My Pixie Dust Diary

Keeping Hubby Involved

2012-03-07T23:59:00.009-05:00

When you’re pregnant you tend to get a lot of attention. You’ve got the visible belly (most of the time – I didn’t really with my second pregnancy), if you’re lucky you’ll have a shower thrown for you and your bundle of joy, all those doctor’s appointments and lots of inquisitive people asking when you’re due. While it’s nice most of the time, it can get overwhelming. It also may make your significant other feel a little bit neglected. So how can you keep your hubby or significant other involved during the pregnancy? Here are a couple of ideas:

Bring ‘em to the appointments. Most guys don’t really envision themselves at every appointment and honestly how much fun is sitting in the waiting room for half an hour for a five minute appointment? If you know something big is coming up (an ultrasound for example), make sure hubby knows about it. If it’s important to you that he’s there, make sure he knows that. Before you invite your mom, sister, best friend and everyone else, see if he’s ok with that or if he thought it would be more a “just the two of you” thing.

Get his input. Again, since men don’t really have to deal with the whole pregnancy things, they’re happy for you to just figure out what you and baby need and go from there. Take him along to register with you (he’ll love scanning things at the store!), ask for name ideas, give him some nursery choices, things like that.

Be upfront. If there are things you’ve got your heart set on, let him know right away so you two can discuss it if you don’t share the same feelings or views. If there’s something you want or need him to do, tell him. I’ve found that my hubby’s usually happy to help with something if I’m specific about what I want or need done.

Plan ahead for him. While you’re packing things for you and the baby in the hospital bag, throw in a few things for hubby too like snacks or a magazine. He’ll appreciate it I’m sure and probably wouldn’t think to bring some of those things for himself.

Get him a photo album. When he goes back to work, people are going to ask to see pictures. Either be sure to take some on his phone or print some off and put them in a small album for him to have with him. The girls at the office will ooh and aah over your little bundle of joy and it will give him a chance to show off and be a proud daddy.

Encourage him. Chances are, if this is his first baby, he’s probably pretty terrified about what lies ahead with both childbirth and having a newborn to care for. When he’s doing something right, be sure he knows it (and hopefully continues!). Send him some videos on giving baby a sponge bath or an article you found on how important the bond between daddy and baby is. Everyone’s got things to learn when they bring a new baby into the world no matter how many you have at home.

How did you keep your hubby or significant other involved during the pregnancy?

Three More Weeks!

2012-03-07T09:00:00.002-05:00

Three weeks from today, I’ll be snuggling our new little princess and I cannot wait!!

So far, everything’s gone fairly well the past few weeks. I did fall a couple of weeks ago but everything was fine thankfully. She’s still a girl, her lungs seem to be working like they should (hopefully that means a screaming baby – never in a million years did I think I’d pray for a baby who screams!) and she’s growing bigger each week.

My current dilemma is figuring out what to take for her to wear home from the hospital. The boys never really fit into newborn sized clothes. I’ve got some but not many since I don’t think she’ll be in them long either. Right now I’ve got newborn and zero to three month sized stuff set out. There are also warm and “cool” weather options to choose from. When I brought Corbin home, it was the middle of July so it was an easy choice – something very light weight. Carter was a little trickier. He came home just before Thanksgiving but it wasn’t really cold that day so he just wore a light outfit. Since we’re in the South now and it’s already been in the 70s and 80s, who knows what it will be like in three weeks.

The “nursery” (her corner of the master bedroom) is just about finished. Another shelf from Target for some storage and I think we’ll be all set for the time being. Our local consignment sale is this weekend so maybe I’ll find something awesome there too. She’s also already taken over a corner of the living room with her pack and play, rocking chair, bouncy seat and swing.

I’m checking things off my list and trying to plan things out over the next couple of weekends to make sure I get some things done before this little one arrives. I’d like to get the house cleaned up, do some grocery shopping and get the car seat in the van. Hopefully then I’ll have less to do and can just sit around for a couple of days at home.

Not only am I due this month, hubby’s cousin is due in about a week with their first baby and a co – worker’s wife is two weeks ahead of me so there are lots of babies on the horizon.

Three weeks seems like years away but hopefully the time passes quickly and it will be here very soon!

Disney Dreams

2012-03-05T23:59:00.009-05:00

Life’s been more than a little crazy the past few months and honestly Disney hasn’t been at the forefront of my mind. There’s not a day that passes in our family that there’s not some talk about Disney so it’s never far from my mind, just not the focus these past few months. I knew we didn’t have a trip coming up until this fall so I was trying to get other things lined up first like the baby’s nursery. Well, time seems to fly here in my little world and October will be here before I know it. We’ve got to figure out where we want to stay and get a deposit put down. I plan on using Joe DeFazio of Off to Neverland Travel again to help us get our plans in order and avoid a meltdown on my part. He was more than amazing helping with our trip last October and I totally trust him to help with this special trip. I have big dreams of a pixie dust filled trip for the baby’s first trip and I know Joe will do all he can to make sure it’s as fabulous as possible for all of us.

We already know when we’re going – the boy’s fall break – so that part’s pretty easy for us. Where to stay is another story…the boys (all three) want to stay in the Poly or Contemporary. I can’t spend that amount of money on a room despite how wonderful it would be to wake up and see the castle and just walk out to get on the monorail. Right now we’re leaning towards the new Art of Animation resort set to open up this year. With rooms that are a little larger, the extra space would be welcomed for sure. Off property’s not really an option for us since we’re hoping to be blessed with “free” dining again this year which saves our family a ton. It’s great to be able to make reservations and order whatever you’d like without having to worry about the cost of anything.

Another thing we already know is that we’re going to get annual passes which means another year of long weekend trips for us! We’ll also get the Tables in Wonderland card to help with meal costs on future trips.

One of the (many) unknowns at this point is how it’s all going to work out. My youngest was about 14 months the first time we took him and he did really well. We take lots of breaks, go back to the room for naps and don’t really rush around all too much while we’re there. This is also another benefit to using Joe’s services – he’s taken his own little one so he’s been very helpful with tips and suggestions. Hopefully all will go well and everyone will have a very magical time.

What age were your little ones when you first took them to Disney or on another big trip? How’d it go?

Packing for a Road Trip

2012-03-04T23:59:00.006-05:00

If you don’t already think I’m crazy, you might when you hear this: we’re driving to Michigan in June. Yup that’s right – 16 hours in a car with three kids 7, 5 and 10 weeks. The boys have done this trip several times before and generally do ok but adding a baby to the mix has me a little worried to say the least. I’m hoping she’ll be a good traveler and I won’t be totally regretting the drive before we’re out of the state.

As always, I’ve got a list (ok several lists) started with ideas for things to pack, entertainment ideas, snack ideas and things like that. I’m not too worried about the entertainment and snacks for the boys – they’ve already made suggestions about things to take and will help with the packing when the time comes. Packing in general, or perhaps over packing, is my concern.

It’s still chilly (to us) in Michigan in early June, especially in the evening, so we need to pack warm clothes (shorts and t-shirts) for the daytime and something a bit warmer to wear in the evenings (jeans and sweatshirts). I can normally fit everything into two suitcases but it’s usually pretty tight. Now we’ve got another person’s things to add to the mix and keep it all organized. Right now, I’ve got a couple of options:

• Zip top bags – These will work great for the baby’s clothes and probably my youngest son but I think my oldest son (who probably needs the organization the most) won’t be excited about this idea. I’d have to get the maybe 2 gallon sized bags for his clothes instead of just the gallon size. The down side to this method is purchasing the bags. If you save them and reuse them, it would probably be ok, but buying new bags and throwing them out each time is a little much for me. An alternative idea would be to only store certain things in the bags (like a bag for underwear, hair bows, ect).

• Space Bags – I haven’t personally tried this method yet but I got some for Christmas specifically for trying out when we pack stuff to see if it will save us space. I’m curious to see how much will be held in the bags and how much space they’ll take up when the air’s sucked out of them. The down side of this option is that you have to have a vacuum to suck the air out so if you’re traveling to a hotel or something, this may not be the best option. I’ve read on line that you can roll the zip top bags up once they’re filled to try and get the air out and take up less space that way without the vacuum.

• Personal Bags – It will result in more luggage in the car, but another option is each kid getting their own (small) suitcase. We haven’t done this before because we’ve always been able to fit everything but it might be worth it this time to keep everything separated. Here the down side would be more bags to keep track of and having less space in the van.

In addition to luggage, we’ll have a small cooler for drinks and formula, the boy’s activity bags (small backpack sized), a bag of snacks, the baby’s diaper bag as well as a few of the things she can’t live without (right now a bouncy – type chair that folds flat, her tub and boppy pillow but these might change once she’s actually here and we figure out what she likes and doesn’t like) and an overnight bag to take into the hotel when we stop on the drive up an back. We’re not taking a ton of things with us but it all adds up quickly.

How do you pack for your family? What kinds of things do you take with you?

Bringing Home Baby

2012-03-01T23:59:00.000-05:00

Having done this twice before, you’d think I've got this all figured out. Not so much… Every time has been a different set of circumstances so sadly we don’t really have any “traditions” or anything else. With my first, we stopped at the softball game hubby was supposed to be playing in for everyone to see the baby (full disclosure: hubby wanted to stop…I wanted to take my sore from a c-section self home and rest but it all worked out). I finally came home to a house of people that continued in a seemingly endless stream for the next several weeks. The second time around, I had grand plans of popping into the hospital at my scheduled time Monday morning, having a baby and coming home to host Thanksgiving at our house on Thursday. Well, God and baby had another plan that included the little one spending a week in the regional NICU. On my way home with him, I stopped at my office since no one really came to visit him/us while we were in the hospital (on the way home the first time - without baby - I stopped at Walmart for retail therapy). Everyone was very much wrapped up in Christmas and the holidays so there wasn't nearly as much fuss over him. My fingers are crossed that the third time’s a charm. My dream is to head to the hospital at the appointed time on my Wednesday morning in March, have a healthy, beautiful baby and be home by Saturday morning.

So what did you do when you brought your little one home for the first time?

Nervous

2012-02-29T23:59:00.000-05:00

When I was pregnant with my first son, I read countless websites with other moms and moms – to – be on them to see what laid ahead for me. I also spent hours reading pregnancy books over and over. I don’t really remember being nervous about anything at all. I knew it was going to be a lot of work and there would be pain involved but having worked with kids for so long, I knew it was very much worth every second. There were little bumps during the pregnancy but overall, I didn't have “new mom jitters” that I’d read about. The only time I really got frustrated was when my due date came and went with no baby…

It was pretty much the same story when I found out I was pregnant with my second son. Things had turned out well the first time so I had expectations going into things. I’d switched doctors and hospitals so I knew things would be slightly different but the major things like having a c-section and bringing home a baby would still be the same. I’ll never forget the moment laying there on the table in the operating room when they pulled the baby out and there were no sounds – no screaming, no crying, nothing. Only being able to hold him for a few brief seconds before they took him to the NICU was terrible but it was a relief to be somewhere where he could get the attention he needed right away. Those few seconds have totally changed how I looked at my current pregnancy.

This time around, I feel like I’ve been nervous about every little thing in hopes of preventing another NICU visit for this little one. As is with most things, this pregnancy has been totally different than my other ones – the “morning” sickness lasted all day, every day for about four months, I had a terrible cold/bronchitis/sinus issues for about three months, the exhaustion that was only supposed to last the first trimester has never really left and on and on. I feel like I’ve called the office for so many different things this time and make sure to ask if everything’s on track at each and every appointment. I’ve discussed my past birth experiences and tried to make every attempt to not have those experiences again this time. People have said that I’m more paranoid this time than I was the first time and they’re right. As much as I cannot wait to meet this sweet princess, I want her to stay right where she is until her scheduled debut in hopes that I’ll hear those tell – tale screams when I’m lying on the operating table this time.

What did you worry about during pregnancy?

Decisions

2012-02-28T23:59:00.001-05:00

I’d like to think that I’m pretty level headed when it comes to making decisions (ok maybe I’m not the most level headed while eight months pregnant but I can resist spending an insane amount of money on that totally adorable dress this baby will wear twice…). It’s not so much the decision itself that I have a problem making; it’s the spending of the money part. By no means have I ever been “rich”. While I was single and kidless, I did have more of a discretionary income and looking back I should have done a better job saving instead of spending but at the time it all seemed ok. Research is a huge part of my decision making process and that includes asking friends and family their experiences before making an especially large purchase.

Currently, we’re trying to make two large purchases in our family. Our current van is over 107,000 miles and is constantly having problems. Since we’re driving to Michigan this summer for our vacation, we need something more dependable and reliable before that trip. We know we need a mini van (we haven’t found an SUV that can compare as far as space for people and things) but have gone back and forth about what kind and what features we want it to include. I love the electronic doors and rear hatch on our current van; it makes getting the kids in and out so much easier. Of course, the down side to this is the passenger side sliding door hasn’t worked in a long time due to electrical problems. We’ve replaced the wiring harness thing twice and I refuse to pay all that money to replace it a third time. The boys have also requested that the new van have a DVD player. While we don’t watch a ton of tv – especially in the car, on long trips to Disney and Michigan, that DVD player sure comes in handy. I also love having a sun roof in our vehicle. The weather here in the South is so nice for so much of the year that we really put it to good use. Other than that, I really didn’t have much on my list of “must haves”. Some of the other things to consider for us was the ability of the boys to get in and out on their own and be able to buckle and operate the controls for heat/AC and things like that as well as just being enough room over all. Purchasing a vehicle just makes me so nervous. We’ve never had really great luck with vehicles and buying something that we’re going to keep a very long time is a big commitment to make (especially for the commitment – phobic person like me!). That, along with the car payment have really stalled out the decision making process. I don’t mind paying for a vehicle that’s dependable and reliable, I’m just a girl who buys everything on sale and uses coupons for just about everything so a purchase like this is not an easy one for me to make.

The other large purchase currently being debated in our family is a new home. We’ve rented since we moved across the country four years ago and have been looking ever since. Homes are very different here in the South and I just haven’t fallen in love with anything that we’ve looked at so far. Building a house was also debated at one point but I’ve been through that before and didn’t think I could handle the stress of making all the choices for the house. Now that we’re adding another member to our family, the house we live in currently no longer fits us. It’s got three bedrooms and we need at least four (ideally five) for everyone and out of town guests who come to stay with us. Thankfully the master bedroom is plenty big enough for a crib right now so that’s where the princess will stay until we move. Anxiety’s setting in regarding this purchase because the baby will be here in March, we’re going to Michigan in June and our lease is also up in June. That means we’ll spend a week on vacation and come home to pack our entire house and move in a two week period. Granted, we only had about two weeks notice when we moved across the country so I know it can be done, I’d just prefer not to do it that way if possible. There’s also that little detail of actually finding a house that we love and can call our home for the next several years. I don’t want to spend that amount of money and “settle” on something because we needed to move. The other option is to sign another six month lease and put this decision off a bit longer – right smack dab in the middle of the crazy busy holiday season.

So what big decisions have you made and how did you decide?

What to Pack Hospital Edition

2012-02-27T23:59:00.000-05:00

Packing’s on my mind a lot these days…between packing for the hospital and thinking about packing for our upcoming trip this summer, my brain’s swirling with ways to be super efficient with my packing adventures.

I’ve Googled lots of packing lists for hospital bags and they all pretty much say the same few things: pjs, comfy clothes to come home in, your own pillow and blanket, an outfit for baby to wear home, magazines or books and toiletries. Having packed for the hospital twice before, I’ve got the basics covered but wanted to make sure that I hadn’t missed anything. Honestly, what I specifically packed was a blur both times previously. My first pregnancy I packed for what I thought was a “normal” birth that turned into an emergency c-section and my second time around, I knew it would be a c-section. This time around, it’s another c-section for me which will slightly affect what I would bring. One thing to keep in mind is that most hospital rooms are not huge so you won’t want a bunch of stuff lying around if you’re not going to use it.

Here’s my feedback on the “what to pack” lists:

• PJs – let’s be honest here….having a baby is very messy. Yes your own personal pjs might be more comfy, but chances are, they’ll also get ruined in the process. Not worth it to me – I’ll stick with those super sexy hospital gowns that I’m already paying for in the over-inflated price they’re charging me to have this baby.

• Clothes to wear home – yes you will need these. I’ve seen people suggest a dress or overalls. I’m guessing they mean a long, flowy dress that my luck I’d probably trip over. No thanks. I also couldn’t imagine overalls. When you haven’t had a baby, they’re a ton of work to get off when you’ve got to go to the bathroom….I can’t imagine after having a baby. I’ve always worn just sweatpants or jogging pants and a t-shirt. Nothing fancy at all that I couldn't live without.

• Pillows and blankets – again, having a baby is a messy thing. Both times previously, I wasn’t thinking about comfort or missing my pillow from my bed – I was focused on other things like contractions or the baby I’d just had. I think this is very much a personal preference. If it will make you more comfortable, bring them. I would suggest bringing pillow cases that you don't care about in case they get stained. Another thing would be to get some kind of plastic cover for the pillow to protect that as well.

• Outfit for baby – this is a big one for me. I don’t know why I obsess so much over what the kid’s going to wear home – it’s not like we’re stopping at the store and might run into someone or have a house full of guests waiting for our arrival. None the less, I’ve already started debating what this little princess will wear when we’re ready to leave. I will say that I've currently got two in two different sizes set out - one for warmer weather and one for cooler weather. I've got both newborn and 0 - 3 month sized items. Neither of my boys really fit into newborn clothes and if they did, it wasn't for long at all.

• Magazines and books – this is another one I just don’t get. With my first, I didn’t go to the hospital until I was already in labor and was not interested in catching up on reading even once I’d had an epidural (after about 24 hours of labor). The pre-op room for my second wasn’t really set up for reading either and I was so nervous and excited I don’t think I could have concentrated on whatever I was reading. Once I had my babies, I didn’t have a lot of time to read anything. The first time around, my hospital room was pretty much always full of visitors and the second time around my time was spent in the RNICU rocking my baby. Things will be different this time since we don’t really have family here and I’m praying for no NICU. The book can wait…I’ve waited nine months to sit and hold this baby so that’s what I’ll do.

• Toiletries – if you’re picky about what you use on your hair or body, I suggest you bring your own. The first time I took a shower after having the boys, I didn’t really care what the heck I was using. I still felt like I had been run over by a truck. I’m not super picky anyways on what specific brands of body wash or hair products. I’ve got some travel size stuff tucked away that I’ll throw in to have on hand.

Other things to think about:

• Outfit for pictures – every hospital I’ve been in takes pictures of the babies. I know the prices are crazy but, if you can afford it, at least buy the smallest package they offer. You’ll only get the chance for those pictures once and once you don’t have them, you’ll want them. Be sure to let the nurses know that you’ve got an outfit too. Sometimes the picture people come in, grab the baby and they’re gone before you totally grasp what’s happened or you might be sleeping while they’re there. If your significant other or the nurses know, many times they’ll say something for you and the photographers will come back when you’re awake or provide the items if they know where they are.

• Breastfeeding items – if you’re planning on breastfeeding, make sure you’ve got pads and cream. Most hospital gift shops sell those items but they’re not going to be cheap and by the time you realize you need them, it will be too late. I would suggest leaving the breast pump at home unless you know you won’t be able to feed your baby whenever you’d like.

Things to not worry about (leave at home):

• Money – chances are, you’re not going to pay for the delivery in cash and hospitals don’t offer safes like hotel rooms so it’s best to keep your money at home.

• Anything of value or that you can’t replace – sometimes things happen very quickly when you’re having a baby. When I had my emergency c-section they were checking and pulling off any jewelry I might have had on including rings and earrings. If it’s special to you and you can’t go buy another to replace it, it’s best to leave it at home. This includes techie items like iPads, laptops and those things since you won't be in your room 24/7 and there will be numerous other people in there all hours of the day and night. Once you’ve had your baby and are settled into your hospital room, your significant other can bring them from home or the car and lock them back up when they’re not in use. Don’t let this happy time be overshadowed by something like having an item stolen, misplaced or broken.

So what am I missing? What did you take with you when you had your little one?

Road Trip!

2012-02-26T23:59:00.000-05:00

When I had my boys, we were lucky enough to live about five to ten minutes from just about anything we needed. My mom was about an hour a way so that was really our only big trips we would take for holidays and things like that. We traveled with both boys when they were younger for vacations but always flew. Our first “real” car trip with the kiddos was when we moved from Michigan to South Carolina. Just imagine your life packed in a Uhaul and your van, driving with your mother in law and a two and a half year old and fourteen month old with an ear ache. That alone was why I was never a big fan of car trips with little kids.

We’ve made the drive to Michigan several times since we’ve moved to go back and visit family and friends and we’re planning on making the trek this summer with an (almost) eight year old, five year old and ten week old. Have I totally lost my mind?? (please don’t answer that) I’m praying the little princess will be a great traveler, no one will be sick and a fresh stock of dvds will make the trip bearable for everyone involved.

Normally, we get up very early the day we’re planning on leaving and just drive all day. We’ve tried breaking it up over two days in the past and it’s such a challenge to get the kids (and adults) back into the car once they’ve been out. This time, we’re planning on making the eighteen hour drive (longer or shorter depending on potty breaks and such) over two days because of the baby. Not knowing how she’ll do being in the car that long makes me not want to put all my eggs in the “drive all day” basket. Flights were considered but the cost of renting a car, shipping our things up, paying baggage fees and other expenses just made it totally unreasonable for us to do that right now. When the kids are a little older, that will become a much better option for us.

Believe it or not, I’ve already started a list of the things I’ll need to purchase for the trip, what we’ve already got to pack and things to pick up once we’ve arrived in Michigan. The car’s always packed to the gills for these trips so I’m trying to be as creative as possible with packing. One thing I’m trying this trip is Space Bags. I’ve seen the commercials (who hasn’t?) and put them on my Christmas list. Thankfully I got a package of them and can’t wait to try them out! My plan is to use them for the clothes, blankets and other soft items I’ll be packing. This could save us a huge amount of suitcase space and maybe I could fit everything into one instead of two or three of them! That would be really awesome.

I’m also planning on packing a small suitcase with overnight stuff in it so we won’t have to drag everything in on the trip up and back when we stop for the night. Hopefully this will just be a small bag that won’t take up a lot of space and will save us some time when we get to the hotels.

Another thing that always has to be packed for our long trips is a cooler. Having some snacks and drinks on hand helps us from stopping constantly for snacks and keeps everyone from getting too crabby. Instead of our big cooler on wheels that we normally take, I’m thinking about just taking our smaller cooler that we take into the parks at Disney with us. It should work just fine and save a lot of room in the van.

If all goes well, we’ll have a trial run with a mini road trip to Sea World over Memorial Day weekend. That will be about a third of the time the kids will need to be in the car but it will be great practice to make sure I’ve got everything I need for the baby and that everyone’s happy in their positions in the car during the trip. My only concern is that it’s just a couple of weeks before we’re planning on leaving for Michigan so it’s going to be a lot of work packing and unpacking in that couple of weeks. I think it will be worth it though.

On or Off?

2012-02-25T23:59:00.002-05:00

Seeing how quickly the last eight months have passed makes me realize how quickly the next year will fly by. Being filled with many things like our trip to Michigan for out little princess to meet the family, the boy’s birthdays and all the “firsts” of a baby girl, it will be Christmas before I know it. If nothing else, there’s one thing we know we want to do this year – go back to Disney! We’ve got a pretty firm set of dates that we are planning on going (the boy’s fall break from school) so that part’s already pretty much decided. Now to figure out where to stay. This is always a tough choice for our family. My youngest loves picking out where we’re going to live while we’re at Mickey’s house. My oldest doesn’t really care either way as long as there’s a pool. Hubby has always wanted to stay at the Contemporary and always tries to talk the boys into his picks. I don’t really have a favorite or preferred resort – I’m always just happy to be at Disney.

This will be our first trip traveling with a baby so I feel like it’s our first trip all over again. I’ve tried doing lots of research on the best places to stay with a baby, on site or off site, asking friends who’ve been with babies and still don’t have an answer that just jumps out at me. I know wherever we stay will need to be big enough for a family of five and all the things that we’ll need for a seven month old.

Staying on site has the benefit of extra magic hours – something we’ve always taken advantage of, the provided transportation (even when we stay on site, we still drive to and from the parks) and ability to split up if needed and hopefully free dining and some pixie dust. Off site might be slightly cheaper, we could make our own meals and would have plenty of space for everyone to spread out when they need to. Right now the boys (all three of them) are leaning very much towards on site. Carter is excited about the Art of Animation resort and the different rooms they will have to offer. Hubby’s still pushing for the Contemporary or Poly but I can’t sleep at night knowing we’re spending that much on a room and all the other things I could have spent that money on.

If you’ve taken a little one to Disney, did you stay on or off site? I want the baby’s first trip to be special but I know it will be no matter where we stay.

Me and My Lists

2012-02-24T23:59:00.002-05:00

Now that I’m officially 34 weeks pregnant, I’ve really started to focus on all the things I still need (and want) to get before our little princess arrives. I set up registries at Target and Babies R Us because both offered a free goody bag (lots of samples and coupons!) and a free gift card for setting one up. Even if no one buys a thing from them, it was worth it for the freebies! I’ve got lists upon lists of things that need to be done, purchased and made along with a stockpile of items that I’ve been purchasing at garage sales, Goodwill, Target and other places.

I was totally surprised when a girlfriend offered to throw me a shower and enlisted the help of another girlfriend. I never expected anything like that but the special people in my life always continue to amaze me. I’m so looking forward to the shower even though I don’t really know too much other than the date, time and location. One of the things the ladies asked for was a list of things I needed so they could help spread the word to guests. Making this list was a huge help for me! I actually made three lists – what I needed, what I wanted and what I’d already purchased. I’ve been updating these lists as I’ve gotten items and it really made me look at what I actually will “need” when this little one comes home from the hospital and what’s just “extra” or could wait a few months to be purchased.

Having never had a baby in the South before, I’m struggling a little bit with what kind of outfits we’ll need so I’ve got a variety at this point. It will probably be warming up at the end of March but we’ll be heading to Michigan in June and it will still be chilly in the evenings so those pants and sweaters will get some use.

Another “must have” item is bottles. I’ve used the Playtex Ventaire bottles for both of my boys so that’s what I’m planning on using this time as well. I like the fact that they help reduce air which means less gas.

We’ve also got to get a new car seat and stroller for this little bug. We’ve long gotten rid of the boy’s seats and the stroller’s nine years old so it’s really time for a new one.

Besides diapers and wipes, those are the basics that I’m focusing on right now. I don’t want to purchase any formula just yet. Both boys had problems with formula and we went through several kinds to find something that worked well for them. Once we’ve found something that works this time, we’ll stock up.

I’m happy to say that Great Grandma’s got our little princess stocked up on bibs and burb cloths so we’re all set with those things! As I mentioned, I’ve also been picking up other things along the way. I’ve got a small stock pile of clothes and managed to happen upon a consignment sale last fall just after I’d found out I was pregnant and got a good deal on a couple of bigger items like a bouncy seat. The rest will all fall into place. The spring consignment sale is coming up at the beginning of March so I’m hoping to find some more great deals there and I’m keeping my eye out for baby stuff at garage sales every week. It’s hard to believe in just two short months our little princess will be here!!

Priorities

2012-02-23T23:59:00.000-05:00

It’s funny how life works sometimes. Between the craziness of the holidays, being pregnant and sick and just life in general, some things have come up that have really made me think about priorities and what I really want in this life I’m living. I haven’t had an easy path so far in my life and some day maybe there will be fewer mountains to climb but right now, I’m happy for the blessings that I’ve got.

One of the first things that happened was my grandmother passing away last fall just after our Disney trip. I’m not very close to my family but was saddened by the news and will miss visiting with them when we’re back in Michigan. I’m so thankful for the memories I’ve got with her and know she’s taking care of my little girl until she’s ready to be born next month.

Despite feeling totally terrible for about three months over fall and winter, I’m happy to finally say that I just might be getting better. It took many, many prescriptions and lots of hours of rest but we might finally be past the worst….or so I thought when the boys got Fifth’s Disease. There was no harm to either of the boys – it’s simply a virus you get and have to let it run its course. I immediately consulted my pregnancy books and Google and learned that there are some pretty serious side effects if you catch Fifth’s Disease while pregnant for the unborn baby which of course made me panic. Thankfully the bloodwork’s all come back just fine and we’re again back on track. Fifth's Disease was followed by pink eye and a weird stomach virus (vomiting included) which I also thankfully missed out on!

Another tragedy over the holidays shook my mommy bones when a friend’s three week old grandson passed away very unexpectedly. I began to reconsider everything I’d already purchased for our baby – was it safe enough, how could I prevent an accident like this from happening to my family and so on. The family’s doing as well as can be expected but it’s something that crosses my mind very often and I know that I’m gearing up to be even more paranoid this time around than I probably was with my first child.

All of these events have really made me think about the people in my life, what I’m doing (or not doing) with my life and how I can get on the path I want to be on. I know it will take a lot of work on my part to let some walls down and allow people in, but I really think it will be worth it in the end. In an instant those people might not be in your life any longer.

On the Horizon...

2012-02-14T09:42:00.000-05:00

I know it's been a while and I really greatly appreciate your patience with me! As I've said before, life's been a little crazy but I've been working on some posts and will have them up soon! I want to get back to my blogging and social media life. I miss the friends I've made and having that interaction. Hopefully I can get back on track sooner rather than later.

In the mean time,

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Holy Holidays!

2011-12-12T23:59:00.000-05:00

Where did 2011 go!?!?!?? It seems like just a few days ago my oldest son and I were sharing the excitement of staying up all night watching the ball drop on tv and wishing each other a happy new year (hubby and the little one had already long fallen asleep) and here we are again looking forward to our all night party. 2011 has been full of business and activity for our family:

*January gave me a little time to recover from the holidays
*February had family visits and our nieces second birthday party
*March was a busy time at Corbin’s school and at my office
*April was Easter and another visit from family and a trip to Disney for the Flower and Garden Festival
*May was Mother’s Day and a trip to Disney for Star Wars Weekend
*June was busy with the end of school, Father’s Day and planning for Corbin’s birthday party
*July was Corbin and hubby’s birthday (on the same day!) and the exciting news that our family of four was becoming a family of five
*August was back to school and new challenges at work
*September held another Disney trip and hubby being in class for two weeks out of state
*October was our town’s breast cancer walk that myself and two other girls planned along with another Disney trip over fall break. We also welcomed little Cousin Landon to the world!
*November was my baby’s birthday party and of course Thanksgiving
*December is my birthday and of course Christmas

Believe it or not, 2012 doesn’t appear to be slowing down at all! There are so many things that need to be done and that I want to do before the baby arrives and I just don’t know where we’re going to fit it all in at this point. The first half of our year is already looking busy:

*January will be busy at work reviewing budgets at work and getting people trained to fill in for me while I’m on maternity leave. Family’s also planning on visiting again this month so we’ll have company to keep us busy too.
*February hosts our niece’s third birthday and our chili dinner for the fire department.
*March will be stress filled at our house I’m sure! I’ll be busy cooking some meals for the freezer and counting down until the 29th when our little bundle of joy arrives.
*April is Easter this year and we’ll probably have some family visiting to meet the newest member of our family. I want to try my hand at some newborn pictures this time around so hopefully I’ll feel up to that.
*May will be spent trying to get everyone adjusted to our big lift change.
*June holds the end of the school year and a trip back to Michigan to visit family and friends so they can meet our little princess.

As I look back over 2011, it was really a great year. I got to meet some amazing people, do some really spectacular things and have been so blessed. I hope and pray that continues into 2012 for my family.

Third Time's a Charm

2011-12-11T23:59:00.001-05:00

At least that’s what they say…. I hope “they” are right! So far, this pregnancy has been so totally different than my last two. None of them were perfect by any means but I was able to enjoy them a little more than this time. With this pregnancy, I have been sick pretty much from the second I got pregnant. The first 16 weeks or so consisted of constant morning sickness and exhaustion. The following week was full of Disney packing and last minute planning. Week 18 was our Disney trip which started out pretty great but ended with a nasty cold and my grandmother’s passing. Weeks 19 and 20 continued the cold and total exhaustion. I finally felt a little better at week 21 but the cold seems to be coming back, this time in my chest which should make for a great Thanksgiving.

I also feel totally behind with this baby. With my first, I was blessed to have a huge shower and family and friends spoiled us with tons of gifts. I also picked up things pretty much from when I found out I was pregnant until the baby arrived. Since the second was also a boy and only a couple of years had passed, I was pretty much set for baby items. Here we are five years later, this time expecting a girl and I feel like a first time parent all over again. I’ve been hitting garage sales and thrift stores picking up some cheap baby things and promised myself after Christmas that I will start really shopping and stocking up on things for the house and the baby. I’m beyond thrilled that a great friend offered to throw me a shower so she and another friend are busily planning that.

Hubby and I sat down and started looking at the calendar to see when we were going to fit things in for the next few months. That was a huge eye opener seeing that there weren’t really that many weekends until we’d be checking into a hospital and leaving with our new little princess which has led to the agreement that our time off over Thanksgiving will mean deep cleaning the house and getting rid of a lot of junk (this didn’t go quite as planned and only one room really got cleaned...). Ideally we’ll have a garage sale early next year before the baby arrives to clean out the junk and make room for all the baby items. I’m excited to take this project on and hope I’m able to get rid of a bunch of things that we don’t really use but I’ve been holding on to for way too long.

I’m really hoping this time’s a charm! The boys know a baby sister is coming but I don’t think either of them has really put much thought into what exactly that means to them. I’m looking forward to a happy, healthy baby that we’ll all get to love on and spend lots of time with in 2012 and beyond!

Feeling Like a Failure...

2011-12-08T07:34:00.000-05:00

Sometimes people with big dreams can’t see far enough into the future to know what lies ahead. If you could, would you still make the same choices, commitments and comments in your life? Probably not 100% the same which is probably why many of us cannot see into the future. When I started this blog, I had a lot more “free” time, a lot less stress and tons of energy and excitement. Sadly, my “free” time is almost zero now between the holidays, taking on a lot of new responsibilities at work and getting ready for our new baby to arrive in just 110 days (not that I’m counting or anything…). Of course the new baby and new things at work also add to the stress; so does being sick for the past five weeks and falling so far behind on just about everything in my life. Example? My baby turned five last Sunday and his party was thrown together in less than a week. Between being at Disney and my being sick, I didn’t have the time to put more effort into it. Thankfully everyone had a good time in the end but I still felt bad about not putting more time into the day.

Right now, I just totally feel like a failure. I haven’t blogged nearly as much as I’d like to. It’s not that I don’t have ideas – I’ve got a whole list!! I just don’t always have the time or energy at the end of the day (or any day) to write. Believe it or not, it really makes me sad not to be writing more. I love writing and this blog has been such a great outlet for me. I also don’t feel like I’m keeping up with other commitments I’ve made and I hate letting people down. One thing I’m trying hard to work on is getting back into writing mode and making the time to write a post or two every day. Hopefully getting back into a routine will help me.

So if you’re still out there, thank you for being patient with me. And if you’re not, I can’t say that I blame you one bit! Hopefully you’ll give me another chance one of these days. I also want to apologize to those I’ve let down and say again that I’m truly sorry.

Wonder Wednesday Blog Hop

2011-11-09T08:21:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the "Wonder Wednesday" Social Media Meet 'n Greet!

We all Welcome You!

**Zelma's Workshop ** Mama.Mommy.Mom **

**The Grande Life ** My Pixie Dust Diary **

**A Day In Motherhood**

If you would like to GUEST HOST - please email me at jamie@mamamommymom.com

Do you ever Wonder who is out there is this vast blogosphere? Well, here is your chance to find out!

A place to come and link up your GFC, FB, Twitter, Email Subscriptions, RSS Subscriptions, Networked Blogs and anything else you need to get followers to your blog!

1) Please follow A Day in Motherhood, Zelma's Workshop, Mama Mommy Mom, A Grande Life, and My Pixie Dust Diary! Leave a comment so we know to follow you back;

2) Grab our Button, include it in a blog post on your site (not req'd, but it'll get you more attn!)! Be sure to grab our linky code for even MORE followers;

3) and then use your social marketing savvy to spread this hop throughout the blogosphere!

Please show appreciation to those hopping by making sure you take time to follow back!

Please, no giveaways, no sales links, no affiliate links, no spam, and no inappropriate links of any kind! This is a family friendly hop!

Today's the Day!

2011-10-26T23:59:00.000-04:00

Well today we're headed off to see Mickey and friends!! I cannot wait to finish a few things at work this morning and head off to my happy place. We're planning on attending a Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party while we're there, celebrating Carter and my mom's birthdays with a special surprise, buying our baby girl some things and just having a great time together. I'm sure I'll have lots of pictures and stories when we return. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@lynnsc08) to see my tweets from the parks while we're gone.

Wonder Wednesday Blog Hop

2011-10-26T08:02:00.001-04:00

Welcome to the "Wonder Wednesday" Social Media Hop!

We all Welcome You!

**Zelma's Workshop ** Mama.Mommy.Mom **

**The Grande Life ** My Pixie Dust Diary **

**A Day In Motherhood**

If you would like to GUEST HOST - please email Lori at lomargieatgmaildotcom!

Do you ever Wonder who is out there is this vast blogosphere? Well, here is your chance to find out!

A place to come and link up your GFC, FB, Twitter, Email Subscriptions, RSS Subscriptions, Networked Blogs and anything else you need to get followers to your blog!

1) Please follow A Day in Motherhood, Zelma's Workshop, Mama Mommy Mom, A Grande Life, and My Pixie Dust Diary! Leave a comment so we know to follow you back;

2) Grab our Button, include it in a blog post on your site (not req'd, but it'll get you more attn!)! Be sure to grab our linky code for even MORE followers;

3) and then use your social marketing savvy to spread this hop throughout the blogosphere!

Please show appreciation to those hopping by making sure you take time to follow back!

Please, no giveaways, no sales links, no affiliate links, no spam, and no inappropriate links of any kind! This is a family friendly hop!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-25T23:59:00.000-04:00

If Mickey ears can't make you smile, what can???

More Updates

2011-10-25T09:49:00.000-04:00

I want to thank those who are still here reading so very much!! I know I haven't been the best blogger lately but I'm trying to hard to get back into a routine. I follow a few other blogs written by pregnant ladies and always smiled when they took a bit of time off from writing during their pregnancy. I vaguely remember how tired I was with my boys and I should have known what I was in for but I must have totally blocked things from my mind. In my defense, this pregnancy has been totally different from the past two. Before I had a little nausea but it went away fairly quickly. Unfortunetly this time, that's not the case. I've been beyond exhausted and sick with this pregnancy which left me questioning if this was a girl because it was so different from my past experiences. We finally answered that question Saturday. The boys loaded into the car and headed about an hour and a half away (of course the office closer to us didn't have any openings!) to have an "elective" ultrasound done. I wanted to do this for a couple of reasons - first, I wanted to make sure everything was ok before heading off to Disney this week. Secondly, I really, really wanted to know what I was having so I could buy some things while we were on vacation. I'm beyond excited to say we're having a healthy baby girl!!! My boys had a mixed reaction - Corbin was very excited and Carter clearly told the lady "I'm NOT happy!". He quickly got over his unhappiness on the ride home and decided the baby would be named Tigger and he would call her Tigginator. This poor child doesn't know what she's getting herself into. :) Of course the family's beyond thrilled to have another healthy baby, but more excited to have a girl since it's rare on my husband's side of the family to have a girl. Hubby's already determined he needs to start saving for a Disney wedding and the massive amounts of clothes I'll be purchasing.

In other news (I know there's not much bigger than that but there are other things going on), we're leaving for Disney on Thursday for 11 days of magic! To say I need this vacation is the understatement of a lifetime. There have been so many things going on lately that a break is just what I need. We'll arrive Thursday evening in Orlando and not leave the magic until November 6th!! My mom and step dad are joining us for part of the trip; they'll be arriving on Halloween and staying until we leave. The boys are so excited to show them all the fun of Disney and be little tour guides. Believe it or not, I don't have a lot of plans in place so far for this trip and feel totally behind. I know it will all come together in the end, I just feel more pressure because we've got other people with us for the trip. Packing began on Sunday and still needs to be completed. ADRs still need to be made. Both boys need haircuts before we leave. I've got a ton of work at work to be completed. My to do list keeps growing instead of shrinking. I know none of this will matter once we pass under that magical "Welcome to Walt Disney World" sign and I won't think about reality until we're headed back home but until I get to that point, it's kind of stressful.

While I'm absent the next few days, I'll have some fun things to share with everyone: a few of our trip plans, maybe a guest post or two and some pictures for you to enjoy. I'm making more of a commitment to get back into my normal blogging routine once we're back home again. I've got so many topics and ideas...I just need to find the time to get it all out of my head.

Have an amazing week!!

Wonder Wednesday Blog Hop

2011-10-12T08:28:00.001-04:00