Warm Weekend

Arkansas had it's first 100degree day yesterday. The first and not at all the last! Even though being pregnant the heat affects me more than usual, I do still enjoy the warmth. The pools and lakes will be warm, hopefully I can get a bit of a kiss from the sun on my skin. I'm definitely going to try for a bit of a tan this weekend!

Tomorrow after work I'll be running over to Hancock Fabrics and Old Navy. I happened to hear that the $1dollar flip flop Sale would be going on tomorrow. I love flip flops (even though they aren't a good shoe choice should you have to run from zombies ;] ) and have decided that I wouldn't mind taking 2pairs with me to the hospital when I go to have SweatPea. (More on what's in my hospital bag later).

Blessed

I can not say thank you enough to everyone who has gotten gifts for my little SweetPea. This is a SMALL post touching on the thoughtfulness and kindness of so many people in my life!! It takes a lot for me to NOT cry after each gift!

Being a single mom, especially one on a tight budget, even the little things are a huge help. Clothes especially because she is going to grow so fast! Really everything on my registry is a big help. Even extras that I've forgotten. Several parents who are downsizing are offering me items that I haven't thought of or didn't think I would need at first.

Diaper Bag

Finally. Finally this bad boy is done. I guess bad girl? I decided to use a pattern I had found while bing-ing diaper bags. But It wasn't the diaper bag I had in mind, so I envisioned and designed another. I also I came across a pattern with straps for strollers, so I decided that I would adapt that as well.

Cloth Diapers #1

Lookie! My first order of diapers has come in!! I am so excited about it! Mommies, and close friends/family members of mommies-to-be, I am warning you. Cloth Diaper shopping is so addicting!!

I mean, look at how cute these are!! I was able to order four cloth diapers and several hemp/microfiber inserts for them. I am so excited.













I guess I should say I ordered five...But the fifth I accidentally ordered the wrong one. It's a bit too boyish for my little girl. Thankfully I was able to find a family that would love it for their little boy who is due soon after me.

 
I will be doing a post on prepping cloth diapers very soon! I have quite a lot of information to sift through. So I will be giving you my experiences as well as other moms first hand experiences.  :)

Unacceptable Levels

source

While doing my daily websurfing/blog reading I stumbled across this little gem. Just watching the short video really hit home.

Unacceptable Levels is a documentary that was inspired by a bad tasting glass of water and two miscarriages that a mans wife had. If you live in Arkansas you can definitely attest to the water not tasting good, especially lately with the lake turning over. The amount of chemicals in our day to day life is a small fact that I have forgotten about until recently.

Interviewing a Doula/Questions for a Doula

This is from first hand experience, so I hope that is helps you as well! I am a person who does a TON of research on even the simplest things when it comes to my pregnancy (and almost anything else in life). So when I was looking for insight and suggestions about finding a doula, I was very much unhappy with what I found. Most of it was general info, or questions. Hopefully this will be for you the post I was never able to find!

First thing to do is decided if you want or can afford a Doula. For myself, at first I wasn't convinced that I would need one or really be able to afford one.

Doing This Alone

  I want to cry but the tears won't come out. Yes this is 50% my fault. I take blame. But I miss my body. I miss being able to lay on my stomach or back to sleep. I miss being able to run. I miss wearing size 5jeans. And my belly button. I liked it when it was more of an innie.
 I have these stretch marks multipling on my thighs. My finances are terrifing me.

Go for it

But with in your means.
Even pregnant and on a budget you can still have a lot of fun. After all, why not Live a little, live on fire? Even on a budget there are tons of ways to do so.
Go out for a bicycle ride. Have a saucy dinner at a nice restaurant. Go to a free concert.

Stretch Marks? Stretch Marks!?!

So I have been  all cocky and happy about not receiving many, if any, visible stretch marks. Well I have a little some-zing to rant about. Multiple little somethings. Here I was sitting working on my diaper bag when I look down and see these little red marks on my outer thighs.

"What?!" I ask the universe...

Opening Shop and Baby Prepping

I have been terrible at posting this week! With about 10weeks left until SweetPea makes her debut I have so much to do!
I would also like to announce that I am opening a little shop on etsy!! Which means my post won't be quite as frequent as before. There is so much excitement from not only getting everything ready for SweetPea but also making things for the shop! This is something I have wanted to do for several years, now my daughter is a huge inspiration which kicked me into gear.

a VERY important pregnancy exercise

Kegels. 
These are great for pregnancy and even if you are not pregnant!! Personally I suggest starting these as soon as you find out you are pregnant. They are great at helping control bladder and bowel movements, can help with sexual pleasures, as well as possibly help with non tearing while giving birth.

Battle of the Belly Button

This is a post I have been debating on when to actually write and publish. While I am a Christian, I'm still just a little superstition. So I've been hoping to put off the belly button pop as long as possible.

Hence the title! SweetPea and my body have been having a daily battle over my belly button. Will it pop out or no?

Baby Viena Sausages

a.k.a My toes.

My tiny little fat viena sausage toes. So fat. I guess I really should say bloated, shouldn't I?

Going Home Outfit

For some reason, I began to wonder just what my going home outfit was going to be. Sure I would love to look cute, but at the same time comfy. Honestly, I have no idea why that even began to bother me. So I did a bit of bing-ing and came across this little gem...

And several moms where right? Why in the world would I be so worried about how I look?

SweetPea Registry (Update)

**Update/Edit: To help make things a little easier, and to add a few things I forgot (go figures). I also did a little bit of a registry on Amazon. So please stop by and take a look at it!**


This is a little bit of a twirk to the previous registry! Hopefully this is a bit easier for people as well as myself! I want to make sure people know that I do still want to stay as local and low impact as possible on the environment. So for my wonderful family on the coast and outside of Arkansas, please remember I will still be ecstatic for you to go to a goodwill-thrift shop-resale shop rather than buy brand new. While there are a small handful of items I prefer (want) new, I don't want everything new.

College Fund

Boy do I wish I would have had one of these. Even if it were set up by me while I was still in high school working! Would have made things much easier! Don't you agree??

A lot of parents, mostly in today's world with the younger kids having kids themselves, don't set up a college savings account for their children. I didn't get this set up as soon as I would have liked to, but I did do it early on for SweetPea.

Winning the Lottery

Or just making it big in general.
What would you do?
A few weeks ago my Pastor mentioned this during a sermon. and he hoped none of his congregation ever won the lottery. Everyone laughed, but I silently felt a tinge of agreement. It seems as though 90% of lottery winners inherit the 'lottery curse'.   Every now and then it pops into my mind, 'just what would I do if I won? Or made it big?'

Sciatic Pain, thanks babe.

This is something that 99.9% of all expecting moms will have sciatic pain. I didn't post about this before because well I was rather busy prior. But a girl posted on a facebook group I am apart of about her sciatic pain.

One thing that I mentioned for her that I did was to actually sleep on the side that hurt. For some reason that helped me. As well as always sleeping with a pillow between my knees. Other moms posted using ice packs or heat packs on the lower back, but only use which ever one works (of course).