Blurbal Perspective

Well folks, I have reached the halfway point of my pregnancy, and with each passing week, I get more and more excited about meeting my son next year. While this is supposed to be a joyous time in my life, it has proven to be quite challenging. Last weekend, I had horrible pains in both of my legs and was sent to Urgent Care (The pain and swelling was so bad I couldn't put weight on my legs). The nurse at Urgent Care said that my back injury is causing the normal pregnancy swelling in my legs to be worse. Basically, because my spine is fused, my weight is being distributed differently than other pregnant women, and this is causing horrible pain and swelling. It has also increased my risk for blood clots (this can be fatal for both myself and my baby). Because of all of this, my doctor has put me on restricted activity for the rest of the pregnancy. I had to quit my job, per doctor's orders. I wanted to do FMLA, but I hadn't been there long enough to qualify. It was devas

If you've been following my blog posts about my pregnancy, you know the situation I am in. For those who don't know, over the summer I had relations with a guy I had loved on and off for 12 years. He said he loved me, and that we were going to be together. I believed him. The following month, I learned I was pregnant. I was devastated. I had just started a new career, I was making lots of money, and I was in my own place. What made the situation devastating is that I later found out that the guy who whispered sweet nothings to me and made promises to me, was in a serious relationship with another woman. He told me to have an abortion. I told him no because I am against abortion. He bolted and I didn't hear from him for over a month. His girlfriend, now fiancée, stalked my social media and threatened my life. He began to harass me as well. I apologized to him for keeping the baby, I apologized to her for what happened, and I apologized to God for letting Him down. I lef

Photo Credit: popculture Looks like the next generation of Jersey Shore-goers is getting larger! It was announced today that Ronnie Ortiz-Magro's girlfriend Jen Harley is pregnant! Ortiz-Magro told US Magazine that the couple is expecting a baby girl, and that his lady love is 6 months along. This will be the first child for Ortiz-Magro, Harley has an 11-year-old son from a previous relationship.  Ronnie and Jen have been together since February of this year. The dad-to-be has already confided in his co-stars (Obviously not Sammi) regarding parenting advice. Ortiz-Magro states that all the advice he has received is helping him, as each of his co-stars have different experiences with parenting.

Merry Christmas Eve everyone! As we speak, Santa is making his way around the world, dropping off gifts to good boys and girls. So far, he has dropped off hundreds of millions of gifts, and he is just getting started. Moms and Dads, are you looking for a cool activity to keep your kids busy today? Look no further than the Santa Tracker on NORAD's website. While you are cooking an amazing dinner for your family and wrapping gifts, your kids can enjoy this amazing feature that only comes about once a year. You can track Santa by going to  https://www.noradsanta.org/ On a personal note, I been a huge fan of this feature for years. I keep it running on my computer all Christmas Eve. Now that I'm pregnant with my first child, a boy, I am looking forward to using this website with my son next Christmas and for many Christmases to come. I find this site to be pretty interesting, and it's educational to a point. On behalf of myself, my family, and my unborn son CJ, I want

Congrats are INDEED in order for one Meghan Trainor, who announced on Friday that she is engaged to 'Spy Kids' actor Daryl Sabara. Trainor shared the news via a video on Friday, saying: "I SAID YESSSS!!!! For my 24th birthday, the love of my life @darylsabara made all of my dreams come true. He proposed to me under a tunnel of beautiful Christmas lights and surprised me with my family and friends. I'm still in shock. I've never been this happy! Thank you Daryl, my family and friends for making me feel like a real princess." The "Me Too" singer also shared a series of photos of her diamond engagement ring, saying: "I'm so happy it's you @darylsabara I knew it from the moment I met you." The young couple have been together since the summer of 2016. They were introduced by a mutual friend of theirs, actress Chloe Grace Moretz.

Photo Credit: nydailynews Rose McGowan, actress/professional whiner, has now gone on the defense against Meryl Streep of all people. Meryl Streep and a couple of actresses have decided to wear black to next month's Golden Globes awards as a silent protest of the sexual misconduct issue in Hollywood. Rose McGowan, who was allegedly raped by the disgraced Harvey Weinstein, called out living legend Meryl Streep over the weekend on Twitter: "Actresses, like Meryl Streep, who happily worked for The Pig Monster, are wearing black @GoldenGlobes in a silent protest. YOUR SILENCE is THE problem. You’ll accept a fake award breathlessly and affect no real change. I despise your hypocrisy. Maybe you should all wear Marchesa." Streep spoke to HuffPost in October about the allegations against former co-worker Harvey Weinstein (Streep worked with Weinstein on a couple of films). She insisted that she did not know about Weinstein's behavior at the time, but now condemns it, c

Photo Credit: viportal We all love a nice night out at the theater. Prices of movies and food notwithstanding, we certainly cannot resist the aroma of popcorn while we walk to the room where the latest feature will be showing. If you're an avid moviegoer, the average bucket of popcorn may be going stale on you. Fear not, my movie buffs! Soon, Regal Cinemas will be offering popcorn that will be drenched in Cheetos dust! It's every snacker's dream come true! The Takeout reports that starting this weekend, select Regal Cinemas will be offering 32 ounces of the popcorn-cheeto dust hybrid to it's theatergoers. Happy theatering, my friends! My Two Cents Time to google my nearest Regal Cinemas so I can enjoy the marriage of my two favorite snackfoods, while I watch the reboot of an 80s movie that should have been left alone. Take note, Hollywood!

Photo Credit: Inquistr In an effort to make America a censored country, Trump has gone a step further and banned 7 words from the CDC's lingo. Those words happen to be: -Fetus -Transgender -Diversity -Science-based -Vulnerable -Entitlement -Evidence-based Analysts for The Center for Disease Control were notified of the banned words during a 90 minute meeting on Thursday in Atlanta, GA. A senior member of the CDC's Office of Financial Services led the meeting and did not know why the words were being banned. The Director for Gender Confirmation surgery at Weiss Memorial Hospital in Illinois was shocked by the administration's ruling. "I’m not sure what the ultimate rationale is for doing this aside from trying to erase certain types of people off the map. (This was in reference to transgender being banned from documents) I think walking back hard-earned civil rights is something that is, number one, quite shocking to me and, number two, quite concerning.

Photo Credit: brit(dot)co If you're a first time mom-to-be like me, you have been hearing a lot of terms being thrown your way. Hell, it seems like you need a dictionary just so you can understand all the lingo. One term that I actually love is: BabyMoon. A "BabyMoon" is something that you do for yourself (and your partner) before the baby comes. It could be a day of pampering, a day trip, or a long trip someplace beautiful. If you plan on taking a "BabyMoon" trip, it is ideal for you to go during your second trimester (weeks 14 to 28). Traveling is not recommended during your third trimester, unless you have a note from your doctor. Let's face it, once our babies are born, our lives are no longer ours. Our beautiful babies come first. This is why we, as parents-to-be, need this respite before we settle into parenthood. I'm looking forward to my "BabyMoon." I am taking a trip to visit my grandparents for a week. I always have a grea

First, he was Blackie Parrish on General Hospital. Then, he was everyone's favorite Uncle on Full House (and Fuller House). Now, his most important role of all has come to fruition: Father . Yep, Mr. Stamos and his fiancée, 32-year-old Caitlin McHugh, are expecting their first child together in 2018. The baby news comes just two months after the 54-year-old actor proposed to his lady love at Disneyland. It was a day after the proposal when Stamos gushed about wanting to settle down and start a family: "It’s been a long time and I’ve always been pretty vocal about wanting a family and wanting to be married, and everyone is like, ‘Why can’t you? You can do it.’ The truth is I just wasn’t the best me and I wasn’t going to attract someone like Caitlin. I had to work on myself and put in some time, and I know my mother would have been really happy with that, and this beauty just came into my life. It took time for me to really be the best person I could be." <3   Mc

Photo Credit: Entertainment Weekly Attention fellow 90s teens! Remember Blossom? The cool chick with the hot older brother (Joey Russo) and the awesome hats? Well, if Joey Lawrence and Mayim Bialik have any say, we may be looking at a revival of our favorite 90s sitcom: Blossom! Joey Lawrence recently sat down with Steve Harvey and told him how both he and Mayim Bialik are into the idea of bringing back the show! "There has been serious talk about it, believe it or not." He went on to say that he has talked to Don Reo, the show's creator, and said that if there is a way in, the cast is down for a reboot. Joey Lawrence also gave some thought as to where his character Joey Russo would be now.. "The show ended where he went off to play baseball. He was a really good baseball player. So, I think he went and had a great career, probably got married several times — because he was always going on dates. Maybe his career is over, right? Mid- to late-30s. And

Photo Credit: westernjournalism Former TV host, and currently unemployed conservative Tomi Lahren has plenty of time on her hands. She has enough time to open her privileged yap and insult two of today's biggest names: Colin Kapernick, and the almighty Beyonce. Basically, it all started when Beyonce honored Kaepernick with a legacy award. Lahren got in on the action on Twitter, saying: "Police-hating Beyoncé presents police and America-hating Kappy with a 'legacy' award. This is how far we've fallen. Wow."   Not even 5 minutes later, Beyonce's Bey Hive flooded Lahren's social media with comeback comments. "Good to see you're drinking all of the #FauxNews Kool-aid these days. Beyonce and Kaepernick have been very clear that they respect the police. What they protest is the continued racial inequality & unjustified homicides of black men and women at the hands of too many officers." Another user mis-named Lahren, calling her

Photo Credit: nydailynews Time Magazine has announced that the #MeToo movement is 2017's Person Of The Year. Sexual assault and harassment stories have dominated the airwaves for a good majority of the year, and it all started with the emergence of the #MeToo movement. Also known as "The Silence Breakers," actresses such as Alyssa Milano, Ashley Judd, and singer Taylor Swift, encouraged women everywhere to come forward and speak out against sexual misconduct. What people don't know is, none of the above women started the hashtag Me Too movement. Tarana Burke is credited with creating the #MeToo campaign. Burke shared her gratitude for being part of Time's Person of the Year on Wednesday via Twitter: "Thank you EVERYONE!! Especially all of you who rang the alarm when you thought I wasn’t being acknowledged. I couldn’t say anything!! I’m sorry. But I felt every bit of the love. Now the work REALLY begins." Donald Trump was also on the shortlist

Photo Credit: geeksaw On Tuesday, Netflix released a statement saying that they have fired actor Danny Masterson from hit show "The Ranch," effective this past Monday. "As a result of ongoing discussions, Netflix and the producers have written Danny Masterson out of The Ranch. [Monday] was his last day on the show, and production will resume in early 2018 without him." The news comes after the actor had been hit with four rape allegations, stemming from the early 2000s. While he will appear in the second half of season two, preparations are already underway to completely write him out of the show for the rest of the series. Masterson still denies the allegations, calling them "false." The show also stars his "That 70s Show" co-star Ashton Kutcher. My Two Cents Doesn't anyone keep it in their pants anymore??! Ever heard of consent?

Photo Credit: Pintrest via Yahoo images Last week, I had an appointment with my doctor to see how things were going with the pregnancy (I'm 16 weeks, 3 days as of today) When the doctor tried to get my baby's heartbeat, she couldn't find it. She used two different handheld monitors to find the heartbeat with no such luck. I began to panic, thinking something was wrong with my baby. The doctor decided to bring in the ultrasound to help better measure the heartbeat. Sure enough, my little boy was kicking and moving like crazy on the screen, hence why she couldn't read the heartbeat on her handheld. Little dude was a busy body!). Even my doctor chuckled at the situation. A few seconds later, I had a listen at the heartbeat. I was so relieved that my baby was perfectly fine. This appointment came a day or so after I first felt the baby move. It was the most magical feeling I've ever experienced. Now that the appointment has come and gone, this is so typical of th

On Monday, Time announced the shortlist for 2017's Person of the Year. Since 1927, Time has recognized a person or persons who has influenced the most news coverage over the last year. This year's nominees include : Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos (richest man in the world) The Dreamers (a group of undocumented immigrants who were brought to the US by their parents when they were young). Director Patty Jenkins (First female director to direct a film that grossed more than $100 million during an opening weekend). Kim Jong Un Colin Kaepernick #MeToo movement (a movement that sheds light on the prevalence of sexual assault and harassment). Robert Mueller Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Donald Trump Xo Jinping The Time Person of the Year will be named this Wednesday at 7am on the Today Show. My Two Cents Personally, I would love to see Patty Jenkins win the honor. 

A woman in Toronto took it upon herself to ruin Christmas by publicly shaming a mall Santa at a Toronto shopping center over the weekend. The woman was caught on tape screaming profanities at the Santa on duty: " You’re not magic; you’re not even real! I heard about it when I was a young kid! You’re not real, man! Do you have a sleigh? You f*cking d*ckhead? Do you have a sleigh?" Being the classy guy he is, Santa brushed off the haterade and didn't engage with the woman. The woman was approached by mall security guards and left without incident. The North Pole has yet to confirm or deny if the woman will be getting coal, or a bag of lit poop for Christmas. Either way, Merry Christmas, lady. Here's your starter present:

A disturbing blog post that an Anglican minister wrote a few years ago has resurfaced on social media. Rev. Kelvin Holdsworth urged marriage equality supporters to pray that " the Lord to bless Prince George (a 4 year old toddler) with a love, when he grows up, of a fine young gentleman ." The blog post resurfaced after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's engagement was announced. The 4 year old tot is third in line for the royal throne, following Charles, Prince of Wales, and Prince George's own father, Prince William. Many were up in arms about Rev. Holdsworth's proclamation. The shamed Reverend tried to apologize for the post, saying that his words were " widely misinterpreted :" "I could spend the next few weeks defending that post and keep reminding people what it was originally about. However, it seems to me that isn’t likely to be fruitful. The issues about the church and its capacity to welcome same-sex couples who want to be married

It truly is a sad day when the president of your country endorses a suspected child molester for senator. On Monday, Donald Trump nominated Alabama senate candidate Roy Moore to senate. He gushed about Moore in a tweet earlier this morning: "Democrats refusal to give even one vote for massive Tax Cuts is why we need Republican Roy Moore to win in Alabama. We need his vote on stopping crime, illegal immigration, Border Wall, Military, Pro Life, V.A., Judges 2nd Amendment and more. No to Jones, a Pelosi/Schumer Puppet!" The nomination comes after Moore had been accused by more than 9 women of sexual harassment and assault. Several of these accusers have said that the harassment and assault occurred when they were underage. Moore has denied all accusations, saying that they are a " conspiracy created by Democrats and reporters who have investigated the claims ." My Two Cents Wouldn't it behoove Trump to nominate someone who doesn't have dirty laundr

photo credit: yahoo images Days after MTV announced that they were bringing back our favorite Jerseyians in a Jersey Shore spinoff, the reasons as to why Sammi Sweetheart opted out of the reunion are being made known. Turns out, Sammi declined the reunion because she is over the past drama with ex Ronnie. A source close to the reality TV star had this to say about Sammi's absence: "Everyone was invited to come on the show but Sammi was the only one who didn’t want to. A big reason for that was because she didn’t want to be around Ronnie. She has been enjoying her life off of TV and didn’t want to change that." Sammi and Ronnie had a highly public and tumultuous relationship during Jersey Shore's 2009-2012 run. They couple broke up for good in 2014. Both have moved on from the relationship, with Ronnie briefly dating Malika Haqq earlier this year. Sammi has been in a relationship with Christian Biscardi. My Two Cents I can understand wanting to leave cert

Photo Credit: inquisitr Best news to come out of daytime TV: Rap goddess Eve is joining 'The Talk' as a co-host. She will be joining Sara Gilbert, Sharon Osbourne, Julie Chen, and Sheryl Underwood. Eve had a week-long test run and she "felt the energy" to join the hit talk show. During an interview with Deadline, Eve gushed about the opportunity to join the panel: "I think what I’m looking forward to the most is showcasing my personality and who I am now as a woman. In my career, people know me from my music and I have done certain things in entertainment, but this is a different avenue for me." Eve did mention that she has no intention on censoring herself: "I’m just in a place in my life where I was looking for a platform to express myself." You can catch her all week long on CBS, now and always! My Two Cents I think it's time for me to look into getting cable TV. I hope the producers are ready for their ratings to skyrocke

Photo Credit: Getty Surprise! Jordin Sparks is a married woman, with a baby on the way! The "This is my Now" singer announced the news exclusively to People recently. She secretly married longtime love Dana Isaiah back in July during a vacation in Hawaii. Along with that happy news is Jordin Sparks is pregnant with her first child! The newlyweds are expecting their first child together late next spring. Congrats to the newlyweds, and now parents-to-be! Yay!

Photo Credit: HuggiesAU One of the most annoying aspects of being pregnant are the changes that happen with our breasts. Whether or not you will be breastfeeding your little one when he or she is born, we all have to deal with the changes. Early on in your pregnancy, you may notice that your breasts become increasingly sore. They also become bigger, and if you already had big boobs, this may be an unwelcomed pregnancy symptom. During the middle part of your first trimester, you will notice that your bras don't fit as well as they used to. You may find yourself investing in some maternity bras. Maternity bras do provide some relief from the symptoms, but they won't get rid of the symptoms entirely. The rest you kind of have to get used to. Some other symptoms to look out for include: - Vein changes (they will be come more visible on and around your breasts). - Darker areolas -Bumps on the ar eola s - Leaky breasts (during month three, some women may notice a

What is Vitamin A? Vitamin A is a vitamin that is stored in the liver. This vitamin is important for your baby's growth during the embryonic stage. It aids in the development of your baby's eyes, bones, heart, kidneys, lungs, CNS, and respiratory system. It is also important during pregnancy, as it aids in postpartum tissue repair, immune system support, regulating fat metabolism, and maintains healthy vision. Foods that are rich in Vitamin A include: Eggs Milk Fruits Veggies There are many conflicting reports as to how much vitamin A is " too much " to take in during pregnancy. If you take too much, it can result in birth defects and liver toxicity. If you don't have enough vitamin A, night vision and your immune system can become weakened. So how much Vitamin A should you include in your diet during pregnancy? Women ages 19 and older (regardless of whether or not you plan on breastfeeding your little one) should have no more than 3,000 mcg RAE

Photo Credit: scarymommy When you become pregnant for the first time, you will undoubtedly get advice from your mom friends. They will tell you what they went through, from the very beginning, right up to delivery. You might take in their experiences in and wonder if your experience will be the same as your friends. I can tell you, without a shadow of a doubt (and as someone walking their talk), your experience will be unique. When I learned, for sure, that I was pregnant, some of my friends told me how they were able to work right up to the moment they delivered. Some told me that they were on bedrest for a good majority for their pregnancy. As someone who was finally back to being independent (after dealing with a spinal cord injury for 5 years), I was hoping and praying I would be like my mom friends who worked up to the very minute they delivered. I tried hard to make my job and the life I prayed for, for so long, work, that it almost cost me something I was already falling i

One thing that I've been learning about pregnancy is that I'm in the midst of the biggest event that will ever happen to me. I'm in this surreal experience that I didn't think could ever happen to me. Each moment, something happens that makes this whole thing more real for me. Yesterday, something happened that made my pregnancy 100% real to me: I found out what I'm having. Yesterday morning, I went for a drive to clear my head and sing to my favorite songs. I tend to do that when I'm looking for a release and some clarity. While I was out, I received a phone call from my genetics counselor about my Natera test results. As I mentioned in a previous post, Natera is a blood test that checks for chromosomal abnormalities. Along with all of that, it also tells you, with 99% accuracy, what you will be having. Not only is my unborn baby 100% healthy, I learned that I am carrying a boy. Throughout all of this, I was sure I was having a girl. When she told me that

I'm in the middle of my 12th week, and it's still so surreal for me to be carrying a life inside me. I have been through so many changes thus far that I'm nervous to see what the rest of my pregnancy will be like. As I near my second trimester, I been noticing that my hormones are all over the place. I cry when I listen to music, when I watch things on TV, and when my cat does something cute. I swear, I feel like I am going crazy sometimes, LOL! I was watching scenes from the show "Nashville" and I would absolutely stat balling my eyes out! I would watch "The Voice" and cry during most of the show (because everyone is so good and you can see how much these people want to sing). I would watch my cat roll around and get into these cute poses while she sleeps and I would just tear up. What the heck is going on with me?! When it comes to food, I learned there are two types of people: those that crave weird ass food dishes, and those that crave MORE of

What just happened on 'Dancing With the Stars?' That was the question we all had when Witney and her dancing partner Frankie Muniz were getting feedback for their awesome dance routine. It all started when Carrie Ann Inaba gushed about the routine: "So far for me, that was the closest thing to perfection. I mean, you are so exquisite when you dance, it's just so clean. I look for mistakes, but I don't see them -- except for when you almost lost control of Witney there."    Longtime 'Dancing' host Tom Bergeron chimed in, saying: "I'm guessing he's not the first guy who's lost control of Witney." The audience was stunned, but no more so than Witney Carson and Frankie Muniz. After the show ended, Carson, 24, told reporters that she was confused by Bergeron's comments. She decided to "brush it off." Muniz told reporters that he felt it was "make Witney uncomfortable day." Of course, social media er

Sad news, fellow indie-writers. Macmillian program Pronoun is shutting down. Pronoun made a public announcement Monday and sent an Epilogue to current members. "We are proud of the product we built, but even more so, we’re grateful for the community of authors that made it grow. Your feedback shaped Pronoun’s development, and together we changed the way authors connect with readers. While many challenges in indie publishing remain unsolved, Macmillan is unable to continue Pronoun’s operation in its current form. Every option was considered before making the very difficult decision to end the business." They are expecting to shut down the site in early January 2018. Current members will be able to access their account until that time. Unfortunately, the site will not be accepting new members. There is no word as to what prompted the decision to shut down. My Two Cents As an indie-writer, I am sad to see any self-publishing platform shut down. I first heard about

Photo Credit: ravishly Actor/Fellow Blogger/My First Crush, Wil Wheaton, went on the attack after Paul Ryan sent out his prayers and condolences to the victims of the Church shooting tragedy. Ryan tweeted for a "call to prayer." Wheaton subsequently posted the following in response: "The murdered victims were in a church. If prayers did anything, they'd still be alive, you worthless sack of s**t." After receiving a TON of backlash, Wheaton tried to explain his tweet in a series of later tweets: "Hey, real and actual people of faith: I hear you. I apologise for insulting you, in my rage at Paul Ryan's refusal to address gun violence." He also stated that Paul Ryan is someone who exploits his faith by hiding behind his words without conducting actual good deeds. Wheaton also expressed his upset that Ryan refused to address gun violence. My Two Cents The thing I love about Wil Wheaton is that he is not afraid of expressing his opinion.

On Sunday, a man walked into a Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas and opened fire, killing 26 men, women, and children. The shooter, Devin Patrick Kelley, had a long history of assault. In 2012, Kelley was court-martialed on charges of assaulting both his wife and child. Kelley was sentenced to 12 months of confinement. There are reports that Kelley's former in-laws were members of the Church he opened fire in. Donald Trump gave his two cents on Monday morning, both on Twitter and during a news conference while in Japan. Along with expressing his thoughts and prayers, Trump also said the following: "This isn’t a guns situation. (He is a) very deranged individual [with] a lot of problems over a long period of time."   My Two Cents I never thought I'd hear myself say this, but I sort of agree with Trump blaming mental illness in this situation. What I don't agree with is his comment about this not being a gun situation. In fact, this is both a guns and m

Photo Credit: eonline Mazel Tov! Actor/Comedian Patton Oswalt and actress Meredith Salenger are married ! The couple said "I do" in Los Angeles at Jim Henson Studios on Saturday. Oswalt shared the happy news on Twitter on Sunday, with a pic and caption that read: "What'd you guys do yesterday?" Photo Credit: celebrityinsider Oswalt and Salenger went public with their romance in June, and became engaged shortly after. The romance came a little over a year after Oswalt's wife Michelle McNamara suddenly passed away in her sleep. McNamara passed away in April of 2016. Oswalt publicly mourned his wife, expressing his gratitude to her, his grief over the loss, and how he was determined to persevere through tragedy. My Two Cents To continue on that last thought, there isn't a timeline as to when you fall in love. When the right one comes along, you just embrace it. Perhaps, McNamara blessed Oswalt with Salenger, and wanted Oswalt to be with

Kevin Spacey was one of the most respected actors in the world. He had a number of incredible movies under his belt, and his Netflix show "House of Cards" was a big hit. Then the world learned of his secret life. A growing list of men have come forward, accusing Spacey of sexual assault. Recently, news broke that Kevin Spacey sexually assaulted actor Anthony Rapp when Rapp was 14 (Spacey was 26). Within the last 24 hours, Harry Dreyfuss, son of actor Richard Dreyfuss, came forward and accused Spacey of groping him when Dreyfuss was 18. Not only has the list of actors accusing Spacey of assault grown, so has the punishment Spacey has endured because of his actions. Spacey was removed from a prestigious actors group, he was dropped by his publicist and agency, and he was fired from Netflix. There are rumors surrounding the future of "House of Cards," and whether or not the show has been cancelled. As of right now, the show has been cancelled. However, there

Around your second prenatal visit, your doctor may recommend that you take a blood test called Panorama. This test is very important, as it will test to see if your child has Down Syndrome, Trisomy 13, Trisomy 18, and other genetic disorders. The most incredible part about this test is that it can also detect your baby's gender! You may be wondering how accurate this test is in detecting your baby's gender. According to my doctor and genetics counselor, it has 99% accuracy, and you will get your results in 7 to 10 calendar days. With this test, there is no waiting until your 20th week of pregnancy to know the gender of your baby. My experience with Panorama I was introduced to this genetics test during my first prenatal appointment. Since I was only 8 weeks at the time, it was too early for me to do that test right then and there. Now that I am 12 weeks pregnant, I was able to do the blood test. I took the test this past Thursday, so I am anxiously awaiting the results.

Photo Credit: Momtastic The last 3 months have been the most challenging of my life. I had to deal with the father of my unborn child bailing when I refused to have an abortion. I've had to deal with losing my job due to health issues that have arisen due to being pregnant. I've had to deal with preparing to move back to my hometown since I can't make rent. The most tragic of all of these: My grandfather passed away a few weeks ago. He passed away after a long battle with dementia. He was placed on hospice a month before he passed away. I got to see him a few weeks before he died, and I told him that I was pregnant. I even gave him my first sonogram picture and put it in a frame next to his bed. Even though the dementia had taken most of him, I know there was a part of him still in there, and I know he was happy that I am bringing a child into this world. During the last 24 hours, I made a huge sacrifice for the health and safety of myself and my unborn child. The iss

Photo Credit: CNN Many of us have heard about the 4+ women who have come forward, accusing Harvey Weinstein of rape and sexual assault. Hollywood has become very vocal about the issue, most are scolding Weinstein, while others, such as "Big Bang Theory" star Mayim Bialik, have come to his aid. Bialik recently put forth an Op-Ed in NYT, where she stated that she was "shocked and disgusted" by the accusations. She also said she was not surprised by the accusations: "I quickly learned even as a preteen actress that young girls with doe eyes and pouty lips who spoke in a high register were favoured for roles by the powerful men who made those decisions. I have decided that my sexual self is best reserved for private situations with those I am most intimate with. I dress modestly. I don't act flirtatiously with men as a policy." Her Hollywood peers clapped back at her comments. Actress Patricia Arquette went on Twitter and said this: "@missm

Photo Credit: todaysparent It's inevitable. As we approach cold and flu season, we are all at risk of getting sick. When you're pregnant, the common cold can seem like the worst illness in the world. Why are we so susceptible to getting sick while pregnant? Well, it is because our immune system is busy caring for our little one. During pregnancy, our immune system weakens since it is so busy trying to protect both ourselves and our baby. For the past few days, I had been feeling "under the weather." As a first time mom-to-be, I was terrified that something was wrong with my baby. I left work early on Monday and went to Urgent Care. They couldn't help me (by the way, don't ever go to urgent care while pregnant. They don't take you seriously). I took Tuesday off so I could go to the doctor. My doctor told me that I had a bad case of viral bronchitis, and since I cannot take anything due to being pregnant, I was placed on bedrest for the next week. My b

Photo Credit: beautyglimpse If you're entering your 7th or 8th week of pregnancy, some of you may notice acne on your face, and on other parts of your body. You might hear from other mothers and mothers-to-be that that is an indication that you are carrying a girl. Don't put all your eggs in one basket, because acne being the indication that you're carrying a girl, is an old wives tale. Acne during pregnancy just means that our hormones are all over the place. There is a lot happening inside us. To deal with the acne, talk with your doctor about products that are safe to use during pregnancy. When you wash your face, don't wipe your face dry with your towel. Pat your face dry instead. There is a pregnancy group on Facebook that a friend introduced me to, and some of the members swear by witch hazel. This is something I am thinking about utilizing. Don't let a few pimples get you down. Take it as an indication that your baby is doing well and you are doing a