May 2011 Whatever Ladies Graduates - Page 3

[akind1]

MW: good luck with getting the floor fixed; if it was their mistake, they should fix it without charging you. Don't know who you used, but my mom works for plumbing/electrical installers on contract with Lowe's, and people get stuff paid for all the time because they complain they didn't order that particular unit/model, or something else.

As for emotions, man, I feel like crying half the time as it is. I am sure it is gonna get worse before it gets better. I am far more emotional with this pregnancy than my first. My mom always had the philosophy that if kids are hungry enough, they'll eat. Walking out is probably for the best. maybe your DS3 is just reacting to all the imminent change? not a whole lot you can do about the change bit.

my mom had me in high school, which is why she says she didn't breastfeed. As for the TKD aunt, maybe it helps the mama stay focused on school work, to have some time without the baby nearby. We were walking around Kmart the other day on the baby feeding aisle and the lady in front of us was upset because they only had one can of the formula she needed. (she said she needed 4). I told my mother that I was so glad to not have needed or chose to go down the FF road. one less headache and expense.

We use disposable wipes. I actually haven't bought any since we switched to cloth diapers 10 months ago, which tells you what a massive stash of wipes I had to start out with. I probably have enough for at least another 4-6 months. Even with disposables, I never used a wipe warmer. I think I would just try to keep them at room temperature, it should be good enough; or use a thermos as Carrie suggested.

Annie, fx that all your efforts pay off and the baby can stay cooking until full term. It is good to know that there are things you can do to help.

AFM: 19 weeks today! I really hate when people ask me how many months along I am. It is common enough knowledge that pregnany is 40ish weeks, people should be able to gauge how far along you are by the weeks measurement. I guess I am 4 1/2 months ish. 19 weeks sounds better :)

[AnnieA]

MM: Unfortunately, the only other MFM doc in my town died two months ago so the one I saw on Friday is the only show in town.

MW: My OB trusted what I said because although my BPP was great (which I didn't even know the MFM doc was doing at the time), he could also see in my chart where her growth continues to fall off. So my OB said he would call the MFM and talk to him about what was going on. My OB did say that it sounded like there is an issue there but it's not anything to be overly concerned about at this point because if it was, the MFM would have me coming back weekly or twice a week for scans rather than waiting four weeks until the next scan. My OB is still of the opinion that she may just be a small baby and I would be fine with that if I hadn't seen the issues with the blood flow through the umbilical cord myself.

Drinking that much water will be interesting but what is more of a challenge right now is staying on my sides while sleeping. It did a number on my lower back and hips last night and I also felt like I wasn't sleeping well because I kept waking up to make sure I wasn't on my back. Guess I need to look for a body pillow.

[MarineWife]

Annie ~ Yeah, try a body pillow or one of those curved pillows especially for pregnancy. Those look interesting. I'm not usually a side sleeper. I like to sleep on my stomach. I still keep trying to do that. At this point I sort of sleep on my stomach with one leg up on a pillow so my belly is slightly twisted to the side. It seems to work. Sometimes I really want to flip onto my back but I quickly feel the difference. Within a few minutes I feel like I can't breathe. I assume it's the weight cutting off that one artery or vein or whatever it is.

Katrina ~ I get confused whenever anyone asks how many months I am. I always give weeks and tell them they can figure out how many months that is.

I talked to the flooring guys and they showed me that it is, in fact, the same color. The difference is just from one being old and the other new. My floor is 7 years old so it has faded a lot, especially in the spot in front of the back door where the morning sun comes in. That's where I notice the biggest difference. So, I think I'm ok with it. If worse comes to worst, we can try to make it match better when we have to refinish it before we sell.

It is true that if anyone is hungry, they will eat whatever is available but I really do try to give my kids the foods they want. I grew up with parents who made only what they wanted or thought we should eat and forced me to eat it or told me I was being ridiculous if I said I didn't like it. I don't want to do that to my kids. That was about taste and texture, though. Not about me saying I want one thing and then refusing to eat it when it was given to me. DS1 and ds2 are at the age now where I can spend $300 at the grocery store and they'll still say there's nothing to eat.

On that note, have you guys seen this new show, Extreme Couponing? These people buy $600 worth of groceries for like $6. How do they do it? Do you know how much money I'd save if I could do that? I spend $800-900 a month on groceries and that's not counting my dh. Where do they get all those coupons and how do they get to use more than one coupon on one product so that they get it for free? All the coupons I've ever seen say they can't be combined.

[AnnieA]

I haven't watched Extreme Couponing yet but I know that whenever I've seen articles or shows about those people that grocery shop and only spend $4 or whatever, they are not buying stuff that I would normally buy. For instance, they go shopping and come home with 20 bottles of ketchup, 10 packages of lunch meat, 12 bottles of shampoo and 6 bottles of toilet cleaner. How are you supposed to make meals out of that?

What I am in the habit of doing is meal-planning around what's on sale. So if split chicken breasts are on sale this week, then we'll have chicken noodle soup or chicken and rice. But I won't make that unless the chicken is on sale. My kids love the Morningstar veggie meat products but I only buy them when Target or Kroger has them on sale. Same for different types of cereals. They eat what's on sale.

[Baby_Cakes]

We buy our produce at the asian food market, it is SO much cheaper.  Or at Aldi.  Bananas are sometimes 39 cents a pound at Aldi!  Outrageous when you compare to 69 or even 79 cents a pound at the bigger chains!  And we buy a ton of tofu at the asian food store.  It's so inexpensive there. 

I think to get all those coupons, you have to get the paper, or at least the circulars, and you have to be on those couponing websites.  And study the ads for the stores so you know what's on sale and match up your coupons.  I just DO NOT have the time or patience!  I can see someone doing it if they like the challenge, though.  I personally do not!  LOL!

I have a lumpy old boppy pregnancy pillow from last time that is a necessity for me!  I'm a side sleeper but with pg, as we all know, comes the sore hips and what not.  So I wedge the top under my head and arm, the middle under the baby, and the bottom b/w my knees.  Heaven!  Or, as close as it can get when you're super big and uncomfortable!  

I'm feeling humungous lately (since last week) so there must have been a growth spurt.  I'll post another belly pic today sometime.

[akind1]

I have friends that are great couponers; the trick really is to combine coupons with sales. for example, even (especially, really) buy one get one free items, you can use coupons on both items, so it is just like doubling coupons really, except that you get double the product too. Also, most places will let you use one manufacture's coupon and one store coupon per item. Sometimes you do get more than what you need for some things, and you can't be very brand picky. When we were using coupons more, our goal was to save as much as we spent. It is a pretty reasonable goal. But we didn't buy what we didn't need for the most part, and when we stocked up on things, it wasn't on things we didn't need. DH used the coupons to stock up on canned soup, diapers, and wipes (hence my huge stash of both).

websites like www.southernsavers.com do some of the work for you as far as the sales ads+coupons go. for coupon clipping itself, DH will sometimes use coupondede or didi? you pay for the coupons, but it is far less than what you save at the store, so well worth it if you need lots of coupons at once for stocking up on an item.

a website I used to use was www.e-mealz.com - you choose a meal plan (like they have walmart, publix, etc) or type of diet like weight watchers and low carb, even small families like walmart for 2, etc. I think it is like $12 every three months and they do a meal plan based on the sales papers that week. I liked it because it gave me new ideas for meals when I was in a rut. I usually picked 2 or 3, that way I could cherry-pick the menu for things I though we might actually like. I am not cooking as much anymore so I don't use it.

Body pillows are awesome! I am also a stomach/side sleeper and my body pillow was great support. Granted, I start off on my back, I like to have a few minutes communion with the baby before I sleep, and I can feel him or her easiest in that position (or, at least, I can feel my uterus).

oh, and like split chicken breast, when it goes really on sale, like 99 cents a lb, we stock up, boil it, shred it, and freeze it. Can't beat it.

[Baby_Cakes]

Originally Posted by akind1 
 Granted, I start off on my back, I like to have a few minutes communion with the baby before I sleep, and I can feel him or her easiest in that position (or, at least, I can feel my uterus).

Aww! I do this too!!  Right before sleep and right when I wake up.  Sometimes, only the two of us are awake and we have our special time.  

[akind1]

Good to know I am not the only one! especially since this is my second and I spend so much of my day focused on work or DS, I really enjoy having a little bit of private time, so to speak, with the little one. I oversleep half the time, so don't do the morning bit! or DS is hollering from his crib and I have to go to him. If we had a bigger house, I would have him in a twin size bed already. In fact, had dad not made his crib, we likely could have skipped the crib stage altogether. oh well.

Seriously though, I don't know if I have ever seen a tomato bigger than a sweet potato. (last week the week-by-week things said baby was a sweet potato, this week it is an heirloom tomato) maybe I just don't pay enough attention to tomatos.

[AnnieA]

Originally Posted by akind1 

Good to know I am not the only one! especially since this is my second and I spend so much of my day focused on work or DS, I really enjoy having a little bit of private time, so to speak, with the little one. I oversleep half the time, so don't do the morning bit! or DS is hollering from his crib and I have to go to him. If we had a bigger house, I would have him in a twin size bed already. In fact, had dad not made his crib, we likely could have skipped the crib stage altogether. oh well.

Seriously though, I don't know if I have ever seen a tomato bigger than a sweet potato. (last week the week-by-week things said baby was a sweet potato, this week it is an heirloom tomato) maybe I just don't pay enough attention to tomatos.

Heirloom tomatoes are huge. Like bigger than softballs. So I can kind of understand it being bigger than a sweet potato but those are big too. Sometimes those week-by-week things are crazy.

AFM: 2.5 liters down and 1.5 liters to go...lots of trips to the bathroom already today!

[jeninejessica]

Arg!!!

So I was just screening my calls on my cell phone (I have vm, but no caller ID), because my sister started texting me this morning asking for money. I got a voicemail, picked the phone up to listen to it, and low and behold... it's one of the midwifery offices I called yesterday, telling me she HAD indeed had a cancellation, and what she can do is reintake me, but that she's going to be out of the office now until the 6th, so I'll have to call back then. 

Whhhhyyyyyyyyy did my stupid sister have to choose today to make me want to screen my calls? I did call the office back right away, and left another message saying that in case she was still there I was home and available now. But I doubt I'll hear back until Friday. How angry would I be if I missed this and someone else got in first. 

I also got a new contact number for the 4th practice I haven't been able to get ahold of, so I'm trying them too. Wish me luck guys. I feel like a kid ni a carnival now. let's hope I don't get let down!

[Baby_Cakes]

OMG JJ, I'm crossing everything for you!!  I don't think they'll give the spot away.  Oh I hope not!  Hang in there!!

[akind1]

hmm; the heirloom tomatos I have seen here aren't that much larger than regular tomatos; perhaps someone somewhere uses extra MiracleGro on them?

JJ, that is fantastic! hope she keeps a spot for you!

Annie - yay on the water. I am good if I dring 1-2 liters a day. a gallon would be astonishing.

[MarineWife]

JJ ~ Good luck. Hopefully, the MW will wait for an answer from you before moving to the next person on the list.

I like to lay on my back in my bed at night and sort of commune with baby. I like to watch and feel him move around, which he does a lot right when I'm ready for bed. I hope that doesn't continue after he's born. DS3 doesn't like it so much. He always tries to cover my belly and we get in struggles over the sheet or blanket. There must be something about my big belly that freaks him out.

I checked my grocery store website today before I went shopping after hearing on that show you can add coupons to your store discount card that are just as good as the paper coupons you have to clip. My store didn't have any, though. They did have special that I could select and put on a list so I'd remember what to buy once I got to the store. Once I got there, though, they didn't have most of what was on the website. I did get a beef roast on sale for $3.99/lb. I was excited about that compared to the prices of the roasts on the shelf until I looked at the sticker on mine. It said I saved a whole 62 cents! Woohoo!

I have noticed that the people on those shows buy a lot of stuff that I would never use so, even if I got it for really cheap, it would be a waste of money. One family had shelves and shelves stacked with stuff so that their garage looked like a store itself. They had enough shampoo or hand soap or something like that to last the average person 150 years. Why would you buy that much? There's no way they'll use it. Seems like such a waste just so you can say you got a deal. I am very brand picky and do even spend more on certain brands that I like better.

I go to one store and one store only. I hate shopping and there's no way I'm going to drive around town to 3 or 4 different stores a week to get specific deals. I don't want to do a different store each week because there are always things I need from my regular store that are not available at the others. That's why I shop where I shop. I used to alternate between the civilian grocery store and the military commissary until I got fed up with the commissary not having half of what I wanted. I don't really save any money shopping there because almost everything is name brand, so while it may be cheaper than the exact same brand at another store, it's not cheaper than the generic or store brands. Plus, it's a pain driving on and off base and I don't go there for anything else so it's just not worth it to me.

On another, but similar, note, my dh asked me to send him some cardamom so he can make spiced tea. If I remember correctly, last time I checked cardamom was $20 for a regular sized spice jar. Seriously?! Am I wrong for telling him I won't buy it?

[AnnieA]

JJ: fingers crossed that you hear back good news!

MW: Yeah cardamom is expensive. I bought a small jar recently to make a norwegian dessert and it was almost $11.

AFM: Only one liter left for the day! Going to try to get that in before I leave work.

[MovingMomma]

I used to buy coupons on eBay & that way I saved on the stuff I actually buy.  I should start doing that again!  

I'm  over the sweet potato/tomato thing.  

JJ: Hopefully they'll wait to hear from you!  It's not like she's going to be calling other people while she's out of the office.

I've been feeling yucky lately.  I have no energy, so I'm not getting anything done & I'm feeling stuck in a downward spiral.  And my weight is higher than I want it to be.  And my ankles are swollen.  Blah.  I can't believe I still have 14 weeks to go.  It feels like I should be done already!  Between losing S & planning & working towards adopting it almost seems like I've been expecting for 2.5 years.  I was trying so hard to keep a positive attitude about the pregnancy and enjoy every day for itself, but I just want my baby.

I'm looking at carseats again b/c Target sent me an ad & all the ones I'm thinking about are on sale.

[AnnieA]

MM: I know what you mean. I was just thinking the other day that between my first pregnancy and this pregnancy, I've been pregnant or post M/C for almost a year now. Can I just get a baby already?!? I can't wait to have this bundle of energy in my arms!

[Baby_Cakes]

Originally Posted by MovingMomma 

I've been feeling yucky lately.  I have no energy, so I'm not getting anything done & I'm feeling stuck in a downward spiral.  And my weight is higher than I want it to be.  And my ankles are swollen.  Blah.  I can't believe I still have 14 weeks to go. 

I could have written this myself!  Ugh, I'm so ready to be done.  And I'm heavier than I anticipated being at this stage, too.

I admit I spend most of the day on the computer b/c I just can't face all the cleaning that has to be done.

[akind1]

We usually only shop Publix - great sales, no MVP/Bonus/Pig/etc card. what is on sale, is on sale - and great quality store brand items. (which doesn't seem to exist anywhere in NC. shame, I love them!) when I lived in NC I usually did Food Lion or Winn Dixie, but seems Winn Dixie isn't an option anymore.  We don't have a trader joe or whole foods. only EarthFare, which is great, but pricey, and not close by.

Sale ads are dangerous things, arent' they?

[MarineWife]

Maybe they're thinking of a "normal" sized sweet potato? I used to be able to fit one in my hand but sometimes they are twice as big. I don't know about heirloom tomatoes. Wouldn't know one if I saw one.

Shannon ~ Have you had your iron level checked yet? I was feeling so tired and sluggish and just no energy. Once it was confirmed that my iron was low and I increased my intake with food and supplements I have felt a gazillion times better.

I'm actually doing pretty good with my weight, I think. It will almost certainly be more than I wanted but it's still ok. I've gained about 23 lbs., steadily gaining a pound a week. I think that's how it's supposed to be at this point. That will make my total weight gain about 36 lbs. I'm ok with that (although my rear and my thighs have gotten a lot bigger). I think I had a growth spurt recently, too. My belly looked huge all of a sudden yesterday. I mean, it was big before but it was like it was suddenly really sticking out there. While I can't believe I have about 13 weeks left to get even bigger, I'm not too anxious to have this baby. I know my life is going to be 100 times more hectic once he comes and I'm getting very fearful about how I'll handle it all. I'm already having a hard time with the 2 LOs I have.

[akind1]

Life will certainly be more challenging, but I am sure you will manage.

Had a lovely talk with the doula yesterday, she also had a primary c/s and then a VBAC 8 months ago, at the hospital where I am going to deliver. I'll meet her in person on Monday to have a look at her contracts and see if I have any more questions. I feel really good about her so far.

Hope everyone is doing well and enjoys their Cinco de Mayo!

oh DS started doing something cute yesterday, and not sure where he got the idea, but he started lifting my shirt so he could cuddle with my bare belly. He never has before, and DH doesn't do anything like that (he might later in the pregnancy, once movement can be felt and seen from the outside). I haven't really talked to DS about the new baby in my belly, because I really doubt how much he could understand about that at 17 months. I am thinking he must have some sort of understanding.