Nova Skye is learning to feed herself lately. Watch this cute baby video and take a look at the pictorial to see how she's doing. She's eating Beechnut organic Non-GMO certified apples and sweet potatoes that are lightly spiced with cinnamon.

Nova's getting so big! She got to play with her Nuby stacking cups today and she absolutely loves them! She played with them in her Graco SimpleSwitch Convertible High Chair.  The high chair is so comfy and the cups were so fun that she enjoyed them for quite a bit. The two videos below, as well as the pictures above depict how delighted and interested she was.

Nova turned 3 months old yesterday (9/2/2016)! Check out the fun photo gallery below, after reading about her amazing baby milestones at three months old.

Nova is getting so big and enjoying so much more. She finally got to test out her Evenflo Exersaucer that Grandma Rowell got for her and she absolutely loves it! Don't worry, she has all the signs of being ready to use it, such as being able to control her own head and pushing with her feet if in a standing position. There are more signs, but that should give you an idea. She was so funny playing with it. She got extremely excited and said hi to the teddy bear and monkeys several times. She does that to everything with a face, be it a toy or a person.

Speaking of signs, Nova had a well-baby checkup recently and guess what?! She's developing well and has met or exceeded every single milestone for her age. She weighed 9 lbs, 3 oz, as of 8/31/2016. That's up significantly from her birth weight of 5 lbs, 7.5 oz. She's also now 2o inches long! She was a little under 17 inches at birth.

Nova is playing a ton these days and is super active during the day. She plays with her feet, plays with any toys we put near her or hand to her, plays in the Exersaucer, laughs when people do silly things, requests specific toys with a distinct sound when she sees them, and so much more. Her favorites include a monkey teething blanket, the Exersaucer, a small Pokemon figurine that Nathan gave her, family members, cardboard tubes, her Summer Infant SuperSeat, an elephant wind chime my mom has (she likes to ring the bells with her feet), and a few more.

Nova's been doing so much lately that we can hardly keep up! Stay tuned for the next post. It's even easier if you hit the subscribe button on the right sidebar, so you don't miss a thing.

Baby Nova Skye always has such a cute natural mohawk. Rich and I love it and were both getting tired of our hair. Therefore, we decided to be different with our hairstyles in support of Nova.

As always, we were our own hairstylists. No salons are getting our money for something we can do ourselves.

Rich got a mohawk. My hair refuses to stay up in the air, no matter what we do, so no mohawk for me yet. But we did reshave the undercut even shorter than before, as well as trim some more off the top. I had to curl it under to make it stay up and the shorter pieces don't stay up unless I do that, hence no mohawk. Oh well.

(Our haircuts pictured below)

by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff

Nova Skye is growing so fast! Here's a comparison of her in the same outfit while in her Boppy, both at 6 days and again at 3 months.

by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff

We discovered recently that Nova is probably teething and got a video of her being silly with her dress. Here's another fun video of almost 3 month old teething Nova. This time, she's talking  about and chewing on her teething blanket.

(If the video loads slow or looks like a picture, click on it to view on Flickr. Some browsers may require this.)

Nova's been growing like crazy and she think it's funny! When we tried to get her dressed the other day, Nova laughed hysterically as we searched for something to fit. See those pics, as well as some others depicting her growth and sense of humor.

We ended up having to dig through her "will wear later" storage bin and take out a bunch more stuff and put away lots of things she outgrew. Ask us later about which pieces of baby clothing will get new homes and which will be kept for memories. We're still processing the fact that she already can't wear them anymore when she was swimming in them seemingly just yesterday.

by Richard Rowell, Proud Father

I wrote this bit on Facebook today:

Nova is such a good baby. I mean, yeah, she's my kid and all. But there's more to it than that. She's clearly super smart, fascinated by everything. She's already watching TV with us, listens to music with us, and tries to tell us stuff. It's really awesome watching this little person slowly but surely growing before our eyes. It's really a privilege. Also, it's a great responsibility to care for such a fragile, nascent life. I feel now more than ever that I'm up to it. At least, that's how I feel for now!

Yesterday, Nova turned three weeks old. While she's still really little, she is definitely growing. It's amazing just how much she eats for such a little thing, but now she's sleeping a lot more, too. I haven't gotten to write nearly as much about her as I'd like to, but that's a result of needing to be on call to take care of her when needed. Lyn and I are trying to get work done, but Nova is quite the little distraction. It's both good and bad, but of course, our little girl is the more important thing. Money is definitely needed, but the baby has to come first.

So I've just recently gotten back to actually writing stuff. I should be getting into writing more specific things again. There just haven't been a lot of landmark things to mention just yet.

All I can say is Nova is a good baby. She's still a handful, but definitely a pleasant one.

by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff

As most of you know by now, Rich and I have been extremely thrifty during this pregnancy, getting things at deeply discounted rates, as well as many for free. Yesterday, we visited two local ARC thrift stores and you will not believe how many good items we found for about twenty bucks total. The details of this amazing thrift store haul, along with their actual value are outlined below.

As you can see, our quick thrift store visits were quite productive. Most of these items were items we had planned on getting at some point, but figured we'd have to save first. We didn't go to the thrift store looking for them. We generally just go and see what we can find. Apparently, we're very good at finding exactly what we need without even trying. The Universe also seems to be looking out for our family a ton lately.

by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff

I've always been a bargain hunter. But during this pregnancy with Nova Skye, I've become a master at getting baby items that are useful for FREE or very cheap. Here's a recent mini haul from our local Dollar Tree in Aurora, Colorado.

This is Dollar Tree, so obviously, since there are ten items pictured here, this trip was ten bucks plus tax.

Babies like to look at interesting things, especially colorful ones that move. The top two items pictured are solar powered figurines that have a moving character at the top. Obviously, a baby cannot play with these. Therefore, they should sit safely in a sunny spot (like a window sill) that your baby can see, but not reach.

Next up, you'll see two brand name (Sesame Street) baby books. They are the soft squishy plastic ones that babies love to squeeze and turn the pages on. This is an excellent find, as baby board books are usually around five bucks or more each.

Next to the books is a teether and rattle, again Sesame Street themed. Babies love to play with these and we needed a few more toys for Nova when we found this. Directly underneath, is a different teether and rattler that the baby can shake and chew on, also made by the Sesame Street brand.

The blue thingy in the middle is a knee pad for the parents, so that no one gets sore while bending over the tub to bathe the baby. With my weird leg issues, I really needed this and at only a dollar, how could I say no?

On the bottom left is a cold pack, which is very useful for those times when baby whacks herself with a toy or does something else baby-like, resulting in injury that just needs a quick cold compress. Hopefully, we won't need it, but parents can never over-prepare. This is not my first rodeo and I know the drill well.

The last item in the middle at the bottom is a square-shaped container. It's supposed to be for snacks. However, since newborns don't snack and we needed a good, sanitary binky container for the diaper bag, we thought this was a good fit.

By the way, in case you're wondering, anything the baby might play with, chew, eat out of, and so on was clearly marked as BPA-free, which is pretty awesome for a dollar store.

*What have you discovered at the Dollar Tree (or other dollar stores) lately? Please share below!

I posted this on Facebook earlier. But I decided this actually belongs here, since it's related to the baby and pregnancy. It also may help some people who are having rough pregnancies.

WARNING: Long rambly, personal post about pain, life, and people that may eventually contain something valuable lol

I'm extremely pained, worn out, and sick and honestly not sure how I'm going to make it another week feeling like this. People keep saying to rest for me and the baby, but I'm not sure that's the best thing for either of us. Being in bed makes the pain and morning sickness worse, no matter how many pillows or positions or suggestions I try.

Of course, too much movement does the same. I'm more inclined to believe that an equal balance of everything is better. But what do I know? I'm just listening to the doctor's advice because he's never failed me in the past with all the other kids of mine he's delivered. However, the internet has failed many. LOL

Can I just fast forward to delivery time? That's the part of the pain I actually want to feel. I'm not getting an epidural or other pain relief, by choice. Some pains in life are meant to be felt, so that we can grow stronger. Everything in life is not always rosy and there's nothing wrong with being truthful. In fact, its healthier than holding it inside.

So, if you're among the few who don't want to hear my "complaining", you probably need to do some serious reexamining of life. It's about going through things and coming out stronger for everyone, not just yourself. I share what I do on the off chance that someone else with similar experiences can relate and/or be helped and I'll never apologize for doing so.

Anyhow, labor and delivery pain results in a baby: the best result ever. I suppose in a way this pain does too. But it's getting more difficult to go through this every second that goes by. Just posting this has helped, if only for the reason that it might resonate with someone else who needs to see it.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to keep feeling painful contractions, like always. Perhaps eventually, they will result in a baby. LOL

*P.S. The good news is that if she isn't here yet 7 days from now, the doctor can safely induce.

I know it's been quite a while since we've posted any updates. There isn't a 32 or 33 week post and that's due large in part to my health in the pregnancy, as of late. So, here's what's going on, as well as fetal development info for 32 weeks, 33 weeks, and 34 weeks. We're 34 weeks pregnant with Nova Skye Rowell, as of April 23, 2016.

What’s Nova Been Doing During 32, 33, and 34 Weeks?

Nova’s been doing excellent. She still moves around very actively and all of her ultrasounds, including a high definition one have shown us excellent things. She’s small, but perfect. I mean, Rich and I are only 5’2” and 5’3”, respectively. So, she probably isn’t going to be too huge, no matter how long she stays in there. Haha

We had a preterm labor scare at 32 weeks that is being controlled under careful medical supervision, which is a huge part of why I haven’t been able to get much written. At the high definition ultrasound, received during that visit, Nova weighed in at around 3 pounds and 9 ounces. Her length was 17 inches. That’s relatively small for that gestational age. However, again, both of her parents are small.

The key info from that ultrasound, other than the small size, is that she is doing extremely well and is fully developed. As with most babies at this stage, lung (and other respiratory) function after birth is the main concern if she were to be born early. There’s no way to know how that will go until they are born, so it’s always best they stay in as long as possible until the due date, or at least until term, which is 37 weeks.

The follow up appointment on 4/21 went well. Nova’s heartbeat is still super strong and all of my measurements are as they should be. I may not be doing that great, but despite that, she certainly is thriving and that’s the goal. As my mother-in-law Deb pointed out, she’s definitely a fighter.

When’s the Next Doctor Visit?

The next prenatal visit is May 6th. But of course, if anything happens that requires further evaluation before then, my OB will see me and in an emergency, the ER is obviously available. Hopefully, all will be as uneventful as possible and that appointment date will remain as it is.

How’s the Momtrepreneur and Daddy-To-Be This Week?

In short, we’re both very stressed and I’m very sick, but we’re making the best of it and know that Nova will be well worth it all. Yesterday (4/23/2016), I was vomiting severely, some containing a small amount of blood after a while. The severe pain increased. So, I called my OB to ask what I should do.

He increased the dosage times of my medication and told me to lay only on my left side and eat the BRAT diet and drink water, chew ice, or drink ginger ale and not move at all. He said the blood was likely due to my insides getting irritation from so much vomiting. That makes sense since it was a small amount and only occurred after that was going on for a bit.

He said if I were to go to the hospital like that, they'd likely admit me to bed rest there and he'd rather have me be comfortable at home if possible. We agree. But if it gets worse or certain other things happen (such as more labor signs), he wants me to call him and have things reevaluated. Obviously, if it's an emergency, we'd head straight to the hospital and call him on the way.

His recommendations have helped so far. The medicine is quelling the contractions to a point where I don't have to go in and the vomiting has stopped. I'm still in massive pain, however. So, if I'm not as responsive as usual, that's why. Don't worry, I'm resting as I post this and I'm stable enough to be at home, rather than the hospital.

Rich has taken over everything I do, on top of what he does. Plus, he is there to comfort me and take care of me. So, if he's also less responsive and less active at posting, that's why.

Thanks for all the love and support, everyone. It really means a great deal to us.

Accomplishments During Week 32 , 33, & 34 of the Pregnancy

We actually accomplished quite a bit, considering all that's happened. In fact, making it to 34 weeks has been a huge accomplishment, in itself. I would say that’s the biggest accomplishment so far, in light of all the issues I’ve been having. If we can get to at least 37 weeks, that’s even better. So far, so good.

We got some low odor paint that doesn’t seem to be bothering my allergies at all, so that’s good. The kids are helping get that done, since I am pretty useless at this point, as far as doing the things I usually do (home improvement, normal household duties, work, etc). We wanted to finish up the walls before the baby comes, as that is really the main issue in our area of the house.

We also got some great bargains on baby items, as well as some items for Aja and Nathan. Our local thrift store saved us once more and we were able to get 160 clothing items for only $16. No kidding. We don’t really care too much about brands. However, most all of them happened to be brand name items.

Guess what?! We aren't selling our vehicle anymore. Not that we don't need the money, but all we kept getting were scam offers anyhow and we really do need the vehicle with such a large family. So, instead, we put it back on the road. We had already fixed the alternator previously. So, all it took was a battery and registration. Yay! It's an older model ('97 Toyota 4Runner Ltd), so it's not like we were going to make a huge enough amount to be able to move and maintain rent and bills anyway. We just thought it would help.

Let's see, I also cut my hair because, unlike the other pregnancies (which made my hair awesome), this one has done some serious damage to it. I'm not exactly happy about having short hair because I prefer it long and my hair takes FOREVER to grow. But it was super unhealthy. It ended up getting straight and full of split ends and my hair is normally curly and shiny. I'm not well enough to spend the time it would take to revive it. So, I opted for cutting it. There's still some more work to be done on the style I actually want. But, for now, it's manageable and healthier.

The animals have been awesome helping everyone else take care of me. I also managed to get some more cloth diapers done and fix up the page I'll be selling them on here once I'm done making enough for Nova. I have to make hers first and then I can focus on making more to sell. We desperately need the money, so hopefully I'll be able to get that done soon.

Also, we’ve been receiving even more generosity than ever, between people reaching out with love and emotional support to a couple people helping once again with the baby registry. If you’d like to help, the main thing we need on the registry is fragrance free baby wipes. If you can’t afford to help, it helps us a ton when our links from this site and the others we own are shared via social media. And, last but not least, Love, Love, & More Love is hugely appreciated.

For fetal development info in relation to 32, 33, and 34 weeks, continue below the galleries.

Because I haven't been doing so well during this pregnancy, especially with the latest scare, people have been asking how they can help. The simple answer is love, love, and then more love. Here's why.

Love is the strongest force on this planet. So, if anything can help Nova, Rich, and I get through this, it has to be love. While things are getting pretty risky from here on out, we feel that putting lots of love and positive energy surrounding Nova out in the universe will greatly outweigh the bad.

Regardless of when little Nova decides to arrive, we are putting only good energy into her arrival. This is why it may seem at times that we're overly positive about her possible early arrival. It's not that we want her to be here early. Who would purposefully want those risks? But we also want (and need) to look at the positive side, in case it happens.

So, if you want to help, send lots of love and happy healthy energy Nova's way, whether she listens to our insistence to stay put longer or not.

Thanks! We love you all!
(The best thing about love is that when you give it, it comes back.)

At only 32 weeks gestation, Nova decided to give us a scare that landed me in the hospital with preterm labor. Here's more on that, how she and I are doing now, and why she needs to stay in longer.

Those who are friends with me on Facebook or are in the Online Baby Shower may have already heard this news. But for those who haven't here's the gist.

On April 11th, I woke up in horrendous pain that felt like contractions, so I went into the hospital where my OB delivers to get it checked out. It felt like contractions, even though at 32 weeks gestation, that should not be happening. 

I did test positive for fetal fibronectin, which indicates a preterm risk. Also, the pains I've been having, while not birth contractions, did show up on monitors. So they are a problem. Because of that, I've been prescribed a medication that stops contractions and I'll be taking it at least until my next appointment with my OB, but possibly until Nova is born.

As much as we want to see her, she should not be trying to come right now. She needs to wait until at at least 36 or 37 weeks, ideally.

She's doing very well but is also very small at 3 lbs and 9oz. She's 17 inches long. We got an extensive ultrasound to find out that and other information. She would likely survive if born now. However, there could also be medical problems, such as respiratory issues. So, everything possible to prevent that is good.

I also got both steroid treatments (one on the 11th and one on the 12th) to help the baby if she does come early. But please send happy vibes, light a candle, meditate, pray (whatever you believe in that might help) that it does not happen. She really needs to cook longer!!!!

I've been ordered to rest even more, even though Rich basically does everything right now. But we're going to attempt to figure out where we could be lacking in that.

What all of this means is that I basically need to focus only on Nova and avoid stress and too much activity and I'm going to need a lot of support. This is going to greatly hurt us financially, even more than it already has, as there will be times when I can't complete the writing work (honestly, probably most of the time, I can't). So, we really appreciate hugs, love, encouragement, reads and shares of our work (costs you nothing but makes us money), or anything you can think of that might help.

All of our sites with our writing are here: http://www.writewavemedia.com/our-sites.html
(Even if you read and share content by our contributors, it helps us. Simply read and share what you like.)

Thanks for the support and stay tuned for the next update. Due to being so in need of rest, sometimes I won't get them out on time and I will go back and put them in on the date intended. Sometimes, Rich may write some things instead of me, as well. Please be patient with us as we do our best to get through this rough time and keep you all updated as best as we can.

by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff

We decided from the beginning that we would not be polluting the Earth or spending tons of money on icky disposable diapers. I took to making them for several reasons. I'm having fun making cloth diapers and you can too!

Not all of the cloth diapers we found were exactly what we had in mind. They're also hard to find in stores, unless you want flats or pre-folds. Most of the all-in-ones we found in stores require the use of disposable inserts, which seems to defeat the entire purpose of cloth diapers. There also seems to be this trend of diapers that is in between cloth and disposable. Not what we wanted.

So, I started searching online. We bought a few that were okay. But, adding up the cost, I knew that in order to stock enough to be worthwhile, we'd have to spend a lot of money. Being the frugal person I am, there's no way that was happening, no matter the diaper option we chose. Cloth is still cheaper than disposable when adding up the cost over time. But I wanted to save even more.

I also wanted to come up with a unique design that would avoid the use of liners, rubber pants, pins, and the like. My homemade cloth diapers are used just like disposables, except they don't need to be thrown out. The unique design prevents leaks without the use of extra bulky accessories that are uncomfortable to the baby.

We had a ton of fabric and other sewing materials just lying around, so I figured I would make good use of it. I don't use patterns because I like to make each diaper completely unique. However, for those who need one, there are tons of free cloth diaper patterns all over the web, if you simply do a search. Be sure to check for all-in-one designs for the easiest time changing baby.

If you just don't have the time or energy to do it yourself, once I'm done making Nova's cloth diapers, I'll be making and selling super unique ones at a fraction of the usual cost, under the brand name, Mommy2Lots.

Pictured above is one of my unique all-in-one cloth diapers. Look at the gallery below for more.

All Images © Lyn Lomasi; All Rights Reserved

by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff

Since people are wanting more updates about the baby, I decided to jump in and do so with use of the A-Z Challenge! Today's letter is G and we're getting closer!

Nova's actual due date is June 4th. However, what with all the symptoms I've had lately, including ER visits for pain (more about that tomorrow), we don't think she'll stay in that long. But we could be wrong.

We wanted to know who has a guess on when she'll be here. We plan on doing something special for anyone who guesses correctly. We simply don't know what just yet. But it will be something.

Here's some history to help you make a good guess.

• We're 32 weeks along tomorrow (April 9, 2016).
• Baby one was born at 37 weeks along.
• Baby two was born at 36 weeks along.
• Baby three had to be induced at 4o weeks along, due to dilation for a week with zero labor.
• Baby four was born at 34 weeks along.
• I had actual false labor with all of them several times, but it stopped on its own.
• I've already been to the ER twice with this one for pain.
• Nova has "dropped" (is in labor position) and has been there at least a  couple weeks.
• Nova is fully developed and is extremely active.
• Rich and I share a birthday of May 8.
• There is  a trend of 8s being in birthdays in our family.
• April 22nd is Earth Day and a full moon and she'll be at 34 weeks on the 23rd.
• Her actual due date is consistently June 4th on ultrasounds.
• I’ve been having contractions daily that stop on their own.
• I’m in excruciating pain all the time that worsens each day.

So, what's your guess on the day/date she will be born? Drop it in the comments below and we'll see who ends up being correct!