Happy Howell Home

Hello again to all my readers.  Its been too long, and i apologize.  I have been busy working, trying to organize a very tiny apt for the arrival of Little A and desperately trying to comprehend all that God is giving me in my life these days.  About a month ago my first nephew was born Little H and mama are doing well and all are adjusting to life with a new baby. Last week my Nan passed away.  It was a long month leading up to her death with emotional nights and days spent at her bedside, and little sleep for the family.  SHe passed into glory peacfully, and is at rest now.  

A few products have been coming in for review after Little A is born and i am excited about them.  I will give you a little heads up, they are from Emergen-C, Little B Creations, and Mother Hen Doula’s Etsy Shop!  We also are in the process of testing a really great household product that will also get its moment to “shine” soon! Tonight I am going to try and get an overview of the cloth diapers we have up, as many are curious to know whats going on Little A’s bum after he’s home!!   Then as we use them i will get reviews up for each individually. 

I have been preparing for birth with our fantastic doula Katie, and our awesome team of midwives.  At my last appt we were told i was starting to thin out but that I was only open about the size of a cheerio.  We still have another week to go before our due date, and then a week after that before our midwives start to talk about what to do next.  

Anyway i must get off the computer and keep going on my long list of to do’s

Love to all!

So i have been very busy these days, i started a new job on the Maternity Unit of my local hospital.  I must say I am getting a little too big for all aspects of my work, and the Docs at work keep teasing me that i can just check myself in, make sure its really labour, and then give them a call.  Being around all the babies is really making me want my own to come soon!  I am working at getting everything settled for his arrival, but am not finding enough time or energy in the day and that makes me sad.  I hope to be done work a few weeks before he arrives to make sure everything is settled and ready, and we hope daddy is here in time too!  Alright well enough outta me! Have a great day all!

I would classify my family as Semi-Crunchy.  We take a lot of initiatives to reduce our waste.  We use various reusable products, and try to buy local and preferably organic/eco-conscious foods.  We are getting the word out that we are cloth diapering Baby A and are dedicated to go from birth to Potty Training without relying on disposables.  We aim to baby wear, and have purchased a co-sleeper.  I want to Exclusively breastfeed for as long as i can and then once solids are introduced continue with some supplemental feedings again as long as possible, (bearing in mind the WHO recommends 2 years for breastfeeding)!!  

When I look around the women in my inner circle, i feel like i am the odd one out.  Not that they are wrong or i am right but we just have different views on things. And not for a second do i think any of them are/will be judemental, its just different ways of doing things.  Are there any mama’s out there who are with me? 

I am currently scouring the web for birthing attire that fits my needs, and desires for a dignified, natural birth. I LOVE the idea of a HotMama Gown, but quite honestly im intimidated by the price…yikes!  I am sure they are awesome and worth every penny but the Howell Home would not be Happy if i forked over that kind of $ for a dress to give birth in.  I searched Ebay and found some interesting and not what i want options, that still were $40-50.  So what did you/ are you going to birth in? Are you wearing your own clothes or simply rocking the johnny shirt? Give me some feedback!

Dinner!

$3.33 @ Walmart for  a whole pizza works for me! PLUS it takes under 20 minutes to bake, and is SOOO yummy.

My Midwives office promotes the “Prenatal Cradle” in their admission kit, and honestly i thought it was the most ridiculous thing i had ever seen.  I assumed they would be more UNcomfortable then it would be comfortable.  Especially early on I couldn’t see how this could help at all.  As my 2nd trimester progressed and i was on my feet either at work or out all day running errands i noticed how much stress and strain was on my round ligaments and my back.  When I was offered  the chance to receive one last month and said yes because quite honestly I was begining to think there was something to them!

The Prenatal Cradle comes in 5 styles, each supporting various parts of the body.  I received the “Best Cradle” which retails for about    $40-$60, and can be purchased online, and at mommy/baby stores.

It was easy to put on, and Inoticed right away a “lift” of my belly and greater support for my chest.  I chose to wear it on a day where I had a lot on the go, and I knew I would be on my feet for an extended period of time.  By 11 :00 that night i was  pleasantly surprised at how good i felt!  My belly wasn’t sore, neither from the strain on the support muscles, nor from the Cradle itself.

Bottom line, would I recommend it?  YES! If I was not given one, would I purchase one? Knowing what i know now YES!

Great Product!

Note: I normally do not wear it over a tank top, but thought i would for modesty sake!

I had heard so many mixed reviews on the effectiveness of stretch mark creams that when I was asked if I wanted to try the Palmers Cream I readily said yes! I have been using it since the beginning of my 2nd trimester and am proud to say my belly is stretch-mark free.  I have some pretty bad ones on my sides that developed before i received the cream.  Of course i have time left to go so i will do an update by the time Baby Boy is born.
There are many versions of palmers out there from oils to creams to potted butters.  They range in price from about $1.50 – $15 and can be purchased at various motherhood stores, online and your local pharmacy or department store.

I will continue to use the cream and update you as time goes on.  Pregnant mommies; if you are at all worried, try this out! Even if you still end up with a few marks here or there it is a great moisturizer, and every little bit helps!

As some of my readers know i am a Nurse, and I have a thing for good quality medical equipment.  It was with great pleasure that I try out the Prestige Medical Clinical Lite Stethoscope.  When Seth asked about the color I wanted to receive,  I chose Stealth. It is a solid black scope, end to end, and very sleek.  I refer to it as my “Ninja Scope”.  I wanted to use it for a while before i reviewed it to get a good feel for it.  I work in a variety of settings from Acute Care to Home Care so I feel I can represent a broad demographic of nurses.

Product Description: “Made from anodized aluminum, the Clinical Lite™ is a classic dual head stethoscope which is extremely light weight and affordable. The Clinical Lite™ incorporates a snap-on diaphragm retaining ring and a non-chill bell ring which contributes to the ease of use and maintenance, while enhancing patient comfort.“

Pros:

• Weight; I LOVE how light it is!! If you wear your stethoscope around your neck as many do, you will barely notice it, and after 12 hours thats a HUGE plus!
• Look; I love how the awesome the stealth looked, and with a large variety of colors everyone is bound to find one that suits their personality!
• Cost; Although I did not buy this stethoscope, at about $30 its very affordable for a student, or entry level provider.

• Acoustics; Compared to the cheapies you find on every floor in every healthcare facility this is a far better instrument.

Cons:

• Acoustics; Although I listed the acoustics as a plus, I use on a regular bases the Littmann Cardiology III, which by design is meant for more advanced diagnostics, and thus has better acoustics. Prestige has a Clinical Cardiology that I would be interested in seeing in comparison to the Littmann.

Overall I think that this is a great stethoscope, perfect for a nursing student, or new graduate.  For the price I urge anyone looking for a good quality scope at a very good price to try this one out.

Seriously it has been a very long time since i have posted. life has been CRAZZY. We are pregnant, very pregnant, due in May. its a Boy! Baby A is growing well despite mommy being VERY sick. Life in the Howell Home has been at times less than happy, but none the less we are pushing through! I am WAY behind on a few reviews, i will get right on those tonight! Reviews to come include baby, mommy , and mommy’s work related reviews. If you haven’t left me i hope you stick around to read them.

The other day I went to get my mail and inside was I nice package from Downy.  I opened it to find their new “Unstopables” in  ”Fresh”.  They are created by Downy, a division of P&G (Proctor and Gamble) and come in two scents, Fresh and Lush  They are beads in a “shaker” container for “better consumer control”.

Now  I am not a fabric softener user, and i use a cheap, store brand detergent without a scent, but the scent was DELICIOUS! I had a large load of towels that needed to be washed and I thought it a perfect opportunity.  I used the recommended amount, along with my regular detergent and let them do their thing.  Hubby put them in the dryer and when I took them out to fold… WOW! They smelled Awesome.  Now we are not “new towel every day” people, and even 2 days and 2 uses later they still smell fresh out of the dryer!!! I must say I LOVE DOWNY UNSTOPABLES!!!!!!!!!