On Friday B got a vasectomy. This was very necessary as E was conceived on an IUD. An IUD that is 99.4% effective and had been in place and effective for 2.5 years. The urologist was highly impressed with him. Not only did his boys make it past my "security" they did it at 41. Apparently he has super sperm. My super power is making milk. His is making babies apparently.
The entire appointment took about 25 minutes. Then he got to spend the weekend on the couch rotating bags of peas. He went back for his follow up yesterday and all looks good. He still has to take it easy this week and wear his scrotal support for a week. In his post-procedure instructions he was told to do light duty at work since he has a manual labor job, no sex for 10 days, and no arousal for 7 days.
Um, how is that possible? I can understand no purposeful arousal for 7 days and I can see how the first few days of discomfort and frozen man bits would prevent arousal, but what about closer to the end of the 7 days? Isn't this instruction like telling a man not to eat for 7 days asked my friend Vicki. This was my favorite instruction because it's just so bizarre and I don't get it. Turns out it's not possible to avoid.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
Menu Plan Monday
I've been planning my menu ever since I started cooking and shopping. It's just so much easier to create a grocery list from a weekly menu. Now that I'm cooking for 5 people (2 of which really can eat) and trying to juggle a newborn it's even more important to plan a menu. I've been doing mostly crockpot meals with a few casseroles thrown in since home with E. She's a bit witchy during dinner time and with everything else going on with people coming home and needing things it's easiest for me to prep the meal in the morning when alone and when E naps and just pop it in the oven or put it on a plate.
Since we don't always have big A and S, there are some nights we have leftovers. When all of us are home, there are no leftovers.
I've linked up this menu to Menu Plan Monday over at Orgjunkie.com.
Sunday: Rotisserie chicken, 4 cheese mashed potatoes, Mediterranean veggie mix
Monday: Pizza casserole with cheese filled garlic bread sticks and salad
Since we don't always have big A and S, there are some nights we have leftovers. When all of us are home, there are no leftovers.
I've linked up this menu to Menu Plan Monday over at Orgjunkie.com.
Sunday: Rotisserie chicken, 4 cheese mashed potatoes, Mediterranean veggie mix
Monday: Pizza casserole with cheese filled garlic bread sticks and salad
Tuesday: Crunchy chicken casserole, crescent rolls, broccoli
Wednesday: Leftovers from past 3 days
Thursday: Crab and corn chowder
Friday: Leftover soup
Saturday: Brown sugar chicken, rice, spinach
Thursday, December 9, 2010
I'm having adjustment issues.
E is 3 weeks old now. Everyone seems to be adjusting to her well. I think I'm having the most issues adjusting.
I feel like little A hates me. I miss him. It was just the 2 of us for so long. Even once we moved in with B and the boys we still had lots of 1 on 1 time. Then I had the issues with swelling and it restricted my activity with him. I thought it would be better once the baby came. Physically it's much better, but now I can't get alone time with him. Now he hates me.
He woke up early this morning and came in the bedroom and said he was ready for school. I told him it wasn't time yet and asked if he wanted to watch cartoons for a while. I've been up since 2am and was hoping to get a short nap before we had to get going for the day. He didn't want to wait and asked if B would take him. B told him yes, but he had to get dressed and be ready to go in 10 min b/c he had to leave for work.
Now, every morning is a huge ordeal to get A to leave b/c he has a melt down w/ his clothes, his snack, getting up, etc. He ran right in his room and got dressed. Short issue over undies, but that's it. When putting his coat on I asked if he wanted me to pick him up early today so we could spend some time together. He said no, he wanted B to get him.
He never wants to do stuff w/ me anymore. :( If he has another choice of playmate he'll take it. I'm so sad. I feel like I totally screwed up our relationship. First I physically cant play a lot of things w/ him for a month or so. Now I can't get alone time to do stuff w/ him. This sucks. Right now I either want to rewind 6 months when I felt fine and E wasn't here yet or fast forward 6 months so that E is not in the newborn phase and I can leave her with someone else for 2 hours to take little A on a date.
I feel like little A hates me. I miss him. It was just the 2 of us for so long. Even once we moved in with B and the boys we still had lots of 1 on 1 time. Then I had the issues with swelling and it restricted my activity with him. I thought it would be better once the baby came. Physically it's much better, but now I can't get alone time with him. Now he hates me.
He woke up early this morning and came in the bedroom and said he was ready for school. I told him it wasn't time yet and asked if he wanted to watch cartoons for a while. I've been up since 2am and was hoping to get a short nap before we had to get going for the day. He didn't want to wait and asked if B would take him. B told him yes, but he had to get dressed and be ready to go in 10 min b/c he had to leave for work.
Now, every morning is a huge ordeal to get A to leave b/c he has a melt down w/ his clothes, his snack, getting up, etc. He ran right in his room and got dressed. Short issue over undies, but that's it. When putting his coat on I asked if he wanted me to pick him up early today so we could spend some time together. He said no, he wanted B to get him.
He never wants to do stuff w/ me anymore. :( If he has another choice of playmate he'll take it. I'm so sad. I feel like I totally screwed up our relationship. First I physically cant play a lot of things w/ him for a month or so. Now I can't get alone time to do stuff w/ him. This sucks. Right now I either want to rewind 6 months when I felt fine and E wasn't here yet or fast forward 6 months so that E is not in the newborn phase and I can leave her with someone else for 2 hours to take little A on a date.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
I will never shop Toys R Us or Babies R Us again.
After dropping little A off at daycare this morning, E and I headed to TRU/BRU. We had a few baby gifts to exchange at BRU and I wanted to finally Christmas shop at TRU. After getting E out and the bag of exchange items and heading in from the 25 degree morning, the store clerk would not take my exchange.
He told me I needed a gift receipt or a registry. When I explained I had neither and just wanted a store credit, he proceeded to tell me the store needed to "protect itself" and the items could have come from anywhere. I expressed my dissatisfaction at being punished for the lack of gift receipt since that's not my fault and pointed out that as the 5th child a registry was not appropriate. All he said was this was policy.
What a horrible policy! I am now stuck with a bag of brand new baby items that will never be used. While I appreciate the thought behind the gifts I'm so sorry that our friends and family have wasted their money on things that will end up as a goodwill donation.
Based on this policy and the clerk's response of protecting themselves, I will now shop at the other stores he pointed out this morning. My Christmas shopping will happen at Walmart or online for toys. Next time I have to buy a baby gift off of a BRU registry I will buy the registered for item(s) elsewhere.
Considering E is 2.5 weeks old and little a is 3, this is a long time for buying toys from somewhere else. Considering the number of kids we have, that's quite a bit of potential money from one family that is gone now. Obviously they will not care since they only want to "protect themselves." I cannot believe how poor their customer service has become.
I put in a complaint on their website. I'll let you know if there's a response. In the meantime, anyone need a bag of baby girl stuff brand new? ;)
He told me I needed a gift receipt or a registry. When I explained I had neither and just wanted a store credit, he proceeded to tell me the store needed to "protect itself" and the items could have come from anywhere. I expressed my dissatisfaction at being punished for the lack of gift receipt since that's not my fault and pointed out that as the 5th child a registry was not appropriate. All he said was this was policy.
What a horrible policy! I am now stuck with a bag of brand new baby items that will never be used. While I appreciate the thought behind the gifts I'm so sorry that our friends and family have wasted their money on things that will end up as a goodwill donation.
Based on this policy and the clerk's response of protecting themselves, I will now shop at the other stores he pointed out this morning. My Christmas shopping will happen at Walmart or online for toys. Next time I have to buy a baby gift off of a BRU registry I will buy the registered for item(s) elsewhere.
Considering E is 2.5 weeks old and little a is 3, this is a long time for buying toys from somewhere else. Considering the number of kids we have, that's quite a bit of potential money from one family that is gone now. Obviously they will not care since they only want to "protect themselves." I cannot believe how poor their customer service has become.
I put in a complaint on their website. I'll let you know if there's a response. In the meantime, anyone need a bag of baby girl stuff brand new? ;)
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Monday's the Day
B and I have to be at the hospital at 6am Monday morning to start the induction. I can't believe that I'll finally get some relief and get to meet our little girl E!
Here's the even more amusing part. She's our 1st anniversary present.
A year ago 2 of the girls at daycare wanted to fix me up. One of the girls wanted to fix up her dad (that would be T) and was talking about it to little A's teacher. They decided I'd be a good person. Now when they told me this I was very skeptical. I was picturing some old man if the daughter was old enough to work at the daycare. After asking some questions about the man in question I decided to go against all of my normal behavior and allow myself to be set up.
1. I wasn't meeting anyone working and taking care of A all the time.
2. I had told 2 girlfriends at lunch the day before that when God was ready for me to be with someone he'd deliver them to me.
B and I had our first date the week before Thanksgiving. Who would have thought at that point that exactly a year later we'd be living together, engaged, and having a baby. A baby who is also a delivery from God (which I'll explain in a post next week). I could never have predicted this is where we'd be a year later, but it's so much better than I ever would have predicted!
Here's the even more amusing part. She's our 1st anniversary present.
A year ago 2 of the girls at daycare wanted to fix me up. One of the girls wanted to fix up her dad (that would be T) and was talking about it to little A's teacher. They decided I'd be a good person. Now when they told me this I was very skeptical. I was picturing some old man if the daughter was old enough to work at the daycare. After asking some questions about the man in question I decided to go against all of my normal behavior and allow myself to be set up.
1. I wasn't meeting anyone working and taking care of A all the time.
2. I had told 2 girlfriends at lunch the day before that when God was ready for me to be with someone he'd deliver them to me.
B and I had our first date the week before Thanksgiving. Who would have thought at that point that exactly a year later we'd be living together, engaged, and having a baby. A baby who is also a delivery from God (which I'll explain in a post next week). I could never have predicted this is where we'd be a year later, but it's so much better than I ever would have predicted!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Things I will NOT miss about being pregnant
I've hit the 38 week mark today on my pregnancy. This is the week I had little A, so I'm about as pregnant as I've ever been. I thought it would be a good day to take stock of the things I will NOT miss when this is over to get me through the next few days. (If I'm still pregnant on Friday my ob is scheduling an induction for Monday.)
1. The +4 pitting edema
You've seen the swelling pictures. I've now moved from just swelling to pitting. This is when anything leaves an indent in your skin. My indents last a good 5-10 min before returning to "normal." I still have the shooting fire pains upon standing too.
2. The compression stockings
Compression stockings are oh so sexy. They look like sexy thigh-highs you would wear with garters, but with the consistency of an ace bandage. Hot. They take 20 minutes to get on and then when I attempt to painfully peel myself out of them at night I have large indents on various points of my legs. (see pitting edema) Not to mention I still swell horrendously.
3. The 3 week chronic cough
I'm on a nightly regimen of cough syrup, allergy pill, and Pepcid to attempt to control the cough that could be indigestion, allergy drainage, or viral. Or it could just be normal additional mucous from pregnancy.
4. The pulled muscle
Yup. Due to the chronic cough I have pulled a muscle on my right side in my ribs. It's not like I have the easiest time moving as it is with no ab muscles at the moment. Now I'm down a side muscle too.
5. The gestational diabetes
Pricking my finger, examining everything I eat, not eating too late, abstaining from yummy seasonal goodness.... The thing with gd is that the diet is MORE strict than a type I or type II diabetes diet so it's even harder.
6. People calling everyday (or in my mom's case 7 times in a row if I can't answer the phone) to see if I'm still pregnant.
Um, why would I have a baby and keep it a secret? Especially from my mom? I told her last night if she didn't quit stalking me I was going to make her wait to read about the birth on Facebook. She got the point.
I pretty much am now in excruciating pain on every inch of my body other than my hair and left arm maybe and have been for weeks. If this baby doesn't come out ASAP I may seriously injure and innocent bystander.
1. The +4 pitting edema
You've seen the swelling pictures. I've now moved from just swelling to pitting. This is when anything leaves an indent in your skin. My indents last a good 5-10 min before returning to "normal." I still have the shooting fire pains upon standing too.
2. The compression stockings
Compression stockings are oh so sexy. They look like sexy thigh-highs you would wear with garters, but with the consistency of an ace bandage. Hot. They take 20 minutes to get on and then when I attempt to painfully peel myself out of them at night I have large indents on various points of my legs. (see pitting edema) Not to mention I still swell horrendously.
3. The 3 week chronic cough
I'm on a nightly regimen of cough syrup, allergy pill, and Pepcid to attempt to control the cough that could be indigestion, allergy drainage, or viral. Or it could just be normal additional mucous from pregnancy.
4. The pulled muscle
Yup. Due to the chronic cough I have pulled a muscle on my right side in my ribs. It's not like I have the easiest time moving as it is with no ab muscles at the moment. Now I'm down a side muscle too.
5. The gestational diabetes
Pricking my finger, examining everything I eat, not eating too late, abstaining from yummy seasonal goodness.... The thing with gd is that the diet is MORE strict than a type I or type II diabetes diet so it's even harder.
6. People calling everyday (or in my mom's case 7 times in a row if I can't answer the phone) to see if I'm still pregnant.
Um, why would I have a baby and keep it a secret? Especially from my mom? I told her last night if she didn't quit stalking me I was going to make her wait to read about the birth on Facebook. She got the point.
I pretty much am now in excruciating pain on every inch of my body other than my hair and left arm maybe and have been for weeks. If this baby doesn't come out ASAP I may seriously injure and innocent bystander.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Monday Giveaways - Nov 6
Why am I doing Monday giveaways on a Saturday? Well frankly I'm hoping to go into labor this weekend and be chillin in the hospital Monday. I'm 3cm dialated as of my apt yesterday w/ sporadic contractions. Well I say sporadic, but they come for 45min to 2 hrs and then just stop. My ob is on call this weekend and told me to go walking and to have sex with B in hopes of getting the contractions more consistent and coming to see him.
I'm checking in this morning and then little A and I are off for some errands (Gap is 40% off today if you mention FLASH40 at check out)and possibly to the new children't museum in town. Hopefully the errands last night and tonight will help on the walking front.
Anyway, here are the giveaways I've entered:
2 Fix-It-And-Forget-It cookbooks from One Momma Saving Money
$50 giftcard to The Game Shop from The Johns Family
Carmex winter survival kit from Making Ends Meet
I'm checking in this morning and then little A and I are off for some errands (Gap is 40% off today if you mention FLASH40 at check out)and possibly to the new children't museum in town. Hopefully the errands last night and tonight will help on the walking front.
Anyway, here are the giveaways I've entered:
2 Fix-It-And-Forget-It cookbooks from One Momma Saving Money
$50 giftcard to The Game Shop from The Johns Family
Carmex winter survival kit from Making Ends Meet
And the Winner Is.....
Friday, November 5, 2010
Custom Ornament Giveaway Ends Today!
Don't forget to enter the giveaway for the Stellababy giftcard that will cover an ornament or to put toward another custom item. You can find the giveaway in the orginal blog post.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Caution: Crazy Hormonal Pregnant Woman
I have been very even tempered this entire pregnancy. Until this week that is. Now I cry over nothing and everything irritates me. I've been sitting at work this morning crying all morning over nothing. I'm working away with tears just streaming down my face.
Even stranger, I feel like little A's stalker. All I want to do is spend time with him. I can't get enough of him this week. I want to spend every minute with him. I don't want to focus on anything else. I'd love to go get him from daycare and go to McDonalds for a McRib combo meal with fries and a HUGE coke and then go play somewhere. (Of course I can't take the time off work or eat the McDonalds thanks to my gestational diabetes.) I even got up in the middle of the night last night just to go lay with him and cuddle.
I seriously feel like a crazy woman this week. This morning I decided I resented the baby because this pregnancy is seriously limiting my ability to do the things I want to do with little A and I don't want someone taking my time away from my baby. Then I started crying because it's just inevitable that things will change. (Of course I want this baby and I'm not doubting my ability to love them both. I'm just crazy and hormonal.)
I don't tend to bond with my kids during pregnancy. I have to see them outside of me as a real person and it takes a few days. So, right now little A is my baby and E is still just the fetus of a difficult pregnancy. I'm full term today and I think E needs to come out sooner than later for all our sanity. I may go all paparazzi on little A if not.
Even stranger, I feel like little A's stalker. All I want to do is spend time with him. I can't get enough of him this week. I want to spend every minute with him. I don't want to focus on anything else. I'd love to go get him from daycare and go to McDonalds for a McRib combo meal with fries and a HUGE coke and then go play somewhere. (Of course I can't take the time off work or eat the McDonalds thanks to my gestational diabetes.) I even got up in the middle of the night last night just to go lay with him and cuddle.
I seriously feel like a crazy woman this week. This morning I decided I resented the baby because this pregnancy is seriously limiting my ability to do the things I want to do with little A and I don't want someone taking my time away from my baby. Then I started crying because it's just inevitable that things will change. (Of course I want this baby and I'm not doubting my ability to love them both. I'm just crazy and hormonal.)
I don't tend to bond with my kids during pregnancy. I have to see them outside of me as a real person and it takes a few days. So, right now little A is my baby and E is still just the fetus of a difficult pregnancy. I'm full term today and I think E needs to come out sooner than later for all our sanity. I may go all paparazzi on little A if not.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Pregnant Centaur
Remember back to high school when you studied Greek mythology and there was the half horse half man; Centaur. The top half was man the bottom half was horse. This is what I have become; a pregnant Centaur. Only, instead of half horse half woman, I'm half woman half hippo.
One of the joys of late pregnancy can be edema or swelling. I had it a bit with little A, but I have it full force this time. At first the dr thought it might be a blood clot (dvt) and sent me for a Doppler and bed rest. Thankfully it wasn't a blood clot, but cellulitis which is an infection that can mirror dvt. After a week of antibiotics, Benadryl, and aspirin the Cellulitis seems to have cleared, but the edema is still rocking full force.
Here is a progression of my swelling as the day goes on. Keep in mind one of the solutions drs give you is to keep your feet up. These pictures are even with keeping my feet propped on a chair all day at work.
8 am - starting out a bit swollen
12 pm - puffing up some more
6 pm - 3x my normal size
Thankfully at my appointment on Friday the ob cleared me for compression stockings since the other issues are gone. Hopefully these help. Not only do I puff up, but it sends shooting fire pains down my legs when I stand as well as a constant ache. Friday night when I got home I was so swollen I literally could not bend my legs or flex my foot.
I just keep reminding myself I have 3 more weeks max and then I'm done. I would definitely appreciate E deciding to come early.
One of the joys of late pregnancy can be edema or swelling. I had it a bit with little A, but I have it full force this time. At first the dr thought it might be a blood clot (dvt) and sent me for a Doppler and bed rest. Thankfully it wasn't a blood clot, but cellulitis which is an infection that can mirror dvt. After a week of antibiotics, Benadryl, and aspirin the Cellulitis seems to have cleared, but the edema is still rocking full force.
Here is a progression of my swelling as the day goes on. Keep in mind one of the solutions drs give you is to keep your feet up. These pictures are even with keeping my feet propped on a chair all day at work.
8 am - starting out a bit swollen
12 pm - puffing up some more
6 pm - 3x my normal size
Thankfully at my appointment on Friday the ob cleared me for compression stockings since the other issues are gone. Hopefully these help. Not only do I puff up, but it sends shooting fire pains down my legs when I stand as well as a constant ache. Friday night when I got home I was so swollen I literally could not bend my legs or flex my foot.
I just keep reminding myself I have 3 more weeks max and then I'm done. I would definitely appreciate E deciding to come early.
Monday, October 25, 2010
My $80 find for $3.11
Little A loves all things construction. He has a small construction playset, but it's a cheap one and most of the pieces are now broken. He asked for a new one this year. I found this set on Amazon from Mighty World.
It was listed for $79.99 at the time so it's been sitting in my wishlist for months. A few weeks ago I noticed the price dropped to $53.11. Much better. I decided to cash in my Swagbucks I've been saving for a $50 Amazon gift card. Once I applied it I paid $3.11 for a complete construction set! Since it's over $25 it qualified for free shipping, but as a member of Amazon Mom, I have Amazon Prime free for 3 months and got quicker shipping!
If you haven't heard about Swagbucks yet, it's a search engine where you can earn points for searches. I use it in the place of google for my normal internet usage. In addition to searches you can earn points via:
1) Answering a daily poll
2) Participating in surveys
3) Utilizing the Swagbucks Toolbar
4) Completing Special Offers
5) Shopping at partner webstores
6) Finding SwagCodes
7) Referring others
I use Swagbucks just as I would any other site normally. I don't do paid offers or shopping unless it's something I'm going to do anyway. This is just to say you really can earn swagbucks for little effort and for free.
You can redeem your swagbucks for various prizes or giftcards. I like the giftcards the best because then I can use them on whatever I want (like the construction set).
If you haven't signed up for swagbucks yet, get moving and use it! There's still plenty of time to earn free money for the holidays!
It was listed for $79.99 at the time so it's been sitting in my wishlist for months. A few weeks ago I noticed the price dropped to $53.11. Much better. I decided to cash in my Swagbucks I've been saving for a $50 Amazon gift card. Once I applied it I paid $3.11 for a complete construction set! Since it's over $25 it qualified for free shipping, but as a member of Amazon Mom, I have Amazon Prime free for 3 months and got quicker shipping!
If you haven't heard about Swagbucks yet, it's a search engine where you can earn points for searches. I use it in the place of google for my normal internet usage. In addition to searches you can earn points via:
1) Answering a daily poll
2) Participating in surveys
3) Utilizing the Swagbucks Toolbar
4) Completing Special Offers
5) Shopping at partner webstores
6) Finding SwagCodes
7) Referring others
I use Swagbucks just as I would any other site normally. I don't do paid offers or shopping unless it's something I'm going to do anyway. This is just to say you really can earn swagbucks for little effort and for free.
You can redeem your swagbucks for various prizes or giftcards. I like the giftcards the best because then I can use them on whatever I want (like the construction set).
If you haven't signed up for swagbucks yet, get moving and use it! There's still plenty of time to earn free money for the holidays!
Win a Custom Christmas Ornament from StellaBaby
I'm happy to announce that this week's giveaway post is all about you! Instead of listing the giveaways I've entered this week, I have a giveaway to host.
Growing up our family had the tradition that each year we would each get a new Christmas ornament. When we moved out as adults, we got to take our ornaments with us so that we had some for our own tree. When I had little A I decided to continue this tradtion. I found a great snowbabies "baby's first Christmas" ornament the first year (which was a challenge because he turned 1 10 days after Christmas and I didn't want something too babyish).
The second year was more of a challenge. There were few things that he really liked so finding a store bought ornament proved difficult. This is when I decided to go custom and looked on Etsy. I stumbled across StellaBaby. Jessica is a stay at home mom to 2 children. For the most part she does custom painted items including ornaments, wall letters, glasses, etc. In my first interaction with Jessica she created a custom Blue's Clue's Ornament for us that Little A LOVED.
Growing up our family had the tradition that each year we would each get a new Christmas ornament. When we moved out as adults, we got to take our ornaments with us so that we had some for our own tree. When I had little A I decided to continue this tradtion. I found a great snowbabies "baby's first Christmas" ornament the first year (which was a challenge because he turned 1 10 days after Christmas and I didn't want something too babyish).
The second year was more of a challenge. There were few things that he really liked so finding a store bought ornament proved difficult. This is when I decided to go custom and looked on Etsy. I stumbled across StellaBaby. Jessica is a stay at home mom to 2 children. For the most part she does custom painted items including ornaments, wall letters, glasses, etc. In my first interaction with Jessica she created a custom Blue's Clue's Ornament for us that Little A LOVED.
Last year I went back to StellaBaby and she created an Awesome construction themed ormanent for Little A. Now as we enter fall I'm on the hunt for Little A's 4th Christmas ornament as well as one for E and wall letters for above the crib. I'm still trying to decide what to do for Little A this year. It's between soccer and monster trucks. For little E though, StellaBaby created a gorgeous custom 1st Christmas Ormanent for us and it came in the mail this weekend!
I convo'd Jessica to enquire about creating this ornament. We discussed my ideas and decided upon gingerbread men since E's Christmas outfit had gingerbread men on it. From there Jessica comes up with a few ideas and then convo'd me again to get my input. Once again I absolutely love it. I'm always even more pleased with the outcome than I anticipate when the ornament arrives.
Jessica is offering my readers a chance to win a gift certificate to her shop for your own custom ornament (or other item of your choice). She's also offering 10% off any item if you would like to just purchase instead. To use the discount enter "notthemaid" in the message to sellers section of your order and she'll refund the difference to you!
WIN IT
One of my US readers will win a gift certificate to StellaBaby's shop on Etsy for $28. This will cover an ornament or you can use it toward something else.
MANDATORY ENTRY
1) Become a public follower of my blog. Then visit StellaBaby on Etsy and tell me what item you like best in her shop.
OPTIONAL EXTRA ENTRIES
2) Like StellaBaby on Facebook
3)Post about this giveaway on your bog and link back both to this giveaway and Stellababy's shop.
4) Make StellaBaby an etsy favorite.
Please ensure your profile is public or leave me your email address in your comment. Please be honest in your entries as I do check entries and will delete any non-qualified comments! This giveaway will end at midnight on November 5th. I will use Random.org to choose the winner, email the winner and post the winner on my website. Giveaway is open to US addresses.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Monday Giveaways - October 11
Giveaways I've been interested in have been slim lately, but hopefully they'll pick back up as we get closer to the holiday season. Here are the giveaways I've entered this week.
$20 paypal cash from Oh So Savvy Mom
Britax Marathon 70 carseat from Pieces of Me
$50 Pottery Barn Teen giftcard from Savvy Housewife (finally something for the big boys)
$20 paypal cash from Oh So Savvy Mom
Britax Marathon 70 carseat from Pieces of Me
$50 Pottery Barn Teen giftcard from Savvy Housewife (finally something for the big boys)
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Mommy wasn't speeding
This weekend was little A's weekend with his dad. Since his dad lives 45 minutes away we usually meet half-way so neither one of us has to be in the car for almost 2 hours round trip. Every time I pick little A up there is crying. He is over tired, over stimulate, pumped up on sugar, and has had no discipline or structure for 2 days. I HATE Sunday's.
When I got to our meeting point and little A and the ex showed up, little A had a sucker. Then he asked if he could have a slushy. I told him no he couldn't have both a slushy and a sucker at 6:30pm and that when we got home we were having cake for B's birthday. This is when the crying started. And the kicking of the seat. And the screaming. And then trying to climb out of the car seat.
I immediately pulled over to the side of the road when he tried to undo the car seat. I explained why that's not safe and that we would just sit there until he wanted to calm down. I also explained that it may mean we got home too late and he didn't get cake. About 5 minutes into sitting a state trooper pulled up behind us. This thoroughly freaked little A out.
He started saying "I listen. I be good. Let's go!" I had to explain that we couldn't just leave now and had to talk to the cop. Thankfully he was very nice. He asked if everything was ok and I told him the situation. Then he had a little talk with little A who looked like a deer in headlights. Little A even got a sticker. When we got home B asked how his weekend was and he told him "we talked to the cop, but mommy wasn't speeding!"
When I got to our meeting point and little A and the ex showed up, little A had a sucker. Then he asked if he could have a slushy. I told him no he couldn't have both a slushy and a sucker at 6:30pm and that when we got home we were having cake for B's birthday. This is when the crying started. And the kicking of the seat. And the screaming. And then trying to climb out of the car seat.
I immediately pulled over to the side of the road when he tried to undo the car seat. I explained why that's not safe and that we would just sit there until he wanted to calm down. I also explained that it may mean we got home too late and he didn't get cake. About 5 minutes into sitting a state trooper pulled up behind us. This thoroughly freaked little A out.
He started saying "I listen. I be good. Let's go!" I had to explain that we couldn't just leave now and had to talk to the cop. Thankfully he was very nice. He asked if everything was ok and I told him the situation. Then he had a little talk with little A who looked like a deer in headlights. Little A even got a sticker. When we got home B asked how his weekend was and he told him "we talked to the cop, but mommy wasn't speeding!"
Monday, October 4, 2010
Monday Giveaways - October 4
Can you believe it's already October? It feels nice and fall-like here today. I really need to find some ways to stretch my maternity wardrobe for the cooler weather. I only have about 5 weeks left so I'm definately not buying anything else!
On to the giveaways. Here's what I've entered this week:
$25 gift card to Hobby Lobby from Casa de Mask
$25 gift card to Kroger and $25 gift card to Shell from A Frugal Friend
On to the giveaways. Here's what I've entered this week:
$25 gift card to Hobby Lobby from Casa de Mask
$25 gift card to Kroger and $25 gift card to Shell from A Frugal Friend
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Monday Giveaways on Tuesday - Sept. 27
Since I had the post about the jean drama yesterday, I thought I'd save the giveaway post for today. I didn't have one last week because there just weren't any giveaways I wanted to enter! I did win again though. I won the Dean's dip & Reisenthel bag giveaway from Bless Their Hearts!
Here are the giveaways I've entered this week:
A Bum Essentials cloth diaper from Mama to 3 Blessings
$20 gift card to Flowerz in her Hair from Mama to 3 Blessings
A toy box from Giveaways 4 Mommmy
Snorg T-shirt from Fun Saving Money
Naturalizer shoes from Rant, Rave, Roll
Amy's prize pack from Our Homeschool Reviews
$25 gift card to TJ Maxx from Freebies and Much More
Count Chocula prize pack from Health, Beauty, Children, & Family
$50 off $100 at Old Navy from HSUper Parents
Here are the giveaways I've entered this week:
A Bum Essentials cloth diaper from Mama to 3 Blessings
$20 gift card to Flowerz in her Hair from Mama to 3 Blessings
A toy box from Giveaways 4 Mommmy
Snorg T-shirt from Fun Saving Money
Naturalizer shoes from Rant, Rave, Roll
Amy's prize pack from Our Homeschool Reviews
$25 gift card to TJ Maxx from Freebies and Much More
Count Chocula prize pack from Health, Beauty, Children, & Family
$50 off $100 at Old Navy from HSUper Parents
Monday, September 27, 2010
Jeans
We had a cold snap come through yesterday. It was cloudy, rainy, and cool for the first time since spring. It won't stay this way because it's the midwest, so it will be 85 one day and 65 the next for a while. When we got home from little A's soccer game, S asked if he could go play at a friend's. B told him yes, but to put on a hoodie first since he was in shorts and a short sleeved t-shirt. He started arguing back about not having one that fit and why the 12 (no joke) we pulled out wouldn't work for him. They were either too big, too small, or he didn't want to wear someone else's. B offered a compromise and asked him to put on jeans at least. S then started arguing that he didn't have any jeans.
First off, not true. We pointed out the 2 brand new pair with tags still on them in his room. Those weren't good enough and he wasn't sure they fit. Why I don't know. They're the same size as the shorts he had on his body during the debate. We told him to try them on. That didn't happen. S finally just left because we were ready to strangle him. Fine, be cold and grumpy. Apparently that's what he wanted anyway.
Second, this really irks me since a month ago I brought home a laundry basket full of jeans from a coworker. He barely looked through it and decided he didn't want any of them. Apparently S "doesn't do" hand-me-downs or used clothes. These were all higher priced name brand jeans too that were barely worn. All the other kids and B and I do hand-me-downs so not sure why S thinks he's too good for it.
Third, he refuses to go shopping with anyone to actually pick stuff out. B, S's mom, B's mom, and I all try to bring S stuff and he never likes it. You can only return so many times to a store before they cut you off, not to mention it's a pain in the butt. He needs to either go to the store, try stuff on, and tell you what he likes or wear what is brought to him. (This summer I brought him a big bag of 5 complete outfits. He decided to keep 2 pairs of shorts. I took the rest back. 2 weeks later he asked if I'd go back and get 2 of the returned outfits back because he changed his mind. Uh, no. They've already sold them.)
Here's what I think the real issue is. He's in 7th grade. He wants all Hollister, Abercrombie, and Nike stuff plastered with logos. Sorry dude, but that's not going to happen. We're supporting 4 kids with a 5th on the way. You're not an only child of wealthy parents. There is a set amount of money for each need. If you want to spend $50 on a pair of jeans that no one will see the tag on then you will have 2 pairs of pants and nothing else.
I know this is a phase and middle school is rough, but this is getting old REALLY fast. I think a monetary budget lesson needs to occur. I'd love to take him shopping and explain you have x amount of money. Now, pick out fall clothes. Then I'd like to make him stick with what he picks and have him do his laundry when he doesn't have enough clothes and has to wash them every other day. I think this would be a great lesson and he'd get over the expensive jeans. (No one sees the tag. Save the plastering of logos for things people see if you really feel the need to be walking advertisement.) Now, how do I get him to actually go?
First off, not true. We pointed out the 2 brand new pair with tags still on them in his room. Those weren't good enough and he wasn't sure they fit. Why I don't know. They're the same size as the shorts he had on his body during the debate. We told him to try them on. That didn't happen. S finally just left because we were ready to strangle him. Fine, be cold and grumpy. Apparently that's what he wanted anyway.
Second, this really irks me since a month ago I brought home a laundry basket full of jeans from a coworker. He barely looked through it and decided he didn't want any of them. Apparently S "doesn't do" hand-me-downs or used clothes. These were all higher priced name brand jeans too that were barely worn. All the other kids and B and I do hand-me-downs so not sure why S thinks he's too good for it.
Third, he refuses to go shopping with anyone to actually pick stuff out. B, S's mom, B's mom, and I all try to bring S stuff and he never likes it. You can only return so many times to a store before they cut you off, not to mention it's a pain in the butt. He needs to either go to the store, try stuff on, and tell you what he likes or wear what is brought to him. (This summer I brought him a big bag of 5 complete outfits. He decided to keep 2 pairs of shorts. I took the rest back. 2 weeks later he asked if I'd go back and get 2 of the returned outfits back because he changed his mind. Uh, no. They've already sold them.)
Here's what I think the real issue is. He's in 7th grade. He wants all Hollister, Abercrombie, and Nike stuff plastered with logos. Sorry dude, but that's not going to happen. We're supporting 4 kids with a 5th on the way. You're not an only child of wealthy parents. There is a set amount of money for each need. If you want to spend $50 on a pair of jeans that no one will see the tag on then you will have 2 pairs of pants and nothing else.
I know this is a phase and middle school is rough, but this is getting old REALLY fast. I think a monetary budget lesson needs to occur. I'd love to take him shopping and explain you have x amount of money. Now, pick out fall clothes. Then I'd like to make him stick with what he picks and have him do his laundry when he doesn't have enough clothes and has to wash them every other day. I think this would be a great lesson and he'd get over the expensive jeans. (No one sees the tag. Save the plastering of logos for things people see if you really feel the need to be walking advertisement.) Now, how do I get him to actually go?
Friday, September 17, 2010
Cloth Wipes - EYMM Review
I cloth diapered little A starting at about a year old. He had horrendous diaper rash with lots of episodes of bleeding and yeast for the first year. We tried every diaper out there and took him to the doctor countless times before we figured out he's allergic to the SAP gel in disposable diapers. The confirmation on it was switching to cloth. Once we switched we never had another issue with diaper rash.
When I got pregnant this time with E I knew I would cloth diaper again. First, I had such a great experience compared to the disposable experience with little A. Second, I still have all of his cloth diapers, so it's cost efficient. I did stock up on newborn cloth diapers since I didn't have any of those and the one size diapers I do have don't start fitting until about 10 lbs.
Another thing I needed more of for E was cloth wipes. I searched and searched but couldn't find anything I liked. Then I decided I would take a few old receiving blankets that are not really big enough for swaddling or anything useful and turn them into wipes. One big problem. I can't sew; at all. A friend from a forum I belong to mentioned she could make them for me, so I sent her the blankets and ordered a few more since I didn't have quite enough blankets.
They came in the mail this week and I LOVE them. The top 3 are from the receiving blankets while the bottom 2 are the front and the back of the wipes she made with new fabric. They are all double sided and extremely soft. The stitching is fantastic and they are a nice large child's washcloth sized. Even B was amazed at how nice they were. (He's amazed at everything cloth diaper related at the moment though since it's new to him.) I cannot wait to use these on E!
When I got pregnant this time with E I knew I would cloth diaper again. First, I had such a great experience compared to the disposable experience with little A. Second, I still have all of his cloth diapers, so it's cost efficient. I did stock up on newborn cloth diapers since I didn't have any of those and the one size diapers I do have don't start fitting until about 10 lbs.
Another thing I needed more of for E was cloth wipes. I searched and searched but couldn't find anything I liked. Then I decided I would take a few old receiving blankets that are not really big enough for swaddling or anything useful and turn them into wipes. One big problem. I can't sew; at all. A friend from a forum I belong to mentioned she could make them for me, so I sent her the blankets and ordered a few more since I didn't have quite enough blankets.
They came in the mail this week and I LOVE them. The top 3 are from the receiving blankets while the bottom 2 are the front and the back of the wipes she made with new fabric. They are all double sided and extremely soft. The stitching is fantastic and they are a nice large child's washcloth sized. Even B was amazed at how nice they were. (He's amazed at everything cloth diaper related at the moment though since it's new to him.) I cannot wait to use these on E!
If you want to see more of Kymy's work head on over to her Etsy shop, EYMM (Everything Your Mama Made and More). In addition to custom orders (like my wipes), she offers crib sheets, aprons, and super hero capes. While not listed in her shop, I've seen clothing she's made her own children and her work is fantastic and not limited. She is very knowledgeable about various fabrics, costs of materials, and a variety of items. I think I may have to hit her up for some fun nursing pads too. ;)
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Tying the knot
Neither B nor I want to have a wedding when we get married. We both feel like we've been there done that and with 5 kids we'd much rather (and need to) put that money elsewhere. How exactly to tie the knot we're not sure of. Before we got pregnant, we discussed eloping and doing a destination wedding. Now I don't really want to do that either. Those are still thousands of dollars and again, we have 5 kids and more pressing money concerns.
It was recently announced that my annual conference I attend for work will be held in Las Vegas next summer. This was definately not my first choice of potential locations. Vegas would be fun, but not so much with a 7 month old. Yes, we could leave the baby with a grandparent, but I plan on nursing and it's so much easier to take the baby then my milking machine and a cooler. I joked with B that we could get married while there. Well, apparently he likes this idea because he asked me about it last night.
I don't think I want to do this either. I'm not sure why, but a Vegas wedding just doesn't appeal to me; especially on a work trip. I guess I feel like we'd just be fitting it in. What other options are there though?
One of my college roomates had her second wedding in her living room. They invited their parents for dinner and basically said "Suprise! We're getting married now." This has some appeal to me. I like that it's so laid back and comfortable. Of course my mom lives in Lousiana and we're in Indiana so we'd need it to be a time when she was here. She is coming for Thanksgiving this year since I'm due Nov. 24. Will I really want to get married a week or so after having a baby though?
I suppose another option is to do a suprise/destination wedding over the summer. Every summer B's siblings and parents meet up in Florida and rent a house. If we could get my mom to go to the same place we could always do it there on the beach.
Another alternative is to get married at the courthouse and then take a long weekend together. Here we're back to the issue of taking vs leaving the baby or when to go.
There's really not an option jumping out at me as the one. I could care less about the wedding for the most part. It's the marriage I want. Anyone want to just pick and option and plan it for me?
It was recently announced that my annual conference I attend for work will be held in Las Vegas next summer. This was definately not my first choice of potential locations. Vegas would be fun, but not so much with a 7 month old. Yes, we could leave the baby with a grandparent, but I plan on nursing and it's so much easier to take the baby then my milking machine and a cooler. I joked with B that we could get married while there. Well, apparently he likes this idea because he asked me about it last night.
I don't think I want to do this either. I'm not sure why, but a Vegas wedding just doesn't appeal to me; especially on a work trip. I guess I feel like we'd just be fitting it in. What other options are there though?
One of my college roomates had her second wedding in her living room. They invited their parents for dinner and basically said "Suprise! We're getting married now." This has some appeal to me. I like that it's so laid back and comfortable. Of course my mom lives in Lousiana and we're in Indiana so we'd need it to be a time when she was here. She is coming for Thanksgiving this year since I'm due Nov. 24. Will I really want to get married a week or so after having a baby though?
I suppose another option is to do a suprise/destination wedding over the summer. Every summer B's siblings and parents meet up in Florida and rent a house. If we could get my mom to go to the same place we could always do it there on the beach.
Another alternative is to get married at the courthouse and then take a long weekend together. Here we're back to the issue of taking vs leaving the baby or when to go.
There's really not an option jumping out at me as the one. I could care less about the wedding for the most part. It's the marriage I want. Anyone want to just pick and option and plan it for me?
Monday, September 13, 2010
Soccer mom without the mini-van
I'm officially a soccer mom. Little A had his first game yesterday. For the U4 group they play 30 minute games with 3 kids on the field at a time for each team. His coach called it "controlled chaos!" He started out great. The games were running behind so his didn't start until 3pm. He warmed up and watched the game before his. Then he played great. At one point he came running off the field to give me a HUGE hug and then ran back on. Half-way through it all went down hill though.
He missed his nap since the game was at 2:30 and we had to be there early to get his uniform. Why the league thought it was a good idea to schedule this age group to play between 1-2:30pm I have no clue. The vast majority of these kids still take naps after lunch people!
He refused to play the second half of his game and spent it on my lap. I made him stay until the game was done even though he wanted to leave. Then when the game was over he refused to line up to shake hands with the other team. I explained if he didn't, he couldn't have his team snack. He still refused. Then when we left he had a melt down.
He was crying and hanging on me on the way to the car. I told him we'd go home and lay down for a little bit since he was so tired. This caused more crying along with screaming "I'm not tired! Mommy carry me!" Those two statements don't really validate each other.
Even with the bad last half, he still said the game was the best part of his day yesterday. Overall a win. Even though this morning was a huge fight with my ex-husband because he didn't get the message that the first game was yesterday so he missed it. Somehow this was my fault and threats of going to court over his rights were made. (My ex-husband is bipolar and quite nutty. A whole other series of posts we can get to another day.)
Now today I've signed up to work the concession stand as my volunteer activity since we have a schedule to work around now. I've sold some raffle tickets for him. Then I signed up for my week to bring team snacks. I'm officially a soccer mom without a mini-van. (B says we can't have one even though we'll have 4 kids living with us soon.)
I've also decided I'm kind of glad the other kids are not involved in activities. While I think it would be good for them I don't know how we'd do it! Not just the chauffering either, but the parental support required as well!
He missed his nap since the game was at 2:30 and we had to be there early to get his uniform. Why the league thought it was a good idea to schedule this age group to play between 1-2:30pm I have no clue. The vast majority of these kids still take naps after lunch people!
He refused to play the second half of his game and spent it on my lap. I made him stay until the game was done even though he wanted to leave. Then when the game was over he refused to line up to shake hands with the other team. I explained if he didn't, he couldn't have his team snack. He still refused. Then when we left he had a melt down.
He was crying and hanging on me on the way to the car. I told him we'd go home and lay down for a little bit since he was so tired. This caused more crying along with screaming "I'm not tired! Mommy carry me!" Those two statements don't really validate each other.
Even with the bad last half, he still said the game was the best part of his day yesterday. Overall a win. Even though this morning was a huge fight with my ex-husband because he didn't get the message that the first game was yesterday so he missed it. Somehow this was my fault and threats of going to court over his rights were made. (My ex-husband is bipolar and quite nutty. A whole other series of posts we can get to another day.)
Now today I've signed up to work the concession stand as my volunteer activity since we have a schedule to work around now. I've sold some raffle tickets for him. Then I signed up for my week to bring team snacks. I'm officially a soccer mom without a mini-van. (B says we can't have one even though we'll have 4 kids living with us soon.)
I've also decided I'm kind of glad the other kids are not involved in activities. While I think it would be good for them I don't know how we'd do it! Not just the chauffering either, but the parental support required as well!
Monday Giveaways - September 13
I won another giveaway! I got an email last week that I won a $40 gift certificate to Joy of Soap from Mrs Nespy's Frugal World. This will be great for stocking stuffers.
Here are the giveaways I've enterd this week:
A tub of Cottenelle Fresh Wipes - this isn't actually a givewaway from a blog, but a freebie from Cottenelle! Request yours before they're out.
Totino's Back to School prize pack from Pink Coupon Cafe
Tinkerbell and the Great Fairy Rescue prize pack from Saving Dollars and Sense
Halloween costume from Musing Maine-iace and Anytime Costumes
$25 Target gift card from Blogelina
Laundry sorter from One Frugal Lady
Maternity pjs from In the Know Mom
Trumpette socks from Saving in Sacramento
9 Lives prize pack from Busy Working Moms
$25 gift card to The Children's Place from Two of a Kind
$10 DQ gift card from Coupon Clippin Daddy
$50 Sonic gift card from Pieces of Me
Punte Bella hat from Mommy Moment
$25 gift card to AddieKat Boutique from Moms Plans
Here are the giveaways I've enterd this week:
A tub of Cottenelle Fresh Wipes - this isn't actually a givewaway from a blog, but a freebie from Cottenelle! Request yours before they're out.
Totino's Back to School prize pack from Pink Coupon Cafe
Tinkerbell and the Great Fairy Rescue prize pack from Saving Dollars and Sense
Halloween costume from Musing Maine-iace and Anytime Costumes
$25 Target gift card from Blogelina
Laundry sorter from One Frugal Lady
Maternity pjs from In the Know Mom
Trumpette socks from Saving in Sacramento
9 Lives prize pack from Busy Working Moms
$25 gift card to The Children's Place from Two of a Kind
$10 DQ gift card from Coupon Clippin Daddy
$50 Sonic gift card from Pieces of Me
Punte Bella hat from Mommy Moment
$25 gift card to AddieKat Boutique from Moms Plans
Monday, September 6, 2010
Monday Giveaways - September 6
It was an exciting, kid-free weekend with a date night, college football (Go Gators), and getting the crib and changing table/dresser set up. Now it's time for a new week of giveaways! Here are the giveaways I entered this week.
Free Jimmy D's product from Couponing for 4
Moby Wrap from Raising Olives
$50 Paypal cash from Living Out Loud
Fuzzibunz OS cloth diaper from Small Town Mom
Kiki Maternity item from Who Doesn't Love Coupons
$5 Amazon gift card from Saving 4 Change
Deans and Reisenthel prize pack from Bless Their Hearts
Free Jimmy D's product from Couponing for 4
Moby Wrap from Raising Olives
$50 Paypal cash from Living Out Loud
Fuzzibunz OS cloth diaper from Small Town Mom
Kiki Maternity item from Who Doesn't Love Coupons
$5 Amazon gift card from Saving 4 Change
Deans and Reisenthel prize pack from Bless Their Hearts
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Just a Wednesday Morning
This morning my alarm went off at 6am like always. I was lying there half awake when I heard Little A call out "mommy." I rolled over to get up and get him when I was struck by a charlie horse in the calf. I start screaming ouch while trying to stretch out my leg. Of course at this point B is up and hovering asking what's wrong over and over. I'm not sure about you but charlie horses render me speechless, so I can't answer him right away. I finally get out that I'm fine and it's a charlie horse when in walk S and Little A to the bedroom. S asks if we want him to turn on the light. Um, not at 6 in the morning.
I get rid of the charlie horse, get Little A situated so I can get in the shower and B and S leave the bedroom. Once I got out of the shower I was putting on lotion when B came in to say goodbye since he leaves for work earlier than me. All of a sudden S just opens the door and follows him in. Um, I have no clothes on kid. B grabs me and walks me backward back into the bathroom for the bedroom while telling S to get out and knock.
I think he may have learned the lesson quickier if he was unfortunate enough to see my 28 week pregant nakedness. The poor kid would be scared for life.
These are the little things that didn't happen when it was just Little A and me. I guess this is just all part of a Wednesday morning now.
I get rid of the charlie horse, get Little A situated so I can get in the shower and B and S leave the bedroom. Once I got out of the shower I was putting on lotion when B came in to say goodbye since he leaves for work earlier than me. All of a sudden S just opens the door and follows him in. Um, I have no clothes on kid. B grabs me and walks me backward back into the bathroom for the bedroom while telling S to get out and knock.
I think he may have learned the lesson quickier if he was unfortunate enough to see my 28 week pregant nakedness. The poor kid would be scared for life.
These are the little things that didn't happen when it was just Little A and me. I guess this is just all part of a Wednesday morning now.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday Giveaways - Aug. 30 (on a Tuesday)
Since I posted about my meeting with the dietitian for gestational diabetes yesterday, I'm doing the Monday giveaway post today! Here are the giveaways I've entered this week:
$35 gift card to Expressiva Nursingwear from Mama to 3 Blessings
A Kidorable umbrella from Momma Told Me
FLIP SlideHD video camera from Two of a Kind
Sweet Moments prize pack from There are Two Sides
$40 gift certificate to The Joy of Soap from Mrs Nespy's Frugal World
$100 gift card to Lady Foot Locker from Kiddies Corner Deals
$35 gift card to Expressiva Nursingwear from Mama to 3 Blessings
A Kidorable umbrella from Momma Told Me
FLIP SlideHD video camera from Two of a Kind
Sweet Moments prize pack from There are Two Sides
$40 gift certificate to The Joy of Soap from Mrs Nespy's Frugal World
$100 gift card to Lady Foot Locker from Kiddies Corner Deals
Monday, August 30, 2010
Meeting with the dietician
I had my gestational diabetes meeting with the dietitian this morning. I'm apparently 5 lbs lighter with this pregnancy than I was at this time with little A. Of course I started heavier so I guess I really was a heifer with little A!
There are some new guidelines and findings since I had gestational diabetes last. Apparently now they suggest no juice, fruit, or milk in the morning because that's when the placenta is at the height of sugar production or something like that. A team of health care providers in California started a program called Sweet Success just for gestational diabetes and women who have pre-existing diabetes who are pregnant. I can't wait to check out their resources more. I wish this had been around with little A!
The goal with any diabetes is to manage your carbs which includes sugar. I get 2 carbs for breakfast, 3 for lunch, and 4 for dinner. 1 for each snack and 3 snacks per day. Each carb exchange is worth 15 grams, so for breakfast I can have 30 grams of carbs. This is basically an english muffin with some peanut butter.
The dietitian gave me some great protein suggestions too since I'm still having some meat aversion. I have no limit on eggs even though they are higher in cholesterol since I'm not eating other proteins. (Normally it's suggested not to have more than 3 egg yolks per week.) She also suggested cottage cheese at meals. It has as much protein as meat also. It is higher in sodium though.
Speaking of sodium, they want me to watch my sodium intake this time too since I ended up with pre-eclampsia with Little A as well. Sodium can of course increase blood pressure. Women with gestational diabetes are more likely to develop pre-eclampsia. This was the worst part of my labor and deliver, so I'd really like to avoid it this time if possible.
I have to test my blood sugar 4x per day 1x per week and then at least 1x per day throughout the week. The dietitian had me test in the office since it's been 4 years since I've done it. I was at 117 1.5 hrs after breakfast and I need to be under 120 2hrs after a meal. I guess tomorrow will be my full testing day which includes a fasting test.
She gave me a big packet of meals just for gestational diabetes too so I'm excited about that. It will be nice to be able to have some suggestions and not eat the same thing over and over. She did tell my my breakfast this morning was perfect; cinnamon raisin english muffin w/ peanut butter.
There are some new guidelines and findings since I had gestational diabetes last. Apparently now they suggest no juice, fruit, or milk in the morning because that's when the placenta is at the height of sugar production or something like that. A team of health care providers in California started a program called Sweet Success just for gestational diabetes and women who have pre-existing diabetes who are pregnant. I can't wait to check out their resources more. I wish this had been around with little A!
The goal with any diabetes is to manage your carbs which includes sugar. I get 2 carbs for breakfast, 3 for lunch, and 4 for dinner. 1 for each snack and 3 snacks per day. Each carb exchange is worth 15 grams, so for breakfast I can have 30 grams of carbs. This is basically an english muffin with some peanut butter.
The dietitian gave me some great protein suggestions too since I'm still having some meat aversion. I have no limit on eggs even though they are higher in cholesterol since I'm not eating other proteins. (Normally it's suggested not to have more than 3 egg yolks per week.) She also suggested cottage cheese at meals. It has as much protein as meat also. It is higher in sodium though.
Speaking of sodium, they want me to watch my sodium intake this time too since I ended up with pre-eclampsia with Little A as well. Sodium can of course increase blood pressure. Women with gestational diabetes are more likely to develop pre-eclampsia. This was the worst part of my labor and deliver, so I'd really like to avoid it this time if possible.
I have to test my blood sugar 4x per day 1x per week and then at least 1x per day throughout the week. The dietitian had me test in the office since it's been 4 years since I've done it. I was at 117 1.5 hrs after breakfast and I need to be under 120 2hrs after a meal. I guess tomorrow will be my full testing day which includes a fasting test.
She gave me a big packet of meals just for gestational diabetes too so I'm excited about that. It will be nice to be able to have some suggestions and not eat the same thing over and over. She did tell my my breakfast this morning was perfect; cinnamon raisin english muffin w/ peanut butter.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
My fat pregnant butt broke the toilet!
I can't reach my feet very easily, so I sit on the toilet with my feet on the tub to paint my toes. I was doing this last night when all of a sudden the toilet seat moved. I gasped and thinking I was going to fall in and then have to yell for B to come get me out. When the seat stopped I looked down and the lid and the seat slid in different directions and broke the hinge!
I finished my toes and went out to the living room where S and B were sitting. I told B "it's a good thing they're putting me on a diet. My fat butt broke the toilet seat." He was trying so hard not to laugh. S said "you're not fat even pregnant." Then B asked what happened, so I told him.
Looks like he's officially in charge of all grooming activities below the waist until Nov.
I finished my toes and went out to the living room where S and B were sitting. I told B "it's a good thing they're putting me on a diet. My fat butt broke the toilet seat." He was trying so hard not to laugh. S said "you're not fat even pregnant." Then B asked what happened, so I told him.
Looks like he's officially in charge of all grooming activities below the waist until Nov.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Bring on the finger pricks
I'm 27 weeks pregnant tomorrow which means I got to take the glucose tolerance test last week. Originally my ob wasn't going to have me take it. I had gestational diabetes with Little A, a family history on both sides of diabetes, and I follow the pattern (but miss the cut-off barely) for hypoglycemia not pregnant. Because of all of those factors he was going to have me just do the diabetes diet automatically. Last week I saw another ob in the practice because mine was on vacation. This ob suggested I take the 1 hour test just in case I passed. Well, I didn't.
The nurse called this afternoon to let me know I failed and to set up the 3 hour follow up glucose test. I declined. I explained my ob's initial plan and said I'd rather skip the 3 hour and just go on the diet. Since it's been 4 years since I was pregnant and had to deal with this with Little A, I requested to see the dietitian again. I need a refresher on using the glucose monitor, what my testing numbers should be, how many carbs I can have, and other details.
With Little A my diet consisted of lots of protein and veggies. I'm not sure what I'm going to do this time since I have aversions to poultry and can only manage to get other meats down in small quantities a limited number of times per week. I guess I will become a creative rabbit. I'm also interested to see how the boys take this. I'm not cooking 3 seprate meals (one for me, one for Little A, and one for them). Everyone gets to diet along with me!
Overall, it's not that bad. It's only a few weeks. I just hope that I can diet control it again and not have to go on insulin. This is the fear that keeps me from cheating.
The nurse called this afternoon to let me know I failed and to set up the 3 hour follow up glucose test. I declined. I explained my ob's initial plan and said I'd rather skip the 3 hour and just go on the diet. Since it's been 4 years since I was pregnant and had to deal with this with Little A, I requested to see the dietitian again. I need a refresher on using the glucose monitor, what my testing numbers should be, how many carbs I can have, and other details.
With Little A my diet consisted of lots of protein and veggies. I'm not sure what I'm going to do this time since I have aversions to poultry and can only manage to get other meats down in small quantities a limited number of times per week. I guess I will become a creative rabbit. I'm also interested to see how the boys take this. I'm not cooking 3 seprate meals (one for me, one for Little A, and one for them). Everyone gets to diet along with me!
Overall, it's not that bad. It's only a few weeks. I just hope that I can diet control it again and not have to go on insulin. This is the fear that keeps me from cheating.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Monday Giveaways - August 23
It's another Monday morning. While one kid had to go to a friend since he was kicked off the bus last week (more on that in another post) and the 3 year old had a clingy sad daycare drop off at least it's a new week for giveaways. Here's what I've entered this week.
Cloth napkin set for kids from Is there a Bathroom on this Ship
Rumparooz cloth diaper from Liz has a Life
Medela gift bag from Acting Balanced
Hanes Comfort Flex Underwear from Couponing for 4
Amy Butler hooded towel from HSUper Parents
Baby gift basket by 4lilcupcakes from Heavenly Savings
$60 CSN giftcard from BassGirraffes
Cloth napkin set for kids from Is there a Bathroom on this Ship
Rumparooz cloth diaper from Liz has a Life
Medela gift bag from Acting Balanced
Hanes Comfort Flex Underwear from Couponing for 4
Amy Butler hooded towel from HSUper Parents
Baby gift basket by 4lilcupcakes from Heavenly Savings
$60 CSN giftcard from BassGirraffes
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Free Legos Entertain Them All
How do you entertain a 14 yo, a 12 yo, and a 3.5 yo? Pull out the legos. Little A just started playing with Legos this summer. He has one set.
He's obsessed with construction and vehicles so this was the one he picked out. When we went to visit my mom last week she gave Little A a small box of legos from when my brother was little. When we got home and the big boys came back they all started playing with them.
This was great. Everyone was entertained. B and I got 30 min to ourselves to just sit together. There was no yelling. Until.....
Little A came in the living room crying because the S and Big A took his legos and wouldn't share. This is a source of contention. S and Big A are a year apart and are used to sharing EVERYTHING. It's almost like they don't have their own things, but all things belong to both. I'm not used to this and neither is Little A. I was pretty irritated they took his toys and then wouldn't let him play. Especially after the numerous conversations we've had about not touching things that aren't yours without asking.
B went in and took care of it. Then he looked at me and said "I think we need to find some Legos on Ebay." He's right. Have you looked at how expensive Lego sets can be now?
Just a few days before I got my Big Fat Check from Ebates. Ebates is a site where you earn cash back on your on-line purchases. You simply start from their site rather than the store site and you earn a percentage of your purchase back. Then quarterly you receive either a pay pal deposit or a paper check. Since you're sent to the store site you can still use your coupon codes and normal check out process.
You can also earn money from referrals. With their site both you and the person you refer receive $5 when they make their first purchase. If you haven't signed up or heard of this before, check it out.
Ebates
I haven't received spam from them or had any unpleasant experiences. What's not to love about saving money on things you already buy?!
Since we had Ebates money sitting in Pay Pal off we went to Ebay. We found a lot of 400 legos. It took 4 auctions but we finally won. Not only did we get to use free money to buy the Legos, but we earned cash back on them too since Ebay participates in Ebates!
The Legos should come this week and the big boys will be back near the end of the week. Perfect timing. Now there should be enough Legos for everyone to play with and keep busy.
He's obsessed with construction and vehicles so this was the one he picked out. When we went to visit my mom last week she gave Little A a small box of legos from when my brother was little. When we got home and the big boys came back they all started playing with them.
This was great. Everyone was entertained. B and I got 30 min to ourselves to just sit together. There was no yelling. Until.....
Little A came in the living room crying because the S and Big A took his legos and wouldn't share. This is a source of contention. S and Big A are a year apart and are used to sharing EVERYTHING. It's almost like they don't have their own things, but all things belong to both. I'm not used to this and neither is Little A. I was pretty irritated they took his toys and then wouldn't let him play. Especially after the numerous conversations we've had about not touching things that aren't yours without asking.
B went in and took care of it. Then he looked at me and said "I think we need to find some Legos on Ebay." He's right. Have you looked at how expensive Lego sets can be now?
Just a few days before I got my Big Fat Check from Ebates. Ebates is a site where you earn cash back on your on-line purchases. You simply start from their site rather than the store site and you earn a percentage of your purchase back. Then quarterly you receive either a pay pal deposit or a paper check. Since you're sent to the store site you can still use your coupon codes and normal check out process.
You can also earn money from referrals. With their site both you and the person you refer receive $5 when they make their first purchase. If you haven't signed up or heard of this before, check it out.
Ebates
I haven't received spam from them or had any unpleasant experiences. What's not to love about saving money on things you already buy?!
Since we had Ebates money sitting in Pay Pal off we went to Ebay. We found a lot of 400 legos. It took 4 auctions but we finally won. Not only did we get to use free money to buy the Legos, but we earned cash back on them too since Ebay participates in Ebates!
The Legos should come this week and the big boys will be back near the end of the week. Perfect timing. Now there should be enough Legos for everyone to play with and keep busy.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Monday Giveaways - August 16
It's Monday and vacation is over. At least it's a new week for giveaways! This week I've entered the following giveaways.
$30 gift card to Kroger from Fabulous Won
$40 CSN gift card from Capitally Frugal
Coby MP3 player from Fabulous Won
$25 Walmart gift card from Mommy has to Work
Constructive Eating set from Burning Moon
Mirromax Swivel Mirror from Thrifty Wifey
The Sock Fairy book from JDaniel4s Mom
Softlips prize pack from Canadian Contests and Giveaways (Of course, after I entered I noticed it's only open to Canadian residents.)
Tiny Tush OS CD from Liz has a Life
Bummas cloth wipes from Babybix
Bravado Bliss nursing bra from HSUper Parents
Envirosax bag from Audrey's Giveaways
Make Ahead Meals cookbook from Audrey's Giveaways
Blog2Print book from In the Know Mom
$30 gift card to Kroger from Fabulous Won
$40 CSN gift card from Capitally Frugal
Coby MP3 player from Fabulous Won
$25 Walmart gift card from Mommy has to Work
Constructive Eating set from Burning Moon
Mirromax Swivel Mirror from Thrifty Wifey
The Sock Fairy book from JDaniel4s Mom
Softlips prize pack from Canadian Contests and Giveaways (Of course, after I entered I noticed it's only open to Canadian residents.)
Tiny Tush OS CD from Liz has a Life
Bummas cloth wipes from Babybix
Bravado Bliss nursing bra from HSUper Parents
Envirosax bag from Audrey's Giveaways
Make Ahead Meals cookbook from Audrey's Giveaways
Blog2Print book from In the Know Mom
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Back to Reality
We're back from vacation. Little A, B, and I went to Louisiana to visit my mom. My grandparents and aunt came from the east as well so it was a mini-family reunion. Little A asked yesterday if he and I could go live with Nana. He wants me to quit my job and spend all day with him all the time. I think if I did that we would have to live with Nana!
It was a 13 hour car ride that took us about 15 between all the stops for the pregnant girl and the dawdling 3.5 year old. He didn't sleep in the car either. He took his normal mid-day nap and slept around bed time, but that's it. Little A did so well though. He had 1 melt down each way that pretty much consisted of crying and screaming he wanted to be home NOW!
I packed a large bag of toys for him that he hadn't seen in a while mixed with a few new ones. The biggest hits were the leapster, construction sticker book, Puzzle Buzz magazine, and his monster trucks. B wanted a driving break on the way home which meant I got a break from entertaining Little A. He lasted 30 minutes before he wanted to switch back!
While we were packing the car to come home, Little A hit his head on Nana's mailbox. It's metal and made a thud so I asked if he was ok. His response: "yeah. My brains are still in there." I almost fell over laughing so hard. What a little nut.
Now we're back. Little A goes back to preschool Monday and the big boys start school Wednesday. I'm trying to get caught up on the mountain of laundry, grocery shop, and clean this weekend. I think Little A may be on to something moving in with Nana!
It was a 13 hour car ride that took us about 15 between all the stops for the pregnant girl and the dawdling 3.5 year old. He didn't sleep in the car either. He took his normal mid-day nap and slept around bed time, but that's it. Little A did so well though. He had 1 melt down each way that pretty much consisted of crying and screaming he wanted to be home NOW!
I packed a large bag of toys for him that he hadn't seen in a while mixed with a few new ones. The biggest hits were the leapster, construction sticker book, Puzzle Buzz magazine, and his monster trucks. B wanted a driving break on the way home which meant I got a break from entertaining Little A. He lasted 30 minutes before he wanted to switch back!
While we were packing the car to come home, Little A hit his head on Nana's mailbox. It's metal and made a thud so I asked if he was ok. His response: "yeah. My brains are still in there." I almost fell over laughing so hard. What a little nut.
Now we're back. Little A goes back to preschool Monday and the big boys start school Wednesday. I'm trying to get caught up on the mountain of laundry, grocery shop, and clean this weekend. I think Little A may be on to something moving in with Nana!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Happy Birthday! Here's your bill.
Yesterday was my grandma's birthday. She turned 71. I find it amusing that B's parents are older than my grandparents. I guess that's what happens though when he's the youngest child, I'm the oldest, and there are 11 years between us. Baby E will have great-grandparents younger than her grandparents.
Anyway, my mom called because B, little A, and I are going to visit her next week. My grandparents and aunt are going as well. We all live in different states so this is quite the feat to get everyone in the same place at the same time. This is also the first time B is meeting my family. It is a 13 hour drive according to mapquest. With a pregnant woman who has to pee all the time and a 3.5 year old we figure it will definately take longer. Therefore, we decided to leave Friday night and break up the trip a bit rather than trying to do it all in one day.
So, my mom tells me when she calls "since you're leaving Friday you'll be here early on Saturday." I remind her that we really will not and that it will take us longer than it takes her and her husband to drive up here. She responds "well, you'll be in by 2 or 3." Um, no. Let's say we drive 4-5 hours Friday night. That stops us around midnight. Then we'll probably have 10 hours on Saturday with breakfast, lunch, potty stops, etc. Even if we are out of the hotel by 6am (which isn't going to happen) that's still 4pm.
Mom tells me she wanted to take everyone out for dinner to celebrate my grandma's birthday and we needed to be in early so we could go. I suggested they not count on us being there, but if we were we'd see if we were up to it after the drive. Then she asks if we can pay for our own food. I tell her it depends on the restraunt. I don't want to say yes and be suprised with a $100 check for 3 people. She tells me about $15 a person and then goes on to say she and my aunt will split my grandma's dinner, but everyone else (including my grandfather) has to pay for their own!
How do you plan a family birthday celebration for someone when (1) you can't afford it and (2) not everyone is going to be there?! I almost fell off the couch when she told me she was going to make my grandpa pay for his own. Who does this?!
I don't see why she doesn't just make a cake and we can have it with dinner on Sunday night when everyone is there and rested. I think sometimes my mom has lost her mind.
After she talks some more she gets irriated and tells me "Fine. We just might go without you then." Um, ok. This is what I tried telling you 30 minutes ago.
Anyway, my mom called because B, little A, and I are going to visit her next week. My grandparents and aunt are going as well. We all live in different states so this is quite the feat to get everyone in the same place at the same time. This is also the first time B is meeting my family. It is a 13 hour drive according to mapquest. With a pregnant woman who has to pee all the time and a 3.5 year old we figure it will definately take longer. Therefore, we decided to leave Friday night and break up the trip a bit rather than trying to do it all in one day.
So, my mom tells me when she calls "since you're leaving Friday you'll be here early on Saturday." I remind her that we really will not and that it will take us longer than it takes her and her husband to drive up here. She responds "well, you'll be in by 2 or 3." Um, no. Let's say we drive 4-5 hours Friday night. That stops us around midnight. Then we'll probably have 10 hours on Saturday with breakfast, lunch, potty stops, etc. Even if we are out of the hotel by 6am (which isn't going to happen) that's still 4pm.
Mom tells me she wanted to take everyone out for dinner to celebrate my grandma's birthday and we needed to be in early so we could go. I suggested they not count on us being there, but if we were we'd see if we were up to it after the drive. Then she asks if we can pay for our own food. I tell her it depends on the restraunt. I don't want to say yes and be suprised with a $100 check for 3 people. She tells me about $15 a person and then goes on to say she and my aunt will split my grandma's dinner, but everyone else (including my grandfather) has to pay for their own!
How do you plan a family birthday celebration for someone when (1) you can't afford it and (2) not everyone is going to be there?! I almost fell off the couch when she told me she was going to make my grandpa pay for his own. Who does this?!
I don't see why she doesn't just make a cake and we can have it with dinner on Sunday night when everyone is there and rested. I think sometimes my mom has lost her mind.
After she talks some more she gets irriated and tells me "Fine. We just might go without you then." Um, ok. This is what I tried telling you 30 minutes ago.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
She has a name and clothing.
We've had E's first name chosen for about a month now, but we couldn't decide on a middle name. As of this week, she has a full name! E will be Eden Brianna.
Today I bought her coming home outfit as well. I've been staring at this gorgeous, comfy set from Pumpkin Patch but couldn't bring myself to check-out. Today I noticed the line I want is on sale for buy 2 get the 3rd piece free, so I took the plunge. Eden will come home in one of these onesies and one of these rompers. I need to see them in person and play with the combos before deciding though.
Today I bought her coming home outfit as well. I've been staring at this gorgeous, comfy set from Pumpkin Patch but couldn't bring myself to check-out. Today I noticed the line I want is on sale for buy 2 get the 3rd piece free, so I took the plunge. Eden will come home in one of these onesies and one of these rompers. I need to see them in person and play with the combos before deciding though.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Monday Giveaways - August 2
New week, new giveaways! I'm pleased to announce that I will be able to offer a fantastic giveaway soon from Stellababy on Etsy. This is a custom hand-painted shop with a variety of items including ornaments and wall letters. I've known her for about 2.5 years now and am always highly impressed with her work. In fact, later this month I'll be placing an order for the baby's Christmas present. At a month old she won't be very aware, so we're ordering her wall letters and wrapping each letter from a different sibling. Check out Jennifer's shop now and stay tuned for a giveaway and discount code! You will need to be a follower of my blog with Google Friend Connect, so follow now so you won't miss it!
Here are the giveaways I've entered this week.
Justin Roberts cd from Frugality is Free
Rosemary Wells collection DVD from Frugality is Free
Digital photo keychain from Coupon Clippin Mommy
$25 gift card to The Boys Store from Grand Giveaways
16 coupon inserts from The Family Saver
Scentsinsoy candle from Little Sprout Growing
Happy Heiny cloth diaper from Happily Southern
Eli Monster nursing pads from Mom of All Trades
Keurig Brewing System from Stretching a Buck
Here are the giveaways I've entered this week.
Justin Roberts cd from Frugality is Free
Rosemary Wells collection DVD from Frugality is Free
Digital photo keychain from Coupon Clippin Mommy
$25 gift card to The Boys Store from Grand Giveaways
16 coupon inserts from The Family Saver
Scentsinsoy candle from Little Sprout Growing
Happy Heiny cloth diaper from Happily Southern
Eli Monster nursing pads from Mom of All Trades
Keurig Brewing System from Stretching a Buck
Friday, July 30, 2010
2 Cheap Dinner Hits
I have always been a meal planner. I like knowing what we're having and then making my grocery list. (Which reminds me I need to make my list for this weekend.) This is becoming a little more difficult since I'm now feeding 3 times the amount of people! I wanted to share 2 dinners from this week that not only were hits with all the kids (and the man), but were cheap too.
The first dinner was grilled pork tenderloin, corn on the cobb, and mac and cheese. The mac and cheese came from the pantry and the corn came from our weekly csa share, so no money out of pocket this week for those. The pork was on sale so I got 2 pounds for about $6. Then I bought a McCormick grill mates apple wood dry rub. We fed all 5 of us plus S's friend. There weren't any leftovers of course, but everyone got plenty to eat!
The second dinner was breakfast burritos with fruit. We had about half a container of strawberries and blueberries left from munching on them all week, so I cut up the strawberries and tossed them all together. For the burritos I used:
Tortillas
Eggs (2 per person)
Shredded Mexican Cheese
1 Green Pepper (chopped)
Red Potatoes (3-4 per person depending on size)- chopped
1 Onion (diced)
Bulk Maple Sausage
Taco Sauce
Saute the sausage and remove from pan. In sausage drippings saute pepper, onion, and potatoes until soft. In separate pan scramble the eggs. When veggies are done add sausage back in and toss. Layer tortilla, cheese, egg, and sausage mix and roll.
For this all I had to buy were the eggs and sausage! The tortillas were left from big A's birthday last week as was the cheese and taco sauce. The veggies all came from the csa. We even had leftovers! There was enough sausage mix for 2 more burritos. I ate it last night for dinner as hash. Since the big boys were with their mom it was a leftover kind of night.
The first dinner was grilled pork tenderloin, corn on the cobb, and mac and cheese. The mac and cheese came from the pantry and the corn came from our weekly csa share, so no money out of pocket this week for those. The pork was on sale so I got 2 pounds for about $6. Then I bought a McCormick grill mates apple wood dry rub. We fed all 5 of us plus S's friend. There weren't any leftovers of course, but everyone got plenty to eat!
The second dinner was breakfast burritos with fruit. We had about half a container of strawberries and blueberries left from munching on them all week, so I cut up the strawberries and tossed them all together. For the burritos I used:
Tortillas
Eggs (2 per person)
Shredded Mexican Cheese
1 Green Pepper (chopped)
Red Potatoes (3-4 per person depending on size)- chopped
1 Onion (diced)
Bulk Maple Sausage
Taco Sauce
Saute the sausage and remove from pan. In sausage drippings saute pepper, onion, and potatoes until soft. In separate pan scramble the eggs. When veggies are done add sausage back in and toss. Layer tortilla, cheese, egg, and sausage mix and roll.
For this all I had to buy were the eggs and sausage! The tortillas were left from big A's birthday last week as was the cheese and taco sauce. The veggies all came from the csa. We even had leftovers! There was enough sausage mix for 2 more burritos. I ate it last night for dinner as hash. Since the big boys were with their mom it was a leftover kind of night.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Two nights in....
Even though little A and I moved in with B last week, it's been 2 nights since all of us have been in the house together. It's definately different. There are things I really like about having a full family again and things I really miss about it just being little A and me.
1. Sleep. I love going to bed with and waking up next to B. Not to mention his mattress is newer than mine so we kept it and the bed is now more comfortable. I'm having issues the last few days getting little A down though. He's never been a great sleeper. It takes an hour to get him down at night regardless of what time it is or what I do to where him out. Then he wakes up 1-3 times during the night and I have to lay with him then too. In the old house are rooms were right next to each other and it was quiet.
The last few nights it's taken 1.5-2 hours to put him down. I have to wake him in the morning because he's still so tired when I didn't before and he is cranky tired all day. Last night when he woke I couldn't hear him call for me because he's at the other end of the house and B likes to sleep w/ a noisy fan on. He came in our room last night crying and scared asking "Mommy I call you. Why you no come to me?" Hard enough to hear as a mom, but the pregnancy hormones didn't help. We're going to stop on the way home tonight to buy a baby monitor.
2. Food. I like organization and plans and knowing what's going on when. I plan my menu and shop accordingly. I don't like coming home 2 days after I've been to the grocery to learn that 2 liters of coke, a container of juicy juice, a pitcher of kool aide, 2 pounds of lunch meant, and a brick of cheese are gone; especially when you were told to stay out of the juice. Then to be asked "We're out of coke and lunch meat. Will you go to the store and buy more?" This does not really make my day. The look on their faces when I told them "No. The food we have has to last the full week. I'll go again next week." was a combination of shock, dissapointment, and a desire to cuss me out. So sad, too bad dude. Drink water and eat pb&j or any of the other food still left.
3. Discipline. B and I have similar parenting styles which is great. Problem is we both give in on different things. Apparently his push over point is not following through when he asks the kids to do something. He told them yesterday to do the dishes before 1pm and that no one was to be at the house when we were not there.
I get home with little A and B is doing dishes. Why? Because the boys didn't do them. They were in their rooms playing video games with a friend (yes, one who shouldn't have been there.) If it was me I would have made the friend leave and made the boys do the dishes after dinner and probably a few more nights. B decides the friend can stay for dinner, washes all the dishes twice, and then takes them to rent a video game.
Of course they're not going to do what you tell them when there are no consequences. Ugh. I'm all for natural consequences. The boys are old enough to make choices and then deal with the consequences of those choices. Don't be a push over.
1. Sleep. I love going to bed with and waking up next to B. Not to mention his mattress is newer than mine so we kept it and the bed is now more comfortable. I'm having issues the last few days getting little A down though. He's never been a great sleeper. It takes an hour to get him down at night regardless of what time it is or what I do to where him out. Then he wakes up 1-3 times during the night and I have to lay with him then too. In the old house are rooms were right next to each other and it was quiet.
The last few nights it's taken 1.5-2 hours to put him down. I have to wake him in the morning because he's still so tired when I didn't before and he is cranky tired all day. Last night when he woke I couldn't hear him call for me because he's at the other end of the house and B likes to sleep w/ a noisy fan on. He came in our room last night crying and scared asking "Mommy I call you. Why you no come to me?" Hard enough to hear as a mom, but the pregnancy hormones didn't help. We're going to stop on the way home tonight to buy a baby monitor.
2. Food. I like organization and plans and knowing what's going on when. I plan my menu and shop accordingly. I don't like coming home 2 days after I've been to the grocery to learn that 2 liters of coke, a container of juicy juice, a pitcher of kool aide, 2 pounds of lunch meant, and a brick of cheese are gone; especially when you were told to stay out of the juice. Then to be asked "We're out of coke and lunch meat. Will you go to the store and buy more?" This does not really make my day. The look on their faces when I told them "No. The food we have has to last the full week. I'll go again next week." was a combination of shock, dissapointment, and a desire to cuss me out. So sad, too bad dude. Drink water and eat pb&j or any of the other food still left.
3. Discipline. B and I have similar parenting styles which is great. Problem is we both give in on different things. Apparently his push over point is not following through when he asks the kids to do something. He told them yesterday to do the dishes before 1pm and that no one was to be at the house when we were not there.
I get home with little A and B is doing dishes. Why? Because the boys didn't do them. They were in their rooms playing video games with a friend (yes, one who shouldn't have been there.) If it was me I would have made the friend leave and made the boys do the dishes after dinner and probably a few more nights. B decides the friend can stay for dinner, washes all the dishes twice, and then takes them to rent a video game.
Of course they're not going to do what you tell them when there are no consequences. Ugh. I'm all for natural consequences. The boys are old enough to make choices and then deal with the consequences of those choices. Don't be a push over.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Monday Giveaways - July 26
I am pleased to announce that when I opened my email this morning I had a wonderful suprise from Denise at Extreme Personal Measures. I won the ouchies giveaway I entered last week! I got to choose 2 tins and decided on the Trucktown and 4 Boyz versions. These will be going in little A's Christmas stocking which is perfect because he loves coming up with "pretend owies" so he can have a real bandaid.
If you haven't read the Trucktown series of books they are great for little kids who love trucks. They range from boardbooks to picture books to early readers.
Here are the giveaways I've entered this week:
Planet Wise Wet/Dry bag from Mama to 3 Blessings
Bebe au Lait hooded towel from Raising Olives
$50 Sam's Club giftcard from Shining 2 Save
12 pack of Luna bars from Freebies and Much More
Set of 3 reusable nuring pads from Confessions of a Trophy Wife
Bummas Wipes from The Thrifty Things
1-year subscription to Taste of Home from Freebies and Much More
$75 gift card for Zutano Kids from Busy Working Mama
EOS shave cream and lip balm from The Coupon Challenge
$75 gift card to Smart & Sexy Lingerie from Ice Fairy's Treasure Chest
$50 gift card to Costumes 4 Less from The Neat Things in Life
Have you thought about Halloween yet? Head on over to The Neat Things in Life (http://www.theneatthingsinlife.com/?p=2326) and enter for your chance to win $50 store credit to Costumes4less.com. You can never have your Halloween Costumes purchased to early. Do not let your child have to wear a Costume no one wanted. Giveaway ends September 1st @ 11:59pm CST.
$25 TJ Maxx/Marshalls gift card from Kiddies Corner Deals
5 flavors of Mrs. Dash from Kiddies Corner Deals
FloorMall.com area rug from Two of a Kind, Working on a Full House
Kitchen Aid stand mixer from Hallee Housewife
If you haven't read the Trucktown series of books they are great for little kids who love trucks. They range from boardbooks to picture books to early readers.
Here are the giveaways I've entered this week:
Planet Wise Wet/Dry bag from Mama to 3 Blessings
Bebe au Lait hooded towel from Raising Olives
$50 Sam's Club giftcard from Shining 2 Save
12 pack of Luna bars from Freebies and Much More
Set of 3 reusable nuring pads from Confessions of a Trophy Wife
Bummas Wipes from The Thrifty Things
1-year subscription to Taste of Home from Freebies and Much More
$75 gift card for Zutano Kids from Busy Working Mama
EOS shave cream and lip balm from The Coupon Challenge
$75 gift card to Smart & Sexy Lingerie from Ice Fairy's Treasure Chest
$50 gift card to Costumes 4 Less from The Neat Things in Life
Have you thought about Halloween yet? Head on over to The Neat Things in Life (http://www.theneatthingsinlife.com/?p=2326) and enter for your chance to win $50 store credit to Costumes4less.com. You can never have your Halloween Costumes purchased to early. Do not let your child have to wear a Costume no one wanted. Giveaway ends September 1st @ 11:59pm CST.
$25 TJ Maxx/Marshalls gift card from Kiddies Corner Deals
5 flavors of Mrs. Dash from Kiddies Corner Deals
FloorMall.com area rug from Two of a Kind, Working on a Full House
Kitchen Aid stand mixer from Hallee Housewife
Thursday, July 22, 2010
We've started the move!
Last night we began moving little A and me out of our house and into B's. We currently have 3 houses between us; mine, his, and a rental. Since his had more bedrooms and costs less than mine we're moving in there and putting mine on the market. The plan is to sell it this year and then list B's and the rental next spring/summer and buy OUR house. Big A and S were at their mom's so we only had 1 child underfoot while doing this and actually little A was very helpful.
We started at 5:30pm when we got home from work and were in bed around 10:30pm. It went better than I thought. We managed to get 2 bedrooms of furniture, a couch, toy box, and quite a few boxes in this load. We're using the box trailer from B's work to save money on renting a truck. Plus I don't have my house completely packed yet. It rained on the way home from work and it rained a little when we got to B's, but thankfully it stopped in between for loading.
Little A did wonderfully. He was patient and helpful. He didn't act up. I was nervous because we didn't eat dinner until about 1.5 hours later than normal and he was up about 2 hours later than normal. He woke up in a great mood this morning though and had no problems at daycare drop-off. Hopefully he doesn't crash this afternoon and become a grump.
Of course, B woke up sore as can be from working a physical job all day and then moving furniture.
I think we'll be taking tonight off to recoup and we'll finish off the house hopefully this weekend when all of the kids are with their other parents and we can whip some stuff out. Of course, we may have to take advantage of one of the few completely kid free weekends we have left! ;)
We started at 5:30pm when we got home from work and were in bed around 10:30pm. It went better than I thought. We managed to get 2 bedrooms of furniture, a couch, toy box, and quite a few boxes in this load. We're using the box trailer from B's work to save money on renting a truck. Plus I don't have my house completely packed yet. It rained on the way home from work and it rained a little when we got to B's, but thankfully it stopped in between for loading.
Little A did wonderfully. He was patient and helpful. He didn't act up. I was nervous because we didn't eat dinner until about 1.5 hours later than normal and he was up about 2 hours later than normal. He woke up in a great mood this morning though and had no problems at daycare drop-off. Hopefully he doesn't crash this afternoon and become a grump.
Of course, B woke up sore as can be from working a physical job all day and then moving furniture.
I think we'll be taking tonight off to recoup and we'll finish off the house hopefully this weekend when all of the kids are with their other parents and we can whip some stuff out. Of course, we may have to take advantage of one of the few completely kid free weekends we have left! ;)
Monday, July 19, 2010
Jeans Sale
Children's Place has their basic jeans on sale right now for $10! Normally you can get them 2 for $22. This is the best I've seen them. If you use code JULY2010A you can get 20% off $50. Go through ebates and earn 3% cash back on top of that!
I just got little A 4 pairs of jeans and a monster truck shirt for $48 shipped. I'll take it! Considering I used money I made reselling his outgrown stuff from last year I basically got them for free. No money out of my monthly budget!
If you've never used ebates sign up! You earn cash back on purchases and can earn money for referring your friends when they sign up. If you're buying it anyway, why not get it for less?
If you've never bought jeans from the Children's Place before, do it! They hold up through mulitple kids and I've always gotten great resale value out of them. These are our go to basic for jeans.
I just got little A 4 pairs of jeans and a monster truck shirt for $48 shipped. I'll take it! Considering I used money I made reselling his outgrown stuff from last year I basically got them for free. No money out of my monthly budget!
If you've never used ebates sign up! You earn cash back on purchases and can earn money for referring your friends when they sign up. If you're buying it anyway, why not get it for less?
If you've never bought jeans from the Children's Place before, do it! They hold up through mulitple kids and I've always gotten great resale value out of them. These are our go to basic for jeans.
Monday Giveaways - July 19
It's a new week and that means new giveaways! Here are the giveaways I've entered this week.
$50 gift card to Celebrate Express from Sweet Pennies from Heaven
They have a construction party pack that would be perfect for little A's 4th birthday!
Oscar Myer and Kraft Picnic Package from Frugality is Free
We need all the free food we can get!
Coupons from Frugality is Free
Who couldn't use more coupons?
An Undercover Mama Nursing Tank from Mama to 3 Blessings
An Envirosak from Mom's Mutterings
Sid the Science Kid microphone from Freebies and Much More
$25 Starbucks Giftcard from Chickenista
$15 giftcard to EcoMom from Liz Has a Life
Apple Cheeks cloth diaper from Liz Has a Life
An imagination box from Living Sola Gratia
$20 gift card to Chuck-E-Cheese from Obviously Marvelous
2 Bum Genius 4.0s from Fitteds, Pockets, and Snappies
Northern Essence Diaper Rash Salve from Mommy of 1 and Counting
Stacking ring from Trudie Davies Designs
Make Ahead Meals cookbook from Extreme Personal Measures
$10 CVS gift card from Coupon Challenge
191 Unlimited shirt from Life with 4 Boys
Envibum cloth diaper from 2 of a Kind
2 tins of Ouchies bandages from Extreme Personal Measures
$50 giftcard to ACandyStore.com from Country Girl City Life
The Red Queen, Animal House, When Mommy Went on Strike, Daddy's Little Angel, The Good the Bad and the Ugly Dress, Careful What You Wish For from GoodReads.
K'nex value tub and model set from Tatum's Family Reviews
$50 gift card to Celebrate Express from Sweet Pennies from Heaven
They have a construction party pack that would be perfect for little A's 4th birthday!
Oscar Myer and Kraft Picnic Package from Frugality is Free
We need all the free food we can get!
Coupons from Frugality is Free
Who couldn't use more coupons?
An Undercover Mama Nursing Tank from Mama to 3 Blessings
An Envirosak from Mom's Mutterings
Sid the Science Kid microphone from Freebies and Much More
$25 Starbucks Giftcard from Chickenista
$15 giftcard to EcoMom from Liz Has a Life
Apple Cheeks cloth diaper from Liz Has a Life
An imagination box from Living Sola Gratia
$20 gift card to Chuck-E-Cheese from Obviously Marvelous
2 Bum Genius 4.0s from Fitteds, Pockets, and Snappies
Northern Essence Diaper Rash Salve from Mommy of 1 and Counting
Stacking ring from Trudie Davies Designs
Make Ahead Meals cookbook from Extreme Personal Measures
$10 CVS gift card from Coupon Challenge
191 Unlimited shirt from Life with 4 Boys
Envibum cloth diaper from 2 of a Kind
2 tins of Ouchies bandages from Extreme Personal Measures
$50 giftcard to ACandyStore.com from Country Girl City Life
The Red Queen, Animal House, When Mommy Went on Strike, Daddy's Little Angel, The Good the Bad and the Ugly Dress, Careful What You Wish For from GoodReads.
K'nex value tub and model set from Tatum's Family Reviews
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