October is my absolute favorite month for a zillion reasons: the smell of wood-burning fireplaces, our annual visit to the
apple orchard in Stow, Mass., changing leaves, and that refreshing cool, crispness in the air, to name just a few. For a moment there, I was thinking how great it'd be if Baby Riser was going to be an autumn baby, but we desperately need the 3+ months we have left b/c we are SO not ready!
Now for some reviews on a few products that I'm pretty excited about from
Fairhaven Health. FH specializes in fertility, pregnancy, and nursing products and since it's clearly a little late for me to try any fertility products, they sent me some preggo ones to try out. :)
1. DreamBelly Cream

Pros: feels a-maz-ing, moisturizes nicely, soaks in quickly and is NOT oily. (Just my 2 cents: stay away from Burt's Bees body oil. Who has time to let the oil soak in before getting dressed?!) Another pro is that it's pretty much scent-free, which is excellent not only for my sensitive preggo nose but b/c it means it's made without those awful phthalates lurking in that ever-present ingredient "fragrance."
Cons: my first thought was that it didn't smell that great, but this quickly moved to the "pro" column, as noted above.
2. Healthy Mom, Happy Baby-Prenatal Yoga DVD, with Anna Davis and Lisa Black

Since becoming pregnant, I've been pretty good about continuing my yoga practice at least once or twice a week at the gym. But unfortunately, I feel like I've really been missing out on a lot since I can't do abs, cobra during sun salutations, or lie flat on my back. I was very excited to try this prenatal yoga dvd from home.
Pros: modifications shown in insets; broken out menu--awesome b/c if you're in a hurry, you can just choose what you need; felt great; thorough
Cons: moves really fast--not for the yoga beginner; modifications in insets are difficult to catch during poses (would have loved it if they mentioned the variations or cued to view screen at that time)
3. Tea-for-Two Pregnancy Tea

Pros: totally soothing, tastes good, made from organic ingredients that are baby-safe, it promises all kinds of benefits like it will "tone and relax the uterine muscles, strengthen the womb throughout the pregnancy, and prepare the body for labor and childbirth. It may also help prevent or reduce pregnancy complications." I'm hoping!
Cons: it's loose leaf tea, which required me to go out and buy a tea infuser, but it was totally worth it.
I love that Fairhaven seems committed to using natural products and the company's purpose is to make our lives a little easier and more comfortable. Who doesn't want that? Oh, and good news for any of my preggo or trying-to-get preggo friends out there, you can use this code for 10% off at www.fairhavenhealth.com until Dec. 31: greatdeal
Next up, Ohio shower pics! As many of you know, we decided to have a shower in Cincinnati rather early (week 25) to avoid both my having to travel in the 3rd trimester and exposure to various flus. Thanks to all who came down to see us or sent us your thoughtful wishes. It meant a lot to us. :)