So I have always been the type that is extremely uncomfortable taking photos. I think it is mainly because I think posing for them seems cheesy and forced for the most part. It is only after they are taken that I look back and realize I am glad I took them. Having this attitude I was reluctant to hire a professional photographer to take pregnancyphotos. There are a few things I hate in pregnancy photos: a naked belly, fabric wrapped around boobs and lower half, hands cupped to shape a heart on the belly, lots of odd looking pictures with the father, pregnant ladies not wearing tops or anything at all, etc. I know that some people love these style of photos but they are not for me.
However, I did think it was important to document this moment in my life so I decided to ask my husband if he would take some photos of me. I found several styles in Pinterest I liked and they were mostly of women standing in nature backgrounds. So off we went to Buffalo Park in Flagstaff, AZ and got some great pictures in the grass and later I went in my sisters yard and leaned on her fence and took a few more.I should add that my husband owns a professional camera so it was easy for us to take our own. He’s also skilled at editing photos and can really make them look professional.
Since it was my husband taking the photos, I felt confident and comfortable. I found that having him take the photos made the process much easier because he wasn’t barking at me to look a certain way or put on a fake smile. I would highly recommend that you do your pregnancy photos yourself if you don’t have the budget to higher a professional photographer or the desire to “let it all hang out” in front of someone you don’t know. If you don’t own a professional camera, then try asking a family member or friend who does if you can borrow it for an hour.I think you will like the natural look that ends up coming from your personalized pictures.
Also, an added bonus for me in all this was knowing that the father of my child is the one behind the camera, a memory I will cherish forever.
I just found out about this completely FREE online Labor and Delivery course on BabyCenter.com from the lovely ladies on TheBump.com. The minute I found out about this class I signed up and started cruising through the chapters. It’s a 10 chapter course and it covers everything from stages of labor to packing your hospital bag.
So far I have found the course really helpful. It takes you through all your birthing options as well as shows you diagrams of each process. It’s completely interactive and incorporates text, graphics, videos and more. I really like that it features factual content but also shows videos of real moms telling their stories and experiences. You will also see videos of Doctors, midwifes and doulas describing the birth events so you can get an idea of which style of care provider you prefer. Overall, I would highly recommend it.
I am planning to sign up for a breast feeding course and new baby care course but it’s nice to get one course out of the way. It’s even better that it’s free! To start the course go to BabyCenter.com.
Being a first time mom I was excited to fill out my registry. However, once I went to Babies “R” Us to get started I was completely overwhelmed by all the baby products and brands to select from. From breast pumps to baby toys, the selection is out of control! Does a baby really need to have 5-6 different bottle styles? What about selecting from several styles of bottle brush cleaners? Where does it end?
Babies “R” Us does try to make it easier for you by offering a quick start registry. This allows you to go through and see the most popular registry items and provides different categories to select from. It does slightly minimize the stresses of selecting between multiple products because you can simply select the most popular brand. But then I thought, “Who says the most popular or highest rated products are the best?” Are you a bad mom for selecting the product that only has a one star rating and not a four star? My mind was twirling with all the different options I could select from. Thankfully, I have been very involved in the lives of my niece and nephew so I was able to select products I know they were most comfortable in.
In my opinion babies need very little to survive: food, clothing, diapers, naps, love, etc. All the other products are simply “extras” that really aren’t necessary. I feel bad for any first time mommies who don’t have an older sister with children to model their registry after. I can mentally picture their homes being filled mile high with multiple strollers and vibrating products that just take up space but don’t really have a function.
My advice would be to ask other moms you know what their top five most used baby items are, just the essentials. You may be surprised at what their answers are but at least you’ll receive practical answers from someone you trust. Good luck with your registry. I can finally say I survived the experience.
This weekend I went on vacation to Miami and walked and swam a ton. Everything was amazing except the consistent back pain I had 24/7. I told my husband I was so happy we took this vacation now instead of in another month when I would be bigger.
Our first plane flight was extremely uncomfortable and to top it off we took a redeye flight, which means I got zero sleep. A pregnant lady without sleep is like a tiger who hasn’t eaten in days–not a good mix. I was starved for sleep and I looked like I had just come from the set of a horror movie with those eye bags. Eventually, we made it to Miami and I slept on and off the whole day there for an hour at a time. So much for getting there early so we have the entire day to hang out and play. The only game I was interested in playing was checking my eyelids for holes. Anyway I made it through the first day on little sleep but my back was aching. I couldn’t really do much for this except pop some Tylenol every now and then and pray my lower back would find some relief. I have heard that back pain in pregnancy only gets worse the bigger you get so I am not looking forward to that.
We spent the rest of the weekend playing in the sun and having a blast. I did notice my ankles were hurting a lot but I ignored the pain as much as possible because I wanted to tour the Keys while I had time. However, when we landed at home I finally took a look at them and they where HUGE! They were incredibly swollen and I couldn’t believe I hadn’t noticed. Yes, I felt the pain while I was walking but never bothered to look. I guess I had walked too much throughout the day and didn’t take enough time to rest my legs. After two days the pain and swelling have finally gone down. I am thankful I no longer have cankles…for now.
Lessons learned: When you are pregnant I would suggest you do as much traveling as possibly early on in your first or second trimester. Also, get a good pair of shoes with support. I wore my flip flops the entire time and I am sure this added to my back pain and swelling. Drink a ton of water: Finish a bottle, get another bottle out ASAP and start chugging. Traveling makes you dehydrated and you need to be extremely careful. Lastly, when riding in a car make sure you take bathroom trips whenever you feel even the slightest urge to go. If you don’t, you might end up in the middle of nowhere with a full bladder and no working bathrooms. In my case a quick run into the trees on the side of the road wasn’t my proudest moment but it got the job done.
I feel like I have been taken over by a monster. My fuse is shorter than short today and I seem to be on the verge of exploding on the next person that brings up something I don’t want to hear. It’s interesting the little things that can really make your crazy side come out.
The latest thing to set me off today was one of my girlfriends text me and asked me to coffee. I haven’t seen her in an extremely long time so I was thrilled to see her. After texting back and forth she later revealed that I wasn’t just meeting her for coffee but she had a new business (Arbon) she wanted to talk to me about. Seriously? I haven’t seen her for about four months and the first time she invites me to something it’s to attend a sales pitch? When I saw that text my face went hot. Maybe it was the hormones, maybe I was just generally annoyed with her but it got me fuming.
I realize that there is a stereotype that pregnant women are over emotional but overall I have been pretty consistent with my moods. However, on days like today it’s hard to tame the beast that’s inside me so I don’t lash out when situations such as the one I mentioned above come along. I had to take a few minutes to calm myself and try to move on. I’m hoping that my mood will get better as the day progresses but it’s funny how the demon inside you can pop it’s ugly head out of nowhere.
I was one of those ladies that was determined to never start a mom blog. Mainly because I encounter several mom bloggers in my line of work and most charge for posting about your product, which leads me to believe their reviews aren’t honest. Companies don’t want to pay mom bloggers to write a negative post about their product so the blogger’s review is most likely biased and untrue. I never want to become like “those” mom bloggers but I do see a benefit in sharing my experiences with others. However, the community of moms on the web is so strong it’s hard not to want to be a part of it.
This is my second pregnancy. Tragically, my first pregnancy in January 2011 ended in a miscarriage at 7 weeks. It took almost an entire year for us to get pregnant again and just as my Dr. was just about to prescribe fertility testing, I got a positive. I couldn’t have been more shocked. I had more symptoms the weeks I wasn’t pregnant than I did the month I was. Needless to say, worry set in immediately. Since I had lost a child before I was mentally preparing myself that it could likely happen again. It took me several months, successful ultra sounds and doctor’s visits before I started believing that we were actually going to have a baby. I am almost 17 weeks along now and starting to feel more excited every day. I am not saying I don’t worry any longer but I at least am trying to enjoy the here and now.
On Friday we will find out the sex of the baby. We opted to get an outside ultra sound because my shower is on May 5th and we wanted to know before then. Plus my husband is too excited to wait for the 20 week ultra sound. We are really excited to see our baby on the screen. I must say that every time I go to an ultra sound I have extreme worry that there will be no heartbeat or the baby stopped growing. However, I am trying to stay positive. I believe I started to feel a few light kicks this week too so that brings me some comfort.I’m trying to take it one day at a time.
A little about me: I live in the Phoenix area with my husband. Right now my two dogs are my babies. My hobbies are writing, hiking, volunteering and trying my best to be artistic. Anything else you want to know just ask.
Mommy's Wild West 