Nine Manageable Months

There are trade-offs. Heartburn and swollen feet for precious belly kicks. A lack of lung and bladder space in exchange for listening to that amazing heartbeat each month. And morning sickness for the pure excitement of welcoming a new baby into your family.

There are many more and the trade-offs vary from person to person and from month to month. Some people embrace it all, while others struggle to enjoy the vast changes in your body that occur; but, no matter what, here are some simple tips that might help make your nine pregnancy months more manageable.

• Treat yourself to a footstool - or two. They can make you more comfortable at work, at home and even come in handy when you are breastfeeding.

• Take small snooze sessions. Purchase a travel alarm clock or figure out how to use the one on your cell phone. Take a 15-minuter during your lunch break if needed. You'll be amazed at how refreshed you'll feel.

• I don't spend money on myself. But if ever there was a time, now is the time to pamper yourself with a manicure or pedicure. Sweeten the pot by inviting a friend to join you. It'll be worth every penny, especially when you can't quite reach your toes any more!

• If you're like me, the last thing you want to think about is exercise. However, a daily stroll (no matter how long) can boost your energy and help you to unwind at the end of the day.

• Take photos! Capture your growing belly, gifts you receive, the nursery, the crazy food you crave, and the fun you have with family and friends. What a great way to document your pregnancy and cherish it later with your kids!

• Make a "mama-to-be toolbox". Stock it with things you use often - lip balm, tissues, phone, book, eye glasses, pen and paper, etc. It might help eliminate extra trips up and down the stairs. Don't forget the snacks!

• You've heard it time and time again ... drink water. Keep a bottle of H2O by you at all times for less contractions, leg cramps, nausea and more.

• Carry a journal. Write down questions for your doctor as you think of them; keep track of weight gain; jot down ideas for names; etc. What a great reference this will be for your next pregnancy or to simple remember your special experience.

I Love Journals!

I had a journal of "firsts" for Aidan and I'll keep one for this baby girl too. I just discovered this adorable book My Baby Book, written from the point of view of baby. Funny prompts like "I'd have to say the cutest thing I've done so far is ____." will guide you through your journaling, as well as questions about mom and dad's pre-baby life too!

Amy Krouse Rosenthal also wrote Your Birthday Book: A Keepsake Journal and The Belly Book: A Nine-Month Journal for You and Your Growing Belly. The whole collection would make for a unique gift for the parents-to-be!

Make Lemonade

Shhh… don't tell your kids, but making lemonade is one of those "you're learning a bunch of stuff and you don't know it" opportunities!

• Squeezing lemons is a fine motor experience. It works the same muscles used for writing.

• Measuring the ingredients requires math skills like counting and following steps in order.

• For a bonus lesson, line up the ingredients from left to right so it encourages left-right visual progression as your child works their way through the steps (an important pre-reading skill).

• Pouring is great for hand-eye coordination.

• Think about Science - from the sense of taste (sour & sweet) for little ones, to the concepts of osmosis and molecular structure that cause sugar to dissolve in water for the bigger kids.

• Turn it into a lemonade stand and encourage social skills as well as money math skills.

Fresh Lemonade Recipe

To make an ice-cold glass of old-fashioned, fresh-squeezed lemonade, all you need is:

6-8 lemons

1 cup of sugar

6 cups of water

Directions: Squeeze the juice from the lemons until you have one cup of juice, then mix everything together in a pitcher, until the sugar dissolves.

Note to Self

Take more family photos.

Sentimental Baby Gift

Remember when we gave away a precious VoiceQuilt™ Keepsake Box on VickyandJen.com? I never considered one as a sentimental baby shower gift until now, being pregnant and all. How beautiful would that be to welcome a little one into the world with sweet messages record by parents, siblings and other family members?

Using VoiceQuilt™, family and friends can easily capture their voice-based memories by calling in to a designated toll-free number and record a special message, song, story, tribute or dream for baby's future. Priceless! VoiceQuilt™ handcrafted keepsake boxes, CD's and other details can be seen at www.voicequilt.com.