Undercover Mama Review & Giveaway!

I came across the Undercover Mama nursing tank from another blog giveaway. I contacted the company asking if I could do a review and giveaway for their product. This nursing tank was something that I haven't seen before and I thought it was a wonderful concept! The Undercover Mama simply attaches to your nursing bra, turning every shirt into a nursing shirt. It allows you to lift your shirt to nurse, but still have your post-partum belly covered.

You can attach the tank in one of two ways. The first, is a new feature, the loop. The loop will actually clasp onto the same part as the cup of your nursing bra. When I was trying this tank in the hospital, this was the easiest way for me, although I was a bit afraid that it might break. I think if you're gentle enough, it'll be fine.

The second way to attach, took some digging through their website before I figured it out. I thought that it would be the part that hooked directly to the clasp on the nursing bra, but it actually hooks directly on the fabric of the cup. I actually love this way, because it's an easy 1-unsnap, versus unhooking the loops and then unhooking your bra.

I read a few Amazon reviews when trying to figure this out, and one complaint was that it didn't fit all of the lady's nursing bra's, but that it worked best with her thinner cupped bras. My nursing bra cup is fairly thick, and it fit just fine.

I haven't had a chance to wear the tank under a t-shirt, but that's because i'm only 1 week post partum, and i'm not wearing a lot of shorts, and I've been in the house a lot.

I have worn the product under two dresses that had v-neck openings, b/c I could pull the dress to the side to nurse, and easily cover my growing cleavage with the nursing tank!

I loved that it provided coverage. The material is very soft, and after I read on the product a bit more, I easily figured out how to attach the tank. I'm a little concerned with how hot I might be once we move to Oklahoma in the tank, but I also know that it will come in handy at football games where I'll be nursing in front of many others. I do love though, that it completely covers my belly and my back.

The Undercover Mama comes in gray, black, brown, white, cream, pink, and nude. Sizes range from small to XX-Large and cost only $24.99

After I received my tester tank, I found them on a zulilly sale, and purchased another. I also think I'm going to add the black tank to my collection.

Undercover Mama has also offered to giveaway 1 of their tanks to one of my readers/followers! Here's how you can enter: (please leave 1 comment for each entry & do not group entries into the same comment & please leave your email address, so you can be contacted)

Mandatory Entry: Follow Undercover Mama on Facebook AND on Twitter for 1 entry. Leave 1 comment for doing both things and your email address in the comment

Extra Entries:

1. Follow Honey Pie Accessories blog via GFC. (1 entry/comment)

2. Follow Honey Pie Accessories on Facebook (1 entry/comment)

3. Leave some comment love on Undercover Mama's Facebook or Twitter account thanking them for the giveaway on Honey Pie Accessories (2 entries/leave 2 comments)

4. Blog about this giveaway and leave me the link in your comment (3 entries/leave 3 comments)

5. Tweet about this giveaway for 1 entry/1 comment, change your facebook status for this giveaway for 1 entry/1 comment, or send out an email for 1 entry/1 comment (you may do this daily)

Winner will be chosen by random.org, and will have 24 hours to respond once contacted. Winner will recieve a black or white tank in their choice size. I was not paid for this giveaway, but I did receive 1 free tank. All thoughts are my own opinion.

Giveaway ends the evening of June 6.

M's first visitors

Megan was very fortunate to have many of her grandparents come to visit her in the first few hours. My mom, "Gee" was with me throughout the entire process. She's also staying for two and a half weeks to help out. I'm telling you, I love this lady, as she's already been a huge source of help and strength for me these first few days.

My step-dad, "grandpa" was here too. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have all of these amazing pictures to share! I wish he could have stayed longer, but he's already shared how excited he is that two of his granddaughters are moving closer! I can't wait for them to visit him on his 'farm'.

Gretchen finally arrived to see her new baby sister. She even brought Megan a gift, and was super excited to give it to her.

I'm sure M is going to grow to love her Sophie the Giraffe.

We now have 4 generations + 1 of amazingly stubborn strong-willed women!

Gretchen decided it was time for her to hold Megan for the first time, and did a great job!

DJ's mom, "Nana" was also here. I was so glad that she was here to see her 5th grandchild!

DJ paused for a moment to snap a picture of him with Megan. I know he's enjoyed these first few days here with her. My great-grandmother came and stayed with Gretchen and I for the month of May. It was a huge help having her here in case something happened and to help me take care of G as I grew more and more tired. She's an amazingly strong woman, and I love her for that.

After receiving her own big sister gifts, Gretchen decided to hold M again. She has adjusted so much better than I thought she would and I'm so proud of my big girl!

Megan's First Few Moments

After the crazy labor I don't remember a lot of our first few moments, so I'm glad that I have these pictures. Holding Megan Claire for the first time...

I think I was amazed at how much she looked like Gretchen and at all of her hair.

I was able to breastfeed her for the first time, and she was a pro!

And do some skin-to-skin bonding with her.

DJ left to pick up Gretchen and Megan received her first bath.

The nurse had to scrub and scrub her hair.

It was fun to watch her get her first bath, and she tolerated the water really well.

After her bath her big sister was finally able to come and see her.... stay tuned to the next post!

Megan's Birth Story

Tuesday morning was our scheduled induction for baby M to arrive. I felt fortunate that my doctors understood how important it was for my husband to be with me and agreed to induce me a week early.

We were scheduled to be at the hospital at 6:30 in the morning, but I received a phone call around 5 am that the hospital rooms were full and that they would need me to come in later that morning. I woke up DJ and told him to keep sleeping while I continued to get ready. Afterwards, I blogged and finally was able to go back to sleep for another hour. We woke up to Gretchen around 8:30 am and I decided to call the hospital to see if they had a room open for us. I was shocked that they told me to come in around 9:00, leaving DJ only 30 minutes to get ready.

I was thankful that we were able to tell Gretchen good-bye that morning. I think we all needed it those last few hugs and cuddles as just the three of us. We arrived at the hospital and the nurse got started hooking me up to the IV, giving me the Strep B medicine, and starting the pitocin. We had told her how long the induction with Gretchen was, and also shared that we were eager to rush the process along, and for her to not be afraid to turn up the pitocin when it was time. Thankfully, she was just as eager and easily agreed.

The pitocin was started and she cranked it up while we continued to fill out paperwork and get me officially admitted. My parents finally arrived about an hour and a half later, and I was still feeling good. I was having regular contractions, but wasn't making too much progress. I was admitted at a 2 dialation, and it took a while to go up to a three.

I also found out that the doctor that delivered Gretchen, and the one that agreed to do the induction wasn't on call that day. It was a doctor in the group that was my least favorite during my first pregnancy, and I hadn't seen him at all this pregnancy. Thankfully, he came in to check on me around noon and decided to go ahead and break my water. And, I was surprised that I really did like his bedside manner.

After he broke the water the contractions came on stronger, but I didn't think that I would progress as quickly as I did. Because of that, I decided to hold off on any pain meds, plus I wanted to feel some labor since I was induced both times. My nurse and my mother both thought I was crazy, but I wanted to dialate to at least a 4 before I received the epidural.

After 30 minutes of dealing with the pain, I decided to get some pain medicine, which just made me sleepy and a bit dizzy between contractions. After 20-30 minutes of that, I decided it was time for the epidural.

It didn't take too long for the doctor to arrive to place the epidural, but by that time, I was in a ton of pain. I made DJ leave the room, and wanted my mom to help me through the epidural, like she did last time, and after all, she's a labor and delivery nurse herself and does this every day.

During the epidural, I felt a pushing sensation, and it felt like forever for him to get it placed. They layed me down and I continued to feel the pushing sensation. My nurse checked me and I was dialated to a 9. I'm sure I had a crazed look on my face, because I was not ready for things to have progressed that fast, plus the epidural had just been placed. DJ was brought back in to the room and my mom told him that we were about to have a baby.

I remember the nurse calling the doctors office and telling the doctor to get there right away, that there wasn't any time. Throughout this process, I continued to feel the need to push, but my mom warned me not to. I was also in denial that it was happening.

The doctor arrived and it was time to push. I continued to tell them no, because I could still feel everything, but I also had the need to push. Throughout the process I felt like I was not in control at all. People kept telling me to push, but I felt like I didn't know how. With Gretchen, I was so in control of the pushing and worked really hard, but this time, I just wasn't in control at all.

With three contractions, and in about 10 minutes, Megan Claire arrived at 4:09 pm. She weighed 7 lbs 9 oz, and was 21 inches long, and every bit of perfect.

Induction Today

Today is the day that we've been anxiously awaiting for the past 39 weeks. Megan Claire is scheduled to arrive today.

We've been through a hard few months with my husband moving and living 12 hours away, G and I staying behind to finish my work year, and to get our house sold, but there's an end in sight and that feels so good. I didn't think these days would actually arrive.

Yesterday was a normal work day for me (my last until September), and I was so excited to get home and spend time with DJ and G, as a family of three, but also with my mom, stepdad, and grandma. The evening was fairly typical as well.... I took a nap on the couch, we had dinner, finished our 'to-do' list, put G to bed, and watched a movie.

I actually slept well last night and G never crawled into our bed! (She's had to sleep on our floor since my parents are here.) She's actually still asleep on the floor. I woke up a little before 5, because I just couldn't sleep anymore and I knew that my alarm would be going off soon.

It hit me today that I'm going to be the mom of two little girls. That God has entrusted me with their lives. It's pretty overwhelming for that reality to suddenly hit and to know that there is no way to turn back now.

I went ahead and took a shower and my cell phone rang two times- who the heck would call me at 5 am? I refused to answer the phone since I was soaking wet and didn't want to jump out of the shower, and they finally left a voicemail. Once I did get out of the shower, I checked my phone & didn't recognize the number. Upon listening to the voicemail, I quickly realized that I was going to be slightly disappointed- It was the labor and delivery unit letting me know that they had zero rooms. They were booked with people who suddenly decided to deliver last night and still hadn't delivered this morning. They told me that I needed to stay at home and wait for someone to deliver and a room to be prepared.

I woke up DJ who was completly dazed, and just told him to stay in bed. I knew there'd be no way that I could get back to sleep, since I had just taken a shower, so I went ahead and got half way dressed.

So, here I sit. I should be on my way to the hospital right now, but i'm impatiently waiting on the birth of someone else's child, so mine can have her turn.

On the bright side, i'll see Gretchen this morning. I'll get to give her a hug one last time and let her know how much I love her and how much she means to me. She probably won't care, especially since I promised she could watch Snow White today! But, I will.

Most mothers worry about if there will be enough room in their hearts to love two or multiple children. That's never been my worry. I've always known that there would be. My biggest fear is how will this affect Gretchen. Especially with all of the changes we are going through right now. I'm more confident now than I was a few weeks ago that she'll be okay and that she'll adjust to the change fairly well.

So, here I wait. If you're still reading this, say a prayer and wish us luck that M will be born smoothly with no problems, and that she'll be healthy, and that G will adjust well.

Fessin' Up Friday!

I am so glad that today is Friday! I felt like this day would never get here, but it has! And, the best news of all is that I somehow managed to survive the week!

Monday was my most difficult day, as I had 2 case conferences, an evaluation, therapy for two other preschools, and a doctor appointment- but, I did it! The day wasn't as bad as I had dreaded throughout last weekend.

On Monday, I found out that I was dialated between 2-3 cm, and that I was 60% effaced. The doctor went ahead and scheduled our induction for Tuesday morning, the 24th!

All of my IEP's are completed, although there are a few that haven't been finalized, but at least MY information is put in!

As far as preparing for M- The bouncy seat is put together, but still needs batteries, and I was able to wash the carseat (although, it's still not installed), and set up the pac-n-play. I was also able to pack her hospital bag, and make a shopping list of things to get & do this weekend.

However, I have yet to pack my own hospital bag. I'm planning on it tonight, but to be honest, I could go home and go to sleep!

G's big sister gift has been purchased. I ordered her a photo album from Amazon.com and it arrived this week. And, I went ahead and purchased her a pillow pet- she's been asking for one since December, so I know that she'll love her gift from Megan!

I did not get around to making their hair bows though. I wanted to do a new custom bow with a bottle cap center, but they have simple big and lil sis bows that I had previously made, and this way, M's bow won't be too large and overwhelming for her.

So, it's all done- i'm not sure if i'll actually do a make a goal Monday post next week or not-but, I do know that my main goal is to have this baby, and to have her big sister survive it!

Prepping your Fluff

On Mother's Day I was able to spend the afternoon prepping my fluff... well, Megan's fluff, and I can happily say that it is all organized and ready for her arrival!

I promised that I would post my 'how-to's' when it came to washing and preparing your cloth diaper stash, and yes, I'm finally getting around to it.

First up.... the prefolds. As, I mentioned before, these scared the crap out of me, and other than the lengthened prep time, I'm looking forward to using these the most. In order to prep your prefolds, simply boil them in a pot of water with a drop of blue dawn. I boiled mine for about 30 minutes, but my pot only held about 3 diapers. I probably could've squeezed in 4, but I was nervous. After they were boiled, I just threw them in the sink to drain a little bit, and waited until my entire prefold stash was boiled. Then, I did one regular wash cycle with hot water and 1 tablespoon of the Rockin Green detergent, and threw them in the dryer.

I purchased non-bleach Indian prefolds from Little Lions. You can also get them from Cotton Babies for $1.00 each.

I then sorted my pocket diapers. I went ahead and washed the microfiber inserts with the diapers and pre-fold covers, but I plan on washing them seperately once they're soiled. Make sure that you secure the velcro tab covers before you place them in the washer.

First, you'll run a cold/cold wash cycle with detergent. (I used 1 tbsp. of Rockin' Green)

Next, run a hot/cold wash cycle with detergent.

Then, you'll run an extra rinse. Thankfully, I can add this on to my hot/cold cycle without adding an extra step for myself. But, you'll also want to make sure that all of the suds and bubbles are gone. If they aren't, then go ahead and run more rinse cycles.

Next, I threw everything in the dryer. I found that my covers and pocket diapers dried the quickest. I had to dry the microfiber inserts at least 1-2 more times before they were fully dry. Had it been a sunny day, I probably would've dried these outside rather than in the dryer.

Once I was finished with the washing/drying process, I sorted everything. I placed the inserts that were larger in a box to be used later (and for moving purposes), then I sized my fuzzi bunz down to their smallest setting, and stuffed each one with an insert. I also folded all of the prefolds. All of the larger diapers, went in a box as well, to be unpacked once we move.

The diapers that I plan on trying out while we are still here, are unpacked and organized in a large wicker basket.

The process wasn't as intimidating as I thought it would be. Although, it did take a good four hours of my day to prep/boil the prefolds, sort and seperate, seperate and sort again (after drying), size and stuff, and put away. I don't anticipate it taking me that long in the future.

Hope this helps you in prepping your own cloth diaper stash!

June Bow of the Month Club

Members of the Bow of the Month Club are receiving this adorable 'daddy's girl' boutique hair bow for the month of June!

Members have exclusive access to a custom hair piece each month, as well as other discounts, and special offers!

If you're not a member, you can easily sign up by emailing me (elainewelte(at)gmail(dot)com)

Here are the details:

You will receive 1 bow per month (it could be a holiday theme, or a basic solid color bow). These bows will be a surprise bow (no custom orders allowed), and may vary from month to month. (layered, single, clips, sculptured clips, characters, etc.)

All bows will come on an alligator clip, unless otherwise requested.Payment should be made through paypal. Payments will be received up front, and your bow will arrive in the mail by the 15th of each month.

Shipping is included in the prices listed below. I will not ship to any other address, only those that are noted in the paypal payments. I will be taking 2 months off this year, as our 2nd child is due- you will receive those 2 bows in May or in July. You will not receive a bow in June (that bow will be sent at an earlier/later date) and the month received will be due to my discression.

You can choose from any of the following plans:

3 months: $ 20.00

4 months: $ 24.00

5 months: $ 30.00

6 months: $ 36.00

1 year: $ 60.00

Wipe Case

I finally had time to sit down and make a wipe case for baby Megan! I love how it turned out, and it's super feminine, which is just what I wanted!

I chose a yellow floral fabric to cover the wipe case. I added a pink ruffled ribbon across the top and an oval 'bling' piece woven through the ribbon.

The sides are trimmed in the same ruffled ribbon.

The wipe case is now in the diaper bag, ready to be used!

Life Lately

I don't really have too much to share, as life seems somewhat uneventful at home, but I did want to post some new pictures of G for our family & for her daddy. The weather has been nice lately (actually it's a sweltering 90 degrees here, which is hot for Indiana this time of year) and we've been able to play outside more. We just wish the bees and wasps would go away!

I think G is having fun with her great-grandma, even though she told me that she doesn't like her anymore! But, when I came home yesterday, they were having a great time! G had drew me several pictures and told me that she put on a ballet show for her great-grandma.

She looks full of sass in the photo above... i'm just glad she's finally come around and has realized I really do only have 1 baby in my belly, but she's still told me that she would be sad if there really was only 1. She wants twins, and it appears that she'd be perfectly happy if 1 of the twins was a baby doll.

I can't believe that she'll be an only child for only a few more days. I think I finally decided on her 'big sister' present, and I'm praying that the adjustment for her will be much easier than I anticipate!

Big/Lil Sister Shirts

G and M will be wearing these shirts next week at the hospital. We're planning on having a Big Sister party for G when she comes in to meet M, complete with cupcakes, presents, and baloons!

I enjoyed making these shirts for them. I picked out a fabric that had a variety of colors, but also a fun design. I stitched it in a dark pink color, and sent it home with my mom to monogram- she chose a light pink.

I can't wait to see my girls in their matching shirts!

Make a Goal Monday

Well, another Monday is here! This is my last official week fo work, so I know that it's going to be busy, but it's also the last week that I'll be pregnant, the last week for G to be an only child, and the last week for us to not have DJ here.

So, there's a lot to do this week, just to get ready!

1. I need to survive today. If I can survive today, then I know I can get through the rest of the week. I'll start off my day with a case conference at school, then on to a preschool for a 2nd case conference and language testing. Then, to two more preschools, before my doctor appointment and back to the first preschool for another IEP meeting. Plus, i'll have to input my evaluation information and write goals before this afternoon meeting. Like I said, if I can survive it, the rest of the week should be a piece of cake.
2. I need to finish ALL of my IEP's this week as well as pack my entire office.
3. We need to wash the carseat, put up the pack-n-play, and put together the bouncer, plus, I need to pack hospital bags for myself and the baby.
4. DJ flies in on Saturday, and we still need to pick up a big sister gift for Gretchen, and I need to make the girls matching hair bows to go with their shirts.

Just when I thought I could relax! Maybe I can consider my hospital stay next week a vacation?

Fessin' Up From Last Week!

Well, another week has come and gone, and of course another busy Friday that I did not get to 'fess up' with how I did on my goals for the previous week.

Friday was not a good day at work for me. I realized that I left out a crucial part of an evaluation, that I have to find time to complete on Monday before the students IEP meeting. And, we had a garage sale on Saturday, so as soon as I came home from work I had to prepare for that.

Which left Saturday, trying to sell some things and then re-packing what didn't sell and taking them to Goodwill, followed by an open-house today.

Yes, I'm ready for a vacation!

So, how did I do with last weeks goals? I guess it's time to fess up:
~ I did get to the post office to ship some items, but i'll be heading back again tomorrow to ship bow of the month club & my wholesale order for Little Bow Peeps.
~ I was abl eto start packing some at school, although I still have a lot to get through and organize!
~ Garage sale- check!
~ And, the 3rd wholesale order is finished. I was hoping to get more done, but it's getting too exhausting to work on orders right now, so I'm taking a few weeks off, since I'll be having a new little honey in a week and moving about 3 weeks after that!

Did you survive your week? Did you accomplish all of your goals?

1 Wreath 3 Looks

I wanted to create something unique for Mother's day... one of our mother's is actually receiving this gift, but because I'm late shipping it out, I'm not going to tell you who! I wrapped a wreath in twine, and gave it three different 'accessories' that will enable the user to get three different looks. Of course, they can add some of their own fun items for even more looks!

The first look has three red daisies clustered together. Each daisy is attached with two pins, so you can easily remove them or move the flowers in different areas of the wreath.

Next, I made three fabric rosettes, out of fourth of july themed material. Each of these have a straight pin in the center to hold them on.

The final looks has 3 yo-yos. Two are a floral yellow, and one is a solid pink. I love the feminie touch it adds!

I hope that one of our mom's loves this wreath as much as I do! A great tip for giving this as well, would be to continue giving them 'accessories' throughout the year- birthdays, Christmas, Valentine's, etc.

Fessin' Up from Last Friday & Makin' a Goal...er... Tuesday!

So, obviously, i'm behind. But, can't we cut myself some slack? After all, I'm 37 weeks pregnant with a 3 year old and a husband living out of state!

Here's how I did with my goals last week:
~I was able to ship my 2nd order to Little Bow Peep's and Heather K.
~ I finished evaluating my target student last week, his IEP is filled out on my part, and i'm just waiting on his conference this week!
~ I'm not sure how many case conferences I was able to hold last week, but I know that I'm starting to wind down with my elementary age students. Now, my preschools are a different story!
~ I've been working on the 3rd wholesale order to Little Bow Peep's, but I'm definitely not finished with it!
~ Mother's day gifts are going in the mail today (yes, i'm late) My mom and in-laws know that I always ship late. Maybe next year i'll be on time? And, G had a blast making their cards and decorating them with stickers!
~ I didn't do so great with cooking last week, but my grandma did! It was nice that cooking was one less thing I had to worry about in the evenings!

So, on to goals this week:
~ Head to the post office to ship items today and ship all Bow of the Month Club items by Friday!
~ Start packing up my room at school
~ I'm having a garage sale on Saturday, so I need to pick up some posters for advertising and hang those.
~ Work on the 3rd wholesale order for Little Bow Peep's.

I'm going to try to not overwhelm myself with too many goals this week! I have officially 2 weeks left until my scheduled induction, and I don't want to put myself into labor early!

What are your plans for this week?

Swagbucks: Are you a swagnut?

Swagbucks is the reward community that works! I've been participating for over a year, but I think this is the first time I've blogged about it. I have a few friends that randomly ask me about it, so instead of typing out all of this information several times, i'm going to do it one time-here- and then refer them back to this post! It'll save my typing fingers! And, if you haven't heard of or joined swagbucks, then here's your chance!

You'll want to join, by clicking the image below, or by using this link.

Once you join, you'll want to download their toolbar. You'll use this for searches and to earn daily points.

There are several ways to earn points and I'm going to walk you through a few of them.
~ Once you've downloaded the toolbar, make sure you 'login' daily. Mine does it automatically, so every time I open my internet browser for the day, I automatically get 1 point.
~ Then, you'll want to perform your first search. You use the toolbar, just as you would use google. I earn the most points, when I enter a two word phrase and hit enter, then, I go back and add in a third word to this two word phrase. For example. I type in 'good morning' and hit enter. Then, I add the word 'swagbucks' and I typically earn points. If this doesn't work the second time, then keep trying until you earn points. However, after 5 or so 3 word searches, I typically give up for a while.
~ At the top of the toolbar there is an 'earn' button. You'll want to click on it and do the following things:
> Go to 'daily polls' and answer the poll question.
> Go to 'trusted surveys' and you'll earn 1 point just by clicking on it.
> Then go to 'NOSO' and click through all of the special offers by clicking 'skip'. Once you get to the end you'll want to enter the captcha code for 2 points.

These are my daily activities. I do this first thing when logging on to the computer. And, I earn at least 5 points each day.

Other ways to earn points are by watching SBTV. There's a link to that in your toolbar as well. Just turn off your volume, open it, and shrink it to where you see the t.v. channel options and the meter. Once you earn 10%, click on another 'channel', until you earn 20%, then go to another channel, and so on until you reach 100%. You get 3 points every time you reach 100%. You can do this several times a day.

You can also complete your profile in the trusted surveys section and earn points. Of course, if you qualify and have time to complete the surveys, you can earn points this way as well.

On the swagbucks home page, there's typically a video you can watch for 2 points.

Don't forget to 'like' swagbucks on Facebook and follow them on Twitter. You can earn points by participating in discussions. You can also check out their blog posts for points and check the swidget- I have one my blog.

Now, what can you use these points for: I use mine for Amazon.com gift cards. But, there are other gift cards and prizes as well!

So, what are you waiting for?! Start searching & earning!

Baking Cinnamon Rolls

I'm sure you remember the cinnamon rolls that I posted the other day.... well, I was bragging about how delicious they were that I forgot I had taken pictures of G helping great-grandma make them!

G has had tons of fun with her great-grandmother this week. And, she's still quick to remind me that great-grandma is HER grandma, and not mine.

She also told great-greandma that she had beautiful gray hair!

And, my grandma has informed me that I will have to retrain G after she leaves. Apparently, G gets a treat of chocolate for eating her meals!

And, we've yet to have G pick out her own 'switch' or stand in time-out this week. Although, believe me, we've had a few temper tantrums. I'm surprised & impressed at how my grandma has handled them.

G has also made sure every morning that I was off to work so she and great-grandma can spend the day together by themselves!

Be Jealous

Yum! This is why I love my grandma, well, one of the many reasons!

She and G decided to bake cookies yesterday, but she couldn't find my baking powder or baking soda, so she dug through my cabinets, found some yeast, and made dough that she later made into cinnamon rolls.

Absolutely delish!

I'm thinking with her cooking and baking my weigh in at the doctor next week won't be so great!

My New Obsession: Headbands

Headbands are my absolute new obsession. I know, you've been seeing a lot more of these than the hair bows lately, but I'm having so much fun making them! I had to order my third supply of the vintage flowers last week, and I've already used them, and need to order my fourth!

Gretchen wore a vintage flower headband for Easter rather than a hair bow. It was much easier that day to pull it on her head, rather than taking some time to fix her hair. Plus, it was nice to see her in something a little different.

I've also started sporting these myself. Great for a messy hair day, but when you still want a little style. I made a simple black one for myself, which blends in to my hair, but is still fashionable and easy.

The fabric wrapped headbands are also a new favorite, because these can match the applique' shirts, plus the fabric rosette is not something that is seen too often, and can be perfect from toddlers to tweens. I even had an adult order one of these for herself last week in a black and white color combo. Again, perfect for those messy hair days when you want some style.

Most people are obsessed with the crochet headbands and flowers. I made these for Little Bow Peep's, but I promise, M has a few of her own. I'm actually going to take some to the hospital with us for her newborn photo shoot ~ we're blessed to have a professional photographer at the hospital~ The headbands are great for babies with no hair, and if your flowers are made as clips or bows are made on clips, then you can make them interchangeable and not be stuck with a million different crochet headbands.

I'm also working on a new style of headband, and hope to debut' it in the next few days. I'm just falling in love with the ease of them, and the style that they can add to your hair. What's your favorite style of headband?

36 weeks

I'm officially 9 months pregnant! I thought this day would never arrive, and now i'm beginning to think that M will never arrive. I know she will, but i'm ready. I'm not ready because there's a lot to do, but i'm ready for her to be here, to hold her, and to introduce her to G. I'm ready for my husband to be here for the week that she's born and i'm ready to move.

I apologize that the picture is so small, but as I tried to make it bigger, I realized I was only making myself look bigger, and at this point, it is NOT a good idea to make the already large pregnant lady look like a massive giant pregnant lady.

I did go to the doctor on Monday, and for those of you who aren't totally grossed out by this, i'm 50% effaced and only a tiny bit dialated. But, that's better than where I was with G. The entire last month I was at a standstill of zero. But, to be honest, because of that, i'm not getting my hopes up that i'll progress much more with M.

Most of M's bones should be fully hardened at this point (maybe that's why I crave milk, chocolate milk, and ice cream?) with the exception of her skull. And, i'm going to assume not much else is going on with her, since all of my pregnancy updates talk about AFTER she arrives, which doesn't help my anticipation!

As far as how i'm feeling. Fine. Seriously, I feel better than I did with Gretchen; I know, I keep saying that. But, i'm not near as swollen. If you look carefully at that tiny picture though you can see my cankles- lovely. And, I feel like a hippo, but someone told me I was the cutest pregnant lady they'd ever seen this morning, which made my heart skip a beat. Seriously, I need to hear those things when you feel like a giant whale walking around outside of their fish tank.

I am having a few braxton hicks contractions, and dare I say, possibly some 'real' ones as well? Honestly, I never felt them with Gretchen, so I don't really know what i'm feeling. Rolling over is still a pain, and forget about me getting up if I sit on the floor..... definitely not graceful.

Countdown to the induction is 3 weeks from today!