A whirlwind of a week

So last week, I had a pretty normal work week.  Then came the weekend.  I visited a friend in upstate New York, and it was HOT as HECK!!  I was so tired from the heat.  Well, it was good to visit with old friends and spend some time talking about the good ol' days .  I am still recovering from my weekend trip, but I'm back!

On the baby front, I had a really good week.  I received a $10 gift card in the mail from Khol's.  So I intended to buy another maternity piece from the clearance rack.  Bad Idea!  There was nothing I would ever actually consider wearing.  I don't know what Khol's online has to offer, but I was less than impressed with what was offered in their store maternity section.  Well, the trip was still a success. As I was exiting the store, I noticed that there was a massive baby sale.   So I ended up buying two packs of onesies that were regular $12  a piece for $2 total. That's right folks.  I bought 6 onesies for $2 including tax.  I bought one 3-pack newborn to 3 mos and one 3-pack 3mos to 6mos.  Can't beat that...well, maybe if they both would have been FREE.  Maybe next time.

EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT!!

I have started eating meat.  I had my first piece of chicken in almost 2 years.  I decided that my baby's health was more important than my radical ideas about the chicken-and other meat- in this country.  Of course, I only eat certified organic (I don't even trust that.  The FDA is easily bought).  Anyway, I had a grilled chicken salad for dinner.  I plan to eat chicken no more than twice a week and fish or beans the other days of the week.  I love my LO.  I will do anything for my baby.  I am not thrilled by this decision, but the hubster and I talked it over.  This is right for us and our baby.  Once I deliver our LO I will return to a pescatarian lifestyle.

Wait, there's more good news!  I had my first ultrasound today.  After going for my first prenatal appointment (and horrendous pap) on last week, I was told to come back today for an ultrasound.   It was the greatest experience ever.  Ok, maybe that's hyperbole...just a little.  Because I am so early I had to have a transvaginal u/s.  When my u/s tech first pulled out the stick I said, "Hmmm, where is that going?"  She laughed, and then explained the procedure.  It really wasn't so bad.  Then the fun began.  I got a chance to see my LO's tiny little body.  I also got to hear my LO's heart beat.  That part really was incredible.  I stand in awe of the miracle of life.  Truly when I think of how awesome  this whole process is I can't help but give praise to God .

Lord I am so grateful for the gift of life inside me.  Thank you for this precious little baby.  I believe that you have sent me an angel.  Lord, please help me to be a mother after your own heart.  Teach me, Lord, how to love my baby with all that is within me.  Please keep my baby from harm, and keep my body strong as I carry this precious LO until 40 weeks.  Thank you, Lord, for this marvelous gift.  My heart is overwhelmed.  In Jesus' name I pray. Amen

That's all for now...blessing to you

Enough deodorant to last me a year...check

Ok, so I am a couponer. This week I have found a deal on Dove  deodorant.  My local market has them on sale for .98 cents, and I have 20 coupons for .75 cents off any Dove deodorant or body midst.  Since my store doubles all coupons up to .99 cents up to four like coupons, I will pay absolutely nothing but tax for 20 deodorants.  My store does not give me the overage, so the coupons will double up to the cost of the item- but still FREE.   In case you need a visual, here's the mathematical breakdown:

  (4) deodorants = 3.92

- (4) .75 coupons that double (.75+.23) = 3.92

          tax = .27 

______________________________________

.27 for four deodorants

x 5 (I will do the transaction 5 times since my 

        store limits how many coupons I can use at               one time)

______________________________________

1.35 total for 20 dove deodorants.  

1.74 for 20 coupons off ebay (where I purchase  

        most of my coupons)

______________________________________

Grand Total:   $3.09  

I think that's a great price for 20 deodorants, and I won't have to buy deodorant for one full year!!! SWEET

Thrift store here I come...updated

Ok, so I am on my way to my fav thrift store (Red, White, & Blue) to see what their maternity selection is today.  I like to go on Saturdays because everything is 50% off except one colored tag.  I will keep you posted as to what I find.  Wish me luck!

*****update*****
Alright, folks, I am back.  My fav thrift store is about one hour away but soooo worth the trip.  Today I only planned to spend 30 bucks.  When I arrived, they had just opened.  Great-not too many customers.  I started with the dressed and  don't you know I found a cute motherhood maternity dress in purple for 7.95.  Score!!  Then my luck ran out.  Where are all the maternity clothes?   I thought to check on the plus-size aisle.  Lo and behold there they were. 

Let's just pause here. What is that about?  Why are maternity clothes clumped with plus-sized clothes?  Things that make you go hmmm....  

Anyway, many clothes were in larger sizes, but I managed to find some great buys in smaller sizes.  I found another motherhood dress, a motherhood shirt, gap jeans, and kika jeans.  All five maternity items cost me 26.14 with tax.  I am thrilled.  It was another great day of thrift store shopping.

PS-my new "used" clothes are in the wash even now.  I can't wait until I get to wear them.

Thank you, Lord, for helping me to be a good steward of my resources.  Thank you for always providing for me.  Where would I be without you, Lord!

A few ideas for safe keeping...

I don't know if any of you following this blog can relate to this, but I gotta say that I absolutely love the color brown-especially when it's paired with either pink, green or blue.  I don't know if we are having a girl or boy, but what I do know is that I love all things brown, and I seem to be drawn to nurseries that incorporate brown in a big way.  Here is one that I absolutely love

We'll have to see what else I find in the next couple of months. Speaking of which, I am thinking about raiding my local thrift store for maternity clothes. I know I will buy a few pieces for work (a sister's gotta look a certain way ). I just don't see the utility in spending hundreds of dollars on clothing I will only need for a couple of months. I'll go looking this weekend. Who knows what I will find. I'll keep you all posted. That's about all my way.

I pray that the peace of God which surpasses all understanding would guard your hearts. I pray for all of you reading this who are with child. I ask that my Lord, Jesus Christ, would strengthen your womb and guard your baby. I pray against anything that would seek to harm your baby and seek to stop the plan of god for your life. For those of you who are trying to conceive or have experienced a recent loss, I pray that you would experience God's comfort and encouragement. I pray that you would stay strong in your faith. Where you are weak, experience his strength. Where you are tired, experience his rest. For my own LO, I plead the blood of Jesus, and I continue to speak life and health into your little body. In Jesus name I pray, amen!

This is really happening!

I have been MIA for a few days...whew, what a week.  Anyway, I am back .  I had my first doctor's appointment today.  I went pretty well.  My gyno took a urine sample (it came back positive, of course).  My estimated due date is March 19, 2012.  I definitely don't think that's accurate based on my calculations.  We'll have to see when I go for my first ultrasound in two weeks. I can't wait.  My gyno told me I would have had one today if the tech had been on duty (of course she wasn't when I was in the office).  So far, so good.  I give glory to God for the great things he has done.  I still am in shock that this is actually happening to the hubster and me.  WOW! Thank you, Jesus (ya'll have to excuse me while I give praise to the giver of life)  In case you didn't know, that's my happy dance...lol!

I don't know if I mentioned this before, but I don't eat meat.  I only eat seafood; I guess that makes me a pescatarian.  Well you can understand how being pregnant would have big implications for my diet.  So I spoke with my doctor about this and it turns out that I am free to eat fish as long as it's wild caught (i.e. Salmon, Cod, or Talipia).  I can also eat shrimp....JACKPOT!!!!  I love shrimp.   I also found out that I may continue to eat dark chocolate.  Yahoo!!! I am a pretty healthy eater, and I was dreading giving up my indulgences like dark chocolate and almonds.  Looks like I won't have to after all...So I am expecting to gain between 25 and 30lbs.  I am currently 134.6, 5'6, and mostly muscle (thanks Tony Horton and the P90X crew).  I eat about 5 times a day, and I am careful to eat lots of protein so as to not eat junk.  I'll be tracking my weight as the months progress.  Hopefully, I am able to stick with the plan.

Now on a serious note-why didn't I know that I was getting a pap smear today.  I had a pap a few months ago, and it wasn't pleasant.  So when I see my gyno pull out the stirrups I'm thinking "what's she doing?"  This time it seemed like it took forever, too.  I swear it seemed like I could literally feel her scrapping my uterine wall.  The funny part is that she was trying to distract me by asking me abut my job blah. blah. blah.  Let me just say that I appreciated the effort, but  it didn't work .

A threesome might not be so bad!!!

*included in the image are a bed (obviously), two nightstands, two dressers (one for us and one for baby), a rocker with ottoman, a crib, and a rug.

So I think the hubster and I are agreed that our LO will not get the second master. We are keeping that room as the guest room. After touring that Big Box Baby Store we will have our LO sleep in our room. So, I came up with how I think I will organize the room. I haven't decided how we will actually decorate it. Anyway, if anybody has an ideas about having the baby live in the master bedroom, please let me know. I kind of like the idea, but I welcome any suggestions anyone might have.

Adventures in Grocery Shopping...pt1

UGGH! I am so frustrated. For the past couple of days I have been trying, without success I might add, to embed music onto this blog. Do you hear what I hear?-exactly! There is no music playing on this website. BOOO! Well, folks, you will all have to settle for a nice background and fancy, green fonts .

Anyway, on the baby front, I am still wrapping my mind around the fact that I am going to be a mom. There are a few questions that I have, though. I've never been in this situation before, and my body has been doing some zany things. For example, (prepare yourselves for this because it's going to be TMI), I have more cervical mucus now than when I was trying to conceive. For a few moments I thought that I had started my menstrual cycle. NOPE! It's pure cervical mucus. I did some research on the internet-where else do you find top notch, premiere, scientific information- and it said that what I am experiencing is normal. I guess as time goes on I will earn to get used to being so moist ALL DAY...not!

Well, the title of my blog indicates that I will also be talking about all sorts of things in this blog. So let me tell you about what happened to me yesterday. OK, like I said in my intro blog, I am an "closet" extreme couponer. I have been accosted by several cashiers and managers, blah, blah, blah. So I am used to holding up grocery store lines for 10s of minutes at a time. Yesterday, I am happy to say that I was NOT the cause of a 30-minute check-out line delay. Here's what happened: There was a lady and her partner in line ahead of me. The lady wanted to purchase 5 6-packs of Ensure which were advertised at 5 for $29.99. No big deal, right? WRONG! The Ensure rings up at $37.99. So when she informs the cashier that the price is wrong, he says, "Well, this ($37.99) is what they are ringing up as so that must be the price." As a couponer who is always looking out for the bests deals, I cringed. What did he mean; she should pay the higher price just because the computer is wrong? Well, she pulls out her paper and shows the young, misinformed cashier what was in the sales add. His response, "Well, my computer says $37.99." Holy Cow!! The battle has begun Is he serious? So then he tells her, "Anyway, the sales paper says 'LIMIT 4' so I can only sell you 4." I could not help getting involved at this point. I politely informed him that the "limit 4" means you can do the grocery deal at most 4 times in one transaction. Then the lady asked him how it made sense that the add was $5 for 29.99 but she could only buy 4. I laughed so loud. I didn't laugh at the young man, mind you. Rather, I laughed at the absurdity of the situation. Eventually after speaking with everyone except the owner of the store himself, the cashier got the approval to sell the ensure to the customer at the price that was advertized in the weekly sales flyer. Imagine, this customer had the nerve to want the store to honor the flyer. How crazy was that...

Say What? T.G.I.F.-I think you mean T.G.I.P.(Thank God I'm Pregnant)....LOL!!!

 Do you know what the first thought in my mind was when I got out of bed today?  No clue, huh?  Don’t worry; I’ll tell you.  It was………I’M PREGNANT!!!

I know this might make me seem crazy, but I am going to make a confession.  I took my fifth home pregnancy test this morning.  It was positive-why wouldn’t it be?  Anyway, I am still wrapping my mind around being pregnant.  So I had to take another test just for my piece of mind.  I still can’t believe that I am going to be someone’s mama. That’s an honor and a privilege that I have yearned for so long.  I continue to be grateful to God for the great thing he has done in my life.  I continue to thank God for this wonderful miracle living inside me.

On the baby front, I have decided that I rather use cloth diapers.  I had heard how wonderful an alternative they were as compared to disposable diapers.  After doing some research, I found a couple of free patterns and printed them for safe-keeping.  I plan to buy a sewing machine as soon as I enter my second trimester.  Then I will sew.sew.sew away!  Oh the joys of being pregnant! I gotta tell you, so far I love being pregnant.  I am not even showing and haven’t even had my first appt with my gyno.  Yet, I am already in the planning and preparation phase (kind of reminds me of wedding planning...whew, that was crazy!)

So today I offer the following prayer for my baby: LO, I speak life and health into your being.  I speak to your little being and declare proper and healthy development.  I speak proper formation of your internal organs and brain.  I thank you God for covering my baby with your blood.  I pray against sickness and disease that would harm my baby.  LO, I will see you soon. In Jesus name I pray, amen!

This is the Lord's doing and it is WONDERFUL in our eyes...

So..... I have come home from work, and I am still so very excited.  Even before I received the positive home pregnancy test, the hubster was saying that he believed I was pregnant by faith.  It is so nice to have someone in your life who is a godly man.   We just finished our evening prayers, and all of these thoughts were in my head...

I confess I was getting discouraged on yesterday.  The truth be told, that's the reason I did not even post on yesterday.  I remember that on yesterday when I was on my way to work I was feeling heavy in my spirit.  I remember telling God that I was feeling anxious, and I was starting to wonder if I would get pregnant.  All sorts of things went through my mind on yesterday.  Well, at the height of my prayer time with God, I felt him say to me that I needed to just trust Him even if I didn't "feel" like doing so.  So I changed my prayer and stated thanking God for the miracle of life that I now know is inside of me...

Well, fast forward to today I am in a totally different place.  Lord, I am so sorry that I doubted you.  I should have known that you would do what seemed impossible for us.  You have been so faithful to us all of our lives and all of our marriage.  Lord, forgive me for wavering 'cuz truly I can see that what you have done is amazing.  Lord, this is your doing and it is indeed wonderful in our eyes.  I just pray that I can be the type of wife, mother, and friend you desire me to be.  I love you, Lord.

BFP!!!!!!!!

Ok, I am so excited until I can hardly contain myself.  I have been religiously taking Dollar Tree pregnancy tests (why pay $15 for those "special digital" test when I can pay one dollar :), and I finally saw a second line.  Hubster and I practice natural family planning b/c I am deathly afraid of birth control pills.  Anyway, based on my cervical mucus, I ovulated somewhere between June 20 and June 25th.  Well, you know what that means.... So fast forward one and a half weeks and I have come up positive on my home pregnancy test.  The line is still kind of faint.  Since I'm am out of pregnancy tests, I am going to the dollar store after work to buy more just to verify that I am indeed PREGNANT!!!!  I'll test everyday for the next four days before I make an appointment with my gyno.  WAHOO!!! I am so excited.  This morning I joined with Hannah in praise to God:

Hannah’s Prayer

 ¹ Then Hannah prayed and said:

   “My heart rejoices in the LORD;
   in the LORD my horn is lifted high.
My mouth boasts over my enemies,
   for I delight in your deliverance.

 ² “There is no one holy like the LORD;
   there is no one besides you;
   there is no Rock like our God.

 ³ “Do not keep talking so proudly
   or let your mouth speak such arrogance,
for the LORD is a God who knows,
   and by him deeds are weighed.

 ⁴ “The bows of the warriors are broken,
   but those who stumbled are armed with strength.
⁵ Those who were full hire themselves out for food,
   but those who were hungry are hungry no more.
She who was barren has borne seven children,
   but she who has had many sons pines away.

 ⁶ “The LORD brings death and makes alive;
   he brings down to the grave and raises up.
⁷ The LORD sends poverty and wealth;
   he humbles and he exalts.
⁸ He raises the poor from the dust
   and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
he seats them with princes
   and has them inherit a throne of honor.

   “For the foundations of the earth are the LORD’s;
   on them he has set the world.
⁹ He will guard the feet of his faithful servants,
   but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness.

   “It is not by strength that one prevails;
 ¹⁰ those who oppose the LORD will be broken.
The Most High will thunder from heaven;
   the LORD will judge the ends of the earth.

   “He will give strength to his king
   and exalt the horn of his anointed.” 

Lord truly you do mighty things.  I praise you for this wonderful gift of life that is inside of me.  May I be a faithful mother and wife.  Thank you for entrusting me with this precious gift.  HALLELUJAH!!

Whatever you do, don't be BITTER

OMG!!! I was just on a website that I joined called thebump.com.  Some of those ladies are ridiculous!! I created a thread introducing myself, and the wolves came out to attack fresh prey.  One observation was that the few women I encountered in those few minutes were incredibly BITTER.  I don't know what their stories are.  Heck, I don't even know who they were.  What I did notice was that the pain of trying to conceive had poisoned their hearts.

Lord I pray for those women and many women who are struggling with conceiving and infertility.  Help me to be kind and to ease the pain of another.

*****update******

I knew there were kind women on thebump.com.  Someone from the left a message on my blog (sorry I deleted it).  That's encouraging.  Anyhow, I  am not sure that I want to be a part of the community.  I don't do drama and I definitely don't do irrational.  We'll see.  TTYL !

Tick-tock, tick-tock...my clock goes tick-tock!

Well, this blog is quite the surprise for me.  I am 30-years old.  I am married to an AWESOME man (although I confess I am in the throws of a love affair with another man (props to you Jesus Christ).  I recently graduate with a doctorate in psychology, and I have a job I love.    What more could a girl ask for? Absolutely nothing...well, maybe more triple coupon sales  (I am an extreme couponer...hehehe). Aside from more sales at my local grocery store, what else do I need?  Possibly a dog-maybe.  After all, I have been eyeing those wonderfully cute, smushy-faced shih tzu dogs.  My life is great!  SO WHAT'S THAT BLASTED TICKING NOISE I HEAR EVERY MORNING? Since my alarm clock is broken and the clock in my bedroom couldn't keep time to save its life, I think it's my biological clock!   For 8 years I have been unwaveringly focused on my education and career that the sounds of my computer keystrokes, tearing of tuition checks, turning of book pages, and the preaching of sermons impeded my ability to hear the tick-tock of my biological clock.  So after much prayer and fasting, the hubster and I have started TTC, that's trying to conceive for all you non-acronym folks out there.  I am scared and nervous, but I am also excited and thankful to have reached this stage in life.  So journey with me (and the hubster) as we prepare to receive the blessing that God has for us!