Unfolding Dreams

Pregnancy # Starting Weight Ending Weight Total # of Pounds 1 120 lbs 161 lbs 41 lbs 2 137 lbs 168 lbs 31 lbs 3 130 lbs 180 lbs 50 lbs Last Edited: February 10, 2017

- 2013 - Graco Duo Glider Classic Connect Stroller To see on Amazon, click  here  (discontinued) and buy from Walmart here   This was gifted to me in July 2013 when I was expecting my 2nd and I bought the Contours second hand locally when I was expecting my 3rd. The Graco one goes with the car seat we purchased for our second child and that we are reusing for our third child. This stroller is not side by sid e, but front and back. Folds up nicely for the trunk and goes through doors fairly easy. The front has a tray and the back lays all the way down.  I traveled to the airport with my Graco stroller two times and felt it was good for traveling since I was traveling 8 weeks pregnant with 2 kids alone. What I liked is that this stroller lasted three years while using it. It's a double stroller. What I don't like is both seats do not have a child's tray and the seats do not change.  As of April 2016, Walmart is selling this stroller on sale for $21...

Question: How do you go out when you have more than one child? And does it get easier or better? It gets better over time.  As I write this I currently have 3 kids 5 and under.  They are 5 years, 31 months and 6 weeks. As many have said,  it is amazing what you do when you have to. I am a stay at home mom, so much of the grocery shopping, errands, childcare, and children related activities (school, sports, doctor visits) fall on me while my husband is at work.  I've had to do outings since my 3rd was 5 days old. My first outings were mostly the Ped appointments for baby's 1 week (when he was 5 days old), 2 weeks and 4 weeks well check up. Then each of my older children got sick and we had to go into the Ped to be checked out, one had a viral infection and the other had a double ear infection, so it was important to go in. Thankfully everyone is better and the best part neither baby or I got sick, which can be hard to avoid as a stay at home mom. I al...

What is Autoimmune Progesterone Dermatitis (APD)? According to a Natural Fertility.com's article,  Autoimmune Progesterone Dermatitis  - Cyclical Skin Issues Due To Progesterone ,  "Autoimmune Progesterone Dermatitis is a rare autoimmune condition that is thought to be a reaction caused by a woman’s hypersensitivity to her own endogenous progesterone. Because it is rare, the author suggests those who feel they may have it to seek a doctor for diagnosis and if they would like to try to treat it naturally to seek a naturopathic doctor" (Willett). APD & Menstrual Cycles "There was a case study done on a woman who has Autoimmune Progesterone Dermatitis, also known as APD and Endometriosis with irregular menstrual cycles.  She had not been diagnosed or correctly treated for over 20 years.  In women with irregular menstrual cycles, the diagnosis of Autoimmune Progesterone Dermatitis can remain elusive for years because they may not have a clear correla...

- Shampoos, Conditioners & Cleansers -  What type of shampoos & conditioners or cleanser do you use in your hair? I try to use natural hair products that say they are sulfate, paraben and / or silicone free.  However, the first  ingredient I look for is whether the product says sulfate free or not. What Hair Cleanser brand do you use? I frequently use these brands below (links included):  Wen Hair Cleanser by Chaz Dean  Herbal Essences Naked Moisture Cleansing Conditioner How often do you wash your hair? I keep the loose rule of washing my hair once a week. There are times I have washed my hair twice a week if it feels extremely itchy, through the buildup of the products I am using. Exceptions I make are (1) if I feel my hair is really tangled, dry or puffy looking with no real curl definition, I may do a wash and go to help me restyle and manage my hair and (2) if I go to a salon and I get my hair washed, blow dried ...

Master Bathroom Master Bathroom: Shower and Sink Reno  (Work done by Father in law & Brother in law) I primed and painted the vanity to a dark brown (left).  However, we wanted it a bit darker,  so I covered it with a coffee bean brown (right).

Master Bed Room Master Bedroom: Painted Walls and Baseboards (Work done by my husband, mother in law and self)

How many cycles did it take these women to become pregnant  when they were trying to conceive while breastfeeding?  This was out of 15 mothers (ages 22-37), myself included from 2015 who became pregnant. This is a tally of the cycles regardless if the mother eventually weaned or continued breastfeeding while trying to conceive. Below, I provide additional information on how many mothers weaned and how many continued breastfeeding. Graph Stats: How to read my stats from my chart below, the first number is the number of women who conceived that cycle out of the total number of women. No period - 1 out  of 15, 1 cycle - 1 out of 15, 2 cycles - 3 out of 15, 3 cycles - 2 out of 15, 5 cycles - 3 out of 15, 7 cycles - 3  out of 15, and 10 cycles -  2 out of 15.   * All 15 became pregnant, but only 14 had viable pregnancies and 1 miscarried in early pregnancy.  * 12 moms became pregnant while breastfeeding and 3 moms weaned from breastfe...

Use this time of rest to catch up on TV shows! I don't know what genre of things you are into. However, Netflix and Hulu have tons of shows. I am trying some different shows on both myself to help me during the late night feedings with a newborn. I'll also share some other shows that those around me have recommended I try.  I will give you some info on what I know about them since most people like and are bothered by and sensitive to different things. I am not recommending these, merely giving insight to some selections found from 2016-2018 on Netflix, and Hulu, or available on DVD. I'll leave it to you to decide if you like and want to try any. I will say that most of the shows I am mentioning, I have seen more than one episode. Anything I could not get past the first show, I will not bother to mention at this time.  Netflix -  CW  - The Carrie Diaries.   From The CW Network, a prequel to Sex in The City. It stars AnnaSophia Robb who rem...

Must Haves # 3: Car seats An item you definitely want and need to have is a car seat.  It's The Law If you give birth in the hospital in the United States you can not leave the hospital with your baby without one. Similar if you are going to travel with a young child by car,  you have to have a car seat in your car. Infant or Convertible? Convertible Pros: I feel like the convertible will save new parents more money because you do not have to change car seats after the first year as you do with the infant car seat. Cons: That being said in my past experience, I have always felt the more upright convertible feels too upright for a new baby and I have preferred the infant for the first year.  Convertibles can not come out of the car as an infant car seat can. I've also heard from a mom who used convertibles from the beginning, said it made nap time harder, especially if you have a child that does not transfer well from the car into the home while you ...