January 2008

(Originally posted in January 2007) A little confession from the Rookie Moms. We are both pregnant with #2. For our readers, we think this is great because we’ll be revisiting months 1-12 all over again. For our toddlers, this is great because they’ll become big brothers. For our bodies, well, we do it for the family. For our hearts, I honestly can’t even finish this sentence because pregnancy hormones have made me a tearful, pot-bellied mess when I think about how much love a mother of two must feel.

So fellow pregnant readers, enough about us; what about you? Leigh from New For Baby has a ton of suggestions about what to pack for the hospital. In the clothing department, however, she’s tells us that she’s got baby covered with the New for Baby “Bringing Home Baby” kit. The most exciting feature to me, is that the clothes will actually fit your newborn. FYI, pregnant rookie moms, 0-3 months does not really fit an 8 lb kid so well. It fits better when they get closer to 10 lbs, which does happen quickly, but if you pop out a 6-pounder, most clothes are going to be huge for a few weeks.

Read on for the rest of Leigh’s suggestions and some helpful links. [click to continue...]

I’ve read in some well-meaning parenting magazines that the secret to looking fresh and awesome despite sleep-deprivation lies in a “quick” makeup routine that is five times more involved than what I would do before going to a party. Thanks but no thanks.

I give you two images to consider. First, this is me immediately after childbirth:

Next, this is me after having my eyebrows and eyelashes “done” by a professional:

Next time, I vow to have my eyebrows and eyelashes done before labor and delivery so that I can look just a tad bit more awake during any pictures that may be taken. This is probably more a red-head and blonde issue, so you dark hair or dark-skinned beauty queens can feel free to ignore me.

My suggestion for you is that you schedule this as part of your birth plan (contractions 5 minutes apart, hit the eyebrow salon!) or take one of your few, brief outings away from the baby to have the professionals dye you a makeup job. Tint those lashes, dye and shape the brows, go even crazier if you want (watch out for those hormones though — you may hate it!). This is far more efficient than daily make up application and allows the truly lazy among us to look somewhat put together with little effort.

Then, just grab some tinted lip balm and you’re ready to leave the house. Just wait for those compliments to start rolling in (”have you lost weight?” and “motherhood really agrees with you” maybe).

If the feminist inside you is repulsed by this suggestion, simply move on to the next activity suggestion. I won’t be hurt.

I read this in the BabyCenter Newborn Magazine and I couldn’t have said it better myself:

Bleeding done? Breast pain gone? Feet back to normal? Try pretty panties, new shoes, and a full-body massage.

Awww, yeah!

Carolyn sent us this activity for the brave:

My son couldn’t help write the thank you notes for his first birthday but he could help make the cards! I put him in his high chair, wearing only a diaper.

I got out some heavy paper and non-toxic, washable finger paints, squirted a little paint on the paper, and let him have at it! He had a great time and the cards were beautiful. I thought this might be a fun idea for Christmas thank you notes.