Purely for the Grandmothers

I was sitting down to e-mail my mother what I am about to blog, and then I thought I would blog in case other family members were interested. Everyone else, trust me, you will not be interested.

I am so happy tonight because Ada has eaten so well today. Because she is so little and she has trouble going to the bathroom, I am always thinking about what she eats. I am excited if she eats one full meal a day.

Bless her heart, she starts the day with a mixture of apple juice and prune juice. Then she had Activia yogurt and peanut butter toast (whole grain and natural peanut butter) for breakfast. She didn't eat a great lunch, but when she woke up from her nap, she ate tons and tons of blueberries. She only stopped eating them because I thought her tummy might hurt if she ate even more. Then she ate lots of chicken casserole for dinner and lots of broccoli. She loved the broccoli. I couldn't believe it. She scarfed it down and asked for more. And Scott said that later she ate an apple.

And while I was at VBS (more on that later), she had a dirty diaper--woo-hoo!!! I was so excited to get that news when I got home.

What really made feel good, though, was that I put her on the scale, and she weighs 23 lbs. I feel like that is more of a normal weight. I was afraid that she was still only weighing 20 lbs, but 23 is fairly good, I think.

Anyway, there is a quick update on Ada's digestive system. Regularly scheduled blogging will resume tomorrow.

Ada's "Big Girl" Room

Scott and I have stumbled upon a deal on a twin mattress and box spring, and just like that, my vision for Ada's future room is coming together.

See the plan is this--if this growing baby is a girl, she will move right into what is now Ada's nursery, and we won't change a thing. I will buy some wooden letters to spell out her (yet to be decided) name, so there will be a personal touch. If it's a boy, I am hoping to switch my bedding with my mom, who still has the original bedding we bought for Ada--green with white elephants, and we will paint the walls, probably a brown. Everything else will stay the same. But more on that later.

The big deal will be Ada's room, mainly because it will stay her room as long as we are in this house.

Here is my vision

this bed from Ikea (with a rail on the side, which will hopefully contain Ada--wishful thinking)

I want this bedding from The Land of Nod, and I love the creamy yellow walls, so I will most likely go with that. I think her red kitchen will look just perfect with all of this.

And that is the plan.

I also dream of buying a very comfy glider for the baby's room, where I will nurse and rock and even sleep if needed, but that may not make its way into the budget.

When Ada was a newborn, there was a double bed in her room, and I could just crawl in that bed during our late night, early morning, around the clock feeding/comforting sessions. This baby will not have a bed in his/her room, so I dream of a glider so comfy I can sleep in it--and nurse and rock the baby all at the same time. We'll see what happens.

In the mean time, Scott and I still need to purchase a queen mattress and box spring, as we continue to sleep on a double mattress on a queen bed. We have a double bed sitting in the garage that we will use in the office/guest room if we ever buy the queen set. Are you following me? I want all the extra sleeping space possible to entice the grandmothers to come and stay with me after the baby is born. I welcome any and all help during the first month (or two or three). The nesting is kicking in--big time--and I get a little overwhelmed by it all. Will it all come together? We'll see. Thankfully, we have until February. Stay tuned.

Headed to CVS

Well, I am going to CVS today, still trying to get back into the swing of things. I do feel remnants of normalcy returning to my life, and I am thankful. I think that I will look back on this summer, and it will be a fog in my mind because I have spent most of it just "getting by."

But with phenigran in my system and many first trimester weeks behind me, I am attempting to get our budget back on track.

Last week I spent 30.00 out of pocket at CVS to give myself a jump start, and as a result I have 12.00 in ECBs to spend.

Here is my plan

Lots of school supplies because our church collects school supplies in the fall for local children

2 notebooks @ .99 each
3 packs of pens @ .99 each
2 pairs of scissors @ 2.99 each
2 things of glue @ .99 each

12.91 total
-12.00 ECBs
=.91 oop (plus tax)

I will get back 12.00 in ECBs

then I am going to buy

1 Gillette Fusion Razor @ 7.99-3.00 coupon=4.99
1 bottle of Gain detergent @ 6.00
4 boxes of Electrasol Power dishwashing tabs @ 3.99 -4 2.50 coupons=1.49 each

total=16.95
-12.00 ECBs
=4.95 OOP

and I should walk away with 6.00 in ECBs from the Gain and the razor.

Comforting Words

Last night I couldn't sleep. I do this often. Last night was especially strange, however, because I had taken half a phenigran. I should have slept soundly.

My heart was very burdened for other people and difficult situations. I felt strongly that the Lord wanted me awake. He wanted me to pray. So pray I did. From 1:30 am to 5:30 am. Don't get me wrong, I wanted to go to sleep. At times I prayed for sleep. But when sleep didn't come, I continued to pray for those things that were burdening me. Finally, around 6 am, when Scott woke up with Ada, I slept very soundly for two hours until it was time to get ready for church. And surprisingly, the Lord has given me much energy today. After all of that praying I did, I loved reading the following words. I just want to soak them in, and cling to them.

“Imagine that your prayer is a poorly dressed beggar reeking of alcohol and body odor, stumbling toward the palace of the great king. You have become your prayer. As you shuffle toward the barred gate, the guards stiffen. Your smell has preceded you. You stammer out a message for the great king: ‘I want to see the king.’

Your words are barely intelligible, but you whisper one final word, ‘Jesus, I come in the name of Jesus.’ At the name of Jesus, as if by magic, the palace comes alive. The guards snap to attention, bowing low in front of you. Lights come on, and the door flies open. You are ushered into the palace and down a long hallway into the throne room of the great king, who comes running to you and wraps you in his arms.

The name of Jesus gives my prayers royal access. They get through. Jesus isn’t just the Savior of my soul. He’s also the Savior of my prayers. My prayers come before the throne of God as the prayers of Jesus. ‘Asking in Jesus’ name’ isn’t another thing I have to get right so my prayers are perfect. Is it one more gift of God because my prayers are so imperfect.”

—Paul Miller, A Praying Life (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress 2009), 135

From, Of First Importance.

Attempting to coupon again

It has been weeks since I've looked at a coupon. Since I've even attempted to plan a meal. Since I have saved any money at all. Instead, our budget has suffered through first trimester with me, and we are starting to feel the effects. It's bad, ya'll.

Scott has been gracious to me as I have been oh so sick (for good reason, since it equals a healthy baby growing away), and luckily some tutoring money is still coming in to compensate. We would prefer, however, for that extra money to be going towards the debt snowball, so I am trying to plan some meals this week based on sales and coupons. I feel like a newbie.

Here is my plan

spaghetti, pork chops and rice in the crockpot, Stouffer's lasagna, frozen pizza, and another stouffer's frozen meal, and I am going to buy some baked potatoes to fall back on.

I am also planning on buying two rotisserie chickens from Publix because they are on sale and I have a coupon. I think I will take that chicken off the bone and freeze it to use later in casseroles. That way I don't have to deal with the raw meat. Too much for me to stomach right now, you know?

Okay, lunches will be roast beef sandwiches (it's what I have craved lately), peanut butter and banana sandwiches (another craving), and good old pb & J. I am also purchasing blueberries and watermelon for a "side dish" at lunch. Ada will most likely eat leftovers from dinner because I am always trying to get a significant meal in her. She's not a big eater, hence her tiny size.

I am going to buy a few snack items to use as fillers throughout the day when the nausea hits--packaged peanut butter and crackers and cereal bars of some sort.

On Ada's menu are eggs for breakfast and Activia yogurt. The blueberries are also for her, and we will have whole grain bread with lunch. We have to keep things moving;)

I am sure that ya'll are not interested in my grocery list, but it helps me to plan the grocery trip, so thanks for letting me share it with the world. Now I am off to match coupons. Happy saving, everyone!

Quick Update

I just had to share this really quickly because I have talked so much about my sickness.

I think the phenegran is going to do the trick!! Though it absolutely knocked me out, I have not yet felt nauseous today!!! I mean, even during Ada's pregnancy when I was not very sick, the day always started with sickness. How could it not? So, this might be the miracle drug if I can just figure out the best time of night to take it so that I am not so groggy the next day. It is 10:40 now, and I am just feeling like I can get up and about without passing out. Jenny, thanks for the tip of cutting it in half. I am hoping that will work because this seems to be the one thing that will cut through the sickness. Hallelujah!! And only three more weeks of first trimester. Maybe the end is in sight.

By the way, our quilt was oh so comfortable last night. In my drowsy state this morning, I still felt a little Christmas morning thrill when I remembered that I was sleeping under my brand new quilt from West Elm. I love it just as much as I thought I would. I will post pictures soon. And then it will be time for paint color suggestions from the readers. I want something very soothing and calming--maybe a gray? I can't decide if gray goes with the quilt, though. We'll see. Until then, I am hitting the road to pick up my little mess of a girl, Ada. I can't wait. And for those interested, she has had a dirty diaper for three days in a row--woo-hoo!!

Exhausted

Well, we saw him (him representing her and him here, in a pre-feminism way), all curled up and happy as a lark inside my uterus. It sort of made me laugh seeing the little blob of a baby without a care in the world. He is certainly not worried about how sick I am. It also made me get a bit choked up because there was that heart pumping away, evidence of this life inside me. It's nothing short of a miracle.

Scott was with me at this appointment, and he gets so fidgety in situations like that--waiting situations, feminine situations. So, there we sat--me lying on the table, sick as a dog, and him in the chair, waiting on the midwife to make her entrance. Well, as I lay with my eyes shut praying that I wouldn't get sick, I hear Scott get up and begin to fiddle. Next thing I know, he is pulling out plastic gloves--to try on? I'm not sure. I, not so patiently, requested that he sit back down and to please not touch anything. I just knew the midwife was going to walk in to find me asleep on the table and Scott with plastic gloves on both hands. It would be so awkward.

After much pleading, Scott stuck the glove in his pocket.

The midwife did give me a prescription for phenigran (sp?) to get me through until I can refill the zofran. She said that most moms are sicker with the second one, and she thinks it's from lack of rest. Maybe so. The phenigran will guarantee that I rest, I suppose. She was really nice and calmed my fears about my baby's lack of nutrition. When I do choke down a meal it usually involves a McDonald's hamburger or saltines with peanut butter. She also told me to set aside the pre-natal for now and to take two flintstone vitamins and a folic acid every day. She really was the most calming woman. I was thankful.

After that was over, Scott and I headed to Atlantic Station, our old stomping ground, to eat dinner and stroll around a bit. I was so happy and relieved to eat my very favorite salad from CPK, knowing that the baby was getting a bit of nutrition on this night. It was so yummy. The CPK cobb, minus the eggs. Yum. It hit the spot.

Then the night got even better.

With a full tummy, I felt less sick, so we headed into West Elm, and there we found this quilt that I have had my eye on forever.

It was marked down from 150.00 to 27.00!!!!!!!!! Please be shocked with me. And the euro shams were marked down from 30.00 each to 9.99 each!!!! So, what should have been a 210.00 purchase was about 50.00!!!!!!!! I am so excited and motivated to keep my bed made and room clean. I am so thankful. Honestly, it felt like a God thing to stumble upon this deal.

So, it's been a great day. I am absolutely worn out, though. And I am dying to see Ada tomorrow. If I think about it too much, I get emotional, so I just can't think about it. This is the longest I have been away from her, and it has been wonderful to rest, but I need that little girl in my life!!

p.s. thanks for the sweet belly comments. Ya'll may be singing a different tune later in the game;)