Round 2: 25 weeks

How far along:  25 weeks!

Baby Size: 

Weight:  Thanks to my daily can of soda and my need for chocolate, I'm now up 18 lbs. I could also blame sciatic nerve pain for my laziness and thus the weight gain.

Symptoms:   Rob recently said he thought my hips were getting bigger.  I noticed that my underwear was getting tight the day before that and figured my hips were getting bigger

Also restless legs, sciatic nerve pain (which is slightly better but only because I'm lazy now)

Maternity Clothes:  Yes

Sleep:  Usually 2 1/2 hour stretches

Cravings/Food Aversions:  I've been really trying to cut back on the snacking on the junk and I'm hungry more often now. 
I also want to eat fruit loops every single day.

Belly Button: It's kind of in between

Rings on or off: On

Gender:  I think boy lately.  Because the friends due around me are having boys and my current birth month has more girls but if all the team green's were boys it would be pretty equal.  But then like I said before I thought I saw the lack of boy parts on the ultrasound.  So now real gut feelings, just kind of logic.

Name:  We have the boy name, but Rob told me last night he's not sold on the girl name.  We have another one that we are both okay with.  I have so many I love but he doesn't.  Girl names are tough this time around.

Movement: Yep.  Especially or mostly when I'm sitting down or laying down.  I'm pretty sure baby had hiccups recently as well.

Pretty sure the baby was doing somersaults as well.  It was a different kind of movement than I'd felt before - like flips or something. 

Stretch Marks:   The ones around my belly are darkening.

Best moment:  Last week baby was moving a little so I had lifted up my shirt.  Eleanor was snacking on veggie straws and she tried to share with the baby by sticking it in my belly button.

 Finally having Rob feel the baby.  

Looking forward to:  Finishing Eleanor's room so she can eventually moving in to it. 

Nervous about:  Eleanor handling the transition and not being the only child anymore.  I'm nervous about the life change, but I can be logically and think it through.  At almost 2 1/2 she can't process it as well. 

What I miss:  Walking without pain.


Labor signs:  Nope

Appointments:  November 5

Misc.  

Reese's Spread ~ Yum!

I received this product from Influenster for review purposes.  All opinions are my own. 

Recently I had the opportunity to sample the Reese's new spread. Reese's peanut butter cups are a favorite treat of mine (I may or may not be hording some from Halloween still)  

Even though I love them (because of the chocolate mix) I don't really love peanut butter, so I was curious to know how it would stack up.  

From that first spoonful I was hooked.  It is sweeter than I expected, but not in a bad way.  It just means that I can't have a lot of it in one sitting.  It does taste a lot like a peanut butter cup which is great!

I tried it with pretzels, bananas, apples and on a sandwich.  It was delicious on all.   I've been contemplating putting it on bacon because bacon and chocolate seems to be the in thing to do.  

You can purchase it at most grocery, convenience and drug stores for $3.89 for a 13 oz jar. 

Mrs. Cavanaugh's Chocolate

I received this product complimentary for review purposes.  All opinions are my own. 

Marie Cavanaugh spent hours in her South Dakota farmhouse each Christmas season making pecan rolls and homemade chocolates for holiday gifting.

"It started when my aunt sent her pecan-rolls recipe," Mrs. Cavanaugh recalled. "I gave the recipe my own touch and started making the yummy specialties. Then I began dipping chocolates. Our friends and neighbors loved these treats, encouraging me to start a candy business. Finally, I decided it might be a good idea.'"

Her husband and children helped fill demands for her homemade sweet and in 1972, the family moved to Utah, leaving good friends and their beloved cattle ranch. 

"It was a difficult decision, especially for George," Mrs. Cavanaugh said. "He was excited about making our new venture, which we chose to call Mrs. Cavanaugh's Candies, a great success. We felt Utah was blessed with good chocolates and that we would enjoy - and could compete with - those who pride themselves on making excellent chocolates."

Millions of pounds of chocolates later, Mrs. Cavanaugh's candies have earned a reputation for unquestionable excellence....

You know this is a product to be excited about when my husband who is dealing with major stomach issues really is bugging me to let him have one.  
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The carmel one was awesome!  This is the one we fought over.  The carmel was really rich and creamy.



This cherry cordial was amazing!  I love these things.  The cream was a lot lighter than in the more commercially produced ones. . That's the best way I can describe it.

Surprisingly I haven't devoured the box yet so I haven't tried all the kinds yet.

I also had a white chocolate coconut almond bar which was good.  I'm not a huge fan of white chocolate (I love the dark chocolate the best), but I still liked it.


Readers will receive Buy 1 lb Get 1 lb FREE of Mrs. Cavanaugh's Chocolateswhen they use promo code: usfamily2014 http://www.mrscavanaughs.com

Jolly Voxbox Review

*I received a voxbox free.  No other compensation was given.  All opinions are my own*

I'm a little late on posting this, but last month I received the Jolly VOXBOX from Influenster (leave me a comment if you want an invite to the site and a chance to get your own.).

This was the second one I've received, and I loved it.  (You can read about the first one here).

This one has skinny cow chocolates, puffs tissue pack, Mini ducklings decorative tape, NYC HD color trio and Rimmel London lip lacquer 

All my goodies!

I loved this eye shadow.  I don't rarely wear any but being a stay at home mom means that only Eleanor sees me, and really I don't think she would care.  When I do leave the house I do wear some though and I'm kind of a novice at applying it.  This product is great because it tells you exactly were to apply each color.

The chocolates were delicious.  I wasn't sure how I would feel about the peanut butter cream, but I really enjoyed them.  Even Rob liked them, but then again he isn't to picky on sweets.

The lip color wasn't quite the right shade for me and it felt a little sticky.  I have used it though.  I apply it and blot a little and it is fine after that.

The Puffs tissues were perfect for keeping in the diaper bag.  Eleanor has had a little cold and I like that they are soft on her nose.

I haven't used the duck tape yet, and it's tough to see in the image above, but it's a paint splatter design.  I do have plans to use it on a glass jar to decorate it and use it to store Eleanor's things (probably hair clips) in.

I love this program and I love the chance to try out new things.  Everything in this box was new to me.  I probably wouldn't purchase the lip lacquer, but would purchase the eye shadow and the chocolate.  Definitely the chocolate.

Win organic chocolate!

Chocolate has been a big craving, especially at the end of this pregnancy.  Enter to win some organic chocolate.  Yum!



Click here to enter

23 week update

How far along:  23 weeks

Baby Size:  grapefruit

Weight:  135.4, only up a quarter pound this week.  I ate much better this week.  I am home a lot so snacking when I was bored was part of the problem.  I cut back on that and tried to eat less junk.  I know it's okay to gain weight, but 2lbs a week for the last few weeks seemed like a bit much.

Symptoms:   

• Hungry.all.the.time
• Nauseous again.  That one started over the weekend. 
• It's getting difficult to get up from sitting down.  I kind of have to do this whole roll thing to get momentum.  I'm not huge, but it's starting to be uncomfortable.

Maternity Clothes:  Mostly only maternity.  I do have a few skirts, and tops that are still working.  Everyday I seem to find something in my drawers/closet that doesn't fit anymore.  On the flip side I did find a pair of leggings, a tunic style top and a dress that still worked.  Yeah for that!

Sleep:  I had a few 2 hour stretches this week, but it's never enough.

Cravings/Food Aversions:  Chocolate (especially peanut butter cups), donuts.   My facebook followers saw this pic, but Friday Rob called on his way home and asked if I needed anything.  I told him if he stopped somewhere peanut butte cups sounded good, but not to make a special trip.  He came home with this.   I was a happy pregnant wife. :) 

Belly Button: In

Rings on or off: On

Gender:  Girl

Name:  Eleanor Rose

Movement: I felt her from the outside for the first time over the weekend.  I've been trying to get Rob to feel her, but when I move so he can, she stops.  Fickle girl. 

Stretch Marks: Not yet.  Rob keeps asking me if I've been putting something on my belly.  When I remember lotion after a shower I will, but otherwise no.  

Best moment:  Not baby related, but getting a source of income again! I now have 2 part time jobs this summer totaling about 28 hours. 

Looking forward to:  Viability, baby showers, meeting her

What I miss:  Bending forward, twisting at the waist.


Labor signs: I didn't notice any braxton hicks this week. 

Appointments:  Next week is my 24 week appt and the GD test. 

Misc.  Rob cracks me up.  I think he's proud of my growing belly.  Sometimes he'll look at me and be like "Wow, your really starting to show"

(This post, along with all my other weekly updates are linked up here)