We've Got a WALKER

We have officially reached the BIG one:

Myles is walking... yes full on walking!

He had been taking a few steps here and there for a couple weeks, then last Monday he figured out how to stand up on his own (not needing something to help him pull up). Once he figured that out, it was game over for this momma! That night he spent about an hour taking 5/6 steps, falling down, standing up, and then taking steps again; over and over again. I am using that day as his official first day of walking: July 1st. Since then he is walking more and more and crawling less and less. If he has his ball in his hands, he walks like a seasoned pro! He still falls a lot, but the length of his walking is getting longer by the day! 

Here is Myles at 10 1/2 months doing his thang!

 

SunKissed VoxBox: Olay Fresh Effects, Dr. Scholls for Her, GoodyOuchless, and Sinful Shine

This week I received my first VoxBox! 

A VoxBox is a box of products sent to you based on your interests and brand usage through a program on Influenster. The VoxBox I received was the Sunkissed VoxBox. This box was inspired by summer time and included some awesome beauty products for her! 


Here is what was in my box: 

Dr. Scholls for Her High Heel insoles

From the Dr. Scholls website:
Dr. Scholl's^® For Her High Heel Insoles are proven to improve the way you feel in heels. The unique design helps prevent foot aches and pains caused by high heels two inches and higher. Plus, the ultra-soft gel arch shifts pressure off the ball of your foot while providing guaranteed all-day comfort. 

I am actually quite impressed with these. The gel is super soft and comfy, the arch support really helps take the pressure off of your heel and toes, and they are easy to insert or remove as needed. I don't wear high heels that often anymore because they are not practical being a new mom, but having these insoles makes be want to strap on a heel just so I can take advantage of their comfort. I did try to put them in a normal flat, but it felt really weird on my foot. So I can definitely say that these are made only for heels. Looking forward to a date night in which I can put these to the true test. (update soon)

SinfulShine with Gel Tech nail polish

From the SinfulShine website:

5x more glossy than a patent leather shoe. Gel Tech technology provides opulent, rich color and a brilliant shine finish!

I was pretty excited when I found out I was getting nail polish in my box. I'm forever on the hunt for affordable, quality nail polish. Most of the stuff I have starts chipping off the next day and just looks cheap (because...well... it is!) I am a little disappointed in the color :( I'm not a fan of yellow and it definitely does not compliment my skin tone. I would have been happy with any of the other colors in this line other than the yellow. However, I do love this polish. It goes on smooth, thick, and shiny! It's quality is great for the price (2.99 for Gel Tech, 1.99 for regular). I will be buying this in other colors that I will actually wear!

Olay Fresh Effects BB Cream

                                           From Olay website:

6 Skin Perfecting Benefits: Refreshes, Brightens, Evens Tone, Hydrates, Smoothes, Protects. All-in-one solution for instantly brighter-looking, smoother-feeling, more even skin tone. 

Fresh & free: No oil or PABA. Just the good stuff. BB Cream, also known as beauty balm, is one of Asia's hottest beauty sensations. Its multi-tasking formula works to moisturize, brighten and help protect skin from harmful UV rays. This silky, tinted lotion blends effortlessly with your natural skin tone, helping hide imperfections and minimizing the need for concealer and foundation. With just one use, skin will be left glowing and naturally even.

                                                                               Purchase here or here

I have struggled with acne and the aftermath of its evilness since I was in middle school. Now my skin is FAR from perfect or even decent and it's something I am super self-conscious about. I have always wished of having nice skin, but I have not found my miracle yet. As a new mother (clearly my excuse for everything), I don't have the time or energy to mess with make-up. I rarely ever put it on; maybe once a week or two. I also don't like putting a lot of product on my face because of my history of acne. So on most days my face routine consists of wash and lotion.  

 
Recently I have been seeing a lot of commercials about this new product called BB cream. Naturally when I was browsing Target one day and saw Garnier BB Cream on an end cap, I was intrigued. I read the box, and it pretty much sounded like the perfect product for me and so I couldn't pass up trying it out. Now I will say that it isn't the perfect product, but I do really like it. There is just enough tint to cover my imperfections while not being as thick and 'cakey' as concealer or foundation. SPF is a bonus! The only thing I really don't like about the Garnier BB cream is that the texture is very thin and runny so it comes out of the bottle fast and there is always a bunch in the cap when I open it up. 

I was excited about getting the Olay BB cream in this box. I love the idea of BB cream so I'd like to be able to test them all out. I have only used the Olay a couple time now so I can't really attest to any long term effects, but I will have to say that I believe that it does everything it says. I like the texture a lot better with this cream (a little thicker) and it also smells good! After using it my skin was super soft; even the next morning it felt smoother. The tint is nice and it does even my skin tone a little, but it definitely is not flawless. I don't expect it to be though because my skin is quite horrid, so for what it is working with it does a pretty good job! I will keep using it and probably stick with the Olay brand in the future. Below is me after using the cream.

 Goody Ochless Ribbon Elastics

From the Goody website: 

Goody’s NEW Ouchless Ribbon Elastics offer you a unique hair tie to personalize your ponytail. As beautiful as ribbons but soft and stretchy too, these hair ties are “knot” your average elastic. New Ribbon Elastics are both comfortable and fashionable, plus look great in your hair or on your wrist.

Lastly, I received these hair ties. This was another product I was happy about getting in the box. I had never heard of them before I received them, but I glad I have them now! They are super cute, very versatile, and come in the perfect colors. I'm not creative when it comes to hair and such, so having the ribbon helps put a cute little touch to my style. They are comfortable in your hair and are very OUCHLESS! I am currently in the process of growing my hair out, so I am excited to get to use these more as more styles become accessible. 

All-in-all I am very happy with my first VoxBox and satisfied with the products. Perfect products for my lifestlye and interests! Can't wait for the next!

"I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes."

Anyone use these products? What are your thoughts/opinions on them? 

June Cara Box Reveal

When I became pregnant, I also became blog obsessed. I started following some awesome blogs and soon began to long for what they had: memories that were archived forever. I too wanted a place where I could express my feelings, record my experiences, and document all things Myles. Months and months passed by after Myles was born until I finally decided I needed to quit being a coward and just start my blog. Although I have always prided myself on being different, I can't deny that I am terrified of failure and not being well-liked/accepted. So needless to say, it was a huge deal for me to actually step into this blogging world.

Because I am so new and the blog world is already flooded with mommyhood blogs, I figured I needed to find ways to get involved in the community of bloggers! Fortunately, I found a great opportunity to do so when I was directed to Wifessionals by the blog gods. 

The blog's creator Kaitlyn came up with this awesome idea: Cara Box.

I mean what's better than making new friends, gifts in the mail, and letters of encouragement! Goldmine of an idea in my opinion. So of course I signed up and this is my first box reveal. 

My two partners were Rebecca and Tiffany. They were awesome first partners and I really enjoyed getting to know them. 

The theme for this month was "Take Me to the Fair"

Here is what I received from Tiffany over at Little Gems. 

When I opened my box this is what I saw!
"Happy Cara Box" *So cute*

  

I got lots of fun goodies! I'm excited about the straws: I noticed they are pretty popular now so I must use them at gathering when we get settled in our new place. Loving the popcorn and popcorn bags. They will defintely be used for family movie night soon. Myles loves his popcorn (me too) and eating it out of a festive bag makes it that much more of a party! I'm glad I got those scrapbook stickers too because I need to start scrapbooking Myles stuff ASAP!

 Myles clearly loved everything as well! I couldn't get him to keep his hands off of it all!

Little man's grabby hand :)

 Thanks Tiffany! It was such a pleasure to be paired with you!

 I got the pleasure of sending to Rebecca at Overman Life (from the Wife)

I really enjoyed getting to know her and picking out things that I thought fit into her life. She is a very talented seamstress with a beautiful daughter named Payton! Check her out and the post she wrote about the box I sent her here.

Myles' Birth Story: Part II

 

If you missed Part I, check it out here.

   Part I ended as we were leaving for the hospital. We arrived at the hospital around 12:45am Tuesday, August 14th. Mark dropped me off at the emergency room entrance and went to park the car. A worker quickly brought a wheel chair over to me and started wheeling me to labor and delivery. On the way, I got to play 20 questions while trying to breathe through contractions and refrain from punching someone, anyone in the face. "How far along are you?" "Did your water break?" "Are you having contractions?" "How far apart are they?" "Do you like butter on your toast?" You know all the normal stuff. I quickly got checked in and put in a room. The attending nurse asked me all the same questions and also did an exam. She said I was 2 cm dilated and it seemed like my water had broke. Now from what I knew, I didn't think it was possible to not know that my water broke. I mean having water gush down my leg isn't a common occurrence in my life, so I think I would have noticed. I told her I didn't think it had happened, however I was not about to argue with her because I knew that if she thought my water was broken, real or not, I would be admitted. And so began my hospital stay...
    I got the IV put in, all the monitors hooked up, and she injected me with some lovely pain meds. I could still feel all the contractions, but the meds helped take the edge off a little bit. At this point it was around 2am and I decided to call my parents. I guess I could have been nice and waited, but come on "I'm about to have a baby!!!" Since I was only 2 cm still, I told them it wasn't a big rush and to just come whenever they got up. 
    The next five hours were pretty uneventful. Mark fell asleep in the pull out chair, while I just laid in the hospital bed trying to rest as best I could. I knew that I would need all the energy I could muster up as I was about to somehow squeeze a 7ish pound baby with a presumably huge noggin (I mean really look at Mark's Lima-bean-head) out of a 10cm hole! So although sleep was not an option for me...(come on "I'm about to have a baby!!!"), with the help of the pain meds, I was able to chill for a couple hours. Around 6am, I starting feeling the contractions in my back getting worse so I assumed the meds were starting to wear off. The nurse asked if I wanted an epidural. I was really scared to get the epidural done... I have an EXTREMELY sensitive body and was worried about how I would react to it. So I told her to hold off and give me one more dose of the pain meds. Once that wore off, I would decide if I wanted the epidural or not. 
   My mom, step-dad, and brother showed up around 7:30am. I was quite relieved to see them. I always feel more safe and at ease with my mom around; she looks out for me and my health issues. My step-dad always tells my mom to "cut the cord" in reference to our relationship, but who doesn't want to have someone in their life that instantly makes them feel like everything is going to be okay. 
   At this point I was beginning to wonder where my doctor was. When I first got admitted the on call doctor was not my doctor. I had a little bit of a freak out and may have expressed very politely that I needed my doctor because he was the only one going to deliver my baby. Luckily for the rest of the night/early morning I was preoccupied with managing contractions that I let that concern take a back seat. However as time wore on I was getting a little anxious about it, but I didn't want to be the annoying pregnant lady so I never asked about it.

     *A little side note about my doctor* 

I was VERY adamant about him being there for the delivery. When we first met he said that he is there for 90% of his patients' deliveries. I was okay with that as long as I wasn't in that 10%. I don't know how I would have handled him not being there. He is amazing at making you feel comfortable, safe, and in good hands. The first day I met him we were discussing my anxiety and medication and he said "I tried to take medication for depression/anxiety but then I couldn't get my &#*$ up!" Yes, he really said that! At first I was a little taken aback but the more I got to know him and vice versa, I quickly realized how perfect he was for me. In one of our conversations, I told him I was kind of depressed because it was summer and I wasn't able to do what I normally love to do: go to the beach. I explained that I did not like my pregnant body and did not feel comfortable being in a swimming suit in a public place. He responded with "F*#k them. Don't care about what they think. I don't like taking my shirt off at the pool, but then I look around and realize that there is always someone who looks worse than me." And you know what, I went to the pool that week! 

Needless to say I was going to do everything in my power to not go into labor when he was off. At my last visit with him around 37 weeks, I told him (in my toughest Mob Wives voice) "You better deliver my baby or I'm coming for you!" 
 

   Finally around 9am God blessed me with the presence of my doctor. He checked my progress and I was at 4cm :( I had only dilated 2cm in 8 hours! At that rate I wouldn't be having my baby for another 24 hours!! And at this point, I had been awake for 24 hours!!! And I hadn't eaten in 12 hours!!!! Pregnant ladies problems.. I tell ya... While being examined, the doctor also noticed that my water wasn't broke. So either my baby is a magician or my first nurse needs to go back to school... just saying. Really it was a good thing that my water wasn't broken yet because once he did it, things moved along a lot quicker than my previously calculated 24 hours ;)

   Around 10am, the meds were beginning to wear off, so I had to make my choice about the epidural. Going into the labor, I didn't have strong feelings either way about the epidural. I was definitely scared to get it, but I wasn't dead set against it or anything. I wasn't able to get another dose of the pain meds as two doses was the limit, so it was either epidural or nothing from there on out. Although I was very nervous about the pain of child birth (after having to watch my mom birth my younger brother when I was 11), I felt that if I had to do it unmedicated I could. However the question was did I want to... I mean I know I would have felt very proud and accomplished if I were able to say that I labored without medicine (BTW men and non-mothers, women who do this are truly amazing... no joke!), but the thing is would I be able to say that I enjoyed my labor. So I took the cowardly (lol) route and got the epidural. Mark was able to stay in the room with me to be my squeeze toy. Mark said he did not want to look because the needle was huge (thanks for keeping me calm!), but honestly it was a breeze. Now granted I was only living off of adrenaline at this point, so I'm not sure how much truth there is in any of my feelings then.

Enjoying my "yummy" apple juice

   Ahhh.. the epidural... ahhh... no feeling in my lower body... Kinda scary but so worth it. The pain was a little better, but the hunger sucked! It was around 11am when my family and Mark decided to go eat lunch in the cafeteria. So there I was all by myself STARVING and all I could get was apple juice. The worse part was Mark coming back raving about how surprised he was at the quality of the food there. :( Really... it was okay though because I knew in the very near future I would have every right in the world to yell at, squeeze, pinch, beat, etc. him while pushing our baby out. Luckily while they were gone, my bestie Katie came to keep me company. I was supposed to be getting checked my by doctor again after his lunch around 11:30, but he was being held up. It got to about 12:30 and I started to feel really bad (shaking, flushed, hot flashes, etc.) The nurse decided to check me since my doctor still hadn't come by yet. And lo and behold... I was 10cm! When the nurse said this, I instantly began balling... not tears.. more like raindrops coming from my eyes. It wasn't because I was scared of the pain or anything, I was just so scared and nervous about his health. He had been growing inside of me for 38 weeks and everything seemed fine from the check-ups and ultrasounds, but I never felt completely assured that he would be 100% healthy. Plus I had heard so many horror stories about umbilical cords cutting off breathing, fluid in the lungs, still births; so many things could go wrong and I was scared for that possibility. 

   At this time everyone had to leave, except Mark. We had decided before that we wanted to experience our baby's birth just the two of us. I know my mom was a little sad about this (I wanted her there, but I also agreed with Mark wanting it to be just us), but don't worry she wasn't far. My doctor loved how "crazy" my family was outside the room. There is also another picture where she is holding a cup up to the door to hear... She's the greatest!

   I started pushing right around 12:30pm. At first it was hard to know how hard I was pushing because I couldn't feel much down there. The nurse monitored me to know when I was contracting and  started having me push for 10 seconds, 3 times in a row for every contraction. Mark stayed right by my side helping the whole time. There were a couple of times I was so tired that I didn't want to push anymore and it felt like I wasn't making any progress, but Mark was very encouraging and surprisingly calm. The doctor came in and out a couple of times throughout the next hour and a half. At one point, he told me he could see his hair (black!) and asked if I wanted to reach down and touch it. I started to, but then I couldn't.. it freaked me out too much! He asked Mark if he wanted to see him coming out. We had discussed this before and Mark said he did NOT want to look because it would cause him to never want to venture down that way again lol. To my utter surprise, he actually said yes (childbirth does amazing things)! So technically Mark was the first to see our baby boy. 

 
    As the contractions grew stronger, it became more obvious to me when they were coming, so I started to push on my own. 1 hour and 45 minutes of pushing and 19 total hours of labor later and our world was changed forever at 2:14pm on August 14, 2012.

7 lbs 6 oz and 19 1/2 inches

   












    I could just stare at these pictures all day long. I can only be so happy and thankful of how truly blessed I was with this beautiful and healthy baby boy. I am so in love. I had a perfect labor.. Perfect! I loved it. If I could relive one thing over again in my life it would be the moment he came into this world. That feeling is so amazing and I couldn't be more satisfied with the process. The hospital, nurses, doctors, family, Mark; the overall experience is something I will look back so fondly upon for the rest of my life. 
    
    Next up.... the not to fond part... the worst part of the birth process for me....  

                                                                                                                           Postpartum