20-Week Celebration, Mani’s, Treats & More!

Posted on February 10, 2014 by playinghousewi

I had a great weekend! With Friday marking our half-way point in the pregnancy, we were naturally in good spirits. On Friday, we pretty much just laid low and hung out at home. There’s a chance I was in bed sleeping by 10 pm. Then Saturday, I was up early to meet my mom, sister and niece for manicures (the best way to start a Saturday).

Jessie (my sister) painting Gabbers’ nails… me in the background soaking in the loveliness of being pampered.

Happy Valentine’s Day Nails… I couldn’t resist getting a little festive!

After nails, mom and I grabbed a delicious lunch at my favorite local restaurant, Cafe 1505, and then we were off to do a little maternity shopping. While I have most of my staples, I was in desperate need of a pair of black pants that I could wear to work, some tops, a bra, and potentially some basics for Mexico (shorts, tanks, swimsuit). We were pretty successful in that I was able to get a pair of black pants that I’m in love with, some nice tops including one tank and a short sleeved-shirt or two, and a pair of shorts! BUT, the swimsuit and bra saga were not even a little fun. I almost shed tears a few times. I have always had a chest that is just too big for my frame, so things like swimsuits and bras are VERY difficult for me to find. Maternity bras and swimsuits were no different. Turns out my bra cup size is not made in a small enough band size… or at least not at Pea in the Pod. The lady recommended we go to a different store called Allure, which just so happens to be in the same little mall as Cafe 1505… I’m thinking lunch and bra shopping will be in my near future. As for the swimsuit… ugh. That was just as frustrating. NOTHING fit and I literally tried on about 10 swimsuits. I looked online and Old Navy sells swimsuit separates, which I think might be my best bet. I’m planning to order about 3-5 different styles and sizes and hope that one of them fits.

Okay, enough bitching about shopping. We all know how frustrating that can be… but the positive, is that I came home to my amazing husband who was ready to celebrate our 20-Week milestone. From balloons and flowers to frozen pizza (I have such a soft spot for frozen pizza) and cupcakes, everything was perfect!

I just love these colors and the polka dots! Perfection!

What I walked into!

So, we put our jams (PJ’s) on, made some delicious pizza, and curled up on the couch together. We actually watched, “The Business of Being Born,” which I’ll write about in a different post. What I’ll say now, is that every pregnant woman and her husband should watch this movie. It’s really powerful and is a great reinforcer of the importance of knowing your options at the time of labor.

The next day, Marky helped me make homemade caramel dipped pretzels covered in chocolate and sprinkles. The original plan for these was to just bring them to my doctor and her nurse on Tuesday as a little celebration of us finding out the sex (and the obvious bribery), but I decided to make a double batch and bring some to work. Here’s what I did…

Brought an excessive amount of sugar, corn syrup and butter to a boil… then added sweetened condensed milk.

Then, I cooked the healthy mixture over medium-low heat for what felt like forever (stirring the entire time), until it reached 245 degrees F.

Once it was the right temp, it turned the right color! And caramel was made…

So we dipped the pretzels and let them sit and harden on a buttered piece of parchment paper. This took hours.

Once the caramel was hardened (after about 3-4 hours, I ended up putting it in the fridge for a half hour to really do the trick), I melted different colored candy melts in a double boiler, dipped my pretzels and covered with sprinkles.

The result was a lot of REALLY delicious pink and blue pretzels!

And for my doctor and her nurse, I wrapped up some pretzels in a little bag and added a cute bow! Voila!

I poured the leftover caramel into two well-buttered baking pans and let those harden into yummy caramels!

Here’s the recipe for the pretzels if you’re interested: Caramel Pretzel Stick Rods Dipped in Chocolate.

And while we baked, my sweet husband took some time to chat, up-close and personal, with the babers.

And even took the time to listen a little 🙂

How cute is he?

All in all, it was a great weekend with my hubbers and fam! And now, it’s just one day until we get to see our sweet baby on the big screen and find out the sex… and then Friday, we’re off to NY! This week is definitely going to be an amazing whirlwind!

Symptoms

Besides the rough patches during shopping, it was a great weekend. I’m feeling really good… except for some back pain. But, I’m headed to the chiropractor this afternoon and my sweet Milly gave me money for a massage that I need to book once I’m back from NY. All in all, feeling really excited, happy and good!

My Favorite 18ish Hours of Pregnancy Yet!

Posted on February 7, 2014 by playinghousewi

Yesterday, I left work feeling cranky and ready to battle anyone who came in my way. I ate a quick dinner of leftover Tofu Curry with the hubs and we ran out to make it to our 6pm Doula Meet & Greet. I think I spent the entire car ride bitching about… well, everything. Anyway, we arrived at the Meet & Greet and I was feeling a little skeptical. The room was filled with a bunch of doula characters. Going around the room, there was a seemingly quiet and timid woman in her mid- to late- 30’s; a woman with short hair, harsh eyebrows, and giant hoop earrings; a couple younger more “normal” looking women who turned out to be doulas-in-training; a woman who I later referred to as “Big Rachel” due to her tall stature and big hair… she has 6 kids ranging from 4-22; then Michelle, the woman who started to co-op organization… she has 9 kids ranging from 4-26; “the knitter,” a woman who literally was knitting something throughout the entire meet & greet… this irritated me at first, but she was actually quite nice; some younger woman who’s due with her first baby in July and was rudely not showing even a little bit; this hippy lady with short pigtail braids and a perma-smile on her face; a pretty normal looking doula/nurse who just joined the group; and “Genevieve” who reminded me of Jessa from the show, “Girls.” Total free-spirit, but very sweet and knowledgeable. The Doula group is called Mothering the Mother, Inc.

Anyway, these women started talking and answering questions and with every comment made, my skepticism disappeared and Mark and I were loving all of them more and more. Here are the details…

Money & What it Includes:

Let’s start with the money, because no matter how free-spirited a concept, it’s always about the bottom line, right? The whole thing costs $550.
So, for $550 you get an in-person meeting to determine and discuss your birth-plan, talk about goals, have any questions answered, get hooked up with additional resources, etc. Then, throughout your pregnancy, you stay in contact with the doula group. After each doctor’s appointment, you’re supposed to call/email/text and provide an update on what the doctor said, any concerns you have, etc, at which point the doulas can help answer any questions, etc. And finally, as soon as you start laboring, you call the doula group and you are assigned a doula (whichever doula character happens to be on call that day). The doula will come to your house if you’d like and help you work through your contractions and help you to stay comfortably at home as long as possible before transitioning to the hospital. They will then stay with you through your labor and delivery and for about 1-2 hours post-delivery. The doula will come back and see you for a 6-week visit to talk about the birth (and fill in any details you may have forgotten, answer any questions, etc), see the baby, help with breastfeeding, and answer any questions.
Oh! You also get a free labor support class included.

Mothering the Mother’s Current Stats:

19% Induction rate (compared to 23% in 2009 – I can’t find a more recent number, but from 1990 to 2009 it went from 7% to 23%)
9% Analgesics (I can’t find a rate to compare this to?)
20% Epidurals (I’ve found numbers ranging from 50-75%)
0% Episiotomies (Compared to 30-35% in 2005 – WOOF!)
16% C-Sections (Compared to 32.9% in 2009)

“Big Rachel’s” Labor Prep Book/Movie Recommendations:

The Business of Being Born
Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth
The Birth Partner by: Penny Simkin (for the husband to read)
Big Rachel’s birthing class website: www.betterbirthingservices.com

So, with all that said, Mark and I have decided to hire the doulas. We are really excited about it. It feels like a way for us to be more prepared and feel way more comfortable going into and during our birthing experience. Also worth noting, my crabiness was totally gone after our Meet & Greet. We were both super excited and energized. It was great!

The happiness continued later in the evening. Mark had a ton of work to get done last night, so I went to bed alone. As I do most nights, I laid in bed, poking my tummy or as I like to call it, “I played with the baby.” This time, instead of poking, releasing and waiting for the baby to kick in that spot, I pressed two fingers on my belly and just sat there. THEN… it happened! I felt a serious push back from inside my belly. My stomach was rumbling a little, so I wasn’t sure if I was really feeling our sweet baby kicking from the outside, so I tried it again. AND IT HAPPENED AGAIN! It was such a strong kick it was just crazy and amazing!! I called for Marky to come into the bedroom. I pushed his fingers into a spot on my lower tum and we waited. After a few seconds, he said, “I think I feel it” to which I informed him that he would know when he felt it and that he was probably just feeling one of our hearts beating. So after about 30 or so seconds it happened! Our little baby, future soccer player, gave dad’s fingers a good push. We both gasped and ugh. I can’t even explain how exciting and fun and amazing it was. Feeling the baby from the inside is awesome, but feeling my body between the baby and my husband’s hand was just incredible.

I’m surprised I was able to sleep after that excitement, but exhaustion took over and I was knocked out. I woke up to a dream of Mark and I announcing to our families that we were having a girl. I’m guessing this was a response to one of Mark’s comments last night. After the baby kicked, he said, “Now I really think it’s a girl because that seems like such a ‘you’ thing to do… like the baby’s pushing and saying, ‘get off my bubble’!”

Anyway, the baby played with us again in the morning, which was exciting on its own because today, I am officially 20 weeks pregnant… HALF WAY through this crazy, amazing, exciting, miraculous process. Can’t wait to see you in 140 days, Baby!

Symptoms

Daddy finally got to feel the sweet baby and I could not be any happier or more excited. Love you, sweet baby!

20 Weeks! HALF WAY!! (February 7, 2014)

Posted on February 7, 2014 by playinghousewi

20 Weeks!! (February 7, 2014). We are now officially half way through the pregnancy and time really has just been flying! Only 140 days until we get to meet our sweet nugget. Also, yesterday marked the first day Papa Mark was able to feel the baby kick! Such milestones.

To Doula, Or Not to Doula

Posted on February 6, 2014 by playinghousewi

Tonight Mark and I are going to a “Doula Meet & Greet” at our delivery hospital. I don’t know much about the doula program being offered tonight, but my general understanding is that it’s a Doula Co-op, meaning that you won’t necessarily work with one doula prior to, during and after labor, but that it will work much like the typical doctor situation (ie: you get whichever doula happens to be working/on-call when you begin laboring).

Mark and I have talked about hiring a doula to help with our laboring process, but have not made a decision quite yet. For those of you who don’t know, here’s some background on doulas…

What is a doula? A birth doula is a trained labor coach who assists you during labor and delivery. She provides you with continuous emotional support, as well as assistance with other non-medical aspects of your care.

At this point, you might be thinking, “isn’t that what your husband is for?” BUT, the biggest difference is that this individual is trained in labor coaching and can answer your questions during labor, suggest positions during labor, help you with breathing techniques, etc. In fact, studies show that deliveries with doulas tend to use pain medication less often, have slightly shorter labors, and are less likely to have a c-section or a forceps or vacuum-assisted delivery.

According to DONA International, a doula is a professional who is trained in childbirth and provides continuous support to a mother before, during, and just after birth (postpartum doulas are not covered in this article). Doula comes from a Greek word that means “a woman who serves” or “handmaiden.”

According to this website, delivery outcomes with doulas had significant benefits:

31% decrease in the use of Pitocin
28% decrease in the risk of C-section
12% increase in the likelihood of a spontaneous vaginal birth
9% decrease in the use of any medications for pain relief
14% decrease in the risk of newborns being admitted to a special care nursery
34% decrease in the risk of being dissatisfied with the birth experience

Here are stats from another website:

50% fewer caesarean sections
Reduction in the use of forceps vacuum by 40%
60% fewer requests for epidurals
40% reduction in the use of synthetic oxytocin for inductions or augmentations
30% reduction in use of pain medication
25% reduction in labor length
Increased rates of breastfeeding at 6 weeks post-partum (51% vs 29%)
Higher self-esteem (74% vs 59%), less anxiety (28% vs 40%) and less depression (10% vs 23%) at 6 weeks post-partum

Regardless of which is more accurate, it’s enough to intrigue me. I anticipate that labor is going to be the most physically and mentally challenging thing I’ve ever done and I want to be as prepared and well-equipped as possible. So, tonight, we meet doulas! I’ll let you know how it goes.

Symptoms

Ugh, I just feel very blah today. Tired, sluggish, and swollen. I know that it’s so natural and healthy to be gaining weight during this time, but I can’t help but look in the mirror and think, “Ughh, I look fat.” I love my tummy and the little baby inside, but I guess this is just the product of a person who’s spent their entire life concerned with image. I mean, I’ve always gained weight very easily and have had to work very hard to be thin. In fact, it’s only in the last 2 or so years that I’ve really gotten back to a comfortable, healthy place. And now, to watch my body change again feels wearing and kind of difficult. I can’t help but notice that my face is so dang puffy and I’m sure my tush is growing.

I’m sure people will read this and judge or say, “you look great. It’s just baby weight,” etc. etc., but I can’t help it. It doesn’t mean that I’m going to stop eating or giving my body what it needs to take care of our little babe. It just means that it’s hard to watch my body change. I think that’s fair.

It’s All About Juicing

Posted on February 5, 2014 by playinghousewi

So, while I was away at a bachelorette party this weekend, my husband watched “Food, Inc” and “Fat Sick & Nearly Dead.” The outcome was me coming home to a man ready to go on a juice cleanse. After a bit of an argument on Monday night, we have compromised and are now incorporating 1-3 vegetable smoothies into our normal menu plan.

We have talked about buying a juicer quite a few times, but haven’t done the research yet, and thus, are sticking to vegetable smoothies at this point. I’ve heard that smoothies are better because they maintain the nutrients and fiber, while some of that is lost once juiced. We’ll see how it goes.

Benefits of Vegetable Smoothies (note: these are for smoothies with lots of leafy greens – ie kale and spinach):

Prevents heart disease
Boosts your immune system
Prevents diabetes
Lowers the risk of depression
Spinach increases the feeling of satiety; feeling full sooner decreases the chance of overeating
The body can absorb more calcium from kale than milk
Can help balance healthy hormone levels
Improves triglycerides
Decreases risk of cancer
Provides energy
Maximizes your vegetable intake
Increases fiber intake, which promotes healthy digestion, prevents blood sugar spikes after eating and helps lower your blood cholesterol
They help prevent kidney stones
They soothe acid indigestion because they are naturally alkaline
Some greens have a circulation-boosting effect that makes you feel sexier and gives you an attractive glow

So, what does our meal plan look like? Here’s a sample from the first few days…

Monday

Dinner: Very small portion of wheat pasta with a vegetable-rich pasta sauce and turkey meatballs (leftover from a couple weeks ago – I had frozen the extra) – for the sauce, I lightly sauteed 2 zucchinis, 1 squash, 1 head of broccoli, and a package of organic mini tomatoes. Then, I cut up the meatballs and sauteed for about 1-3 minutes more and then added some random organic marinara sauce I picked up from the grocery store. I put a small portion of pasta (1/2-2/3 cup) in a bowl and covered it with the vegetable/meatball sauce. Mmm! We had leftovers, which I threw in a freezer bag and into the freezer.

Tuesday

Breakfast: Carrot, Beet, Kale, Avocado & Pineapple Smoothie (RECIPE: 4 handfuls of mini carrots, 1 small beet peeled and sliced for easy blending, 3-4 handfuls of kale, 1 avocado, 1/2 a mini can of pineapple juice – Throw it in a blender, then pour into cups or mason jars and voila! Note: This made approximately (4) 16 oz. servings)

Carrot, Beet, Kale, Avocado & Pineapple Smoothie.

Mid-Morning Snack: Blueberry Maple Refrigerator Oatmeal

Lunch: 1/2 Whole Wheat Pita Pocket with light mayo, 1 slice of the “thin sliced” packaged pepper jack cheese, a slice of tomato, spinach and raw mixed stir fry vegetables (I buy a package of fresh stir fry vegetables from the grocery store as a little convenience. Saves a ton of time not having to slice a million vegetables. The mixture includes carrot, red onion, pea pods, broccoli, and bell peppers.)

Snacks (with lunch and throughout the day): Clementine, 1-2 cups popcorn (I can’t remember the brand… maybe Boom Chicka Pop), bag of mini carrots, Blueberry Greek Yogurt

Dinner: 1/2 Carrot, Beet, Kale, Avocado & Pineapple Smoothie, Slow Cooker Tofu & Chickpea Curry over small portion of leftover wheat pasta

Wednesday

Breakfast: The Glowing Green Smoothie (I adjusted the recipe a bit: in addition to the greens, I also added about 2-3 cups of chopped kale, a splash of canned pineapple juice, some extra water and probably 2 TBSPs of Kefir for some extra probiotics. Note: This made approximately (4) 16 oz servings)

Glowing Green Smoothie… Mmmm!

Mid-Morning Snack: Blueberry Maple Refrigerator Oatmeal

Lunch: The Glowing Green Smoothie, 1/2 Whole Wheat Pita Pocket with light mayo, 1 slice of the “thin sliced” packaged pepper jack cheese, a slice of tomato, spinach and raw mixed stir fry vegetables

Snacks (with lunch and throughout the day): Clementine, 1-2 cups popcorn (I can’t remember the brand… maybe Boom Chicka Pop), bag of mini carrots, Blueberry Greek Yogurt

Dinner: Having dinner with Pop & Milly (Mark’s gramps and momma)

A few things to note… it helps if the smoothie is cold, the smoothie is WAY more enjoyable with a straw, a little fruit goes a long way, if it’s too thick – just add more water, the smoothies can keep for 24 hours or more!

Symptoms

My lower back is definitely in need of the chiropractor. I am feeling achy and uncomfortable. As always, my face looks worse than it ever did in high school. Literally, every time I look in the mirror, there is a new zit. I’m starting to get used to it, but it obviously does not make me very happy. Ahh also, for the past 4 or 5 days, I’ve noticed that my hands are feeling quite swollen when I wake up. I wonder if this could be tied to me not getting enough sleep or slacking on my workouts last week. Who knows? Either way, I’m hopeful that between my vegetable goodness, my revived work-out schedule this week, and some extra sleep, the swelling will subside. But then again, maybe it won’t.

Besides these very minor things, I’m feeling pretty good. My moods seem to be very easily influenced, which makes me an extremely happy, upset, angry, excited, jolly, crabby, etc version of myself in a very short amount of time. Let that be a warning 🙂

Also, I’m getting excited for this weekend. Friday marks 20 Weeks… our halfway point!! Mark has a work conference on Friday, so he won’t be home until later, but we’re going to celebrate on Saturday. I’m sure he’ll plan something nice and relaxing and fun for us.

I’ll See YOU in One Short Week

Posted on February 4, 2014 by playinghousewi

In exactly one week from today, Mark and I will get to see our sweet little baby on the 4D ultrasound screen. For anyone who’s gone through this, I’m sure no explanation is needed regarding the anxiety, excitement, obsession, impatience and a little bit of fear that I’m feeling. For those of you who haven’t gone through it, here’s my explanation…

Anxiety I have stupidly answered everyone’s question of, “What would you prefer, a boy or a girl” with the answer, “Girl!” Now, with just one week until the big gender reveal, I can’t help but feel guilty and foolish for this comment. Here are my reasons for gravitating towards a girl: a) I eventually would like to have a girl and fear I might end up with 10 boys in my desperate attempt to get a girl. A girl first would eliminate that. b) There has been a girl’s name that we’ve talked about for quite some time and have had no idea on a boy’s name. This is stressful. c) Baby girl accessories are so cute. As you can see, none of these reasons are a big deal, which is why I feel guilty. Are people not going to believe how excited I am/would be if we find out we’re having a mini man? I mean, my hubs was one cute kid… I’d be stupid not to want one of those little guys on our team. Also, I feel anxious about my reaction when they tell us the sex. Despite the fact that I will be overjoyed either way, will I feel a bit of disappointment my intuition was wrong if it is a boy? Ughh.

Excitement We have not seen our baby since 8ish weeks, and at that time, the little nugget literally looked like a blurry blob… AND, even that was totally amazing. I cannot even imagine how special and amazing it’s going to be to see our sweet love’s face and hands and feet. I’m overwhelmed with excitement. Not-to-mention the fact that I’m excited to finally stop guessing if the babe is a boy or girl.

Obsession All I’ve thought about for the past 4 months, 3 weeks and 5 days has been this little baby. So, I’m pretty sure that’s the definition of obsession. I know there will be other things to obsess about after we find out the sex (ie: nursery decor, registering, delivery, etc), but it’ll be nice to not have gender as one of those things.

Impatience To say that I’m impatient is a TOTAL understatement. I don’t like waiting at all and this wait has, at moments, felt torturous. I’m ready to see this sweet face for what could be the first and last time before we meet face-to-face.

Fear Of course, there is always that looming fear that the doctors are going to see or hear something that isn’t good. I’m trying to ignore that feeling, but sometimes it creeps up on me.

And in other news, I have the cutest animals around. Check out last night’s snuggle fest…

Toby & Ollie sharing a little love.

Symptoms

I’m still struggling from the weekend. I’ve been SO tired these past couple of days and feeling sore and uncomfortable. I’m hoping a few good night’s rests will really improve that, but we’ll see! Maybe a chiropractor visit and the weekend are required? Otherwise, all is well. Trying to get back to healthy eating, which now includes vegetable smoothies. More on that later in the week!

Every Other Day is Now, “Bring your Baby & Puppy to Work Day!”

Posted on February 3, 2014 by playinghousewi

Today I officially start my new, mommy-friendly job! For awhile now, I’ve been bugging my current employer to let me go part-time so I could begin working for my parents part-time. This has been in the works for years, but with the recent turmoil at my job, it seemed that everything was spinning in my favor. And, sure enough, my boss emailed me about a week and a half ago and said that the board had spoken and was willing to grant my request to go half-time while keeping all of my benefits (including the most important: insurance).

This is literally best-case-scenario. Working half-time at my parents will allow me to not only bring my sweet baby bub to work with me, but also bring my pup… which equals my dreams coming true. Not-to-mention the fact that I will reduce our need for childcare by 50%. We are still working out the details of the other 2.5 days, but my sweet Milly (Mother-In-Law) has offered to watch the babe, which could be a great option! Honestly, this has all happened so quickly, we haven’t had much time to digest, work through details or plan for baby’s arrival. Regardless, it seems to be a pretty darn good situation.

My schedule, which began today, will have me at my original job on Monday morning, Wednesday and Friday and with my parents on Monday afternoon, Tuesday and Thursday. I’m anxious to get started with M&D (mom and dad) and get into my new groove!

Wish me luck!

Symptoms

A few times this past week, I’ve been able to feel the little babe do what felt like a full flip in my belly. I could feel him or her graze across the entire front of my stomach, from the right edge all the way to the left. It was a totally weird and awesome feeling that I find myself longing for. It’s just so crazy to think of the little baby flipping around in there.

Also, after a couple late nights at a bachelorette party this weekend, I find myself feeling pretty swollen in the face and pretty much looking like shit. So, it was such a nice and sweet and perfect little surprise this morning to find this note in the bathroom from my amazing husband:

I’m the luckiest girl in the world.

At least he doesn’t seem to notice my face/body bloat, right?

Did I mention that while I was gone all weekend, my amazing husband spent the weekend taking care of our house? He did laundry, he worked on our investments, he ran errands. Such a gem. Definitely feeling like one lucky woman and feeling so grateful for my amazing partner… he’s going to be such a wonderful pops.

19 Weeks (January 31, 2014)

Posted on January 31, 2014 by playinghousewi

19 Weeks (January 31, 2014). I can’t believe tomorrow is February and that next week is the halfway point. Time is really flying! As of now, I’ve gained about 10 lbs, which is okay… maybe a touch high. I’m feeling great, loving life and really enjoying being pregnant. In fact, this morning I felt a super baby movement that I thought could have potentially been felt from the outside. I’ll have to pay attention… seems like it’s coming soon! HOLY SMOKES! I just looked at this picture compared to last week’s and it looks like my little bump has really expanded over the past 7 days. Eesh!

Sunny Sunshine Here We Come!

Posted on January 30, 2014 by playinghousewi

Ahhhh… Paradise!!

We FINALLY booked our trip!! We are headed to Playa Mujeres… a quick 30 minutes North of Cancun, Mexico. And literally, I could not be happier about it. We picked an absolutely beautiful resort (at least according to photographs and the millions of reviews that I read) that is bound to be amazing. I’ve never been to an all-inclusive or to Mexico, so I’m super excited.

We were a little nervous about being so close to Cancun during “Spring Break” time, but being that our resort is adults-only and pretty far from the Cancun Hotel Zone, I’m confident it will be the relaxing and peaceful paradise we’re hoping for.

I had originally been using Expedia to look for trips, but after feeling so overwhelmed and literally spending hours looking up trips in every warm destination across the world, we decided to call a travel agent. We did the same thing for our honeymoon and were a little disappointed with our travel agent experience then. She was super nice, but it seemed that she played the same role as Expedia, but a little slower. Plus, Expedia doesn’t get irritated with you for searching a ridiculous amount of resorts and locations.

Anyway, our experience with this travel agent was pretty similar. In fact, I ended up finding the resort, sending the agent the price I found and gave her an opportunity to match it/beat it. And, when she first sent her travel package to us, she had us flying from Chicago instead of Milwaukee. I ended up having to show her the exact flights / airline we wanted to be on so she could use them in her package. It cost us $100 less with her, but seemed pretty ridiculous. I think I deserve her commission, right?

Why isn’t there a website or a travel agent who you can provide specific criteria to (ie: warm temps, romantic/adults resort, snorkeling, great beach, etc) and they return the perfect trip to you? Does anyone have a good (and helpful) travel agent? Do they exist?

Whatever I guess, right? Either way, we’re headed to sunny fabulousness in about a month and a half and I couldn’t be more excited!!

My Anti-Stretch Mark Go-To’s

Posted on January 29, 2014 by playinghousewi

Since my sister brought me a “pregnancy kit” at 6 or so weeks, I have been religiously applying creams and oils to my growing belly, breasts, hips, and thighs. Sometimes even the tush gets a little lotion. Anyway, I’ve gone through quite a few brands and here’s what I’ve found to be my favorite…

My moisturizing regimen.

Basq FRESH Resilient Body Oil (Eucalyptus): ($19.50 from Pea in the Pod or Amazon) This is the most essential item. While it’s an oil, it isn’t greasy at all. It goes on SO smoothly and doesn’t leave any residue on clothing. Also, it leaves my skin feeling soft and totally moisturized. Even better, it smells awesome. And, if you don’t like the eucalyptus scent, it also comes in lavender. I use this at least twice a day.

Basq Milk & Honey Stretch Mark Butter: ($15.00 from Destination Maternity) I’m not SO sold on this body butter. I don’t really have any complaints, but I’m not as die-hard about it as I am the body oil. I will say that between this and the Burt’s Mama Bee Belly Butter, I make sure to “lock in” the moisture from the oil by putting some form of belly butter on top 9 times out of 10. This cream is nice and thick and has a pretty neutral scent. It it definitely moisturizing and I will definitely use it until it’s done. I’m thinking I might try Pure Fiji Dilo Rescue Body Butter once I run out. It’s supposed to help with any stretch marks you may already have and help keep you nice and moisturized.

Mama Bee Belly Butter by Burt’s Bees: ($12.99 from Destination Maternity) I switch back and forth between the Milk & Honey Stretch Mark Butter and the Mama Bee Belly Butter. They are pretty similar products; although, I think the Stretch Mark Butter is a little thicker, which I like in this bitter cold and dry winter. This will likely be a nicer option when things warm up a bit. Like with the other “butter,” I’m not over-the-moon about this product, but I feel like it’s a good and inexpensive option.

Pure Fiji Coconut Sugar Scrub: ($41.40 from Skin Care Heaven or FREE from my Fiji trip) I am literally obsessed with anything made by Pure Fiji. Their body butter is unreal and this sugar scrub is awesome. I received it as a little welcome gift from one of our resorts and am in love with it. It leaves your skin feeling so soft. Anyway, a lady at Pea in the Pod recommended using a body scrub a few times a week on your belly/breasts/etc. She said to apply it in a circular motion going one direction (ie: right to left) and then after your shower, to apply your body oil in a circular motion going the other direction (ie: left to right). I try to do this as often as I remember and really enjoy the results. Note: I believe any scrub will do… I just love this one.

Symptoms

I’m feeling full of love and just plain old excited. I can’t wait to find out the sex and get to start registering and designing the nursery. I’m struggling with ideas and color-schemes, so I’m hoping once we know, I’ll be able to make some decisions. Otherwise, still craving sweets like a fiend. And of course, I got a box of girl scout cookies delivered to my desk today. Oy, lemonades… why must you taste so delicious? Three cookies later, I for sure need to get my behind to the gym tonight.