My Pasta Theory

Autumn is obviously not on food yet, BUT I mentioned to my bff that I have a theory on why most children love pasta of any form. Pasta requires less chewing. Really. Think about it! Spaghetti, mac & cheese, shells, raviolis, etc. All a LOT less work than say, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or chicken nuggets! It may not be that they necessarily like pasta better (although, it could be that b/c pasta in all forms is just awesomeness anyway), but if they have to chew less, it means their mouths are less tired from eating, which means they will eat more!

I'm a genuis. I know. I really must write & publish my own book:oP

Chillin out...

This is the beginning of another week off. The kiddos I nanny are with their g-parents this week, which means Autumn & I are chillin out at home. Today it means I'm trying to actually get the house semi-decent from a very busy weekend. She's been fighting her sleep, so getting things done is taking longer than expected.

I hope everyone had a fabulous Fourth of July. I'm not ignorant enough to say this is the best country ever in the world - for the mere fact that I've only visited one other country in my life and that was only for about a week. However, we are a country and that in itself is something to be proud of. Many people fought for our independence, for one reason or another, and won! We govern ourselves and pride ourselves for our belief in democracy and justice. We don't always get things right...we don't always have the answers...and sometimes we're just plain dumb and fuck shit up. However, this is my home, I love it, and I am very thankful that many have fought and died to keep our country free and to keep my family safe.

This weekend was rather busy and eventful! Early afternoon I went shopping with a friend and found an awesome, HOT dress for only $9! I LOVE those shopping days!!! Then we met our friends downtown at a hotel where they had gotten a room for the evening. We spent some time swimming, resting up and getting ready for the evening. Shawn & I spent our first night out without the baby. She spent about 3 hours with a friend while Mommy & Daddy went to the club downtown. Friends of ours were playing in a band and it was another friend's birthday celebration - there was a lot going on that night and it was great to get out together and see good people. I was VERY anxious about my little girl(but it had NOTHING to do with who I left her with - just the fact that I was, in fact, leaving her!). She did just fine. I was glad to get out, but even happier to pick her up, take her home, feed her and snuggle her to bed.

Sunday was a late start. Nothing really happened til after noon. Friends came over, we cooked out, Autumn and I napped together...eventually we went out to find fireworks, but found nothing worthwhile. I hate NC fireworks. They all suck. Anyway...we came back to the house and Shawn lit up a bonfire with a huge, dead tree standing in the middle - filled with bottle rockets and such. There were a lot of explosions taking place last night. Autumn slept pretty soundly, thank goodness. It was good times - good friends, family, & food! I barely drank, so it was a sober holiday weekend which means I'm feeling pretty good about getting a ton of housework done today instead of dragging my ass!

Pics to come later!

Highway Shoe-Losers...come in please

How do people lose odd things, like A SHOE on the highway? Not a pair. Just one.

I understand hats - people driving convertibles or open top Jeeps or something similar.

I understand baby socks, shoes, toys, etc - children like throwing things out the window (although I'm not a fan of open windows for children on a busy street for this very reason and others).

I understand cds since I've lost and witnessed several other occassions where they go flying out the window when you're searching for one very specific cd (how often is it the one that just flew out the window?).

But do tell...how do you lose ONE shoe? If it's a situation where your trunk opened and your suitcase came unpacked - then why did you pick up everything BUT that shoe? I'm just curious. HOW THE F*^&@ DO PEOPLE LOSE ONE SHOE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET?!

And that's your random thought for the day:o)

Winding down...

This evening I remembered why I don't get to post often (yet I'm pushing myself to do it tonight)...because there are no 48 hours in one day...only HALF of that. Dammit!

At 1030pm I was just winding down.

Get home from work. Dinner. Give Jynx a bath. Go for a family walk. Read books & sing to Autumn. Get Autumn ready for bed. Feed Autumn. Goodnight Autumn! Brush dog. Tidy-up kitchen from dinner. Put clothes in washer. Take out garbage. Take out recycling. Pack diaper bag for morning. Make the bed. Put husband to bed. BREATHE!

AND if you looked around my house, it would look like nothing has been done. The bathroom is in chaos b/c I haven't put everything back after giving the dog a bath. There's folded laundry that needs to be put away. Cloth diapers that need to be put away. A sink full of dishes. A dishwasher full of clean disher. Laundry that is now waiting to be put in the dryer.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's never ending. But what is good? The fact that I know it's never-ending, meaning that instead of trying to do it all tonight I'm just letting it sit and fester and I will get to it tomorrow. Well...the laundry I need to put in the dryer, but I'll so that before bed. Everything else will wait. Because it can. And because I NEED to have my 30-60 minutes of ME time. So I spent some time catching up on blogs and writing this post. And now? Now it's bedtime!

Tomorrow we're off to a pool playdate. Woo-hoo!

I got an AWARD?!

Holy macaroni & cheese! First & foremost, I totally feel undeserving of this award because I've neglected this blog except for maybe once a month...however, perhaps this will inspire me to write more;o)

So, Sara from NinjaPanza nominated me for an award. She has little Oliver, 7 months, who just has the cutest laugh ever. I dare you to watch her post "Gigglefest" and not grin from ear to ear! It can't be done...it's so stinkin cute!

Here be the award:

The rules? List 10 interesting, random facts about ME! & then nominate other blogs!

So, please keep all hands and feet inside the ride at all times...and try to refrain from jumping out at any particularly boring moment:oP

1. I have never lived on my own. Parental household -> dorm room -> apt w/ brother -> living with boyfriend...who became hubby. Sometimes I wish I had, at one point, lived completely alone so that everything would be MINE and decorated/organized the way I wanted it.

2. I would stay in school forever. At times it's stressful, but I love staying busy and having something to focus on. ESPECIALLY research papers. Sick, isn't it?

3. My favorite dessert is tiramisu. ::drooling now::

4. I know how to latchhook. And I enjoy doing it! But I have NO CLUE what to do with the projects when I'm done with them, so I refrain from doing them.

5. The last advice my grandmother gave me: "Just keep laughing." Words.I.Live.By

6. My first dog's name was Snoopy. And no, he was NOT named after the cartoon character.

7. I have a strong desire to write a book, but have yet to figure out what it's going to be on. I just have this overwhelming feeling that one day I will be presented a great question to research and I can't wait to find out what it will be.

8. I don't like cabinet doors open...even the littlest bit. Call it a tick or OCD or whatever. But if a cabinet door is open, I MUST shut it.

9. I'll sweep and then get lazy and leave the pile in the corner because I couldn't find the dustpan fast enough and I don't feel like dragging out the vacuum. My husband always tells me to get rid of my new "pet" (lots of dog hair) or he just picks it up. Hey...if the dustpan was where it was supposed to be, we wouldn't have this problem to begin with!

10. When I shower I go in this order: wash hair & rinse, wash body - left arm, belly, right arm, left leg, right leg, back, shave & rinse, condition hair, wash face, rinse conditioner out. Random...I know...but now I bet you're thinking about how YOU wash and you do it differently, don't you?

So, now to nominate other blogs....

~~Becky at Caleb Hudson...my best friend, a terrific mom, & an all around beautiful woman who inspires me to be a better person. I.LOVE.HER

~~Jen at It's A Domer Baby...I was sent a link to her blog when I was researching natural birth (she did a homebirth) and I was inspired by her birth story and now I love reading up on how she's raising little Joseph

~~Nate's Mama at Living like a bunch of dirty hippies...my local internet pal (who I still have YET to meet!) who pointed me towards the birth center I went to and answered all my never-ending questions about natural birth & such

~~Ruth at The Jones Brouhaha...a "knottie" from way-back-when who recently had a gorgeous little baby boy...OMG I just want to snuggle him and give him kisses (note to self...remember to put his gift in the freakin mail already!)

~~Becki at Our Sweet Pea...my girlfriend from back home who is currently pregnant. She is fun and crazy and if pregnancy doesn't kill her (j/k!) I think she'll make a damn good mommy!

Selfish Moment...

I want my tv fixed in our living room. I want to record and watch my own shows when I'm up at 6 am...like tonight for example...without having to go on a smokey and cold back porch or in my bed...which is a really bad habit to even start plus it's uncomfortable. I want to watch tv WITH my husband...like inside. I also think this will help significantly in him smoking less, us spending more quality time together as husband and wife, and all three us spending time together as a family.

I want an elipitcal, treadmill, bike...SOMETHING. I want to be able to hop on a machine for 20 mins and do some cardio without leaving my home. This way I can do it at...again...6am...like tonight...and I don't have to worry about getting mugged in the pitch black outside. I also don't want to have to hit a gym...even if it's free b/c I'm a guest of someone else or I can go to the school's AWESOME gym. Why? Because who the F has time for that? Who wants to make sure there's enouh milk stashed in the fridge, then get dressed semi-decent because you can't hit a gym in your bra and pj plaid pants, drive to wherever, work out for 30 mins (b/c that's really all you want to do AND you don't have time for much more than that), and head back home to change and get back into the groove of things at the house. Oh, and showering when you first get home? Not gonna happen. Yea...gyms won't be happening til my child probably hits 6 months or so, so I want something at home. Sure...I have a fitness ball and some DVDs which do work me out, but I want CARDIO. Something fast paced to get my blood pumping so that when I'm stressed I can hop onto a machine that will take the edge off.

I want my back porch door fixed or replaced because I just hate that it's a struggle to close every.single.time.

That's it for now. I know they're random, but that's what life is right now. Random.

I think if I HAD a mesntrual cycle right now, I'd be PMSing.

Autumn's First Month! (long)

Autumn is an amazing baby! Already she has quite the personality and we absolute love that about her! Shawn says she's a very serious baby, which she is. She's always thinking - you can just tell! Well...I could ramble on for paragraphs so let me just jot down the quick things I think are worth mentioning:

Stats @ 1 month checkup: 10lbs (75%), 23in long (97%), head circum 15.25in (90%). So, she's tal, skinny & has a big head (probably from everyone telling her how pretty she is...aw!) Dr. says she's healthy, happy, looks great, has AWESOME head control, etc. Wonderful news!

Feeding: She eats whenever she wants:o) Generally during the day it's every 2-3 hours & at night it cane be up to 4-6 hours depending on how well she sleeps. She can go from boob to bottle to paci and back again without any confusion or problems. Occasionally, if she's going thru a growth spurt or in the evening during her "witching hour" she will cluster feed. Shawn thoroughly enjoys being able to feed her and our routine usually revolves around me feeding her in the late evening and then Shawn doing a midnight feeding that I sleep through and then I do the early morning feeding. It works out nicely.

Sleeping: She sleeps when she wants to, too! She's like her daddy and thoroughly enjoys sleep - I LOVE IT! I'm not a big stickler on how much she sleeps - too little or too much - because I believe that if a child wants to sleep you let them and when they're tired they will eventually close their eyes! SHe usually goes down for "bed" around 9-10pm and will sleep until 2am, although she's been known to sleep later, which we're hoping will become a trend soon. She will eat and then immediately go back to sleep around 3am and sleep til about 6am. This concludes "bedtime" which is around 8hrs give or take a half hour. Naptimes consist of early morning: 7-9am, afternoon 11am/12pm - 1pm/2pm, and late afternoon 5-530ish. Then she has her "witching hour" from 530-730pm in which she just wants to be held non-stop and fusses because she can:o)

Also, she's pretty versatile when it comes to napping - she naps in the swing, in her bouncy seat, on anyone who is holding her, on the floor, in her carseat, in her hammock, in the front carrier, etc. She's not too picky.

At night she sleeps in the bassinet in our room. I thought about transitioning her at one month, but I'm not ready. I like having her in the room! But she is a tall child and she's outgrowing it fast, not to mention she's a rather loud sleeper (more on that later...)

Playtime: She really does like tummy-time, which is great! She love mirrors. She likes light and fans and music. I try to read to her every day, usually around bedtime and it relaxes us both. She can fidget/shift herself on her playmat rather well. She can manuever herself a quarter of the way around in a circle and when she starts to fuss on her belly she gets mad and can inch forward almost til she's offthe playmat. She really get her head and arms up and her feet push well...we'll have a crawler WAY TOO SOON!

Personality/Quirks: Seriously, who knew you could lay in bed just cracking up with laughter at all the sounds a little baby could make in her bassinet?! She is such a loud sleeper, but it is quite amusing! She sleeps with her hands above her head. When she wakes up she stretches and coos and moans and groans like a little bear cub. Also, when she wakes up, you CANNOT pick her up right away to change a diaper - NO SIR! Wakeup time is her releasing-of-the-gas time;o) She's slow to wake up and it's her own special time to just lay in bed, open her eyes slowly, stretch out her little arms and legs, and release all the pent up gas & poop she's been storing all night. She does not like her carseat unless we're moving - I can't put her in it and then let her sit there for more than 2 mins to pack the car or she'll start screaming. She tries to reach for things like her paci, a toy on her playmat, the ladybug above her bouncy seat, etc.

Things WE have accomplished:
~Breastfed in a car (not moving of course), at the park with about 30+ children and adults around, at Babies R Us in a public room, in a restaraunt, in front of the kids I nanny for without them knowing what was actually going on, and at the bowling alley

~Changed a diaper in the backseat of a car & in the booth of a restaraunt (there was no changing table in the bathroom!)

~Succesfully gone shopping in several stores without disaster falling upon us!

~Been separated for several hours without either of us having a panic attack...although she was in awesome hands with her Daddy taking care of her!

And that's about it. I'm sure there's a TON more, but you're tired of reading and I'm tired of typing. I do have 1 month pictures (yes, Boo - I took the pictures!) but they're not uploaded. It's not 10:30pm, Autumn has been asleep for about 30 mins and I think I'm about to follow suit.

Daddy's Love!

Shawn has been simply amazing the past few weeks. He's been amazing the whole pregnancy, but the last few weeks have been tough on me and he's been so supportive. First off, let me rave again about how proud I am when others tell me, "Yea...Shawn was talking about that..." He tells EVERYONE about the birth center, our birth classes, cloth diapers, the birthing process, etc. He is so well educated and takes so much pride in what he has learned and what we are about to embark on together and it is so amazing to hear other people tell me about him. He is more than a husband who simple agrees to go along with the plan; him and I have made decisions 100% together and when we make decisions he works so hard to be a part of the process. I have by no means gone through this pregnancy alone - he has been there with me for every pain, every baby decision and every pregnancy decision. I just cannot fathom doing any of it without him!

More recently he's only been more supportive. I know I've been more whiny - I've been pregnant for almost 10 months and that is my perogative! However, as I've mentioned the night has been the worst. When he comes in late at night it's usually my "pee" time and he kindly helps me up to get out of bed. He was very encouraging when it came to me moving to the couch over the weekend because it was for my comfort and he wants me to get as much rest as possible. And the nights that I suffer horrible discomfort he rubs my back and tells me, "You've done so good, honey, and you're almost there" in the kindest voice. He doesn't pretend to know what I'm going through, but he has sympathy. And he certainly doesn't brush it off as me just complaining. He shows real support.

Today I called him after my birth center appointment. I know I already wrote a post about that, but in all seriousness the discouragement was enough that I wanted to cry. It wasn't about hearing "hey, you'll probably have her tonight!" that I wanted. A regular, "Everything seems great!" would have been fine with me. But walking out of there with such unpleasant feelings and new worries was not what I wanted to hear a week before my due date. It happens. It's probably not the biggest deal. But still. And Shawn could tell how crappy I felt. He told me not to get discouraged and we'll work on getting her in the right position and do whatever we need to do. And he's 100% telling the truth when he says WE. Sure...I may be the one on my hands and knees, but just being able to talk with him about it and his interest in what I have to do makes him very much a part of the process.

And then...I came home to an awesome smell! Well, two smells actually. The carport is located next to the kitchen and I smelled yummy food! Then I got closer to the door and I smelled dryer sheets! Sure enough an amazing dinner (spaghetti w/ venison sauce, garlic bread, and salad) and some laundry was being done. We sat together and ate at the table - which rarely happens. We talked about the appointment, we laughed about some odds and ends, and it was so wonderfully relaxing. I could have cried I was so happy.

Now I'm well fed. I'm showered. I did some pelvic rocking and squats to move Autumn around. And it's almost my bedtime. I've had such an amazing night and it's all because of my wonderful, sweet, loving husband!

Joke for ya...

Why did the chicken cross the playground?

To get to the other SLIDE! haha

That's from an awesome 4 year old I know!

Over the weekend I've slowly transitioned myself to sleeping on the couch. It started with naps. Then last night it became my bed. I tried to sleep in the bedroom, but I just cannot do it. Our bed is not pregnancy-friendly...especially with really bad heartburn. I can't prop myself up well enough, I can't lay on my side with a pillow comfortably enough, and getting in/out just sucks and is very painful. I LOVE our couch. I do! The comfiest couch I've ever sat on. But I miss my husband & my dogs. Shawn's so supportive. I know he misses me, but like he told me tonight "It's temporary, it's not a big deal." And he's right - I guess we're lucky this has only started when I've got 9 days left til my due date when it could have started months ago.

Braxton Hicks are intense tonight. But that's nothing spectacularly new.

Tomorrow I go for a massage! With Cheryl - the specialist who came to our child birth class! I'm SO excited!!!!! I'm hoping she can help things move along - she's good like that!

Wednesday is the 39 week birth center appointment.

Friday is the day that Shawn & Will (7 yrs old) both say Autumn will arrive - they said this on separate occasions not knowing the other one suggested it. Kinda freaky.

Sunday is the Superbowl. And the day Aunt Becky said her "niece" will arrive.

Oh...who knows.

It's February...

...just sayin;o)

Interesting Fact...

According the babycenter.com Wenesday is the most popular day for a baby to be born. Why is this so interesting?

Because apparently Autumn sincerely dislikes Tuesdays. Last Tuesday was so horrible and uncomfortable that I was asked, "Are you in labor?" and my honest to God response was, "I don't know. If it gets worse I guess we'll know!" By Wednesday I was fine. Thursday she was no longer engaged/dropped at my appointment.

This morning, another Tuesday, at 6am I had some fluid leaking that does not resemble pee. But it's not enough to be a gush and leaves me perplexed. I've had fluid leakage before, but not like this. Although I've had the feeling that over the weekend she had dropped again, this morning she was sure to let me know that as I walked around or sat in bed and the pressure "down there" has only increased! A lot. However, I don't believe I've had any real contractions...so I continue on with my day. My Tuesday. What is doomed to be an awful Tuesday with uncomfortableness & another night at the bowling alley with people houding me about when I'm having this child. Ugh.

Also, this is interesting because if this IS it...the big moment...and labor lasted forever, that would mean my child could very well be born on a Wednesday. The most popular day of the week to be born. Which is also my Mom's birthday - she would have been 60. Which is the same day that I've been telling everyone since DAY ONE that she would come. And I've called birth dates before - ask my best friend. If I have this child tomorrow I swear I'm going into the "baby pool" business - I'd make a fortune!

Tonight's Laughs

My husband, God bless him really, the old dude. He makes a movie reference. I don't know it. And this conversation follows:

S: "It's not THAT old! It came out when I was probably a senior in high school."
N: "Honey. When you were a senior in high school, I was probably in 4th grade."

and then I took it one step further...

N: "When you were a senior in high school trying to get laid..."
S: "You were probably a Brownie!"
N: "As a matter of fact, yes I was!"

And hysterical laughter breaks out. I'm dying and I swear I'll pee in my pants from all this laughing. And THEN he says, "Somewhere what we're doing is illegal!" I LOVE MY HUSBAND! And I know it sounds awful that I enjoy making him feel old and remind him that we're EIGHT years apart, but then he makes comments when I'm in the tub like, "Wow - you displace a lot of water!" and "Don't let the harpoons get you!"

Yes. Shmuck. But what's funny about that is that he CAN make those remarks because it's FAR from what he actually thinks. There are husbands who can't make jokes like that because their wives might cry or go psycho on them. We're not like that - we live off love and laughter.

The last thing my grandmother ever said to me was "Just keep laughing." I think she'd be proud of my choice in marriage!

The first casualty:o(

How do you explain, "This is for the BABY, but not you-baby, the BABY-BABY!?!?!"

So I came home yesterday & my loving hsuband asks, "What was that duck thing?" And I immediately know what he's talking about. "It's a duck rattle." His response, "Well..." It seems Jynx got to it and he had thrown it somewhere, so I didn't find it until this morning to see what the damage was. Luckily it just needs to be washed. No rips. All seams in tact. Eyes are firmly attached. I mean even the tags from when I bought it are still there!!! She must've brought it out to the porch immediately to show Daddy before trying to tear it up, so it was caught pretty early. What's even more interesting...I had actually placed it in the bin where I'm keeping the baby books & toys, which meant she had to go into the room and look into the bin and take it out. Smart dog. Pain in the ass dog. But smart dog.

On the other hand, she's stupid. And I can't be too mad at her. The only toys we've really ever had in the house have been for the dogs. She doesn't know there's a baby on the way, so she can't understand the concept of "a toy for a child to come, but not yet here." It' a toy - it's meant to be played with. Also, the nursery used to be her room, so she still goes in there to lay down and she has been so confused about what we're doing to it. Poor Jynx. It really is like having another child who is too young to understand a "new baby" in the family. Jazz gets it - she's been great. She's a VERY SMARY dog. But my baby Jynx is my baby and she requires a learning curve in this department.

Here's the duck. It has now met the full acquaintance of Jynx. Been loved adn slobbered on by a pup. And now it will be fully prepared to be loved & slobbered on by a baby. (after being washed of course)

And here is Jynx being talked to about the differences between "baby toys" and "Jynx toys." She didn't get yelled at, but we need to start showing her what is hers and what is not hers. Oh brother...

My last "safe" day

I got some awful news today in regards to a friend of mine that gives a totally new meaning to the word "safe," but that's for another post. This post is something that I thought about all the way home and I still feel should get written for the mere fact that despite the fact that in a second everything can change, the world still moves on and nothing will ever change that fact.

On the way home today I thought about how tomorrow is my last "safe" day of pregnancy. Why? Because at 12:00am on Wednesday morning I will become a nuerotic human being. I have no idea whether this will be blatantly obvious on the outside or if I will contain it on the inside, but either way - I'm going to be a nutcase. Because at 12:00am my child can come at any second of any day...and there's nothing I can do about it. That's that. Pregnancy done. Labor begins. I'm pushing a baby out of my vagina and I will be coming home with a little girl. That is what will eventually happen sometime after 12:00am on Wednesday.

Yes, I know, technically she could have come at any point during this entire pregnancy. We don't get to choose when and where it happens. Every mother, at some time or another, fears pre-term labor. We fear NICU visits. We fear our child coming out so small and fragile that we're afraid there's no way such a tiny living thing could make it. I, too, have had these fears. I, too, recognize that sometimes we are not in control. But at the same time, we all hold onto some naive thought of "never me." And I'll even admit to my own selfish thoughts - while I've been reassured by research and midwives that IF my baby girl was to have been born in the past few weeks she most likely would have had little to no complications - I really didn't want to go into pre-term labor because I didn't want to go to a hospital. Healthy baby, of course, is all that matters, but being reassured that everything would most likely be okay, my thoughts then turned to the one place where I have been trying to avoid this whole pregnancy. I feel like Shawn and I have dedicated so much time and thought to the birth center that ending up in a hospital would be like disrupting part of our dream. Like I said - selfish - but I'm human enough to admit it.

So yes, ANYTHING could have happened before. But nothing did. And I'm thankful each and every day. But Wednesday I become FULL-TERM! Something I've looked forward to for so long. A part of me feels like I can breathe easy while the other part of me is thinking "WHERE THE HELL DID THE TIME GO?! NOT YET!" On Wednesday some big fears get packed away for another pregnancy and the almight epiphany of "OMG! I COULD HAVE A BABY TODAY!" will arrive.

I think there are some huge milestones in every pregnancy that get acknowledged with justice: the positive test (and the three to five tests that follow), the first appointment, the first listening of the heartbeat, the first kick, the arrival of "the bump," the first maternity clothes being worn, the first ultrasound, the shower, the bulging belly, etc etc. But I don't think "the last day of not full term" and the "officailly full term day" receive enough importance. Surely these thoughts consume other preggos. Surely.

And so tomorrow will take on great meaning for me. And I will enjoy it. And Wednesday will come. And I will glow...while also trying not to hyperventilate. And soon...so soon...my Autumn will arrive.

buzz buzz.....

goes the busy bee!

~Thank you notes complete & to be mailed out tomorrow
~Bills paid & to be mailed out tomorrow
~Crib bedding is all washed & crib is 100% ready
~Bassinet bedding is all washed & 100% ready
~New shower liner bought
~Made a return to BRU & bought some very important registry items regarding breastfeeding
~Packed a diaper bag for each of our cars (THAT was exciting!)
~Designed Autumn's name letters
~Picked up/ordered the last of the cloth diapering necessities
~Ordered some wall art for the nursery

TO-DO

~buy craft paint & paint letters
~pack "birthing center/labor" bag
~clean bathroom
~more laundry (adult & baby)
~another BRU visit
~make freezer food
~find decoartive curtain rod & order red scarf for window treatment in nursery

To-do list (Thurs)

I'm sorry. You don't have to read all this, really. I more or less type it out because I type faster than I write, so this is the best way for me to go back and see what else needs to get done.

Done:

~Installed carseat (need to get it checked)
~bought more @ BRU (necessities - all of it - I SWEAR!)
~ordered more CD stuff (again...necessities!)
~paid off a ton of debt

To-do:

~clean bathroom
~"thank you" notes & gifts
~new shower liner
~design Autumn's letters before I paint them this weekend
~grocery shopping - stocking up!!!

CD CRAZY!

I think I'm ALMOST good on cloth diaper stuff:o)

Tomorrow I'm picking up 9 FREE Kissas - supposedly they aren't in the best shape, but they're free, so who cares? They'll be handy if I need backups for emergencies or something.

I'm also picking up some Mother-ease which will fit during the NB stage and some time afterwards during her "medium" phase, along w/ 2 wraps to go with the diapers.

And I ordered 5 more medium AIOs from Etsy! I love this one shop - the diapers are really cute & get GREAT reviews.

And I got a good amount of cloth wipes for pretty cheap & free shipping off another Etsy store.

AND I ordered our wetbags (travel bags for dirty diapers).

All I have left is to order 2 pail liners & Bac-Out & I think I'll hold off on purchasing anything else. Overall, between Craigslist, sales & second-hand stuff I've saved us over $350 from buying stuff at full-cost! I'm proud of myself!

I'm trying my best...

to bring my daughter into this world with as little debt as possible:o/

This morning I paid off my credit cards. I'm only keep one for emergency use. The rest I'm cutting up and saying "adios!" to. About four years ago I got myself into BAD debt and I'm still in a recovery program that I'm almost finished with - I remind myself that it was the BEST decision I made for myself then and I'm really proud of myself for owning up to the problems. Then, I went a few years without credit cards. Did fine. I REALLY believe they aren't necessary to live. But then things were good again and I thought I'd be okay, so I got some more...and they sucked me in and when times got tough I had high bills and was overwhelmed. So I'm taking a break once again because sometimes...that's just what you have to do. Everyone has to do what's best for themselves and me not having ANY temptation to use them is what's best for me.

So, Autumn, mommy is trying her best to make good decisions that will help us move forward in life. I really am trying hard and I hope I can do my best for you:o)

To-Do list (Wed)

What I've accomplished thus far:

~put away adult laundry
~vacuum bedroom
~vacuum kitchen
~stripped the bed
~wiped down the kitchen counters & emptied the sink (again!)
~taken out MORE trash that seems to accumulate in mounds in my house!
~make a return to BRU
~remake the bed
~vacuum the car

Still on the list:

~start "thank you" notes
~install carseat
~wash (or get new) shower liner
~clean the bathroom

To-do list (Tues)

This morning I have accomplished:

~first washing of cloth diapers
~finished the adult laundry for the week
~removed all empty boxes from the house
~removed husband's hunting gear from the bedroom
~vacuumed hallway & living room
~empty dishwasher
~load dishwasher/empty sink
~fold adult laundry

To do:

~put away adult laundry
~vacuum bedroom
~vacuum kitchen
~make a return to BRU
~start "thank you" notes
~look over bowling paperwork for tonight
~strip & remake the bed (with Shawn's help)
~vacuum car & install carseat!