Baby Bag Decisions!

Once again, I am learning that boys have slim pickings when it comes to baby items. I guess companies think that baby boys do not really care what they look like, and neither do their moms, which is so NOT TRUE!!! I want him to have cute things just like my daughter, but I am having to do a lot more searching for him than I did for Kate.

When I started looking for a baby bag, I looked at every store possible...

• Babies R Us
• Target
• Ebags
• Kalencom
• Skip Hop
• JJ Cole
• Leslie and Timi
• Baby Supermall
• Zulilly

and, the list goes on and on...

I saw tons of adorable bags that I would purchase for a girl, but not a lot for a boy. Then, the ones I did find for a boy didn't receive such great reviews. But, I had to choose something. I wanted something that had the following features:

• a good amount of room inside
• pockets on the sides for bottles
• a changing pad
• water repellent/resistant outside
• a durable interior

So, after several weeks of searching, these were the bags that ranked top on my list...

1. Skip Hop Dash in Wave Dot

2. Kalencom Coated Buckle Bag in Calypso

3. Skip Hop Duo in Onyx

4. Kalencom Laminated Buckle in Heavenly Dots - Chocolate/Blue

5. OiOi Essential Bionic Dot Turquoise Messenger

6. JJ Cole Cadence Bag in Charcoal Trellis


And, after much debate, I decided to go with this one...

 

 

Now, let me explain why...

 

This is the same style and brand of diaper bag that I used with my daughter and it held up very well. The outside is laminated, so if you spill formula on it or if it is raining when you get out of the car, the bag will not be damaged. Liquids just slide right off! It comes with a handy changing pad, an accessories case, and an extra bottle holder. I used all of these things except the bottle holder the first time around. It has two outside pockets for extra baby items and the interior is pretty durable. Not to mention the inside has a lot of room for bottles, wipes, a change of clothes, toys, diapers, etc. I am an over-packer and this bag fits everything that I need and more.

 

With Christmas break right around the corner... 2 days away (insert smile), we will be trying to get the baby's room ready to go. So, stay tuned to see the transformations that start to take place in there.

 

 

 



Day of Silence!

Have you Heard about Ebates?!?!

For over a year, I kept reading on different blogs that everyone should shop through Ebates online. Finally, this fall I decided to see what it was all about, and I wish I would've used it earlier.

The site does exactly what it says... pays you to shop. Who wouldn't like that?!?! All you have to do is create an account and go through their Website when shopping.

How does that work, you might ask...

Every time you want to purchase something online, go to Ebates, log-in (if you aren't automatically logged in), type the name of the store that you are searching for in the search box at the top right, hit the magnifying glass (to activate the search),  and then click on the orange "shop now" button that pops up on the store's Ebates page.

It is REALLY that simple!!!

Once you click on the "shop now" button, it will take you to that store's Website and Ebates records the transaction information. They will notify you within a couple of days telling you that they placed cash into your Ebates account.

Each store has different cash back percentages, and some stores offer increased cash back percentages on certain days. Ebates does an excellent job keeping you updated on the current promotions available too.

Then, 4 times a year, Ebates will send you a check for the amount that you have accumulated.

I began using Ebates when I started Christmas shopping online, and I already have $63.09 in my account. On February 15th, they will send me a check for the amount I have in my account.

If you haven't taken a few minutes to look into this Website, you definitely should...

What Type of Bedding Do You Purchase for a Boy?!?!

Let me start out by saying that having a baby boy is going to be a whole new experience for me. I had a sister, but never had a brother. Plus, I wasn't around little boys much as a child, except for my cousins and I was too young to remember them as babies. So, I am going to be leaning on my husband a lot for guidance on this one.

A little funny for everyone... Someone told me to invest in some peepee teepees and I literally had no idea what they were talking about. So, I had to Google it. And, I was amazed! I never knew they sold that sort of thing, but I am sure they will be lifesavers for me.  

Even though the peepee teepees are something that seem really useful, they weren't going to be my first major decison maker. In the whole grand scheme of things, the baby's bedding ranked top on my list. What type of baby bedding should we purchase for a boy? There are SO MANY options for little girls: flowers, butterflies, polka dots, animals, and anything with pink or purple. But, the boy's selection was rather slim anywhere we looked. We didn't want to do the whole sports theme because he will have plenty of time for all that once he gets older. So, should we use trucks, trains, airplanes, jungle animals, dogs, or try to find another cute theme?

I knew I wanted to purchase the baby's bedding from Pottery Barn Kids because their bedding is good quality and it washes very well. My daughter has their Hayley bedding in her room and we love it. So, deciding on the brand that we wanted to purchase really narrowed down our options, but we found one that we really really liked...

The Animal Alphabet Crib Bedding

(link)

This time around, we decided against purchasing the whole bedding set. My daughter never used the comforter that we purchased for her nursery and it ended up getting in the way most of the time. So, we decided to purchase the bumper pad, crib skirt, and 2 sets of crib sheets. For his blanket, he will use a light blue minky dot blanket with his initials embroidered on it.

We also purchased this navy blue valance for his window...

 

 

Up next, I will show everyone stage 1 of our playroom to nursery transformation.

 

 



Is it a Boy or a Girl?!?!

Since the beginning of my pregnancy, I had a gut feeling I was having a bouncing baby boy. Why? This pregnancy has been totally different than the first time around. Like I said once before, with my daughter, I had almost a symptom-free pregnancy. I had a little loss of appetite at the beginning and fatigue, but everything else was awesome.

With this pregnancy, I have experienced morning sickness (minus the vomiting), dizziness, my hair is growing faster and darker, and my cravings have been SO different. With Kate, I craved milk and breakfast food. With this one, I have craved pickles, hot & spicy sauces, root beer, and salt. Now, don't get me wrong, this girl WILL NEVER turn down cakes, cookies, or sweets. But, they haven't out-ranked the other cravings. Totally odd for me. I love sweets!!!!

Even though my gut told me it was a boy, I had individuals tell me that just because my pregnancy has been different doesn't mean the gender is different. I listened to their opinions, nodded my head, and smiled, but nothing in my brain could convince me that they were right. I tried over and over again to call this bundle of joy a "she," but it just didn't feel right.

On October 23rd, we finally got to find out if Kate was going to have a baby brother or sister. Here is the ultrasound that told it all...

I think from the ultrasound it is pretty evident...

 

Now, it was time to decide on a name. I named Kate, so it was my husband's turn to name this one. We used the same process that we did with Kate. He got to pick the name, but I got final approval. With the first one, I got to pick the name and he got the chance to approve or not.

 

I thought this was going to be an easy task for him, but it proved not to be. He said he wanted to make sure he chose the right name because the baby had to live with that name for the rest of his life. Good point, but he took a little bit longer than I thought. Finally, at around 26 weeks, he decided on a name, which was the one we had originally picked out for a boy when I was pregnant with my daughter.

 

 

 

Here is my big rule when naming babies. Choose a name with meaning! I like the story behind the name. And, that is exactly what we did this time around too.

 

 

The name Derrick comes from this man...

 





My husband's all-time favorite football player... Derrick Thomas. DT (his nickname) played for the Kansas City Chiefs until the day of his death in 2000 from an automobile accident. He still holds the NFL record for the most sacks made in a single game (9).

The name Parker comes from this man...

My husband's grandfather... William Parker Morgan. My husband's grandfather was more than a grandfather to him. He was raised like his son and was the most important father figure in his life.  When you mention his grandfather's name to this day, he still gets emotional and can't talk about him.

We will call him Derrick, but his big sister may call him Pumpkin or Cadillac. LOL!!! For some reason, when someone asks her what her mommy is having she will tell them a pumpkin. We have no idea where that prediction came from. On naming her brother, we asked her a little over a month ago what she wanted to name her baby brother and she said Cadillac. At the moment, her favorite song is Carrie Underwood's Black Cadillacs. So, I am sure that was on her mind when she said, "Cadillac." And, I must say, it is very catchy and sounds just like an athlete. So, you never know, you may see Derrick nicknamed Cadillac by the time he enters the sports arena. ; )

My 2012 Christmas Wish List!

I decided to give everyone a look at my Christmas list this year. I must say it was a little difficult to form a list since I can't fit in any of my clothes, which means I can't really shop for any either. You will also notice that I do not have any organization items on my list. Usually, those are items that I purchase myself and never ask for them as presents. But, sometimes, there are exceptions.

Without further ado, here are some of the items on my 2012 Christmas list...

1. Coach Daisy Pop C Handbag (sold through Coach Factory) -  About a week before Christmas, I signed up to get email notifications from Coach Factory (the outlet store for Coach). The Website is not open all the time and you have to be accepted to attend the weekly sales. A couple of days before Thanksgiving, I got an email with this purse on it. I immediately wanted this bright and colorful purse! I told my sister who lives near an actual Coach outlet store and my husband. I would've purchased the purse myself, but I get in trouble for making big purchases around Christmas time. So, hopefully, this cute little number will be sitting under my tree on Christmas morning from my husband.

2. Clarisonic Mia Skin Cleaning System - This is an item that I would love to have, but not too sure if it will be sitting under my tree due to the price of the system. In the past year, I have started to really pay attention to how I care for my face at the end of the day. Trying to watch those wrinkles early, I guess.

3. Philosophy Bath & Shower Gels - Philosophy has become my #1 skin care company. I use their facial cleanser, exfoliating scrub, and shower gels on a daily basis. Their products are light weight and work really well. Now, about their shower gels, they have a huge range of scents... cinnamon buns, raspberry sorbet, and melon daiquiri to name a few. They all smell exactly like the name on the bottle and lather really well. Great way to pamper yourself at the end of a long day!

4. Asics GEL-Blur33 Sneakers in Hot Pink - When a girl can't ask for clothes for Christmas, what is the next best thing?!?! SHOES!!! My sister purchased a pair of these hot pink tennis shoes at the beginning of fall and I thought they were too cute. So, they went on my Christmas list. I need more athletic shoes in my wardrobe, anyways.

5. Fire extinguisher - I realized a couple of months ago that we do not have a fire extinguisher in my household. Not good!!! Everyone needs one in their home in case you have a small fire that could be taken care of without contacting the fire department.

6. Sperry Top-Sider Bluefish 2-Eye in Linen/Leopard - I still have my first pair of Sperry top-siders that I purchased over 6 years ago. I wore them a lot until a week ago when one of the shoe laces busted. I know, you are probably thinking there is an easy fix... Buy new laces. Well, these shoes have seen their better days. They were completely broken down, stained, and had gotten a little uncomfortable to wear. But, bottom line, they were worth the money!!!

7. Under Armour Soft Visor Beanie in Black/White (similar) - Since around August, I have really been into looking at athletic wear. Maybe it is because I am pregnant and all of those things stretch or maybe it is because I realized I do not own ANY athletic wear. Either way, Under Armour's Website has been visited by me a lot since then. I saw this cute beanie and it immediately went on my Christmas list.

8. Under Armour Fleece Storm Big Logo Hoody - Another thing I realized, I do not own any cute throw-on-and-go hoodies. I feel a little nonhuman at the moment. So, I had to put a few down on my list.

 

I am sure you noticed that my Christmas list doesn't include anything for my new baby. Well, actually I asked for a new baby bag. After several weeks of debate, I FINALLY picked one out. But, I decided to do a separate post on that one. Look for it in the near future!!! 

 

What is on your Christmas list this year? I would love to hear about everyone's must-have items. And, hey, I may get some ideas for myself too.

 

 

Hey Mom... We're Having a Baby!!!

We found out at the end of June that we would be welcoming a new addition into our family. We didn't tell our parents immediately for two reasons:

#1 - My sister was getting married and I wanted her special day to be about her, not me.
#2 - I always like to wait a couple of weeks before we tell our immediate family in case something goes wrong with the pregnancy.

So, we decided July 4th would be the BIG DAY!!!

We went to The Dollar Tree and purchased these lovely pink and blue baby decorations...

Hung them in the playroom closet, which is now in the process of being converted into the baby's room, and waited until the big day.

We decided to cook supper for our parents that evening. After supper, I told them that I wanted to show them how I had reorganized the playroom closet. I am not sure if y'all remember, but the closet originally looked like this...

 

 So, my husband and I called them all into the playroom. And, here is the funny part... My mom was busy looking at a photo book I had just made for my daughter and I almost had to pry her out of the chair. She thought it was just another one of my organizing projects that she could wait 10 minutes to see. She actually told us not to wait on her. She would come in there after she was finished looking at the book.

 

After a couple of minutes of trying to get them to stop what they were doing and move to the playroom, my husband grabbed one door handle and I grabbed the other, and we flung open the doors...

 

 

 

I didn't have the pjs hanging in there when I took the first picture.

 

  



Let me just say that we didn't get the reaction we were looking for at first. All three of our parents stood there with a very confused look on their face. It was actually a little comical. So, we had to explain to them what the streamers said... It's a Baby!!! Then, after a few seconds, the cheers, gasps, and congratulations followed.

I think we really caught them off-guard. They knew we wanted to have another baby, but we didn't tell anyone when we wanted to have this bundle of joy.

And, we had to get one final picture of the proud future big sister...

  



So, will Kate have a baby brother or sister?!?! Check out one of next week's posts when I reveal the gender and baby's name.

Have a wonderful weekend!

 

Where in the WORLD Have you Been?!?!

I am sure that is the question that EVERYONE has been asking. For awhile, I honestly asked myself if I was going to get back to the old Kristin. And, let me tell you, I am not completely there, but I am better.

Last time I posted... A LONG TIME AGO... in July, I had just found out that I was having a baby. And, let me just say that immediately after that post, I went downhill. I literally spent the entire month of July and the first portion of August laying on my couch. I didn't leave my house much, wash my hair daily, or even eat a whole lot. I was dizzy, nauseated, and had no appetite AT ALL. This was a whole new experience for me because with my daughter the only pregnancy symptom I experienced was fatigue.

Thank the Lord for my awesome mother and mother-in-law. They took care of my daughter, brought us food, did laundry, and helped me straighten up the house.

Where was my husband some may be asking... In July, he was gone for a week to coach an All-Star football game for the state of Missouri. Then, in August, football season was in full swing; weight lifting, practice, etc. So, he was there, but not all the time.

Towards the middle of August, back to work I went. By the time school started back, most of my morning sickness was gone and I was forever thankful. But, then I started battling fatigue with the every day grind.

My daughter started preschool this year, so that has been a whole new experience for our household as well. It is a little harder to get her up and ready to go for preschool than for daycare. It requires a little bit more grooming and preparation. And, she is NOT A MORNING PERSON!!!

I haven't forgotten about this dear blog of mine, but I had to put it on the back burner for a little while. Everytime I told myself I was ready to start blogging again, something would come up or I just wouldn't feel well. And, on some days, I would get up and say I was going to make a post that evening, but then that evening came and I just wouldn't have the time.

But, I think I am ready to take back this special spot of mine. At the beginning, there may not be as many posts as usual, but I will definitely get there.

I want to thank each and every one of you for being patient with me. I know it felt like I made a pregnancy announcement and vanished, but I do apologize. During my first pregnancy, I didn't experience any of the things that I have with this one. So, when they say that two pregnancies are never the same, they were speaking the truth.

For my next post, I will show y'all how we told our parents we were expecting a baby. It required a little decorating!!! ; )

With lots of love & appreciation,