Merry Christmas!!

We had such a relaxing Christmas this year! We were home all day which normally isnt the case since we have so much family! The month of December we must have had five different family Christmas events! So being home all day was so nice.

We always go to our churches candle light Christmas service which was amazing!! 

Breckon helped me put out cookies for Santa this year which was so fun!

We sprinkled homemade reindeer food on our lawn so santa reindeer didnt miss our house! 

He was excited to have a cookie lol 

Christmas morning it wasnt very cold here in FL (80 degrees) so in the south we crank the air down have a fake fire & pretend its freezing outside lol 

I couldnt wait for him to wake up!!!

Loved these Target Christmas Pjs we

Wore this year! I love family traditions and I just cant get enough of Christmas PJs!! 

Happy Due Date to Me!!

So yall my due date has come and gone!! I was due with our baby girl December 27th & she has yet to make her grand entrance..(she is my daughter & I am always late.. So what did I expect) lol so your due date is a total guess basically your dr can be off by two weeks give or take. They will admit that to you if you ask.. There is no way in knowing the "exact" due date.

I am having our baby girl naturally so unless im at 42 weeks & shes still not here I wont be getting induced! Almost every induction ends up in some sort of medical intervention.. & unless my babys life is a risk I dont think mother nature needs any help in getting her out! I cant imagine laboring all natural after being induced anyways.. Its painful enough as it is.. 

So we wait!

I was checked at 38 weeks I was 1 cm & 50% effaced

Did not get checked at 39 weeks

Was checked today at 40 + 1 day and was 3 cm 75-80% effaced

I had my son with no medical intervention at all at 39 weeks & 2 days. I actually never knew when the first day of my last period was bc I never kept track. 

But with this pregnancy I did and my due date is right in line with my first day of LMP. So bascially she could come any day now. 

I asked my midwife about due date and she said they have no way of knowing my exact due date.. Since she had then asked me If I was scheduled to be induced & I said no I am not going to do that unless im at 42 weeks or theres a major medical emergency... 

You are in complete control its your body your decision and your baby!! So if I havent had her by next week I will be 41 weeks Sunday they will do a stress test basically to cover themselves & make sure baby is doing fine. 

They kept telling me I was measuring small and should get another ultra sound but I Declined that as well... She caught up and im measuring fine... 

How I am attempting to induce labor naturally: 

Sex- definitely works how our son came so fast lol

Nipple Stimulation

Exercise/ walking/ going up & down our stairs/ doing squats

Warm baths- just to relax (i added lavender essential oils and epson salt) 

Bouncing on birth ball

Drinking red rasperry tea leaf hot tea with honey

Eating spicy foods & pineapple

If I still havent had her by the end of the week I will be doing these next options to induce labor naturally:

Chiropractor

Acupressure

Acupuncture 

Massage 

Primrose oil

Will possibly get my membranes swept

& then if all of these fail and im still pregnant at 42 + weeks I will scheduled to be induced! Hopefully little miss comes  soon & this wont have to be a option.

Come on baby girl!!!

Transitioning a Family Bed with a New Born

We are a "bedsharing" family we started cosleeping & moved our son into our bed around 8-9 months of age. We never planned on bedsharing to be honest.. I read baby wise was not planning on ever having a baby in our bed. Baby wise is honestly in my opinion not for me or our family it's great if it works for you but after having my son and my arms I wanted nothing to do with anything I read in that book mommy instinct kicked in and I did not have the heart to let me baby cry it out our son was colicky and cried the majority of the time anyways... We brought him home from the hospital and I had him in a Snuggie Nest in our bed this worked for a little while but with his reflux and colic he needed to be elevated so we transitioned him to the swing where he slept much better he actually was in it so much we went through two baby swings!! After he was passed the colicky stage which takes about six months (so sorry for any of you moms that have a colicky baby you're in for a long road of sleepless nights and a  restless baby) we eventually moved him into our bed which was much easier since I was breast-feeding him. Our son is a very high need loving child who thrives on physical contact so the thought of moving him out of our bed and bringing another baby into our bed breaks my heart. So I discovered this halo bassinet which is amazing I'm so excited to use it worth every penny wish I had it when I had our son. My plan is to have her in this until she outgrows the bassinet & then begin to start transitioning him into his big boy room. Which we are all OK with if it takes several months cause were in no rush to have him out of our bed I also like the idea of him being a part of everything and not feeling left out so what what better way to help him adjust and letting him stay in our bed and having our new baby in the cosleeper bassinet. I would be totally fine with having a complete family bed but I do need my sleep and the thought of two little ones and a 6"2 husband does not seem like it would work lol but never say never... So below is a photo of our bedroom and how I have it set up along with photos of the halo bassinet. 

Some of the AMAZING product features: 

The HALO Bassinest Swivel Sleeper is the only bassinet that rotates 360 degrees for the ultimate in convenience and safety. Now your little one can sleep as close as you like.

In addition to bringing baby close, it swivels to make getting in and out of bed hassle-free. Its unique design means baby is visible at your eye level, allowing you to soothe your baby quickly, while mesh walls provide maximum breathability. In addition, its patented side wall lowers and returns automatically, allowing you to tend to your baby while still in bed - ideal for all mothers (especially those recovering from C-sections). Recommended for babies up to five months of age. Also includes a soothing nightlight, sounds, music, 2 levels of vibration and nursing timer.

Features:

• Rotates and swivels 360 degrees to bring baby to you for close, safe sleep.
• Sidewall lowers so it's easy to stay in bed while tending to your baby, and can be locked if desired.
• Unlike other bassinets, its 360 degrees rotation makes getting in and out of bed hassle-free.
• Ideal for nursing mothers and mothers recovering from C-sections.
• Sturdy, stable 4-point base adjusts to fit most beds from 22" to 34" tall.
• Base easily tucks under bed and requires only 32" clearance from wall, making it ideal for small spaces.
• Includes nightlight, 3 soothing sounds, 3 lullabies, nursing timer and 2 levels of vibration, all with 30-minute auto shutoff. Includes 100% polyester coordinating fitted sheet.
• Includes 100% polyester coordinating fitted sheet.
• Includes 100% polyester coordinating fitted sheet.
• Includes 2 Storage pockets to keep baby's essentials close by.
• Requires 3 AA batteries- not included
• Polyurethane mattress pad is waterproof and contains no toxic flame retardants. Independetly tested to meet or exceed all U.S.Consumer Products Safety Commission and Health Canada safety standards for bassinets. JPMA certified.
• Recommended for babies up to five month of age. Use should be discontinued when infant shows signs of pulling up, rolling over and pushing up to kneeling position.
• Weight: 48.3 lbs

New Balayage low Maintenance Mom Hair

So having baby number 2 & being so busy I decided to go a little darker blonde so my re growth wasnt so obvious. I love being platinum blonde but my time is so limited with babies. I always make sure to get my hair done when Im coming to the end of my pregnancy ... Esp because there will be so many photos and you normally wont have time for a while to sneak out and get your hair done(nor will you want to leave your baby behind). I also think every pregnant woman should get a massage and a pedicure.. I literally got so many pedicures this pregnancy lol my feet were so sore and its so nice to have time to yourself and just relax with some pampering. I also treated myself to a massage since my lower back has been hurting so bad. So make sure all you preggo mamas out there to have your hair done, nails & toes before you pop that baby out because it will be a while before you have anytime for that! 

It Works Distributor

Who's SO excited to get their body back after baby?!! This Mama!! So im so excited to share with yall that I am going to be trying out and testing all of these amazing products by It Works! I am literally the biggest skeptic ever and never rant and rave about a product unless they really do work! lol so I will be sharing all of my before & after photos with yall UNTOUCHED bc obviously I have no time for that and want to be honest with yall as far as if they really do work. So what you see will be what you get! I will be testing the Hair Skin & Nails supplement, stretch mark cream & body wraps first. I will then start incorporating their skin care line.. I am a esthetician and have access to all of the best of the best products so im super excited to see how their skin care line works. I will also post before and after photos of my skin as well to show how my skin has changed. I am also a busy working mama always on the go and with this last pregnancy my diet has been awful I am always eating carbs and sugar & really want to make a change to be healthy for my family. I had severe morning sickness which lasted four months causing me to only want certain foods with the fear I would be throwing up non stop. I am going to also be using their greens, vitamins and protein shakes since Im always taking care of everyone else Im constantly being put on the back burner... BUT I want to change that! I feel like having protein shakes and greens ready to go will help me stay healthy for those days where I have NO time to sit and have a healthy balanced meal.  

If you want to try any of their products you can order them here http://daretodreambig.itworks.com/shop/

You can get the discounted rate if you buy through the above link! 

I dont know about yall but im ready to get back to being healthy and feeling great! 

Our baby girls nursery is finally complete!!

 McKinleighs nursery has to be my favorite place in our house.. seriously yall im obsessed!! Every time I am in there its so peaceful and I just love how it turned out. I am a girly girl so obviously everything has to be PINK lol but honestly I mean look at her wardrobe the girl maybe has one black and a few blue outfits ... I just cant help it! So I knew when decorating her nursery in case our next baby is a boy it has to be super girly. I have always wanted a little girl and decorating her room as been so fun! We finished her nursery just in time too we have been working on it for a while and im so excited to share the details with yall! My hubby unfortunately broke his leg which put a damper on the crown molding and wainscoting we will eventually do.. I am also going to do a collage wall with her newborn photos once they are done so I will post a photo of that when its complete!

Here is a list of all of her rooms details: (prices approx bc I dont remember exactly the costs of items lol) 

Chandelier- Home Depot $99

Ceiling Medallion- Home Depot $30

Paint Color- Benjamin More 50ties Pink/ Benjamin More Chantilly Lace

Curtain Rod- Bed Bath & Beyond $30

Curtains- Restoration Hardware- $500

Wall Crown- Restoration Hardware- $300

Fabric for wall crown- JoAnns Fabric

Mirror- Home Goods $99

Crib & Dresser- ( they were our sons Breckons highly recommend always getting gender neutral when planning on having multiple children..saves time and money) I changed out the knobs and bought knobs at home depot to give the dresser a more glam look they were $6 a knob so worth it though.. Baby Cashe makes the crib and dresser. $1000

Crib Bedding- Pottery Barn $500

Bows for Crib Bedding- We made them out of fabric we ordered offline $20

Changing table- Changing Pad (babiesRus) $30

Changing Pad Cover- Target $10

Wall Monogram- Etsy ( see previous DIY Post on how I painted it) 

Rocker- Target $600

Wipe Warmer- BuyBuy Baby ( Best thing ever to have with a new baby for late night changings)