The Beauty of Mommy Blogger Word-of-Mouth

Teresha: I am relatively new to the blogging thing, although I have been writing and journaling all my life. I got deeper into the blogosphere when I became pregnant and have thoroughly enjoyed reading various mommy blogs. Many of them have these cool custom designs, and I admit to being a little envious. One of the neat things about the mommy blogs is that they are always hosting contests and giving away cool prizes for mommies and kids. So, I am reading the Thursday Tidbits on What's That Smell where she shares that the blogger at Once Upon a Mommy's Quiet Time is hosting a giveaway for a custom blog design from Subjective Beauty! How awesome is that! This is my chance (and yours) to get a blog makeover (valued at $300). Head over to Subjective Beauty and broswe her portfolio then go to Once Upon and Mommy's Quiet Time to enter the contest. The deadline is May 7th. Think you can get in more entries than me?

Project Nursery

Teresha: So, we started working on Miss M's nursery as soon as we found out she is a she. I know some say it's bad luck to start decorating a nursery too soon, but I can't see myself running around at 8 months trying to get everything in order. By starting early, I get the benefits of taking it step-by-step, and I am giving myself time to relax in my last weeks of pregnancy. My mother-in-law purchased the crib, which has been assembled and fitted with bedding. My very good friends Charnae and Tene (accents on the last e's) came to Dallas this past weekend and voluteered for nursery duty (they might say I drafted them). There is just something about having your girls help you pick out stuff for your baby that makes the process feel like a party. We spent Friday afternoon and Saturday morning visiting all the good discount home decor stores...Tuesday Morning, Ross, Burlington Coat Factory, Big Lots. We found matching curtains, wallpaper border, and some cute baby clothes! Damon, Charnae and Tene then spent HOURS painting the nursery and matching accesories (I only helped a bit due to the fumes and the fact that painting is the one art form I suck at). The results are faboo!!! The walls are still pretty bare, which I hope to fill with a mural like the flower themed mural from My Wonderful Walls. It's a DIY stencil kit that is easy to apply, even for a art school-reject like me. They also have canvassed wall art that comes ready-to-hang if you can't paint your walls for some reason. Luckily the bloggers at, 3P's in a Pod and What's That Smell are both giving away a gift certificate for a mural kit from My Wonderful Walls! You know I already entered the contests, so what are you waiting for? The deadline for entries is noon CST on April 30.

Sweet Face

Why God Made Little Girls
Author: Henry Alfred Dixon

God made the world with its towering trees,
Majestic mountains and restless seas.
Then stopped and said, "It needs one more thing,
Someone to laugh and dance and sing.
To walk in the woods and gather flowers,
To commune with nature in quiet hours."
So God created little girls.
With laughing eyes and bouncing curls.
With joyful hearts and infectious smiles,
Enchanting ways and feminine wiles.
And when He'd completed the task He'd begun,
He was pleased and proud of the job He'd done.
For the world when seen through a little girl's eyes,
Greatly resembles His own paradise.

My Review of Jardine Olympia Single Crib - Natural

Toys R Us

The Natural/Dark Pine Olympia Crib features a clean-cut contemporary style. This crib is known for its strong, high quality construction. The mattress support is adjustable to four positions to keep baby safely inside the crib.  This piece coordinates with the Natural/Dark Pine Olympia Single ...

Jardine Olympia Single Crib - Natural

Great Value for Money

1st Time Mother-to-Be Dallas, TX 4/11/2009

 

4 5

Pros: Metal mattress platform, Stable, JPMA certified, Easily Assembled

Cons: Surface scratches easy

Best Uses: Infants, Newborn, Preemies

Describe Yourself: First Time Parent

Just bought in-store and assembled today. Note: The price in store was $60 cheaper than online price. We also got the antique walnut finish instead of the natural. After looking at DOZENS of cribs, we both agreed on this one for sturdiness, the style and overall quality. Overall it was easy to assemble, just need an allen wrench (comes with). The one catch was installing the drop-side, which really takes two people to align it on the tracks (install from bottom like instructions say). The wood finish does scratch easy (we have scratches on the posts where we struggled to align the drop-side (might sand and touch-up). Other pros: JMPA certified, love that it has a metal mattress platform (not a single rod or plastic board). I think this will last until baby needs a twin bed. This crib is not a convertible. It doesn't advertise that anywhere. Jardine does make convertible/lifetime cribs in other models though.

: Picture of Product

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Petite's Anatomy

Teresha: We saw the sonographer today to find out our baby's sex. After basting my belly with goop, she proceeded to take multiple measurements, which took forever. She showed us the face, spine, arms, heartbeat, and legs. Then she finally started examining our baby's nether regions. The little bugger was closed up like a clam, but the technician finally got a peek and said, "you see these three lines, they form the vagina." I knew it all along, and I'm not just saying that. I always felt like the baby I am carrying was going to be a girl. I even dreamed of her playing in our front room, dressed in a purple romper with ruffles on the bottom. Now that my prophecy has been fulfilled, I am scared to death. Granted girls are a lot of fun, but also a lot more work...combing hair, puberty, sketchy boyfriends, prom dresses, graduations, her wedding, and her own foray into motherhood. Wait, I'm not ready! To boost my confidence in raising a girl, I am going to write her a letter. It's going to be a promise that I will be a mother who is committed to raising a strong woman. It will be my personal motherhood mission statement. By the way, I have another prediction...she will be a total daddy's girl. She is going to look and act like Damon, and they are going to gang up on me. :-)

Damon: Today we found out that we are having a little girl! I really did not want to find out the sex until Miss M was delivered, but Teresha is big on “planning”. I do have to say that I am excited. While Miss M will bring a balance to the gender war in the house, Butters and I have already started planning on bringing her over to the dark side. MMM…har, har har... (insert evil laugh). So what was the difference between this sonogram and the last one? Well, while we could see the head and arms/hands the last time, this time there were bones! It was really freaky. We could see her spine (she was curled up with her back to us) and then all the other bones in her body. The sonographer focused in on Miss M’s face and said “oh, she is so cute.” Um hello – the baby looks like Skeletor at this point. Don’t get me wrong – it was awesome, but unless you are like an expert in bone structure – I don’t really know what she was talking about. Having a girl will be a lot of fun. I am already thinking about how to corrupt her (girls can get away with a lot of stuff) and how I am going to try and scare her boyfriends. Oh yeah, she was also sucking her thumb – that was pretty cool. We are also thinking of doing a natural birth at a birthing center. Our doctor was not too…umm what is the word?…supportive. We got a hemorrhage and a dead baby story from her to try and sway us away from the birthing center. People have had babies (and still do) outside of hospitals for a loooong time. Don’t get me wrong, we love Dr. Foxworth, but we are going to side with nature on this one (I think).

SAVE-THE-DATES
May 2nd: Miami Baby Shower
May 17th: Atlanta Baby Shower