From the Heart Jewelry Giveaway

Happy Monday, friends! Since Mondays are definitely not my favorite day of the week, I am hoping to brighten it up a bit with a giveaway!

Heather has so graciously offered to give away one of her beautiful handmade pieces to one of my readers! She is a very talented jewelry maker and does this in addition to being a stay at home mom with her handsome boys. She started From the Heart Jewelry as a fun way for her to be creative and bring in some extra cash. I was so excited when she offered to host a giveaway here!

Be sure to check out her facebook page where she lists all of her pretty items up for sale! 

One person will have the chance to win one of these two sets:

Earrings and bracelet set with almond, black, and brown pearls

Yellow and bronze necklace and bracelet set

Enter to win using the Rafflecopter Widget:

Baby O. in Photos (volume 7)

What's my little Kennedy been up to lately? Oh, just the usual. Being fabulous, cute, chatty, and happy! Let's take a look!

Loves her feet! I now understand how they named the yoga pose "Happy Baby"

She fell asleep on her playmat in her swimsuit

Baby's first beach day! It was reeeeeally windy (more so than usual) so it wasn't as fun as we had hoped

Helping her aunt sell houses. Future millionaire.

Chewing on her teething toy 

Chewing some more.

With her Great Grandmother (who I think looks like Barbara Bush) on our visit to Austin 

Great Grandmother and Great Granddad fawning over her

I love that face.

Baby's first Hill Country Winery trip. I also appreciate the cup holder in the stroller to hold my wine.

Road trippin' back from Austin. I had to entertain her in the backseat the last hour. She was such a good girl!

Push up!

Blackmail picture. I just love baby chubbbbbbs

Concentrating hard on rolling and grabbing those feet

Happy Friday, friends! 

Body After Baby (Part 1)

I'm touching on a touchy subject today - our bodies after baby. This is part one of a series, simply because I am still losing and this process is far from being over. We have certain connotations about this. Either babies are completely ruining our bodies or celebrities are ripped back into shape in two weeks. Seems a bit unrealistic on both ends.

I know I had a lot of preconceptions about this. I thought it would be really easy to lose the weight and it would come off incredibly fast from breastfeeding. I had always been in shape, ate right, and wore a small  pants size for as long as I could remember. Being that size didn't require an incredible amount of effort, although I took care of myself.

When I got pregnant, I ended up gaining close to 50 pounds (many didn't believe me, but yep, 50 pounds).

9 Weeks vs. 39 Weeks

 

Way more than the recommended 25-35 pounds. I beat myself up over it at first. Yeah, I stayed active with doing yoga and I ate alright, but I definitely could have made more of an effort. I had an incredible appetite and indulged a little more than I should have. Part of me thinks that the appetite would have packed on those pounds anyway. My doctor made me feel better when he said some women just hold onto weight and pack on whatever weight they can and store it to feed their babies with.

I didn't let it get me down because I thought it would just be very easy to lose the weight once the baby came.

Well, that hasn't really been the case. I'm four months out, and I still have about 15 pounds to lose. I've actually been stuck at this weight for over a month (or maybe two... it seems like an eternity). Let me say I am in no way complaining because it was awesome to lose about 30 pounds pretty immediately. I just am feeling impatient. Breastfeeding isn't making this any faster, either. I am doing the right thing for my baby, so that's what matters right now. I'm just one of those women whose body holds onto that fat as maternal stores for breastfeeding. I had no idea that was even possible - I thought breastfeeding burned lots of calories and made you lose weight! I guess I am going to be living proof of the saying "9 months on, 9 months off."

Here's a decent look at me now. This was taken two weeks ago. Had to throw this picture in because I love the other girls in it! I will say what I am wearing is pre-pregnancy, thank goodness! Just a little frumpy. Definitely looked better on me last Easter (which I was definitely pregs then without knowing).

Michelle, Me, Katie, Heather, Tara

It got me thinking... what have other people experienced? Surely I am not alone in this!

So I turned to my trusty twitter to poll my pals!

(By the way, go follow these people!)

Thank you, everyone, for your responses!

I'm not sure if I feel better about this after all these responses, especially from the mamas who had babies after me and are back to pre-pregnancy weight/size. However, I find hope through some of the other mamas who experienced a very slow return.

I am not alone.

So, I've got to face the facts. It is not going to happen overnight. Being two pants sizes up is not ideal, but it's not the end of the world. I'll just keep doing what I'm doing - eating right and staying active.

...and complain like hell if 9 months passes and I'm still stuck.

4 Months

Kennedy turned 4 months old yesterday!

Kennedy Lately:

• Kennedy weighed in at 15 pounds and 5 oz (85th percentile), and measured 24 3/4 inches (71st percentile) yesterday at her four month check up. She is definitely growing still! 
• She is officially wearing 6 months clothes, but can still fit in a few of her 3 month clothes.
• Kennedy is definitely smiling, laughing, and "talking" so much. She thrives on social interaction and I have a feeling when she eventually learns to talk, she is going to have a lot to say. 
• She loves people. She doesn't like playing alone and really likes for you to be there. She still likes to be held a lot.
• She has learned how to roll over, grabs at toys, grabs hands, and grabs just about everything!
• Kennedy is quite a drooler and her hands are always in her mouth, which is apparently a sign of teething. She has been drooling for about a month now and there are no teeth as of yet. We shall see.
• We started putting her to bed in her crib upstairs the other night. I'm not going to lie, I miss hearing her breathe and make her little noises next to me, but we can still hear those and see her on the baby monitor, so that is comforting. She also has started waking about twice per night (4 hour stretches), which is quite different on how she used to sleep. She used to be able to sleep 8 hours without waking. I believe now that her sleep patterns are maturing and she is developing so much it is interfering with her sleep. For example, the other night when she woke herself up, I could see on the baby monitor that she was practicing rolling over in her sleep! Apparently this is common when babies learn a new skill. The doctor said we could start solids if her night wakings were driving us crazy, but I don't feel sleep deprived because of it. I am going to try and hold off as long as I can.
• I am still able to breastfeed her, which I am very proud of. I pump at work and nurse her when I'm at home. I also pump one extra time after she has gone to bed. When she's away from me she gets a few bottles and has been taking them like a champ recently. There have been a few times where she had to be given formula but those can be numbered on one hand. No, formula isn't poison (I hope I am not coming across that way) - this just feels like a big accomplishment for me to be able to still breastfeed while working.
• At Kennedy's check up yesterday, the doctor noticed that she is lacking a lot of strength and range of motion in her neck, particularly for her left side. She was diagnosed with something called Torticollis. It is not a severe case by any means. I always thought she just favored her right side (she would always look right while sleeping, no matter where I put her head), but now that I've been home observing her, this makes so much sense. Kennedy is going to need to have some physical therapy to help strengthen/lengthen her neck and align her back to normal. I am just happy that this can be 100% corrected in no time. I will also be stretching her neck muscles every day and encouraging her to look left.
• I still can't believe how blessed I am to have such an amazing little girl in my life. Her personality is adorable and she is such a beautiful little girl. I didn't know it was possible for her to keep getting more and more beautiful, but she is. I love my precious girl!

How She's Grown:

Can you stop growing up so fast? You kill me, girl.

Those Bette Davis Eyes

I have been told numerous times that I look like the one and only Bette Davis.

Does anyone remember her?

I am extremely flattered when I hear this because I think she is amazingly gorgeous. I even played the same role she did in The Man Who Came to Dinner (except my version was a high school play and hers a feature film... ha). It must be those eyes. I've got those biiiiig ol' eyes. For years I've thought my eyes were way too big and I felt a bit self-conscious about them at times.

Now I love and embrace those Bette Davis Eyes of mine. Before I know it they'll be droopy and wrinkly, so I embrace them. More space for eyeshadow. More browbone for highlighting. More lid for eyeliner. More steel blue color to match to outfits.

Who's your doppelganger? Follow this link and share!

Baby O. in Photos (volume 6)

Ready for your overdose of Miss Kennedy? I knew you were!

Smiling for daddy

My mom buys her the most ridiculous outfits

Nap time is over (for the both of us)

Could those lips be any more rosy?

Chatting

In the car seat

Hanging out in the bumbo

Contemplating

Sleep

She loves that toy

She has now discovered her feet. So cute

And she has now learned to roll over! I put her down on her activity mat and walked into the other room to do something. Greg was in the living room and told me to come look. She was face down... and I had missed it. So I grabbed the video camera and saw it for the first time while filming!! It was so special to me (even though it was the second time she did it)!

I realize I sound really annoying in this video but I was a proud momma! I actually got a milestone on camera while seeing it for the first time! I guess what got her to roll is trying to go to the toy (which is the thing that is making the music). I find it funny that halfway through she gets distracted by the hanging toy (ooooh pretty giraffe!). And of course I have to do the post-roll interview.

Happy Friday, friends!

Beauty From the Inside Out

I believe wholeheartedly that the first step to amazing skin, hair, and nails is to nourish yourself from the inside out. I've tried a bunch of different things and I have found some things that are really helping me combat acne and stopping my hair from falling out (darn those drop in hormones).

The most obvious thing you can do right away to nourish your skin, hair, and nails is to eat a proper diet and drink tons of water. Fresh fruits and vegetables are essential and trying to stay away from simple carbs and some dairy can also help. I know you've heard it a million times before, but I'll just say it to get it out of the way.

The second thing you can do is add some vitamin/mineral supplements to your routine. I have tried all of these so I can recommend them without  reservation. However, I am not a doctor so... yeah, do your research and ask your doctor if you have any questions. And don't come after me if you start breaking into hives after taking any of these. (Sorry, gotta cover myself.)

Supplement Your Beauty With:

Biotin

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Biotin is great for growing hair super fast. I can definitely attest to that. The only thing I have noticed with this is sometimes it can cause me to break out a little - not any big cysts, but just superficial whiteheads. It's weird. So if you take Biotin and notice a few changes in your skin, this might be the culprit. If you have perfect skin, this would probably be a great supplement for you.

Vitamin A

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I take Vitamin A specifically for my skin, but I take a Vitamin A&D supplement so I can also get an immunity boost from the Vitamin D. Retinols (including Retin A), Accutane, and other skin treatments have a high concentration of Vitamin A as one of their main ingredients, so it only makes sense to me to get an extra boost of Vitamin A. I am a long time sufferer of hormonal/cystic acne and I have noticed a great improvement in my skin from using the Vitamin A. I do also take other supplements, so it could be the combination of everything. I will say, though, that if I leave out my Vitamin A for a couple of days, I am more susceptible to develop a cyst. I say it's worth a try because there are also other benefits to taking Vitamin A.

Silica Capsules (Horestail Extract)

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Silica is from a plant called Horsetail. The health benefits of this plant are numerous (follow that link to see for yourself). But how this will help with your beauty is that it promotes collagen growth and healthy connective tissue. I have noticed that my cuticles are so much better after taking this and my skin never seems to dry out (I haven't had a problem with dry skin before, it can just get pretty dull). My hair also seems to be a bit shinier once I added this into the routine.

Prenatal Vitamins

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I have been taking prenatal vitamins ever since I found out I was pregnant. I have since continued to take them because I am nursing, but I really think I am going to continue to take them even after K is weaned. My nails are the strongest they have ever been in my life. And let me tell you, I have very brittle nails that are thin, have ridges, and break easily. I also used to get a lot of hang nails. No more after taking these. I think the benefits of taking prenatals are just so many that it is a good idea to take them, even while not pregnant or nursing. They are just perfect for women my age.

Hopefully that helps you in your endeavors to promote beauty from within!

Are there any things that you do to promote healthy hair, skin, and nails? Do share!