A Big Day for the Leitch's

Today is a "D-Day" of sorts for Kirk and me.

We're headed to the hospital later this morning to try out this procedure to flip our son, who is currently very content in the frank breech position.

In all my sonograms, baby boy had been head down. And then at 30 weeks, he suddenly decided that wasn't kosher for him, and flipped himself breech. I've since spent the last six weeks attempting to get him to turn. I've inverted myself for periods of time throughout the day, done hip rotation exercises, drank more water than I thought was possible, and put peppermint oil on the upper part of my belly (babies are supposed to "turn away" from the smell of the peppermint. Why yes, I've walked around for the last several weeks smelling like a ginormous stick of gum). All of this has been in vain. Little dude is happy sitting on his rump.

I don't blame him. Mama doesn't like being upside down, either. Why do people like twisty-turny upside down roller coasters? Yeah, no thanks.

Here's a fun comparison on just how big he's gotten: on the left, I'm 23 weeks. Notice all the room I have in the drawstring! On the right, I'm over 35 weeks and trying to cram it all in there with a maxed out drawstring...

My midwives won't take me if I have a breech presentation - they'll refer me over to the hospital that's across the street. Since it's my first baby, I haven't found a doctor that will let me attempt a regular birth by going into labor (his head is too likely to get stuck in the birth canal since there hasn't been a baby traveling through there to "pave the way" before).

An ECV at nearly 36 weeks is our last hope of having him naturally with our midwives. If he doesn't get with our program or there simply isn't room for him to move, then they'll immediately transfer my files/medical records over to the hospital, and I'll schedule a c section for sometime between 37-39 weeks. Whoa. That could be in as little as nine days!

Hopefully our strong-willed little one wants to play today, and gets himself assisted into the head down position! All thoughts, prayers, fingers crossed and good vibes sent our way are greatly appreciated.

In brighter news, IF it does work, I'll have the "green light" to start all natural labor induction methods I can think of. Bring on the power walking, drinking pineapple juice, suffering through spicy food-induced heartburn, applying primrose oil, and doing other things I won't mention on a public blog to get this little bugger out ASAP! C'mon lil' baby, it's too hot to be so pregnant, let's gooooooooo!

And... If it fails, I'll likely have a c section scheduled within a week or two since we need to work around Kirk's travel schedule. I'm trying to get excited about this option, but I'm just not there yet.

April Birchbox Item(s) Review

Now that I've had some time to play around with my April Birchbox, I wanted to highlight my favorite items with you!

This box was crammed with goodies. It was really hard to choose what to highlight as my favorite. I was able to narrow it down to two, but couldn't decide on just one.

Number 4 Lumiere d'hiver Clarifying Shampoo came in a very plain black and white bottle (the full size version actually has an interesting bottle... Not sure if it's functional, but it is indeed fun looking). I opened it to smell it, and thought, "Meh. Another shampoo sample" and then threw it in my shower to try it out later.

The weather here in Dallas has been HOT and surprisingly humid. I naturally have oily hair, but in this weather it gets real gross, real fast. This shampoo lathered well and felt good in the shower. You know, which is a plus and everything... But then it kept my hair clean and shiny ALL day. And then the next one, too. I usually wash every other day and spritz dry shampoo on my roots in between washings, but I felt no need for any dry shampoo on day two. The real miracle happened on day three. My hair was still pretty clean! It didn't strip my hair and make it dry - it simply made it really good and clean.

Bonus: the smell of the product in my hair was far, far better than what it was straight out of the bottle. You know, the whiffs you get when you have a new (and new-smelling) hair product in? Yeah, that smell. It was great - almost like an Aveda product.

How About Them Apples "The Balm" had about the cutest packaging ever. It's a creme-based product that can be used on lips and as a cheek stain. The full size comes with all six colors, but I received the sample of "Pie." It's a bright pink-coral color, which I have to say, is tough for my olive-without-a-summer-tan-yet skin tone to pull off. I usually don't like samples of makeup products because, frankly, I have unique coloring - dark olive skin with dark hazel eyes and light hair - makes it tough to find shades that work with all the contrasting colors I seem to have going on.

This was pretty though! I tried it on my cheeks and it blended easily. It was a flattering shade on my lips, but I would recommend a gloss to put over the stain to make it pop. I would say, though, that it would be a tough product to put in your purse as only a lip color. You have to use your finger to apply it since there's no brush, and wouldn't you know... Your finger tip gets stained if you can't wash your hands right away! So my sample will remain a cheek stain.

I mean, seriously with the packaging?! Love it!

Pregnant at the Barre

I wish this post was titled, "Pregnant at the Bar" or really just, "At the Bar" because being pregnant at a bar isn't exactly helpful, either. But alas, I'll have to settle for an added "r+e" for the time being and keep this post fitness-related and not about drinking.

Sigh.

Oh well. Soon enough, right? Right?! RIGHT?!?!

I digress...

Have you tried a barre class yet?!

Because if you haven't, you really should. If you're not pregnant, it's a fantastic toning workout and you'll be free to participate fully in the class. If you're in Camp Preggo with me, it's still a great toning workout, and one that is easily modified to suit your individual needs and abilities.

My fitness club* has two varieties of ballet barre class. One has a brief warm up cardio component, and then focuses on honing in on those small muscle groups that leave you thinking the next day, "man, I didn't even know I had muscles there!" The other integrates bursts of cardio throughout the class so that your heart rate is elevated and you're sweating the whole time. I accidentally went to this version at 34 weeks, and ended up having to sit for a bit of the cardio (it was THAT hard/intense). So I'll save that particular class for post-baby body work when I'm looking to melt off these extra pounds! Oh, and when I can breathe again. Breathing is good for cardio heavy workouts.

Both classes are Fan. Friggin. Tastic! If you've invested in some yoga wear, you'll just want to show up in that, and be bare foot just like you are in a standard yoga class.

There's no prancing across the floor like a beautiful ballerina (can you even imagine? With this big ol' belly? No. Just no). No graceful lifts from the zero males that show up to the class, either! There's no bouncing, jumping, or anything else that's high impact. Just lots of small movements with many repetitions. For example, you may stand in second position (if you're not a dancer, don't worry! The instructor will tell you how to position your feet) and do a combination of 15 full plies, then hold at the bottom of the plie and pulse your legs muscles, then transition all the way up to your toes and focus on some arm work. It all depends on the creativity of the instructor.

The class will tone your all the muscle groups in your legs, use the dumbbells to work the arms, and then usually concludes with abdominal work. Basically, it's a full body workout! For the last five minutes of class, you'll work on flexibility and stretching out those long lean muscles you've just worked on.

Now that I'm SO PREGNANT, this is the class I go to when I'm feeling extra energy and looking for a good workout. It's fun and challenging, yet you're able to adopt it to your individual fitness level. Oh, and it's fun! The hour flies by. If you've been thinking about checking out a barre class at one of the six million barre studios that have opened in the past year or so, I could not recommend it more. It's such a fun way to get (or stay) in shape!

*We're members at Lifetime Fitness at the Dallas Athletic Club. BarreFusion is the less-cardio intense class while LifeBarre contains the cardio bursts. If you're a Lifetime member in other parts of the country, they likely have similar options, although I've noticed Dallas has different names for classes at local clubs. Barre-specific studios are also excellent options to explore!

Mommy Monday: Preventative Care for Stretch Marks

A few friends and acquaintances who are a few weeks to multiple months behind me in their own pregnancies have asked me what I've done to successfully curb stretch marks. I'm currently 35 weeks gestation, and *knock on wood* have zero to date... Almost there.

For the record, I'm no dermatologist. Nutrition-specific education aside, the extent of my 'medical' education consists of freshman and sophomore level biology and chemistry classes as mandated by my liberal arts degree from the University of Minnesota. There's my disclosure! Therefore, I have more experience in this realm than formal education. Does it count if I have a number of doctors and nurses in my family?! No?Oh.

Some sources say it's genetics; if your mom got them, you likely will too, especially if you got them in puberty. For many women, especially us Type A ladies who pride ourselves (probably a bit too much) on a great figure, leaving something this important up to genetics simply isn't enough. I'm with ya, ladies!

I conducted some rather thorough research to round out the genetics claim. Here are the other biggest contributors to the "stretch mark factor" and what I'm doing about them:

- Proper weight gain: this one makes extreme sense. If you pack on too many pregnancy pounds, or they all come on at once (say, in your third trimester), that's a lot of stress for your skin to handle. Eating sensibly, not overindulging any unhealthy cravings you may develop, and keeping a consistent workout schedule are all going to help pregnant mama's be successful in this area.

Up until 30 weeks I was doing everything I had been doing prior to getting pregnant in terms of my workouts. After my preterm labor debacle, I now do four yoga and/or barre classes per week.  I also try to be as sensible as possible with what I consume. Luckily, I'm a health nut anyway, and love my veggies, but when I do indulge (I mean, heck, I'm pregnant!), I keep the portion small and stick to ONE portion. Remember, you're feeding your baby everything that goes in your mouth. Don't feed him or her garbage!

- Exfoliate: exfoliation helps to more quickly turn your skin cells over. New skin cells contain more collagen, and also have a higher H2O content. If you're consistently turning over new cells on your tummy, backside and thighs, you're keeping your skin in the "best shape possible" for stretching. I use a natural bristle brush with moisturizing body wash and lightly apply it to my skin in circular motions at the end of EVERY SHOWER. It only takes an extra minute or two!

Natural-bristle brush and my body wash of choice

  
- Hydrate: think great skin starts with the right topical product? WRONG! It starts with what you put IN your body (this goes for your hair too). Make sure to drink enough water throughout the day. I learned the hard way (remember the preterm labor thingy? Yup, dehydration). I now have a water bottle with measurements on it to ensure I'm getting at least 64oz of water a day.

- Hydrate again: externally this time! No, lotions and cremes wont save you, despite the best marketing efforts of these companies. Yes, they do feel great! I've found Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter to be fantastic in moisturizing my skin, relieving that itchiness you get as your skin stretches, and helps at night when you feel like your skin is too tight for how big your belly is. I rub this stuff in after a shower and usually again at night, and put it on my tummy, hips, thighs and butt. Plus, it doesn't have an obnoxious perfumed odor, so you won't walk around smelling like a fake flower all the time. Yessssss!

My favorite "belly cream"

Do you or did you have any other tricks or preventative measures you swore by while pregnant? Feel free to comment below or send me an email - I'm always looking for fun new things to try, especially in stretch mark prevention!

High Five for Friday!

All day yesterday I walked around thinking it was Friday. I was excited for our plans "that night" and got to throwing around plans with some folks for Saturday night as well... But I was talking about "tomorrow" and just ended up confusing everyone.

I hate it when my brain refuses to work! That ever happen to you?

So, I decided to unofficially theme this H54F post, "Paige's H54F Best-of-Stupid Moments" to celebrate what is hopefully the last few weeks of my pregnancy brain. Here goes:

1) Our coed baby shower was awesome. And awesomely hot, clocking in somewhere in the mid 90's and super humid to boot. Maybe that's when my brain stopped working... It got cooked. Anyhow, you can read about the event here!

2) Have you ever drank Komboucha? I've had it several times before, and was super thirsty during my weekly Whole Foods run. So I picked out a flavor. Paid for it, and the rest of my groceries. Then after loading up the car, I sat down and absentmindedly start to shake the bottle (most juice I drink needs a good shake since they're all-natural products). I start the car to run the AC, and start to text a few friends back. Meanwhile, I'm still shaking...

Then I open it to an EXPLOSION of strawberry all over my face, phone, shirt, legs, seat, dash board. Yeah, kinda forgot about the whole "naturally carbonated through fermentation" thing. Oops! Pregnancy brain FAIL. On a brighter note, my car now smells like (fermented) strawberries. Wait, is that gross?

This brand is great if you want to dip your toes in the Komboucha water. Just don't shake before opening!

3) Last week, I randomly met a woman in my Friday ballet barre class. She had just given birth to her daughter five weeks ago, and was recommending home workout DVDs for me since our club won't take babies in the day care until they're 12 weeks old. We quickly bonded over how bizarre and huge pregnancy boobs are.  

Let's get serious here, any woman who's willing to talk openly about her boobs in the first five minutes of the conversation is someone I'm going to love.

We've hung out since then, and she's awesome! I love meeting new friends in obscure places by talking about gross pregnancy issues. Pregnancy brain was on my side for this great moment, since she understood juuuuuuust where I was coming from! Or, trying to come from...

4) Since baby boy could be here in as little as one to two weeks (and as long as seven weeks... But I won't focus on that) I decided I should start to get my hospital/birth center bag ready. That's when I realized I had no nursing tops to wear! So I ventured out to get some post-baby supplies, just in case he wants to join the real-world-party soon.

I picked out four nursing tanks and two stretchy nursing bras, went to pay for them, aaaaaaaand... had forgotten my wallet in my gym bag. Which was at home. Pregnancy brain FAIL. I did go back and get the wallet, then went back for the items. As far as nursing bras go, these were actually pretty cute! Trust me, options are limited to mediocre, ugly, super-ugly, and super-ugly-granny-inpired.

It might seem like I'm sponsored by a Pea in the Pod. I'm not - they just carry clothes for tall, slender pregnant women. Love them for that!

5) I mentioned here that we picked out our car seat. So clearly, the next step is to get the base installed in your car. If you follow me on Facebook you probably know that we were going to trade my car in for something bigger. Well, with one baby, I just don't want a bigger car. I love my car. So my little Audi A4 and I will maintain our longstanding friendship until baby number two comes along.

With that decision made, it was time to get my car seat base properly installed. I read the instructions... Something about LATCH systems, belts, leveling the seat... HUH?!?! It was too hot and I was too pregnant to focus on this. My husband gave it a try and said, "Yeah, I don't get it." My car dealership was worthless. So my last resort was taking a trip to our local police station. I waddled on in there and asked for either help, resources to help, or the date of a clinic where they'd have staff to help. Everyone was so nice! Maybe I was a nice break from all the paperwork and criminal complaints they have to deal with daily? Regardless, nobody was officially on staff to help me, but one of the officers heard I was looking for assistance and came to my rescue. He was a daddy of three and had that sucker installed in about two minutes flat! Thanks kind officer for helping this pregnant brain lady figure out something so *simple* in her moment of need.

The weather is getting hot-hot-hot here in Dallas, and I hope it's heating up for you too - wherever you're reading from! Happy weekend, readers!

Make sure to check out these other lovely blogs via our weekly link-up!

Lauren Elizabeth

WANTED: Advice and Opinions!

Well, it is official: I have entered the proverbial "nesting phase" of pregnancy. All I want to do is straighten up and organize baby purchases and read baby books. All. I. Want. To. Do.

So, with that in mind, I'm looking to you, dear readers!

What I want to know is, what baby books would you recommend? Specifically, books that focus on newborns and the first year. Don't hold back, what are your favorites?! Go ahead and comment, email, or reply via social media with your personal recommendations.

Since I only have a few weeks left, I don't really need any additional books on pregnancy. I've read the ever popular What to Expect                " (fill in the blank - "When You're Expecting" "In the First Year" etc.)  Up next in the que is this little gem:

The Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp, M.D.

My manicure matching the book was unintentional, I swear!

Beyond that, I've got a subscription to Fit Pregnancy Magazine, which has a few parenting articles per issue, but that's about it. So clearly, I'm in need of bolstering my parental reading! I've heard both good and bad reviews of Baby Wise. My midwives say it's good to implement the strict schedule after the "fourth trimester" (aka, when baby is at least three months old) because a newborn simply needs constant attention and feedings. Any readers have any thoughts on that book in particular?

Any and all good reads are greatly appreciated! I'm only sleeping about four hours a night, so I have a lotttttttttttt of time to get caught up on best practices in the baby realm.

I look forward to hearing your recommendations!

Interior Design: Master Bedroom Details

A few weeks ago, I wrote this post about some of the elements in our master bedroom. While the bed/ bedspread, side tables/lamps and wall personalization are the key focal point in the room, I really think it's the little details that help round out the space.

The master bedroom is kinda "my space" in the house where Kirk gives me free reign (with some limitations - we have to have a flat screen in there. Ughhh! Oh well...) to implement my beloved shabby-chic-girliness.

I found this chair about two years ago at Pier One. I fell in love immediately! It's an off-white color with blue-grey French writing on it. I lived in Paris for a brief while, and also am fluent in French (I studied that fun language for 17 years. Now that I'm in Texas, I really wish I had pumped that effort into Spanish, but whaddyagonnado, right?). The sequined pillow was purchased after Kirk and I moved in together as part of a plea bargain. He got a blue throw blanket for the couch, and I got a frilly, ridiculous pillow for my chair. Win-win!

The black and white prints were actually taken by my husband! He's got a side interest in photography. They're of various landscapes and landmarks around Minnesota. (The black thing to the left is a small dresser, and my "beloved" flat screen).

This vanity and I go WAY BACK! I had always wanted a white wicker vanity - and by "always" I mean since I was literally about five years old. Back when I was 16 or so, my mom and I were out antiquing for mother's day and found one! We picked it up that day, and it has since made every move with me - multiple apartments in Minneapolis, a cross country move to Savannah, GA for graduate school, back to Minneapolis to a few more different apartments, and finally, another cross-country move to Dallas. Pretty sure this vanity has seen more of the country than most Americans. It's well traveled! I don't know if Kirk likes it, hates it or is indifferent to it, but he knows it's story and I managed to marry a man smart enough to keep mum about something so close to my heart if he didn't care for it.

On it I keep several pictures of my favorite ladies, a few vials of perfume I never wear (I'm actually allergic to perfume), and my jewelry box. On either side of the mirror are my tiaras from being Miss Saint Louis Park and Miss Minnesota (circa early, early 2000's). Yes, I've been in a few beauty pageants! They were a blast. And the Miss Minnesota title paid for my first year of college, so that was fantastic. This was not some Toddlers and Tiaras situation, mmmmmkay? My first pageant was at 18!

It's these little details that make me really love the space. The furniture (bed, side tables, book shelf and small dresser) are all dark and manly; so it's key that these pieces are in the room to provide some feminine balance. I also think it's important to have some deeply personal items in your bedroom, and these two items are just that.