Mom Central Baby

Babywearing and $50 for you to Destination Maternity!

Babywearing.  I’ve heard this term for a variety of reasons now that I’ve been employed with Mom Central for almost a year. Since I am expecting, I've come to realize -what better way to transport your little one, but by wearing her everywhere! Have to run out to water the lawn, wear your baby!  Have to run down the street to mail the mortgage payment, don’t bother with lugging the carriage out, unfolding and dragging down the steep brick steps, sling baby on!  In fact, a newborn is the perfect size and weight to wear.  All they really need from you is comfort and frequent feeding (well diaper changing too).  Introducing Sleepy Wrap, a natural sleep solution.  No bouncy seats and music here. Just the warmth of your body and the sound of your heartbeat is all your tiny person needs for comfort. 

Baby fits perfectly every time due to the very comfortable, stretchy and soft organic cotton. But my favorite part of this item is the ability to nurse discreetly.  I’m not due for another 11 weeks, but I am already anticipating this activity and pre-planning my days around feedings.  I won’t even have to take my baby out of the wrap to feed her!   
 

These wraps come in a variety of colors with mine in fire engine red to coordinate with my abundance of red and black pre-maternity clothes (fingers crossed I can even fit back into them). 
 
 

The Sleepy Wrap is just one of the many items expectant and new Moms can find at Destination Maternity. If the Sleepy Wrap is something you’d like to try, you can enter-to-win a $50 gift card to Destination Maternity just for commenting below!  Contest ends February 19. 

I received one Sleepy Wrap to review from Destination Maternity. 

Starting Over...

Well not entirely, but close. Let me clarify.  I am the mother of a 12 year old and I am just now expecting my 2nd. Why the big gap?  Why does anything happen in life.  I was a young mom at 23 with my daughter, in a long-term-not-so-stable relationship, and well, things happen. I hadn't finished my college degree but was inching my way toward the finish line one class at a time. I realized I had to grow up much faster than many of my friends when I had my daughter. Couple young motherhood with a not-so-responsible partner and I ended up a single, working mom and going full force toward my degree.  It wasn't easy but very rewarding. I owned a small condo in a non-descriptive brick building, but it was mine. I was also still tortured by my loyalty for my daughter's father, and his inability to let go of us made it harder to move forward with another relationship. 

When I finally got my degree at 29, I made a point of "walking" to receive my diploma along with all of my fellow 21 year-old peers.  I did this for Emilee more than myself to prove to her that you can accomplish your goals as long as you work hard.  And she was there, sitting with my parents, cheering the loudest.

I couldn't, and didn't know where my life would take me from that point, it seemed time was slipping away and I was getting older with no serious relationship. I wondered if I would ever get married or have any more children. I was starting to think that "fairytale" would never happen for me.   Two weeks after I received my degree, I met my future husband.

So here I am, 6 years later, expecting another little girl at 35 years old. People ask me why, when I was just starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, would I start all over again.  I had even been asking myself that question. I've come to realize that it's not starting over, it's completing my family.  An extension of my already established tiny family. For many years, my immediate family consisted of the two of us and now it has almost doubled. So bring it on little girl!  You have a big sister who is itching to meet you.

Pregnancy "Support" - Enter-to-Win $50 to Amon Maternity!

When Amon Maternity recently reached out to me to review its line of pregnancy foundation pieces, I leapt at the chance to try them out. At 5 month pregnant, I was starting to feel like I was coming out of my clothes and my rapidly growing baby bump was screaming for some support.  Already in maternity pants, I loved the full-panel jeans I had been wearing, but for the my cool low-riding corduroys, I needed something extra. 
 

Amon sent a pair of high-waisted boy-short “skivvie” and a belly band my way for testing. What a world of difference. I feel…more put together, if that makes sense.  The skivvies provide a great support and also help to keep my once innie belly button, well, in. The belly band helps me to stretch out my existing wardrobe by extending my jeans and pants just a little bit longer. It also feels great against my skin as it’s made from 90% nylon with 10% spandex for that stretch you will need as your belly expands. Extra back support is an added bonus, which is important in my case to help balance that touch of scoliosis that nags me from time to time. 

Right now, Amon Maternity is offering a $50 giveaway to one lucky reader! And for a limited time until January 15, Amon Maternity is conducting a 50% off sale that is only being offered via coupon code SUPERSALE, valid on the website- www.amonmaternity.com .

Please leave a comment below by January 29th to be entered to win $50 to Amon Maternity!

I received a “skivvie” undergarment and a belly band from Amon Maternity to facilitate my candid review

Enter-to-Win a Belli Skin Care Package!

I am a beauty product fanatic.  Fanatic! So when I learned that Belli made a line of products especially for expectant mothers, I was overjoyed.  I wasn’t sure how I would be able to tell the difference from my usual shower gels and body lotions, but I was sure willing to give it a try.

First up in my daily routine - a shower. Belli’s Pampered Pregnancy Body Wash contains a mixture of Lavender Oil, Chamomile and Cucumber and smells delicious. The shower gel, paired with the All Day Moisture Body Lotion resulted in the softest skin I can remember. The colder days here in New England deplete my already dry skin of much needed moisture and I feel like I am drinking five times my usual amount of water, yet my skin is still dry!  Belli’s All Day Moisture Body Lotion contains Lemon Oil, Chamomile and Shea Butter- a combination that leaves my skin feeling hydrated and smelling great. I really can tell the difference.

Belli also sent me the Foot Relief Cream containing Peppermint, Tea Tree Oil and Shea Butter.  A recent day at home meant a day in my slippers and lent the perfect opportunity to try the cream.  Wow- My feet were left incredibly soft and no sign of the usual crocodile heals. Thank you Belli for realizing that my growing body doesn’t have to suffer entirely.  You can visit the Belli Skincare website to view the entire line of pregnancy, motherhood and baby products Here: www.belliskincare.com.


A quick search of the store locater on the site showed that I could also find these products at my local CVS drugstore.

But you can enter to win a package of the 3 products I tried by leaving a comment below! Leave a comment by Wednesday, 1/20/2010 to be considered for this giveaway.

Mom Central received a sample of Belli Skin Care products to facilitate this candid review. 

Happy holidays from our little Hannuakkah-celebrating Santa

We've been maximizing Charlotte's Santa outfit for the past month.  The poor little lady seems to find it a bit hot at times but her mom and dad are certainly enjoying parading her around in it.  And since we celebrate both Christmas and Hannuakkah, there are twice as many parties to bring her to.  (Alas, we did miss a big fiesta in my hometown this weekend - but we were pooped!)

I hope you and your families have a fabulous holiday season!

Photo courtesy of my fabulous husband.

Review: Spa Baby Tub

Charlotte's umbilical cord stump took almost three weeks to fall off and secretly I was relieved.  That meant three weeks before we had to tackle The First Bath.  Giving a small, slippery little baby a bath was not too high on my "to do" list just after she was born.  Plus we have a very pretty but not baby friendly claw-footed tub in our bathroom.

Right before I left on maternity leave I agreed to test and review the Spa Baby tub, which is European-style in that the baby sits upright.  The design is supposed to mimic the womb and be very comforting because the baby is mostly covered by the water up to her shoulders and therefore stays warmer.  (Photo at right courtesy of Spababytubs.com)

Verdict: Two thumbs up!   Charlotte rarely cries during bath-time and now, at just over three months, she seems to be enjoying it.  (Recently she's started lapping at the bathwater, which is a little gross, but she is definitely not afraid of getting her face a little wet - a good thing!)

The "how to" video on the website is great and very accurate.  (You'll also enjoy the soundtrack and subtitles.)  The photo gallery of happy spa baby babies is very cute, too. 

Mom Central received a Spa Baby tub in order to complete this review.

Stokke TRIPP TRAPP highchair review and giveaway

Can you tell which of these high chairs is 32 years old?

Right after I was born my Great Aunt Edythe gave my parents a Stokke TRIPP TRAPP high chair as a baby gift.  Now, 32 years later, it's still going strong.  The cool thing about TRIPP TRAPP chairs is that they "grow" with you.  Simply by moving the wooden slats around, the chair works for 6 month old babies and 300 pound adults.  Check out the Stokke website for a demo.  (The woman featured does not weigh 300 pounds, but still!)

My parents loved the chair so much they gave it to at least two of my little cousins. My Aunt Marjorie still has my cousin Michael's Tripp Trapp from 27-ish years ago and it's in perfect condition.

The Tripp Trapp is a great chair for so many practical reasons: kids can pull right up to the dinner table and really be a part of the meal, the chair works for babies, toddlers, kids, and up, plus it's super easy to clean.  But I also love it for the aesthetics.  I love that it's not plastic and and doesn't scream "BABY!"

A few months ago I started to research how to find a child-safety bar for the front of my TRIPP TRAPP.  The original was lost years ago, unfortunately.  And then, the stars started to align ....

I attended BlogHer this past July and was randomly invited to a special Stokke event.  When I showed up my first question was: How do I find a replacement bar?  The very nice folks from Stokke explained that the new safety seats were not compatible with the older chairs which bummed me out.  I had a great evening with a bunch of pregnant mom bloggers and we learned about the Tripp Trapp chair and some of Stokke's other products, like the Xplory stroller and Sleepi crib.  I was the only mom-to-be there who had actually used a TRIPP TRAPP chair in my youth and yes I did feel like a bit of a celebrity!

At the end of the evening the Stokke folks announced that all the party attendees would receive TRIPP TRAPP chairs as long as we filled out a consumer survey.  I was - and still am - extremely excited!  Of course I filled out my survey right away and we received our brand spankin' new cherry Tripp Trapp a couple weeks ago.  My husband and I set up up and we are ready to go!  Now we just need to have a baby.

Mom Central TRIPP TRAPP chair giveaway

Stokke is also giving away one new TRIPP TRAPP chair to one very lucky Mom Central community member. The giveaway also includes the baby set and cushion accessories.  This is a huge prize as the chair typically retails for between $250 and $300.

How to win a Stokke TRIPP TRAPP Chair (special instructions):

1. You must enter to win via this page on Mom Central. 

2. Comments left on this blog post will not be counted.

3. Contest ends Wednesday, September 23, at 11:59 p.m. EST.

Interested in more giveaways?  Browse through the Mom Central Giveaways & Freebies Roundup!

Mom Central received a TRIPP TRAPP chair before writing this review.  Mom Central also received one additional product to give away to the Mom Central Community.

LeSportsac giveaway and preview - plus hunting for a diaper bag

About a month ago I stopped by the accessories department at Macy's with the specific purpose of looking for a LeSportsac bag that I can also potentially use as a diaper bag.  LeSportsac was one of my mom's favorite brands and I have many memories of hunting through various inner pockets for stray pieces of gum and fruity Mentos. 

I purchased my own LeSportsac tote bag about 10 years ago as a beach bag and have used it just about every day since as my gym bag. (Yes, I'm a gym rat.)  I love it because it is:

1. Light weight
2. The perfect size for me
3. WASHABLE.
4. Bonus: I have a super-cute watermelon pattern that makes me think of summer even when it's freezing outside.

On my diaper bag search, I was thinking one of the duffle-type bags would be perfect because of the pockets for bottles, clothes, wipes etc.

Then (drumroll, please) randomly about two weeks ago, I received an email from the folks at LeSportsac regarding a new baby collection they are launching in a couple months.  Hallelujah!

The Ryan Baby Bag comes in five patterns (three of which are pictured below), has handheld straps and will include a stroller strap, interior and side pockets, and a changing pad.  The baby bag will retail for $128.  The entire Baby Collection will be sold in LeSportsac stores starting in November and you'll find it in your local retailer starting in February 2010.

 

Since the Ryan Bag is not available yet for review, the folk at LeSportsac sent me a Lexie bag (pictured below) to evaluate and I am giving it a big two thumbs up.  The bag is divided into two main compartments, plus there are those famous, handy LeSportsac inner pockets.  I packed it up with random stuff and the lines of the bag are still very smooth.  I hate lumps and bumps.  The Lexie is quite large and I'm planning on using it as my official "hospital bag" when the baby shows up in a few weeks.

Mom Central will be holding a Ryan Baby Bag giveaway starting in November, but in the meantime, the folks at LeSportsac have two items for us to raffle off.

1) My whole office is in love with the Lily wallet.  There is one outer compartment and inside there are eight credit card holders, a spot for bills and receipts, plus a zipped inner pocket for change (my favorite part).  Mom Central is giving away one Lily wallet in this pattern.

2) We are also giving away the 3-Zip cosmetic bag pictured here.  (The colors are slightly different because we are giving away a bag from the Spring line.  Same stripes, warmer colors.)

How to win one of the two LeSportsac prizes:

1. Please comment below on this post (make sure to to leave your email address)
2. Bonus entry if you Tweet about the contest
3. Bonus entry if you link to this post from your blog or website

Contest ends Wednesday, September 16, at 11:59 p.m. EST.

Interested in more giveaways?  Browse through the Mom Central Giveaways & Freebies Roundup!

Mom Central received a LeSportsac bag for editorial product review on our website.  Mom Central also received two additional products to give away to the Mom Central Community.

Whose feet will the baby have? And a few other things I've been thinking about lately

My husband and I have polar opposite feet.  Mine are super long, narrow, completely flat, and my toes are out of order size-wise. Full disclosure - my second toe is as long as some people's pinkie fingers.  My husband's feet have high arches, orderly toes, and are candidates for a modeling job.

Almost every day I find myself wondering whose feet will our little lady have? Will we know right from the beginning? 

And then I wonder, will our little lady actually be a little lady?  We had two ultrasounds and both technicians said girl definitely.  But I just don't quite believe it.  Over the past few months I've heard more stories of couples told they are *definitely* having girls and then receive the "It's a boy announcement!" in the delivery room.  I suppose I'll believe it when I see it.

The baby seems move around a lot starting at 11 p.m.  Does that mean she's going to be a night owl like my husband?  Back in the day when I could sleep normally I typically hit sack around 9 p.m.

Will she be friendly or shy?

Will she have blue eyes or brown?

Will she let me do her hair?

Will she love ice cream and peanut butter? 

Will she watch the History Channel endlessly with her dad?

Will she be a Sox fan (like me) or a Yankees fan (like her dad)?

Will she be funny or serious - or both?

Will she like to read before she goes to sleep?

Will she enjoy dancing lessons and recitals?

Will she enjoy soccer even if she's not good at it?

Will she want to play at our house or over at her friend's?

Will she procrastinate or want to get things done right away?

Will she like dolls, blocks, or electronics?

Will she want a dog?

Will she want chocolate or plain milk when we stop at Dunkin Donuts?

Will she prefer the ocean or pools?

Will she like to go shopping on Saturday afternoons?

I am 37 weeks pregnant today and am considered full term.  I don't want to go into labor early, but I am ready to have some of these questions answered.

Nursery photos: before and (almost) after plus the things people say .....

I still can't believe I'm almost 36 weeks pregnant.  (That's the beginning of the nine-month mark to all the folks who don't count in weeks).  I'm feeling about 60% ready to welcome this little girl. 

It seems to me that there are a few things you actually "need" to do before the baby comes (ex. buy a car seat, some diapers, figure out where the baby is going to sleep).  And then there is the long list of things you feel like you "want" to do (ex. deep clean your home, organize your files, see a bunch of movies, learn to cook, refold clothing etc.).  For me, the top of the "want to" list included getting the nursery in good shape. I must get organized.

So, without further ado... here is where we started.  Blue walls, a carpet some might say is ugly, and a room jam-packed with furniture.

Then we moved along to white walls ....

And now we are almost all the way here.  For those of you who followed along with "The Great Rug Debate" we ended up going with the larger 5x8 size and we are extremely happy with it.  The room needed some color.

My fabulous and generous cousins dropped off their crib this past weekend so now all we need are sheets, a changing table pad (we are using a dresser as a changing table), and photos on the walls.  If time allows, we will paint the bookcase in the front a fire engine red.  Our plan is still to frame some flower photos, but I'm also looking for a kid-appropriate wall map to hang up.  Any suggestions?

Decorating is fun and I must say it again - I love this rug!

In other news, we had family over for dinner this weekend.   Since I don't cook I ordered most of the food from a local BBQ place called Red Bones.  As I walked up to the door, I noticed a dad standing outside with two kids.  The big kid was maybe three or four and the little kid was definitely under a year and was strapped to his dad's back in some sort of contraption. 

The dad looked at me as I walked up and said, "Whooaaooaa!" in sort of a "Whoa, Nelly!" she's-as-big-as-a-horse type of way.  I mean come on!  Maybe I'm being presumptuous, but chances are this balding, 40ish father of two has seen a pregnant woman at some point in his life.  To top it off, he told his older kid to "watch out!" as I reached for the door.  As if I was going to squash him.

This made me feel great as I went in to pick up the pulled BBQ chicken, mashed potatoes, corn bread, and beans.  Yum.