Last 2 days of my 20's

On Friday I will be 30 years old. I don't think it has quite hit me yet..lol

Many people have told me the 30's are better than the 20's.

 Phil keeps asking me what I want for my birthday. I have no clue. I feel so lucky to have been blessed with so much in my life. I have such a wonderful husband who is so supportive and loving, a smart loving adorable soon to be 4 year old and a blessing on the way. Anyone have any suggestions on what I should want?

Spring is Here!

 I am looking forward to April. So many things going on. Shane is very excited to do an Easter egg hunt with his cousins. The 16th I find out the gender of this baby. I am looking forward to making him/her a quilt and other things. Shane's 4th birthday is at the end of April. He already received a brand new bike and helmet and is having a small family party as well as getting a swing set once we move.

I also have some great giveaways lined up so make sure to check in often :)

MedImmune RSV Prevention ...A Must Read

As most of you know I am having a baby in September. I wanted to take a minute to make you aware of a life threatening illness (RSV) that babies can easily catch. Please read below to learn about RSV and how to prevent it.

Life as a new parent is joyous and celebratory. In most cases, parents cannot wait to introduce the new baby to friends and family. But sometimes exposure to loved ones also means exposure to germs. Young infants are very susceptible to infection in the early weeks of their lives, so contracting something as small as the common cold can present danger. This is especially true for babies born early, because they have underdeveloped lungs and immature immune systems.

One of the biggest threats to new babies is a very common virus called respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV. This virus is of special concern because it’s extremely common and spreads very easily. RSV can live on surfaces (e.g., doorknobs, countertops, toys, bedding) for several hours and is often spread through touching, hugging and kissing. Because of this, almost 100% of children contract RSV by their second birthday. In most older children, RSV runs its course with mild symptoms similar to the cold or flu, and many parents may not even know their child has the virus. But in very young babies—and especially preemies and those with certain lung and heart diseases—it can lead to a serious respiratory infection.

A few tips to remember when a loved one has a new baby:
• Call before you visit. New parents need time to set up a routine and bond. By giving them time to do so before you visit, you are respecting the new family.
• Postpone a visit if you feel that you may be getting sick, have recently been ill or exposed to illness.
• Remember that parents know best. If you feel they are being overprotective or overly cautious, just consider that only they know what’s best for the health of their new son or daughter.
• Offer to do something to ease their responsibilities as they spend time as a family, such as laundry, cooking or dishes. Sleep-deprived moms and dads will appreciate your help!

If you do schedule a visit with a new baby:
• Wash your hands frequently—upon entering the home and especially prior to holding the baby. Parents, and the new baby, will appreciate it.
• Leave toddlers at home, especially during the winter months. Young children, especially if they attend day care or preschool, often carry germs and viruses, like RSV, that are easily spread.

To learn more about RSV, visit www.rsvprotection.com

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of MedImmune and received promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate."

GUND animals perfect for your little ones’ Easter baskets

For more than a century, GUND, a division of Enesco, LLC, has been known worldwide for its top quality, soft and huggable plush designs and gift products. Award-winning GUND products appeal to all ages, from infants up, and are perfect for both play and collecting.

These animals make a perfect addition to any Easter basket. They are perfect for kids to carry along in the car or on trips.

If you have an older kid Gund offers Nuzzles which are designed to lay gently and comfortably against your neck and cheek. A great decorative addition to any child's bedroom or playroom, Nuzzles also offer a soft place to lay your head on longer car or plane rides, or while you're watching TV!

We already have Shane's Easter basket together but I showed the Gund animals to Shane and he picked out the fuzzy Dog for his future brother or sister which I thought was a great idea.

Check out Gund to get an animal for your child's Easter Basket.

15 week OB appointment

So far everything is going great. I had an OB appointment today and everything looks wonderful. The babies heartbeat is very solid and strong and he is very pleased with my progress. We Thank God every day this baby is so far very healthy.

We scheduled the Gender Ultrasound for April 16th...Although, I won't be announcing it till after our "little lemon" is born, I am very excited to find out myself and begin making the quilt and shopping for baby clothes. Phil will be in the waiting room when she tells me the gender as he wants to be surprised when little lemon is born.

I also wanted to share that I may be having the baby in August. It happens to be that the day he wanted to do the C-section is Labor Day ( sept 3), so he thinks it might be best to go the Friday before 8/31/12. Unless baby decides to come sooner. Because 8/31 is over 7 days before my due date he will do an Amniocentesis to make sure little lemons lungs are fully developed. This is a standard requirement for any scheduled deliveries earlier than 39 weeks.

On a side note the 31st is my FIL birthday so we that that would be super neat that they would share a birthday. My FIL is very excited about this :)

GRANDOE HUSH PUPPIES® SPRING-SUMMER BREAK SLIPPER COLLECTION

I am a big slipper person. When I am walking around the house you will always find me in slippers. Even during family events and holidays I always bring slippers along with me.

I was offered the chance to review the GRANDOE HUSH PUPPIES® SPRING-SUMMER BREAK SLIPPER COLLECTION.

The Spring Break collection is all about Plush, Plaids and Prints. Consisting of casual and unique slipper styles, this collection is designed to appeal to women and men seeking to express their individuality with fashion ease. Each style is ideal for lounging at home, spending time at the pool, beach or spa or even a neighborly stroll with a pet. The FEATHERWEIGHT outsole is delightfully lightweight, yet durable for indoor/outdoor wear.

Two top styles for fashion savvy females are Willow and Ginger, both featuring a soft and super comfy micro-terry foot bed. Willow, a flip flop silhouette comes in lavender and red/taupe each with a solid foot bed and plaid straps, while Ginger, a clog design, is featured in white and black bodies, both with a red plaid trim. They retail at department and specialty stores for $40 and $42 respectively. The women's products run size 6-10 and the men's from 9-13.

I was really impressed by these slippers. They seemed sturdy and very fashionable. The only complaint I have is they are not made for wide feet. I have wide feet and noticed they were a little tight. Other than that they are a great quality slipper and would make a perfect mothers day present.

Grandoe has offered my readers 15% off through May 31, 2012 using promo code: 15HUSH

Lots of Pictures

I have been busy taking pictures all week and have a few more sessions lined up this month.

Friday I was honored to take pictures of Madelyn not even 24 hours old and such a doll.

Isn't she adorable

Also with the nice weather, I had to take Shane's 4 year old pictures by the train... so fitting for him and the pictures turned out great.

More shoots in a future post :)

Decisions Decisions

So much is changing for us this year and it has been rough to make the best decisions in such a short amount of time.

As you know we are expanding our family. I have always wanted to give Shane a little sister or little brother and we are so excited to complete our family in September.

Phil has been applying to many places in Arizona near and in the City of Gilbert where we want to ultimately live and raise our family. On top of the weather being beautiful all year round Gilbert is "the nation's fifth-safest city, says businessinsider.com"
Link found here http://www.azcentral.com/community/gilbert/articles/2011/06/08/20110608gilbert-5th-safety-ranking.html

Who wouldn't want to raise a family in the 5th safest city in the nation?


Our only problem is that we are not there and every time Phil gets a call back which has been quite a few they want us to be living there in order to interview or to offer a job. 2 places have wanted to hire him but couldn't wait the 2-3 weeks it would take us to move out there and get settled.

After many long discussions we have decided to stay here for a couple of years and then make the move. With a baby on the way in 6 months ( making it difficult for me to help move across country), Phil having a secure job and providing private health insurance and having family and good friends near by, it is the best option right now. We plan to buy a house here before the baby is born. We are going to be looking between hall road and 26 mile.

After our baby is over a year old and it is easier to make the move we will be packing up selling our house and moving to Gilbert. As a MOM I always try and make the best decisions for my children even if it means putting Arizona on hold for a year or two it will be worth it in the end.

We will also appreciate it more because we will have made it to Arizona all on our own and not because daddy gave us 100k to start a business. Oh and if you want to live in Detroit I hear there are houses for sale on NOVARA... That's a great street to raise a family...ROTFL

FOOD NETWORK MAGAZINE 1,000 EASY RECIPES: Super Fun Food for Every Day Giveaway 2 winners

Food Network Magazine follows up its New York Times–bestselling Food Network Magazine Great Easy Meals with another collection of fast and easy recipes. FOOD NETWORK MAGAZINE 1,000 EASY RECIPES: Super Fun Food for Every Day (March 20, 2012/$24.99/Trade Paperback Original), is 400+ pages filled with more than 1,000 recipes and 300 amazing photographs. All of the recipes is short and simple – just one paragraph!—and features: 294 appetizers and snacks, 156 breakfasts, 287 main dishes, 192 salads and sides, and 232 drinks and desserts. FOOD NETWORK MAGAZINE 1,000 EASY RECIPES is the ultimate guide for the busy cook.

I loved Great Easy Meals so I was super excited to check out the new Super Fun Food for Every Day. I was again impressed and have so many recipes marked to try.

Some of the recipes that are on my list to try are

Quick avocado hummus

butternut squash soup

mexican bean soup

caribbean panani

roasted pepper pizza

avocado-orange salad

garden potato salad

coconut rice

kiwi punch

white hot cocoa

lime cookies

This book is just amazing. Every recipe is simple only a paragraph long. I can't wait to get these crossed off my list so I can try more. My husband is also looking forward to me making some of foods he picked and put on his want to try list.

2 lucky readers will win a copy of FOOD NETWORK MAGAZINE 1,000 EASY RECIPES: Super Fun Food for Every Day.

Dear SO and SO

Dear God
Thank you for blessing us with another baby. We are so grateful and look forward to becoming a family of 4 in September.

Dear The girl who comments nonstop on Facebook posts
I have to laugh every time I read your comments. Are you too stupid to notice that almost all your comments are ignored? you think your buddy buddy with certain people but the truth is YOUR NOT. Take a Hint.

Dear Hubby
I have yet to have a shamrock shake this year. I repeat I am pregnant and yet to have a Shamrock shake. Please bring one home soon.

Dear you know who you are

I wouldn't go around bragging how perfect your parenting is and how it is so essential to use organic products only. If that is the case then how come your kid is allergic to everything? There is obviously something wrong if your kid can't eat tomatoes, eggs and nuts etc. I guess I wasn't the one with the "sickly son" after all.

Dear Sonoline B

Thank you so much for making an amazing baby Doppler. It has been such a comfort to hear baby's heartbeat in between appointments.


Dear Mother Nature

I really enjoyed the temps in the 60's yesterday. Please continue to give us nice warm weather.

Seventh Generation Prize Pack Giveaway

In partnership with Universal Studios’ motion picture debut of Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax* also known as the “Speaker for the Trees” who brings environmental truth and ecological hope to all, Seventh Generation will feature limited edition Lorax prints on all our diapers and training pants. These prints are intended to remind parents and caregivers of the lessons of The Lorax, and encourage family reading and environmental awareness while creating a few smiles. Discover (or rediscover) Dr. Suess’ The Lorax as you read about his legacy and messages of sustainability with your child, and inspire a new generation of environmentalists starting with your family!

The Seventh Generation family of Free & Clear baby products continues to deliver on your needs as it expands in March, with the addition of NEW Overnight Diapers. Moreover, Free & Clear diapers have been redesigned with new, improved tabs for better fit while Free and Clear training pants now have an absorbent core that is made with more renewable materials.

NEW Overnight Diapers are absorbent enough to keep your baby and bedding dry through the night or during prolonged travel
Free & Clear diapers have improved more flexible tabs that provide even better fit
Free & Clear training pants have an absorbent core made with more renewable, plant-based materials. They also feature stretchy, tear away side panels for a better fit and added convenience, as well as inner leak barriers for superior leakage protection
Seventh Generation Free & Clear baby care products do not contain chlorine, fragrance, petroleum-based lotions or latex, and all Free & Clear products are also hypo-allergenic
Starting March 2, you can register for a free The Lorax scrapbook with the purchase of any three Free & Clear diaper products, until supplies last


One of my readers will win a prize pack that includes
One package of new Seventh Generation Free & Clear diaper product
A copy of Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax storybook

Trying to Conceive (TTC) Starter Kit ™ Giveaway

I have been a lucky one when it comes to getting pregnant. The longest it has taken me is 3 months.

If getting pregnant comes easy for you or not there is a great kit out there to help.

The Trying to Conceive (TTC) Starter Kit
an all-in-one, natural, proven solution for helping mommies-to-be conceive sooner & easier than ever before. You will receive Conceive Easy's Months 1&2 Starter Pack and can also choose to customize your new TTC Kit with one of the following exclusive bonus gifts:

Bonus gift #1: 20 Early Result Pregnancy Tests
Bonus gift #2: 20 One-Step Ovulation Tests
Bonus gift #3: 10 Pregnancy and ovulation tests

ConceiveEasy is a natural aid that boosts the body’s fertility level by stimulating ovulation and effectively overcoming the seven most common causes of infertility. The formula has been clinically tested and those using ConceiveEasy showed an increased pregnancy rate of 33 percent. The kit assists women in increasing their fertility rate in just 28 days with no unpleasant side effects or dangerous fertility drugs.

One of my readers will win a Trying to Conceive (TTC) Starter Kit ™ a $152 value