Friday, April 19, 2013

Baby #2 Bump-Update

I decided that it was probably time for a bump update since I'm oh-my-gosh out of my first trimester already! Everyone is SO right when they say that the second one goes by so fast because you are busy with #1! 

L2R: 13 wks, 13.5 wks & 14 wks


Here we go! 
  • How far along: 14 weeks!
  • How I'm feeling: Good! My nausea and sickness is really subsiding. I have the most energy in the morning so we are taking full advantage of that by doing lots of fun activities out and about before nap time! 
  • How big is the baby: the size of a LEMON! 
  • Maternity clothes: Yes and no! Despite how big my bump looks in the two side pictures I'm still squeaking by with some regular clothes and definitely mixing some maternity in. I really had forgotten how different the bump looks depending on what you are wearing! 
  • Sleep: Yes please! I'm napping almost everyday when Trey napsand am usually in bed by 10. I do need to pull out my pregnancy body pillow though! 
  • Best moment this week: We had an ultrasound yesterday and some cysts that my dr was concerned about have significantly shrunk! (SO blessed!) and hearing the heartbeat and seeing my baby move around on the screen! We got some great pictures too! 
  • Movement: none yet - hoping I feel it soon! 
  • Food Cravings: Popsicles, Water Ice, Limeades & cereal 
  • Food Aversions: Ewww. MEAT. It's so bad. I can't see it, cook it or eat it. 
  • Labor Signs: None, thank goodness! 
  • What I miss: not much, maybe just some extra energy! 
  • What I look forward to: finding out the sex in the next couple of weeks 
  • Big Brother: Trey is so excited and is frequently kissing my belly, saying hello to the baby, asking to see my belly (and JDs - ha!) and showing me his "baby belly" ha!! We've been enjoying reading big brother books and just generally having fun! I'll be doing a (late..) 2 1/2 year update on him next week!
I'm just overwhelmed with (pregnancy) hormones and emotions lately and am just so excited about being a mama to two!!! 

I have some goals this week to plan some nurseries and to finish up printing pictures of Trey and filling in some blank spots in his baby book! 

Now, I just need to keep up the pictures for my Belly Book and updates for the blog! 

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Drive it Home By Allstate ~ A Recap


Last week I had the privilege of attending the Drive it Home Event sponsored by the Allstate Foundation

The event was targeted towards teens and parents of teens who are about to start driving but I personally feel that EVERYONE should attend an event like this every few years. It's so easy to become distracted while driving - kids, music, noise, other passangers. It was a {sad, but eye opening} reminder that we all need to pay better attention while operating our cars.



We watched a few skits that were hilarious but definitely drove the point home.


We heard from Allstate representatives,The National Safety council and a parent who lost his son in a teen driving in teen related crash. I'll be honest - my pregnancy hormones couldn't handle it. I cried all through his speech, after and then at home that night while recapping the event to my husband.

No parent should have to bury their child.

And the worst part? The crash was 100% preventable. 

For any of you that are about to begin (or have recently begun) the driving process with your children, here is some very important information. 

Some chilling statistics about teen driving:

Parents don't understand the most deadly risks to their teen driver. Research shows that inexperience is the No. 1 cause of teen crashes, but 74 percent of parents inaccurately believe that risk-taking is the leading cause.
  • Despite the fact that nine in 10 parents say it's very important for teens to learn to manage night driving and driving with passengers, one in three parents admit they have not adequately covered these items with their teen.
  • Nearly 30 percent of parents are not setting rules around some of the most dangerous behaviors including nighttime driving and passengers in the car. Many parents also don't require their teen to get permission before driving somewhere.
  • Sixty-four percent of parents are actively looking for resources to help manage their teens' driving experience.
And one thing that really hit home with me, was to raise a great driver, YOU need to be a great driver. Setting a good example is KEY. 

Here's a video on Teen's talking about their parent's driving behavior. 



I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Friday, April 5, 2013

Drive It Home: An Event Invitation for Local Readers



Thank you to the Allstate Foundation and National Safety Council for sponsoring this post. Check out Drive it Home, a website by and for parents, dedicated to keeping our teen drivers safe.

Here are the details:
What: Drive it Home Show, presented by the National Safety Council and Allstate Foundation

When: Wednesday, April 10 from 7pm - 8:15pm

Where: Sandler Center for the Performing Arts (201 Market St, Virginia Beach, VA 23462)

Price: Free! no tickets required

Parking: With more than 3,200 free parking spaces, Sandler Center guests can park within close proximity to the venue. The Armada Hoffler Tower is the main parking garage at Town Center. This nine story parking garage can be accessed from Town Center Drive or Central Park Avenue. Dick's Sporting Goods Parking Garage is located at the corner of Independence Blvd. and Columbus Street. This five story parking garage can be accessed from Market Street. The Cosmopolitan Parking Garage is located across from the Armada Hoffler Tower. This four story parking garage accommodates Town Center guests. Also, there is a parking lot across the street from the Cosmopolitan that provides additional parking. Both can be accessed from Town Center Drive and Columbus Street.


What else? Well, at the event you can register to win gas cards and... A NEW CAR! How fun is that?

If you’d like to attend, click here to register and let them know that Clever Girls Collective sent you.  Hope to see all my local girls there!! 

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Wordless Wednesday: Easter Edition



Minted Winner!

A big congratulations to Elizabeth from Beyond Blessed!!!




Elizabeth, I'm sending your email over to the people at Minted.com and they will be in touch!

Thank you to everyone who entered!!