been five glorious, hardworking, miraculous, stressful, loving years of marriage with my wonderful husband! We have done so much in these past five years, and while we're not quite where we want to be RIGHT now, we are headed in that direction! So what's happened in these past five years? Well, we moved to Tennessee... and back to NC, we had a beautiful little girl, we both went back to school (in different forms, but I'm proud of BOTH us!), and Justin went bald... BAHAHAHA! So much more than that has happened, and I'm in awe of how much we have come through. Not every year was great, we faced a lot of hardships along the way... I think that comes with being a young married couple sometimes. I look back and think... WOW, I was NINETEEN years old when I got married. I was a baby! But I'm SO glad I took that leap and married this incredible man. He is everything I've ever wanted and has become a phenomenal father to our children. Who knew that when we said our vows back then that we would have a precious, precocious almost two year old running around and expecting another bundle of joy five years later? There's so much more I could go on and on about, but instead I'm just going to share some pics from our wedding day. I love you babe, you are my bald knight in shining armor ;-)









9.12.2012

Nearing the End of this Pregnancy

As I get closer and closer to the end of this pregnancy I'm getting a little more overwhelmed and honestly a little scared at the changes we are all going to face as a family. Boogie is a very independent little girl, her new favorite thing to say is, "No! I do it!" However, as independent as she is I know that she feels a big change coming, so she is super clingy during the day, especially when J is at work. She's ok when I'm rushing around the house cleaning because she can constantly follow me around and "help", but once I sit down to rest or to work on homework (like I've been trying to do for the past 3 hours) she goes into this clingy, whiny, "I hold you!" phase (she means "hold me" when she says that btw). It's frustrating, it's annoying... and then I realize that these next 10 weeks are the last few weeks that she will be my one and only and will have my almost undivided attention. And THEN I think... holy smokes. What the heck am I going to do when she acts this way and I'm nursing Bubby, or changing his diaper... or whatever?!?! She has been my world for almost 2 years now, how will she handle this huge change in her life? She understands SO much, but will she understand that even though we have a new little one to love and adore, that we still love and adore her as much as we ever did, if not more? I don't want her to think mommy is replacing her or loves her less... and I'm scared that she'll act out and make this whole transition even more scary than I'm imagining!

On top of that worry, I'm having anxiety over school and how the heck everything is going to get done that I need to get done at home while I'm trying to finally finish getting this AA! I'm also terrified of leaving Boogie overnight for the first time EVER and being in the hospital for a few days with only visits from her. I haven't been away from her for more than a few hours... EVER. Then I also get to thinking about how we want to handle visitors and just the three of us spending time with Bubby when he first arrives... we all know that causes drama. I worry about some other things as well that I'm not going to post on this blog because it's something I want to discuss in person, but all of this is just really really getting to me! I'm not so anxious over all of it that I'm freaking out, it's just that I'm worried about the change. I'm all for change, however drastically changing my child's routine and life bothers me. Let's just say that I AM glad that she's not quite two and that the chances of her remembering any of this is slim... at least I know that. Right?



9.10.2012

Glade Expressions Collection Review & Giveaway


I was incredibly excited that I was given the opportunity to review these new Glade products! We are huge fans of candles and oils to make our home smell wonderful, so this was a new kind of fragrance holder to try! I used some coupons to purchase two of each product. The products in the picture above are the same fragrance... aka Pineapple and Mangosteen. I bought that fragrance in the fragrance mist along with Cotton & Italian Mandarin. Both are wonderful. We have been using the Pineapple and Mangosteen in the bathroom where we keep Boogie's pail of dirty cloth diapers.... it's been a big help in that smelly department! The Cotton & Italian Mandarin I use in our room where the changing table is, it's great to have a spray right there on hand to spritz after changing a stinky diaper! It's also nice to be able to take the labels off of the refillable holder so that it's just a decorative white spray bottle! I bought the other two scents in the oil diffusers, those are Fuji Apple & Cardamom Spice and Lavender & Juniper Breeze. I really liked the Apple & Spice scent at first, but after leaving it in our living room for a while it's not as pleasant. It's not an overwhelming scent, but it just seems to be too much Cardamom perhaps after a while? The Lavender is in our room and we love it. Lavender is very calming and relaxing, so it's great to keep in the bedroom!

Here are some facts about these products (taken directly from the BzzAgent Glade Expressions Collection Campaign Page):

The Glad Expressions Collection is inspired by art and designed to be left out on display. These authentic easy-to-use home fragrance products release scents that open up note by note, filling your home with lightly layered fragrances and inviting life in. The breakthrough includes two unique, refillable products:
  • Glade Expressions Fragrance mist comes in a chic holder that blends with your decor for a burst of fragrance that's always out and available. Simply squeeze to release a long-lasting, light mist of fragrance; then refill the holder with your favorite true-to-life scent.
  • Glade Expressions Oil Diffuser releases authentic and exotic fragrances without having to plug in or find batteries. The trendy holder matches decor perfectly - and is also refillable - making it an effective, stylish option for layering true-to-life fragrances in all of your living spaces.
The fragrances include:
  •   Cotton & Italian Mandarin - open your home with the bright, breezy blend of cotton and sparkling citrus, honeydew and sandalwood. (Only available in the fragrance mist)
  • Fuji Apple & Cardamom Spice - a ripe, spicy blend of sweet pears and crisp apple with a dash of cinnamon and clove that warms and invigorates.
  • Lavender & Juniper Berry - lush lavender blends with fresh juniper berry, eucalyptus and rose to relax the senses and open your home.
  • Pineapple & Mangosteen - envoke a tropical paradise with the blend of freshly cut pineapples and hint of tanky mangosteen, creamy coconut and passionflower.

Both products can be found at most retailers, I found mine at Target with the home cleaning products... where you usually find Glade products, and other brands of aerosol sprays and candles.

I have a slew of coupons left to giveaway... 9 for each product. $4 off the diffusers and $2 off the fragrance mists. So, to receive these coupons ALL you have to do is comment on this blog post with the fragrance you want to try! The first 9 people to do so will receive a coupon for EACH product! I will mail them on Friday morning, the 14th of September! So comment below to enter! And please remember to add your email address to your comment! Makes it much easier to contact you :)

Winners:

  1. moo77hb 
  2. freesocial
  3. tara1965
  4. Adrian
  5. Weight Loss Momma
  6. Megan Hicks











9.06.2012

September Has Come Again!

My favorite time of year is Autumn... and when September comes around it's time to start preparing for cooler weather, falling leaves, and fall decor! Woohoo! I love it! We started off September by taking Boogie  for a stroll around one of our favorite lakes, she loves to watch the ducks (and usually they have two swans... however they were missing in action this trip), running on the bridge, and throwing rocks into the water. She's getting so big and so independent, she is becoming a little girl before my eyes... my baby is a distant memory!

We had a hard time getting her to look at us for pictures... she just wanted to quack at the ducks!
Sometimes she still gives kisses... but they are few and far between these days! She's "too big" to give mommy and daddy kisses!
She was about to be naughty and go down the steps (to the left) by herself.

Throwing pebbles and rocks into the lake with daddy.
Looking for some more skipping rocks.
You can't tell... but it's getting harder to hold her on my hip. My belly is starting to get in the way!
My beautiful big girl... she gets prettier every day.
Boogie is such a joy, she drives me absolutely bonkers some days, but she truly is a precious blessing. Those big brown eyes melt me, and I imagine that when Bubby finally gets here he will have deep blue eyes like Boogie did and slowly they will be these same beautiful big brown eyes! It will be interesting to see how our family dynamics change with a little boy added to the mix. I can't wait to meet our little man!

In other news, school is becoming more overwhelming every day. I think I'm going to have to redo my schedule so that I can lessen the workload I've dealt myself. I've been playing catch up for over a week now and it's just not working. I can't possibly take care of Boogie, myself, our home, and accomplish the workload I've planned for myself. I had high hopes of being done with everything aside from my finals by the first week of October... but I may have to settle for the last week of October instead. That's still a large workload, but not nearly as much as I planned before. That is also less time to get a few things done I'd like to get done before Bubby is here. Ay yi yi!

Also, don't forget to head over and enter my giveaway for three BOGO free coupons for UNREAL candy! They seriously are SO good!


UNREAL Candy Review and GIVEAWAY!

I was given the opportunity to review this amazing candy brand! Unreal candy is devoid of artificial ANYTHING, corn syrup, and hydrogenated oils. The chocolate is REAL, the peanut butter is REAL, the caramel is REAL, even the colors for the candy coated bites are from completely natural sources! How awesome is that? 
I used our coupons to get one of each candy for J and I to try... and Boogie tried some too! 
First up is...


This is Unreal 5 (red) and Unreal 8 (purple). The purple is a chocolate caramel peanut nougat bar and here is the nutritional info for you:
5g fiber
5g protein
90mg sodium
12g fat
17g sugar
200 calories
SO good. It's similar to a Snickers bar, but the flavor is outstanding! The perfect balance of sweet and salty! The red is a chocolate caramel nougat bar, so essentially the same as the purple but without the peanuts. It's similar to a Milky Way, this was J's favorite. Here's the nutritional info for this bar:
5g fiber
4g protein
130mg sodium
7g fat
19g sugar
170 calories

Next, we tried the peanut butter cups, aka the Unreal 77.

This wasn't J's favorite, however he is used to sweetened, processed peanut butter. The peanut butter in these cups is absolutely REAL. It's NOT smooth, so the texture may throw you off a bit, but they were SO good. Nutritional info:
3g fiber
5g protein
115mg sodium
12g fat
11g sugar
190 calories

Last, but definitely not least, we tried the candy coated chocolate pieces.

The top bag is Unreal 41 (blue), these are similar to plain M&M's. This is the one we let Boogie try... let's just say she is a HUGE HUGE... HUGE fan. She kept signing "more" and saying "pwetty pweety pwease more!" J is NOT a fan of M&M's, but he did say that they are better than M&M's, but he prefers the nougat bars! I thought these were delicious! The chocolate is so yummy, and the colors are amazing! I wish I had taken a picture of the pieces, they have a natural look to them, they are not bright and vivid like M&M's but more earth like tones. Nutritional info for Unreal 41:
3g fiber
4g protein
35mg sodium
10g fat
19g sugar
190 calories

The bottom bag is Unreal 54 (green) and these are similar to Peanut M&M's. These were MY favorite. Sweet and salty are a pregnant lady's best friend! Even J thought these were pretty good! Nutritional info:
3g fiber
6g protein
20mg sodium
11g fat
16g sugar
200 calories

So... I highly HIGHLY recommend this candy, and guess what? I have THREE coupons to share! These coupons are BOGO Free! And one lucky winner will receive all three coupons so that they can try all five flavors and get an extra pack to share! These candy bars are about $1.19 at CVS, but you can also find them at several different locations including: Michaels, Walgreens, Kroger, Rite Aid and several more stores!  Head on over to Get Unreal to learn more about this new candy brand! If you'd like a chance to try this candy with some great coupons just fill out the Rafflecopter form below. You have until September 20th to enter!





a Rafflecopter giveaway

I am a BzzAgent and by being a BzzAgent I am given many opportunities to try and review different products. I am under no obligation to give products or coupons away, I do so because I want to share! All opinions are MY OWN!


9.02.2012

28 Weeks




How far along? 28 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: A total gain of 6lbs, so I've officially stopped bouncing up and down 3lbs... that means Bubby is gaining weight!


Maternity clothes? Everything with the exception of a few regular tshirts and pj's I wear to bed! All of my tank tops are non-maternity 


Stretch marks? same old same old


Sleep: I sleep okay... although Boogie has been waking up every night here lately... not sure what her deal is

Best moment this week: Bubby is moving so much, which isn't anything new from my last update... but this is my favorite part of pregnancy!


Movement: SOO much! He's a wiggler!


Food cravings: Cereal and milk


Gender: Still a boy...


Labor signs: Had a little bit of an incident with round ligament pain when lifting Boogie the other day. It was intense and didn't go away so I was afraid I was actually going into labor. It HURT. Nothing like I had belly pain wise during Boogie's pregnancy. Luckily J was able to come home and I was able to rest. I'm still sore in that area (I think I may have pulled the muscle a little), but it's not painful like it was


Belly button in or out? In


Wedding rings on or off? Just my wedding band right now, although I could probably put my engagement ring back on... my wedding band is feeling rather loose lately.


What I miss: Getting up without huffing and puffing. I feel like Bubby is so much lower than Boogie was at this point, I never had trouble getting up during that pregnancy.  


What am I looking forward too: Getting to snuggle Bubby into one of our cushy wraps!


Weekly Wisdom: Ask for help. You may need it... even if you don't want it!

 
Milestones: According to Baby Gaga Bubby blinks when he sees light and his bone marrow is making red blood cells!


**keep an eye out tonight or tomorrow for my review on Unreal candy... has to come after hw though! ;-)