Winner of the "What to Expect When You're Expecting" Fabulous Giveaway!

***Congratulations Winner of the "What To Expect When You're Expecting" Fabulous Giveaway 

is Erin B. from Charleston, SC***

The first gift I gave my sister, Malaika when I found out she was expecting was the book, "What to Expect When You're Expecting." I told her to cherish it and follow the book weekly on her whirlwind and very exciting pregnancy journey.

Every week we tracked her pregnancy referencing the book. We talked, laughed and even cried with joy about her growing belly. We called my nephew everything from a "little bean" to "cantaloupe." The book gave us a better insight to what was going on in his little world on a weekly basis including information about how they were both growing, what to expect, tips, ‘when to call doctor’ notes, and preparation stories.

According to USA Today, 93% of all pregnant moms who read a pregnancy guide read, "What To Expect When You're Expecting." The series has been described as the bible of American pregnancy.

After my nephew turned 1 years old, I gave my sister the books, "What to Expect the First Year," and "What to Expect the Second Year." I also referred her to the site www.WhattoExpect.com; which reaches 1.5 million monthly unique visitors and is the second-largest audience of moms-to-be online.

Because I love WhattoExpect.com we've teamed up together to give away their wonderful book series. I can't tell you enough how much I love these books. If these books are already a part of your book collection, then please enter this contest anyway and give this great gift to an expecting mom, new mom, or even seasoned mom!

One Lucky Winner will Receive all Three Books (worth $47):  

• What to Expect When You're Expecting
• What to Expect the First Year
• What to Expect the Second Year

Please see the rules below to enter this fabulous giveaway:

•  Like Married with Two Boys on Facebook
•  Follow Married with Two Boys
•  Post this giveaway on your Facebook page (providing the link to this post).
•  Have a friend post this link on their Facebook page (providing the link to this post).
•  Leave a comment on this post indicating that you have done all of the above. Include the first name of  the friend who also posted this link on their Facebook page. 
• Please leave your email address in the comment or make sure it is visible in your profile.

Really want to win, then enter twice! Or if you already Follow me and like "Married with Two Boys" on Facebook then please do the following to enter the contest: 

• Follow me on Twitter and Tweet about this awesome giveaway!  “I entered to win a What To Expect When You’re Expecting prize pack! @Sojournerruth #Pregnancy #WorkingMoms"
• Post this giveaway on your Facebook page (providing the link to this post).
•  Have a friend post this link on their Facebook page (providing the link to this post).
•  Leave a comment on this post indicating that you have done all of the above. Include the first name of  the friend who also posted this link on their Facebook page.
• Please leave your email address in the comment or make sure it is visible in your profile.

CLOSED: This giveaway will end on Monday, June 6, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. Winner(s) will receive their prize pack(s) directly from WhatToExpect.com. 

Potty Dance!

10 Things to Do While You’re Pregnant

During the 7^th month of my first pregnancy, I spent most of the weekend time sitting in the house waiting for the baby to arrive. My husband, Roland, tried to get me out of the house, but towards the end of my pregnancy I felt like a “huge bus” and didn’t want to go anywhere. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed being pregnant, but the added 60 plus pounds wasn’t flattering. Frankly, it was hard to breathe!

Only during my second pregnancy did I realize, that I shouldn’t have stayed in the house (the first time around). I had to move and be moved. In searching, I discovered several things that made my second pregnancy more fun, active, and enjoyable.

1. Bargain Shop - It's fun and quite humbling to watch your belly grow. Have fun buying new clothes to flatter your new figure.

2. Swap Clothes – Exchange or borrow maternity clothes from your friends or co-workers. One of my favorite girlfriends, Teresa, and I have shared maternity clothes during both pregnancies. We love taking pictures of each other in the clothes and comparing our mommy bumps.

3. Exercise – Walking keeps you in shape and is good for the baby. I didn’t exercise during my first pregnancy and gained a great deal of weight. I exercised and didn’t gain as much weight with the second pregnancy. This allowed my post-pregnancy body to come back a lot quicker. My sister, Malaika, signed up for yoga for expectant moms and loved it!

4. Cravings – It’s best to eat in moderation, but if you’re craving something eat it! Experiment with different nutritional foods too.

5. Photos – Take pictures documenting your growing belly. I took pictures each month and created a video documenting my pregnancy.

6. Curiosity – If you feel comfortable, share your pregnancy updates with your friends and colleagues. Sharing can help people feel closer to you and excited about your bundle of joy.

7. Courtesy – Allow people to open doors for you! It’s okay to take advantage of certain perks during your pregnancy. Publix Supermarket has several parking spots designated for new and expecting moms. Does you supermarket have designated spaces? If not, ask for what you deserve.

8. Date Night – When the baby arrives, date nights will have to be put on the back burner for a while. When you are less sleep deprived, schedule several date nights with your partner. Dress up and enjoy being out of the house.

9. Baby Shower – Showers are great events for your family, friends and you to celebrate your bundle of joy. If this isn’t your first pregnancy, then ask your family and friends to “throw you” a diaper shower. We had a diaper shower, and the diapers lasted over 3 months. Also, remember to ask for several different diaper sizes.

10. Support Groups – Join or create a new mom support group. My colleague, Lara, and I started a support group at work. It’s a wonderful way for new, expectant, and seasoned moms to get together monthly to discuss motherhood. There are also a number of support groups online, if you can’t establish one at your job.

There are hundreds of reasons to enjoy being pregnant. I’m sure if you try one of these then you’ll be on your way to a sound mind and body, memorable moments, and a healthy beautiful baby.

Follow her on Twitter: http://twitter.com/sojournerruth .

Published in Southwest Parenting

Top 10 Things Not to Say to a Pregnant Woman

I knew the next time that I got pregnant; I would have to deal with ignorant comments about my growing belly. During my first pregnancy, absolute strangers who wanted to know all the details about my blossoming baby bump fascinated me. At first, I welcomed the questions, until they started to become insults. I was so appalled by some of the comments that I decided to keep track of the worst insults that can be directed to a pregnant woman.

1. Is that a linebacker in your belly?

2. From your husband or significant other, “Babe, can you cook me something to eat?”

3. Is your due date tomorrow?

4. Lady, are you packing twins?

5. You should hold off on the fries, because your baby doesn’t need anything else to eat.

6. What are you eating now? Geez, you sure do eat a lot.

7. Are you pregnant again? Every time I turn around you’re knocked up!

8. Your ultrasound looks like an alien.

9. You’ve got a big head. Your delivery is going to hurt!

10. You’re about to bust! (When in actuality, you are only 5 months pregnant, with one child in utero).

There are over 80 million mothers in the United States. Instead of saying something that may land you in the “hot seat,” try to say something in a kind way. For example, “Congratulations, you look really great!” Or try, “You’re glowing and look so good!” Instead of being an annoying baby bump gawker, please turn your harsh ridicule into positive affirmations. This will not only protect your feelings from being hurt, but will also shower joy upon a woman who has to carry a child for 9 months, and most likely deal with other people’s inappropriate comments.

Published Click on Link: Southwest Parenting Magazine

Bringing Sexy Back After Baby

Southwest Parenting Magazine
Staring in the mirror at my brown, naked body after having my son frightened the heck out of me! I was so appalled that my once somewhat shapely, high school sprinter and college homecoming sorority queen figure had gone caput. This image staring back at me in the mirror looked like Shrek, a “cute” monster. I tried to style my hair differently, wear make-up and show some newly developed cleavage, but nothing could help my 211-pound figure. Bottom line, I needed to lose weight.

Before I had my son, I weighed in with my shoes off at 163 lbs. A twenty-eight- year-old, 5’5 ½” tall woman, is a pretty huggable size. My husband liked my new post baby figure, but he wasn’t toting around the extra weight. A trainer at a nearby gym checked my Body Mass Index (BMI) and said that I was borderline obese. I cried and continued to eat. My mom tried to console me by recommending nutritional foods to eat, and sending magazines ads and literature on “Ways to Tone Your Abs” and “How to Get
J’ Lo’s Buns.” The materials started collecting dust on my shelf.

One day, I woke up and decided that I was going to beautify these new stretch marks, flabby middle, and discolored neck. I created a schedule for myself with a daily routine to bring sexy back and unleash my inner “hot mama.” Maintaining my enthusiasm, I also decided to do the following: post a calendar in my bathroom to keep track of my weight daily, create a motivational board, post positive quotes in my office, and seek advice from a professional trainer.

Kimberly Isom, a certified International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) personal trainer, advised mothers to be consistent with their workout regiment. She stated, “Exercise and eating healthy goes hand and hand to shed those unwanted pounds. Eating healthy lends itself to some very tasty options and there are several ways to substitute bad ingredients for good ones to whip up a very tasty dish. You should commit to at least two-three days of resistance training and cardio per week and clean up those cabinets for healthy food and snacks, but always remember to read the labels and stay away from the processed items, high sugar, and sodium foods. Drink plenty of water, and you are well on your way bringing sexy back!”

My son will turn two years old in June. I’m now weighing in at 145 lbs. I would like to lose 10 more pounds, but I’m a lot happier now with my weight than I was after I had my child. My best advice is to do your best and stay the course. It will take some time to get into a routine. After a couple of weeks, you will start working out unconsciously and will be looking finer than fine in no time!