[ baby must-haves ]

Since I found out that I was pregnant I started making a mental list of all the things I knew for certain I'd need (or atleast really really want). Here's my top 7 Baby Must-Haves that will make life alot easier for you and baby:

1. Boudreaux's Butt-Paste - My mother swears by this stuff and after seeing what wonders it did for my younger brothers and sisters I can honestly say that it's probably the only product I'll ever use for my son's diaper rash. It's pediatrician recommended and has been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show and in People Magazine. How's that for notoriety?

2. The Sleep Sheep - This cute little sheep plushy plays 4 sounds that are soothing to newborns (i.e. heartbeat, rain, and for some reason whale noises). Several of my friends have recommended I get this for my baby because it helps them sleep more soundly. Anything that can buy me a few extra hours of sleep at night is something I'd consider a necessity. You can find the Sleep Sheep at Bed Bath and Beyond moderately priced at $25. They also make a Sleep Sheep On the Go priced at $21. I've found they're much cheaper if buy them from Amazon or Ebay where the prices range from $16.99-$19.99.

3. The Summer Infant Swaddle Me Blanket - Okay I know this thing looks a little weird, but research shows that swaddling may help reduce the risk of SIDS by promoting better sleep when infants are put to sleep on their backs. Swaddling also reduces the incidences of the startle reflex which is responsible for frequently waking babies. It's also been shown to help soothe babies with colic! In other words Baby + Swaddle Me = Less fuss and more sleep! These blankets have a similar design to the Miracle Blanket and since the Swaddle Me blankets are $10 vs. $25 for a Miracle Blanket I think it's obvious which is the better choice.

4. Boppy Pillow - These things have really made a name for themselves! The Boppy Pillow makes feeding baby ten times easier whether you're bottle feeding or breast feeding. I love them so much that I got two! They're fairly priced $30 and can be found at Babies 'R' Us, Kmart, Sears, and Target. I would suggest looking them up on Amazon or Ebay where you can find them at around $26.

5. Pacifier Clips - These things are amazing! And they're cheap, ranging from $2-$5 a pack. I don't know why someone didn't think of this idea sooner. Pacifier on one end, clip on the other. Now that binky will never get lost again! Not to mention that this ingenious little design is easy to mimic so all you creative mommies out there can make your own! Love it, love it, love it!

6. Baby Slings - Reminiscent of the swaths of fabric worn by tribal women, these stylish baby carriers are easy to use and very comfortable. They make a great alternative to strollers and are perfect for keeping a baby calm by creating a “womb effect”. And the added bonus is that you can have your hands free to do other things. They range from $30-$60 and can be found at Babies 'R' Us, Target, and ofcourse on Amazon or Ebay.

7. Nursing Necklace - Nursing babies like to pinch and pull at mom while they’re feeding. Ouch! To avoid this problem get a Nursing Necklace (also called Breastfeeding Necklaces). Available in every style imaginable – from bright and colorful to stylish – every mom can find one that works for her. Most of the ones I've found range from $12-$25, but considering the simple design it'd probably be cheaper to make one yourself.

[ new addition ]

I haven't posted anything in quite a while, so I figured I'd turn my insomnia into productivity tonight and make a new entry!

I've actually got some pretty big news. Leo and I are having a baby! We're both very excited. I'm only 3 months right now so the gender is still unknown, but I have posted all my ultrasound pictures on both MySpace and Facebook. Oh and we've already chosen names: Eva Lee Finn for a girl and Leo John Finn the Third for a boy. Leo wants a girl and I have to say, I do as well. But either way as long as my baby is healthy I'll be happy.

As for me I'm doing pretty darn well considering all the changes going on in my body. I've finally gotten past morning sickness! What a relief! And even at 3 months pregnant, I'm in amazing shape. I can even still fit in my size 9 jeans, but I imagine that won't hold true much longer. The baby bump is starting to become more apparent and if I'm anything like my mother I'll be all belly by 6 months. My cravings have been rather spontaneous, but not all that strange. Things like spinach, broccoli, mac & cheese, chicken noodle soup, and even pixie stix. I'm really loving how fast and healthy my hair and nails are growing. And my skin has never been clearer. Definitely a huge plus.

Well I'm getting a little sleepy so I'll wrap this up with a few links for any other pregnant women out there!

Check this stuff out:

Baby Center is my favorite pregnancy site. They send out weekly emails to update you on whats happening with your baby and your body. They also have a ton of helpful articles about anything you could be concerned about during your pregnancy which is really helpful for first-time mommies like me.

Inside Pregnancy is one of my favorite features of the Baby Center site. It gives you an in-depth look at your baby's development. And I've found that my husband thinks the videos more interesting than the weekly updates that I get in my email.

Widdly Tinks & Baby Gaga have some really cool Baby Tickers for MySpace. The first ticker on the Baby Gaga site is the one you'll find on my page. I like it best because it not only says how far along I am, but it offers up a little info on the baby's size, weight and development. However, Widdly Tinks has much cuter tickers!

Babies "R" Us is, in my eyes, the ONLY site to go to for making your baby registry. They have all the latest baby gear at reasonable prices. Plus they have all sorts of cool features to help you make your registry, like their "How to Build a Registry" step-by-step video, the "Must-Haves" checklist, and the Quick Start registry.

Morph Thing is the only 100% free site that will show what your baby might look like when he or she is born. It's also pretty fun to morph with celebrities like Brad Pitt or George Clooney to see what your babies would like. Definitely good fun whether you're pregnant or not.

Well that's all I've got, enjoy the links and good night!

[ fun with numerology ]

Numerology is the study of the symbolism of numbers and their relation to physical objects and people. Some basic forms of numerology are name numerology and birth numerology. Most people associate numerology with the occult, but few are aware that numerology was very popular among early mathematicians, such as Pythagoras. I was dabbling around with some of my numerology and came up with a few interesting discoveries:

My first name adds up to 7, as does my married name, Finn. 7 + 7 = 14 and I was born on the 14th of January. Which brings me to my birth number which is also 7. My lucky number has always been 14. My husband's first and middle names add up to 7 and and his whole name added up equals 14. Kinda cool, huh? If you want to figure up your birth and name numbers then I can tell ya how.

For your birth number you add the numbers together until you get down to a single digit number.

Example: Jan 14, 1990 = 1 + 1 + 4 + 1 + 9 + 9 + 0 = 25 and 2 + 5 = 7

For you name number use the chart below to find what number coincides with each letter and then add them together until you get it down to a single digit number.

1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H	I
J	K	L	M	N	O	P	Q	R
S	T	U	V	W	X	Y	Z

Example: Marisa = 4 + 1 + 9 + 9 + 1 + 1 = 25 and 2 + 5 = 7

If you wanna check out what numerology can tell you about yourself then I recommend these links:

numerology and lovers

general number meanings

life paths by your birth number

[ geek chic ]

I'm not big on Apple or any of their products. I've never owned an iPod or a Mac and I'd rather have a Droid than an iPhone. But this, this is one Apple product I don't think I could live without! The iBangle is fashionable and functional. It was designed by a guy named Gopinath Prasana. Basically, this concept is a thin piece of aluminium that incorporates a multi-touch trackpad. In case it’s too lose on your wrist you can press a button and activate a cushion inside the metallic ring that’ll keep it perfectly attached to your hand. Something like this would be pretty expensive and I can't imagine that it'd hold more than about 8 GB, but even so I love the design!

A similar concept was designed by Tao Ma. Behold the bracelet phone! This shiny gizmo vibrates when you receive a message and you can read the text by taking the bracelet off the wrist and pressing its precious looking keys. You might want to know that this fancy handset includes an MP3 player and the designer even throws in a headset for the concept. Unlike the iBangle, this bracelet phone doesn't give you a way to adjust the fit, but it does do more than just play music.



But the most impressive design I've seen yet is the O.R.B. Orbital Blue Tooth Ring. This wireless earpiece finger ring was developed by Hybra Advance Technology, Inc. in partnership with AbsolutelyNew’s Science + Technology Division. It's a finger-worn ring that twists open to become a comfortable, secure and sophisticated Bluetooth headset for hands-free calling. The deluxe edition features a FOLED (Flexible Organic Light Emitting Diode) screen to keep caller ID and calendar reminders quite literally on-hand. It also offers voice-to-text for effortless communication without taking the ring off the finger. The base model has no screen or display. Hybra plans to start selling its first ORBs in the U.S., Asia, and Europe as early as January 2010, at approximately $129 USD for the base model with premium aluminum housing. The Deluxe edition Orbs with displays will launch as early as April 2010, at approximately $175 USD. The designers are also planning limited edition models in April 2010 featuring decorative gemstones, to be priced based on the value of the gemstones.



These designs aren't the only of their kind. On drawing boards across the world companies like Nokia, LG, and Sony are also coming up with ways to make your geek chic. And although most of these designs are very pricey and many have yet to make it to production; there's already a lot of wearable tech on the market that isn't gonna cost you an arm and a leg. The Brando Workshop has produced a lovely collection of USB flash drive bracelets and necklaces and ThinkGeek.com features a really neat LED necklace made by Firejewel. Though it can't hold files for you or play your music, it can shine brighter than any diamond on the market and it comes in red, white, and blue!

[ in the mood ]

Lately I've been craving fruit. Lucky me, my mom recently sent me a lovely fruit basket / bouquet. Lots of apples, bananas, kiwis, and oranges. But what I'm really craving is fruit pizza! It's been forever since I've had one. I remember how my mom used to let us help her make 'em. It was always so much fun. And even more fun to eat! For anyone who would like the recipe here goes:

2 pkgs. cream cheese
1 roll refrigerated sugar cookie dough
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. sugar (or to taste)
Pizza pan
Assorted fruit suggestions: Kiwi, strawberries, mandarin oranges, bananas, black or blue berries

Spread cookie dough over pizza pan. Cook the crust as directed on wrapper. In a bowl, microwave cream cheese until soft. Add vanilla and sugar. Spread cream cheese mixture on top of cooled cookie. Cut and lay fruit in circles. Serve immediately.

Or you can choose to bake the sugar cookies normally, making a batch of mini fruit pizzas. This option is perfect for party hors d'oeuvres. Enjoy the recipe!

Love Always, Risa