Skin Care products during pregnancy

My products in review...

First off stretch mark lotions, oils, creams…

 Mild rant: Ok so I get a little annoyed when people say getting stretch marks is genetic. Well duh everything about us is genetic!

Let’s go back to 7th grade biology class … there are two things that influence our growth and development heredity (genetics) and environment.  Heredity we cannot change! But we do have control over our environment! So use some lotion, some cream, some oil… it may not stop it but it can’t make it worse!

Bonus: my skin has never felt so amazing from the products I am using!

When I first found out I was pregnant I bought prenatal vitamins and a bottle of Palmer’s coco butter lotion. I used the lotion as much as I could at first. The smell bothered me in the early weeks of pregnancy so I was unable to use it as much as I planned. A bottle costs around $6. Palmer’s coco butter is one of the most common used lotions during pregnancy for low cost which equals popularity. I however think they are way better products available.

As I researched I have added to the skin care products I use on a daily basis in the hopes of not developing stretch marks. (If I do get stretch marks I will wear them as a badge of honor but let’s face it no one wants to sign up for stretch marks.)

So anyways most everything says to start using lotions or oils in the 2^nd trimester as the stomach starts to grow.

I started using Bio-oil around week 13. It has been amazing and really helped with the stretching feeling your skin gets as you begin to grow. It also helps with the itchiness your stomach will feel. It has a mild smell and goes on very easily, it absorbs well (and quick) and does not make a mess. It has great product reviews and I cannot complain about it all. I have really loved using this product. A 4 ounce bottle cost $20, which is on the pricey end of the products I am using. I have been using daily for 2 months and still have a half a bottle. I am lucky enough to have gotten my bottle as a Christmas present from my mother in law! (Thank you Kris!)

When I take a shower I am using an organic body wash that contains vitamin E called Jason Tea Tree. The Tea Tree Oil is from Australia and is combined with the imported soothing and healing botanicals, Jasmine, Orange, Eucalyptus, Geranium and Vitamin E. It’s $13 for a 30 ounce bottle, it does not come in a smaller bottle. It lathers well, has a light fresh smell, and leaves my body feeling so smooth and refreshed. On the product reviews some people have complained about the smell so you may want to give it a stiff before buying. I personally like the smell because it is to me very light and not over powering. After my shower I apply my Bio-oil.

Before bed I use Bert’s Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter which contains shea butter and vitamin E. I love it! It is $13 for a 6.5 ounce container. It also has a long list of outstanding product and consumer reviews.

I have also been using Bert’s Bee Mama Bee Body Oil with vitamin E. It is $8 for a 4 ounce bottle. I just started using this product and seem to favor the Bio-oil over it. I will say it has an amazingly good lemon scent that I love, but I have gotten really use to the way the Bio-oil feels on my skin so I prefer it over the Mama Bee oil. I plan to use every couple of days to help make my Bio-Oil last. It is also a nice alternative to the Bio-Oil since it is much cheaper. 

The last Bert’s Bee product I am using that I love is Mama Bee Leg and Foot crème! Wow this stuff is so nice! It is apparently award winning and I can tell why! It is made with peppermint oil and rosemary leaf extract. It is supposed to naturally soothe, condition, and encourage healthy circulation. I use it at night; my legs are always achy by the end of the work day. I rub some on and instantly my legs get a tingling relaxing sensation. Cheapest massage ever! It is $9 for a 3.38 ounce bottle. I am pretty sure I will continue to use this product long after pregnancy.

Don’t forget that the belly is not the only thing growing during pregnancy nor is it the only body part that can get pregnancy stretch marks. So be sure to lather on lotions and oils to your breast, thighs, and buttocks as well. The Palmers is great for these areas since it is the most like lotion and the lease expensive. I use some oil as well.

Here are my pregnancy most haves… nice vitamin E body wash for the shower, oil for the skin (use after a shower), and a nice lotion for the skin (use before bed). Added bonus the Bert’s Bee Mama Bee leg and foot cream you will not regret it!

If you want to buy any of these products and do not want to walk around in Target looking for them – all products I mentioned are available at http://www.drugstore.com/.  This is my new favorite place… they offer free 2 day shipping with all $25 purchase, you do not have to pay tax, most items are priced 50 cents to a dollar cheaper than at Target, you get rewards points to save you money on future purchases, and with your first order you automatically save $5 bucks on a $30 purchase, $10 on a 50 purchase!  

Here’s to having amazingly healthy, soft, and beautiful skin! Happy Shopping!

Xoxo,

Heather

The Babies' Names

Baby A, Baby Girl... ... Here is baby girl's 20 week gender ultrasound picture.

Baby B, baby boy will be... Here is baby boy's 20 week gender ultrasound picture





Xoxo,
Heather

I can feel the babies moving!

I woke at 3am on Tuesday morning and said to Mike “I think I feel them moving.” I immediately fell right back to sleep. When I woke up Tuesday morning I thought to myself “did I feel move last night or was that a dream?” Then last night as I went to bed the same thing happened. Tonight I wanted some ice cream soooo bad. I got really excited about it… I sang a song about how much I wanted the ice cream. I ate the ice cream and shortly after doing so the babies were dancing away! I sang to them I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! They were active… they may have been kicking trying to tell me to stop singing!

The coolest part is I can tell which baby is moving!

All smiles! I have waited a long time to feel them move!

Xoxo,

Heather

P.S. 21 weeks tomorrow!

Nursery update!

We have the bedding (Harper collection from PBK) and the changing table and the dresser will be here soon. We ordered it last week and it said it could take 2-8 weeks. Just wanted to share some pictures! Yes I know that babies should not have quilts, toys, etc. in their cribs this is just for now!

The small package are extra sheets with the white elephant print. :)

The dresser is on the way.... here is the link to it... we did not get the mirror to go with it... we liked this dresser because of the six drawers three for baby girl, three for baby boy. This was not an option in the nursery section of furniture.
http://www.ashleyfurniturehomestore.com/catalog/product.aspx?group=&category=&id=B102B3&ref=product-l

Now I need to find a rocker/comfy chair that will nicely fit in the room, some type of book shelf, and the fun part... the decor!

I am a busy bee!

xoxo,
Heather

20 Week Ultrasound Gender Pictures

I have removed the Gender Ultrasound Pictures. But will send both by email for $1. They are potty shoots that clearly so the difference between what a girl ultrasound picture and what a boy ultrasound picture looks like. I am using this as a way to help provide and make ends meet for my family. Please leave me a comment if you have any questions.

Use the paypal link below.

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=NCX2SCN7WCBFE

Today was the 20 week ultrasound. Everything is good! Normal and nothing to worry about! There was no change in my cervix -- which is great... they are checking for changes in my cervix at every appointment... any major changes can put me on bedrest. Baby A is still a girl and baby B is still a boy. Baby A had a heartbeat of 153, Baby B had a heart beat of 144. Baby A weighs 12 ounces baby B weighs 13 ounces. They were moving around like crazy... I have two very active little ones. Docotor says it is no big deal that I havent felt them move yet... because they are prefectly normal and for sure moving and I will feel them soon enough. She said it could be another 4 weeks. They look tons of pictures of everything! The ultrasound tech spent over a hour looking at everything. Not much to say other than that! I will go back for another ultrasound visit on March 27th. I have another regular OBGYN appointment on March 16th. Life is beautiful and I am thankful for my blessing!

Xoxo,
Heather

Don't forget the pictures! Never!

Ultrasounds - mixed emotions

Tomorrow at 10am we have another doctor’s appointment with the specialist where we will receive an ultrasound. Ultrasound appointments are very exciting but also are very stressful and scary.  Because up until now everything with my babies is perfectly normal and they are healthy but tomorrow during the ultrasound all of this can change. This is why going to a ultrasound appointments stresses me out.

I have yet to feel the babies move and this has totally been stressing me out. I am 20 weeks and know from reading and talking to the doctor at last week’s appointment it could take a few more weeks for me to feel them. It is just freaking me out because almost every day my “what to expect” app is talking about feeling them move! And I haven’t! At the last ultrasound appointment the tech asked me if I had felt them move – I said no. As we watched them going crazy on the screen, the tech said you will feel them soon you have active little guys! But NO! -still haven’t. Also my placenta is on the back wall of my uterus … if it were on the front wall of my uterus it could explain why I haven’t felt them yet. But no, on the back wall and still haven’t felt them!

Also wonder tomorrow will it still be a girl and a boy?

As you can tell I am being a worry wart. Prayers are welcome!

I’ll update after the appointment.

15 vs 20 weeks

Whoa!

Natural Twin Birth

This is the most amazing and beautiful video. I love seeing all of these twin mama bellies!  It also gives me some hope for the ideal birth plan I would like for my twins. As said earlier I am keeping my options opening because its all up to the babies how they are born! And I will do whatever it takes to get them here healthy and safely.

http://youtu.be/7E-wULAaD50

Changing Tables at 1:30am

Up late... can't sleep... because all I can do is think about changing tables... and research, research, research. I have been stuck between style and functionality... and it must be less than 37 inches long to nicely fit in between the cribs.

I think this one better because you can store diapers, wipes, baby powder, etc... easily and or in cute baskets.

I like this one better because it has drawers. I just think it looks better. But do not think it will functional as well because I have no where to store baby powder or any type of bottles that would need to stand up. I do think that it has drawers... but do not know that I really need them since the dresser we got has 6 drawers... 3 of each side and we are getting and orgainzation system for the closet. Oh brother I cant decide!

I can't tell you how many hours I have spent tonight... looking at changing tables and price checking everywhere! And still I am undecided.

And it needs to match our cribs...

And the dresser...

Why didn't we buy a set? It wasn't an option! We started with the cribs because we needes two and had to go with small so they would fit in the room. Lots and lots of planning. And I am a little crazy :) 

Ok between these 3...

Which one goes best with the cribs and dresser (already have)?

Crazy,
Heather needs to go to bed!

Double Strollers

As usual I have been researching this topic like crazy – to formulated my opinion and get the product that I think is the best for the money.

There are so many double stroller options but most are not built with twins in mind. They are built for two siblings of different ages and there are very few designed to hold two infant car seats. The front to back design is good by theory because they are narrower for getting around – but with twins the side by side design is much more desirable because they will be at the same stage of development wanting to experience the same things from the ride! (I can see the twins hitting and kicking each other in the back of the head = no good.)

The twin double stroller  that I believe is the best and after talking to many other twin moms it seems that most agree that this is the “it” stroller, The Baby Jogger City Mini Double 2011, best stroller and value. Of course there are more premier/pricey twin strollers like the $1300 Stroll-Air, that a salesman at weebsworld tried to sell us last weekend. I will say weebsworld is a nice place to check out high end strollers in person and to get a good idea of what is out there. You can check out their website http://www.weebsworld.com/

The City Mini Double does have it’s downfall when it comes to twin mamas, it only holds one infant car seat! (This is very common!) So it is more ideal for when your twins hit 6+ months or when they can sit up on their own. All of the nice double strollers charge you $70+ for car seat converters, times two, that is an extra $140.

We choose to deal with this obstacle by purchasing the Graco Duo Glider. We got the Pippin style because it was discontinued and therefore on clearance at our local Babies R Us ($76).  The Graco Duo Glider will hold any Graco infant car seat by simply snapping on. This will make the early months with twins convenient.

Another way to deal with this issue that seems to be very popular for twin moms... is to get the Graco double snap and go. It is just a stroller frame and you snap the infant car seats into the frame. I decided against this and went for the duo glider because I like that it can be used as a second stroller after the twins are out of car seats. Both grandparents live in town it will be nice to have an extra one to keep at one of their places.

Video on how the Duo Glider works

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paRDbMh2ohw

Mikey reading the Graco Duo Glider manual.

Mikey putting together our Duo Glider.

The Graco Duo Glider - Pippin.

When the twins get older we will switch over to the City Mini Double which is supposed to be a dream for its lightweight design and easy fold up that takes up little space in a car trunk.

Video on City Mini Double
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NP4BRFC5qWk&feature=relmfu

The City Mini captures the essence of urban mobility. Its lightweight design makes it perfect for running errands or all day excursions in the urban jungle.

·         Patented Quick-Fold Technology - allows you to fold your double stroller in one simple step

·         Dual swivel front wheels for quick and agile maneuverability can lock into place for long distance strolling

·         8" quick-release EVA wheels with sealed ball bearings

·         Padded seats recline to a near flat position with a vented seat top and retractable weather cover

·         Multi-position sun canopies with clear view windows

·         Patented universal accessory mounting bracket – accessorize your stroller with ease

·         Rounded handlebar for pushing comfort

·         Front wheel suspension provides a smooth comfortable ride

·         Seat back storage compartments

·         Under seat storage basket

·         Adjustable five-point safety harnesses with shoulder pads and buckle covers

·         Rear parking brake

·         Fold strap to keep stroller folded for transportation or storage

·         Less than 30" wide and agile enough to fit through standard sized doors

·         100 lb. weight capacity on double stroller

Another Video on the City Mini
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jKB-eLLUEc&feature=related




- Heather

19 weeks

Had a doctor appointment on Friday. Nothing really new to report, everything still looks good. We will have another appointment on Monday Feb 27th where we will get another ultrasound!

Here is a pregnancy survey I found!

1. How far along?  19 weeks with twins
2. Weight gain?  8lbs which is not “enough” was supposed to gain 20-25lbs by 20 weeks. I feel like all I do is eat, but I get full so fast I can’t eat that much. I will also say the low weight gain has a lot to do with the months I spent having horrible morning sickness.  Doctor wants me to gain at least 2lbs every week. If I have 17 weeks left that’s 34 more lbs. Total weight gain expected for my twin pregnancy was 45-55lbs.
3. Maternity clothes?  Yes but a lot of the clothes I bought I can’t wear yet. I invested in a lot of dresses and they are still too big for me… I look like a homeless person in them. I have 3 pairs of pants and 5 shirts that I can wear with different sweaters. I can also still wear a lot of my pre-pregnancy dresses because they are high waist and lose fitting. 
4. Sleep? Starting to get hard! I feel like I am waking up every hour or so… either to pee, due to heartburn, and just not being able to get comfortable… which I know is only going to get worse.
5. Best moment this week? 
6. Food cravings?  I haven’t really had any strong food cravings yet. I have loved fruits and vegetables more than usual.  The other thing that I guess I could classify as a food craving is pizza. We ended up ordering one at least once a week which we never did before I was pregnant.
7. Food aversions?   None -- some things do not sound good, but I haven’t had anything make me sick.
8. Looking forward to? Feeling the twins move… I haven’t yet! The doctor said no worries it could take up to 25 weeks for me to feel them!
9. Milestones? Hmmmm, I guess finding out the genders.
10. Pregnancy thoughts this month: When will we finish the nursery? When will they be born? I hope I can make it to at least 36 weeks.  What will they look like?

Following information is from babycenter.com

How your baby's growing: 19 weeks

Your baby's sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.
Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches. Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.


XoXo,
Heather

Twins do run in my family!

Anytime someone finds out I am pregnant with twins the first question they ask is “Did you use fertility treatments?” or, “did you do In-Vitro?” I think this is a very rude question to ask someone. I am blessed, I did not have any help getting pregnant with my twins. I respond to this question by saying, “No, I did not have help getting pregnant with my twins.”… The second question always asked is, “Do twins run in your family?”

In the beginning, both of these questions drove me crazy! I would say... “I guess, my great grandfather, on my dad’s side was a twin, and his daughter had a set of boy/girl twins, who are my dad’s 1^st cousins.” But it’s not like my family is twin city or anything… I never thought that I was going to have twins….. EVER!!!

When my husband and I first found out that we were pregnant, we told pretty much no one, except for our parents. As I browsed Facebook one night, I found a thread between two of my cousins, Crystal and Casey. Crystal was pregnant for the first time and was expecting her son in just a few months. Casey had just gotten married, and this is what was said:

                                   

Casey to Crystal: We are planning to start our family soon but the twin factor scares me!

Crystal to Casey: The twin factor scared me too! I am sure one of us cousins will have a set of twins.

As I read this I thought to myself “twin factor?!?”

So, I found out a few weeks later, that I was pregnant with twins.  When I told Casey, she said to me with excitement, “I am glad it’s you and not me!” I said, “You could have twins too!” She said, “There is no way we will both have twins!”

About a month ago, Casey told me she was pregnant! I was so excited for her and immediately told her she was having twins! She didn’t believe me. I told her about all of my symptoms, and constantly told her it was twins. The day before her first ultrasound I called her and told her, “Remember, if you see two little circles, then its twins.” She then made a comment that I refuse to repeat…. But she did not believe for anything that she could or would have twins. Her appointment was at 4pm the next day, I was getting antsy waiting to hear from her,… so I texted her at 4:36pm and said I am waiting on my phone call me! At 5:18pm I got a picture text message from Casey, there were no words, just a picture. It was of her first ultrasound, and I saw two circles!

I jumped up and down and screamed (literally)! I was so exciting for her! It was another hour before I got to speak to her. She said the ultrasound tech had the image up on the screen, before the tech could say anything, Casey said she heard my voice saying, “if you see two little circles that means it’s twins!” Casey said she started crying (again before the ultrasound tech had said anything). When the ultrasound tech asked what’s wrong, Casey replied, “It’s twins!”

Finding out the baby you thought you were carrying is actually two babies is an overwhelming mixture of emotions that range from excitement to fear.   

We are 10 weeks apart in pregnancy so our twins will be about 2 months apart in age. It is so exciting to be sharing this journey with her.

When I got to speak to Casey she said to me “I had exactly all the symptoms you said you had exactly how you explained them to me… but I did not want to believe it was twins!”

Now when people ask me if twins run in my family… I say, yes, they do, my 1^st cousin is just 10 weeks behind me, pregnant with twins!

Casey is my 1st cousin and lifelong best friend! I am so blessed to share this journey with her and I am so excited to raise twins with her.

Life is beautiful and I am so thankful for my blessings, every day. Thank you, Lord, for this wonderful life.

Xoxo,

Heather

I leave you with some pictures of me and my best buddy Casey!

Casey and I sharing a bath at my GAGA's house. I am going to say we are 2 and 3 in this picture. I believe our converstaion went something like this that day.... Me: When we grow up we are going to have twins and they are going to be best friends. Casey: No way! Me: Yes Way!

Casey and I stiting on our GaGa's Lap... pretty sure she had something to do with this twin stuff :)

                                  Casey and I in GaGa's back yard. I am going to say 7 and 8 years old.

                                                 My last night as a single lady summer 2011.

                                                   Casey and I in the Virgin Islands Summer 2010.

                                                      In ATL city Sept 2011.

                                                       In Vegas Fall 2010.

                                                                      Vegas Fall 2010.

Can't wait to add pictures of us holding 4 babies!

Bump Pictures

19 weeks tomorrow...time to show some bump pictures... the bump is growing, growing, growing! On average a twin pregnancy is about 6-8 weeks ahead of a singleton pregnancy.


              This is me at 7 weeks. Mike got me this "Bun in the oven" shirt... this was before we knew that there were two buns in the oven.

                                                       
This is me at 9 weeks right after finding out that we are having twins! Decided I needed to get a bare belly shot!

                                        This is me at 15 weeks with twins!

This is me at 17 weeks with twins!

                                                         Still 17 weeks.

Me at 18 weeks with twins, same shirt, different sweater... different week... bigger bump and being goofy.

I will do a scary bare belly shot for 19 weeks! Maybe tomorrow!
All three of us are growing!

Xoxo,
Heather

The Nursery! We have Cribs!

The specialist told me there was a good chance that I would be on bed-rest by 28 weeks. At 28 weeks my body will feel like I am 36 weeks pregnant (if I were carrying a singleton). So around 28 weeks is when I will have to start restricting my activity – this could include strict bed-rest, only time will tell.  Just another wait and see game!

This means I have to get everything done before 28 weeks! 28 weeks is the week of April 19^th. So of course the nursery is the first thing on the list! We got to start this project this weekend which is really exciting. Starting the nursery has also really caused reality to set it… seeing two cribs sitting in the room… means OMG I will have two babies in four months! WHOA!

At first I wanted to go with a gender neutral theme so everything could match. Mike got upset with that idea. He looked at me and said “I want to celebrate a girl and a boy!” How in the world could I argue with that? He is so right. We are having a little girl and a little boy and we are going to celebrate both!

Mike and I have purchased the Harper bedding from Pottery Barn Kids in pink and navy. We got the polka dot sheets along with the elephant sheets. I really love the elephant sheets as elephants are a sign of good luck. White elephants are symbolic of patience and wisdom. We have the bumpers but the bedding was ordered and should be arriving shortly. 


Picture of the Harper Pink bedding from the Pottery Barn website.

Picture of the Harper Navy from the Pottery Barn website.

We also got cribs this weekend! We opened up the cribs to check them out and for me to get a starting picture...

I went to bed Friday night and just assumed we would put them together Saturday morning.I woke up in the middle of the night to use the restroom and to my surprise Mike had built both of them. I told him he built the cribs for the twins while I built the twins by sleeping! Pretty fair huh?

Now to pick out a paint color and decorate!!!  I have so many ideas I can’t wait to see them unfold! WOOOOWHO!

XoXo,
Heather