2007_12_01_posts : Classy Mommy Blog

Mom Finds from Across the Web!

Check out the below hot stuff!

I'm loving the MomFinds guide to their favorite diaper bags of 2007 and Enter to Win a free cd from Ellis Paul at Boston Mamas!

Boston Mamas: Ellis Paul Folk singer/songwriter Ellis Paul's first family album is out; enter to win one of 5 copies by noon today!

Classy Mommy: Fabulous Personalized Storybook Option Let your favorite kid star in their very own personalized Aardvark Adventure story. Just submit their name, choose a story, and send in a super cute photo and Aardvark will take care of all the rest.Save 15% when you mention CLASSY MOMMY by Jan 15, 2008.

MomFinds: Best Diaper Bags of 2007 Our favorite backpacks, stroller totes, messengers and clutches this year.

One Chic Mama: What's On Your Agenda? The MomAgenda is a stylish way to keep track of your busy schedule in 2008. Available in 5 silky shades, this agenda features both a month-at-a-view and a weekly calendar, and can be personalized just for you!

Classy Mommy: Angelina DVD Box Set Winners!

Congrats to Erika from Middletown, NY and Elizabeth from Norwalk, IA! Thanks again to Hit Entertainment and Fox for sponsoring this wonderful giveaway!

Classy Mommy Giveaway: 2 Copies of the Angelina Ballerina: A Star Collection DVD Box Set

Thanks to Hit Entertainment and Fox for offering this charming girly DVD giveaway!

Almost every little girl adores Angelina the Ballerina. These box set of 3 DVD's is super with many of your favorite Angelina adventures. Mackenzie at age 2 is totally an Angelina fan - along with being fascinated by cousin Henry too!

Win it! Enter by the end of the day on 12/19/07 - email colleen@classymommy.com with your address and subject titled Angelina.

Welcome Baby Kyle!

Thanks to everyone for all of your emails about the new baby! He is doing wonderful - and now that he will be 2 weeks old tomorrow - I'm finally feeling organized enough to begin to post all the adorable photos and share a bit of his birth story with everyone! After 2 days of deliberation we decided to name him Kyle Michael.

This photo was taken after right after he was born and is the first photo of me holding him. Kyle was born at 7 lbs 2 oz and was 20 inches long. The other picture is of Mackenzie cozying up to her new brother!

Labor went great in the sense that it was very fast and furious. Start to finish of discomfort was about 2 hours - and I was able to do a natural childbirth without an epidural as planned. I am so fortunate that my labor is so quick - which means the only terrible and painful part is at the very end - when it is almost over anyhow. I coincidentally managed to go into labor while at the hospital too - which is beyond me how crazy this was - I guess things have a way of working out! Especially considering all of my concerns about my quick labor and my fears about not making it to the hospital in time and that I wouldn't realize it was the real thing till the very end of labor.

Basically, I went to my 39 week OB appt. and had terribly high blood pressure along with protein in my urine. They immediately sent me over to the hospital to get monitored with serial blood pressures and a NST for the baby. They told me that depending on the results of these tests along with bloodwork they would either prepare to induce me if I could tolerate labor - or they would be doing an emergency C-section. I got to the hospital at 3 PM and by 530 they realized that my bloodwork was okay and the blood pressure improved when I was reclined on my left side so they felt I could tolerate labor - especially since I was ready to go and already 3 CM dilated. So the plan was to be induced. Around 615 PM , while they continued to monitor me before sending me back to a labor and delivery room to meet up with the doctor - I noticed my normal evening braxton hicks type contractions were really hurting like a very very very bad cramp and they were happening just about every 2 minutes.

Contractions 2 minutes apart instead of my normal 4-5 minutes apart had been my pre-determined rule to consider heading to the hospital..... so I began to suspect I might be in labor. When they brought me back to be induced to a labor room just before 7 PM I told them I was pretty sure I was in active labor. They checked me and I was 4-5 CM dilated. I called my Mom at 8 PM and told her that they were certain I was in Labor as the 730 Check had me at almost 6 cm with the head having dropped even further. I planned to watch the NBC show CHUCK to help me try to relax and and distract myself from the discomfort between 8-9. They checked me a little after 815 when I told them I thought I was in transition stage of labor since I was starting to fall asleep after the last 2 contractions. I was 9-10 cm and ready to have the baby. The head was crowning before I was even starting to push and organized to deliver! Needless to say I never made it through the TV show - as he was born at 8 : 36 PM.

Kyle had a bit of a distressed delivery at the very end as he ended up with shoulder dystocia (where the head is delivered but the rest of the body won't come out since the shoulder was jammed in my pelvis.) Usually this might happen with a larger baby in the 9-10 lb range - but apparently I have a small pelvis. Luckily they were able to get him out quickly enough - and avoided breaking his clavicle too! Mike was not able to cut the cord and Kyle needed to be resuscitated, but after about 5 minutes we were able to take photos of him and they said he'd be fine. So all is well with this little healthy baby boy - who seems to be growing very very fast ! We are counting our blessings and lucky stars - as apparently according to my doctor - despite the odds against this happening - we've had 2 very serious deliveries with positive outcomes that could have just as easily been otherwise. (Mackenzie also was not breathing at birth due to the cord being terribly tight around the neck , but they were able to get her out in time with the vacuum and then resuscitate her as well!)

Classy Mommy Giveaway: $50 Shopping Spree at Hanes.com !

Win Classy Mommy Swag! Thanks to Hanes for sponsoring this week's giveaway. 2 lucky Classy Mommy readers will win a $50 shopping spree at hanes.com!$50 at Hanes will get you tons of fabulous stuff for the whole family!

Classy Mommy loves the amazing stylish and comfy clothing at Hanes.com. We've had the opportunity to reveiw some of their trendy Mix and Match collection for girls. Adorable leggings, tops, skooters and more! Fun patterns for the fashionista at an affordable price Mom is sure to love!

Email colleen@classymommy.com with your name, address, and the subject title HANES to enter this giveaway. Contest entries must be received by Saturday December 15th.

Bright Lights Parenting - Parent Coaching and Advocacy 30% off for Classy Mommy Readers!

Classy Mommy is a longtime friend of Dr. Peg Freilich, a fellow mommy who is the owner and founder of Bright Lights Parenting.

Bright Lights offers parent coaching, consultation, and advocacy. Think Super Nanny meets professional clinician and you begin to get the idea. Dr. Freilich, who prefers to be called Peg, is a licensed child psychologist and parent to a child with special needs knows first hand the challenges of parenting and realizes that no one fix works in every situation. She will work with each client tirelessly until the right combination of interventions for a problem is found. She will come to your home if you live locally - She is based outside but also works frequently by telephone and email to provide feedback and support quickly and as freqently when indicated. Classy Mommy loves Peg's down to earth personality and her committment to teaching families how to stop struggling and start having fun! Readers can learn more about Dr. Freilich at BrightLightsParenting.com.

In addition to the free twenty minute consultation offered to all, Peg will give all Classy Mommy readers a 30% discount on services available simply by mentioning Classy Mommy during your free consultation.

Classy Mommy is a sponsor of "Twirls for Girls" - Donate a Doll Skirt and be entered to win nearly $1500 of prizes!

Classy Mommy is a proud sponsor of a new website that has just formed to help the
Toys for Tots program. Each year thousands of dolls are donated to the Toys
for Tots organization and now we'd like to help make doll clothes so that
those children can dress their new dollies up and have hours of fun doing
so. It is an effort we believe in and we knew you'd want to know about it,
too.

To download free patterns to make a doll twirl skirt and top, visit
www.TwirlsForGirls.com. There you will find all of the information about the
organization, download your patterns, and begin creating for a
wonderful cause.

Another fun part of this experience is that for every doll skirt or top that
is donated, you can be entered into a drawing for some great prizes! The
sponsors of this event have donated nearly $1,500.00 worth of prizes.
You can view them all on the Sponsor page at www.TwirlsForGirls.com. You'll
also be entered into the drawing for purchasing a select group of patterns
where 100% of the proceeds will go directly to the Toys for Tots foundation
to buy toys for both boys and girls. More information on that can also be
found at the site.

Making something special during this time of year is not only fun, but makes
you feel good, too. We hope that you visit the site and find out more
information about this wonderful cause

Classy Mommy Giveaway: Barney: The Imagination Collection DVD Box Set

2 lucky readers will win the recently released DVD box set titled, Barney: The Imagination Collection. This is a super collection! Thanks to Hit Entertainment and Fox for sponsoring this giveaway! Value of $30. On sale at Amazon right now!

I know my daughter adores Barney. I have to admit as a parent, I find many characters are not always as amusing and as a household rule we are strict about limiting TV time to a minimum. However, I adore how my daughter sings the Barney song again and again and sweetly says, "I love you, You love me, We're a happy family". So, Barney is a winner in our house!

Email colleen@classymommy.com with your shipping address, email address, and the subject of the email titled : BARNEY. Contest ends Saturday Dec. 8th, 2007.

As seen on the web this week.......And Wiin a Lillebaby EuroTtoe from MomFinds!

Boston Mamas: SmugMug Take the pesky logins and emails out of sharing family photos with SmugMug

Clever Parents: The First Adventures of Incredible You Through beautiful illustrations and a story that is a joy to read with its rhyming words and gentle cadence, you and your child will fall in love with this custom keepsake book.

Healthy Bump: Cuddoozle Nursing Pillow The Cuddoozle Nursing Pillow is a must have for all new and expectant moms.

Holiday Tips for a Stress-Free Holiday Season As the holidays approach, families everywhere are scrambling to finish their shopping, decorate their homes and prepare their holiday meals. While every family wants to make the holidays an enjoyable time for their children, it’s almost a given that there will be some minor speed bumps along the way. It can be especially tricky for families with younger children. Read our tips on how to make this season more enjoyable.

Modern Mom's Holiday Gift Guide No clue what to gift this year? Get inspiration from our Holiday Gift Guides for kids 0 - 12, dads and more...

MomFinds: Win a Lillébaby EuroTote Trust us, you'll never want to leave home without this multifunctional baby carrier.

One Chic Mama: Win a Kaboost! We're giving away two of these great portable boosters called Kaboost that let your child sit in a regular chair at the dinner table.