Mama Maven: Reviews from The Delaney Diaries

Maiden America Non-slip Barrettes

As Delaney looked over the Maiden America barrettes that arrived in the mail courtesy of The Parent Bloggers Network, she had the following reactions:

"Mommy, how sweet!"

"You're the best mommy in the whole wide world."

"These hair clips are wonderful!"

"Daddy will be so impressed when he sees these!"

Before even trying the barrettes on they'd already made one heck of an impression. And, as promised, these barrettes do not slip (even when Delaney yanks on them!). They're the first barrettes we've tried with her fine, blonde hair that don't. We selected:

The Mini Daisy Chain x3 - Mini Size  (SM (50mm), Magenta), $14.49

The Daisy Burst - Mini Size  (SM (50mm), Bright Pink), $9.49

The Ladybug Love x3  (SM (50mm), Red and White), $11.49

My favorite of the three barrettes we ordered is the Daisy Burst (in fact I'm thinking of ordering a larger size clip of this one just for me!). Delaney prefers the Ladybug Love, which is dainty and adorable all at once.

Although these prices are more than I'd typically spend on hair accessories for my three-year-old's daily wear, all three barrettes were beautifully produced with amazing artistic details such as the hand-crafted clay daisies and the perfect, little ladybugs. As noted on the Maiden America web site, "The Clay Daisies we use are one of the most difficult items to work with and each one is hand selected, prepared and applied with attention to detail." It shows. For me, the miniature clay daisies and the non-slip feature make these barrettes well worth their price. When your daughter shows up at preschool or playdates donning one of these beautiful, unique clips she'll be the envy of every girl (and every girl's mom!).

Maiden America was started by Tristan Benz, a mother of three girls, who hopes to promote "age-appropriate products as the 'norm' for young girls in America." She also provides flexible jobs for the moms who can work from home to create the barrettes. Yet another reason I don't mind spending a few extra bucks beyond what I'd normally spend for hair clips. I'm not only getting a high-quality, handcrafted product but I'm also helping to support work-from-home moms. That's something I can always get behind.

Something else I can get behind? Freebies. And Maiden America included two in our order. A pretty, green "Little Miss Catalina" barrette and a ribbon on which to clip barrettes when they're not being worn. Just another reason they'll get my repeat business.

Relish!

In our house we hit the same wall every Sunday night: what on earth are we going to cook for dinner this week? Roger is our designated cook and even though he's quite a wiz in the kitchen that doesn't mean we don't get burned out eating the same meals week after week. We needed a way to break out of our rut and find creative, easy ideas for dinner. Enter Relish!

Brought to our table by The Parent Bloggers Network, the opportunity to try Relish! excited us. You mean someone will give us tasty suggestions of what to eat each week and they'll tell us how to make it and what to buy for each recipe? And it only costs $7 a month? SIGN ME UP!

The Web site provides a weekly selection of menus and an accompanying legend that designates what type of meal it is (Crockpot, Kid Friendly, Lower Calorie, Morning Prep needed, Quick, Simple Gourmet, and Vegetarian). You make your picks (up to five out of the 15 selections), select how many servings you need, click "create your custom menu," and you're provided with your shopping list for the week as well as recipes for all meals. Each recipe takes 30 minutes or less to prepare and it comes with nutritional information so you can see exactly how many calories, fat grams, etc. are in each serving.

All of the recipes we tried were great but our favorite was the Chipotle Grilled Chicken Sandwiches with Sweet Potato Fries. We eat a lot of chicken but this new twist on the traditional (read: boring) chicken sandwich was great. And the sweet potato fries were easy to make and a healthy alternative to chips.

Relish! also provides you with the ability to access past menus and they also feature special dessert, hors d'oeuvres and freezer menus (foods you can prepare and freeze for later use). With all of the creative food ideas Relish! offers as well as the shopping lists and nutritional information, the $7 monthly fee is well worth it. Take advantage of their free trial to experience easy and delicious meal-planning for yourself. Kick boring meals to the curb and start making dinner fun and easy with Relish!

The Time I Need to Read Isn't Visible From Here

There's a first time for everything. My first smile as a baby. Driving my dad's car for the first time after getting my driver's license. My first (legal) drink at the age of 21. And the first time I didn't finish reading a book in time to write a review. I had every intention of finishing Felicia Sulllivan's compelling memoir, The Sky Isn't Visible From Here, by today. I had (on paper) plenty of time to read the entire book. But handling the demands of my new life as a mother of two overshadowed my desire to plow through this engaging work as quickly as I normally would have.

When Delaney was a baby I read tons of books while nursing her. When the chance to read this book came up through The Parent Bloggers Network, I agreed to do it because a.) it was something in which I was very interested and b.) because I thought I'd be tied to the couch for hours on end nursing Waylon and reading tons more books. What I didn't count on was the obvious: this time around it isn't just me and a baby sitting around enjoying literature and the occasional trashy novel (or, as my husband calls it, "chick lit."). This time it's me, a baby and a boisterous, time-sucking preschooler who must be reckoned with at all hours of the day ("Mommy, watch this show with me! Mommy, play PlayDoh with me! Mommy, paint with MEEEEEEEE!"). So, I didn't finish the book on time. But finish it (eventually) I will because if it weren't for the bottoms I have to wipe, the mountains of laundry I have to do and the sleep I need to catch, I wouldn't be able to put this book down.

Reading Sullivan's gripping account of her (to put it mildly) turbulent childhood is unnervingly addictive, much like her mother's unfortunate love of cocaine. Her writing style is smooth, descriptive and engaging. Reading Sky makes me feel as though I'm chatting with Sullivan in a corner of a dark, smoky bar while sipping a glass of cabernet as I hang on her every divulged secret. But don't let that lead you to believe that this book is a bunch of gossipy fun. This is a difficult book to read, especially as a mother. I had a nearly idyllic childhood and I hope to provide my children with the same. Coming from that background left me naiive about the ways of the hard, cruel world some people inhabit. Reading Sullivan's story underscored for me that not every child, although entitled to a wonderful life full of love, gets it. No child should have to endure the neglect, the abuse, the abandonment that Sullivan did: being abused by her mother's boyfriend, Eddie; watching her aunt try to shoot up drugs when she was eight; never knowing the truth about who or where her father was; and, at the tender age of ten, being an expert at taking her mother to the emergency room whenever she OD'ed. Even more amazing than Sullivan's survival of those horrible things is how she's pulled herself together, including battling substance abuse herself, to tell her courageous story.

No I haven't finished this book yet, but you can bet I will. I want to read Sullivan's full story. I need to learn how a woman who endured so much pain was still able to turn her life around and emerge, not only as a functioning human being, but as a stunning literary success.

The Parent Bloggers Network is giving away a copy of The Sky Isn't Visible from Here. Just visit this post and leave a comment to be eligible to win.

The Wheels on the Bus: Mango's Big Dog Parade

I promised myself that the reviews I write would be as honest as possible. With that in mind I have to say that I'm not crazy about "The Wheels on the Bus: Mango's Big Dog Parade" DVD. But, in keeping with the honesty policy, I must also admit that I'm not crazy about most of the programming aimed at my daughter's preschool demographic. I'm no fan of the Doodlebops, the Wiggles, Dora or even Diego (charming as he may be what with all that animal saving he does). This, of course, bothers my daughter not one little bit. She loves all of those shows and she really, really loves "The Wheels on the Bus: Mango's Big Dog Parade." Once it arrived from the Parent Bloggers it became regular and frequent viewing fare at our house and I couldn't get her to watch much else. And really, why should I mind? The songs are catchy, the lessons taught in the DVD are good and appropriate ones for her age (taking turns and getting along) and she loves singing and dancing along with the kids in the video.

Delaney was already familiar with the song, "The Wheels on the Bus," so the video won her over from the beginning because she could sing along. She also loves the animal characters present throughout the show and especially loves pointing out to me the ones she sees on the bus: "Look, mommy, there's a bunny on the bus!" One of her favorite parts of the DVD is when a dog and his mother sing a song about how the dog procrastinates whenever they try to leave the house--this being one of Delaney's own personal stalling tactics. Apparently she appreciates this characteristic in others as well.

So, it really shouldn't matter that I'm not digging the bus driver, Argon the Dragon (whose voice is The Who's Roger Daltry). It shouldn't matter that the mime on the bus seems a bit strange to me (Delaney adores him). And it shouldn't matter that the kids in the video appear to be lip-synching through the whole production. What matters is that Delaney enjoys this show and she gets to sing and dance and learn something while watching it. Which is more than I can say for some of the preschool fare out there (Wow, Wow Wubzy, I'm talking to you!).

Want to win a copy of this DVD for your child? The Parent Bloggers are giving away a free copy of this DVD on their site. All you need to do is leave a comment in their post stating why you need a new kid's DVD and you'll be entered to win the copy. Winners will be announced on the final round-up on their site.

Safe and clean peace of mind for the germaphobes among us

Let's face it: I'm a germaphobe. And becoming a parent has only intensified this embarrassing condition. After spending a miserable week or more cooped up in the house with a poor, sick child, almost any mom will tell you the great lengths she'll go to to keep illness at bay. That's me who's always armed with my hand sanitizer and antibacterial soaps and who cringes any time my daughter steps near a playground or heads off to preschool. It's not something I'm proud of but there it is--my obsessive compulsion with avoiding germs.

Luckily there are companies out there who are not only working to help crazed mothers like me keep their kids healthy but who want to go about it the safe way. CleanWell provides hand soaps and hand sanitizers that use plant oils to kill 99.9% of the germs with which we come into contact. Their products are 100% alcohol- and tricolsan-free which is something any mom (or dad) can get behind. One of my fears of using the traditional ant-bac stuff is that my daughter could accidentally get a hold of the alcohol-based ones I use and ingest some of it which could lead to life-threatening alcohol poisoning. And Triclosan is the stuff that, while it's great at ridding our environments of germs, may possibly allow harmful bacteria to become antibiotic resistant. Yikes. What's a neurotic, germ-conscious mom to do?

With a newborn and a preschooler in the house I was excited to accept The Parent Bloggers offer to try CleanWell's new line of antibacterial hand soaps. The result? I'm impressed. The natural, plant-derived ingredients are milder on my skin than other anti-bac products I've tried before. The scents are lovely because they're not artificial (Orange/Vanilla is my personal favorite!). The packaging is simple and sleek (the labels are easily removed for your aesthetic enjoyment). In fact, the only thing I can complain about regarding CleanWell's new line of hand soaps are the pumps. Two of the three bottles I received didn't pump easily (once I pumped the soap I expected the pump to bounce back, ready for it's next use but instead the pump stuck in place and I had to unstick it again before each use). This complaint is not a show stopper or anything that would prevent me from purchasing the soaps in the future, but I did find it to be a tiny bit annoying nonetheless.

CleanWell's hand soaps are now available at Target and although the price per bottle is a little more than I was spending on traditional anti-bac soaps, I won't mind spending a little more for the peace of mind that CleanWell's all-natural and safe antibacterial soaps can buy this obsessive compulsive germaphobe mother.

Printakid

Want special Christmas gifts for your children this season that are sure not to contain lead? Try personalized books for children from Printakid. I was fortunate to receive one via The Parent Bloggers Network and this colorful, sturdy book is now one of my daughter Delaney's favorites.

The ordering process at Printakid.com is easy. You select a story and a reading level (I selected preschool) and fill in the information about your child and his or her family and friends that you'd like to include. When ordering our book I selected the story, "Laughing all the Way to School." It's a zany tale about Delaney and her classmates turning into animals while at school one day. Delaney learns throughout the course of the story that the only thing that can change them back into people again is the gift of laughter.

I love how the cartoon character of Delaney looks just like her. When ordering the book you select physical traits that match what your child looks like. Every time we read her book, Delaney points to her cartoon self and says, "That's me!" Another great feature is the ability to specify the child's parents' names as well as those of a few friends which provides each book with an even more personal feel. Delaney loves showing me where her cousins are and what her other friends are doing on various pages. Our book is a fanciful, interactive read that draws Delaney into the story every time we read it by using characters--real people from her life--who are familiar to her.

The personalized nature of these books, in addition to their no-lead factor, should make Printakids books pretty popular this holiday season!

A mother's motto: Always Be Prepared - A father's motto: Don't Forget the Beef Jerky

Colleen:

Ever since our daughter was born I've clung to the idea that I need to be prepared for the unknowable. Sure, when I was a single woman following the horrific events of September 11 I went so far as to create a phone tree list to track family and friends in a potential emergency and I started stockpiling water (more on that to come) but other than doing those things I didn't think beyond what might happen and how I might need to be prepared to protect myself. Enter motherhood. Now I have a visceral need to protect my daughter at a moment's notice from everything and anything no matter how inconsequential or menacing. So when The Parent Bloggers asked for volunteers (and their spouses/significant others) to review the Sequoia Survival Vehicle Kit, I knew this overly cautious mommy just had to check it out.

I asked my husband (who is the complete opposite of me when it comes to emergency preparedness...and when it comes to just about anything else, come to think of it) to review the kit with me and his "astute" take on it is below. I must warn you that he's taken a few liberties where descriptions of me are concerned so be sure to read it with a grain of salt. I mean, there's no way I'm as neurotic as he makes me out to be. Ahem. And he's certainly got his share of faults. Although I do admit to having trouble finding them sometimes. As it turns out, he's pretty great and I'm pretty lucky. But enough about that. On with the review!

As for my take on the kit, my first impression when it arrived in a huge box was that it would be too big to fit even in my sizable SUV. I was pleasantly surprised, however, when upon open opening it I realized it was packed in a large box but the kit itself was perfectly compact and would easily fit in my car (it's even much smaller than it appears in the photo on this page of the Sequoia web site).

As I unpacked the kit I saw nearly everything we'd possibly need in the event of an emergency: water, food, an awesome hand-crank flashlight that also serves as a radio and cell phone charger, first aid kit, waterproof and windproof matches,  gloves, blankets, rope, rain ponchos and much more (for a complete list of what the kit includes visit this page).

This kit contains just about everything I need--and in one handy, compact place--to ease my neurotic concerned mind. What I would have liked to have seen in the kit (or had the option to purchase separately on the web site) were things that parents of young children can't live without: diapers, wipes, kid-friendly snacks, ziplock bags for containing dirty diapers, and even a few kid's books or coloring books and crayons. God forbid our family is ever stranded in a dire situation but if we were the last thing we'd need would be a bored, hungry toddler, stewing in a dirty diaper. That, my friends, is a true emergency situation. Yes, these family-friendly items are things that I could easily amass and throw into our car in a separate care package but the ability to purchase them on the site at the same time as the vehicle kit would save this busy parent even more valuable time.

Roger:

I am married to the world's most neurotic woman. Each time we go to Sam's Club, we have to buy another six gallons of water, enough Ramen to feed a college campus, and yet another box of energy bars. The water sits in the garage, exposed to grueling southern Texas summer heat. It leaks, it stinks, and it ruins everything around it. But, by God, when the terrorists come at least we'll have rancid water for the entire neighborhood.

When my wife asked me to help her review the Sequoia Survival Vehicle Kit, I agreed but was pretty cynical about the concept. My idea of a Vehicle Survival Kit is a 24oz cup of coffee and a week-old piece of beef jerky hiding under the seat. Given my sweet wife's multiple neuroses, I was sure she'd quickly be quite enamored with the Vehicle Survival Kit. I expected the kit to be a laughable excuse for something useful. She's given you an overview about nearly everything it includes, but here's my quick take on some of its highlights:

• A first aid kit. Surprisingly, this is nice little first aid kit. I expected something cheesy. This is a handy item and should probably be in every parent's car.

• Work gloves. Very handy to have in your car.

• A very cool little multi-tool. You'll not get much done in the Serengeti with this like the Survivorman does, but it's cool and surprisingly well-built.

• A couple of lightsticks. When my wife saw these her eyes lit up. She thought they were emergency lipsticks.

• 50' of ¼" nylon rope, a cheap ink pen, and a small little notepad. While not labeled as such, near as I can tell, these items are included should you be so desperately lost that your only recourse is to prepare to meet your maker.

• A pack of matches, a blanket, and a deck of cards. I'm sure these are included so that, if you're lucky enough to be stranded with someone moderately attractive, you can play strip poker in the dark until you get rescued. Or until you need the rope, the pen, and the notepad.

• Two hand warmers. As I mentioned we live in south Texas. These, I think, will only be used after the strip poker to keep us from feeling each other up with chilly hands. Remember, too, that if the hand warmers don't work, you can take turns wearing the gloves.

Overall, I was surprised with the both the quality of bag in which the kit is packed and the quality of the most of the contents. A little Price-Is-Right math tells me that the sum of the kit, purchased separately, would probably cost as much as the kit (which retails for $99). So, it doesn't appear to be overpriced by much, if at all. In fact, if you need a combination first aid kit, a Kervorkian kit, and pre-sex interlude kit, the package is a great deal. (For the latter, you might also want to carry an emergency bottle of Chardonnay around.) Me? I'm gonna sneak the multi-tool out of the kit when my wife isn't looking and otherwise stick with the coffee and beef jerky.

Deceptively Delicious

Let me begin by stating something that's already obvious to some of you: I do not cook. My husband affectionately says that when I walk into a kitchen my IQ drops 40 points and my eyes glaze over; you know the same thing that happens to a man when he enters a gentleman's club. I'm embarrassed to admit it, but he's right. I've had more mishaps in the kitchen than the number of issues Bush has had in Iraq (so yeah, a LOT). Sure, I've been known to throw together the occasional quiche to take the burden off of my culinarily-skilled husband but doing that is barely cooking. Still, I'd like to be able to help him out by creating actual meals from time to time so he doesn't have to rush home from work every day and start crackin' in the kitchen. Learning to cook healthy meals would be a bonus too. So, when The Parent Bloggers Network asked me if I'd like to review, Deceptively Delicious, written by Jessica Seinfeld  (yep, Jerry's wife!), I took it on as a challenge.

The premise of the book is that you can hide healthful, pureed vegetables and fruit in almost any recipe to ensure that your kids are getting proper nutrition. The good news for me? I'd pureed tons of fresh fruit and veggies for Delaney when she was starting solids so I had a little background using steamers, baking vegetables and whipping out our tiny Cuisinart food processor. But, as I thumbed through the book for the first time I felt out of my league. One of the reasons I don't cook is that recipes overwhelm me with their lengthy ingredient lists and complicated directions and I simply don't have the patience for all the stuff you have to do when you cook. Wash, peel, chop, mix, braise, roast. Ugh. Unlike how my husband enjoys cooking and trying out new recipes, it all seems so daunting and impossible to me and it causes me more way more stress than pleasure.

I figured I should start with something simple so I decided to tackle the Creamy Potato Soup from the dinner section on page 128. I thought that I could make it ahead of time so that when we needed something quick for supper I'd heat it up and pair it with a salad to make a complete meal. Imagine my shock and horror to find that Jessica wanted me to put cauliflower into this soup. I'll confess here that I have never, in my life, eaten cauliflower. It looks like broccoli's poor cousin, devoid of color or any redeeming qualities. But, I supposed she had a good reason for adding it to the recipe so I purchased my first head of the stuff.

The recipe called for pureeing cauliflower and butternut squash, a process that in and of itself took me more than an hour to do. In addition, I found that measuring and packaging the purees for future use, as described in the book, was a very messy process. Nevertheless I continued and finished preparing the soup. My finished product didn't look as white (or quite as lovely) as the photograph of it on page 129. Instead my soup had an orange tint (Did I use too much butternut squash? Or not enough potato? It's possible. I told you, I'm hopeless in the kitchen!) but tasted pretty good when I sampled it. The true taste test came when Delaney and Roger tried it. Delaney actually ate it, which surprised me as most new foods tend to put her off. Roger complained that it tasted too "vegetably" to him. As I ate more of it I had to agree with him. The flavors of cauliflower and squash seemed to overpower the potatoes. The Verdict? Overall the soup was OK and definitely edible but probably not something I'd make again.

The second recipe I tried was from the dessert section of the book: oatmeal cookies. The photo made me drool and Jessica's claim that these are Jerry's favorite cookies made me even more eager to try them. Imagine my disappointment when my cookies came out looking completely different from the photo in the book and they were nearly inedible. I followed the recipe religiously but no matter what I did I couldn't seem to get them to bake thoroughly. When they came out wet and limp after the recommended time in the oven I put them back in for longer than the recommended time thinking that my oven's temperature must not be properly calibrated. That didn't help. The recipe called for zucchini and cauliflower purees and my only guess about what went wrong was that the veggies contained too much moisture to hold together. The cookies fell apart into damp bits after just one bite and after storing them in a half-opened Ziplock bag overnight I couldn't remove them from the bag without having them completely fall apart. I hate to blame the recipe but I followed it with precision. The verdict? Definitely not something I'll make again.

Since I was 0 for 2 attempts I wanted to find a recipe in the book that was easy to follow and one that would hopefully yield better results. I tried the banana bread recipe from the breakfast section on page 54. It was simple and even, dare I say it, fun to follow (except for the part where I forgot to zip my Ziplock bag containing the dry ingredients and I sprayed them all over myself and the kitchen as I shook the bag to mix it all together. It was a total I Love Lucy moment!). The resulting banana bread tasted pretty good. It even contains cauliflower and I don't think you'd ever be able to taste it if you didn't already know it was in there. The verdict? I'd make this one again. The fact that this recipe turned out well gives me confidence to try some of the others in the book.

Deceptively Delicious is a colorful, pretty, whimsically-designed book featuring gorgeous food photography (which tends to sell me on any cook book) and illustrations of Jessica and her family that are reminiscent of the 50s. I like how the nutritional benefits of each fruit/vegetable were explained by nutritionist Joy Bauer so I understood why I was asked to add strange things like cauliflower to a cookie recipe.

If I could add anything to this book it would be tabs for the three main recipe sections, tips on cutting through butternut squash with a knife (I had lots of trouble with that!) and better suggestions for measuring and packaging the purees.

My husband originally told me that he thought the idea of this book was silly. He wanted to know why any parent worth their salt should try to hide fruits and vegetables in their kids' foods instead of teaching them to eat the foods themselves. I explained it to him this way: if I have a choice between feeding our daughter a processed, packaged cookie or a homemade brownie chock full of hidden veggie goodness? I'll chose the homemade brownie every time. And, once I explained it that way, he started to see the light.

Be sure to visit The Parent Bloggers Network for other reviews about Deceptively Delicious.

Walking on sunshine

Thanks to The Parent Bloggers Network, I've been testing a pair of Ryka MC2 Walk shoes every time I hit the treadmill at the gym for the last several weeks. The fact that this pregnant lady, who's gaining girth by the minute, can make it to the gym at all is in and of itself fairly impressive. What's even more impressive, however, are these shoes. I can't say enough good things about them. But, before I do, let me give you some background on what I'd been using before they were delivered to my doorstep.

Just six months after my daughter's birth, when I joined a gym and started working out again (OK, who am I kidding? When I started working out for the FIRST TIME EVER...), the tennis shoes in my closet were the saddest looking pieces of limp leather you'd ever seen. Man, were they ugly. The tops grazed just above my ankles making it look like I had cankles and we all know how glamorous that look is. These babies had been in my closet as far back as the days when I used to scream the lyrics to every song on Jagged Little Pill. 'Nuff said.

Luckily I started working out with a trainer who schooled me in the finer points of shoe-osity. Well, what he did was hand me a list of trainer-approved shoes and pointed me in the direction of Foot Locker. The first pair I tried on were the ones I bought even though they cost around $100. What did I know? Shoes are shoes, right? And, I figured, the more you spend on them the better they must be, right? Wrong! They were comfortable enough but after just a few short months of wear, they got floppy (and yes, that's the technical term). Arch support was no longer on the agenda.

By this time I'd ditched my trusty trainer (damn, but those guys are expensive!) and so, without a shoe guru to guide me, I bought another pair of the same shoes hoping that the floppiness was unique only to the first pair I'd purchased.

Of course you can probably see it coming: that pair started to flop as well. I gave up trying to find the perfect pair and stuck it out on my treks to the treadmill without the firm arch support I craved.

Then, I met my Rykas. From the moment I slipped them on my feet I felt as content as Cinderella when she donned the glass slipper, beating out her bitchy step-sisters and winning the heart of the prince.

Not only do these shoes provide awesome arch support but they fit snugly and comfortably all while being attractive too, which is of the utmost importance when you're carrying a bowling ball around your middle at the gym (playing up my more attractive parts--slim ankles anyone?--helps keep the Pregnant Self-esteem Monster at bay for another day). One of the biggest pluses? They're $20 cheaper than the brand I'd been using (Which I won't name here. Why give publicity to the floppy shoe pushers of the world? Email me if you must know.).

I've been pregnant before so I've already come to terms with the fact that the swelling is on it's way and no shoe, no matter how spectacular, will save me from the eventual Dawn of the Cankles. But until then I'll happily lace up my Rykas and head to the gym knowing that when people are staring at me it'll be because they're jealous of my shoes instead of wondering if I'm going to deliver a baby, right then and there, under the weight machine.

Be sure to visit Ryka's contest. They're giving away 50 shirts and 50 pairs of shoes a day through October 5! And, visit The Parent Bloggers round up of Ryka reviews to learn more about Ryka walking and running shoes.

Body, Soul, and Baby by Tracy W. Gaudet, M.D.

As you know (or have gathered from my blatant header), I'm pregnant with our second child. While I'd wanted and hoped for this pregnancy for a long time, the reality of adding another child to our family, along with the horrible morning sickness and exhaustion I'd been living with for weeks, was making me question our decision to have another baby (although it's kinda too late for that!). I was sick, depressed and hadn't spent any time at all tuning in to myself, my baby or my body.

Enter Body, Soul, and Baby (BSB). This book arrived on my doorstep from The Parent Bloggers Network in the nick of time. It's written by Tracy Gaudet, the director of the Duke Center for Integrative Medicine. My predilection for complementary alternative therapies (I'd practiced hypnosis to prepare for Delaney's birth and had used hypnosis successfully in the past to lose weight) made me curious to see what BSB had to offer and frankly I was desperate for a new way to view my daunting and, up until that point, unhappy pregnancy.

When I was pregnant for the first time with Delaney I read practically every pregnancy book available and still wanted to read more. This time around, I decided not to read or even reread pregnancy books. But this book seemed different. One evening while Roger was putting Delaney to bed and I was lying on the couch trying not to die, I picked up, Body, Soul, and Baby and started to change the way I'd been thinking about my pregnancy.

Early into the introduction, a question caught my attention: "Will you tune in...or miss out?" The answer was obvious. I was missing out. And it's easy to see why. When you feel as physically miserable as I'd been feeling (unable to eat, throwing up, losing weight and having zero energy), it's all you focus on. What Gaudet explained is that I needed to see beyond how I was feeling and try to get in touch with why I was feeling that way.

Yes, my hormones were obviously in charge and they mercilessly drilled me into the ground. There wasn't much I could do about that, but I could work on changing my attitude about this pregnancy and look at it as a blessing taking place in my body rather than an enemy that's turned me into a bitchy shrew. It seemed like a small thing to do, but just changing my mindset helped me feel a bit better. And, of course, as the weeks have gone by the nausea finally started to loosen its grip (at about week 15), the painful acne began to retreat and now I'm getting excited about being pregnant for the first time since the stick turned pink.

Gaudet offers very specific tools such as mental body scans; dialoguing with yourself about how you're feeling; dreamagery (using your imagination to connect with your subconscious); and journaling to guide you through a connected and mindful pregnancy. I enjoyed reading about the tools and Gaudet's approach is certainly one I would have followed to the letter during my first pregnancy. I'd even recommend it to other soon-to-be-moms.

But if I'm being honest, between raising a toddler, working from home and the various other obligations  I have, I just don't make time to sit, be silent and listen to my body. I have, however, started checking in regularly with my baby after reading this book. I talk to my unborn child to tell him/her that even though he/she is making my life hellish right now, I love him/her and I understand that this difficult period will be worth it. After reading BSB, I've made this a nightly practice and it's making a difference in how connected I already feel to my child.

I wish I'd had this book leading me through my first pregnancy back in 2004-5. I admit I'm a little jaded now. Knowing that I'll have a scheduled C-section this time around and knowing what to expect from that situation makes me less doubtful of the birth experience I'll have. I don't feel that I have to work as hard this time to understand everything that's happening because I already  know.

Still, Gaudet's book is extremely informational and educational and she opened my eyes to things I'd never considered like (duh!) I can use hypnosis again even though I know I'm having a C-section this time. She reminded me that, "presurgical hypnosis has also been shown to speed healing," a fact I believe to be true from my own experience using it for several weeks as I prepared for my labor, delivery and eventual C-section with Delaney. And, although I'm pretty set on a repeat C-section, I'm exploring the section titled, "How to make a conscious choice about trying a VBAC," which includes tools I can use to help me figure out which course of delivery is best for me, my body and my baby. Who knows? Maybe the VBAC I never considered is actually the way I should go. This is an option that frankly hadn't occurred to me prior to reading BSB and I'm glad Gaudet's got me exploring the option.

Body, Soul, and Baby is exactly the kind of pregnancy book I would have devoured in mere days during my first pregnancy, especially since it's so different from all of the others out there. Gaudet's background in integrative medicine provides a refreshing viewpoint of the journey of preconception, pregnancy and the postpartum period and I'm glad I got the chance to read it during my second (and as Roger insists, LAST) go-round at this pregnancy thing.