Ohhhhh.. I love Isabella Oliver... you have to check this out.. it is a MUST!!!
Shopping, Shopping... oh and are my tests ok?
Well to say the least we have been quite busy at HMC and I have not had time to keep you all in the loop on what is going on.
First I want to say that I have come across some of the coolest and most comfortable clothing … You just have to check out Shop Dreem they have the best choices for tees! Short sleeve, long sleeve thermal a real assortment! My favorite is the True Love Tummy. I will admit I am not a huge fan of wearing pictures on your tummy while pregnant… but these are all so much fun and when you are on your second one you realize that it is your last time to really flaunt pregnancy. And as they say WORK IT HOTMOM. You can also find plenty of other things on their site like lounge pants, shorts, skirts, jackets, etc... Check them out they are just great!!!
Ok, so another fun shirt is Lucky Me Tee they have shirts that help you flaunt you are a Mommy of 1, 2, 3, 4 even 5… they have an assortment of styles, hoodies and totes along with kids shirts too. It may sound silly, but I say wear this shirt out on a day you don’t want to wear makeup then no one will question anything with a mother of 5 on your shirt☺
Now, as much fun as the decorated shirts are we all need just a cozy shirt we can wear out at night and a comfy pair of jeans! Yeah, comfy and jeans are not what you think when you are 7 months pregnant. I have to say that MIMI Maternity has the most comfy and great fitting clothing, their Jeans and t-shirt from Mimi maternity. The quality is the best and they got me through my first pregnancy. Their prices are totally reasonable and they have such an assortment of options. You definitely need to check out MIMI and when they have a sale you feel like you get a double bargain!
All right now back to being pregnant! WOW… the exhaustion of an 11 month old crawling and trying to get all over the place really takes a toll on you are 7 months… and I can’t even believe it is 7 months already. I have done all tests necessary and no gestational diabetes, which is a big relief! I have been careful with weight and the Dr. seems ok with my gain. I am just exhausted and need to take extra iron vitamins, which is totally common. So don’t freak out if the Dr. tells you, you need to take extra iron which is really there to help you not feel so tired and on the delivery day.
I have to say this little girl is a kicker, a shaker and a mover! I do not remember Jax moving around this much. Well just so you know there are some great things in the works… I can’t wait to share with you our nursery I have some great finds for you. I also will be doing a segment on what to bring with you to the hospital and you guys can win the same thing!!!! So stay tuned!!!!
Traveling while about to POP with a 9 month !!!! Oh, so much fun:)
Ok, so it took longer then I would have liked to get back to you guys, but, after being gone for a week and coming back to reality, it takes a little longer then usual.
I’m currently 26 weeks into the pregnancy. At this point, tiredness definitely kicks in. I had a doctor’s appointment this past week. All looks great; of course the little girl is lying sideways. They usually check for Gestational Diabetes at this point, but because it is a 2nd pregnancy my Dr. wants to wait two more weeks. So far, no signs of it. My weight seems to be pretty consistent. I have definitely put on a few pounds but I am being a bit more careful than last time because I didn’t have time to loose much weight from having Jax.
I had so much fun last week! You will all get to see it in a few weeks. But I went on a Shoot to try on maternity clothing by Carilyn Vaile. She has AWESOME clothing. Typically when you wear it, it is quite loose but when you’re pregnant, you can feel sexy in clothing that shows off your BEAUTIFUL BUMP!
Ok, the trip! Let me start off to tell you that when you go away for a week and you think you want to pack everything ‘cause you don’t know what you will want to wear...DON’T! It is not worth the extra $15 for the luggage and you have no room to bring things home! We completely over packed. The only salvation we had was the we used a company called Jetsetbabies. We pre-ordered diapers, formula, detergent, toys, snacks, sunscreen etc.. They have everything and are VERY thorough!!! When we got to the house we were staying at, the package was already there. I will admit I packed a few extra diapers, as I was afraid that the package might not be there on time. You know what? I did not need to - it was GREAT!!! Their prices are also very reasonable and save you the extra room in your luggage or the quick trip to the store that may not have exactly what you want. I cannot recommend enough to go use Jet Set Babies.
As for the rest of the details... We got our son a seat on the plane, which if you can, I highly recommend it. I also recommend “red eye” flights. While they are not great for mom and dad, they really are best for infants. Also, when you are pregnant, make sure that you go out and buy some compression pants or something similar. I found this site. I have not tried it out. But if you are looking for them, check it out Leg Luxe.
Otherwise our trip was wonderful. It was a great beach town; had nice restaurants, yummy ice cream which I could justify daily cause we walked about 2 miles a day. The rental car we got from Thrifty was AMAZING. This is not a plug, we paid for it and they were really efficient and great… US Airways was ok, they were nice enough to give me a Soda water with lime to help with any nausea. Let me tell you take advantage if you have a child under the age of 4. They have to let you bring juice boxes on. Which helped with the ridiculous fees for a drink. We also brought snacks, which also helped. Especially when you are pregnant. You really need to make sure that you are hydrated. It is easy up there not to be. Will, be back soon… and will let you know how the gestational diabetes test goes and what is next...
Is there a difference when you are having a Boy or a girl? Are the myths for real? And yes... you can be in a Matron of honor and be pregnant!
OK, so I promise this one will be more about clothing… ‘cause this is really the best part but I also have a few more things to share…. Once we realized there was not going to be a need for an amnio and felt secure with telling everyone, it was time to hear what the sex of the baby was. By HUGE surprise, we are having a GIRL!!!!! YEAH!!! Of course it would have been fine either way, but honestly It feels great to know we will have one. My family has one of each. My aunt has one of each as well. My grandmother had 3 girls and a boy. But in my Husbands family, they have only had boys… so this is a new addition that everyone can find something to be excited about. The good thing is that there are a million things to cover every baby contraption we got for Jax and make them girly… But in all honesty I got a lot of things that were pretty neutral... mostly because I am not a big fan of “gender-izing” products… Anyway… now I am so excited that we get to explore the girl world of clothes.. YEAH!!!! I don’t mean pink necessarily; I just mean fun, funky, sweet, precious girl clothes!
Now here is the thing to tell all of you who are wondering if there really is a difference with a girl pregnancy or not! I am here to say, with my body there is. I was so sick all the time with Jax. With this one I have hardly known that I was pregnant. I am not saying all the wives’ tales are true. I am just saying for me this pregnancy is different. I also feel that I am carrying a bit differently from the last time. I also read all the Chinese calendars and all the tests you can take on the computer to say whether it was a girl or boy. They all said a girl (interestingly enough, at the time with Jax they all said GIRL as well. But now when I look back they say BOY). LOL, who knows? All I can say is that it is a lot of fun getting prepared. Who am I kidding? There are 4 months to go and I am still not nearly prepared as I was last time.
OK, I promised to tell about the wedding I had to go to! Well, to make a long story short, I set up my cousin with one of my closest friends and two years later they are getting married. I was asked to be the matron of honor and had every intention of loosing the baby weight after Jax came and just when I thought I was on track we ordered the black dresses which I picked out by Jim Hjelm, but by the time they came I was pregnant and had no clue what to do. I went to one seamstress who said it was hopeless, but I am not one to take no for an answer. So I searched which everyone should always do and was able to find someone who could help. She just opened up the seam to the zipper and then opened up the sides of the dress. It was perfect! And, this way while I could have been different from the other brides maids I was not. I was the only one with a shawl on, but other then that the dress looked great... Now, back to a little clothing talk.
So I have found some of the most fun, unique and
elegant clothing.
There will be more to come, throughout my pregnancy but for now I can’t wait to tell you about “The Ringo Denim Jeans” that I got through Spunky Sprout. And the most comfortable dress that I got from Isabella Oliver. Go to Spunky Sprout. They have a plethora of clothing opportunities. I found the Ringo Denim Jeans. These Jeans are wayyy comfy and the underbelly knit band is branded with a skull script Rockstarmoms logo. The Jeans have a slight boot-cut styling to flatter any body type and lengthen legs. It is just SO hard to find fun, comfortable jeans when you are pregnant. Do not miss out on these… they are incredible! and fashionable!Spunky Sprout
isabellaoliver OH MY GOODNESS… the chic-ness of maternity clothing. They have everything though they are not super cheap, but they are worth every cent. You will not want to take their clothing off. They have great dresses for every occasion. You can find many celebrities sporting their clothing so that can also reassure you as to their quality and fit. I absolutely think you need to have at least one splurge dress when you are pregnant. One you would buy even if you weren’t pregnant because it just makes you feel good... and special. Also a great thing about Isabel Oliver’s website is that they have a lot of info on style and how to use their clothing. You cannot go wrong with Isabel Oliver. It is a must for a pregnant mom to be☺ 
Ok, that is it for now... we are off on our first family trip to the east coast. I can’t wait to share everything from packing, to getting there. Renting as car with an infant and just what it is like to hang at the beach!
CLOTHING, CLOTHING, CLOTHING...UGGGGHH Maternity clothing!
So...I realize that I was just pregnant and I still have all my maternity clothing from the last time... I bought some and, of course, spent way too much money. I was fortunate to have some friends and family give some to me... I know that I am quite lucky with all the clothing I have but I still feel like I just spent 9+ months wearing the same clothes all the time... No one wants to admit how long a mamma goes after birth still wearing the maternity stuff. I did for a couple of months and finally got to put them away. Yeah, I put them away for all of 4 weeks and now I already had to take them down out of the closet again. So when I did... I realized I had a plethora of options... but not really ones that really felt like something I wanted to wear again. I have gone searching and searching to find something with style; something that is unique and makes me feel good. Lets face it, first you feel like you are just gaining weight. Then you go through the stage where your belly is starting to grow and people either think that you are pregnant or just have a big belly (and boy are they embarassed if they guess the wrong way!). Then you are so big that people can't possibly be wrong but NOTHING fits. there is probably only a two or three week period where you have the cute baby belly and you can almost have fun wearing the maternity clothes.
Here are some online companies that I personally think have the comfiest, stylish clothing…
Moody Mamas…
Has the YUMMIEST line of clothing... but my favorite is the PJ’S… I have a black and pink mix… a black cami top with pretty bows… ok, you would think a little strange... cause maybe the bows will come undone when you toss and turn... and yes, we all do…toss and turn..but these bows don’t!
and I have the cutest pair of pink bottoms to match… I cannot stress enough that you really want to do what you can to feel comfy and sexy when pregnant... and remember when I said you could go both ways… well with this pregnancy intimacy is not a problem…
moody mamas
Youniquetoyou clothing…
This online maternity site is AMAZING… I have never received so many compliments on tops that I got from them…
The Maternity Draped Tunic rouses on the sides and has the most stylish sleeves that make my arms feel lighter then they are…
the other is called the Dolman Top. 
It is sophisticated with a nice tie in the front... the material is super comfy … 
I love, love the Cropped Hoodie. It really is one of my favorites… … and since it has long sleeves during the summer you can wear it over a tank top... so cute and so practical… Finding a pair of scrumptious Maternity Lounge Pants can be challenging... but the ones that they have by Julou, are the BEST!!!! 
I can’t tell you enough... if you are looking for a great site to help you feel super comfy and stylish at the same time.. go to youniquetoyou you will just love it..
Ok, I have lots more to post about clothing... come back on Wednesday for more comfy, stylish pregnancy possibilities…
Concerns about being Pregnant so sooooon!!!!
Well , as I sit here and recall the last few months ... some of it is a blur and some of it is easy to remember. The scariest part was in the beginning. Once I realized I was pregnant I was petrified of any complications that may occur, because I had a c-section only 5 months prior and had not felt like I had fully healed. I went to the Dr. and was fully prepared for them to tell me that this pregnancy would need to be terminated. Well, that was not what she said, she told m e, that while it would have been ideal to have some more time to heal, that it was just fine to complete this pregnancy... Once my husband and I walked out the door he turned to me and in the nicest possible way... he said... "So now can we take a moment and be happy" I of-course said yes, even though I was still terrified of my stomach popping open or my uterus tearing...
About, one week later I began to spot. I saw this and thought only the worst. It started off slow and then increasingly got worse. Because it was the weekend the Dr. on call suggested that only if I felt cramping should I go to the hospital. Well, that did not happen... after 3 days all started to get better and by Sunday it was gone. Monday AM I woke up and passed the largest clot I have ever seen. I was terrified. So I called my OB, and she immediately saw me. I went in with the understanding that I had lost the baby. But, she did a ultra-sound and she saw a tiny heart pumping away! No one can fully explain why we spot, there can be many reasons, it can happen from implantation,... maybe there were two fertilized eggs and one did not make it. Well, no matter what, it was frightening. But, it was over after the clot passed and did not happen again.
A few weeks later we needed to take what is called the Bun Test. This is where they try and tell whether or not your child will be born with any handicaps, deformities etc. All looked good on the screen and two weeks later we found out that my odds we not a high risk for downs syndrome or mental retardation but my Dr. wanted them to be higher. So we took one more test; an AFP test that is just blood. Sometimes this can have a false positive and pushes mom's towards having an amnio. Well my results for a 35 year old came back fantastic. I got the best score that you could. My odds of having a child with significant issues was 1 in 10,000. So no need for an amnio here. Stay tuned so I can fill you in on how to make a matron of honor dress NOT make you look fat or pregnant! LOL…
Natalie Klein Hot Products editor "Knocked UP" LOL!
Hello, for those of you who don’t know me I am Natalie Klein and I am the HOTPRODUCTS Editor for HMC. As Jessica Denay explained in her book The HOT MOM to be HANDBOOK ….“ Womb With a View ” You should blog or document your journey while being pregnant.
Well, I am happy to share that by quite a surprise I am pregnant again… Due to some challenges I was a bit skeptical about blogging my experience but now that all seems ok I am happy to share and hopefully help those of you who need a few pointers or advice along the way. I plan to share diet, exercise, style, products, medical concerns and positive medical experiences. You can take the whole journey with me… and below please feel free to comment and ask as personal question that you may want to know. If you would like to ask something, but do not want to post it live OR you would like me to check out a product for you OR if you are a business and would like to submit a product for me to test you can email me at natalie@hotmomsclub.com.
So here we go… I will be honest and tell you that during my first pregnancy I had a tough time. I was sick all of the time and could not be physical with my husband. Unfortunately I had a polyp and was not aloud to have sex. Also, your hormones typically go two ways when you are pregnant either completely ready to be intimate at all times or you have no desire… Me, I was so sick that I had no desire, then I had a c-section and it took a good 4 months to be in the mood again. When the OB asked me if I wanted to take birth control I said no, because I wanted my children to be around 18 months apart and did not want to play with the my hormones. Well, at 4 months I got pregnant. It was a PURE shock… I won’t give specific details but it could have only been one night and one night was what it was…. Yeah, 3 weeks later with a 5-month child who was just beginning to fully sleep through the night I took a test that turned positive faster then I could blink. I could have sworn the first time it felt like forever this time it took less then a second. I was in so much shock I made my husband go to the store at midnight to get the test that says pregnant not pregnant… they all came back the same…
Stay tuned.. I will let you next hear about the next few weeks and the complications. The choice of having an amino or not!
comments
Thank you for sharing your GREAT stories!
I really enjoy reading your posts!
Natalie - Thank you for sharing your story! Congratulations on your new one!
- Michelle
- posted on 7/18
- Rating:
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View All CommentsThanks for sharing. I cannot wait to read more about your pregnancy.