Product Review: The Boppy Full Body Pillow

I decided to try something a little different for today’s post and give you a product review.  After all, everyone likes to be informed about purchases they are making, right?  Besides, you never know when you’re going to need baby stuff.  I haven’t bought much for Baby Geronimo so far – I have been trying to exercise some restraint at least until we find out the sex, but of the few things I’ve bought, this is one of my favorites so far!

So, I have been having some trouble sleeping.  I know what you’re thinking, “Sarah you are only 13.5 weeks pregnant and also a huge drama queen, how is it possible that you already can’t sleep?  If you think 13.5 weeks is bad, wait until approximately weeks 30-40.”  To all of you haters who really did think that: at least hear me out!  Firstly, you are not supposed to sleep on your back OR on your stomach when pregnant.  Doctors (and all of the books I’ve read) recommend that you sleep on your side, preferably the left side, so as to maximize blood flow.  If you are a side sleeper to begin with, this should be a piece of cake.  I, however, am a stomach sleeper – always have been, ever since I was little and it was still okay to let babies sleep on their stomachs.  The problem with this, in addition to the fact that I’m a rule-follower and you’re not supposed to sleep on your stomach, is that due to aforementioned out-of-control-and-hurting-boobs, it is literally painful for me to sleep on my stomach these days.  The final issue that has until now been preventing me from sleeping on my side is that I have terrible circulation and my arms fall asleep!  I know, I am probably a total weirdo freak, but it does not take much for my arms to fall asleep.  For instance, when I sleep on my stomach, I cannot sleep with my arms up above  my head under my pillow like a normal person, because when I wake up I can’t move them for a good hour due to the terrible tingling.  I therefore have to sleep with them down by my side (palms up, if you want to be exact).  So hopefully at this point you’ve gotten past me being dramatic and realize that me sleeping on my side is a real problem.

Enter the best invention ever: the boppy full-body pillow.  This thing is amazing!  I had a serious internal debate on whether to buy it, because it is pretty expensive.  I mean for $50 my pillow better come with some ice cream, oreos and diamonds stuffed inside.  But after reading the product reviews and talking to several girlfriends who used it and sang its praises, I decided it couldn’t hurt.  BOY am I glad I bought this thing.  So is Dan – I’m guessing he must have been tired of hearing me totally overreact about hoping I wasn’t killing the baby by sleeping on my stomach/back whine about not sleeping comfortably, because he didn’t even blink when I told him the price and that I was ordering.  Note to self: sometimes being dramatic/a total worry wart = winning.

When I first decided to write this post, I was SO EXCITED about it, because I had the brilliant idea that I would have Dan pose with the pillow to show you all of the different positions in which you can use the body pillow (for sleeping, duh).  However, being the dream killer responsible, negative nancy clear-headed (most of the time) half of our relationship, he politely refused after informing me that you can’t delete things off of the internet.  Needless to say, I was crushed.  I’m sure that you are, too, but perhaps picturing it your head like I do will make you giggle enough to suffice.  No?  Just me?  Oh well, maybe next time!  Anyway, here’s a picture of this miraculous invention in action (although this woman is clearly not a rule follwer, as she is sleeping on her right side!):

Photo courtesy of Maternity and Baby Shopping Mart

And here’s where you can buy it.  I got mine on Amazon, and there was free shipping, wahoo!

Leave me some love in the comments section and let me know your thoughts about product reviews.  Do you love them?  Hate them?  Want to see more of them?  Not really give a crap and could care less if I ever do another one?  TELL ME!

Prince Danny is out of town for the night, so it’s a girls night for Layla and me.  Macaroni and ice cream for dinner, snuggling on the couch and catching up on reality TV?  Sounds like a dream.

Happy Hump Day!

Sarah

13 Week Update

Greetings, readers!  As promised, today’s post is the 13-week update.  Enjoy!

Size of Geronimo: Almost 3 inches long – about the size of peach (Or, according to a different pregnancy weekly e-mail update, a medium shrimp.  Death by allergy.  Peach sounds cuter, anyway)!  This week, fingerprints are forming and his/her veins and organs are clearly visible through his/her still-thin skin (this would explain why we could see the bones in last week’s ultrasound).

Weight Gain So Far: As of Friday at the doctor’s office, only .4 lbs – still not even a full pound!  I could not believe my eyes, I thought for sure I would have skyrocketed at least 20 lbs this week.  I was feeling excessively bloated. 

Cravings: Nothing new to report here.  Dan keeps asking me if he should buy some pickles for me at the store to go with my ice cream, though.  So far the answer has been no.

Aversions: At times I’ve been slightly weird about meat, but it’s not really consistent so I’m not sure whether that even counts.

Symptoms: Same old: constipation, tired all the time, some dizziness and an increasing amount of headaches.  I am hoping that the fact that I am now basically a walking pharmacy will help combat the constipation this week.  I’ll report back on that next week – I’m sure you’re all waiting with baited breath.  Also, my nose is SO SENSITIVE.  I know, it is a symptom every woman has, and it’s totally normal, but I feel like my extra sensitive nostrils are only picking up the bad stuff.  I have been convinced that my cube at work stinks all week, but I can’t pinpoint what it is and no one else can smell it, so I guess there is no solution.  Oh, and another one that I can’t believe I haven’t mentioned before: BREAKOUTS!  I’m talking high-school, puberty-style pimples.  But in weird places…like on my arms and legs.  Freaky, yes?

What I Miss: Normal boobs.  I’m finding that clothes are fitting extra weird because mine are out of control.  Seriously – out. of. control.  I can’t imagine what they will be like when there is milk in them.  Dan is certainly not complaining, but my word!

Things I am Thankful For: The usual: love, prayers and support – feeling extra blessed this week.  Also, the new boppy full-body pregnancy pillow I got last week.  It’s helping a lot with the sleep situation (Now if only it could help with the getting-up-three-times-a-night-to-pee situation, it would be miraculous.  I’m worried about what will happen when the baby is actually big enough to camp out on my bladder, because I’m already up so much during the night!).  Product review on that to come in a later post!

Signs of a Bump: Still tiny, but still there.  I have heard from a lot of people that they went from having no bump to exploding around 20 weeks.  Not sure since I already have one if I should be even more worried about turning into a whale?  J 

Next Doctor Appointment: Friday (I know, another one).  This one should just be a quick one – weigh in, pee in a cup, talk to the nurse practitioner and maybe hear the baby’s heartbeat on the Doppler thingy.  I am hoping they will schedule our “big” appointment – the one where we find out the gender – while I’m there.  Only 5-7 weeks until that one – hopefully closer to 5 because I can’t stand it much longer!

Also, an update from last week’s visit: we got some test results back yesterday!  The results are actually really hard to understand, and all they really show you are probabilities, which I was surprised by.  Anyway, the risk before our screening for Down Syndrome was 1 in 835, but after the screening it is 1 in more than 10,000, which is within range.  The pre-screening risk for Trisomy 13 & 18 was 1 in 1,563, and the post-screening risk is also 1 in more than 10,000, which is also within range.  In a nutshell: Baby Geronimo is healthy and (hopefully) happy in there!  We haven’t gotten the Cystic Fibrosis test results yet, but I think it’s because that one was a blood test and had to be sent off to the lab. The Doctor told us we should have those results by the end of the week.

I have had several people tell me recently what they think Baby Geronimo’s sex is based on what they’ve read in the blog and my cravings, symptoms, etc.  Several people have also asked if I have a gut feeling.  I literally have NO idea, no feelings whatsoever about which it is.  I know a lot of women who had a feeling and were right, but I just do not have that feeling!  What do you think?  Any gender guesses based on what you’ve been reading?

Hope everyone has had a great start to their week!

Sarah

A Day of Surprises!

The 13-week update will have to wait until tomorrow because I got some surprises today and I'm so excited!

First, I know I have said it before but I seriously have the best husband in the whole world.  Not only did he do the grocery shopping and pick up my prescription on the way home from work (yes!  you read right!  he ran errands for us!), but when I arrived home I was greeted to this wonderful surprise:

The absolute best part about aforementioned surprise is that I didn't even ask for these! I kid you not, I finished my last single-serving of chocolate fudge brownie ice cream yesterday, and I know I didn't mention that to him.  And then today while at work I was thinking, gosh oreos would be delicious (I polished a bag of those off last week...whoops).  I swear, I did not ask for either, even when he asked if I wanted anything from the store.  And yet they still managed to make their way into my pantry/freezer.  He is SERIOUSLY awesome.  Could it be that he is trying to make Baby Geronimo favor him before he/she even comes out of the womb?!  Either way, I think I'll keep him.  :-)

The second surprise came in the mail (Side note: don't you just love getting mail?! It's like Christmas in the middle of the week.  Just me?  Oh.).  I came home to find the following package in my mailbox:

I guess that's a lie, the above picture is of what was actually inside the box, but whatever...details!  I saw that the return address was from "chewbeads," and stood at the mailbox scratching my head for five minutes trying to figure out what I'd ordered that I didn't remember ordering (I am pretty sure it is evidence that I have a serious problem that more than once I have gotten things in the mail that I didn't remember ordering.  Don't even get my husband started.).  I spent the next five minutes coming up with a story to tell Dan of why I needed said item that was ordered.  Seriously, he is a bank account nazi, so I was thinking to myself, I wonder why he hasn't asked me what I bought yet?  When we first got married, before he convinced me to make the biggest mistake of my whole life join bank accounts, I would order things and have them sent to my bestie's house to hide them from him, and then just leave them in my trunk until he was MIA and I could sneak them in.  True story.  I have a problem.

ANYWAY, none of that matters, back to business.  So I finally figured out that I had not, in fact, ordered anything, and that this was a present.  I LOVE PRESENTS!  Who could it be from?  I know, the anticipation is killing you. Here's my loot:

It was jewelry from our good friends Rich and Eliza (THANKS GUYS!)!  But not just any jewelry...kid-friendly jewelry!  The bracelet and necklace pictured above are from chewbeads.  I have never heard of these before, but they are seriously so cool.  Their slogan is, after all, "mommy chic, baby safe."  Here are some fun facts about this jewelry:

• Fashionable teething jewelry
• Beads are made of 100% silicone (similar to pacifiers & nipples)
• Soft on babies gums & emerging teeth
• No BPA, PVC, phtalates, cadmium, or lead
• Easily cleaned with soap & water, also diswasher safe (!!!!!)
• Necklaces have a breakaway clasp for added safety
• Necklaces are a great sensory tool to help your baby focus while nursing
• Bracelets are a colorful reminder for which side you just nursed

Seriously.  Could this jewelry possibly be ANY MORE COOL?!  I am SO excited about this gift, and cannot wait to wear the jewelry.  Rich and Eliza, thank you so much for thinking of us...you are too, too sweet for words and I can't wait to be a fashionable Momma!  Ladies, if you have girlfriends who are pregnant or have toddlers this is a GREAT gift idea, too!

The oh-so-fabulous husband discussed previously has just informed me that dinner is ready: BLTs with avocado, yes please!  Tune back in tomorrow for the 13-week update, and later in the week, a product review (you won't want to miss it, I swear).

Love!

Sarah

Got me on my knees, Layla

I can't believe it is already Sunday evening.  Seriously, where do the weekends go?  Ours has been busy yet also relaxing, but it doesn't make me any more ready for another week!  I'm glad to have a little vacation on the books this week for some R&R with my family.

Speaking of family, I cannot believe I've been blogging for a month and have not yet introduced you to my dog-child.  Meet Layla:

Photo credit: the ALWAYS amazing Kristin Vining Photography

Is she the prettiest little girl you've ever seen, or what?!  We certainly think so - and so does she, as she uses her looks to get her way - a lot!  Sometimes I wish she would talk, because I bet she'd be hilarious.  I often wonder what kind of accent she'd have.  I am convinced she would talk like Aunt Jemima.  Dan thinks she'd talk like an Australian - Nicole Kidman, maybe.  Obviously, we'll never know...but it's fun to speculate.

Layla came to us a little over three years ago from Paint Creek Horse Farm in Wingate, NC.  She was a member of a broken home for a little while until I finally talked Dan into proposing.  And now here we are, 3.5 years later and she's going to be a big sister!  I am not yet sure whether she is excited or not.  I'll report back on that in about 6ish months.  For your viewing pleasure, here are some pictures of how cute, fat and furry she was as a puppy:

I have been wondering how she is going to react to Baby Baum when we bring him/her home from the hospital.  She is, after all, an only "child" who is treated like a human and rules the Baum roost.  Of course we've been reading up on this, and seeking advice from friends who have already gone through it.  The most common piece of advice we've gotten is to bring something - a blanket or onesie, etc. - home from the hospital that has the baby's scent on it, and introduce Layla to it before we bring the baby home so that she'll be used to it.  I think she is going to be a GREAT "big sister" and can't wait to see how she reacts.  She's gotten lots of practice with my nephews and niece, and has done remarkably well...we've only had to scold her a few times for growling when her eye was poked or her ear was pulled one too many times for her liking.  ;-)  I hope she and Baby Geronimo will be total besties!

All of this discussion about the dog child brings me to my next question: can she tell that I am pregnant?  I know, you are all going to think I am one of those total weirdo animal people, but just hear me out.  Layla has never been particularly cuddly, unless it is on her terms.  That does not mean that we do not cuddle - sometimes we engage in what Dan likes to call "forced cuddling," where I raise my voice and pretend I'm mad so she'll snuggle up to me for a little while.  Other than that, she'll cuddle when she wants to, but normally she's happy doing her own thing.  Until I got pregnant.  Y'all, believe me when I tell you that now this dog wants to be laying on me - particularly head on my stomach - ALL THE TIME.  I am not complaining, I like the attention, but it really makes me think that she knows!  Case in point:

The above photo was taken today, while I was lounging on the couch catching up on some TV.  This is her normal position these days...laying on top of me with her head on my stomach.  She has NEVER done this before.  She has also been a lot more protective of me than usual.  Just this morning, when we were sitting on the front porch waiting for Dan to go on our walk, someone was running by the house and she went into full-on ferocious mode, growling at them.  Any of you that know her know that this is NOT normal - she loves people more than she loves other dogs and is typically always looking for someone new to play with!  Her behavior was so strange, and also really sweet.  Not to worry, I did fuss at her about having bad manners.

I did some googling, and while there is no scientific proof that animals can tell, there is TONS of stuff out there from pet owners swearing that their animal knows.  I am a believer that Layla at least knows there is SOMETHING different, for sure.

Photo Credit Kristin Vining

That's all I've got in terms of my random thoughts today!  We finally got to meet our friend Grant & Emily's new addition, Olivia, this weekend.  She is GORGEOUS, with a head full of dark hair that stands straight up.  Emily is staying in town for the week, so I hope I get to snuggle Olivia some more before she leaves!

Hope everyone had a great weekend!  While I'm not ready for it to be Monday, yet, I am excited about drooling over Vampire Eric on Trueblood tonight.  Yummy!

Sarah