Tonya Harding vs. Nancy Kerrigan

Team Romania Gymnastics vs. Team US Gymnastics

Pink vs. Blue

What do these all have in common??  All famous Olympic rivalries (well, kind of)

Our time in London is winding down, but we’re not ready for the Closing Ceremonies without a look at one of the newest and most popular sports in Mommy McBlog Olympics, 400 M Gender Reveal Party Throwing.

It may not be safe for pregnant women to throw a shotput or a javelin, but it is safe for pregnant women to throw a party!

So for those of you like Denny and I that couldn’t wait until he or she arrived, a gender reveal party was the best way to make our baby’s gender a fun announcement to friends and family, while still reaping the benefits of being able to decorate the room accordingly.   Here are some pictures of our gender reveal party in May from our personal blog.   We did not break as many world records as the Jamaicans did in London, but here are a few tips I followed to make our way to the Pink and Blue medal podium.

The official It’s A Box!! Inside was the juicy secret the world (aka 20 close friends and family members) was waiting to hear.

• Coach Pinterest  —  Just like an athlete needs a coach, a  Gender Reveal Party Thrower needs Pinterest!  The Website is an AMAZING source of ideas to make the party special and personalized.  Whether you announce the secret by baking cupcakes with pink or blue insides, or whether you announce it by opening a box of balloons, there are a ton of photos to get your creative juices flowing.  Here are a few of some of my favorite pictures from Pinterest that inspired me.

Such a great idea and an adorable couple!

A great way to involve your guests

A nice way to show how much the baby has grown so far!

• Involve your fans  —  What’s an Olympic sport without an arena (or house) full of screaming fans?  It’s the Olympics afterall, so be sure to ask your guests to dress in pink or blue based on their guess!   The excitement will make the reveal that much more fun.

• Use social media for friends that can’t attend the party — NBC was busy during the weekend of our reveal, but we announced the results on Facebook right after we found out at the party!   Don’t forget about Skype and Twitter to spread the word, too!

• Don’t Peek ahead of time  — Just as Olympians don’t know the outcome of the events before they begin, Denny and I wanted to be equally surprised as our guests at the party.   To accomplish this, we had the sonogram tech seal the envelope at our appointment and then we gave it directly to the florist so she could fill our reveal box with the correct color balloons. I’m so glad we waited to find out the long-awaited pink or blue secret!

The Moment of Truth… Team PINK!

So there you have it, tips for a Gold Medal Gender Reveal Party!  Whether you take a spot on the Pink Medal Stand or the Blue Medal Stand, it will be one of the best surprises of your life!!

I haven’t taken any gold medals when it comes to fashion lately.  In fact, I don’t even think my maternity style made the cut to go to the London, but trying to look fashionable while dressing a 20+ lb. bump truly feels like it should be an Olympic sport some days!

On occassion I feel frumpy, but most days I feel like the bump is the coolest accessory I could ever have.  Though I’m no fashionista, perhaps these lessons can help you on your way to Getting the Gold!

• Prepping for the Big Game… (can you hear Eye of the Tiger Plays in the background??)    In the sport of Women’s Synchro Maternity Dressing, the right equipment is key to making your country proud.   A few good basics, some cute accessories and some confidence can go a long way.   My favorite spot to train is Destination Maternity!  The ladies that work there are fabulous, the water they serve is perfectly chilled, and the treatment is first-class.   But as much as I love it there, I’ve learned to keep my eye on the prize and set a specific list of “need items.” If not, Destination Maternity may potentially becomes Destination Credit Card Debt!

• Tight ain’t Right…   Just because Michael Phelps wears spandex, doesn’t mean it’s the way to go as you swim through 40 weeks of pregnancy.   If you are still wearing non-maternity clothes to your 36-week sonogram or if your co-workers can tell when the baby kicks, you may want to ask yourself if you are really setting yourself up for a gold medal.

You won’t even be invited to the Opening Ceremonies in this outfit!

• Buy the Spanx, you’ll be saying Thanx…   I found a pair of these bad boys and they have been the best investment yet, enough said!!

A Perfect 10!!

And Finally…

• Give your feet a little retreat (and I’m not referring to the Olympic Village)!!!  I was convinced that I could wear my heels all the way to through the pregnancy triathlon , but after a few nights of super puffy feet I’ve accepted that flat shoes will be the only way I can get to the finish line.  So my heels are now tucked far under my desk and I’ve dusted off my flats.  In the meantime, two cups of Epsom Salt and a bucket of hot water have made my nights a little bit more relaxing!

The only way to be “Swifter, higher, stronger!

So there you have it… the rules and guidelines of the newest sport in the Olympic games, Womens Synchro Maternity Dressing!   I can’t promise that you’ll hear the National Anthem, but hopefully you’ll feel a little bit better as you get ready to meet your little Champion!

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Enjoying the Mommy McBlog (even a tiny bit)?  Like it on Facebook today… you’ll make a pregnant lady happy!

This week totally got away from me.  Between the new job and more baby room prep, I haven’t been keeping up with the Mommy McBlogging Olympic sports as much as I had hoped.  But I’ve been doing a great job of watching the Olympics.  My bump and I get the gold in putting my feet up and watching TV!  Woo hoo!

Denny and I did participate in a grueling round of Freestyle Pack N Play assembly!  The event took place at the Family Room Arena with the Graco Pack N Play – Erin  (very fitting name) from Target .  We know it will be very useful, but we would have been able to assemble it much easier if we actually read the directions carefully versus skimming them and trying to make assumptions.  The first time we set-up the attached diaper changer it was slightly upside down.  This cost us dearly as the Danish judge gave us a .6 deduction in assembly for this.  The second time we assembled the diaper changer, we did much better and even got points for keeping our toes pointed!

If you prefer to avoid the 105-page instruction manual in 6 different languages, feel free to go to this Website.  Much easier – score!

Check it out the finished product and the score from the judges below…

Freestyle Pack N Play Assembly Score for Team McGee…

• German Judge   –  8.8
• American Judge  – 9.4
• Danish Judge  –  8.9
• Chinese Judge  –  9.3
• Russian Judge  – 9.5

OVERALL SCORE:  9.18 

It was enough to earn us the Silver Medal and a great little place for the little girl to sleep when she naps downstairs or when she naps during visits to our friends and families houses!

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Stay tuned this week for more Mommy McBlogging Olympic Games… what sports are you participating in to get ready for the arrival of your little champ??

In honor of the Olympic games, let’s all become

Gold Medal Mommies!! 

Let the Games Begin…

While I’m not an athlete, or a Mommy Pro, the last 30 weeks (along with the helpful insight of some friends and family) have taught me some important lessons, which I will call the games of the Mommy McBlog Thirtieth Olympiad (Speedos NOT required)!!

Stay tuned for the next two weeks as we broadcast Live from London and cover the following sports:

• Synchronized Gifting
• 400 M Gender Reveal Party Throwing
• 100 M Baby Registering
• Freestyle Pack N Play Assembly
• Womens Synchro Maternity Dressing
• And More

See you on the medal platform!!