Are you afraid if you are cheap with maternity clothes, you may feel frumpy (or does second hand freak you out)?  Oh, no no, my dear.  Kiki’s Fashions carries some pretty cute stuff!  Did you know they have a $10 and under section?  I know what you are thinking.  Ten bucks will get me what, a belly band?  I was pleasantly surprised when I went browsing.  There is some pretty great tops!  Some of them are sleeveless.  However, you can practice one of the cardinal rules for dressing a pregnant belly.  Layers, layers, layers.  You can either purchase, or keep using those cardigans.  With all of my pregnancies, the cardigan was a staple.  If you don’t mind not being able to button up, you can just keep on using the ones you have in your closet.  Purchase some of these adorable tops for $10 a piece, and you will be the yummy mummy all will be jealous of!

When it comes to breastfeeding, I’m a modest gal.  I never fed my kids in public.  I was always worried they would pull the blanket down and I would make those around me blush.  I would sit in the car, or plan my schedule around feeding times.  This time around, I am getting a nursing cover.  Pho for Five is having a giveaway for a nursing cover from Bebe au Lait.  I put in my comment for a chance to get one of these chic covers, have you?

If you are anything like me, I wonder about the lives of other mothers. Do they also get grossed out when they are in public and hear the words “I need to go potty, mommy”?  If they wonder whether they are too clingy or not responsible enough? Recently, I came across Daphne, the creator of Cool Mom.  She is the average mom doing the best she can with a humoruos twist.  She maintains a blog as well as a vlog.  Go over to Cool Mom and meet her, then subscribe to her feed for some daily smiles and laughs.

I remember long ago when my siblings were born (there was quite an age difference) and all the “stuff” my mom had (why couldn’t the battery powered swing had been invented yet??). When my first was born, I was amazed at how much more “stuff” there was. I found myself wandering the aisles of Baby’s R Us in a fog. Too many cute little outfits and fun toys. What kind of bottles did I need? What kind of car seat did I need? Did I really need the baby wipe warmer?

Becky Bloomwood finally nagged the guy of her dreams in Shopaholic Ties the Knot and is now Becky Brandon (of the famous Brandon Communications, at least it will be). Now, She finds herself unexpectedly pregnant. What does any shopaholic want? To be a yummy mummy of course! What does a yummy mummy need? Well, she needs the perfect pram for every possible situation, she needs designer baby clothes, a photo shoot for Vogue, and of course THE A-list OB-GYN.

After she pops into Bambino and overhears a conversation, Becky realizes she needs to get up to speed quick! Five prams, check. Baby clothes, check (she wishes she hadn’t been such a good wife and let Luke talk her into not finding out the babies gender). Now, the A-list OB-GYN. That was a little bit harder; however, Becky sure is good with words! A-list OB-GYN, check (now she will meet celebrities and have a holistic water birth with a Thai massage and lotus flowers!) Oh no, wait, she is Luke’s ex-girlfriend?! He never mentioned her! Shoot, they are now texting in Latin, and she told Becky she thinks she might be getting a varicose vein in her leg. What’s a girl to do? She talks to her sister and her best friend. They tell her to take back her territory. Didn’t Venetia notice the eye move? Now all of a sudden Luke is taking calls more privately and suddenly leaving. Are they having an affair? In classic Becky fashion, she follows Luke one day, and then hires a private investigator to tail him. Luke begins to think he is being followed. Shoot, shoot shoot!

She doesn’t have time for Venetia anymore; she must get ready for her Vogue photo shoot. What, now Fabia wants the blue shoes in order to use her house? Doesn’t she understand these green ones were flown in personally by a model upon request from Danny, her famous designer friend? I want a famous designer friend! Oh, wait, she is the one who discovered him….anyone? Anyone?? Now she is finally in the house and puts up some pictures of her and Luke, some monogrammed items, and a few sweet notes on the fridge. As she is putting the finishing touches, adding some of her shoes in the Shoe Room (don’t they always take shots in your closet?), the doorbell rings. Making mental notes of where everything is in the house, she answers the door. It isn’t the team from Vogue, its Luke and he wants to talk. All of a sudden she is in makeup and wardrobe, and Luke is charming the crowd acting like he owns the place (he is such a great guy and Becky can’t believe she is loosing him). Vogue has had horrible luck with this piece and Becky is their last yummy mummy available for it. What happens when the camera starts clicking? Becky begins having contractions! Call the ambulance! i guess Vogue will have to scrap their yummy mummy piece all together.

To find out how Becky seeks revenge on Venetia, and has the birth of her dreams (minus the lotus flowers and Thai massage), pick up Shopaholic & Baby by Sophie Kinsella. It is such a fun read as you find yourself rooting for Becky, laughing hysterically from her less-than-thought-out plans, and wanting to reach through the pages and give her a hug (or perhaps a belly rub).

*They have just finished filming Confessions of a Shopaholic movie! Starring Isla Fisher as Becky Bloomwood and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer.*

I feel like I am really putting myself out there with this post.  I will be honest I am scared.  I am pregnant again.  For those of you who were with me last May in my journey, know my fears.  For those who weren’t, I had a devastating miscarriage.  I wasn’t going to say much until I had that first appointment to hear the heartbeat.  Something inside of me just says to put it out there.  My hubby and I talked about it, and if I lost this little one, I would be done.  We want a large family, however, I couldn’t take another blow. 

I have been sicker than with any other pregnancy.  I have been more emotional, and even have cravings (I never really had much of any).  Perhaps a good faith offering?  Sometimes I believe God gives us these little things to hold on to.  That little glimmer of hope we need to get through every day when we are uncertain of our path. 

Please keep my family and I in your thoughts and prayers.  I know I certainly need each and every one for the next month until I have my first appointment.

We have been hearing that all pregnant women, young children, and elderly people need to get a flu shot. How about your unborn baby? He/she could use one too. “Our data show that a single dose of maternal influenza vaccine provides a considerable two-for-one benefit to both mothers and their young infants,” wrote a team led by Dr. Mark C. Steinhoff, of Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health, in Baltimore. They also wrote, “childhood deaths associated with influenza are most frequent in infants under the age of 6 months,”. Unfortunately, for children under 6 months, it is not recommended they receive a flu shot. The researchers knew newborns did receive some immunities to the flu virus from the mother’s antibodies which circulate in the fetal environment. They wondered if a flu shot would have the same effect. To find out, the team tracked 340 Bangladeshi mother-infant pairs during 2004-2005.

The researchers found that babies born to vaccinated mothers had a 63% lower risk of laboratory-confirmed influenza compared to babies whose mothers had not received the flu shot. The incidence of any type of respiratory illness with fever also declined, from 153 cases among infants born to unvaccinated mothers to 110 cases among babies whose mothers had gotten the flu shot. Researchers say this trial offers “unique evidence supporting the strategy of maternal immunization to prevent influenza infection in young infants and their mothers.”

Few pregnant women actually follow CDC recommendations and receive the flu shot. I know I have never had one. Even my kids don’t get one every year. We are a generally healthy family so I don’t really think about it. Maybe this year, I will have to join the line and get injected (oops did I let the cat out of the bag? I guess another post is needed).

If you are pregnant, get your flu shot!

Trust me, I know how much work it is to have a new baby.  One of those times I wish there was a camera in my house.  When my third was born, my first was potty training (potty training and teething, my dreaded enemies!).  I remember one time, I was breastfeeding the baby.  Chandlur says he has to go potty.  I can’t unlatch because it was an effort to get him latched on correctly.  I also nursed my kids using the football positioning.  I got up, ran to the bathroom with Vahn still latched.  I helped him on the potty, sat and waited, did the happy potty dance, and helped put his undies and pants back on.  All this while Vahn was eating away.  I was chuckling at that moment and will probably laugh about it the rest of my life.

Even though, your house may be crazy, you still need to take care of yourself.  What good would you be if you died from something that may have been prevented, if only you took action for yourself?  It isn’t selfish by any means!  As mommies, we have to take care of ourselves first or we won’t be able to care properly for our families.

Our boobies (yes, i said boobies), should be at the top of that list.  We have come to learn much more about breast cancer in recent years.  It is growing at an amazing rate, and did you know a majority of women who get breast cancer are the first in the family (this has rung true for my family)?

Here’s some facts:

-Estrogen fuels breast tumors.  Fat cells produce estrogen.  This means, take care of your body and take steps to get rid of your fat.  Also, you will have more energy to play and care for your kiddos.

-This leads me to exercise, which is really just movement.  Don’t think you have to go to the gym.  Lace up your shoes, pull out the stroller, and go for a walk (just work up a sweat, no lolly-gaggin’).  You can even dance with your toddler for a little while.  We know how much sweat we can work up entertaining a little one! This exercise kills off that estrogen producing fat.

-Don’t worry about your birth control raising your risk.  A Danish study of more than 54,000 women found, they don’t increase the likelihood of breast cancer.

-Lastly, the breast is best.  This isn’t just for your baby, but you too.  Breastfeeding lowers hormone levels, however, you have to keep it up for several months for the full benefit.

Now, lace up your shoes, and go for a walk.  If a walk would be a hassle with the number or age of kids, just play with them and work up a sweat.