Weigh-in Wednesday

Well, well, well... I'm at a loss. What the heck do I do for Wednesday next week?

What?!?!

Yup!

After almost 10 months post-baby and 8 months of Weigh-in Wednesdays, it's gone. All gone. What's left is not the same. But at least step one is done! YIPEE!! Insert your happy dance here! I am so shocked and relieved... and about to do what every girl who reaches her weight loss goal does... eat some chocolate baby! Celebration time! Coincidence I should reach my goal pre-Easter - I think not!

How did I lose three pounds in one week? I about you-know-what in my pants this morning when I got in the scale - well, I wasn't wearing pants actually (pants would have added at least 0.5 lbs) and had I actually you-know-what-ed I would have weighed even less! :p I'm sick, I know. In truth, I ate insanely healthy this week... better than ever. I've traded in my typical dessert of light hot chocolate covered in fat free whipped cream or a black bean brownie smothered in whipped cream (both about 100-125 cals) for one piece of dark (70% cocoa) chocolate - saving myself 50-75 cals and satisfying my need for sweet a heck of a lot more. I must admit, it's no Fruit-n-Nut bar, but it works and that works for me! Secondly, I ran my a** off (literally). I ran four times last week, doing 3 mins running, 1 min walking intervals and started 4-n-1s this week. I'm thinking it must be the combo of the two that finally got me over "the hump".

I meant to take some pictures but I will for sure update this post later for you - right now, I'm running out the door - literally - time for a run! :)

Thanks for all your support - you guys are awesome. Definitely couldn't have done it without you!

Be sure to check out our Baby Mae Mini Diaper Bag Giveaway!

PS - Happy Early APRIL FOOLS!! :p I'm totally not at my goal weight and, trust me, if I was, you'd be getting pictures galore and a lot more celebration! :p

Why would I do an early april fools? Well, I'd like to say because I wanted to trick you and I thought if I posted it tomorrow, you'd totally catch on. But, truth is, I 100% thought today was April 1st and then my post didn't post when I set the date to April 1st. So, I'm like what the heck is going on? So I checked my computer's calender and it says March 31st. I was so convinced that it was April 1st that, for a second, I thought.... HA, funny, I wonder if all the computers are doing this today as an April Fools joke (yeah, because that would be acceptable - all the world's computers with a wrong date)! Seriously. I even ran through the "30 days has September..." rhyme in my head to make sure. I'm an idiot.

Baby Mae Mini Diaper Bag Giveaway

Diaper bags are obviously a Mom-Must-Have. With that said, mine spends most of it's time in the trunk of my car. Everything I have in it is necessary (in case of emergency) but most of the time I'm just running in and out of stores or dropping by a friends for an hour or two. So, I really don't need 10 diapers, 50 wipes, a backup outfit, two change pads, receiving blankets, etc.!

Introducing the Mini Diaper Bag... when I found these on Etsy (of course) at Baby Mae Boutique all I could think was GENIUS. There have been so many times I've shoved loose diapers and a ziploc full of wipes in my purse and thought "gee, I wish I had a tiny diaper baggy thingy-me-bopper organizer that I could throw in my purse". Fact is, us Moms usually have our arms full... between our purses, keys, and babies, there's not an extra arm (or enough muscle for that matter) for a huge diaper bag. I love, love, love my mini diaper bag. It's the perfect size for a few diapers, a small pack of wipes and your diaper cream... the essentials only.

When do I use it? All the time. As big as the basket in my Graco stroller is, when I hit the mall, between toys, Cheerios, my purse and my bags (duh, I'm shopping - where else am I going to put them?), I'd have zero room for my regular diaper bag. I can easily throw my mini diaper bag in the basket and have plenty of room for all my nonsense and the other things I "need" (my husband's finally got me thinking "do I need this?" when I hit the shops... problem is I can pretty much rationalize murder). When I have a playdate, I know that the host Mom will have a place for me to change Jane... all I need are the "essentials".

I've only had this mini diaper bag for a few days now and it's well worn in... thankfully, it's super high quality and durable so I have no worries! Plus, it's super cute (see the picture with my darling model). I love the fabric. If you're not carrying your purse (which I often don't these days - just throwing what I need in my Coach wristlet - another Mom essential if you ask me) the Baby Mae's mini diaper bag has a wrist strap which makes it easy to carry when your arms are full (the only time my arms aren't full is when I'm sleeping). It's also got velcro closure which is necessary and makes it easy for once handed diaper retrieval - if your child is anything like mine, you require all of your other limbs to hold her still.

As usual, I wouldn't brag about a product I love without giving you the chance to "steal" one yourself...

Baby Mae Boutique Mini Diaper Bag Giveaway:

Fabulously, Michelle at Baby Mae Boutique has offered one of our followers a Mini Diaper Bag of her own! As if it wasn't great enough - you'll get to choose your own design from several different fabrics Michelle has on hand.

Here's how to enter: (1) Check out Baby Mae Boutique and leave a comment on another product of Michelle's you'd like - or why you would like the mini diaper bag. (2) Vote for MOmMy bRaIn on TopMommyBlogs.com by clicking on the button to the left and then clicking "click to vote".

For extra entries:

• Tweet or blog about this giveaway
• Check out my post "Cayden's Great Strides 2010". Donate $1. Donate whatever you can. You'll get an extra entry for each dollar you donate.

I love supporting Etsy sellers like Michelle at Baby Mae Boutique - they have great, high quality products at fabulous prices (the mini diaper bags go for $13US a pop - WICKED!). Everyone feels better supporting smaller businesses (especially with the economy the way it is) vs. the larger retailers!

PS - Be sure to check and see if you are one of the winners of our Pampers Dry Max Giveaway or our Twice As Nice Sleep Sack Giveaway (winners posted in right hand sidebar)!

Yes. That's My Baby In The Bubble...

When Jane was a newborn, I remember thinking that I wanted to keep her in a bubble to protect her from all the scary things out there (H1N1 of course was the number one scare at the time)... she was so delicate and so fragile that it seemed the littlest germ or bump would make her upset or uncomfortable or ill. The thought of her being anything but perfectly happy broke my heart.

Almost ten months later and, thankfully, the worry has decreased (about certain things). Hmmm. Maybe not decreased but definitely diverted to things that seem more deserving... I used to worry about germs and minor head bonks, now I worry about face plants, broken bones and bloody mouths.

Germs? We've been through 'um. Jane had her first cold a few weeks ago (which seemed to last an eternity) and now, surprise surprise, we're both sick again! Don't ask me how! Pre-baby, I never got sick. Now, it seems, I've been sick for the last month. I'm thinking I can blame it on the fact that, pre-baby, I was able to "sleep-it-off". And, you'd think, babies might have this same desire but NOPE! If anything, Jane sleeps less (which means I sleep less) when she's sick. Funny how things work, isn't it? Thankfully, Dan's not sick. Like my good friend Lindsay's Facebook status the other day "...wishes my husband wasn't such a useless tit when he's home sick!". I think this is one of those blanket statements that can be applied to all men (like "men never grow up")... if, on the other hand, your husband takes care of himself and takes his cold "like a man", I don't want to hear about it, stop bragging! :p

Jane's new thing? Face plants. Oh. My. Lord. Thank God babies don't come out of the womb wanting to stand up on everything. God is good. He gives us 10 months (yes 10, not 9 for those of you not pregnant yet) to prepare for the fact that our life is about to be over-hauled and then he gives us every thing in "stages" after that. Stages I can handle (most of the time) except when you get overlap! So, back to the face plants. For the past two weeks or so, Jane's started wanting to stand on everything. She's pulled my pants down (jogging pants, I only wish my jeans were that big on me) so many times, trying to pull herself up on me - which, I must admit, I love and is the cutest thing ever as I take it as "I want to come snuggle Mommy" vs. just wanting to stand. With standing up comes getting down. How do you get yourself down when you stand up? Seems obvious to us. Not so much to babies. She's got it now (most of the time). But, here's the issue... when she's standing and gets excited, she bounces. Not a big problem when she's holding on to the couch. But when it's a solid coffee table (which I'm glad we don't have) or a crib rail, it equals a face plant into something hard which equals a not a great reaction... we've had a bloody mouth twice so far.

I must admit, had you asked me 7 months ago how I would respond to seeing blood coming out of my baby's mouth - probably would have fainted. Now, no biggie. I'm pretty good at staying calm. I think it's important to stay calm - getting upset is only going to make Jane more upset. Thus, when she hurts herself - even when she's spitting blood - she usually calms down within a few seconds. With that said, it's still heart breaking. The other day, at a friends house, she bounced and hit her mouth on the coffee table. Blood was dripping out of her mouth all over her and me. I stayed calm and she was fine within a minute. On my way out the door, however, I caught a glimpse of her top gum and had a minor "non-calm" moment... her gums were all swollen and bloody. I thought for sure I had permanently damaged her teeth (I say "I" because us Moms blame everything on ourselves) and I thought she had driven her teeth up into her gums (even though she barely hit the table). Now, how many Moms out there have tried to get a look at their babe's top gums? Good luck. If you're into torture, fine. If not, you're basically limited. If I sit down on the couch, and lay Jane in my lap and then slide her down my legs to the floor, head first (slowly obviously), making her laugh, I can get a good look... yes, it's rocket science. Anyways, what I found out was that her face plant basically helped her two front teeth "pop" through the gums. So, on a brighter note, her two front teeth are now through the gums! :p Seems to be all healed up now which makes me happy.

Other than the "face plants" (it actually more like mouth plants but that doesn't sound right), she's had you typical head bonks - front, back and sides. She's gotten a few teeny bruises on her face (I have no idea what from which scares me). ha ha ha. She's had cuts on her fingers -again, no idea where from - if she cried when it happened, at least I'd know where she's getting 'um! The only way I even noticed the cuts is that they get dyed purple after she eats blueberries... along with her finger nails which makes her look like a dirty baby which I'm sure would result in a phone call to social services when combined with the bloody mouth and bruised face.

Obviously, I am pretty cautious with my little lady. I basically am never more than a few feet away from her. I feel like as long as I know how she sustained the "injury" then I can easily assess whether or not it's serious or if it was just a scare. I know I can't "hold her hand" for the next 80 years (as much as I'd like to). I have to let her fall so that she learns how to not fall... sounds insane doesn't it! This will likely always apply. I will have to let her date the "bad boy" too, just so she can learn that he's an arse and will likely break her heart. God, this is going to be hard!

Ok, I'm blabbering and, with that sentence about the "bad boy", I could literally write for another two hours. I'm cutting myself off.

The winner is posted for our Pampers Giveaway (top, right hand sidebar) and you have one more day to enter our Twice As Nice Sleep Sack Giveaway! YIPEE! Another new giveaway starts tomorrow! :)

Yeah...

Yeah... I totally forgot to write this morning. And, as much as I love you all, Jane's just gone for a nap and I'm about to watch Vampire Diaries. Obviously the blog and you fabulous followers should take priority over vampires but hot vampires? Please tell me you understand that I'm about to write the shortest post to date.

Sometimes us Moms just need a break from reality. I think that's why there are bazillions of Twi-Moms in the world... we are all in need of a little fantasy world to escape to - where men are perfect, life is easy (well, aside from the whole risking your life by dating a vampire and such), and choosing which pair of Jimmy Choo's you're gonna pick off the shelf is the days biggest challenge. K, obviously that last one is not from Twilight but chick-lit in general is my favourite escape and I couldn't think of anything else from Twilight. :p

Just grabbed myself a cup of tea and ready to go now!

To make up for the lack of writing, here's a video I got of Jane yesterday. I was always "forcing" her to listen to Anne Murray and Raffi... little did I know, I've got a little rap-lover on my hands! Officially ditched the baby music off the ipod today and loaded it with old Destiny's Child, Beyonce, Flo Rider, Timbaland (is it Timbaland or Timberland? I'm so gangsta!) and even Jay-Z... she loves it. Hilarious.



Love you all - have a great weekend!

Guest Post: Doggie Advice

Somewhere between getting pregnant and my 30th week-ish, my dog, Molly, turned from my "baby" into my dog (see Neglect and Skinny Bitch :p). Big difference. It was about this time that I started preparing my DOG for the upcoming transition. Step #1 - kicked out of the bed and off the bed. Yes, my dog used to sleep with us in the bed (she's like 6 lbs and most of that is hair). She was also allowed to jump up on the bed (couch and so on) at will. It only took about 2-3 weeks for her to be totally broken of this habit. Thankfully, Molly had always been crate-trained, so she was used to going in "her house" at times, which definitely made it easier. She's so eager to go in her house now (because of the treat she gets at bedtime) that she'll run upstairs anytime you get off the couch at night, just in case it's bedtime (which would have been cute a year ago but now is just annoying).

I have always been super aware of the fact that dogs are animals. Sometimes, people forget this. Dogs are not only animals, they are pack animals... so when your baby arrives, to your dog, it's just another member of the pack (and since your baby is a newbie, your dog thinks it's higher on the totem pole). I hope everyone has the sense to NEVER trust their dog with their baby. Molly has never ever shown aggression towards anything. I trust her 95%. The 5% is not worth it. Just like my post last week, Lesson Learned, that "one time" is not worth it. I plan on teaching Jane to appreciate animals but also to be cautious and never to approach animals on her own.

I was recently contacted by a company called Dog Fence DIY about doing a guest post. Initially, I thought, ahhhh... what? But then I remembered how many Moms-to-be have dogs and how important it is to prepare before your babe arrives. Thankfully, their staff veterinarian, Dr. Susan Wright (a vet and a Mom) wrote a post on her advice for preparing for baby when you have a dog... check it out:

I was a dog owner before I was a vet, and I was both before I became a mom. I was never going to give up my dogs when I had my first child, so I had to make sure they would adapt well to our new family member. Fortunately, my dogs were very welcoming of my daughter, and we had no problems. How did I do this?

I was a dog owner before I was a vet, and I was both before I became a mom. I was never going to give up my dogs when I had my first child, so I had to make sure they would adapt well to our new family member. Fortunately, my dogs were very welcoming of my daughter, and we had no problems. How did I do this?

Firstly, my dogs were both obedience trained before I fell pregnant and they also had been taught not to jump up on me. They were also crate trained. This made life so much easier for me after the birth, because I could send them to their mat or tell them to sit when I needed them to, and they did as they were told. If your dog has had no training, start now. If he is quite well behaved, give him a refresher course just to remind him of what’s expected of him.

My dogs used to sleep in my bedroom with me. I made a bed for them in another part of the house well before my baby arrived. This way they wouldn’t associate the arrival of the baby with them being shut out of my room, and they’d be less likely to be jealous. It is important to set up your boundaries for your dog before your baby arrives.

I also made sure my dogs were familiar with youngsters, by deliberately introducing them to my friend’s children. I gave the children some liver treats for my dogs, so the dogs would associate young people with rewards, and look forward to seeing them.

When I had our daughter, my husband brought home one of her wraps for our dogs to sniff, before she came home from hospital. That way her scent was no surprise to them.

My daughter was an active soul, and used to love to lie on the floor and kick. It’s fine to let your dog sniff your baby, but never turn your back on them. Accidents happen in the blink of an eye. Dogs are inherently predators, and a squealing baby can sound like prey. If you need to leave your child on the floor for a moment, put your dog in his crate. It’s not worth the risk.

Babies don’t lie still for long, and when your child becomes mobile, it is a whole new kettle of fish. Keep your dog toys off the floor. Your dog may become possessive and snap if your child wants to play with them.

Your child will probably want to splash in your dog’s water. This might not seem very hygienic to you, but is unlikely to cause any health problems for your child. In fact, children raised with dogs often have fewer allergies as they grow up.

Your dog’s crate will allow him to get away from your child when he needs some down time. As your child grows up, teach her that when the dog is in the crate, she is not to disturb him.

This may sound like an awful lot of work. It does take some effort, but that effort pays off tenfold. My daughter is now ten and has a dog of her own. We have never had any aggression issues with the dogs and our children. In fact, they both want to be veterinarians too!

*This guest post is brought especially to you by Dog Fence DIY's staff veterinarian Dr. Susan Wright. Dog Fence DIY carries the Innotek SD 2100 at the best available price. Dog Fence DIY is the leader in finding the perfect system for you and your pet. For more dog fence information see here.

Weigh-in Wednesday

It's 8pm on Tuesday night. I'm waiting for Dan to get home from the gym with a bag of chips and a chocolate bar for me. Gonna go out on a limb and guess the scale ain't gonna say I dropped 10 lbs tomorrow morning... :p

Typically I have my once-weekly "cheat day" (essential to my sanity) on Wednesdays. Why? Well, obviously, because my cheat day means I can eat whatever I want - which usually means a lot of chocolate - which also translates into extra weight on the scale the next day (not significant obviously and always disappears by the Thursday or Friday). Thus, why I do it on Wednesday... so I have plenty of time to rid myself of set-back before my next weigh-in. Those of you who don't have a chocolate addiction are probably thinking "why do you need a cheat day? If you didn't have a cheat day think of how much more quickly you could have reached your goal!"... to you, I say I love you but, in reality, I'm giving you a big, Clueless-style, W - whatever! I'm 100% positive if I didn't give myself these scheduled cheat days, I would eat worse. I'd constantly be trying to fill my craving with other crap - likely carbs - instead of just having what I really want - my Cadbury Fruit and Nut bar (frozen, please). :p

Ok, aside from all that... here's my rationalization for having my cheat day today (Tuesday) vs. tomorrow. Jane slept like crap last night. Mostly I blame my husband for this who, during bedtime routine last night, says "she sleeps so well through the night now, eh?" (yes, we're Canadian, we say "eh"). My response? "KNOCK ON WOOD, DAN! Right now!". To which he responded "Oh, Jenny, that's stupid. I'm not going to change anything by saying something outloud." UH HUH. Right now is typically where, telling this story face-to-face, I would call my husband some "bad word" (idiot, stupid-a**, jerk, etc.) but would say it sarcastically and with a smile on my face to ensure the person I was talking to was aware that I wasn't seriously calling my hubby an idiot. However, because I'm writing this, I cannot say that as I'm pretty sure you guys can't see my expressions at this point - although, I'm pretty sure y'all know I'm not a total b-i-t-c-h (if I spell it is it less of a "swear word"?). Anyways. Here's the shocker (sarcasm)... By midnight, I had already been woken up 3 times by my little sweetie and had to feed her to get her back to sleep (usually she only needs a feed at 5ish and then back to bed). This is why you should not allow guns in your home. Obviously (although I'd never it admit it to him), it wasn't my husbands fault Jane was up... more likely the two front teeth that have been peaking through the gums for 3 weeks now. However, at 3am, exhausted and grouchy, there's no one better to blame (and want to injure) than the person sleeping soundly, and uninterrupted, next to you. So, moral of my story, I'm tired.

Tired = lazy = snacky. Thus, I've already eaten more than I should have today and might as well write the entire day off... I mean, if not, I'll have a crappy eating day today and tomorrow (two bad eating days for those of you who can't count :p) vs. just eating all the crap today and getting back on board tomorrow. PLUS - I was supposed to run today and I didn't because (1) I was tired and (2) despite sleeping horribly, Jane decided naps were not necessary today which kind of put a damper on the running situation. So, reason numero douce for having my cheat day today - I have to run tomorrow. I'm not going to run and then have a cheat day! So, if I don't have the cheat day today, then I'd have to sacrifice either the chocolate bar (unlikely) or the run (duh) tomorrow.

I'm just thinking - if a man is reading this (I don't know why a man would be reading this but regardless) he's probably thinking I'm crazy. What he doesn't know is that I'm pretty sure 90% of the women I know also think this way. Men don't get it. Man sees chocolate, eats chocolate. Woman sees chocolate, spends three days pondering the pros and cons of eating the chocolate and then eats it anyways.

This has always been part of my theory of why women "struggle" with weight issues more than men. Up until I started worrying about weight and food, I was skinny mini. It wasn't until I started thinking about it that I turned into a regular person vs. skinny mini! ha ha ha. I think it's a catch-22. Skinny girls don't often think about what they eat or when to eat or any of that nonsense - they eat when they're hungry, simple as that (novel idea, I know). But if you start worrying about your weight and what you're eating, you're always thinking about it, so you eat more - you plan when you're going to eat, what you're going to eat, etc. So, instead of eating when you're hungry - you plan to eat such-and-such at x time. Do you agree?

Ok, officially have to go - Dan's going to be home any minute with my chocolate! :p ha ha ha. If, by some miracle, I lose any weight according to the scale tomorrow - you'll hear about it. If you hear nothing, it's because I'm punishing myself on the treadmill (which is basically the only reason why I workout - punishment). Sidenote - I actually had a woman at the gym ask me one day what I was training for (because I was working out so intensely)... training. Hilarious. Punishment is much more motivating.

I've attached some recent pics I took of Janers. Although I write my nonsense and craziness about my weight on here, it is my mission in life to never discuss such things in front of her and pray that she can avoid the insecurities and body image issues of most of our generation... although, sadly, I doubt that's completely possible.

Hey - two giveaways this week! Check 'um out - top of the right-hand sidebar - Brand new Pampers products and an awesome sleep sack!

Twice As Nice Giveaway

**CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED**

Two great giveaways this week - any complaints? Hope not! :)

Thanks to all you wonderful Moms out there, after my "Potentially Stupid Question" post a few months back, I was introduced to the (Hallelujah) Sleep Sack. Some Moms are comfortable with it and to you I say "go for it". However, the sleep sack was the perfect alternative for us once Jane got out of her swaddle. We are able to keep our little sweetie toasty and warm, and I have peace of mind that we are lowering our risk of SIDS by avoiding loose blankets.

Here's my beef - I couldn't find them anywhere. And, where I did find them, they were insanely expensive ($50+). Ok, to be clear, I did find some cheaper ones (at Walmart, Sears, etc.) but they were all way too small (6-12 months or smaller) for Jane and I didn't like the quality.

So, being an Etsy Addict, I ventured out to find a fabulous artiste who could make me a sleep sack...

Introducing Twice As Nice Boutique. When I received my sleep sack, my message back to Karen (the designer) started something like this "OMG OMG OMG OMG..." and so on. Her sleep sacks are AMAZING!

First of all, Twice As Nice's sleep sacks come in all sizes: 0-6, 6-12, 12-24, 2T, etc. so it's easy to find one that will fit your growing "monkey". Karen also provides specific measurements so you can ensure your sleep sack will be a perfect fit. If you're smart, you'll take advantage of discounted shipping and buy a few of different sizes!

Secondly, her sleep sacks are TOP QUALITY. Aside from the fact that I loved the fabric (polka dots, my favourite), here are some of the other awesome features that stood out to me:

• VS. your typical store-bought sleep sack (made of thin cotton that stretches and doesn't wash well, or fleece which doesn't breathe at all), the sleep sacks from Twice As Nice are durable cotton and are lined with a super soft flannel layer (in a coordinating colour)
• Inverted zipper with protective tab to prevent zipper rubbing against baby's sensitive skin - in other words, it zips from top to bottom (no nipped chins and baby can't unzip)
• Sleeveless - makes it easy to slip on without too much hassle (Jane hates putting her arms in sleeves). Although, Karen does make sleeved sleep sacks which I think would be awesome for the dead of winter.
• One of the features I was most impressed with was the slit in the back (for car seat buckles, swings, etc.) - when Jane was sick a few weeks ago she wouldn't nap lying down because as soon as she did, she started coughing. So, I brought the trusty swing out of storage and gave it a shot... only problem, her old sleep sack didn't have any slit in the back. I had to take one of her legs out of the sleep sack so I could strap her in... frustrating. By the time all was done, she was wide awake again.
  

Karen offers pre-made sleep sacks at her Etsy Shop ($35US) but also loves to do custom orders. Check out her blog and click here to view some of her fabric swatches - a few of your options are pictured on the left.

Because she is fabulous, Karen generously obliged when I begged her to work with me on a giveaway for MOmMy bRain.

So here are your details...

Twice As Nice Giveaway:
One lucky MOmMy bRaIn follower will win one of Karen's amazing, fabulous, super-fantastic, pre-made sleep sacks (check some of them out right now at her Etsy Shop)! I'm doing a mini happy dance on your behalf right now... :p

Here's how to enter: (1) Check out the Twice As Nice Boutique on Etsy and let us know what sleep sack you'd love to win - comment about it on this post. (2) Vote for MOmMy bRaIn on TopMommyBlogs by clicking the button on the left hand side.

For extra entries:
Become a follower of Karen's blog by clicking here and clicking the "follow" button at the bottom of her right-hand sidebar
Tweet or blog about this giveaway (one extra entry per tweet)

That's it ladies. I cannot brag about these sleep sacks enough. As I said with our Pampers Dry Max Giveaway yesterday, great baby products are life-changers for a Mom!

Pampers Dry Max Giveaway

**CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED**

Ok, I have literally been DYING to tell you about these diapers for a few weeks now (since I got my trial package) and FINALLY, not only do I get to tell you about this latest, greatest find, but I get to give some away too (my fav)!

Pampers Cruisers with Dry Max are the newest line of diapers from Pampers. Ok, for the non-Moms out there, you are very likely thinking "big whoop, new diapers, awesome (sarcasm)". But, for Moms, diapers are life changers. Poor diapers = leaks and the following are the "rules" of leaks:

Leaks will always occur:
(1) When you're running late forcing a whole baby strip down, wipe down and re-dress (adding about 20 minutes to your delay)
(2) In the middle of the night - leading to you having to wake your sleeping child (basically the Mommy equivalent to committing a sin) to change a diaper
(3) At the doctors office - as if we're already not worried about the docs "approval", now we've got a soggy child
(4) Immediately after putting on your child's "dress" outfit for a special occasion (reminds me of Halloween where after 10 minutes in her costume, Jane leaked all over it)
(5) When you're visiting someone and forgot to pack a back-up outfit (another Mommy sin) :p

So, like I said, good diapers = happy Moms = happy babies = happy families = happy world. Basically, good diapers make the world go 'round! :p tee hee hee.

What's so great about the Cruisers with Dry Max? They are 20% thinner and 2x drier (than the competing brands). Literally, when stacked up next to the average diaper, you can see the difference in thickness and you can definitely feel the difference. So, I must admit, when I was sent them to try out, I was "interested" (i.e. skeptical). ha ha ha. During the day, I would hope most diapers would be able to hold their own. I will admit, however, that I was all-to-happy to put Jane is something thinner now that she's on the move so much. I can't imagine it's comfortable crawling around with so much bulk between your legs! The biggest test for any diapers is it's ability to last through the night, leak free. Three weeks in and Pampers with Dry Max have yet to disappoint me. Even my previously favourite diapers would fail me every once in awhile (usually with the non-liquid stuff which is always the most fun). Aside from the two most obvious benefits - one of my fav features of the Dry Max are the super stretchy sides. With a wiggly baby, it's sometimes difficult to get the diaper on properly and make it tight enough that it won't slip down and shift once she starts moving. These diapers go on super easily. They seem to fit really well.

No surprise here that Pampers Cruisers with Dry Max are a PTPA Award Winner this Spring. You know what that means? Aside from my own glowing review, other parents from all over the world have given them a thumbs up - so you know it's not just one Mom having a "lucky" experience!

Good news for New Moms - the Dry Max feature also comes in Swaddlers too!

Here are the Pampers Dry Max Giveaway Details:
TWO lucky MOmmY bRaIN ladies will get the chance to win a pack of Pampers Cruisers with Dry Max or Swaddlers with Dry Max (whichever suits your needs best) PLUS a limited edition Liz Lange Diaper Clutch!

To enter: (1) Comment on this post telling me why you want to give these diapers a shot. (2) Click the TopMommyBlogs button on the left to vote for me (two clicks is all it takes).

For extra entries: Tweet or blog about this giveaway

Winners will be announced next Monday, March 29th so check back!

Not a winner?
Check out Pampers.ca or Pampers.com (US) for a free sample of Pampers Cruisers with Dry Max.

Football fan? Check out this cute video of Drew Brees (even if you are a Colts fan, you couldn't help but cheer for Brees' Saints this year) "testing" out Dry Max...

Lazy Day Post

Because I am too lazy today to write about the bazillion topics I have back-logged in my brain that I want to share with you, I've decided to do this instead... I'm hoping, at least it may turn out to be funny. :p

Today is… Friday, March I have no idea as, being on maternity leave, I'm impressed I knew that it was Friday.

Outside my window... people are going to work. I can't help but think about the 9-5 again. Part of my yearns for it, the other part wants to start buying lotto tickets. Problem with lotto tickets? You convince yourself you're going to win. I literally sit there and think about how much my life will change WHEN I win the lotto. Then I get pissed when I don't win (even though I was sure it was my destiny) and claim "I will never buy a lotto ticket again" - along the same lines as drunk university girls claiming "I will never drink again" while praying to the porcelain Gods.

I am thinking... that I really don't want to fold the laundry. But I purposely dumped in all over my bed so that I'd either have to fold it or put it all back in the basket before bed tonight. Stupid. I should have just left it in the basket.

I am thankful for... mornings. Mornings are my favourite time of day. I've always been a morning person... I'm my most productive before 1pm.

I am wearing... grey jogging pants and a green hoodie. The same clothes I wear everyday, pre-workout. Then, I put on jeans with the green hoodie... cause jeans make it so much sexier. :p

I am going... swimming today. Jane's swimming lesson was canceled this week because of March break plus we missed her lesson last week because she was sick. So, despite the big red warning on the pool's webpage basically saying the pool will be so busy don't bother coming, we're going anyways. Worst case - pool is so insanely busy we get in, get out and go home. We've still gotten out of the house which is the whole point regardless.

I am reading... Abraham Lincoln's Biography. HAH. I go on "kicks" with my reading. I've taken a hiatus since becoming obsessed with the Twilight books and reading them (yes, I'll admit it) twice (cringe). However, I've got a good stack of "chick-lit" dying to join me in the bathtub.

On my mind... finding a job, working out the logistics of it all... weening, daycare, etc. This is always in the back of my mind these days.

From the learning rooms… I don't know what that means. ha ha ha.

Pondering these words... "What's meant to be will be". I'm curious what this time next year will hold. I've always held the belief that everything happens for a reason. So, I'm curious where I'll be in a year's time and if I'll be thinking "hmmm, that's why that happened" and "oh, now I understand why that didn't work out", etc.

From the kitchen… bean burgers for supper tonight. Yeah, yeah, yeah, sounds nasty (I know, I would have scrunched up my nose a year ago) but they are AWESOME. I didn't even "like" beans a year ago. Here's the recipe if you're interested.

Around the house... land mines... toys everywhere. Oh yeah, and dust bunnies. The house is in major need of a swiffer but Jane cries every time I turn on the vacuum and I don't want to vacuum when she naps in fear it will wake her up and I'll lose my "me time". So, there's dust bunnies. Whateves. Once they get big enough that Jane starts trying to eat them, I'll take care of it. :p

One of my favorite things... now that the weather is nicer, being outside. You forget, after the long winter, how much you love the warmth of Spring and how nice it is to be outside again! Jane fell asleep in the car yesterday... instead of bringing her in the house (and risking waking her), I washed the car. I had literally just run the car through the car wash a few days ago but I just wanted to be outside and would have done anything (by anything, I mean that I also cleaned the dog poop off the lawn - YUCK) to enjoy it.

A few plans for the rest of the week... well, it's Friday so I'm just going to make up some crap that I may or may not do in the next few days - more trips to the park, shopping (what else is there to do on the weekends but spend money?), I'll definitely eat some chocolate... :)

From my picture journal...

If I forget to add a picture here, then are you really surprised? I'm uploading pictures from the park yesterday and there's a very good chance this post will get published before I realize why I was uploading them in the first place... :)

Lesson Learned

My biggest fear when I'm out for a walk with Jane is that I'll trip... not because it would be slightly embarrassing to fall on my arse (and by slightly, I mean incredibly) but because I live in a neighbourhood basically built on a cliff (or so it feels some days). If I were to trip and let go of the stroller, Jane would be gone. The hills in my subdivision are so steep, I would not be able to catch up with her. Like I said, biggest fear.

Well, my biggest fear came true for my sister last week... not exactly the same way, but just as scary. After a walk with her 9 month old daughter (yes, we both had baby girls, born two weeks apart), Nancy stepped her stroller up onto her front porch (two steps up from the driveway), put the brake on and turned around to unlock her front door. Lesson learned.

My Mom calls me at 5 o'clock... on her way to the hospital to meet Nancy and Lucy. I couldn't imagine what had happened. Initially, I though car accident. Then, Mom explained that Lucy had fallen over the stairs in her stroller and the ambulance had taken her and Nancy to the hospital... she didn't know anything else. Oh. My. God. I didn't know what to think. I could only think positive things... Lucy HAD to be ok. I went through everything in my head... the logistics of how it would have happened and rationalized that because of the way strollers are designed (with the bar/feeding tray in front and the canopies) that, as long as Lucy was strapped in, the stroller would have taken the brunt of the force and the momentum behind Lucy's fall would have been slowed down before she hit the ground. And, then, I thought about Nancy. I knew, if anything happened to Lucy, that Nancy would never be the same... not only because her daughter was injured but because she would blame herself. How many times have I trusted the brake on my stroller? Lesson learned. I will never take both hands off my stroller again.

Thankfully, I was right about the design of the stroller saving Lucy. Lucy was strapped in and the front bar took the major blow (cracking). Nancy called from the E.R. with news that Lucy was happily smiling up a storm in the waiting room and only had a little bump above her eye. Thank God. They had to wake her up every few hours for the first night (which, of course, meant that Nancy did it for 2-3 nights - as any of us worried Mommas would). I'll never forget what Nancy said after she got home from the hospital (crying, of course), "I turned around and she was gone. I didn't know what I was going to find when I turned the stroller over". Oh. My. God. It makes me sick to think about how she must have felt in those few seconds.

Now? I have made a makeshift safety tie for my stroller for when I'm walking in my subdivision. I was thinking... you know how treadmills have emergency cords (that no one uses), that you hook to yourself so if you fly off the treadmill it stops (after you're thrown across the room no doubt)? Strollers should have something similar - wrist straps (or something) so that if it starts to roll away from you, you'll know immediately. I used my dogs old leash. Looped it through the handle on my stroller and then I hook it to my jeans. That way if I trip and fall, the stroller will come with me. Yes. Not ideal. However, considering the alternative (envision stroller flying down huge hill towards insanely busy street), I'd much rather the stroller tip backwards, likely not giving Jane more than a little scare.

I had to pass this story along. We often get so caught up in our habits and "the usual" that we get complacent and think "oh it'll be fine this one time"... I'm sure my sister will tell you, one time is not worth it. This "one time" mindset goes against all our instincts. Your instincts are their for a reason ladies - some people believe it's God guiding you, others believe it's nature. I don't care what you believe - but believe in your instincts.

Here's the cutest video of my niece Lucy, who's new favourite "trick" is falling asleep sitting up (caution - video is make-you-pee-your-pants hilarious):

Weigh-in Wednesday

Feeling great as I've kept up with running for the last two weeks. I LOVE to run but, like most people, if I fall "off the wagon" (or have a baby in this case), it takes a lot to get me back at it - my motivation? The weather! The weather has been amazing the past two weeks. Seeing the runners out enjoying it just made me too envious so I had the join them.

I've started from scratch again, interval training. When I first really started running (almost two years ago), I took a Running Room course - Women's Learn to Run - and I really liked it. Once a week we had a "class" (20 min lesson on different running topics) followed by a run and then the Running Room has some sort of "group run" thingy-me-bobber on Sunday mornings where anyone can show up and you're pretty much guaranteed some running buddies at your level. So, I considered those both "mandatory" runs and then it was much easier, psychologically, to convince myself that I only had to run 1-2 additional times on my own during the week. The only con, and I'm not saying this to sound "cool", was that almost immediately I was a little "better off" then the rest of the ladies in my course and by week 3-4, I was starting to feel bad because I was so much faster (I'm taller, naturally I'd have a longer stride) than the rest of "the girls". Anyways, if you're interested in starting to run yourself - here's a similar interval training program to what I'm doing. Last week I did 2 mins walking, 1 min running (6 times) and this week I am doing 2 and 2 (5 times). I'm finding it pretty easy so far so I might switch it up and do 1 and 2... we'll see. My favourite part, about halfway through my run my love-handles start to itch which makes me feel like they are MELTING away! :p ha ha ha (in my dreams).

Ok, funny story... I wore my pre-pregnancy SKINNY jeans all day Saturday (Yup, that's right!) - and by wore, I mean went out in public with them so they didn't just fit, they were wearable (important distinction). Anyways, in the true style of a serial dieter, I thought I should reward myself with (if you don't know the answer to this you haven't been following my blog long enough)... A Cadbury Fruit and Nut Chocolate bar. Duh! I mean, women who don't reward themselves with food are my heroes! Diet experts are always saying "don't reward with food", buy yourself a pair of jeans or treat yourself to a massage.... uh, hello! If I was loaded rich, yeah, I might reward myself with a new pair of jeans every week. But, I live in the real world and in my world, reward = chocolate. Actually, pretty sure if I was loaded rich, I'd get chocolate and jeans. Anyways, that's not the story. So, I was eating my chocolate bar and lying on the couch (Jane was napping obviously) and, truth be told, I wasn't all that into the chocolate (which confirms my belief that I'm actually truly ready to be healthy again because it's the only reason I can think of that I wasn't savouring every precious bite). Regardless, I ate the whole bar. The next morning, I go into Jane's room when she wakes up and see dark poop smeared all over her sheets... I mean her whole room even stunk like poop (a sure sign of a dirty diaper). So, I carefully roll her around in her crib (I'm not picking her up until I'm aware of the situation) to see where the poop has managed to escape her diaper, sleeper and also a sleep sac and (WTF) I can't find any poop on her! So, I'm thinking this is an A&E mystery now to find out how the poop escaped three layers of clothing without getting on anything but the sheets. After a few seconds I thought "rub your hand in it Jen and see if it smells like poop" (ha ha ha - genius). Well, it didn't. Light bulb moment. When I had put Jane down to sleep the night before my nursing bra was still open. There must have been chocolate crumbs in my bra that fell into her crib as I laid her down and then melted into the sheets throughout the night... hilarious. I'm sure this stuff doesn't happen to skinny people! I'm sure Giselle isn't finding chocolate "poop stains" on her child's sheets in the morning. Look at all she's missing out on! :p Lesson learned. Next time I reward myself with chocolate, I need a bib.

Managed to drop another pound this week (I'm on a roll now, there's no stopping me):
Starting WIW weight: 157 lbs
Current weight: 140 lbs
Pounds lost: 17 lbs (Yeehaw!)
Pounds to lose: 3 lbs

At 140 lbs, I've reached my "conception weight" which, for most women, is likely their pre-pregnancy weight. Not me though. I convinced myself that before I got pregnant, I need to eat more nutritiously (which was basically just an excuse to eat more) so I gained 3 lbs before I even got pregnant (genius plan). Might have also had something to do with the fact that I read that full-fat dairy can help women ovulate or some nonsense and so I convinced myself to eat a serving of ice cream (definitely the full-fat dairy these "experts" had in mind) everyday before getting pregnant. ha ha ha. I'm awesome. :p

How y'all doing with the post-baby weight?

PS - A few recent pics of my diva-in-training (oh, the diva tantrums she has had the last few days are hilarious... in retrospect).

PPS - Who hasn't entered our Glow Baby Giveaway? You're nuts not to - makes a great shower gift or new baby gift if you're not a Mom/Mom-to-be!

Glow Baby Giveaway

**Contest is Closed**

Y'all know I'm a list person. I like to write things down. I've always been this way but more so now that I'm chronically suffering from mommy brain... if I don't write it down, I forget it or forget to do it, simple as that.

Glow Baby is a fabulous Canadian company that creates products that make Moms' lives easier. Perfectly timed, I got the chance to try out the Baby's First Foods Journal. This "baby" has everything you need when you're starting solids with your little 'un. Basically every doctor you speak to will recommend that, when introducing new foods, you stagger them and keep track of when it was introduced in case of allergy or sensitivity. Baby's First Foods allows you to keep track of, not only, the time and date of when a food was introduced but also the amount that was give, the texture, temperature, and your child's reaction (using a series of smiley faces - see picture - click to enlarge). The journal is broken down by food group too which makes it easy to keep track of progress into new and "exciting" adventures (e.g. meat and dairy)! :p

One of my favourite features of the Baby's First Foods Journal is the meal planner. I find if I don't layout a general "plan" for what Jane will eat during the day, I end up doing one of two things (1) not realizing how much or little solids she's had during the day and, usually, not giving her enough or (2) not giving her a well balanced mix of veggies, fruit, meat, etc. throughout the day. The meal planner rocks! There's also an area for writing down your favourite recipes - which, of course, you know I love because I love to make my own baby food (click here to see some of the recipes I've shared).

Within the first pages in the Baby's First Foods Journal is the Allergies and Sensitivities page... probably the most important page in the book. Perfect for keeping babysitters, grandparents, and even your husband up-to-date on the latest reactions your child has had to certain foods. This is one of the nicest benefits to a journal like this - it makes it easy for other caregivers to see what your baby typically eats, how much she eats, what she likes, etc. Saves you a bazillion "does she like _____?" or "have you ever tried giving her _____?" phonecalls when Grammy is on baby duty!

Glow Baby has several other products to help Mom's (and Dad's - yeah right, I can't imagine my hubby tracking anything) stay organized...

Baby's First Journal looks like it would have been perfect for those first few months with a newborn... allowing you to track breast (or bottle feeds) by time, which breast, how much, etc. (see picture). For a new Mom - a lifesaver, especially when you're in the those first few weeks and trying to get baby back up to birth weight. It's no surprise that Baby's First Journal is a PTPA Award Winner and you know what that means - other Moms and Parents have given it the THIS PRODUCT ROCKS stamp of approval! Glow Baby's also created several note pads for everything you need - To Do Lists, Babysitter Notes (Hallelujah), Shopping list and Medicine Pad.

What would I change about these products? That I had known about them earlier! :p

So, yeah, yeah, yeah Jen - you want one???

YIPEE, A Glow Baby Giveaway:
One lucky MOmMy bRaIn follower will win her choice of a Baby's First Journal, Baby's First Foods or three (3) Glow Baby Pads!

Here's how: (1) Check out Glow Baby and let me know which product you'd like to win. Comment about it on this post (2) Become a fan of Glow Baby on Facebook by clicking here. (3) Vote for MOmMy bRaIn on TopMommyBlogs.com by clicking the button to the left.

For extra entries: Tweet or blog about this giveaway.

Good luck ladies - as I mentioned above, because of the PTPA Stamp of Approval, you know that these products are going to make your life easier which all of us Moms need!

Caydens Great Strides 2010

First of all, I know how easy it would be for you to start reading this post and simply close your browser and move on with your day. I am not judging you for this at all, I know I have done it myself. With that said, I challenge you to watch this video and, then, tell me you cannot donate $1...



Amy is a Mom, just like you are or are going to be. Her gorgeous little man, Cayden, was born in October 2009 and within three weeks was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis (CF). Cayden bravely fights CF everyday to be a healthy baby. Despite having Cystic Fibrosis, he is a happy and easy going little guy. Just as we would all do if our babies had been born with any disorder or disability, Amy is doing everything she can to help Cayden and to help find a cure for Cystic Fibrosis. I hope you will do everything you can to support her. I do not know Amy. But, in a small way, I do. Because I can imagine how I would feel, how I would react and how I would fight anything I had to for my baby. Jane had a cold last week and I felt completely helpless... heartbroken because she was miserable and uncomfortable. I cannot imagine how I would feel if she was "sick", in pain or discomfort all the time...

On May 30th, Amy and her family are walking in the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's Great Strides Event in Calgary, Alberta. If you are not Canadian, who cares! Anyone can donate. Canadian research has provided the world with amazing breakthroughs so why not give us a shot at Cystic Fibrosis!

Here is the thing. If each of us (us being the MOmMy bRaIns) donated just $5 (that is equivalent to two Starbucks Lattes) toward this cause, we would raise almost $900 for baby Cayden and Cystic Fibrosis. It is literally so simple - I did it. It took me less than one minute. If you only have $1 - donate it. Imagine if everyone donated $1!

To donate:
Click on this link to the Team Cayden - Amy & Phil Tuckwell page

Scroll down a teeny bit and click on the SPONSOR ME button Fill in your details.

Under Payment Information, select Other and enter in the amount you are able to give, even if it is $1, it is better than nothing! So much better!

Click Continue - you will get a confirmation screen - asking if you want a receipt for tax purposes, click confirm or finalize (I forget what the button said) and then that is it!

After I saw the beautiful video of little Cayden, I had to pass this along.

If you are on Facebook and want to help spread the word, join Team Cayden on Facebook and share it with your friends. Like I said, imagine how much we could raise if we convinced all of our friends to donate $1! A dollar doesnt even buy you a pack of gum these days but a lot of dollars together can make a huge difference!

Want to learn more about Amy and her beautiful family - check out her blog: Team C.A.P.

For more information on Cystic Fibrosis, click here.

Bright Starts 14 Days of Laughter Winner!

Oh my goodness, this was a fun one! Your stories were hilarious.

I had such a hard time picking the winner for this one as your stories were hilarious. Don't be offended if your story wasn't the "funniest" - I think the stories I found the funniest are things I've done myself or can imagine myself doing. Thus, why I enlisted a few friends to help me out. Interestingly we all ended up choosing the same story, so that made things easy.

In true Ryan Seacrest style, here are a few of my favs before I announce the winner:

Best mommy brain moment? I would have to say that being a stay at home mom with 3 children under the age of 3 has to be based on a routine! I did however, get a chance to go shopping by myself the other day. Unfortunately, in the middle of shopping, I looked down, and realized that my children were nowhere in sight! I totally freaked out, and ran thru the store, ran out to my car, called my husband..... and yeah, I really enjoyed my child-free day.

One Frugal Lady

I've had so many mommy brain moments and my current mommy brain isn't remembering them haha. One that comes to mind...I have a 2 year old and a 2 month old. After having my baby I was very sleep deprived. I finally got..ahhhh...A SHOWER! An accomplishment for many new moms! I was standing under the steaming hot water SO enjoying my shower. I washed my hair and put conditioner...All over my face. Yes I was standing there loving every minute of my shower when I realized I was massaging hair conditioner all over my face. I was just glad to have a shower who cares what I was rubbing on my face!

Sarah

When my son was about 3 months old he had one of those cases of explosive diarrhea - not fun. I got him all undressed and into the tub which promptly overflowed wetting the entire bottom of my PJ bottoms (yes, I was still in my pj's in the middle of the day). After I got him all cleaned up I lifted him up and he proceeded to vomit all the way down the back of my shirt. So, I took off my shirt, again focusing on the baby, not myself. It was only then that heard the front door open and my sister came in with the CABLE MAN, who had just pulled up to adjust some random cable issue. So there I was in my bra and underpants, with a naked baby and my sister, and of course the cable man. It was incredible embarrassing, but a good story.

RhumbaGirl

I cannot recall a truly funny mommy brain moment as it relates to me. But a friend of mine had a truly mommy brain moment when her child was about eight months old. she had nursed her child and was sitting with him on the couch when the doorbell rang. She set the baby down, and went to the door to open it. In front of her was the UPS guy. She recalls him looking at her a little strange, but he asked her to sign for the package which she did. He handed the package to her and then turned to leave, and made one last backward glance. She thought this a bit odd. After setting the package down she went into the bathroom where she saw herself in the mirror and realized that the flap on her nursing top was wide open. She had given the UPS guy quite the little show.

Trina

And, now, for the winner.... chosen by both a non-Mom, a Mom and a random number generator - so this girl was destined to win!

You may ask - random number generator? Well, this is usually how I determine the winners of my giveaways. I know, it was not the way I was supposed to select the winner for this one but, honestly, I couldn't decide which was my favourite!! After two cuts, I had my list of favs down to seven... the random number generator came back with number 3... which just happened to be the story my two girlfriends picked out, and once I read through them again, I agreed.

Congratulations - LEEN! Your story was hilarious, unique and totally something I could see myself doing.

For those of you who didn't get a chance, here it is:

My mommy brain moment came after the birth of my 2nd child. I was taking her to her first pediatrician's appointment and of course had to fill out the reams of paperwork they had for me. I filled out the entire set of paperwork with my son's name!! Oh, but it only gets better! Both of my children's names start with an "A" and when they brought my error to my attention, I could not for the life of me remember my new daughter's name!!! So there I am, standing at the receptionist's desk with a line of mommies waiting behind me and I could not come up with her name for I kid you not, a good 2 minutes! So embarrassing!!!

Thanks to all who entered - check back next week for another chance to win great Mommy-baby items!

If you didn't win - be sure to keep checking Bright Starts on Facebook as there are 13 other chances to win!