Friday, May 31, 2013

Baby Watch!

We are officially on baby watch! Princess Kendall is due on Wednesday, so ANY. DAY. NOW. 

I have never been one to be "done" with being pregnant. I have always flowed through my whole pregnancies with no problems at all and never complained, and though I was excited to meet the babies at the end, I was never in a hurry for them to come out and join us, and always said, "They will come when they are ready."

This time? I'm over it. This has been the hardest pregnancy I have EVER had. I tell everyone daily that I would rather carry TWINS again, than this one baby for this pregnancy. Everything has been completely different (and not necessarily for the better!) with this pregnancy from the very beginning. 

First off, there was a ton of stress and drama over whether this was a viable pregnancy earlier on, because of dating being off and ultrasounds not showing what they should have been showing when they should have showed it, and my hormone levels being slow to rise. 

Second, the nausea was worse than ever before. I never actually threw up with any of my pregnancies, but did have periods of not feeling well or just feeling nauseous, but it was worse this time around. The food aversions were worse this time, as was the exhaustion/fatigue. 

I've had back pain this time around, something new and miserable most of the time. My pelvis feels like it's being ripped apart even worse than before, my muscles and everything else that could possibly hurt, hurts like hell. 

This baby has been HEAVIER than the others. It's never been so difficult to get comfortable, like it has been with this pregnancy. 

So needless to say, I'm done. Over it. Want her out. NOW. Of course I want her to come when she is ready and would never look for inducing even after my due date, but I can't help wishing for it to happen every minute of every day that ticks by right now, since I am SO close to my due date!

My college graduation is tomorrow afternoon, and of course I want to be able to attend the ceremony and participate in it. But if Kendall was to decide today was her day, or tonight, or even early tomorrow morning, I wouldn't be devastated to miss the graduation by any means. Just sayin'! ;)

I do have a feeling though, that she's just going to wait until her due date and be one of those rare babies who arrived right when they are due. Just to be a little stinker. 

Anyway, we are on baby watch. It's a waiting game now....let's just hope she doesn't make us wait TOO much more longer...... ;)

39 weeks:


Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Soft Scrub 4-in-1 Toilet Care Giveaway WINNERS!

Claudia, Kaitlin B., and Tracy were the RANDOM winners chosen through Giveaway Tools for the FREE product from Soft Scrub!

Congratulations to all 3 winners!!

All winners have 48 hours to reply to my email and claim their prize or I will be forced to choose different winners.

Thank you to all who entered the giveaway and to everyone for following my blog! 






***Disclaimer*** Winners are chosen completely at RANDOM and done automatically through Giveaway Tools, once the contest is closed. I have NO CONTROL over choosing winners unless winners do not reply to my winning email to claim their prize in the time specified.

Dial Kids Body and Hair Wash Giveaway WINNERS!

Sandy V., Jamie B., and Abby K. were the RANDOM winners chosen through Giveaway Tools for the FREE bottle of Dial Kids Body and Hair Wash!

Congratulations to all 3 winners!!

All winners have 48 hours to reply to my email and claim their prize or I will be forced to choose different winners.

Thank you to all who entered the giveaway and to everyone for following my blog! 






***Disclaimer*** Winners are chosen completely at RANDOM and done automatically through Giveaway Tools, once the contest is closed. I have NO CONTROL over choosing winners unless winners do not reply to my winning email to claim their prize in the time specified.

Friday, May 17, 2013

Loving Moments from Leading Lady Bras Review & Giveaway!


If you're an avid reader/follower of my blog, you know that I have done several reviews for Leading Lady full figure and nursing bras. I SWEAR by this company and their products ever since the very first time I ever reviewed their amazing selection of comfortable, high quality bras. I have been pretty "busty" since having Mason, and this company is the only company I have found that has my size in bras, and that are actually a COMFORTABLE and RIGHT fit for me.

I have never had discomfort from my regular bras in pregnancy, and needed to switch to maternity or nursing bras while still pregnant, until now. This pregnancy has surprised me in so many ways! My regular bras, which are Leading Lady products of course, have started feeling tighter and uncomfortable in these last few weeks of pregnancy, so I was very excited to be given the opportunity to review a nursing bra from their new Loving Moments collection! It's not usually wise to stock up on nursing bras prior to delivery, due to your breast enlarging even more when your milk comes in after birth, but I figured getting one for now wouldn't be a big deal, and if I got a big enough size, there would still be "room to grow" after Kendall is born. 

A little from their website about the  new Loving Moments collection:

"Loving Moments by Leading Lady makes it easier than ever for expecting and new moms to find quality nursing essentials for an exceptional value. The new brand from Leading Lady provides new moms with quality, affordable nursing intimate apparel in fun and fashionable styles.  Featuring playful stretch lace, cute and supportive nursing tank tops, soft comfortable sleep and leisure bras, seamless every day styles, as well as washable nursing pads, Loving Moments has a nursing bra for every occasion.

Available only at Wal-Mart® and WalMart.com, Loving Moments is easily found where moms shop – in stores and online – making it just a little bit easier to save on the essentials needed to welcome a new baby into the family.

Loving Moments is about more than just intimate apparel, which is why LovingMomentsBras.com was created as a resource for new moms.  From product information to sizing assistance and breastfeeding tipsLovingMomentsBra.com is the destination for new and expecting moms.

Loving Moments by Leading Lady and Pampers are teaming up to offer new moms a limited time gift with their purchase of a Loving Moments Wirefree Sport Nursing Bra and a Loving Moments Nursing Bra Tank.  When purchasing either of these styles, new moms will receive a sample of Pampers Newborn diapers and wipes.  Plus, Loving Moments is hosting a fantastic contest and giving moms the chance to win a complete Loving Moments nursing bra wardrobe and one year supply of Pampers diapers at LovingMomentsBras.com.

Make sure to follow Loving Moments by Leading Lady on Facebook and Twitter to learn more about Loving Moments products, engage with other expecting and nursing moms like our celebrity spokesmom, LPGA Golfer Danah Border, and be the first to find out about promotions, events, giveaways, and more!"

For this review, I chose the Seamless Bralette Nursing Bra in blue. With my bra was also a small package of Loving Moments re-usable (washable) nursing pads, which I was pleasantly surprised to see and am greatly looking forward to using when baby (and milk!) arrives!



I tried the bra out the very next day after I received it, and just as I expected, I was BEYOND happy with it! It truly is seamless, which is always a plus to every bra! The clips are easy to clip and un-clip when I will need to nurse Kendall, so ease of use is another positive. Another favorite part of this bra for me is how supportive and comfortable it is! It looked like it provided great support from the photos on the website, which made me decide on this specific bra, and I was right! The whole day I had it on, I never once had to re adjust the bra or re adjust my breasts inside the bra, and I FORGOT I EVEN HAD A BRA ON! I am truly IN LOVE with this bra! I know that sounds silly to say, but it's amazing how good you can feel over something like an undergarment! 

I wore it again a second time and noticed there was a small hole in the bottom of it. I was SO bummed, but I got in touch with Erin from Leading Lady, and she immediately got a new one sent out to me, and even sent a return envelope with the replacement bra so I can send back the ripped one to be tested for quality control. This shows a wonderful priority with the company to fully satisfy their customers and make the best products possible for women like myself. I love a company that is SO obsessed with customer satisfaction that they truly go above and beyond their duties, just as Leading Lady does!

Purchase it: You can purchase the same bra reviewed here, as well as all other bras from the new Leading Lady Loving Moments Nursing Collection, at a Walmart near you or online from Walmart as well!

WIN IT: ONE lucky reader of Mama 2 Multiples is going to WIN 1 item from the Loving Moments Collection, a package of washable Loving Moments nursing pads, PLUS a gift pack of Pampers newborn diapers and wipes! To enter, simply follow the instructions in the giveaway form below!








Pampers Sweet Sleep Time Review & Giveaway!


I have been a very, very loyal Pampers customer since we had our twins 4 years ago. Around that time, the Pampers Swaddler diapers were a big hit, and that happens to be the brand and type of diapers our local hospital uses and distributes to new parents. When the twins outgrew the swaddlers, we moved on to the Pampers Cruisers, which I also fell in love with. They are soft, cuddly, and most importantly, keep my babies DRY, LEAK FREE, and COMFORTABLE from diaper rash! Of course there are other brands on the market that claim the same thing, but we tried them all, and were greatly disappointed. There are also cheaper brands, but my babies have very sensitive skin, and any generic or store brand diapers give them horrible, raw, bleeding diaper rashes. 

When we added Mason to our family, we still bought Pampers regularly, but occasionally bought Luvs as well, as they are a part of the Pampers family, so we were still being loyal to our favorite brand, yet saving a couple of bucks at the same time.

As a blogger, I was recently given the opportunity for a new review and giveaway through Pampers and a new promotion they were running, called Pampers Sweet Sleep Time!

For this review, I received a gift pack from Pampers that included a package of Pampers Baby Dry Diapers, a coupon for a FREE package of Pampers Baby Dry Diapers, a package of Pampers wipes, a Pampers Wipes Coupon, Constellation B Glow Animal, Good Night Moon book, Brown Bear, Brown Bear book, and Where The Wild Things Are book. 


When I first got this gift pack, the diapers were the wrong size. I needed a size 4 for Mason, but they were a size 6.I wrote the company representative that was working with me on the review and giveaway, and he was very, very flexible and quick to get the right size out to me as soon as possible. That showed a great desire on the company's part to fully satisfy their customers! Love that!

A few weeks prior to being offered this giveaway, Mason discovered the book "Brown Bear, Brown Bear" and LOVED it, so I was SO excited to get this book for ourselves as a part of this review opportunity!

"Goodnight Moon" is also a big favorite of mine, and I had never read "Where The Wild Things Are" before, so I was excited for new, fun books to share with Mason, and even with the twins as part of our story times. 



I had tried Pampers wipes in the past, and have to be honest when I saw I wish they were thicker and had a more pleasant scent to them. 


I had seen advertisements online, in magazines, and on television of the Constellation B Glow Animals, so again, I was very much looking forward to trying this new product out and seeing how Mason liked it too, of course!


I thought the Lady Bug was a little girly for Mason at first, but HE LOVES IT!! It's very easy to use! You simply sit it on a shelf, dresser, etc. that is about five feet from the ceiling, and push one of the buttons on the glow animal, to activate the glowing features. It displays stars, moons, and other designs on the walls and ceilings of the dark bedroom in three different colors.









We started out keeping Mason's glow animal on his dresser, but that didn't last long because he LOVES it so much! He kept taking it off his dresser and carrying it around the house with him, even taking it to daycare with him a couple days a week. It now stays in his crib with him so he can cuddle it and turn the lights on whenever he wants to. 

As soon as he saw the "Brown Bear, Brown Bear" book, he started growling (his bear noise!), and wanted it right in his hands immediately!




He wouldn't let me read it to him, but he had a blast "reading" it to himself...



I think it goes without saying that the diapers and wipes were put to good use, and the coupons as well. ;)

Overall, I was beyond happy with this gift pack, and so honored to have been asked to participate in this blogging program from my favorite and most trusted diaper company!

Now, for the fun part for YOU GUYS....!

ONE lucky reader of Mama 2 Multiples is going to WIN the very same Pampers Gift Pack that I received and reviewed here! The Average Retail Value (ARV) of this prize pack is $100!! Don's miss out on this amazing opportunity to win! 

To enter, follow the instructions carefully in the giveaway form below!









Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Wholesale Costume Club Review!

I have worked with Wholesale Costume Club several times over the past couple of years, and have never, ever been disappointed with the experience I have had with them, and their products. My children even won a costume contest last Halloween with their Thing 1 and Thing 2 costumes I received for review from Wholesale Costume Club!

This year, we decided to go with an Alice in Wonderland theme for the children for Halloween. I am SO excited about it this year!! It's going to be perfect for our kiddos! Merasia will be Alice of course, Mason is going to be the Cheshire Cat, Kendall will be the bunny, and Connor is going to be the Mad Hatter. So cute!

For my review this time around, we received Connor's costume first! 

I checked it out as soon as we got it, because I just couldn't wait! I LOVE IT! I knew I wouldn't be disappointed anyway, but it was nice to see just how much I loved it when I opened it up to check it out. The Mad Hatter costume came with the brown jacket, a shirt front, a big bow tie, and the hat with it's wide orange sash. 

The quality of the material surprised me in a great way. It's soft, thick, HIGH quality, and just so fancy and deluxe that it's really going to help Connor bring the part of the Mad Hatter to life when Halloween time comes!

Of course I couldn't wait to try it on him and see how ridiculously cute he looked either!



Of course it's great that I was happy with the costume, but it's even better and even more important that HE is happy with the costume, and enjoys wearing it, and I think it's pretty clear from the photos above that he is beyond satisfied and happy with it! 

When it's time for you to think about Halloween costumes and accessories for your little ones, don't look anywhere else besides Wholesale Costume Club! While you shop around their website, don't forgot to "like" them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter!

Long Overdue Family Update!

I just realized we are LONG overdue for an update here! 

Classes just ended for the summer for me last week, and it's amazing to be on a break from class, homework assignments, paper writing, and everything else that goes along with school. I am SO looking forward to this summer break! I can't remember the last time I had a FREE summer of no classes because I normally take summer courses to get a jump on getting my degree finished. With the baby's arrival coming any day now, the obvious best choice was to not bother with classes or anything this summer other than focusing on all of the children, having fun, and bonding as a new, slightly bigger family.

Connor played indoor soccer this winter, and it was a GREAT outlet for him, and something fun for him and daddy to go to every weekend alone, just the two of them, and have some special time together away from his little brother and sister. His last practice was a couple weekends ago, and we all went to support him...and I wanted some cute photos of him and daddy playing soccer against each other. ;)






I LOVE this photo of Connor with his first soccer team!


Merasia has done gymnastics this winter, and absolutely LOVED it! Her dance show was a couple weekends ago, and it went SO well! I was nervous that when the time for the show came, she would freak and not go on stage, but I had nothing to worry about! The week leading up to her show were very stressful on the whole family. There were tons of rehearsals, and a couple of them ran pretty late at night, so that left Frank home with the boys to pick them up from daycare, do dinner, give them baths, and get them in bed and settled for the night, which was different for him since he doesn't normally do it alone, without me there to help, of course. It took me away from my boys a lot too, and that made me sad, but it was well worth it and we all survived! Merasia's dance company did The Wizard of Oz for their show, and her gymnastics class were the poppies in the show, and also had their own gymnastics piece to show off what they learned, as well as a quick, cute little dance piece. It was so entertaining and adorable!

Doing her cart wheel in the show!

She's on the end, doing her back bend!


Getting ready to bow at the end!


She's on the end in the front row on the right hand side. :)


All ready for her first opening night!!



Her favorite part was the bar! She is SO strong and does SO well on the bar!



Merasia and her best friend Veronica at dress rehearsal the night before her first show!



So, with soccer, gymnastics/dance, and school ending, our schedule is suddenly very very free and open, and it's SO nice to have extra time to relax before baby arrives!

Hubs had 2 weeks off from work recently, and that was so nice to have his help during the day and just to spend extra time together with him. He went back to work this week, and while we miss him tons, it is still nice to get back to our normal everyday routine in the house and with the kids at school and daycare.

Connor and Merasia only have 2 more weeks of preschool, and then they are off for the summer! Daycare will continue for all 3 kiddos for the rest of the summer, because it's good for them and they absolutely love seeing their friends and teachers every week, even if mommy isn't in school during those days for the summer. :)

Mason hasn't done anything as fun as soccer or gymnastics, but he is just as busy just being HIM! ;) It seems he does or says something new every single day and it never ceases to amaze us. The newest thing he has done was POOP ON THE POTTY!!!! He has asked to use the potty a several times over the past few months, but has never even gone pee on the potty before, and as far as poop went, he would ask to use the potty after he had already pooped in his diaper. Last night he said he wanted to use the potty because he saw Connor and Merasia use it at dinner time, so we let him sit on it and try, and to our surprise, he POOPED!! Of course it has not happened again since, but that doesn't matter! It's still a big deal and we are super proud of him! He had yet another hair cut recently (and Merasia had her FIRST REAL HAIRCUT, as well!) His language takes off every day and his sense of humor keeps us all laughing hysterically regularly! He is just a joy!!

Playing with shaving cream!


Before shot at his hair cut!


Giving kisses to his "girlfriend," the new neighbor! ;)


Merasia's hair before her first haircut!






Merasia's after shot of her first ever real haircut!!!!!



As for baby girl, I am 37 weeks pregnant exactly today! It's so exciting to think that there is only 3 weeks until my due date, or even that she could make her arrival earlier than that! Literally, she could arrive ANY DAY NOW! We are ALL ready for her though, so it's just a matter of time! We ordered our belly cast kit a few days ago and will be doing that this weekend when it arrives, and we had maternity photos done last week. We did some with the kids to involve them, and then some with just me and Frank so we could focus on some different kinds of poses and not chase children around while trying to get photos done. We haven't seen all of them yet, but we did get a sneak peak of one with all the kids, and one of just me:


I just LOVE LOVE LOVE our photographer!! She never disappoints us and just does amazing work! These are beautiful and I cannot wait to see the rest! I was nervous about baring my belly and doing something different like the photo above in just the sheets, but they came out SO beautifully and they are in such beautiful, good taste! I have yet to take a 3 week belly shot, but here is one from last week (36!):


I wish I had more to update as far as baby and her arrival goes, but I don't. I am at weekly appointments now, last week we had a cervical check after some nasty contractions, and in the words of my midwife, things are "soft and squishy" in there and baby's arrival is "soon." No cervical change at this week's appointment, but baby has moved lower in the pelvis, so that's some sort of progress toward her coming on out, at least!

Whew! Just writing and re-reading this update has me exhausted! I am thankful for the break from school and the kid's activities to catch up here with all of my lovely readers and followers, and to share some fun, exciting, new reviews and giveaways with all of you as well!