Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Polish Strips

AWESOME PRODUCT ALERT! Who needs a professional manicurist when you got these bad boys?? They come in all kinds of styles- herringbone, checkered print, zebra, stripes and solids, etc...and they last about a week without peeling or chipping so I'd say they are well worth the money! the only "con" is there are only 16 strips, so you only get one full set out of the box. however, if you buy 2 boxes- you'd have 3 sets of 10 strips with 2 leftover, so I guess it all works out in the end. Especially if you plan on using them often. personal favorite- LEOPARD PRINT!!!

conrad's birth story

so, the plan was to go au naturale', but sometimes things don't work out the way you want them to....not even a little smidgen of a bit the way you want them to. The first thing that threw a wrench into my plan was that the baby's stomach was measuring small for his gestantional age. so, for the last 8 weeks of my pregnancy, I had to go get non-stress tests twice a week to monitor the baby's movements...which by the way were off-the-charts-awesome. they were telling me that he was "borderline 10th percentile." being at or above the 10th percentile would be a completely healthy, but small baby and being under the 10th percentile would be a sickly, at-risk baby. so, to err on the side of caution- they assumed my bubs was "growth restricted." this just means that they though he wasn't getting the nourishment he needed and if that was the case it was dangerous to leave him in there after 40 weeks because after 40 weeks the placenta (the thing that nourishes the baby) starts breaking down and as it breaks down the baby would be getting even less nourishment/blood/oxygen in the womb causing him to lose even more weight or worse- there is a chance that some truly growth restricted babies could be still born, so it's better to get them out as soon as possible- according to doctors- because they think it's easier to take care of a sick baby on the outside. Some people may say that I have too much faith in God and too little in the medical profession, but I just think that women have been having babies for millions of years and a woman's body knows what to do to take care of the thing growing inside of it. preganancy and childbirth are natural processes and it just seems to me that 90% of the these medical interventions are unneccessary or the actual CAUSE of most of the problems we see happening today. But I digress...so, I was just sure that my baby was ok and that he would be born when he was ready. unfortunately, it became quite apparent that the only way i was going to make my OWN informed decision was to listen to doctors and midwives guilt trip me into oblivion leading up to my due date. i fought through the condescending tones and hypothetical horror stories for about a week, but by the 41 week mark- I hate to say it- I surrendered. I gave in. I figured it was a nice compromise though...just in case. And I'm glad I stuck to my guns and stood up to the bullying for at least a little while. They scheduled to induce me on thursday night (august 11th). i wasn't even dialated so they would have to artificially dialte me using some kind of pill that they manually insert once every 4 hours for the first 12 hours. Well, after 12 hours i was dialated like 1/2 a cenimeter and running on NO sleep. I barely slept Wednesday night into Thursday because I was worried about being induced Thursday night, and I didn't sleep Thursday night because we got to the hospital around 8pm and I was moved around and poked and prodded until about 3am Friday morning when they started me on the pill. After that, I might have dozed off once or twice for like 10 minutes, but that was it. I had a few contractions here and there, but nothing spectacular. By 4pm (I'm guessing...because at this point it was pretty much all a blur) on Friday afternoon they said the pill wasn't working and that they want to try a foley catheter (which is a long tube with a balloon on the end of it that goes up into your uterus and is filled with water in order that forcibly diated your cervix. I agreed and they stuck the thing in and not 3 seconds after they were finished I had some major and non-stop cramping. It was excrutiating to tell you the truth. Especially since they had started me on the pitocin as well, so not only was I cramping but I was also contracting periodically as well. When I asked the girl if the cramping was normal, she told me yes and that usually women opt for the epidural before getting the catheter because it hurts. Great. Probably could've mentioned that before you performed the procedure on me, dollface. So, here I am crying through the very UNnatural pain and holding my mom's hand wondering how I got myself into this mess. Thank God for my mom!! I don't know what I would've done without her cause Rory wasn't sure what to do. She kept me calm and reminded me to relax and breathe. About an hour went by and I caved in and decided to get the epidural. After the epidural, I thought I'd have a chance to rest, but only a short time after that (maybe around 6pm)- the midwife came back into the room to let me know that the pitocin was cauing the baby's heartbeat to drop. She said this isn't unusual further along in the labor process, but since the baby was already showing signs of distress and I was only about 1cm dialated and on the lowest dose of pitocin, the midwife was concerned the baby would not be able to handle higher doses. I had now been up for almost 48 straight hours, almost 24 hours with no food, limited water, and a host of interventions and let me tell ya- i felt defeated. the midwife said they could stop the pitocin to stabalize me and the baby and wait and see what would happen if they gave me a higher dose later on, but there was a very good chance i'd end up needing a c-section anyway. It didn't look good. I felt like I couldn't take anymore bad news. I was soooooooooooooooo tired. Like, tired to the point of delerium. Not even an hour later, she returned and said the best thing for me and the baby was a c-section. I didn't even want to fight anymore. I just wanted it to be over! I waited about another hour or so and then they wheeled me in the operating room and by 8:30pm on August 12th, I heard the little itty-bitty cry I've been waiting to hear for 10 1/2 months!!!! Just a little peep...and then he stopped and hasn't really cried too much since- by the way- because he is my little angel baby. My bubs was born healthy and happy, and that negated all the crap I had to go through to get to that very point. Conrad had finally arrived!

i'm back, baby!

aye carumba. i'm terrible at keeping up with this thing. needless to say, i had my baby!!! it's a boy. he was born @ 8:30pm on august 12th and weighed in at 6 lbs 14 ounces...21 1/4 inches long. his name is conrad patrick jones and he is THE love of my life. sorry, ror. but this is like mother/child love and it trumps any other kind. he'll be 4 months old on the december 12th. time is flying. sooooo, here's a little recap for the record:
the first 6 weeks were brutal. i'm not gonna sugar coat it. i'm talkin' bruuuuuuuuuuuuutal. i questioned my decision to have a kid quite a few times. the first week you think there's nothing to it cause you're in this newborn baby love haze...just running on pure adrenaline. you don't mind waking up every two hours because you're just riding this natural high and you're so happy to hold this little person in your arms every chance you get. then the second week hits and reality sets in. you gotta do this for the next few months (which in your mind seems like an eternity)...EVERY single feeding...every two hours for 3 months straight...non-stop...until he starts sleeping through the night. it may have been different if I pumped or was bottle feeding cause then me and rory could've taken turns at least and I could've gotten more than an hour sleep at a time- sometimes 2 when I was lucky! But it's starts getting pretty overwhelming right about the point your husband goes back to work...I know. Perfect timing. Your barely eating because you spending all your time milking this thing like a big fat cow, your body is like "let me sleep already!!!!," your nipples feel like they're gonna fall off cause he's not latching on right, or your milk duct is clogged, you've never been so overtired in your life so you cry all the time, you don't want company cause you're miserable and everytime anyone comes over they're like, "how do you feel?? isn't motherhood awesome??" and you lie and say, "yes!" when really you want to scream, "no!!! this sucks so bad!! it hate it!!!!!!!!!" and you feel completely selfish because you LOVE this kid to death, but you find yourself thinking to yourself, "what have i done? i can't handle this. i'm a terrible mom." and then one day around 6 or 7 weeks, the fog suddenly lifts and you finally get the knack of breastfeeding, your body adjusts to less sleep and you realize that yes!!! yes, you CAN do it!!!! and you do love being a mom. 8 weeks gets even better. And by 12 you're a pro and you and your bubs got a little routine going on and then BAM!!! maternity leave is over. then it's your first day back to work.you cry dropping the baby off at the babysitter, cry on your way to the office, cry at your desk, cry in your car at lunch, and cry during your afternoon break. then 5 o'clock hits and your rush home like your house is on fire just to see him a few seconds earlier than if you didn't run that red light or roll through all the stop signs. they give you 3 months to spend 24 hours a day 7 days a week with this kid and then they pull the rug out from under you and make you quit him cold turkey. but then it gets better. now, i can't imagine my life without him and i want to spend every waking minute of the day with him. i can't WAIT for all the milestones- rolling over, crawling, walking, talking...the family vacations and all the holidays. so many memories to be made! it's seriously awesome being a mom. so demanding, exhausting, and challenging...but worth every stressful minute.

And this, my friend, is why...look at that freakin' face.

37 weeks and 3 days

Geez Louise. This birth is really sneaking up on me. I'm getting nervous. I'm trying my best to stay relaxed and just trust my body. Afterall... "childbirth is normal, natural, healthy, and safe. And my job is to just relax and allow my baby's birth to happen." These suggestions from my Hypnobabies CD's managed to burn themselves in my brain. Everytime I start to think negative thoughts- this is what I tell myself. It seems to be taking the edge off, so I'm just gonna go with it. Haha. Wish me luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.

DISNEY CARS CAKE

My nephew, Joseph, celebrated his 3rd brithday this past weekend. The theme of the party this year was Cars- the Disney movie. So, in the spirit of the party theme- I made Jojo a cake. Not bad for my first try at making a professional looking birthday cake! And not to toot my own horn, but it tasted even better than it looked. Can't give you the recipe though. It's top secret. ;-)

MY VISION FOR THE BABY ROOM!

So, here are a few ideas I have for decorating the baby's room now that the mural is done. I'm sure it seems like a shmorgasboard of everything, but hey- that's my style. I can't wait to put it all together!

Crib

Dresser

A tropical fan to match the mural

A big, comfy chair and matching ottoman

A little red table cause red is cool and I think it goes with the teal on the walls

Some cute yellow check curtains to brighten up the room

A furry rug...as a tribute to Max since I cut him out of the mural. ;-)

A framed sketch

8 weeks to go!

So, I'm 32 weeks! The end is drawing near...or should I say "the beginning..." The old Katie would be so nervous right now thinking about the big day, but I've been using this Hypnobabies Home Study Course and I have to admit- I think it's working. Hypnobabies is basically a set of hypnosis cd's that you listen to for 5 weeks starting around 28 weeks that is meant to teach you techniques and suggestions that help you stay relaxed and comfortable during your natural childbirth. The kit also comes with a daily affirmation cd that can be listened to everyday. That cd is awesome because it's basically just a bunch of mantra's to give you confidence and support to go au naturale'. I love it so far, but then again- I haven't given beith yet. Haha. I'm sure my birth story will prove the whole Hypnobabies system right or wrong. To be continued...

In other news, me and Sarah finally finished the mural in the baby's room! That's one thing I can check off the list!! Now, I just gotta decorate! That's it for now. Just thought I'd pop in for an update.

28 WEEK PREGNANCY UPDATE

so, i had my 1 hour glucose test yesterday. all i have to say is if people told me how much blood i'd have to get taken after i got pregnant- i may have put it off until....well, until forever. i'm glad they didn't tell me. i like not knowing what i'm in for until it's too late. i wanted a baby, but if someone had said there was a chance they'd have to slice my ging-ging, stick it with a needle to numb the area and stitch it up...hey, i might have second guessed my decision. my advice to you is- get pregnant and THEN do your research. you're just better off. that way, you don't have a chance to back out. man, i'm such a wuss. although, i have noticed that pregnancy has definitely enstilled a new-found confidence in me. maybe not so much "confidence," but more like a sense of apathy. instead of crying and worrying 3 days before a blood draw- i've just come to the realization that there's nothing i can do about so just do it and get it over with. i have no feelings about it either way. i'm not excited, but i'm CERTAINLY not gonna worry myself to death and lose even MORE sleep over a small needle prick anymore. i have enough to worry about. this, i'm sure is another one of God's ways of preparing me for the "joy" of labor i'll be experiencing in a few short month. so, my new motto is "whatever." you need to take 8 viles of blood from me? awesome. you need to stick that group b strep swab where? go for it. if you know me, you would consider this HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE progress considering i faint at the drop of a hat and am afraid of everything! seriously. name something scary and i get woozy just thinking about it.

in other news, we finished the patio!!! i don't have a before picture, but i will have to post a picture of the finished product. it looks FANTASTIC!! i can't wait to utilize it this spring/summer. special thanks to sarah, my sister, for building me the most beautiful planter box in the world and rory for making multiple trips to lowes last weekend. you guys rock the casbah!

whoa baby!

HIGH FIVE!

it's been a while! i am 24 weeks now (6 months pregnant to non-baby people)! Only 16 weeks to go.

A lot of stuff has been going on. First off, I feel a million times better. The morning sickness lasted for about 10 weeks, but only the middle 8 were unbearable. The good news for all of you ladies considering getting pregnant- it doesn't last forever. I started feeling better just in time for my sister, Fiona's, wedding at the end of February- which was awesome. I bought a few maternity items, and a few days ago- I started feeling the baby move. Not gonna lie. It's pretty cool! Nothing like a hardcore punch or kick yet. It mostly feels like a subtle bumping and rolling from the inside. Rory scraped, sanded and primed the middle bedroom, and we're planning on painting this weekend. I'll post a "before" picture soon and add progress pictures as the room comes together. Also, in preparation for the spring/summer weather- I'm getting my sister to make me a planter box for our front patio!! I also bought patio furniture too! I figure since I won't be able to go out and party on the weekends, I need a comfortable little sanctuary where I can relax on a warm, breezy night in order to fully enjoy the season. I'll probably post a before and after of the patio too when we start on that. Anyway- that's about it. Good talk. Buh-bye.

Baby Bump- 14 weeks!

Feeling much better. Not 100% yet, but I'm getting there. Just wanted to check in a post a picture of the baby bump!

BREAKING NEWS....I'M PREGNANT!!

Yep. The big "P." Two days short of 11 weeks to be exact. In other news, I've been sick as a dog since December 17th, which may explain why I've been MIA for a while and posting a bunch of nothing. I promise when I feel better- the reviews will be plentiful and my attitude will be anything but miserable. For now, miserable is all you're gonna get. In closing, I'd like to leave you with a list. You're gonna need to know these things now, people. These pregnant ladies are very tight-lipped about pregnancy...always walking around looking cute as a button, making things seem so lighthearted and joyful...with their stoic smiles and tummy rubbing- never letting on or revealing the true reality of having your body hijacked for 10 months.

TOP 5 THINGS PREGNANT WOMEN DON'T TELL YOU:

#1.) Morning sickness is TORTURE!!!! Morning sickness can make a woman question her decision to get pregnant every single minute of every single day- as long as that's how often she feels like sticking her head in the toilet. The only reason you don't know how terrible it is is because we hide out in our house like hermits for a month and half and you only see us maybe once or twice in that time frame at a family event and we pretend we're not on the verge of hysterically crying....which we are. Am I "excited??" I'm sure I will be.....eventually.

#2.) Soooo, I've never had a shoulder or back pimple in my life. You know where this is going...

#3.) You don't think you'd lose sleep immediately after glancing down at that stick on the back of the toilet, but it's almost instantaneous. Besides the fear of actually birthing the kid, affording diapers, formula, catholic grade school, and college tuition that will eventually keep you up at night- there is the dreaded midnight, 3am, and 6am bathroom breaks. I wouldn't mind so much if i could get up, pee, and fall back asleep...but as you'll soon realize (especially in the first trimester) it always comes back to the dreaded morning/all day and night sickness. The ONLY time I don't feel sick is when I'm sleeping, so it's safe to assume after i wake up to pee and go back to bed- I have to go through the whole process of moaning and groaning because my stomach is doing somersaults and churning on it's own acid until the sweet twighlight takes me back into it's comforting arms...at least for 3 more hours.

#4.) I hate to say it...cause it's gross. But it's gotta be said. Stock up on the pantyliners, girls. It's gonna be an interesting ride.

#5.) If it has a scent- there's a 90% chance it's gonna make you sick. Car exhaust, the deli counter at the supermarket, perfume, soap, something cooking, breath, ketchup, laudry detergent, the Christmas tree, candles, freakin' air...you name it. ESPECIALLY the cigarette smell. It's the worst smell in the world when you're pregnant. I don't care what anyone says- it's THE WORST smell. Ihave a gag reflex just thinking about it, which makes the fact that my husband smokes even more ironic and sad. So very sad...

Don't get me wrong. I love my baby! And I AM excited. It's just that feeling sick for 37 days straight weighs on a person and you wonder if you will ever feel good enough again to truly enjoy to wonders of pregnancy. Right now, I'm thinking it's not possible. But I'll get back to you when the random daily retching subsides. This is Mama Jones signing off...

Later alligators!