I’ve got my hands on probably the coolest, most useful resource/recipe book on the planet (pun intended).

I highly recommend The Best Homemade Baby Food on the Planet to any parent/caregiver. Tons (and I mean tons) of amazing recipes. Easy ones (I like easy!) and tasty ones. I so could have used this book when my first was younger. I specifically remember stressing about what I was feeding her and searching for simple, yet nutritious and interesting foods for her developing palate.

I’ve got a second chance now and I’m putting these homemade baby food recipes to good use.  There are dishes in here that the entire family can enjoy!

I love the homemade baby food tips and the feedback chart included in the book.  I’m finding all of the information inside extremely inspirational, even now that I have a 5-1/2 year old and 23 month old.  I imagine I will turn to The Best Homemade Baby Food on the Planet for some time to come.  I’m equally thrilled to get copies of this baby food cookbook for family and friends who are expecting.

Here are just a few of the homemade baby food recipes you’ll find inside:

• 6 Months: Yummy Apple-Pear Puree
• 7 months: Orange You Cute Carrot and Sweet Potato
• 9 months: Curried Peas, Lucky Me!

Authors, Tina Ruggiero and Karin Knight get huge kudos from me.  This baby food recipe book is just brilliant and useful in so many ways.

The Best Homemade Baby Food on the Planet was sent to me for review.  To that I say, thank goodness!  Opinions expressed above are my very own.

This post is going to be short and sweet and to the point.  I *LOVE* the Medela Freestyle Breastpump.  I have been putting it to good use for the past six weeks and I couldn’t be happier.  It’s super convenient and really does a great job.  I’m thrilled with my purchase.  I bought it brand new from a seller on eBay and got one helluva deal on it.

Highly recommended by this breastfeeding mother!

I didn’t have a need for one of these gowns last year but soon enough after the Baby Faire, I did get pregnant.  I’m nearing the end of my pregnancy now and thinking more about what will make me comfortable and what will be convenient for the day I’m giving birth.  I’m seriously considering getting one of these gowns.  Take a quick look:

The gowns retail for $48.00 and really do make a perfect baby shower gift.  You can also purchase specialty receiving blankets for around $18.00.

LaborLooks also has a blog.  Check it out for more photos of these fabulous designer gowns being put to the test by real moms.

**LaborLooks.com is offering our readers a 10% discount on any gown from their store.  Enter coupon code “parentsphere” at checkout!**

You can get Porn for New Moms from Amazon.com for around $10 or used for around $2.50. $2.50!.

I’m remembering back 3-1/2 years ago, right after I had my daughter.  My body was quite uncomfortable.  I didn’t bother looking for any products that would ease my discomfort in those weeks after giving birth.  I feel much more in the know this time around.

I know what’s to come.  I know that when I get home from the hospital, I’ll have a week or two of soreness and discomfort and then my breasts will be extremely sore.  At least I know when I jump into the shower, I will have “some” comfort with the Shower Hug.

I was sent the Shower Hug last year for review consideration.  I really didn’t have a need for it at the time but now, fortunately, I do!  This cotton/polyester blend maternity essential is so soft and stretchy, it’s perfect for protecting your parts that need protecting the most after you give birth.  While in the shower, wrap the Shower Hug around yourself and use it as a warm compress.  Use it out of the shower as soft, comfortable support.  I imagine I will take advantage of both uses.

It’s nice to have something like this product readily available, so when the time comes, I know I’ll have some comfort.

I will just start out by saying nursing my first child was a big, BIG disappointment for me and I have regretted that it didn’t work out for us ever since.  It’s been three and a half years.  With baby number two on the way, I’m about to get my do-over.

My main focus this entire pregnancy has been on how I can be completely successful nursing this baby.  I even took a breastfeeding class.  When I think of breastfeeding products, Medela is the first company that comes to mind.  I knew right after I had my first daughter that Medela products were top of the line, unfortunately, I did not give them a fair chance.  I purchased an Ameda breastpump that I was completely unhappy with.  My daughter was a preemie and spent the first week of her life in the hospital NICU.  Luckily, I was able to test the hospital grade Medela breastpumps there and swore that after I had another baby, I would stick with Medela.

I have heard so many good things about the Medela Freestyle breastpump and I’m about ready to make my purchase.  Of course, this time around, we’re going to establish a good nursing routine before anything else is introduced.  I can’t afford not to.  So, within the next month, I will be stocking up on my nurisng gear.  Who do I turn to first?  Medela, of course.  They have a line of intimate apparel, specifically for maternity and nursing.

Medela recently sent me their new Nursing Camisole for consideration.  I’m having a mid-summer baby, so you can bet this camisole will get some good use!

The feel of the Cami is very soft and stretchy (and sturdy).  It’s made of a bamboo/cotton blend.  It has a drop-cup design and has an extra layer of fabric, where it counts the most.  The camisole also works with the Freestyle breastpump, so hopefully I’ll get my chance to try them out together.

Next on the list, of course, are bottles.  There will come a point where daddy and big sister want to help feed the baby and I don’t want to take that away from them.  I will gladly give them the chance to bond with our newest family member.  I have several Medela Breastmilk Bottle Sets on hand, including a few 5 oz. and 8 oz. bottles.  It’s no secret, Medela has always been BPA-free and this is something that I do take quite seriously.

So, when the time is right, I will put these bottles to good use.

I still feel like I have much to learn and research about the world of breastfeeding but honestly, I’m not as concerned about it this time.  I am crossing all of my T’s and dotting all of my I’s before the little one arrives and I know that things will work out swimmingly this time.

I recently found out about the Boogie Baby Shower. Of course, I’m all over this one since I’m expecting a brand new baby girl this July.   Hey, who wouldn’t want a baby shower (valued at $5,000) thrown for them?

Expectant moms can head over to BoogieWipes.com and (scroll down) to enter themselves in the Boogie Baby Shower contest.

The winner receives the following:

* 25 “mom invented” swag bags (including 19 mom-invented products)
* Cake, shower décor and flowers delivered to your home
* Boogie Wipes Diaper Cake and years supply of Boogie Wipes (4 per month)
* $1000 in gift certificates from: Babies R Us, Walmart, drugstore.com, diapers.com and Target

The moms who came up with this fantastic idea for expectant moms are also the inventors of Boogie Wipes.  We have used them before and recommend them.  They are saline wipes and are perfect to use on tiny stuffed up, boogery noses.  I’m sure we’ll be getting much more use out of them after baby number two gets here.

This is perfect timing for a giveaway that has everything to do with welcoming a new life into the world.  Because if you weren’t already aware, we’re expecting our second child!

Sandra Magsamen has a new book out called, “Welcome, Little One“.

In this truly special interactive novelty book, beloved author and artist Sandra Magsamen celebrates the miracle of babies of every kind – including baby elephants, pint-sized giraffes, tiny chicks, and lots of other adorable little ones.

Perfect for cozy, shared laptime reading, the soothing, lulling text is paired with a wide variety of playful, engaging novelty elements that babies will love to explore,including:

- touch-and-feels
- pull-tabs
- lift-the-flaps
- pop-ups
- a musical sound chip

Enter now to win this fabulous prize pack:

One (1) Grand Prize winner will receive a Grand Prize Pack (valued at $149.88) including:

* 2 Baby Outfits from Sandra’s clothing line “Messages from the Heart”
* 1 copy of Welcome, Little One
* 1 copy of Peek-a-boo, I Love You
* 1 copy of Baby Love
* 1 copy of My Blanket
* 1 copy of Little Blossom
* 1 copy of Goodnight, Little One
* 1 copy of Butterfly Kisses
* 1 copy of Love Bug
* 1 copy of Bedtime Bunny
* 1 copy of Little Angel

Four (4) runner-up winners will receive a copy of Sandra’s new book:

* Welcome, Little One

This giveaway will end on Friday, April 24th at 12pm midnight, central standard time and is available to entrants within the continental U.S.

To enter:

Leave a comment on this post and let us know if you’ve previously read any of Sandra’s books.

*For an extra chance to win, Tweet this giveaway.  In your Tweet, include a link back to this post and leave another comment letting us know that you’ve tweeted.  Please include your Twitter name!

Right around Thanksgiving, I had a “feeling” that I might be pregnant.  If I was, it would not have been a complete surprise but at the same time, somewhat unexpected.  That’s how it goes when you’ve hoped and lost hope about getting pregnant so many times.

So the story goes, I took a pregnancy test and immediately received a very clear, positive result.  (I used a generic pregnancy test from CVS pharmacy, by the way.)  A mixed flow of emotions came over me; doubt, relief and excitement being the most prominent, of course.  From that point on, trying to live each day as if nothing had changed in our lives was nearly impossible.  I know first-hand how delicate and uncertain a pregnancy can be, so, I tried to take things a day at a time and focus on the present.

It didn’t take long after learning about the new life we had created for my body to start reacting to the changes.  Right about the six week mark, I started feeling nauseous and sore (you mamas know what I mean by “sore”).  Keeping our news to ourselves was extremely difficult.  You know that feeling like you’re going to burst if you don’t share your news with somebody?  That’s how I felt for the majority of the month of December, along with the incredible amount of exhaustion and nausea I was experiencing.  Not a great combination.  Yet, I tried for the sake of my three year old daughter, to maintain my excitement for the holidays and for the big changes to happen to our family.

At the nine week mark, I had my first doctor’s appointment to “confirm” the pregnancy.  Here is my video of the first ultrasound (posted at NewBaby.com):

It felt great to see and hear that little heartbeat.  It made things more “real”.

Fast forward to today, just about thirteen weeks along and still feeling a bit tired and nauseous.  I would be lying if I said that I have been feeling great.  I’m really just taking things a day at a time.  The below freezing temperatures and sunless days have been tough to get through but I’m looking forward to the light at the end of the tunnel.

So, all that being said, I’ve got my maternity radar on for anything that will make me comfortable during these (hopefully) nine months.  I say hopefully because I only made it eight months with Hailey.  If you’re in the same boat as me and are looking for some maternity and new baby recommendations, stick around.  As soon as I get my act together, I’m dedicating a day each week to maternity and baby stuff.

Until then, I have many review posts to catch up on and of course, we’ll keep the giveaways flowing like water.

Cheers,

Amy

Congratulations on the spot, Kelly and Brian!

Check out Itzy Ritzy online for fabulous baby products – if you know a mom-in-waiting or a new mom, these products make EXCELLENT gifts and the holidays are just around the corner!

Oh!  Lookie here – The Ritzy Sitzy Shopping Cart Cover in Pink Cocoa Damask was included in a gift bag for soap and Biggest Loser star, Alison Sweeney.  You know I love to hate her!  I have watched Alison on Days for YEARS!  Did you also know that Alison is one of the Generation Huggies Celebrity Moms?  Yep!  She’s right up there in the “Celeb Mom Spotlight” with me and the four other fabulous bloggers at the Generation Huggies site!

Hey, maybe Alison will submit a photo with her new, fabulous Itzy Ritzy shopping cart cover, that we can post here at ParentSphere!?  What do you think Alison?  : )

Itzy ritzy is offering a 20% discount through their online store this entire week.  Just enter promocode: ABC at checkout.