Funny...

Said Mandy:

Mommy, I can't find my shoes. They are probably right where you took them off. I know mine are where I took them off. Where are your shoes, Mommy? In my room. Mandy, where are you going? I'm going to look for my shoes by your shoes.

**By the way, folks...her shoes were right where she left them...tucked in between Jeff's crib and her play kitchen, stacked right on top of each other. As soon as I told her, she said, "Ohhhhh!"

Pictures

I'll try to post more later. But here are some to tide you over! Sorry about the dribble in Jeff's picture. And he is hiding in the carrier in the second pic.

Fast, Cheap, Easy, and Delicious

Sausage, Pepper, and Onions:

1 package sausage (I use mild italian)
3 peppers (cut into thin strips)
2 onions (halve onion and cut into thin strips)
sub rolls

Directions:
Cut the sausage into bite sized pieces. Cook over a medium-high heat until cooked through. Add onions and peppers to the pan. Cook until veges are done. Add salt and pepper if needed.

Place oven on broil. Heat rolls until crispy - be careful not to burn them!!

Cut rolls to make a sandwich. Stuff with sausage mixture. Halve rolls. Eat and enjoy!

This meal takes about 15 minutes to prepare. It comes out quite delicious! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do...even the kids love this meal!

My Book of One Page About Jeffrey

Written by: Andrew Davison

Jeffrey is my baby brother. he likes to smile alot. Jeffrey also likes to talk and kick. Nobody knows why or what he's smiling at. Everybody likes to take pictures of him. Jeffrey drinks alot of milk. He likes to bounce and play on his play mat. I feel really lucky to have him as my baby brother because bouncing is also my favorite. Jeffrey also likes to take baths. He loves when he can splish-splash. He might be an Olympic swimmer one day!

Report Cards

Mandy and Andrew both received their report cards yesterday. They came home with stellar grades, as expected! Andrew had 3 A's and 2 B's, while Mandy had 3 A's and 2 S's.

Great job, kids! Keep it up!

New Stats

Jeffrey's 2 month doctor appointment went well yesterday. He had a thorough look-over, got new measurements taken, and received his immunizations. So, he is now 11 lbs 11 oz, 24 1/4 inches. He really has grown!

2 months

Today, it has been 2 months since Jeffrey joined our family! I can not believe how quickly time has passed. Already he has changed so much - not just in how he looks, but also in how he acts. He is a beautiful child who smiles and is starting to coo at us. He is a joy to spend time with. Happy 2 months Jeffrey!

Andrew

Andrew is home sick today with Mandy. He came home yesterday with a 103 fever. He is doing better today, but still has some symptoms, such as a headache, sore back, and his eyes hurt. Mandy is mostly better today, so she will PROBABLY go back to school tomorrow, though I am not sure yet.

Jeffrey is still fine!

Love you!

Home Sick

Amanda has been home sick all week. She has a fever, sore throat, and cough. Today, her eyelids hurt as well. I have kept her home from school. I took her to the doctor on Monday, when her symptoms began, and they told me the H1N1 is what they are seeing, and she may feel this way for up to a week. She has an excuse for the entire week, returning to school on the 5th. I thought she would be going back today, but she woke with a fever again. Oh well.

Believe it or not, she actually cried this morning because she really wanted to go to school. I felt bad that I had to keep her home. So far, no one else is exhibiting symptoms of any kind, so that is good. I will have to keep her home tomorrow, as well, because she needs to be symptom free for 24 hours before returning to school.

The Haircut

Mandy has been asking me to cut her hair for WEEKS now. She really likes this length. Her hair was very long, so I had to cut off about 4 inches to get this length. Jeffrey's feet are in the background.

It's Back!!

You may remember that a while ago, Paul broke the screen of my laptop. I have it back now, finally! It will be sooooo nice to be mobile again!

Playing with PSE

I have been playing with Photoshop Elements 7.0 and having SO much fun with it! These are all pictures of Jeffrey taken in the last several days, so he is 6 weeks in all of them. As you can see, he has started to smile!

On the other hand, these are all pictures taken at the hospital, so Jeff is not even 1 day old here! I have been experimenting with frames in PSE. It is amazing how much he has changed in the last 7 weeks, and yet he still looks so much the same. Time flies way to fast.

You Looking at Me?

Which Do You Prefer?

I always though that I would like for my children to take a pacifier, feeling that it would be soooo much easier to take away than a thumb. My own long-term relationship with my thumb, which I sucked into 2nd grade, was my influence for this thinking. Unfortunately, Andrew and then Mandy both found their thumbs rather early on, eliminating the use of the pacifier forever. Now, they both still suck their thumbs, though only at night. And Andrew doesn't even know he is doing it. I have tried a variety of strategies to eliminate the habit to no avail, lest you think I have not tried.

Jeffrey, however, gladly takes the pacifier when he needs "comfort sucking". He really likes the Avent pacifiers, preferring them over the Playtex one we also have. I hope he does not find his thumb. When he outgrows the need to suck for comfort, it will be so easy to take away. The pacifier simply disappears, whereas the thumb is attached forever.

So my question is, which do you prefer, and why?

Why I Love...

***Consignment sales are awesome, especially if you can find a reputable one. We just got back from "Andrew and Abby's Closet", a consignment sale in it's 6th season here. For $43.50, I walked away with 12 complete outfits for Jeffrey (3 months and 6 months, both winter) and 5 pieces for Mandy.

***Kodak earned major points for customer service today! My Easy Share 5300 printer has been on the fritz lately. It does not print right at all, even after running all of the cleaning and calibrating utilities. I went on their website to run their troubleshooting, and they determined that I needed a new print head. Total cost to me??? $0. I should have it later this week. That is good customer service, and I didn't even talk to a single person!

***Mommy and Sandie are both sending me items that I can use to scrapbook digitally. I am really thinking about selling this service through a website if I can master this technique. It is a really addictive hobby, scrapbooking! I want to thank them both in advance for supporting me in this way. Thanks!!! (Though this is by no means the only reason I love you!)

2 Weeks Notice....

For my sisters.

I am going to clean out the maternity clothes from my closet in 2 weeks. If you would like my maternity clothes, please call or e-mail me. I will gladly send them to you. If I do not hear from you within 2 weeks, I will assume it is OK to send them all to Goodwill or sell them on E-bay or Craig's list. They take up too much space in my closet!

Thanks!!!

Digital Scrapbook Page - Sleeping Cutie

This is my first attempt at digital scrapbooking. I think it came out cute. What do you think? It was actually pretty fun to create this page. I used Photoshop Elements. Adobe offers a free 30 day download option. I think you can print out the page, as well, if you click on it.

Smiling

Jeffrey is starting to smile. I took this last week, and he is smiling more and more every day!

The Apple Orchard

Every year, we make at least one trip to Sky Top Apple Orchard in Hendersonville, North Carolina. This year, it took us a little longer to get there (about 1 1/2 hours), but it was still a nice trip. While we did not capture any pictures of the actual apple picking, we were able to get some shots of the Mandy and Andrew in front of their usual displays.
Andrew, as you can see, is just above the 5' mark! He is growing so fast!
Mandy comes in just above the 4' mark. I'll swear she grew a foot taller when Jeffrey was born!
Jeffrey was asleep in the front carrier the entire time. This was the best picture I could get of him, as I was the one doing the carrying!

All in all, it was a fun day. We got to enjoy the beautiful weather and the company of one another. And we purchased some tasty apples to top it off!
My little hams can't wait to go back another time!

Sleeping Cutie

Jeffrey
September 17, 2009

Growing Up Too Fast...

Andrew is growing up way too fast. 5th graders are allowed to go to a dance on Friday night. Andrew was thinking about asking a girl to the dance. He is WAY too young for this. I told him that I would gladly pick up one of his friends (boys only) so he had someone to hang out with if he wanted to go. I can't believe he is old enough for school dances, though!

We're Under Contract!

Just wanted to let you know! Looks like we can stay in Tennessee!

NO GO ON THE HOUSE

We heard back from the Realtor yesterday. Apparently, the offer made on the house was the best the buyer could do. They were not approved for more than their offer. We completely expected this, though, so it was no surprise on our part.

Some News

Well, I will start you with a picture of Jeffrey taken yesterday. His face is much fatter than it was before...can you tell? That's what happens when you gain 18 oz in a week!!! Also, one of Jeff and Paul (Paul was very tired from work), and one of Andrew. I'll post Mandy soon!





It seems that we got an offer on our house today. However, it is a VERY LOW offer, and they are asking for $5000 in closing costs, as well. We will definitely NOT be accepting this offer, as we would lose a lot of money in the process. However, we will probably counter. They will probably not like the counter, however. We have the house listed at 139,900 (slightly more that we paid for it 5 years ago). After fees, we would barely come out ahead at this price. Our counter will most likely be full price, $3000 in closing, and the home warranty they asked for. This will just about break even for us. I have a feeling they won't take it, though. We'll see.

Jeffrey had a doctor's appointment today. After supplementing with formula for the past week, Jeff has gained 1 lb and 2 oz. He now weights 8 lbs, 13 oz! His jaundice is also resolved, so we have graduated from weekly appointments to one next month! I can not believe he is 4 weeks old already. Sunday will be 1 month that he has been with us!

Mandy and Andrew are both doing very well in school. They are greatly enjoying Ridgeview. They are both awesome siblings to their baby brother, as well. I love to see how they all interact.

Paul is still not happy with his job, and it just keeps getting worse. They cut the hours he is allowed to schedule by another 25 per week, allowing him to use only 130 hours. Also, another of his crew gave their notice, and will not be replaced. He will have to run his department with himself, 2 full time clerks, and 1 part time clerk. Needless to say, he is looking for other work.

Other than being tired, I am doing fine. I love having Jeffrey around and can not imagine doing anything other than taking care of my family right now. If I had to go back to work, I would, but my heart would very much not be in it. I am looking into ways to make money from home so I can contribute, but still be very much present in our house.

Jeffrey Update...

We went to the doctor yesterday to monitor Jeffrey's jaundice and weight. The doc said that the jaundice was looking better, but Jeffrey lost an ounce over the past week. They (and I) are concerned about that, and Jeffrey will need to go back next week for another weight check. If he is not gaining well, I will need to supplement with formula. In the meantime, I am pumping after each feeding and giving it to him at the next feeding.

Hopefully, when we go back next Thursday, Jeffrey will have gained weight so I can stop worrying about him every day. Mandy and Andrew never had any issues when they were newborns, so this is all new and rather scary for me. It does cause a great deal of anxiety. I know he will be OK, but I can't help but worry.

Other than those issues, Jeffrey is doing fine. He loves to spend time on his tummy while he is awake, and is able to pick up and turn his head from side to side. He also manages to scoot up on the blanket on the floor while he is there. He has very strong leg muscles and a nice strong neck. His eyes are still blue-gray and his hair is very light, as well. He is such a cutie, he melts my heart every time I look at him! I will post pictures later today!

School

Mandy and Andrew are starting school next Monday. We went to the school yesterday to get them registered and to walk around and see the layout of the school to make them more comfortable.

Everyone in the school seems very friendly and helpful. The office staff was pleasant, the principal excitedly met my children and asked if we had any questions, and the custodian walked us around the school, showing us where everything is! Mandy was able to meet 2 of the second grade teachers, who were genuinely excited meet her. And here is the scary part. Andrew is on the "middle school" hallway, which houses grades 5-8. He will have a locker this year!

I can not believe how grown up Mandy and Andrew are, and at the same time I have a newborn baby! It makes the age gap seem so huge. Fortunately, they are super helpful with Jeffrey, and completely in love with him. I am blessed to have such a wonderful family!

Jaundiced

Jeffrey has jaundice. On Sunday, I noticed that his skin and the whites of his eyes were pretty yellow. I called the pediatrician, and she said they would check him at his appointment on Monday. So, at his appointment, the doctor agreed that he was jaundiced, and sent us to the hospital for lab work to check his bilirubin levels.

At the hospital, the man running the lab was absolutely awful. He was slow and a bit clumsy. It took him 10 minutes (which seemed like hours) to get 2 vials of blood from Jeffrey's heel. I whispered in Jeffrey's ear the entire time, tears running down my face because Jeff was screaming the entire time. He cried so hard, he fell asleep. I felt absolutely awful. Paul said he was getting really angry at the man because he seemed so clumsy and slow with our baby. If Jeff ever has to do that again, that man will not touch my baby. Surely it could have been completed much faster.

Anyway, that seemed to throw Jeffrey off all last night. He was up for 4 hours straight, crying much of the time. He ate really well, then seemed to have a gas bubble or something that was making him uncomfortable. Finally he fell asleep around 4 am.

Today, I will be napping with Jeffrey. We are both pretty tired.

We go back to the doctor on Thursday to check on his jaundice levels. The doctor's think he will be OK, but didn't want it to be a potential problem. Not sure what they will do if it is not getting better, though.

Sorry if I am rambling...I am pretty tired right now!

Introducing...

Jeffrey Robert Davison!!

After several false starts, Jeffrey joined our family on Thursday, August 6th at 8:41 a.m. He weighed 7 lbs 15 oz and was 21 inches long at birth! He made quite the entrance, debuting just 30 minutes after our arrival at the hospital. We were the talk of the maternity ward, apparently.

After just 2 days with our family, it already feels as if he has been with us forever. He has a wonderful personality, and is very content most of the time. He only cries when he is hungry or still wanting to be held...and since he is held most of the time and fed frequently, that leaves little need for him to cry. Oh, he also does not like the cool cloths we use to clean his diaper area!

Enjoy some pictures of our new arrival!

Sent Home

So on Tuesday evening, I began to have some contractions. They began in my back and radiated around to the front of my belly, so I was paying attention to them. I had a doctor's appointment on Wednesday morning, so I didn't worry about them, but I did hope they were doing some work!

At the doctor's appointment, I was dilated to a 1 and still having contractions. I spent the day walking around and relaxing, since the contractions felt pretty regular, but sort of spaced out. When I went to bed, things had picked up. I knew I would be going to the hospital soon if things kept up the way they were going.

Well, at about 12:30 Thursday morning, I decided it was time to go. The contractions were closer together and were rather uncomfortable at that time. We gathered all of our things and off we all went.

Upon being checked, I was still a 1, so they monitored me for an hour. On the second check, I had progressed to a 2, earning me another 1 hour stay. After the 3rd hour, and progression to a 3, they decided to put me in a more permanent room. However, I was told that I would have to do everything on my own, as they would not further my labor by breaking my water because I was "only" 37 weeks 5 days.

Needless to say, I did not progress beyond a 3 by 1 p.m. The doctor came and checked me 2 times - once at 8 and again at 1. He actually said that I had probably walked in at a 3 and the nurse did not check me right (I felt everything and am pretty sure she did!). I was sent home, still having contractions.

So, here I am. Still pregnant. Still dilated to a 3. Still contracting - though not as regularly. I guess I am supposed to live with contractions for the next week or so. After this very rough, tiring, and emotional morning, I will not be going back to the hospital unless I am SURE this child is on his way out!

Nope

Seems to have stopped.

Early Labor?

Yesterday, I began having some contractions. They did not go away when I changed what I was doing, so that leads me to believe that they are NOT Braxton Hicks contractions, but the beginnings of the real thing. They were pretty spaced out, though - as in 15+ minutes between them.

Last night, I continued to have them, though they spaced out a bit farther overnight. They would wake me up, though.

This morning, they are still going on. They are not too intense, but they are definitely more than the regular tummy tightening BH contractions I usually have. I will continue throughout my day and let you know if there are any changes.

I am 37 weeks tomorrow, so it is early, but not extremely early. They say that any time after 37 weeks is considered "full term".

The Sting...

I was talking to my sister on the phone today, which we haven't done in a couple of weeks. After a while, the kids went outside to play. Shortly thereafter, Mandy came in the house screaming at the top of her lungs. I hastily hung up as I ran down the stairs to see what was the matter.

Amid all of the screaming, it was difficult to determine just what had happened. Fortunately, Andrew was right behind her and was able to tell me what had happened. Mandy had been stung by a yellow jacket.

Now, I don't know if you have ever been stung by one of these, but they hurt like heck. She was already leary of them, as we had had an angry nest outside the front of our house a week ago. But this time, she didn't even know it was there. She had been minding her own business when she felt a tickle on the inside of her thigh. She ended up squeezing her legs together in an attempt to make the tickle go away. Instead, she felt intense pain as the yellow jacket stung the inside of her thigh. My poor baby didn't know what to do.

She ran home, opened the door, and proceeded to scream. I took her into the kitchen, got her some ice, and made a baking soda paste as fast as I could. Andrew went back next door to ask for some liquid Benadryll, as all I had were pills. I got some of that into her system pretty fast. After about 10 minutes, she started to calm down enough to ask for M&M's. At this point, I pretty much knew she would survive.

45 minutes later, she was doing much better. The Benadryll worked and the swelling around the sting went down completely. She is left with a nasty looking sting site (no stinger attached) that is a little red around it. Otherwise, she is none the worse for the wear. I will probably give her anther dose of Benadryll before bed, as I picked up my own supply of the liquid gold at the grocery store today.

Now she almost proudly tells her brother that if he ever wants to know what it feels like to be stung, he could just ask her. Because she now knows, after all. Andrew has never been stung. Now Mandy has.

Did You See That Ticker?

That's right! Only 30 days to go!

Paul's mother will be flying in on Aug 6th to give us a hand, and will be staying until the 25th. With the kids going back to school on the 17th, and baby due on the 15th, things are bound to be hectic around here. I could use all the help I can get!

I had a doctor's appointment yesterday and met the 3rd and final doctor in the practice. I have to say that I am very happy with the last 2 I have seen, and happy with the first as well. Since I was GBS + with Mandy, they will automatically treat me as if I have the infection with this LO as well. I feel much better about that. I had the GBS test yesterday and was "checked". No dilation here! Big surprise.

We are still hoping that baby boy comes a little early, so the kids have time to adjust at least a little before adjusting to a new school. They have so many changes coming at them in such a short period of time. I know that they will deal well with all of them, but a Momma can't help but worry.

How to Anger Yellow Jackets in One Easy Lesson

Step 1: Find an active yellow jacket nest.

Step 2: Pour gasoline over said nest.

Step 3: Light gasoline on fire.

*Please do not try this at home! Our home builder did this to try to kill the yellow jackets. It didn't really work too well. We have a bunch of angry suckers flying around the nest now.

Special Delivery

My diapers are arriving today! So is my order from Dave Ramsey. I can't wait for the UPS man to arrive!!!

She'll Never Do That Again...

It was Monday night, and Mandy had gone upstairs to take a shower. Out of the peaceful quiet came a loud CRASH! I rushed up the stairs, coming first across Andrew.

"Are you OK?" I asked. He was unharmed.

"Mandy, are you OK?"

"You're going to be mad at me!" she exclaimed through tears. I was more worried about her being hurt, though, so anger was not an emotion I was even thinking about at the time.

"Are you hurt?" I asked again.

"Yes, I hurt my butt. I fell down."

It appears that my daughter, while waiting for the shower to warm up, had decided that it would be fun to climb up the wall while holding onto the towel rack. Needless to say, the towel rack did not hold her 46 lbs. and came crashing down. Mandy unfortunately landed on her rear end, as her feet were helping her up the wall at the time. She is a little bruised, but none the worse for the experience. The wall is a different story. It needs some major surgery.

I think it is safe to say, however, that she will not ever be trying that again!

Some People Just Can't Take No for an Answer...

This morning, as we were eating our breakfast, there came a knock on the door. I got up to answer the door, and was face to face with a young woman. Now, I had been forewarned that she was going to visit by my neighbors, who were very suspicious of her, as she asked a lot of questions about the families in the neighborhood.

I stepped out on the porch to talk with her, closing the door behind me. One of the kids tried to come out, but I kept the door shut. She did a lot of talking about other families in the neighborhood that she had already talked to. Still, she had not mentioned her purpose at my door. I asked again how I could help her, and she finally told me she was selling educational books. I politely told her I was not interested, but the darn girl would not take no for an answer!

Well, after telling her 3 times, nicely, that I was not interested, she still was persisting. As she reached down to take something out of her bag, I said one final "No, thanks!", opened my door, went inside, and locked the door. As I was locking the door, she was still talking!!!

I understand that you need to be persistent in door-to-door sales, but seriously? This was just too much! I felt a little guilty for locking the door in her face, but what else was I supposed to do?

And This is Where We Live*...

*Barn not included!

But Seriously...

Did I Say "Camera Shy"? What Was I Thinking?

Andrew

Andrew took a little cajoling in order to get him to "strike a pose" for the camera. He is much more content to just sit there and wait for me to take a picture. I guess he is a little camera shy!

Yes, the Camera Actually Works!!

This morning, after charging the camera battery, I decided to take some pictures of Mandy and Andrew. It really has been a long time since I have done this.

This is Mandy's glamour shot. She is such a diva for the camera!

1st REAL day off together...

Yesterday was our first REAL day off together since Paul began working for Earthfare. Previously, every day off we have been working on the house in SC or moving! It has been quite stressful. However, with the official listing of our house, we only need to keep up on yard work there now, and we have some neighbors helping out with that.

So, yesterday we all slept in (if 7:30 can be called sleeping in). Andrew made us breakfast in bed! Then, we went to Bay's Mountain, a wonderful place with walking trails, animal habitats, and a planetarium. It was a perfect day for it, as well.

Then, we went to Babies R Us, where we found a travel system (stroller and car seat with base) for only $10 more than the car seat alone. We also purchased the Pack and Play with a bassinet attachment.

Finally, we went to K-mart so the kids could purchase the toys they have been working so hard for. They have been diligently saving and learning how to comparison shop!

Overall, it was a perfect day. And we get another day off together tomorrow! We will be going back to SC next week, either Wednesday or Sunday, to look in on the house, yardwork, etc.

Happy 4th!

Little Storage

This house has little to no storage space. For that reason alone, I would never consider purchasing it. There are no linen closets to speak of, which leaves one wondering where to put extra towels, sheets, pillows, etc. In addition, there is no attic space, leaving the garage as the only "storage" space in the whole house! This house MUST have been designed by a man!!

Tricked

For just a brief moment today, I though my ticker said 19 days left. It turns out that it is really 49 days left. I feel tricked! (Really, just wishful thinking!)

Only a Child Could Think of This...

"Mommy, when a baby farts in your tummy, your breath could smell like a fart!"

This is what Mandy thinks about (and Andrew laughingly agreed)....Thank God she is not right! That could be embarrassing.

Time for the Tooth Fairy!

She was sitting in the living room, eating a piece of watermelon. She was scraping the last pink pieces off of the pale green rind. She took another juicy bite and exclaimed, "Daddy! Daddy!" When I looked over at her, her eyes were lit up and her smile was curiously different. The tooth that had been dangling by a thread was no longer in her mouth, but was being displayed in her grasp.

"My tooth came out! I was eating my watermelon, and I bit something hard. Then, I realized it was my tooth!"

Needless to say, after rinsing her mouth, we called Daddy to let him know!

Just a Little

Naps can be so incredibly restorative! Just wanted to share!

Good Night...and Good Morning!

This whole pregnancy thing is crazy. For several months now, my appetite has been completely normal. Yesterday, and apparently today as well, it went into overdrive. I woke up this morning at 4:30 to use the RR, and realized I was starving! I couldn't just go back to bed without food - that was not an option. Instead, I came downstairs and ate my 1st breakfast. Now, it is back to bed I go. So, good night...and good morning!

Ready for Baby?

I have to say that I am completely NOT ready for this baby. Granted, we have 8 weeks before he is due, but I really have nothing together. Actually, I did put the crib together and it is in Mandy's room. She really wants to share with the baby. But, that is as far as we have gotten. I can't help but feel that time is running out and I need to prepare.

Granted, I am not looking for much for this baby. I know what I need and what I can completely live without. My list of items includes the crib bedding set and extra sheets, a Pack and Play with a bassinet (our house is 2 stories now, and I would like to be able to set this up downstairs), a car seat that fits in my car with 2 other children (this one is a huge challenge), cloth diapers, onesies, and a few receiving blankets. I am pretty sure those are the essentials we will be needing. Being the middle of summer, other clothing is optional.

I have had my eye on a crib bedding set at K-Mart for a few weeks now. I just checked online, and it is on sale! Rather than paying $49 for it, it will only be $29. I think I will head to K-Mart and make a purchase.

I have also checked into cloth diapers online, and it seems I can get enough diapers, covers, pins, and flannel wipes to last from birth to 30 lbs. for about $267. There are 4 dozen infant sized prefold diapers, 6 small covers, 3 dozen regular prefold diapers, and 6 medium covers in the set. Also, that includes 60 flannel wipes I can throw in the wash and reuse, as well as plenty of diaper pins. I think it sounds like a pretty good deal for the price. It seems to be enough diapers and covers as well, from what I have read on many different web sites.

That leaves me with looking for a good Pack and Play, as well as a car seat. The other stuff is pretty minor, though needed.

Any car seat suggestions? Andrew doesn't need a booster, but Mandy is still in one. Andrew is not a small child, either. The seat for the baby can not be too big, or else everyone will not fit in the back seat. This is my struggle. Also, I do not want to pay too much money for the car seat. I am thinking infant car seat under $100, but am also looking into convertables under $150.

How Do You...

How do you keep up on your laundry? I do just fine with getting everything washed. It is the folding and putting away that I fall miserably behind on. Any secrets or tricks out there?

Keeping Things Tidy?

When Jennie introduced me to FlyLady, I just couldn't get into it. There were too many e-mails and I always felt like I was overwhelmed with all of them. But now, I think I may give it another try. I do not plan to subscribe to the e-mails, because that is just too much for me. However, since this is a new house, and it started out nice and clean, it really should not be that hard to keep it clean, right???

Maybe it will work better for me this time. Plus, I am a SAHM now! I need to keep my house clean and tidy, as this is my new vocation. Paul is working hard each day to provide for us financially, so the least I can do is keep down the homefront. It will be my way of providing for our family.

The Day is Done...

Today seemed incredibly busy, though I am not sure how much I actually accomplished. I hate when days leave you tired, yet feeling unproductive at the same time. I guess I should expect that being 31 weeks pregnant!

The morning began with a doctor's appointment at 10, which lasted until 11:45. The good part is I really liked the doctor, but she is one of 3, so I am not sure if I will like them all. They do seem willing to let me have a bit of leeway in the delivery room, however, as far as moving around and such is concerned.

After that, we went to visit Paul, as he works about 2 minutes from the doctor's office. There we made a few produce purchases, for which we receive a 20% discount. Then it was off to the regular grocery store, which is much more within budget. After that, we stopped by Kohl's to look for new shoes for Mandy, followed by a visit to the post office to mail a package.

All that took us until about 1:30, when we arrived home for lunch. I am unpacked a box or two (for the kitchen) and then sat down for a few minutes. Then, it seemed time to start dinner, as Paul was on his way home.

And now, here we are. The kids are off to take their showers before bed. Paul and I are both ready to lay down ourselves. Andrew will need to take the dogs out, and there are probably a million things I should be doing, but I think I will go relax for the evening.

Hope you all have a great night! Talk to you tomorrow.

A Little Paint, a Little Cleaning...

So we spent the day in South Carolina, cleaning and painting the house. We keep managing to find more things to bring back with us. We still had some things that did not make the original trip in the kitchen cabinets. Now, the kitchen is officially empty.

The only rooms left to paint are Mandy's and Andrew's rooms. However, they are ready to go! We got all of the prep work done, the walls and fans cleaned, holes spackled, etc. It was a long, yet productive day.

We lost another tree in South Carolina, too. The entire tree, with the exception of the root ball, is in our neighbor's yard. Unfortunately, that makes it our job to clean up. As if we needed one more thing to do. Steve may get to it for us, though, which would make things a lot easier. I am not sure why Bill won't just do it, but he is a stickler for rules like this!

Friday will be our next trip to SC. Hopefully it will be productive!!

Where to begin?

We are unpacking, or supposed to be unpacking, from our move from South Carolina to Tennessee. My questions is, where do I begin? You would think, after all of the moves we have made over the years, that I would know the answer to this question. Yet, it still eludes me.

I suppose I will just have to start with a box. I guess it doesn't really matter which box I choose, so long as I open it, empty it of its contents, and put all of the stuff away where it is supposed to go.

Now, if only I could figure out where all of this stuff is supposed to go...

The Evening Blahs

Well, I went back to school today, even though I would rather have stayed home in bed all day. I really hate being sick, when your body aches from coughing all the time. Now that it is evening, I am getting back that stuffy feeling. I really detest a cold.

And It's Later Today...

I went to the doctor's office this afternoon, and everything is looking great! They did another ultrasound for the NT test, to check if the neural tube is properly closed - it is. The baby was not very active and was laying on its back, so the tech had to jiggle around to get the baby to move into a nice position for the screening. I got lots of great pics from the ultrasound. And I got to hear the heartbeat! 168 BPM.

The bad thing was that Paul was picking the kids up from school, so he missed all of this :(

Next time, they will do the heartbeat with the doppler. The time after that, it will be time for the BIG ultrasound, where we will be able to find out what we are having! And yes, I would like to know.

Also, it is safe to take Robitussin for a cough, and I can use any cough drops. Still, I opted for sugar-free lemon drops to help with the cough.

I really love this doctor's office. They have been my Ob-Gyn since being here in SC all those years ago. They have delivered both of our children. And their office staff is WONDERFUL!!

Well, I am going to go rest now. I hope you all have a wonderful evening. Talk to you later!

11 Weeks and 2 days today!

Hello all! Wow, I really need to get better at this blogging thing. Well, I am 11 weeks into pregnancy by now. Time is really flying, too. The first trimester will be over very soon, and the baby will really start to grow!

I am going to the doctor this afternoon, so I took the day off from work. This is supposed to be a long, boring appointment. I will let you know how things go later today.

So, my pants don't fit at all anymore. If I wear my regular clothing, it is with adjustments. For example, I had to use a paperclip the other day to keep my pants closed without squishing my insides. I have purchased 5 pairs of maternity pants, which I much prefer to wear. They are extremely more comfortable than my normal pants. Did you know they actually make maternity pants with the elastic and buttons like they do for children's pants? I have two pairs of dress slacks like that, and I love them! As I get bigger, I can make the pants bigger too. And I have 2 pairs with the tummy panel (my least favorite) and a pair of under belly jeans (love these!). Unbelievably, they are all long enough for me, as well. I remember that being a problem in the past.

Well, I have been a bit under the weather this weekend. I have a cold or some such nonsense, so I would be staying home today even without the doctors appointment. I have this cough that just hurts everywhere. Very uncomfortable. And of course you can't really take anything when you are pregnant, either.

Talk to you later today!