My Week

Teresha: It's hump day and I am already exhausted and looking forward to the long 4th of July weekend. It's hella *HOT* in Texas so I will be avoiding the outdoors and just relaxing because I have done so much this week (overdoing it is more like it):

• I hosted a cloth diaper show at the house on Sunday. I made one sale...just confirmation that I am not a good salesperson. However, I am working on scheduling one at hubby's company for their employees and letting Kristi Rooks, the owner of Hip Green Baby do the product presentation. Kristi has a wonderful selection of products and a wealth of knowledge to share. Visit her site and see for yourself!
  
• I had a guest post published at Go Graham Go! on Monday. Check it out!
• Still mourning MJ. He was the icon of my generation. I can't believe he is gone. Enough has been said about his personal decline over the last 15 years, the circumstances surrounding his death, and the fallout over his kids and estate. I just want to add that his musical legacy is unmatched and untouchable, and I hope he is resting in peace.
  
• I have been slow to accept the physical limitations of my final stage of pregnancy. I have been trying to do too much and suffering the repurcussions (back pain, insomnia, Braxton-Hicks contractions). So I made a decision to take it easy and not view this as a sign of weakness (Superwoman is temporarily hanging up her cape). I had a pedicure today at The Spa at Whole Foods. I have been sleeping on this gem of a service at one of my favorite places. A couple of neighbors clued me in. It was heaven and all natural...no harsh fumes or chemicals in any of the products. Tomorrow I get my hair done. yipee!
• We've been experiencing some problems with one of the midwives at our birthing center. She has a prickly personality and it was rubbing me the wrong way. I strongly considered transferring to another facility (even took a tour at one in another city in the Mteroplex). I have been guilty in the past of avoiding confrontation with people who remind me of someone from my past-who shall remain nameless. I want to break free of this habit, so using the tools from The Secret and Birthing from Within, I brought the issue to the attention of the head midwife. In summation, she did a bit of mediation. We had a good visit at our appointment today and I am optimistic that we are going to have a positive experience from here on out.

Okay people, I've recapped my week as a way of letting you know that I am emotionally drained and tired. So, I am going to be scarce over the next few days on self-imposed exile from blogging, emailing, Facebooking and general web surfing. I'll see you rejuvenated and refreshed on Sunday!

Just When I Want to Kill Him...

Teresha: Since becoming an involuntary homemaker (more on that later), I have developed a fixation with crime shows. Not the fictional TV dramas like Law and Order although I am known to watch SVU from time to time. I am talking about real-life criminal case shows like 48 hours Hard Evidence and Captured, the ones that recount the crimes of murderers, rapists, and gangsters. My favorite is Snapped on the Oxygen network. This TV show tells the stories of women who kill...usually their husbands. My husband hates that I watch this program. He thinks I am getting tips on how to get away with murdering him. He has warned me that he told all his friends to suspect me if he dies suspiciously. I admit that I have learned from the mistakes that the wives on Snapped have made--like never use your cell phone when you are disposing of the body. The police can put you at the scene based on your phone signal pinging of cell towers in the area. Now don't go thinking that I am plotting my husband's demise. Far from it. But there are days that I do want to just kill him (FIGURATIVELY). Like this morning when I am preparing for a luncheon at our house this afternoon and there is no space in the fridge to put the platter of crackers or fruit salad because he has all these containers of leftovers that need to be thrown out and packages of fresh meat that need to be wrapped and put in the freezer EVERYWHERE!!! I am asking him to clean out the stuff so I can get the food for my guests ready and he tells me to stop bossing him around! Excuse me, but do you not know me?! Fast forward an hour later. He cleans out the fridge and makes me breakfast, but just not any breakfast. He has made a veggie omelet placed neatly inside whole wheat toast cut in the shape of a house with a side of butter shaped like the sun! I am touched...deeply. I make him go get the camera to capture this unbelievably loving gesture, and so I have proof that he is not always a butt-munch. He gets to live another day. I love you hubby!

Pregnancy Confessions

Teresha: When people ask me, "how's the pregnancy going?" I am quick to extol the virtues of carrying a new life. I usually respond by saying that I would have done it sooner had I known it would be this easy. This is mostly the truth. I have little to complain about...I had no real morning sickness, no disgusting food cravings, no heartburn, no stretch marks so far. But I do have my off days, so I am coming clean about the dark side of pregnancy:

• Some days being pregnant makes me miserable, especially now that the weight of the baby is straining my petite frame.
• I don't care if I ever have sex again.
• Paradoxically, I am horny all the time, but usually can't muster the energy to do anything about it.
• I stopped shaving my legs (and other areas of my body) at 26 weeks.
• I don't always eat healthy. Sometimes I prefer a bowl of cereal to a well-balanced, homemade meal.
• I have reached the point where I just spot clean the bathrooms
• I resent the fact that my husband can do things I no longer can like lay on his stomach, bend over, see his toes, walk fast, climb the stairs without gasping for air, and drink alcohol.
• I relish the fact that I have this amazing bond with the life growing inside me, get to feel her every movement and response to my voice, and he doesn't!
• Being pregnant is one thing...baby girl Petite is safe and snug inside me, and I have to do very little to except take vitamins, eat right, exercise, go to appointments, and get plenty of rest. I am petrified about the life changes that parenthood will bring.
  

Whew! It feels good to get that off my chest! So, what's your pregnancy confession? Spill it, sister!

Damon: I don't think there really is a "dark side" of pregnancy for guys. And even if there was one - I think my wife would kill me for putting any of it down in writing: ) To tell you the truth, the pregnancy has been somewhat uneventful for me. Don't get me wrong, I can't wait for baby Petite to get here, but right now it's just a waiting game. So, instead I have included a little cheat sheet below that I found on the internet for what expecting dads should be doing during the pregnancy. Um, I do each one to varying degrees - and I have about two months left to work on it!

List of Things To Do For The Expectant Father (Source: babycenter.com)

• Pay attention
  
• Be there
• Get healthier, too
• Love her changing body
• Go the extra mile
• Memorize the route to the hospital
• Be a a partner in labor
• Shop, talk and make lots of decisions together
• Prepare for your new life as a family

I'm on a Hot Blue Winning Streak!

Teresha: So I discovered the mommy realm of the blogosphere only when I was expecting my first baby and started a blog for family and friends to get pregnancy updates. I started reading other mommy (and daddy) blogs to whittle away the hours because I was home all day (bad economy, no one hiring, ya know?). I became entertained by posts, educated by product reviews, and obsessed with giveaways! I want to share my prize bounty list because my cup overfloweth, and I want to support these vendors and mommy blogs:

My first win:
Miracle Blanket @ Just a Mom's Take on Things

Other recent wins:

• Two Boob maternity dresses @ Life Starring the Kids and Me!
• $100 My Wonderful Walls gift certificate @ 3 Ps in a Pod
• $5 credit toward blog design @ Custom Blog Designs
• One-year supply of Ballpark Franks and Hillshire Farm products @ momlogic
• Dysfunctional Father's Guide to Pregnancy, Birth and Babies @ A Busy Mommy
• Melissa dress from Picaflor Kids @ My Organized Chaos
• $25 Amazon gift certificate from Got Free Cards @ the Mom Buzz
• So Easy Baby Food Kit from Fresh Baby @ My Four Monkeys (new win!)
• $50 gift certificate for Tiny*Prints @ My Organized Chaos (new win!)

Pretty awesome, huh?! So, go enter some mommy blog contests, you gotta be in it to win it! I have more blogs listed on my blog roll...
UPDATE: People have been asking me how I've won so many times. Quantitatively, I haven't won a lot considering that I enter 1-3 giveaways every day. Statistically, I am in the bottom percentile. I do it for fun, so this doesn't bother me...it chases away the boredom, and I get to meet some cool mommy bloggers and learn about some great products. If I had to share one tip for winning, it would be to do the bonus entries and read this post by Victoria @ Life Starring the Kids and Me! Tips and Tricks for entering Blog Giveaways

I'm Going to Some Parties! Join Me!

Tip Junkie is turning 2 years old and converting from a .blogspot to a Dot Com. In celebration of her anniversary, blogger (and fellow DFW resident) Laurie is hosting a birthday bash. For five days, she will be will be giving away 50 amazing prizes from June 15-19. Ten prize packages will be awarded each day during the Going Dot Com Birthday Bash. Go check it out!


I love swaps! I have done several scrapbooking swaps and enjoyed picking, packing, and shipping gifts for my swap buddy as much I loved getting a package. Angies's Spot is hosting a Christmas in July Swap. I am so there! The first 50 participants or whoever signs up by June 24 are accepted. Don't miss your chance to get in on the fun!

My First Blog Award!

Teresha: This blog is a few months old and was initially intended for family and friends to get updates on our pregnancy. Then I met so many wonderful women bloggers sharing their lives, Superwoman secrets, product reviews and giveaways. I started to expand my writing so my blog can be like theirs when it grows up. Today I was tickled when Robbie at A Spiritual Connection selected me as a recipient of the One Lovely Blog Award. Go visit her, leave some comment love, and feed her fishies. I am so honored to receive this recognition and support, especially from fellow Dallasite!
So, now I am passing the award to these bloggers I've recently discovered, listed in alphabetical order:

1. Akilah @ Execumama
2. Brandy @ Irish Baby Bump
3. Cafe Mocha Momma @ Capuccino Confessions
4. Courtney @ The Artis 6
5. Dawn @ Painter Mommy
6. Denene @ MyBrownBaby
7. Diana @ Custom Blog Designs by FreestyleMama
8. Diane @ dkMommy Spot
9. Dumb Mom @ Parenting BY Dummies
10. Felicia @ Go Graham Go!
11. Jeni @ A Busy Mommy
12. Lolli @ Better in Bulk
13. Paulette @ Revelations that Turn Pages
14. Shari @ A Psych Mommy
15. Stephanie @ A Pocket Full of Buttons

What next? Follow these rules and pay it forward:

1. Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link.

2. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you have newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

9 Things You Should Never Say to or Do to a Pregnant Woman

Teresha: Pregnancy is one of those life events that bring out the best or worst in the people around you. Family and friends will be a mixed bag of reactions. Some will be appropriately supportive and some will annoy you with unsolicited advice, poorly-timed jokes, maternity health warnings they read about on the Internet, or plain rude remarks. Strangers will think they can invade your body buffer zone. I have faced the fact that being pregnant is a personal moment on public display, so people will think they are not out-of-bounds to get nosy and all up in your business. Etiquette should not go out the window when you see or talk to a pregnant woman, people! In case you forget your manners, here is a cheat sheet:

1. Never ask her if she is pregnant unless it's absolutely obvious (like she will deliver at any moment). If she is, it's her news to tell, so don't ruin it or force her to lie. If she is just gaining weight, you will make her feel horrible. Either way, you are going to look like a heel.
2. Never tell a pregnant woman that she has stretch marks, swollen feet, hemorrhoids, leg cramps, varicose veins, etc...to look forward to. It sounds like you are wishing these dreaded conditions on her and just because it happened to you, your wife, your sister or friend does not mean it will befall her.
3. Never share tragic pregnancy or birth horror stories like, "my sister's-best friend's-cousin was 16 weeks pregnant when she miscarried" or "this woman at my job went into preterm labor due to an incompetent cervix." Are you trying to freak us out? If you don't have something nice to say, HOLD YOUR TONGUE!
4. Never ask if she is having a boy or a girl or what the name is going to be. Offering to guess is even more of a no-no. If this information has not been volunteered already, then it's probably a secret.
5. Never suggest baby names. Do you really think your opinion matters in something so intimate?
6. Never pat or rub her belly without permission. Strangers, don't even ask!
7. Never, ever look at a pregnant woman and exclaim, "Wow, you are huge! I know you're not going to push that big baby out." Pregnant women come in all shapes and sizes, which don't correlate to the weight of the baby.
8. Never ask the private, personal details of her birth plan. If she tells you voluntarily, this is not an open invitation to give your "expert" opinion about how "epidurals are the best" or "too many women are having C-sections." There is no right or wrong way to have a baby-- it's a matter of choice to be discussed with her maternity care provider, and you aren't part of the decision-making.
9. Never look at a pregnant woman coming down the aisle and not make room for her to pass or offer up your seat the front of the bus. Come on!

On behalf of expectant mommies everywhere, I beseech you to think before you speak to us. I know you mean well, but we are already anxious as it is about having a healthy pregnancy plus emotional from the hormonal rollercoaster. We don't need you adding to the stress by making insensitive comments. What we need is positive affirmation! So, when you see me or call me or email me, just express well wishes or ask how I am doing/feeling. I will happily share some details with you.

Damon: On the subject of pregnant women and questions, it is very clear and simple. I always call upon the tactics used to keep the Clinton marriage intact - "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Again - very simple. You don't ask a pregnant woman anything. You definitely don't ask her - "are you pregnant?" Even if her water has broken and she is ready to pop, don't ask - I would first just assume that she has wet herself or maybe she's bloated from eating at that discount Chinese Buffet. I could go on, but why? Again, clear and simple - "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Trust me!

Pregnancy is a Process of Self-Discovery

Teresha: I am a spiritual woman, but I am also a thinking woman. This duality has served me well as a human being. I can deal with any situation from a sensitive, yet logical approach. Well, almost any situation. Pregnancy has really thrown me for a loop. It has heightened all my feelings, which now clash when they used to complement each other. It was rough going until we started our childbirth classes recently. Our instructor Leigh Anne teaches Birthing from Within along with the mechanics of birth outlined in the Bradley Method. Birthing from Within focuses on the emotional journey of pregnancy, labor and birthing. We are exploring our anxieties about becoming new parents and learning techniques that will make birthing a positive experience for both of us. As you might have guessed, you have to be open with your feelings to be able to succeed at this. So, in our first class we discussed suppressed feelings, worries, and fears that might interfere with a smooth labor and delivery. Leigh Anne said stress can make the process of giving birth more difficult and painful. That's all I needed to hear to let the floodgates open and let down my guard. I talked openly about the rift between me and my mother. I expressed the hurt over her not being engaged in my pregnancy, not attending my baby shower in Miami, and not calling me on Mother's Day or my birthday. Tears started to form. Leigh Anne thanked me for being honest and assured me that we would work through it so that I could resolve the emotional pain. Afterward, Damon asked me to call my mother. I dug in my heels and said no (I am a Taurus and I do have my pride, darn it!). Later in the week, I was talking to Tene (of nursery painting fame) and asked her opinion. She agreed with Damon (they often gang up on me). I agreed to give it some thought, but God was not letting me off the hook. On Friday, I happened upon my horoscope on Yahoo! This is what it said, "Even though you love them dearly, your family is not totally in sync with you right now. Do not be surprised if you have a hard time communicating with them. Saying what you truly want may feel difficult, but is that a difficulty you are imposing on yourself? Today, come clean with what you are thinking and just speak from the heart. You may be surprised at how warmly you are received. Expect the best, and you will get it." FREAKY! After consulting Damon and Tene, I finally submitted to the universe and called my mommy at work and asked her to call me when she got home. We talked for 2 1/2 hours that evening and I didn't have a meltdown! We both got a lot of junk off our chests, most of it just plain, ole' misunderstandings. I am happy to report that we are well on our way to mending our relationship. I am so loving this journey!