A Woman's Need for Talking

Most of us do a lot of talking during the day. We either have jobs that require us to talk, we talk to our friends, we talk to our spouse and children. Some of us have several methods of talking. If we're not able to communicate verbally, then we use texting, email, Facebook, twitter, etc......... These days my method is Blogging. I can take lots of ideas, thoughts, memories, burdens, praises, frustrations, or feelings, and type them out in a story for people to read. I hope that they're somewhat interesting. 

When my husband and I were planning on getting married, the minister told us that women needed to speak 20, 000 words a day, whereas men only needed to speak 10,000 words a day. Somehow that sunk in. That may have been the only thing that really sunk in, but it stuck. Somehow, someway us women have to express ourselves with words. If not, we might just explode. And I really don't want to explode. How about you? My need to get feelings and words out of me has grown tremendously over the past few weeks. I'm guessing that being shut up in your house all day can do that to you. 

The best part, about using all these words in a day, is knowing that someone heard you. It would be kind of useless to have all these words and keep them to yourself. And an even greater feeling, is having someone reciprocate words back to you, often in a kind, caring, friendly manner. No one likes harsh words thrown back at them. So, conversation......that would be two or more people exchanging words together. Isn't it wonderful?

These days, people are impersonal. There are all sorts of social media, email, etc. But one rarely writes a letter, or picks up the phone to call another person. We just text or send a FB message. I have found myself guilty of the above. But wouldn't our words become more genuine if they were said directly to the person? If we took that extra time to make that person feel special and cared for? I know I would enjoy it. I actually had  a church friend call a few days ago to see how I was doing. It really meant a lot. She may not have even realized the effect it had on me, but it made me feel remembered, and cared about. 

There is a reason I have stopped posting so many things on Facebook. It's not that I don't want to be in touch with all of those wonderful people, not the case at all. And I'm not withdrawing to myself. I'm still commenting and liking other's statuses and pictures. I want to be connected. But I just wanted to step back and stop the nonsense of words that I threw out there, daily. When I use words, I want them to have meaning, and not be wasteful. How many of us have wasted words on FB, just to be able to put something down? I'm sure a lot of us have. And then we wait around to see if anyone likes or comments on what we said. My day was filled with the constant checking, to see if someone said anything. Not only was I wasting my words, I was wasting my time. I decided to blog, so that I could sit down and document a collection of thoughts in one setting. I could tell a story. I don't know actually how many of you actually read what I write, but if you do, I appreciate it. 

Ephesians 4:29 

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

When January 1st came around, everyone was making their New Year's Resolutions. I didn't have one. I'm pregnant. It's not like I could diet, exercise, cut out chocolate, or whatever else people torture themselves with. lol. So I just didn't have a resolution. But now I'm rethinking. It's almost February. The new baby is almost here. I think my resolution should be trying to reach out personally to my friends and family, instead of just FB messaging them. I hope I have everyone's phone #'s, addresses, and birthday's and such. I really am going to make a point of trying. So if you would like more personal contact from me, send me some feedback by email.

I love all my fans and members. Have a great night.

Not much happening here

Monday came and went, with me just about sitting on the couch all day long. It has really gotten to the point that I can't be on my feet for very long without having back to back contractions. And these are really starting to hurt. The ones before were light, but yet noticeable  and just felt tight. These are getting crampy and very uncomfortable. These are the ones I have to watch out for. Some people just brush off what I'm feeling as "Braxton-Hicks", but these are beyond your normal "Braxton-Hicks". They might start out as those, but can quickly throw me into pre-term labor. So far, I have avoided the hospital. I'm proud of that. Guess, by the 4th pregnancy I'd kinda figure out what my body's habits were. 

So, that's where I'm at. On the couch, in the bed, on a chair, and not on my feet. Everytime I think it's safe to get up and move about, I pay for it later. Monday, I took about 15 minutes and folded dome laundry at the kitchen table. I felt good. It felt really good to stretch my legs and move about. Then around 3:30pm I started having a few hard contractions. They were sporadic until 6pm and then came 5 minutes apart until I went to bed at 10pm.

Tuesday, was not a good day. I was moody, cranky, stir crazy, and just plain bottled up. I had the overwhelming feeling of having no control over my own house. I am not one of those people that can easily sit back and be lazy. Sitting here on my behind has made me feel like less of a woman, wife, mother, and homemaker. I know it's only temporary, but it's still painful, nonetheless. As I've been sitting, my mind has conjured up all the things/chores/organizing that has needed to be done. And then my body tortures me by keeping me off my feet. I have wanted so bad to get up and get the whole house spotless.

My parents have been a great help. Without them I would have probably been admitted to the hospital already. My dad has helped drop off and pick up kids from school, and help watch a rambunctious toddler. My mother has helped keep up the dishes and laundry. They are both helping to pick up my 14 month old. When they're around, they don't let me do much. I have coaxed them into  helping with some organizing projects. Just a little taste, to satisfy my need for nesting. I'm still trying to plan meals, but they have been something really simple. Something that I don't have to stand at the stove and watch. Tonight is Beef Stroganof, and requires a bit more standing. So, my parents are helping with the meal prep tonight. And as a big thank you, they get to eat with us.

Today I've been super tired. B did not want to sleep last night, and got up several times through the night. Of course my husband sleeps like a rock and never heard the baby or the wind. I knew a storm was heading our way, and I heard the wind picking up, and the trees rustling. I laid in bed and prayed that God would protect us and our house in the storm. Then the EAS alarm started going off on my phone at 4:15am. That didn't wake Hubby up either. The alert told us to take shelter. So, I quietly got up and watched the news to see what was really going on. A whole line of storms were going right through several states, and we were under a tornado warning. I'm not one to freak out about storms, but there were a few times I wondered if we really did need to take shelter, especially when the electricity went out. Yikes! Thank God, it came back on after about a minute. Most of the morning a had contractions, but they fizzled out after I calmed down and got some rest.

Now it's rest time for me. B is down for her afternoon nap, and I'm about to nap too.

Take it easy everyone. Keep me in your prayers. I'm almost 34 weeks and need to make it another 2 weeks, preferably.

Have a great Wednesday!

A long weekend

This weekend has felt so extensive. I usually complain about the approaching Monday, but this time I'm embracing the thought of routine and normal-ness that will come with it.

Our weekend was filled with company over on Friday night. We had a great time with our new friends. The men and my son played Risk, while I had great womanly conversations, and the girls played video games. I'm so glad the girls played so good together. My oldest daughter's best friend just moved away to Texas, and she had been heart broken for about a week now. The little girl that was over this weekend goes to the same school, and they had even cheered together at the basketball games. The future looks promising. Be it that the two of them have very different personalities, it may be a good balance. I'm excited for her. And the girl's little sister is a riot. lol. She definitely keeps you hopping. 

At one point of the night, my almost 15 month old had to show off her books in her room. So, I had to grab my camera. There are just some moments that I have to capture. 

So sweet!

On Saturday, we got up and did some very much needed grocery shopping. It wasn't enough to last us the normal 4 weeks, but it should get us by until next pay day. Saturday was also a not so good day for contractions. I had them ALL DAY. They were actually starting to really hurt. I tried to keep them at bay by drinking extra water, and resting, but they were just going to do their own thing. We quickly did our shopping at our local commissary, and then I sat in the truck, while Hubby stood in the register line.

I sat on my rear the rest of the day, and worked on the blanket I'm crocheting. 

As I sat and watched B playing on the floor, I noticed she was stacking her Mega Blocks. So, every time she stacked one I said "Good Girl". It was so cute. She started saying "good girl" every time she stacked a block after that. She's really starting to build quite a vocabulary. A few days ago she was pointing to something behind our love seat  I didn't really pay much attention to her, so she said "Mama....Bow!", really loud. I looked behind the love seat and there was one of her hair bows that had fallen behind it. What a smart little cookie. She never ceases to amaze me.

 "Good Girl!"

Of course everything that I've been eating has been giving me heartburn. Tums have helped a lot. I've had more heartburn with this pregnancy than any of my others. But I think the Chili Dogs that we made with the leftover chili, did me in.

 Lol. I mean, just look at it. Heartburn Central!

But it was awesome going down. My yummy homemade chili, all beef hot dogs, spicy brown mustard, and onions. Yes, a pregnant woman's dream. 

Today was a little more relaxed. We had a great service at church this morning. I really wished I had my camera when I picked up B from the nursery this morning. She was laid back on a stack of pillows, with books all around her, and she was holding a book up in the air, flipping through the pages. It was so adorable. The nursery worker said she had been doing that almost all morning. She certainly has a love for books. I hope it continues.

We finished the day off with tacos for lunch. Big kiddos went to their dad's for the week. B didn't scream this time when they left. That subject is a whole different post in itself, maybe another day. And then we went to my parent's house for dessert. It was a yummy Chocolate Pudding Cake. It was different, but very good.

Tomorrow I'm hoping to enlist some helpers. I need help with laundry.....dehydrating some cheapo bananas that I bought.....running some errands......and just plain chasing after a toddler.  Trying to stay off my feet is hard work. 1.5 weeks to go until I can let loose. Yippee!!!

I hope all of you have a great week ahead. God Bless!

I'm feeling a bit helpless right about now....

Bed-rest is almost the equivalent of torture. For a fidgety person like me, I just can't be still. I'm getting cabin fever. So, we all hopped in the truck and headed to Walmart after picking up the kids from school. Usually I love getting out and walking around the store, but today has been out of sorts. I've been moody, emotional, And not a friendly person. I can cry at the drop of a hat. I guess everyone has an off day every once in a while.

The moodiness started this morning when I woke up with sinus pressure and itchy nose and eyes. That can about make anyone cranky in my book. Next the emotions came. I made a huge pot of chili, and was trying to cook it down, keeping it stirred every 15 minutes or so. But somehow it still managed to stick on the bottom. I've been trying to stay off of my feet, and I guess I let it go a little longer than the 15 minutes. Then someone (I won't mention names) stirred the scorched part into the chili. You guessed it. I cried. I just wanted to throw the whole pot away, but we spent about an hour picking the black scorch flakes out of this pot, and transferring the good chili to another pot. It's saved.

So, then came more moodiness and emotions at the store. Yes, we just had payday, but it's already gone. Here I am walking around the store, afraid to death of asking for anything, not even a small box of brownie mix to make for after our chili tonight. I'm an emotional wreck. I'm really hoping for a better day tomorrow.

I don't know if it's pregnancy hormones or not, but I can't even stand myself. Let alone anyone else stand me today. Please God get me through this!

I'm now 33 weeks, and in survival mode for the next 2 weeks. Baby M needs to stay in for a little while longer, maybe until 37 weeks. That's a month away! I'm beyond freaking out about being prepared for her. I'm sure it will all fall into place. We'll get a crib. We'll get a double stroller. The baby clothes that are packed away in the attic will eventually find themselves to the washing machine. We'll get another dresser to store her clothes. I'll get the baby carrier cover washed and the headrest put back in. We'll rearrange the bedroom in order to fit the bassinet next to my side of the bed. The list goes on. I am not ready at all...........

Big sister's room was an absolute mess! But anyway, 33 weeks and she looks like she's already dropping.

It's probably a good thing that I've not been updating Facebook for the past couple weeks. Because I'd be overloading it with tons of whiny posts. I'm sure you all appreciate my restraint. I'll just get you on here, with one big whiny post. Ha ha!

Well, I'm expecting company here any minute, for chili, brownies, and games. I am pulling up my big girl pants and sucking it all up. Enjoy your evening and your weekend.

Our Dreams, Goals, and Aspirations

Well, I say "Our", but really I can only account for "My". They're mostly "ours", with the flavor of "mine". Confused Yet? It sounds a bit selfish, but really not intended to be.

I wanted to write about this topic, because I've been very dreamy here lately. Blame it on the pregnancy, right? I think so. Over the past few weeks, I've caught myself looking outside and daydreaming......doing laundry and daydreaming.....looking online and daydreaming. Really I've been a dreamer ever since I can remember. But we should all have dreams. We should want better, to improve, to upgrade, God's blessings in our lives........  I mean, what kind of world would we live in if we never dreamed. Our dreams may be common or completely different. But that's what makes us great.

We don't have a fancy, expensive house. We don't have the latest electronics or appliances. But we have what we need, and we are blessed. We have each other, and we're happy. If anyone knows me, they know that I'm a very practical person, and we live very non-extravagant lives. Almost everything I cook is from scratch, and not from a box. We garden, cloth diaper, make our own baby food, etc.

Short-Term Goals

First I'll give you a glimpse of "my" goals. These are reachable, short-term goals. Some are physical, some are spiritual, and some are subject to change.

• To have this baby in a few weeks - I've never made it to 40 weeks. Don't think I even want to now.
• Get a baby crib and  double stroller.
• Laundry Room Makeover - I want to rip up the carpet, lay tile, paint, decorate, and organize. This room is a catch-all for tools, dogs, sewing machine, crafts, and canning jars. What a mess!
• Put in an extra wall outlet for my computer table. As of right now, We're walking over an extension cord. Not a pretty site.
• Get a grow-light and start my seeds for the garden. They need to be somewhat mature for May planting.
• Finish the crown molding and trim painting in the living room
• Loose about 50 pounds - I'm really wanting to get back into shape after this baby. Not only do I want to appeal to my husband, but also to myself. I say 50 pounds, but really weight doesn't bother me. I'd realistically like to be a size 10. I got close a few years ago. I know I can do it. 
• Read my Bible more and continue to help in the Church.
• Another herb garden
• Trellis for my blackberries and raspberries
• Blackberries replanted

Longer-Term Goals

Secondly, these are goals that my take a little bit longer. And will probably need some husband persuading, to get accomplished. 

• Attic converted to a bedroom and small bathroom.
• wall between kitchen and living room shortened or removed, to give this little ranch house a more open concept.
• Son's bedroom turning into a sewing and craft room.
• Redo the front flower beds, and use river rock instead of mulch. I really don't like mulch.

The above goals, would keep us in our present house a little while longer. Probably until the older kids graduated from high school.......Which brings me to "our dream".

Our Dream

Something that Hubby and I have talked about since we've been together, is buying some land, not too much, but not too little. We want at least a 4 bedroom/2 bath house with woods, field, and maybe a stream. We want privacy, somewhere that the neighbor kid doesn't know everything that you do and holler over the fence to you. We want neighbors, but not close ones. We want laying hens, and chickens to eat, goats, and maybe a dairy cow. I love to garden, so I want a large garden and lots of fruit and nut trees. Hubby wants property to be able to hunt on, and a garage to "dink" in. lol. Yes, those are his words. 

I don't think these dreams and goals are unreasonable  They are the desires of our hearts, and something that I ask God for everyday. Our lives will never be perfect, but much improved. I have learned to be happy with what I have. 

Psalm 37:1-9

Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like the green plants they will soon die away. Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the disires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret-it leads only to evil. For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

The baby can't come yet......

I had another topic I was going to talk about tonight, but I think I'll save it for tomorrow. This morning, not so bright and very early, at 4:30am, I woke Hubby up for his long 2 hour drive. A few seconds after the alarm went off, I realized I was having pretty steady contractions. They continued when I walked around and when I was off my feet. They weren't hard, but I knew they were there. They stayed timely until about 11am.  So, my morning consisted of watching B play in the living room, while I crocheted on my blanket. I loaded the dishwasher, and then it was back on the couch for me. Not a lot went on today. I took My oldest daughter to gymnastics, and my Mother brought over a pot of homemade sausage-lentil soup and some banana pudding. Her and the kids even cleaned up the kitchen afterwards. Staying off of my feet is hard, easier said than done. I'm a fidget, and the crocheting has helped keep me down. I need to make it another 2.5-3 weeks, and then I can clean, walk, do whatever to my heart's content. But until then, I don't need any trips to the hospital. I know my body, and know how much I can handle. Looking back, I'm so glad that I set a deadline to stop baking. I would have hated to cancel bookings, or to turn people away. I have been turning people away. Still got another request this week. I hope people understand that my body needs rest, and we want a strong healthy baby. 

Good night everyone. Hope tomorrow is better.

What happened over the weekend

I really slacked in my posts over the weekend, so I thought I'd give you a short recap of all that happened.

Friday

Friday night we packed up Ms. B and headed to 3 hours of elementary basketball and my oldest daughter's cheer competition. Great games! The boys and girls teams both won in basketball. But the highlight of the night was the cheer competition. There were a total of 8 teams/schools participating in the local competition. All the girls were so cute. My daughter and her teammates all had their hair pulled up and curled, with glitter sprayed in their hair, and a glittery "paw print" on their cheek. Their mascot, the cougar, was dressed in costume and dancing among the crowd. It was so amazing to see and hear all the fans and parents cheering the girls on. I saw that we had the best response out of the crowd. The girls did an amazing routine to the instrumental tune of "Gangnam Style". Their bodies were bobbing, turning, and arms swinging. I do believe that if they hadn't well rehearsed, that one of them might have gotten their head knocked off. That's how tight this routine was. I was so proud, my heart pounding, as I cheered them on. It was so hot in the gym that I could feel my face getting red, and I was trying to not get over emotional. You know, pregnancy has a tendency of doing that. I saw my husband look over at me, and I sucked up the tears of joy, really fast. Then it was waiting time. They were to announce the winner during the half time of the next game. All the teams were awarded a certificate of participation, then they started announcing the winners for the trophies. 3rd place, everyone cheered.....2nd place, we still weren't announced. But this one was a rival team, everyone cheered.......1st Place! Was my daughter's team! Fans all over the stands jumped to their feet and cheered loudly. I am so happy for all the hard work that they put in. Cheerleading has definitely been a bonus for my daughter. I hope she continues to do this. It makes her so happy. 

My daughter is in the top left. So proud!

Saturday

The morning started off with Coffee, scrambled eggs, sausage, biscuits, and homemade gravy. Yum! We had a surprise guest for breakfast, who wanted to take Hubby to the range to shoot (One of Hubby's favorite things to do). I stayed behind with B and cleaned up the house a bit. I'd been working on a crocheted blanket. I'm loving this crocheting thing. To me, it's so much easier than knitting. Right now I only have one stripe. I'm waiting for payday, so I can get the other colors for the blanket. The way I've been working on it, I should have it done in about 2 weeks. 

Just one stripe so far. I'll be adding tan and olive too.

That night we had some friends over to play games. We met them at the the basketball/cheerleading games a few months ago. We have daughter's on the same team and same grade in school. What a win-win for everyone. So, the guys had decided in advance that they wanted to play Risk. Us girls had never played it before. I had remembered way back, when I was in church youth group, that a group of guys would play Risk at our Lock-ins. But I didn't know much about it. About 1/2 way into the game, us girls, decided we would do something different at the next get together, and leave the Risk playing to the guys. But we had a great time.

Sunday

Sunday morning we decided to take a day off and sleep. The game of Risk had lasted until 12:30am the night before, and we needed to recuperate. It felt great to stay in my PJ's and kick around the house all morning and watch Disney cartoons on the Family Channel. They had been showing a great assortment of our favorites. Not a lot was accomplished yesterday, except for the baby blanket I started. 

The yarn is so soft. I'm going to make the stripes a little wider than the last one, and do the colors in yellow, blue, and green. I have someone in mind that I'm going to give this to. 

Monday

Here it is Monday, and so far today, I've only accomplished the dishes. Hubby and I watched the Presidential Inauguration, although, it wasn't high on my list of things to do today. Diapers have been washed, dried, and waiting on me to fold them. And then when B wakes up, we will be getting down some of the new baby's things from the attic. We don't have a crib for her yet, but my plan is to go ahead and rearrange B's room for her new roommate. We are going to lay out the room, and go ahead and put the mattress on the floor, where her crib will be. I'm hoping this will get B used to the idea that someone new is moving in. We've been taking about the new baby to her, and she pats my stomach and says "baby" or "mah-mah". But I don't totally think she really understands how her whole world will turn upside down in the next few weeks. 

Tomorrow, Hubby goes back to work, and the kiddos go back to school. Routine....routine....schedules...gymnastics....homework.....etc. Yay!

You all have a blessed week! 

Thank God it's Friday!

To my amazement, Hubby got to sleep in 2 hours late this morning, which meant extra sleep for me. I needed it. Yesterday, I forgot to have my on cup of tea or coffee. And Boy did I pay for it last night. By the time I realized I was getting a headache, it was too late. I tried drinking a cup of hot tea before bed, but the pain woke me up by 11:30pm. It was excruciating, to say the least. It hurt laying down, and hurt sitting up. And every time I would sit up, my head sounded like it was clicking inside. What an eerie feeling! I'm limited on the kind of meds I can take, so I went with Tylenol. I couldn't take laying in the bed: my head was throbbing so hard. I really thought at this point I was going to get sick to my stomach. I thought about waking up my husband and going to the ER, but I thought I'd give it a little bit longer for the Tylenol to take effect. The recliner didn't seem to help either. But I finally got somewhat comfortable on the couch, with my head propped up with some pillows. Gradually, I could feel the pain and throbbing leaving my head. And I was able to relax. I actually fell asleep on the couch. When I woke up, the headache was totally gone. Praise God! I had been asking Him to relieve the pain all along. That it why the extra sleep was much appreciated this morning. 

I'm not doing much today. Already started the dishwasher, and folded a load of cloth diapers. B is down for her morning nap. And I believe I'll work a little bit more on the blanket I started crocheting yesterday. I've had this Camouflage yard for a year now, and had originally bought it to knit a blanket. It was still sitting there, and I thought I should finally do something with it. I liked this wavy blanket pattern, but couldn't quite figure out the instructions. Crocheting is still new to me. I found this great tutorial on YouTube  So helpful! It walked me right through it. 

Later I have to run some errands and then meet Hubby at my daughter's cheerleading competition tonight. Our lives are never slow. It always seems like something. Tomorrow the guys are going to the range, but after that, I have a pretty hefty Honey-do List for Hubby, I'm sure he'll appreciate that. But I'm limited to what I can carry and pick up, so he has to help. Like it or not. 

You all have a fantastic weekend!

32 Weeks and Counting Down

I can't believe that I'm already 32 weeks! Time has definitely flown by.

 Being pregnant while chasing a toddler has it's advantages and disadvantages. Advantages being: loss of time, staying busy, and not focusing on every single little weeks that goes by. Disadvantages being: no energy to chase a toddler, loss of memory, loss of sleep (doubly from pregnancy insomnia and rotten toddler), breast milk dried up earlier than planned, and I'm not usually in the best mood. I am very thankful though that I've had no lower back or sciatic nerve pain this time around. I had that with all 3 of my other pregnancies. You can bet I was looking for it all along, but it never showed up.

Today was mostly consumed by my morning Doctor appointment. Scatterbrained, I scrambled to get out the door to pick up my mother. That's when I discovered I had forgot my oldest daughter's pair of cheerleading socks for her pep rally today, and had to go back to the house to fetch them, then take them to her school. Next, the gas station I was going to stop at was apparently all out of gas, so I had to go further down the road. Finally, we were on the interstate headed for the doctor. It wouldn't be so bad, if the doctor and the hospital we use weren't 45 minutes away. 

The appointment went good. My blood pressure is outstanding. I had only gained 1 pound since the last visit, and doctor was somewhat happy with my blood sugar numbers. I am measuring a bit big, so next appointment I think she's doing an ultrasound. I love being able to see my sweet baby. We never were able to get a good 3-D picture of her last time. So, I'm hoping she will cooperate. I spoke to the doctor about all the contractions I've been having, and of course she says I'm handling them correctly. 35 weeks is my goal. 

That's only 3 weeks away!

Yikes!

We are so not prepared. No crib yet. We have an extra mattress. I haven't gotten the baby clothes down from the attic yet. Let alone washed them. I'm guessing things will fall into place, as we get closer. But mentally and physically, I'm ready. I'm ready to get this baby out and love her on the outside. Not too soon, of course. But it seems like I've been pregnant for 2 years solid. Here it is January 2013, and I got pregnant with B back in March 2011. Almost 2 years........with a small break in the middle. The part that I'm not looking forward to is the labor. Pushing, not a problem. Transitional labor is not my friend. I say this every time. I want to labor at home for as long as I can, but something about having to drive 45 minutes to the hospital , spooks me into heading straight there. Maybe I can just labor in the parking lot for a while before we go in. Or walk around at the local Walmart. I could actually wear my pajamas there, and fit right in. LOL! I'm not joking! Seriously, I might just do it. 

Joking aside......I got to my Pumpkin Spice Cake tonight. It turned out delish! I used whole wheat flour, olive oil, and made an orange pumpkin-cream cheese glaze. Totally made up by me. I love experimenting  and we all loved this cake tonight.

This is how we roll.

All this rain has made me feel lazy. I have a right to be lazy occasionally, don't I?  So, this morning was spent watching my 14 month old play with her Little People house. She loves that thing.

We got her the Farm for Christmas, but the House is her favorite. 

And as soon as she sees me with the camera, she gets up and shows off.

She loves to show me her "mamas".

And now she has this fascination with putting toys in our shoes and boots.

What a little stinker! She keeps me busy, but makes me laugh. I usually keep the baby gate up in the doorway of the living room, but sometimes I let her follow me around the house, just to give her a bit of freedom. So, what does she do today? She gets into my pineapple plants in the kitchen, and eats a handful of dirt! I put nothing past this child. She is one in a million!

There is so many things to clean around the house that are calling to me. But I seriously am trying to stay off my feet. I was even having Braxton Hicks contractions before I got out of bed this morning. I did put a load of dishes into the dish washer, washed a load of clothes and a load of cloth diapers.  That's where I'm stopping for housework. 

We do need to eat tonight though. I pulled all of my ingredients and threw together a large pot of Brunswick Stew. It's not the original recipe this time; I had to use some substitutes. But that's what's great about this stew. It's so forgiving. You can add about anything and it would still be good. I'm pairing it tonight with some cornbread muffins, and possibly a pumpkin spice cake. We'll have to see about the cake. It all depends on how I'm feeling and if I have time. 

Brunswick Stew

At the request of my daughter and her fellow cheerleaders, tonight the parents have been invited to watch her team practice for our local elementary cheer competition. They compete this coming Friday night. Their cheer routine was outstanding for an elementary team. I really hope they win this competition.

Well, I ended up not having time to make the cake. I may make it tomorrow, since we'll be having leftover stew for dinner. I did, however, take a little time to watch my instructional video, to learn to crochet. I had asked my mother several times to teach me, but somehow we can never find the time. And I've been seeing all these cute things to make, and my fingers have been itching to learn how. 

I did it! I'm so proud of myself. *Notice B's pen drawing on my table. lol

And today my shipment from Target finally arrived. So happy to finally have these and not have to wash diapers every single day.

Guppy Green, Gentle Taupe, and Groovy Grape. Cool Names!

That's it. That's how we roll in this house. 

Happy Wednesday! It's all down hill from here. 

A Day of Rest

Today is a day of recuperation for me. The past few evenings, I've been having continuous contractions, until I'm able to lay down. Yesterday, I carried so many baskets of laundry, that last night my belly felt as hard as a brick. So, today I'm trying to stay off of my feet, which is hard to do with a 14 month old. Don't get me wrong. I've taken care of the necessities  The dogs have all been let out and fed. Thank God that they hate the rain. They're leaving me alone and staying quiet today. Dishes are washed and put away. And now I'm trying to stay off of my feet, while B takes a nap. 

This pay period has been kind of tight. We don't use credit cards and now after Christmas we've had to tighten our belts. Unfortunately the bill collectors don't loosen theirs, so it's coming out of our grocery budget.  We can manage. It's just taking some creativity on my part to stretch our food as long as it will last. 

In my effort to gain some control over the pantry, I sat down this morning and wrote out a meal plan for the next two weeks. I will have to purchase a few items to get by, but it looks as though I can get it done. No problem. I was searching for some cute printable templates for meal planning on Pinterest. But the one I liked, I found on my own. 

It's a 4x6 printable. I think I will frame it and use a dry erase marker on the glass. That way I can be frugal with my printer ink.

You can download it free at Lovely Little Snippets

Here is another site that has 20 free printables. Fab N' Free

It has some really cute templates.

Tonight we're having leftovers...Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, squash casserole, and banana pudding. The pudding is even better today. I had some for a snack. 

Next, I believe I'll organize my coupon binder. And then it's off in the rain to run some errands. It is absolutely nasty outside. But at least I don't have to get out of the truck. Yay for drive up windows!

Homemade Banana Pudding

Yesterday, after I had planned our dinner for the evening, I wanted to make a simple dessert. I had just bought a gallon of milk, bananas, and eggs at the store. So, Banana Pudding it was! I had some leftover crushed cookies that I had used on the mermaid cake, and thought these would be perfect with the pudding. I layered the cookie crumbs with sliced bananas and the pudding mixture. And Voila! Yummy!  I even had some strawberries left from breakfast, that I spooned on top.

Homemade Banana Pudding

3/4 c. sugar

4 Tbsp. Cornstarch

1/8 tsp. Salt

2 oz. Cream Cheese, softened

3 Egg yolks

3 1/2 c. Milk

1/4 tsp. Banana flavoring or emulsion

1 1/2 tsp Vanilla

In a large saucepan, mix together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk in the eggs, cream cheese, and milk. Heat on medium-high heat until thickened. It may take 5-8 minutes. Once it has reached desired consistency, remove from heat, and add in flavorings. Serve warm or chilled. I think it's best when chilled for 4 or more hours.

Enjoy!

Let the Nesting Begin!

This Monday morning started off at 4:30 am. Hubby needed his work clothes ironed (and I do the best job). Knowing I had to take my oldest daughter's 4-H poster to school first thing this morning, I needed to hop in the shower, after I was done ironing. I wanted to crawl back into bed and sleep until about 8:30, but I knew it would be easiest to go ahead and get the hard part over with. Do any of you hate the process of having to get ready? I absolutely hate having to dry my thick hair. So, by 5:30, I was showered, shaved, and had my hair dry. Usually I have to wait until B is taking a nap, to get my shower, or listen to her whine in her bed. She knows when its nap/bedtime for sure. It feels kinda nice knowing the rest of my day is free to do as I please. 

Over this last weekend, in addition to the cakes, I worked on getting the laundry washed and folded. I hate folding laundry. I don't mind sorting and washing, but folding is torture. And hanging up shirts is even worse! Luckily, my wonderful husband took the initiative yesterday, and hung all our clothes in our closet. I love him! So, today I've been playing catch-up with the rest of the loads. We stripped sheets, and found a few pairs of socks that had rolled under the bed. So laundry was a bit heavier this weekend. The older kids are gone to their dad's for the week, and I should have less laundry. What a relief!

Today has been a dreary, cold, wet day. Thank God, that when I had to go to the school and the grocery store earlier, that it was not raining. Now it is.Yesterday was in the 70's, and since Hubby left this morning, the temperature has actually dropped to the low 30's. As I was staring out my kitchen window, I got to thinking about the spring and our garden. Right now it looks so bare and lifeless. With my "Nesting Syndrome" starting to kick in, my mind is constantly racing. I got to thinking about what I was going to plant in the spring, and how I needed to rotate the veggies. I actually sat down and drew out a diagram of the garden, and what I was going to plant in the spring. That led me to looking at an online seed catalog and starting a list of all the seeds and plants I will soon need to order. 

Sometimes I'm so A.D.D. that I feel like the Mouse from the book "If you give a Mouse a Cookie". 

I start my day off with a plan, but it always changes. I become distracted, and then can't remember what I originally wanted to accomplish.  I blame it on the pregnancy. It's definitely worse now, than it has been in a while. But my mind is always racing with ideas......craft ideas, organizing ideas, recipe ideas, decorating ideas, farming and gardening ideas.......the list goes on. And Pinterest feeds my need for inspiration.

With the new baby on the way, my mind has wanted to do so many things, but I physically cannot do them. I could, but I'd wind up at the hospital in labor. And we don't want that yet. I did get some satisfaction with the painting and redecorating of the living room, but the trim is still not done. I so want to get the paint and paintbrush and touch up the white trim, but Hubby doesn't want me painting. Another thing that swims in my head is my laundry room. A year and a half ago we built a wall in the den. This den was a converted one car garage. We needed 4 bedrooms in a 3 bedroom house, or the baby would have to room with us. That was not going to happen, but she did need to be close for feedings. Hence, the conversion of the den. My son has one half of the room. It's a pretty cool little man-cave. But the other half became the laundry room, which also houses 4 crates with 4 dogs. A weimaraner, a black lab, and 2 rat terriers. The rat terriers were originally mine before we got married, and the black lab was originally my husbands, but the weimaraner, we adopted him a year ago from an old friend. My laundry room smells like stinky, sweaty dogs. Not counting that the black lab sheds like crazy! My goal is to rip out the carpet, and lay tile. My husband is going to build me a laundry basket organizer with 6 baskets in it. We already have the baskets, and I cannot wait to get my laundry piles up off the floor.

 The colors I have picked out are a pale yellow for the walls, with white trim, and an accent color of baby blue. To me, the colors feel fresh. My inspiration is a little picture/sign that I bought at a yard-sale for 50 cents.

I think it's cute. Even still had the price-tag on the back.

With all that said, I would love to have the laundry room painted and organized before the new baby comes.

Tonight, I'm making my husband's favorite meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and squash casserole. I usually make green beans, but I have so much yellow squash and zucchini in the freezer that needs to be eaten up.I'm sure it will go over good.

Happy Monday! Have a great week!

Diaper Adventures

Oh Dear! So many fun things to talk about.

 

We like to use cloth diapers. But it is a learning experience, as well as an investment. When B was first born we used cloth diapers until she was about 6 months old. I had read many blogs and watched tutorials on cloth diapers, how to wash them, etc.... We decided to go with a water-proof cover and flat fold diapers as inserts. I liked the idea of how the flat folds were thinner and could easily be washed without having poop trapped in the layers. This worked out beautifully. I had enough diapers to last several days between washings. I just dunked them into the toilet to wash off any solids, then tossed them into the diaper pail. On pretty days, I even hung them on the clothes line.

 

 

The sun made them so white!

 

 

I even hung the covers on the line.

 

But over time, the Velcro tabs gave out. We had bought the Thirsties brand. They were great for a while, until they started falling off. We had one gDiaper. Love this kind! But we only had one of them, which was not enough to support a day's worth of inserts. So, temporarily, we switched to disposables. We tried the store brands, but after about a week of wearing them, she got an awful reaction when she peed. Huggies seemed to work the best. But they are so darn expensive, even with coupons!

 

Thirsties covers

 

We have a friend at church that also cloth diapered. And now her toddler was potty trained. We are so thankful that she gave us part of her stash of cloth diapers. There were several brands of pocket diapers. This kind is a complete diaper, that you slip a thick microfiber insert into the middle of the diaper. My only hiccup with this kind, is that when they are soiled, the whole thing goes into the wash. I was so used to only removing the insert and reusing the cover. Don't get me wrong. We are definitely using these. I believe she gave us seven covers and a bunch of inserts. But I'm washing them everyday.

 

Bumgenius Brand with insert

 

 

Just a few days ago, I remembered that we had a gift card from B's Aunt and we still had money left on a Target gift card. So, I placed an order for 3 gDiapers. These should help in addition to the pocket diapers. Then I can maybe wash them every other day.

 

 

 

What is it that I like about gDiapers?  I like the fact that the plastic liner snaps in and can be wiped or washed clean in between uses. My flat fold diapers can easily be folded and laid into the liner. And I can use as many layers as I want. 1 layer for daytime, 2 layers for nap, and 3 layers for nighttime. And I can use it all day until the outer cloth gets soiled. But the best part of all, is that the tabs are backwards! Yes, backwards! I had never seen such on a diaper before I saw these. Little busy hands have a hard time reaching these tabs and ripping off their diaper. This leads me to the second part of my story today...................

 

See the tabs toward the back. Love it!

 

As, you may have read in my last few posts, B has not been feeling well. Back when I was small, fevers were insulated and blankets, extra clothing, etc. were piled on to break the fever. Not these days. They want you to strip off clothing to reduce a fever. I ride the fence with this idea. But we went with it this time. After her midnight chills and sweating a few nights ago, I started putting a light t-shirt on her with no bottoms, just a disposable diaper. Yes, I was using a disposable. She was drinking and wetting so much, from the fever. But this morning, I opened up her door, and to my surprise, she had a poopy diaper sitting open in her lap. There was poop on her mouth, hands, down her legs, on her stuffed animals!!!!! You get the picture. I screamed and Hubby came running with a towel. I wiped her off the best I could, and stuck her in the tub. By then both Hubby and I were laughing our heads off. My older kids never did this. So I told Hubby that she must have gotten that from him. Ha Ha! Of course she loved the bath. I got her cleaned up, got her a sippy cup, and gave her part of a chewable vitamin C tablet, hoping that would ward off any sickness from the possible poop that may have gotten eaten. I am hoping that she NEVER does this again.

 

 

Miss B wearing her cloth diaper. Tabs to the back and all.

 

Happy Weekend! Hope next week is much better.

 

 

 

 

My Last Two Cakes Before Baby M

This weekend I'm making my last two cakes before Baby M's arrival. We probably have 5-7 weeks left, and I'm really starting to feel pregnant. I had been really energetic until Christmas. Now fatigue, contractions, and a huge belly have slapped me in the face. But I have made it further than expected without having to go on bed rest. Praise God!

So, my last two cakes........the first one is an Ariel-Little Mermaid cake. I had made one a few months ago, and the customer had purchased a topper on her own. Apparently this was an older topper, and most likely found it on eBay. But this topper is nowhere to be found around here. With no plastic topper, I had to make my own. I believe it turned out pretty good. There is always room for improvement, and I could nit-pick myself to death. But I'm satisfied. I am a perfectionist. I set my standards high, and examine myself enough that I don't any more negative criticism from anyone else. Just my personality, that's all

But here she is!



And here is the complete cake.



I hope this little girl loves her cake.


Cake #2 is for a Minnie Mouse Theme. The part that I am making is a 6 inch smash cake with hot pink icing, white polka dots, and the little girl's name on the front. He mother is providing a Minnie Mouse candle, which will tie everything together. We are invited to this birthday party, but it looks like we may not be able to go. B still has a low grade fever, and we don't want to expose another 1 year old to this "whatever" it is virus. So I'm hoping to get a picture of the cake at her party, somehow.




Happy 1st Birthday Camryn!!!

Just didn't seem like a Friday

Was it really Friday?

 

Gee, I don't know. Today has been a blur. Once again, I was awakened by our feverish toddler. This time she was crying because she was chilled. We snuggled on the couch for about an hour early this morning, while everyone slept. I'm really starting to wonder if she has the flu. If it is, it's not a bad case, and I hope that nobody else in the family gets what she has. Prayers for our family are still appreciated.

 

I heard on the news tonight that the CDC is considering this year's flu as an epidemic. Crazy! It seems as though every other person on my Facebook thread has the flu. I wish them all well. It's not fun.

 

My husband was such a huge help today. He took the kids to school, paid bills, went to the store for me (twice), picked up my son after school, picked up my daughter from cheerleading practice, and helped with our sick toddler. I wouldn't know what to do without him on a day like this. I am in the process of making my last 2 cakes, before Baby M arrives. Pacing myself has been an understatement today. I have had countless breaks, and even took an hour nap on the couch. To my surprise, I snore! Hubby says I was snoring pretty loud, while I was out. Me? Snore? Nah!

 

So as I'm writing this, I'm having some Braxton Hicks contractions. I've probably noticed about 5 in the last hour. They're not too hard, and they'll usually go away with some rest. It's my body telling me it's had enough. So, I'm drinking water, waiting for my 10 inch white cake to cook, and writing on my blog.......wasting a little time, off my feet. It's probably a good thing that this is my last week to bake. I had two different calls this week for cakes wanted in February. I hated to turn them down, because they sounded really cool. One would have been a Monster High cake and the other a 3D dinosaur.

 

Tonight's cake is another Ariel-Little Mermaid cake. This time I made the topper from chocolate. It's quite cute. I could use some more practice on figures, but I'm satisfied with the result.

 

Somehow, in all the madness of today, I managed to make dinner. Rotisserie pork chops, garlic-herb roasted red potatoes, and green peas. Yum! Not a complaint around the dinner table tonight. I definitely beat last night's frozen pizzas. Usually on my baking days I have trouble fitting in making a meal, but with Hubby's help today, it fell into place.

 

Well, I've had about 3 glasses of water now, and time to check on the cake.  I will post pictures of the Ariel topper later this weekend.

 

Hope you all are enjoying my blog. Feel free to leave some comments.

Translating a Toddler.....Extended

In addition to yesterday's post, I had a few things happen since then.

 

Last night, right before bed, I discovered that my 14 month old had a fever. She was quite warm. 104.1 degrees. I quickly got her out of her pajamas, got her a dose of Tylenol, and a glass of water. Within 40 minutes her fever went down to the 100's. Thank God. During the wait for her temperature to fall, she snuggled with me on the couch. and I noticed that she said a few more words.

 

Nose - and she pointed to her nose

Mouth - and she pointed to her mouth

 

I didn't even prompt her. She did it all on her own. I don't know if she was trying to tell me something, but it was cute. Maybe her nose and mouth hurt. It seems like she does this (fever) every time she cuts a tooth. Her diapers get sour, then a diaper rash, then a fever. And we haven't even started cutting the cuspids yet. Those are the worse.

 

I snuggled for a wile with her on the couch, then changed her to go back to bed. My eyes were starting to roll back in my head from exhaustion. I have been so sleepy during this pregnancy. While I was changing her diaper, she grabbed the box of hair rubber bands. I started to take them away from her, and she said "bow bow", aka hairbow. Maybe after 10pm, I'm able to talk toddler. Or maybe she was just trying harder to communicate with me. I like it!

 

So, here it was about 10:30pm. I tucked her back in bed. It was about 30 minutes later that she started crying. I had just fallen asleep, so I rolled out of bed. She had taken off her diaper and peed all over her bed. All that water I had given her earlier had apparently gone straight through her. In my attempt to stay awake, I turned on the lights, got her out of bed, stripped the sheets, and put on new ones.

 

She got up another time during the night. More Tylenol, more water, and more snuggling on the couch. I will say that I'm super exhausted today. Coffee isn't even touching the fatigue. B is still grouchy, whiny, and running a fever. I'm really hoping that this is a 24 hour thing, and not something that requires a trip to the doctor.

 

 

Please keep us in your prayers today. Thanks.

Translating a Toddler

Toddlers........Oh Boy! How do I start this one????

 

I totally understand why toddlers have their own category. Instead of being a baby and then becoming a child, they are toddlers. I've gone through this stage twice before with my older two, but somehow a lot of those memories have been suppressed. I'm guessing that's God's little way of letting us moms recuperate, so we can have more kids. From what I remember (because they are now almost 11 and almost 13), they were very good kids. Didn't do many things that they weren't supposed to do, UNTIL NOW. For instance, neither one ever colored on the walls. Always stayed where they were told to stay.

 

Well, my 14 month old, we'll just call her "B" for privacy's sake. She is a whole different breed. Be it that I am older now, or that she is a stinker like her Daddy. Please, God, don't hold me accountable for the things he did, for I am this child's caregiver! Or the things I did as a child. I do remember being quite the stinker, myself.

 

These days B is chattering up a storm! She definitely has her own language, but I have no clue what she is saying. Here are a few words that I have figured out:

 

Nana - Banana

NeeNee - Paci

NiteNite - Blanket or Go to bed

Nenna - Jenna

Bubba or NinNin- Joel

MaMama - Grandmama

Dada - Daddy

Wowa - Flower

Gog - Dog

KackKackKack - Duck or Pig sound

Moo

Bottom

Window

Juice

Sooz - Shoes

GungGung - Sippy Cup

KitKit - Kitty Cat

Ma-Meow

 

She also makes a barking sound, but I have no clue how to spell it.

Some of these words sound really close to the original, but others? Well, it's taken me a bit to figure them out. Some of these have changed just over the last 2 weeks.

 

Her latest trend is "no". Just a flat out "No!". Which kinda irks me just a bit. But then I realize I've been telling her "no" alot lately. I had someone tell me not long ago to not teach her to say no. I have to respectfully disagree with this person. i do want her to say no, but at the appropriate times. So, with that in thought, I've been consciously been saying "yes" to her more. I'm hoping she catches on the this word as quick as she did "no". She's said "no" for a while now. Shaking her head back and forth, or "no no no no" really soft. But this is the first time she has strongly been assertive with this word.

 

Toddler days can be trying and tiring. But I know I can get through them. I love my children with all of my heart. Each of them have their own personalities, talents, characteristics, taste preferences, and interests. It is my job as a parent to find their strong qualities and nurture and grow those qualities to produce fine human beings. Anytime I have seen my children take to a positive interest, I have encouraged them to pursue those interests. To learn and grow.

 

As I was looking for the quote "Idle hands are the Devil's playground", I came across a blog post. As I read it, I teared up. All the battles and sacrifices that my husband and I have made for our children came to mind. And I knew we were doing the RIGHT thing for them. I was touched, and another feeling of love came across me for my children. I was raised right by my parents. They were not perfect, but they had God's heart and love for me. The same way that I have for my children.

 

Take a look at her blog post. I don't know anything about this person, and this one post was as far as I went. I may check out what else she has to say.

Idle Time is the Devil's Playground

 

Have a great day everyone!

 



Our Living Room Transformation

The begining of my story starts a little over 4 years ago. I was renting a house, right in the neighborhood I grew up in,  from a family friend. It was a spacious house with 3 bedrooms, 2 baths. Plenty of room. The owner of the house needed to sell and got my approval to have a realtor view the house. This spiked my curiosity about home ownership. I had recently gotten divorced and didn't know if I would even qualify for a loan. Much to my surprise, I had outstanding credit and was pre-approved for a loan. Now, I am not one of those people that try to purchase a house to the full extent of what the bank would loan me. I sat down with the loan officer and calculated what I thought I could easily afford. I said something between $600-$700 a month. I loved the house that I was currently renting, but she was asking $16,000 over what I was able to afford comfortably. It was in range of my pre-approval, but not what I wanted to pay. So, I began my search. I worked a short time with a realtor, but she mainly wanted to put me in really small new builds in questionable neighborhoods. I'm so glad I went with my instinct, because those neighborhoods are now run down and not worth what they paid for them.

 

 One evening my parents were on a walk and saw someone working on a house on their street. The house had been empty for a couple of years. So they stopped to talk to him. Long story-short, I got the house on my parents' street. It was in need of some repair and updating. Still is, really. During the Christmas holidays my ex-husband and I divide up the Christmas break. That particular year he had them from the time they were on break until Christmas eve. (Same schedule we had this last Chistmas). The kids didn't know that I was even looking to buy a house. I closed on the house while they were away to their dad's. And had 3 days to paint, clean, move everything, and decorate for Christmas, before they came back. I wanted it to be the best surprise ever. I picked them up Christmas Eve, and drove up to the new house. I told the kids that we were going to stop and sing Christmas Carols to them. We poked our heads in the side door to say hello, and then walked on in. My son had a surprised look and said "You moved all our stuff!". It was the best Christmas EVER! Nothing made me feel more independent, more like a provider and a good mom, than to buy my first house for my children. Finally somewhere to set our roots and watch the kids grow. What a great neighborhood.

 

To bring you up to date, we redecorated the living room right after Christmas. The original paint I had chosen 4 years ago was a bit dark. And Hubby and I wanted to lighten things up.

Here it is right after we moved in.

Now here it is in process.

 

Waiting for it to dry.



I think the kids like it.





Remember the HUGE entertainment center above? Yeh, it's now gone!



We got a new rug and pillows for the couch.
I'm now working on hanging a picture collage on the wall. I still have more to add to it. And some pictures above the TV.




I'm going to be painting all the frames black. I just wanted to get them up on the wall. The bare walls were bothering me.



I had put a message out on FB asking for some peacock feathers to put in our beautiful vase that Hubby's cousin made us. Aren't they pretty. They go so good with our new colors.



And I have 2 sets of candle holders. Garage sale finds that I spray painted so they look like rusted iron. I'm thinking of puting teal or white candles in them.


So far that's all I have. We are loving the new look. It makes it look so much larger. We love the new TV and entertainment center. It feels great to finally have some updated electronics. 

Good Bye Weekend, Hello Routine

This weekend has blown by. Back before Christmas, I had my routine of getting the older kids up for school, drop off, pick up, baths, bed..........again and again. But because of the way my ex-husband's holiday time fell, I got used to no schedule. B and I slept in every morning. We did as we pleased. We didn't have to worry about nap schedules interfering with picking up Big Brother and Big sister from school. Even when Big Brother and Sister were here for Christmas, we all were relaxed and worry/schedule free. It was nice! Tomorrow will be my first week back in routine, but I kind of need it. Cheerleading practice, Geography Bee, Gymnastics........the list goes on.

Tomorrow I'm setting aside some time to clean, clean, clean. We recently redecorated our living room and my husbands tools are all still on the kitchen table. My mind has gone into "nesting" mode, but my body won't let me. I make all the plans and have all the desire to conquer the whole entire house.....closets....organizing.....drawers.....etc. But absolutely none of the energy to do it. I have to pace myself with small projects and big breaks in between them. Don't want to go into labor quite yet at 30.5 weeks. And at this point, I'm feeling quite accomplished for not having been admitted in the hospital for preterm labor. If you know me, then you know my history.

It may be until next weekend before I write again. We all have a busy week and I am making my last 2 decorated cakes before the baby comes, an Ariel Cake and a Disney Minnie Mouse Cake. Everything else is booked for after the first week of May. So, happy new week to all my friends and fans. And God Bless!

Coupon Surprise

It's kinda sad to see Saturday go so fast. Today I woke up with no sinus pain. Yippee! Thank you God. My oldest daughter cheers for her elementary basketball team. So, we headed out to catch the game this morning. After that we went grocery shopping at our local commissary.

 

I will step you back a few months..............I had been asking for a printer since the summer. I asked for one for my birthday. Got a day at the spa. So, on our chalkboard in the kitchen, I put "printer" on my "Wish List". Guess what? My step-MIL got it for me for Christmas. Be it not the best quality one out there and I didn't get to pick it out. But it prints coupons pretty good. Now mind you, at the grocery store today, my husband kept complaining about my stack of coupons. He made remarks about how I was only buying things because I had a coupon for it. Not the case at all. I only printed coupons that I thought I would use. He teased me the whole shopping trip......until he saw how much came off of the total. I am the first to admit that I'm not an Extreme Couponer or aka hoarder, but I'm learning. I've been trying to read up on couponing from other websites and blogs. I checked out the sales for this week online for our local Commissary. I printed all the coupons I could find useful. Hubby had allotted $250 for this month's shopping trip. Of course we buy more milk and bread, etc. as needed. So, don't freak out yet. Our total came to $243. And at that point he was giving me the stink eye. He hands the cashier a wad of coupons, all individually folded in half, where he had been sticking them in his front pocket, as I handed them to him. Of course the cashier schooled him on how to not fold the coupons. Ha Ha! One after one she scanned all the coupons. I could see the excitement in his eyes. The total ended up to be $210! We saved $33. Which was $40 under our budget. I am pleased to tell you that he told me that he was proud. :-) I put the printer to good use.

 

Some of the blogs and websites that I have been looking at are:

Military Wives Saving

The Krazy Coupon Lady

Coupon Network

Coupon Mom

Coupons.com
Commissary

If you are a military family, I highly suggest shopping at your local Commissary. It almost feels like we save 50%, compared to other stores.

Tomorrow is Sunday, and I plan on getting a couple of Sunday Papers for the coupons. .................And I better not hear any complaining abut coupons anymore.

 



Pregnancy Induced Insomnia

Hello, Weekend!

 

 

Here it is almost 10 pm on a Friday night. Baby B is tucked away in her bed and Hubby is snoring steadily in our bedroom. Me, well, I got bored of playing a bubble shooting game on my non-working cell phone. So, here I am.

 

Today I am 30 weeks pregnant with our 4th child. I know, I never thought I would have FOUR children. But God had a different plan for my life. We are patiently awaiting the arrival of our new Baby Girl M. Since I have never gone full term, I keep reminding my husband that the time will soon be approaching us. I had my routine OB appointment today. I go to a Women's group of about 5 women Dr's, plus Nurse Practitioners. The doctor I saw today wasn't my usual Dr. and haven't particularly liked her much in the past. Drs without courteous bedside manners do not appeal to me. But today I loved her. My sinuses love her. But my stomach is not loving the Z-pack.

 

See, Monday morning I woke up to a stomach virus. I've heard that one is going around. This wasn't the usual stomach virus. This one had no vomiting, but my stomach burned sooooooo bad. I didn't really eat for 2 days. I had a mild fever, which I watched like a hawk. I didn't want to go to the ER to get my fever down because I'm pregnant. Early Tuesday morning, I woke up in a sweat, but I was freezing. Then the sore throat hit me. This wasn't just any sore throat. You know the kind that burns all the way down your throat and you can't swallow? Yeah, well this one wasn't anything like that one. This one was stuck up behind my nose and down to the roof of my mouth. Then the congestion hit......Then a runny nose.......then nothing.......then Ohhhhhh the pain. This morning I woke up and couldn't sleep. My right cheekbone, behind my eye, and teeth were hurting soooo bad. So after the starter dose of the antibiotic, I'm starting to feel much better.....yes.....already. Praise God!

 

So, back to the OB appointment. We waited and waited and waited. We, as in my mother and my one year old. Did I mention that 1 year olds don't do well waiting for long periods of time in an examination room, right in the middle of lunch time???? She was a trooper and so was my mom. Sometimes I don't tell my mom often enough how much of a help she really is. She was able to wrestle B and stave her off with a snack of pretzels, while we waited and waited and waited. Thank God, she came in, finally. B/P was fantastic! On;y gained 2 pounds. Baby M's HR was 160. And I measured in at 31.5 weeks, which was pretty good in my book.

 

 

The exit receptionist, I can't remember her name, is great! I always try to get her. Luckily today she was the only one there. Everyone else had left for lunch. She always tries to work with my schedule, and today she was able to get me back on track so that my Hubby can come to my appointments on his day off. YAY!

 

With a pretzel filled toddler in tow, we headed off for lunch. Our usual restaurant, Chic-fil-A, was extremely busy, so I agreed to Steak and Shake. Not my favorite place at all, but it was affordable. Now, to the fun part! We went to JoAnn Fabric. My mom wanted to show me these kits to make cloth diaper covers. Wow! I was impressed. Definitely going to show these to my husband. I tried to tell him about them and all the other goodies I found, but then realized he was laying back in the recliner asleep. Oh well.......there's always tomorrow.

 

 

http://www.joann.com/babyville-pocket-diaper-pattern/zprd_11836020a/

 

 

This is the pattern. And it's on sale for $4.79! They look so easy and have all the stuff there to make them. I have a ton of flat fold diapers, that make wonderful inserts. So, I don't think I'll have to make their version.

 

If my back wasn't starting to ache, then I could have stayed longer. I found some peacock feathers, wooden letters, yarn, and a milk glass vase thingy that I liked. Yep, I'll be dragging my husband back with some money, soon.

 

I think I'm off to bed now. Have a Super-Duper Weekend. And a great New Year!