Skin....Skin.....Skin.....

Instead of writing about Sophie, which I'm sure drives some people nuts, I've decided to blog about one of my favorite topics- skincare. So important. Your skin is the first thing people see, and not taking proper care of your skin can lead to premature aging, breakouts, and worst of all, skin cancer. I have always been blessed with beautiful skin. I never had problems with acne as a teenager, and until my 20s I could use a basic cleanser and a moisturizer, and my skin looked great. I had a few bumps along the road, like when I moved to Austin and my normal skin suddenly went dry. Same thing happened when we moved to Dallas. The humidity in Houston is awful, but my skin loves it.

Anyway. Beautiful skin. And then I got pregnant. You know that pregnancy glow people talk about? The opposite happened to me. My once clear & glowing skin turned into a nightmare. I developed rosacea, my skin just looked dingy, and for the first time ever, it was oily. I had really bad morning sickness for nine months, and I think between Sophie and the constant vomiting, there just weren't any nutrients left for my skin. Plus you have to be really careful with what products you use during pregnancy. So I went the ultra expensive route out of desperation, and began using La Mer. Truthfully, it didn't help. I think La Mer is for the most part, overrated. However, if you have super dry skin, there is no better moisturizer than Creme de La Mer. I have some samples and I am greedily holding onto them, only using a tiny bit when my skin feels super dry.

Fast forward 9 months. I give birth, and think, surely I will get my beautiful skin back. Nope. The first 3 months I was so exhausted, I could barely wash my face, much less take care of my skin. And then I went on hormonal birth control. And it was an epic skin disaster. I started breaking out like a teenager. Acne everywhere. My rosacea went out of control. It was awful. So on top of being 20 pounds overweight, I had horrible skin. I finally got in to see a dermatologist, and she prescribed Solodyne, which is an antibiotic for acne. She also prescribed Metro Gel for my rosacea. I also discovered the Natura Bissea skin care line, out of Spain. Miracles do happen, people. Within a month my breakouts cleared up, the rosacea was under control, and my skin was glowing again. I was back. I was still 15 pounds overweight at this point, but my skin looked damn good. NB is expensive, but it is worth every penny. I had a facial on my 32nd birthday, and the esthetician thought I was 25. She told me I was so young to be a mom, and was shocked when I told her that I had just turned 32.

So, here are a few of my favorite products. The Natura Bissea Tolerance Enzyme Peel is one of the most amazing products I've ever used. If you have rosacea, or very sensitive skin, you can't use scrubs, microdermabrasion, or chemical peels. This enzyme peel is a weekly exfoliator, and leaves skin soft, exfoliated, and glowing. It isn't cheap at $150, but should last 6-12 months, since you really only need to use it once a week. They also have a glyco extreme peel, and the esthetician swears I can use it, but I'm scared. I have samples, but haven't tried it yet. I also love their NB Tolerance recovery eye balm. The circles caused by sleepless nights have begun to lessen. Their AHA cleanser is fantastic, and if your skin is really dry, the essential shock cream is a must. The only product which I haven't loved is the Oxygen cream. I use it as a day moisturizer; it's ok, but not a product I would buy again. I've tried a few samples of their Tolerance Cream, and it's fantastic. Definitely my next purchase.

I am on the hunt for an excellent anti aging serum, and will probably check out the Natura Bissea Vitamin C line.  So ladies, head to Neiman Marcus. The nice ladies behind the counter will hook you up with lots of samples! Oh, and now I not only have my skin back, I also weigh two pounds less than when I got pregnant. But that's another blog....... :)

My baby is now a toddler?!?!

The last two months have been interesting, and jam packed. We did three trips to Houston in five weeks. A trip for Easter, my birthday, and Ella's first birthday party. Sophie had her first plane ride on May 4. She was incredible. No crying, no screaming. Sat in her seat for the duration of the flight! My little baby is rapidly becoming a little person, with flashes of toddler. She says several words now- dog, Hunter (the name of her dog), duck, yes, yeah, ma ma, da da, and THANK YOU! Sophie has also starting "reading". She will hold the book and look at the pages. Reading to her is difficult, because she grabs the book after a few pages, and tries to eat it. So, it was refreshing to see her mimic reading. Any child of mine has to have a love of books.... It is genetically programmed into her DNA.

But every now and then the toddler rears its ugly head. We went to Jamba Juice yesterday after the zoo, and when Sophie realized I did not buy her an apple cinnamon pretzel to go with her smoothie like I usually do, she threw a huge fit and screamed all the way home. Seriously. But mostly my new toddler is fun. She is my constant companion, accompanying me everywhere. I definitely never feel lonely with my Sophie around. She started school today, and it was rough. We are transitioning to one nap, which is also rough. But both will get easier as she gets older.

Sophie and I stay busy with Little Gym, Play Wisely, and swim lessons. Her first swim lesson was last week, and she loved every second. I had to drag her out of the pool. My girl and I share a love of water. We are taking Sophie on her first vacation July 3, to the Lost Pines Resort outside of Austin. My wonderful parents are treating us to a four day trip, and we are beyond excited. We started planning it last Fourth of July, after Sophie spent the entire weekend sick with an ear infection. I am praying we have a healthy trip this year! Steven and I are going to Disney World in August, adults only! Our first real getaway in two years. We love Disney, and are looking forward to great meals, sleeping in, lounging by the pool, and great rides. Sophie will spend five days with my parents, who will then need a vacation of their own to recover from a week with Sophie!

My next blog will consist of vacation tidbits and details about my new niece. I can't wait to meet Caroline Rose!