Ridiculousness

There is a new show on MTV ... I know you're thinking, "Who still watches MTV?" but I do! ... anyways, the new show is called Ridiculousness!  The show is hosted by Rob Dyrdek and it is basically an "America's Funniest Home Videos" show for YouTube videos and it is hilarious!  One of my favorite videos was shown the other night ... "Motocross Lady Fail" -

I  think it's one of my favorites because the lady on the dirt bike reminds me of my mother-in-law and the lady in the wheelchair reminds me of my Gran-Gran ... SO FUNNY!!!

Well, aside from hilarious YouTube videos ... there is a lot of ridiculousness when it comes to baby products!  In all actuality, you only need a few simple things but I loaded up on two of everything and was a total sucker for items that would fall into the "ridiculousness" category!  The BabyPlus Prenatal Education System definitely tops my list of ridiculousness but I bought it and wore it religiously twice a day for 20 weeks!!! 

The BabyPlus website provides the following description of their product - "The BabyPlus Prenatal Education System is a series of 16 naturally derived sounds that resemble a mother's heartbeat.  The rhythm of the sounds increases incrementally as the pregnancy progresses.  The BabyPlus sonic pattern introduces your child to a sequential learning process, built upon the natural rhythms of their own environment.  The 'auditory exercise' strengthens learning ability during the developmental period when the advantages will be most significant and enduring for a child.  BabyPlus is the first educational tool designed for prenatal use that has been proven effective.  BabyPlus children have an intellectual, developmental, creative, and emotional advantage from the time they are born.  Your baby can very clearly hear these patterns.  She/he learns to discriminate between the sound coming from the mother and those from BabyPlus.  In other words, learning has begun." 

This is clearly ridiculousness at it's finest!! What was I thinking????

Until Next Time,

Funny Friday: The "It" Factor

Special K and I agreed not to find out the sex of the baby.  For 10 months (whoever said pregnancy was only 9 months must have been a man...it is definitely 10 months) we referred to L as "It."  However, we were almost positive "it" was a boy.  So positive, I actually didn't even listen to what the doctor said when L was born!  They had to tell me  four or five times it was a girl.  Obviously, we were way off! 

Our ultrasound tech told us about 90% of the patients he sees find out the sex.  I thought is would be a little lower because I know so many people who don't find out.    Please answer the following poll to see if Keeping it Simple statistics match his.

Did/Will you find out the sex of your baby?

If you are finding out or not, I ran across this article that details all the gender tests you can try.  Could be fun to test their accuracy.  I took a few of them when I was pregnant and here were my results:

1) Heart Rate: Girl
2) Sweet tooth: Girl
3) Chinese Birth Chart: Girl
4)  Potty Time:  Didn't take this one
5)  Even and Odd: Boy
6)  Key Test:  Didn't take this one
7)  Complexion:  Girl
8)  Ring Test: (We used needle and thread) Boy
9)  Morning Sickness: Girl

Not bad, 5/7 guessed girl!  What about you?

Happy Birthday to...ARE YOU JOKING?

I recently went to a baby boutique because I had credit to spend.  I was on the hunt for a 1st birthday outfit for L.  I knew it is a couple months away, but I thought I would get her something super cute with the credit.  I found one of those HUMONGO pettiskirts and a cute top with a cupcake on it to match...I fell in love with it and had to have it.  Well, until I saw the price tag..It was pretty similar to the one below.  How much would you think this outfit costs?

La Bella Flora

I am walking through the store with the outfit in hand picturing L running around it while we sing Happy Birthday to her....Then, I see the price tag...$75...Wrong!  $125...Wrong!  $175...DING, DING, DING!  We have a winner!  It seriously made my jaw drop in the middle of the store.  I am sure the sales lady saw me since I was the only one in there at the time.  I have trouble spending that much money on a pair of jeans I will wear every day for two years.  I am still in shock over it.  Even with store credit, I just could not justify it.  I have been searching for a replica of it for less.  Any ideas?

I found one almost exactly like it at Zulily, but it was sold out!  What is Zulily, you may be asking?  If you are a expecting or new mom, you MUST know about Zulily. 

It is similar to Gilt that I posted about a few weeks ago, but it is ALL about babies, kids, and maternity products.  They post weekly deals from various companies.  Subscribe immediately for some super cute things with fantastic prices.  Here is the Bella Daniella skirt ($24.99) and top ($24.99) I found for a much better deal than the whopping $175.  I am sick I missed it!

Let me know if you find anything similar for a good price or any other preshrunken birthday outfits for that matter.

Fear of the Belly Button

I know everyone has different fears about how pregnancy will affect their body.  My biggest fear: the belly button.  I thought one day it was going to make a "bing" sound and pop out like "turkey is done."  The very thought of it gave me the heebie jeebies.

Thankfully, there was no "turkey is done" moment, but it did gradually make its way out.  I tried to ignore it, but every time I got dressed it was hard to find outfits that would press it down.  Then, I found them!  SPANX has a maternity line! 

For the very few men that read this blog, you can put your tongues back in your mouth and stop drooling.  I know they are some super sexy drawers!  Come on, get focused now!

I know Spanx are typically for slimming and it sounds silly to use them when you are pregnant.  However, they had two great features:  flattening my belly button and providing stomach support.  I HIGHLY suggest investing in these ($32).  They really helped my maternity wardrobe last through my third trimester months at work. 

Keeping it Simple sidenote: Miss Oops Popper Stoppers makes pads for the belly button issue.

They seem like a good option if your outfit is not Spanx friendly. I did not use them, so I am not sure if you can see them through your clothes.  Please let me know if you gave these a try and if you liked them?

Luella and June Inspired: Copper

I saw this precious maternity top inspired by Luella and June's Copper post.



Luella and June Inspired: Lace it Up

Today's maternity pick was inspired by Luella and June's "Lace it Up."  It was always so hard to find things to wear to cocktail events when i was pregnant, but I love this lace option! 

Click here to purchase.

To see other maternity picks, click here.

Luella and June Inspired: Red, White, and Blue

The 4th of July is upon us!  Check out Luella and June's Red White and Blue post for accessories for this coming holiday weekend!

Being pregnant doesn't mean you can't celebrate the country's independence in style...



Top red dress, Bottom red dress, top white tunic top, red and white striped dress, royal blue jeans (if you dare), blue maxi dress (yes, dorothy perkins is in london, but they ship to US for $7.50 in 5-7 days)



$ave $ome $crilla: Cinderella's Step Sister

The Bella Band was recommended to me to make my regular clothes last longer while I was pregnant.  People would go on and on about how wonderful these things were.  You could leave your pants unbuttoned or even unzipped and the magical band would cover up the bumps that showed through your shirts and hold up your pants. 

I immediately ordered a handful of them in different colors.  I thought the maternity angels were about to be delivered to my doorstep.  As UPS pulled away from the curb, I tore the bag open and immediately began trying them on with all of my pants.  At first, I was thrilled with them.  Tore off the tags, threw away the box, receipt and all!  But after the first outing, I realized I had been mistaken.

It could be that my rear sticks out further than Cinderella's evil step-sisters, but the bands kept riding up on me.



It made for some embarassing situations when my zipper was poking out underneath my shirt without me even realizing it.  I am sure people were utterly confused thinking how I could possibly be pregnant when it looked like I also had a boy part.

Just use the good ole rubber band trick.  It worked like a charm and save you some money on the bands ($26 a piece). 

The Bella Bands did come in handy to be used as cami's later in my pregnancy, but that was about it.

Velcome to Babyland

When I think I of a perfect nursery, I always think of Franck from Father of the Bride 2 telling George Banks, "Velcome to Babyland."

Uploaded by Draculica on YouTube

I just love this nursery!!!  Which brings me to my exciting news...I am pleased to announce that my favorite home decorating blog Knight Moves will be doing a guest blog with nursery decorating tips.

Kyle has a great eye as demonstrated by her post yesterday suggesting fabrics for a nursery.

Look for the guest post soon!  You won't want to miss it!

Luella and June Inspired: Tickled Pink

Inspired by today' post on Luella and June: Tickled Pink...check with L&J for pink accessories.

1. Short Sleeved Ruffled Top
2. Pink Ruffled-front dress
3. Strapless long dress
4  Sleeveless collared dress
5. Short Sleeved tie-front top - Luella and June fave
6. Hot Pink long-sleeved top

Ok, ok....I snuck some coral in :)

See other Luella and June Inspired posts here.

Helpful Tidbits

When you go to your 24-28 week doctor's appointment for the glucose test, ask the doctor if you can pour the "orange drink" over ice.  It goes down much smoother.  Also, bring a carb snack for when the test is completed in case you feel a bit shaky or nauseated.

My Second Husband

I am not sure why people think the sleepless nights begin with the baby coming.  Pregnancy is your lack-of-sleep training for the marathon you encounter when the baby comes.  Before L was here, I didn't sleep through the night, but maybe twice, my entire pregnancy.  It was a constant struggle to figure out the formula of how much water to drink right before bed to minimize the midnight bathroom runs. 

While everyone experiences the rapidly filling bladder while pregnant, I was lucky enough not to have too much back pain.  I have had a couple friends that have lost sleep from the back pain, so I asked them for their opinions on maternity pillows.  Their comments are below...

Snoogle Total Body Pillow

"I bought the snoogle body pillow and it has SAVED my life!!!!!! This baby sits low and so I have had a lot of back pain and trouble sleeping from early on. This pillow let's me sleep all night! Miracle!!" - Katie

Todays Mom COOLMAX Pregnancy Pillow

"I would love to share my experience with my '2nd Husband,' the Today's Mom Coolmax Pregnancy Pillow.  I guess I was complaining a little too much about my back hurting at night because one afternoon I got an email from my husband with a link to the 'Today's Mom Coolmax Pregnancy Pillow' and the words - 'That’s Right! You got one headed your way!'  When I opened the link I was immediately horrified by what I saw ... it was the largest, not too mention most expensive, pillow I had ever seen in my life.  I loved my husband for trying to help me out but what was I going to do with this HUGE pillow?  Well, three months later ... and one week before my due date ... I'm still snuggling with my '2nd Husband' every night ...  he is so large, it's like having another person in bed with us...but it really does a nice job of supporting my large, heavy belly and as much as I toss and turn every night, it's nice to not have to wrestle with putting a pillow under my tummy every time I roll over.  There have been a few nights where I felt like I was drowning amongst the pillow and tossed him to the floor ... but we always made up and were back together the next night.  The product claims to keep you cool at night and have a 'coolmax' effect ... I'm not really sure I've experienced this .... so if that's what you're looking for you might look somewhere else.  Also, I have to do some fancy maneuvering every time I get in and out of bed to use the restroom ... which at times can be super annoying!  Overall, I would not categorize this product as a 'pregnancy must have' but I have enjoyed it and it's a great conversation piece when people see it laying on our bed!!" - Emily

The Bopster Family

Boppy also makes a couple maternity pillows that get rave reviews online.  Since I am a huge fan of the Bopster family, I am sure these are great too.

If you are desperate to get a good night sleep, might want to give one of these a try!  Don't these models look so happy and content?!?!  Thanks Emily and Katie for your input!

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Luella and June Inspired

EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT:  The "Pregnant ≠ Paisley" post has been the most popular post so far!  I hear ya!  The maternity options out there can be pretty depressing.  I am introducing a new series of posts thanks to my friends at Luella and June.  They are giving me a heads up on their trend alerts, so I can research to the end of the internet looking for maternity clothes that reflect the current trend. Just because you can't shop at your favorite stores, doesn't mean you can't be trendy!  Look for the "Luella and June Inspired" posts going forward.

Here is one for today!

Luella and June: FEELING FLORAL

1 Floral Dress

2 Strapless Floral

3 Floral Button Down - Luella and June's fave
4 Blue Floral Top

What do you think of this new idea?

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Awkward Prego Moments 3

The "Awkward Prego Moments" have been extremely popular!  Please submit your awkward/funny prego stories here to keep up the fun :)

"I went to tell my witch of a principal at the school I worked at that I was pregnant and she said 'I thought you were.  I could tell from your arms and your back!' You know, the two places you start showing at 10 weeks pregnant?  What a witch!"

-Karen

Click here to see other awkward prego stories

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Billy Madison

Adult classes always make me feel like Billy Madison. 

I have to reprogram myself to sit quietly in an uncomfortable chair and raise my hand.  At least, unlike Adam Sandler, I am among other adults where it is not "cool to pee your pants."

Many hospitals offer classes to take before the baby comes.  I like to mentally prepare myself for most things in life.  For some reason, this did not ring true for labor and delivery.  I opted not to take the class.  I had no desire whatsoever to watch someone else having a baby on a video.   This is completely and 100% a personal choice.  It just was not for me, but recommend going if you think it will put you at ease.  I decided to let the doctor and nurses walk me through as I went.  My friends would laugh at me when I would say, "I think I am just gonna wing it." 

Having said all of this, I DID take other classes offered and highly recommend them.  Here are some that my hospital offered:

• Baby Basics - My husband and I went to this one together.  Neither of us had ever changed a diaper, swaddled, or fed a baby before.  Practicing on a doll is a lot different than the real thing, but baby steps (no pun intended) help.
• Breastfeeding - I was a little wary of this one.  The stuffed practice boobs in the class definitely tested my maturity level (same as the real name of the Gold Catchers), but my doctor recommended I take this one.  Low and behold, breastfeeding can be a lot harder than I thought.  As one of my expecting friends said, "I thought you just popped a boob, slapped the baby on there, and you were good to go."  Not so much!  This class tells you what to expect and give you tons of helpful hints.  The most beneficial part for me was the instructor explaining the best way to store up milk for when I went back to work.   
• Infant Child/Safety and CPR - The hospital did offer this class, but one of my mommy friends had the great idea to have a small dinner party with our other expecting couple friends and have an instructor teach us CPR and Child safety after dinner.  I have not had to use the baby choking rescue procedure, but many friends have.  I am very glad to have this in my arsenal and ready to go just in case.

Apologies I don't have a review on the labor and delivery class.  Did any of you attend?  Did you find it helpful?

Helful Hint:  Someone gave me the good advice to wait and take these classes in my third trimester so all the tips were fresh in my brain.

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Pregnant ≠ Paisley

Why is it that when you get pregnant your clothes options look more like Gap circa-1990 than anything remotely close to current trends?  Pregnant ≠ paisley, florals, and polka dots, but that seems to be your only option...Exhibit A and B

On top of that, they all seem to be more than anyone wants to spend on temporary clothes.  I became increasingly frustrated with my lack of options when I was pregnant with L.  Not only do you feel fat, but everyone tells you to get over it, "You are pregnant, you are supposed to get big."  We are all girls and no matter what stage of life we are in, we want to look and feel cute!

Well, hopefully, I can help you prego ladies out!  I was reading my go-to fashion blog, Luella and June, and got motivated by their "color pops" post to scour the internet for some cute, affordable maternity clothes.  I had some luck! Today's post is short and sweet, but crossing my fingers you find something that makes you look and feel cute that you may have not found otherwise!

Short-Sleeve Ruffled dress, Purple long-sleeved dress, Black shift dress, Pink top, Turquoise wrap dress,   Long-sleeved orange tunic, Red ruffled wrap dress

I am going to continue to post my favorite maternity fashion finds, so check back periodically.

PS - I would, also, definitely try Gap Maternity and Ann Taylor Maternity.  Gap even has a maternity section in some stores, so you can try it on instead of dealing with shipping and returns.  Call your local Gap and see.

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Preachin' the Baby Wise

On Becoming Baby Wise: Give your Infant the Gift of Nighttime Sleep by Gary Ezzo and Robert Buckman

When to use:  Read within 3 months of delivery…any sooner, you will forget by the time the baby comes…I referenced it multiple times after L was here.

I know the old school generation rolls their eyes at all the parenting books out there.  I have to admit, they do have a point.  There are a ton of them! I found the more I read, the less I knew.  There is so much conflicting information especially about establishing a sleep routine.  

Having said that, I think that our generation has always had easy access to information.  We are used to googling whatever question we might have and instantly having the answer.  I wanted one source for reference to keep it simple.  I found that the Baby Wise (BW) book worked very well for us.  I found it the simplest to read and it gave me a great structure to start with.  The basic premise is sleep, eat, play and repeat.  


I followed the book pretty closely and L has been a really easy baby so far...She slept through the night around 8-10 weeks and has only woken up twice in the night since I went back to work 4 months ago.  Would she be the same way if we would not have followed the BW method?  Who can say for sure?  What I will say is when we have a day when the BW routine is off for whatever reason, L is a mess.   So, now, I am a preacher of the Babywise.

Looking back, there are a few times I felt frustrated with BW.  Here is a heads up to help ease any of your own frustrations:

• Around 6-8 weeks all of my BW following friends (including myself) had major issues with naps...The babies just quit sleeping during the day and were crying a lot more.  Although the book  pretty much is right-on for other things, I could not find a place in the book that explained nap disruption very clearly.  I was about to ditch BW all together.  This phase passed, and I am pretty sure she was having one of her first major growth spurts.  Hang in there!  It only lasted 3 days or so with L.  They were rough for me, but they passed and we got back to the BW routine.
• Nap times are still hard to master exactly the way BW explains it.  L is now 6.5 months and I do the best I can.  It seems to work fine. 
• It took until about 10 weeks until L was waking up happy (not crying).  I think she just needed time to trust her surroundings and know that I would come get her when it was time to wake up.  Now she sits quietly in her crib when she wakes up. 

I will say I have only read and implemented the first book in the BW series.  I have read the pre-toodler BW and will keep you posted on the implementation of it.

Let me know if you have any other questions about BW...I am happy to help!  I have also referenced a great blog called Chronicles of a Babywise Mom.

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