The Guilt of a New Baby

I don't know about you but when I am pregnant with a new baby I have a little bit of mommy guilt.  Both of my boys when they are younger are definitely mommy's boys very attached.  When I had my 2nd child my only child had a little of a difficult transition.  It is really hard to fully prepare the older sibling for what having a new baby entails.  My boy was fully potty trained and excited to meet his new baby brother but after a few days he realized what having a new baby in the house truly meant.  To him it meant mommy had less time for him and he wasn't getting the attention he was used to.  So he stopped using the potty and reverted back to peeing and pooping in his pants.  This back step went on for a good month until he was ready to get back into his big boy routine.  As time went by things got a little easier and mommy was able to make sure he had lots of time with mommy and the new baby.  Now approaching my 3rd pregnancy I once again have a very attached boy who I am almost sure is going to have a difficult time with a new baby.  I don't sugar coat my pregnancies or experiences and I don't have the baby brain that you totally forget what the experience was like. I am walking into this fully aware.  So I am feeling some mommy guilt because I know he is going to have a challenging couple of weeks.  I am not as worried about my oldest since he is pretty independent.  But I tell you what having 2 is a strange comfort to me because they have each other to play with and keep each other busy.

Surviving Your 1st Day Home

The 1st day home is always a little overwhelming.  New baby, unsure of things, worries about their safety, and above all sleep deprived as all get out.  A lot of times family wants to come over and meet your new baby and it can be exhausting.  My advice if there is family there to get them to take care of the baby for an hour while you go shower or take a short nap.  They can always come to get you if it becomes too hard to handle or to feed but if anyone asks how they can help this is an excellent request.  Everyone says nap when the baby naps but it just never worked for me unless I was completely zonked and I was normally holding the baby and just passed out then and there for a nap.  I am not a great napper I typically feel worse after I have a nap but even so a little rest helps you push through the delirium at night.  I wouldn't be obsessed with a schedule especially the first day things are so hectic.  A schedule can be developed in the following days and despite your best efforts your little one more than likely has ideas of their own.  Try not to put too much pressure on yourself sometimes our ideas of either how we should feel or what we should accomplish is overwhelming.  You will get into a groove but putting too much pressure on yourself does not help those pesky hormones.

Pregnant Mess

In my last few weeks of pregnancy, I am feeling like a disorganized mess.  I am normally a mom that is pretty on top of things.  But I find myself rushing around in the mornings to get my oldest off to school.  There just never seems to be enough time.  This is probably partly due to my difficulty in getting going in the morning.  Even if I sleep through the night it doesn't feel like enough.  That is probably due to the constant tossing and turning through the night. And the the night time bathroom breaks. Fortunately, my boys are both sleeping through the night which is one less thing to worry about.  I am moving slower as well more like a snails pace.  Everything seems like it is harder and takes longer to do.  My belly has become more uncomfortable and I have been experiencing lots of back pain lately.  Fun.  A few more weeks and I will be lacking sleep for a completely different reason.  I am sure I am getting more sleep now than I will then.  Looking forward to have her on the outside though.  It is a little bittersweet this is going to be our last baby and therefore my last time being pregnant.  So thankful for all the opportunities I have had to carry my babies from start to finish.

Packing Your Hospital Labor Bag

As a mom who is going to deliver for a 3rd time in a hospital I feel that I have some personal experience in packing a labor bag.  I have looked at countless suggestions lists for packing for the hospital, some things are necessary-some just aren't.


For Baby
-Don't worry about diapers the hospital will have lots of diapers.
-Since I breastfeed I always bring my breast feeding pillow it starts the feeding out as close to the conditions at home and it will make for a seamless transition to nursing at home
-Bring lots of outfits babies poop a lot and normally in my experience it is a blow out so make sure you have plenty of changes of clothes (My favorite outfits are footed zip up onesies they are so easy in the beginning and warm for your little one)
-If you plan to have any pictures done bring a cute outfit or two for the photos.  My mom always crochets a beautiful blanket that is the center piece for our pictures.
-The baby book it is so much easier after you have your baby to let the staff take care of the handprints and footprints.  You are going to have a lot going on and it is one less thing to worry about
-Newborn mittens or socks Your little one is going to have zero control over their hands and will probably end up scratching their face with those newborn talons.
-Car seat you gotta have it to get your little one home.  If at all possible install the base before you get to the hospital so you are ready to go when it is time.  When it was time to go I didn't want to spend another minute at the hospital.


For You
-I have great intentions of reading a book or coloring something non stressful to distract me and every time I bring them they are never used.  It isn't going to stop me from packing it this time though you never know.  Music if this helps you with stress.
-The hospital will provide some oh so stylish underwear and pillow sized pads.  Even though they seem a little odd I use them.  But I always bring some underwear that I don't care if they get ruined.
-Shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrush, soap for your shower.  I remember being pretty weak in the shower so my washing time was subpar but it is nice to have the chance to wash off.
-A comfy nightgown that you don't mind if it get ruined in the hospital.
-If you wear contacts bring your glasses you never know if your eyes are going to be irritated with labor or any medicines you need to have
-I could care less about shaving my legs at the hospital I personally think you get a free pass after labor but some ladies have to shave so don't forget all your shaving items.
-Lip balm Your lips get really dry and chapped partly due to the sterile environment in the hospital
-A maternity outfit to go home in unfortunately you are still going to have to wear some of your pregnancy clothes in spite of all the delivery you just experienced.
-A charger for your phone/laptop whatever electronic you are planning on bringing.

For your Partner
A lot of partners don't think about packing but you might have to take the reigns on this
-Some changes of clothes for your partner with toiletries
-Snacks
-Try to remember to bring their chargers for their electronics.  They won't forget the electronics the chargers are a different story

Aurorae Aqua Review

Aurorae Aqua is a high quality towel that is durable and long lasting.  It has great absorbency and it is really big at 32"x 68".  We had the opportunity this past weekend to try out this towel for ourselves at the beach.  It is a soft and plush towel and it would easily work as a towel blanket on the beach for 2.   The color towel is a beautiful blue (Carribbean Blue) and it was really absorbent.  It folded down really well even though it is a big towel it didn't take up a lot of room in my beach bag.  This towel is made by a company that mainly has yoga products and this is their entry into a sport and swim towel.  Another thing that really impressed me about this towel is that it dried much quicker than the 2 other towels we brought to the beach.  They were still soaking when we arrived home from our time out but the Aurorae Aqua towel was dry which was pretty unbelievable.  

If you are interested in trying one of these towels for yourself you can go to their website at www.auroraeyoga.com  It is on sale right now for $24.99 which is well worth this great beach towel.


***This product was sent to me in exchange for a review from Aurorae Yoga.  No other compensation was exchanged for this review.  The opinions in this review are completely my own.

Girls Toys Giveaway

We are doing a girls toys giveaway for 2 great toys for your little princess to celebrate my little ones impending arrival very soon!!!!

Up for grabs is a Doodle Bear made by Fisher Price.  It comes with Marigold the bear and 2 2 sided markers.  You let your little one decorate and then you can wash the bear and they can do it again.

We also have a Fisher Price Smart Stages Tea Set.  Which is an interactive learning set that teaches colors, manners, sharing, and greetings.

This prize pack is valued at $50.

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***This prize package is not sponsored or affiliated with Fisher Price.  The winner of this prize has one week to claim their prize. Winner entries will be verified.  US residents only.

September Winner

Thank you everyone for participating in our monthly giveaway for September.  A winner for the Amazon Gift Code has been randomly chosen by rafflecopter and the winner is....
























Debbie F.  Congratulations!!!  Email me to claim your prize.

Rebounderz Birthday

First off, Rebounderz is basically a jumping environment filled with lots of trampolines.  My boy who agreed to have his birthday here went to a party here before and had lots of fun so he is excited to have his birthday here.  They are pretty strict with their parties.  You rent a room for your party and you have basically 2 hours in your room.  Upon entering the facility you have to fill out a waiver.  Then all of your party guest have 70 minutes to enjoy the gym once the 70 minutes are up which starts at the beginning of the party that is it- No extra time.  Then you go into your party room for pizza and cake.  The basic party includes pizza and water anything else has to be purchased in addition to the party package.  They do not allow any outside food or drinks.  You can bring your own cake.  Then after the food every kid gets a $1 to spend at the arcade area and that is it.  I can appreciate a short aggressive party schedule but it may be a challenge for younger children to understand time is up.

Chuck E Cheese Birthday

For my just turned 3 year old we did the classic right of passage for a birthday celebration.  He requested a Chuck E Cheese party which this year I was totally on board with.  Especially in my tired, exhausted, pregnant state.  I have been to a lot of Chuck E Cheese parties in my day.  I even had one myself when I was younger.  One thing is true now that was true then they really know how to organize and provide a really fun party.  All of the kids have a great time at the party and the great thing about Chuck E Cheese is if you have cancellations they don't charge you for them which is great.  Even their pizza has improved it is actually not bad.  The kiddos have such a good time playing games and every child walks away with some kind of prize the way they structure their prizes.  If you are looking for an easy party where you don't have as much prep work to do this could be the solution for your needs.  I also don't know many kids that would turn down some fun at Chuck E Cheese.

Grammy's Indoor Playground

There is a great indoor playground not far from us especially for your younger child.  It is located off of Aloma and my 3 year old loves it when we go there.  It is a gated play area with several stations throughout the play space.  There are houses to play in, train table, garden, indoor play set, and even a section just for the youngest kiddos with tummy time areas.  There is also a nursing area with quiet and seating.  Everyday they have a story time which is included in your price to enter.  At story time they do a few songs and a couple of books.  It is a really relaxing environment and they even have Yuck buckets to put any toys that your little one put in their mouth.  They also have an area in the back where you can eat snack or even lunch.  There is also a fridge if needed.

Their prices are

Infants 0-3 free

4 months-11 months $6+tax

1 year-5 years $10+tax

Don't forget your socks not just for your little one but for you too.

Adventure Bible: Noah's Voyage Review

My boy has been doing a lot of reading lately and he helped me with the review of this book.  It was an easy to read for a level 2 can read with help.  The story kept my boy interested and there were a lot of illustrations that brought the story to life.  It told the story very simply and easy to understand.  Happy to have a book that brings a bible story to life for my little one.  My boy especially was blown away by the age of Noah in print.  It was pretty detail oriented for a kids book but not in an uninteresting way.  If you are interested in buying this book for your little one it is available at Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Noahs-Voyage-Read-Adventure-Bible/dp/0310746833/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1441985221&sr=1-1&keywords=noah%27s+voyage

***This book was provided to me for free from Booklook Bloggers in exchange for a review.  No additional compensation was received in exchange for my honest review.

First Early Release Wednesday: Mom Fail

Let me start by saying I am well aware that Wednesdays are early release day at school.  The first Wednesday of the school year last year they skipped early release and started the 2nd week and there were other instances of Wednesdays being full days throughout the year.  The school system is crazy about sending out automated messages with reminders or information.  I received a call on Tuesday night about Car Line Rules and no mention was made of an early release day the following day.  The first early release day they had signs up to remind everyone.  So I figured if it is an early release day surely there would be signs up.  On Wednesday morning there were no signs and no reminders.  The thought crossed my mind to call the school but I didn't I was busy.  Then came the call at 2:30 that my son was in the office waiting to be picked up and it is an early release day.  I quickly rushed to the school and the office was full of kids that hadn't been picked up.  A reminder would have been nice but I felt horrible that I didn't follow through to find out for sure.  I have been forgiven by my boy with a promise to always come early on Wednesday.  I won't miss another Wednesday again buddy.

Thomas Minis: The Obssession

Walmart carries some pretty exclusive Thomas trains that you can't buy at any other store.  My boy is obsessed with the Thomas minis.

They have blind bags, packages of, and a roundhouse case.

For my boy he loved opening the blind bags because he enjoys the excitement of the surprise.  Otherwise, he is happy to have minis.  The minis are exactly what they sound like mini versions of Thomas and Friends characters.  They are plastic and hook together.  There are also different themed trains like dinosaur, robots, super hero, and spooky.  It seems the amount is pretty endless and it is pretty challenging getting all of the mini's as a complete collection.  They are relatively inexpensive the blind bags are 1.50 and they have many different varieties of the packaged minis.  The case is $15 and it holds 17 trains and my boy discovered mini tracks on the inside plastic case and on the back of the case.

***This post is not sponsored or affiliated with Thomas or Walmart and the opinions and review is completely my own.  

Tea Party Sprinkle

Recently I had the pleasure of having a tea party sprinkle to celebrate the upcoming birth of my little girl.  I did some research and I found The Lemon Lily Tea Room and Bakery which is located in Oviedo.

 First off, this place is so much fun-it was the full experience.  There were several choices of tea to chose from and depending upon what package you choose you have soup, salad, finger sandwiches, fruit, and dessert.  Our group really got into the experience and we brought our own tea hats which added to the overall theme of the event.   One of the many wonderful things about the tea room is they are very allergy friendly with proper notice and are very accommodating. All of my guests enjoyed the entire experience.  If you looking for a place to have a tea party this is the perfect solution.

If you are interested in learning more about Lemon Lily Tea Room http://www.thelemonlilytearoom.com

****This post is not sponsored by Lemon Lily Tea Room and all opinions are completely my own.

September Giveaway

Enter our September Amazon Gift Code Giveaway for a $25 prize.

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***This giveaway is not sponsored or affiliated with Amazon.  Winner has 2 weeks to claim their prize and the winner's entries will be verified.