A Work in Progress...

We're hoping to have the baby's room finished by the first week in November, decorating and all. Keeping in mind that we'll have plenty of family and friends visiting in January/February and the many nights we'll be spending by her crib once she moves into her room from our room, we decided to keep a full bed in there for the time being. Fortunately there's enough room for everything to fit comfortably! Here's our work in progress...

"Please Bring Snacks" You mean, "Bring Snacks and Your Second Dinner"

We have our first childbirth class tonight at Prentice Women's Hospital from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. I'll be getting my husband straight from work downtown around 5:30 (yes, he's in town this week!!) which is right at dinner time, without enough time to actually get dinner. It's suggested to "bring a snack," but we'll be bringing dinner and a few snacks : D
Typically I wouldn't choose a breakfast burrito for dinner, but I've been REALLY CRAVING one (hubby loves them, too). It was far too convenient to stop at the Lincoln Park Whole Foods after the gym this morning and pick a couple up for only $3.99 a burrito (and these puppies are packed full). I'll throw them in the oven ten minutes before leaving for class, and that's our dinner.
On any other morning (or evening) they are SUPER EASY to make -- beat the eggs in a bowl and then dice some veggies and add toss them in the bow. Add a little milk to give the egg a more fluffy consistency, then put mixture in microwave and watch for eggs to rise (about 3 minutes). Remove egg mixture and scramble it up in bowl. Lay a tortilla flat on a plate - wrap both sides of the tortilla inward and roll up from the bottom.
This is the quick version, and very yummy!

Here are a few other typical snacks I enjoy, and that I'll be bringing along tonight:

Apples and peanut butter - try Smart Balance peanut butter. It's better for you and tastes great on apples, bananas, carrots, celery, etc.
Clif Kid Bars - organic bars that are yummy and the perfect size. I like the chocolate chip and brownie flavor. Always have one of these in my gym bag and the glove compartment!                              
                                  

Week 31... the Buddha!

It's amazing how much my tummy has popped in just the past few weeks. I'm quite excited to be "showing" more - people can actually tell that I am in fact pregnant now!

Now that my tummy is growing A LOT I've been really pleased with the lack of stretch marks (so far!). I've always used cocoa butter on my body and SWEAR BY IT, but since September I've also been using Palmer's Tummy Butter to prevent the stretch marks as much as possible. I rub it on all my stomach area, chest, hip area and back, both in the morning after showering and at night before bed. I loves it!                                                 
                              

Achoo!!!

It's that time of year... flu and cold season. Every year I try to escape that nasty cold, but it always seems to get me. I've already gotten my preservative free flu shot (highly recommended for pregnant women) but in past years I still manage to get that sneezing, coughing, runny nose, itchy eyed bug even with a flu shot.
When I felt the dreaded October cold coming this year I stocked up on a few items that I'm CONVINCED helped my immune system fight off the bug. These Vitamin C Gummies are so yummy (taste like fruit snacks) and the Organic Vitamin C Pops are very tasty as well. A couple gummies in the morning and a Pop or two at night did the trick (in addition to a good night's sleep and balanced diet). Just goes to show you that Mom was right... Vitamin C 100% helps!

New Wheels!

Since moving to Chicago my husband and I spent many summer days observing/inquiring about neighborhood parents' strollers of choice. What we found is that a high-quality three wheel, all terrain stroller is the way to go if you plan on taking the little one on a lot of walks around the city. We had also done our research on car seats (see "A Good Read") and knew we wanted a stroller compatible with the Peg Perego Primo Viaggio. Below is the city stroller we decided on to go with our Primo Viaggio SIP 30/30 car seat.

For Description, Video, etc.:

http://www.babyearth.com/bumbleride-indie-all-terrain-stroller-single.html

Latest Candy Recall

I'll be double-checking all of my kids' Halloween candy!

http://www.parenting.com/new/blogs/show-and-tell/sasha-parentingcom/candy-recall-raisinets-and-mega-pop-lollipops

My First (Favorite) Baby Purchase...

Never knew a DIAPER BAG would make me so happy, but I'm obsessed. While stopping by Lincoln Park's Bellini baby store in August, an assortment of Petunia Pickle Bottom diaper bags caught my eye and I pretty much decided I couldn't leave without one. Even my husband thought this bag is awesome. It can be a hands-free backpack or long messenger strap, with a built-in changing station and detachable changing pad. Inside are two large diaper/wipes pockets, four bottle pockets, organizational pockets and even a pouch for dirty diapers and another for pacifiers. There are lots of patterns/colors to choose from to fit your personal style - I went with brown background with teal and gold pattern. These bags are definitely pricey, but worth the money.
They can run anywhere from $175 to low $200's.
http://www.petunia.com/