It's Official!!!

I'm calling it now.  Baby Girl is a walker.  It's been 3 weeks 1 day since she took her first unassisted steps and she's been practicing toddling off and on since then.  She'd take up to 8 unassisted steps, but it would take a LOT of coaxing.  Today, however, we'll just plop her down on her feet (or not--she's also mastering standing up without pulling up on anything...a skill Mommy has apparently lost along the way) and she'll walk over to where she wants to go--Daddy, a toy, a book, the VCR, the piano...

We first realized that she was a walker about 2:45 this afternoon when I put her down on her feet from my lap and she immediately walked over to her Daddy without any prompting and also without shuffling (she'd been taking a step sideways, then bringing her other foot to it).  Just like she'd been doing it forever.

Look out, world...next thing you know, we'll have a runner!

Thrifty Thursday: You Don't Have to Use a Coupon

It's true!  You do NOT have to use a coupon.

You could very well be thinking "duh", but I wanted to make this point very clear.  You do NOT need to use a coupon for items that you could have a coupon for (most of you time you won't have coupons for meat, milk, or produce...although they do come around every once in awhile!). 

All of us have things for which we're brand-loyal. For those, make sure you're always seeking out the coupons for that brand.  But re-evaluate every once in awhile.  Give the generic or the other brand a shot if it'll be cheaper.  If you still don't like it, that's fine.

But for things that you're not brand-loyal to, check the unit price on everything.  Take your coupons with you, so you're prepared, but it is absolutely okay to buy the generic (or cheaper brand name) if it's still cheaper than the brand you have a coupon for.  I see way too many people in the store, for instance, buying something for $3 after coupon when they could get it for $2 without a coupon if they just bought a different brand. 

Just don't get sucked into the common belief that if you're using a coupon, you're getting a deal!

Eleven Months Old!

This is the last monthly update that I'll be able to write before Baby Girl is ONE YEAR OLD.  Excuse me while I go puke.

Baby Girl, this past month you've made a lot of progress (much to Mommy's dismay at times) at becoming a Little Girl, rather than a baby.  You've stopped fearing that Mommy would make you go to sleep if she put you on her shoulder and started giving the sweetest, longest hugs and cuddles.  You wrap your little arm around Mommy's neck for a minute or so (which is NEVER long enough for Mommy) and I could just melt.

You've become so VERY vocal.  You love to tell us stories and it amazes us how many consonant and vowel combinations you use!  We can't wait until we know what's coming out of that sweet little mouth (unless you're cussing us out...which is possible sometimes!).

You also took your very first steps!  You continue to take a few steps at a time, but just don't have the confidence to let go and take more.  You can do it, Baby Girl!  You have the balance and the strength--just do it!  You love to drive around your push toy (a pink car) and also the push toy at the sitter's (a Pooh with wheels), but haven't figured out the steering just yet.  You'll get there soon, but won't need to once you start walking!

This month you've tried lots of different foods.  Your standard dinners are still the same--vegetable (typically peas because you can feed them to yourself) and a fruit (applesauce, pears, or peaches, typically)--but you're trying lots of Mommy and Daddy's food.  You've had little bites of chicken, ground beef, chicken pot pie, salsa, hummus, and you love black beans!  I just hope you'll always be this adventurous with your food. Your favorite remains Cheerios, though.  Your little body just shudders with excitement when you see the little bowl of them!

You're still our happy little lady.  You smile from the top of your head all the way down to your toes when you're happy.  We love that we can tell you're smiling even if you're looking in the opposite direction.  You're quick with a smile, even if you've just taken a bit of a tumble (which is happening more and more as you become more adventurous).

You've also become quite the little climber.  You love to climb into kiddie chairs and stand in them and like to try to climb on top of tubs and under tables.  We know you're just exploring, but it makes Mommy and Daddy really nervous!

As of your doctor's appointment last week (your follow-up from your ear infection--your first one!), you were 19 lbs 8 oz (with clothes and diaper on) and 27 1/4 inches tall.  You haven't grown even a quarter of an inch since your 9 month appointment, but Daddy and I are expecting a good amount of growth before your one year (!) appointment next month since you were eating like crazy over the last 4 days, then slept really well last night. 

You've got three teeth, with number four just wanting to come through and join the party.  Your bottom front two are pretty much all the way in and your top left is about halfway in (or less).  That upper right tooth has dropped down about as far as the upper left, but the gum is still covering it and is bright white.  It doesn't look comfortable, but like so many other things, your spirits have remained high and you're taking it all in stride.  We haven't noticed you being in pain, even though you're chewing like crazy on everything (including Mommy...ouch!).

This month you've learned so much!  You were hanging out with your Grandma and Grandpa B. and danced with them and also did the Itsy Bitsy Spider with Grandma.  You amaze us with how quickly you learn things!  We can see your mind moving quickly, trying to grasp ideas.  You can now find objects that we hide behind us or inside a tub and are figuring out how to turn things on and open and close things.  You climb into cupboards just to see what's inside and cruise around the dining room table, just to see all sides of it or to play peek-a-boo (your FAVORITE game!).  I have loved watching you learn this month (and every month!).

Even though we still aren't sleeping real well (still waking at least once a night), we are loving spending time with you, Baby Girl.  You're fun, funny, happy, curious, explorative, adventurous, and just plain busy!  I can't wait to see what the next month brings.  It's always something new and exciting with you!

Keeps getting more interesting...

Nursing a teeny baby isn't particularly easy, especially with trying to get them positioned just right with all their floppiness.  But I'm starting to think that that was pretty easy compared to nursing a mobile, busy, almost-11-month old...

Baby Girl will lay in cradle hold for a couple of minutes, but then she gets all squirmy.  She starts shifting and rolling (all while still latched...eek!) and most of the time ends up standing in my lap, bent over.  Yes, folks, my baby nurses standing up.  Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine we'd be at this point 11 months ago.  Sometimes I'll let her lay vertical and I'll just lay the recliner back, as this is easier on me and seem to appease her. 

This all may sound painful, but it's actually really funny.  The funniest part is when she sits up to see what's going on around her, then, once she's satisfied that she isn't missing anything, dive-bombs me again to go on to nurse for a few more minutes.  It's pretty comical.  It definitely gets frustrating, as we could be done if she would just eat until she's full, but I try to take it all in stride and just enjoy the time we get together, especially since I don't nurse her as often during the week.

Meal Plan - 6/26-7/2

Really, July?  Ugh.  July is the month my kid turns one....where the heck did the year go???

Sunday: Pot Roast, red potatoes, & carrots in the crock pot
Monday: Stir Fry
Tuesday: Chicken Pot Pie (using leftover chicken from last week)
Wednesday: BBQ Chicken Braid (using leftover chicken from last week)
Thursday: Turkey Burgers
Friday: Tacos
Saturday (if we're home): Buffalo Chicken Lasagna (we've planned on it for the last few weeks, but it hasn't happened b/c it doesn't make a good weeknight dinner for us)

Happy Anniversary?

Yesterday The Hubby and I celebrated the fourth anniversary of our wedding.  Well, "celebrated" is being a bit generous...  He told me "Happy Anniversary" when we woke up and we had BW3 for dinner because we didn't have meat thawed to cook at home.  He did come home from work early, though, without telling me, and cleaned up some of our first floor.  It had gotten overwhelmingly bad, so it was really nice to come home and know that it's now in a manageable state.  Who would've thought that that would be the best anniversary present I could ask for?

To be fair, we're planning on going to see Wicked when it comes to town in August and will probably do a nice dinner when we do that.  My mom has also been telling us that she'll watch Baby Girl if we want to go out, either on our anniversary (obviously didn't happen) or this weekend.  We'll see.  It would be nice to go out, but I just find myself missing my girl so much that I don't know if I'd enjoy it fully. 

I look at the pictures from our wedding day (about 15 pounds heavier than now, but that's 235+20-70+50-15...lol) and remember what a beautiful, happy day it was.  We had a great time and I think our guests did, too.  I was on the dance floor so much that day that I didn't actually see many of our guests and didn't spend much time with my own husband! 

And then I look at the pictures of Baby Girl.  Our baby, born out of the love that we have for each other.  So perfect.  I couldn't have a better confirmation that I made the right decision when I married my best friend four years ago. 

Thrifty Thursday: Shop Holiday Sales

Sorry for the hiatus, folks...I wasn't in the best place to post last week, but I'm back today!
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Think holiday sales are only for electronics, clothes, furniture, etc.?  You'd be wrong!  With the Fourth of July coming up, I wanted to make sure to get this post out!

Think about what foods you typically eat during holidays.  Ham for Easter.  Turkey, stuffing, rolls for Thanksgiving.  Burgers, corn on the cob, hot dogs (plus all the fixings) for Memorial Day and the Fourth of July. 

One of the things I stock up on the most around Memorial Day or July 4th is pop.  I know a lot of people avoid drinking pop, but not in our house!  The Hubby is a big pop-drinker, although I have gotten him to switch from regular Coke to Coke Zero, so at least he isn't drinking those empty calories.  Coke just doesn't go on sale that often, but leading up to Memorial Day and July 4th there are typically quite a few sales.  I know at Memorial Day Walmart had Coke and Pepsi 24-packs for $4 apiece.  My stock-up price for pop is $2 per 12-pack, so it was time to stock up!  Our garage has about 8 24-packs of Coke products in it right now. 

Remember that freezer, too.  If hamburger is on sale, buy a bunch and freeze it.  Same with hot dogs, cheese, ham, and other meats.  Many condiments are shelf-stable for awhile, so look for coupons and stock up when things get really cheap.  There was a point that I had four bottles of mustard in my cupboard...and I don't even like the stuff.  But when it goes on sale for $1 and you have a $0.50 coupon that doubles...you buy it!

I actually found this link that shows you the best time of year to buy anything, both food and non-food.  I'd seen it before and found it really useful.

I have all sorts of topics ready to discuss, but if you think of anything you want tips on, please feel free to let me know!

Teaching moment

I taught my daughter something that I think I'm going to regret tonight. 

I had just finished nursing her and she still sat on my lap.  I was putting myself away, pulled my shirt down, and she looked at me with that little questioning look.  I said, "Where'd mommy's bo.obies go?" 

And then she grabbed my shirt tail and pulled it up.

I know, you're already laughing.  But it gets worse.  I cracked up. Loudly.  So she started giggling.  And lifted up my shirt again.

And again.

And again.

And then, before I knew what I was doing, we were playing peekaboo with mommy's bo.obies.

My Realization

This morning, after a very, very long night, I came to a horrible, painful realization that I have yet to share with anyone.

I want my daughter to wake up at night.

I know.  I KNOW.  How insane am I???

Baby Girl was up last night at 10:30, 11:30, 12:30, and 3:30 (I think...based off of conversation with The Hubby...neither of us has a real clear view of what happened last night).  At 10:30, The Hubby got her back to sleep.  At 11:30, he tried again, but came into our bedroom and essentially threw her at me.  I was upset.  She crawled around, whined, fussed, and he covered his head with his pillow.  I thought about holding it over his mouth, but decided it would be easier to just deal with the baby. 

I took her into her bedroom and rocked.  And rocked.  And she'd fall asleep, then wake up as soon as I started to put her into her crib.  I let her cry for a couple of minutes while I found her seahorse.  I had actually discovered about a week ago that she loves that thing and isn't distracted by it anymore.  I turned on the music (left the seahorse in her crib) and sat and rocked and she settled down.  Just as I was putting her back in her crib, the seahorse turned off and she got up on her hip and looked at me.  Damn.  I turned on the seahorse and she immediately laid down and went to sleep.  Whew.  I went back to bed and sat and listened for about 5 minutes until the seahorse turned off to see if she'd wake up.  She didn't.  At that point.

An hour later (an hour after she'd woken previously, that is), though, she was awake again (I think this part happened...surely I couldn't have dreamed it, right???).  She was yelling and screaming from her crib.  I just listened.  I couldn't do it again.  And The Hubby didn't move.  He's usually the one to get her, but he wasn't moving.  So I laid there, staring at the TV.  She'd stop crying, notice that she didn't hear noise outside her door, and start screaming again.  I think she cried for between 5 and 10 minutes and then it stopped.  Yes, I was scared that something had happened, but was so exhausted that I just assumed she had fallen asleep and I went to sleep myself. 

At 3:30 she was up again.  At this point, I fed her.  The typical rule we try to follow is that if she's up before 1:00, she doesn't get fed because there's no way she's hungry.  If she wakes up after that, I'll feed her and she'll typically fall asleep nursing and then go back to her bed.  It works for us and that's just what happened last night.  She slept for the rest of the night.

So on the way into work this morning The Hubby and I were discussing the fact that I let her cry until she fell asleep.  He didn't even remember it.  So then we were trying to decide if we need to do that every time she gets up. 

That's when it happened. 

I realized that I didn't want to cut out all of her nighttime wakings. 

There was a time when she was waking one time around 2 or 2:30, eating, and sleeping the rest of the night.  And I liked that.  I could spend a little time with her, snuggle, she could eat, thereby helping my milk supply, and she'd go back to bed.  I was okay with it and could keep doing that for awhile.

But I can't keep doing this.  I can't keep dealing with her waking FOUR times in a night.  And The Hubby is probably right--if we go get her some of the time (after the designated time), she won't understand and that probably won't keep her from waking up fully the other times.  So it seems it's all or nothing and it's time to make a decision. 

I'm sad.  And scared.  I don't want to negatively effect my already waning milk supply by her not eating overnight.  I don't want to miss out on my snuggle time, especially since I spend about 3 hours with her on weekdays, with an hour of that being in the car and another hour (almost) being feeding her.  I don't want her to stop needing her mommy in the middle of the night. 

How sick and twisted is that?  If she sleeps, we all sleep.  And we'll all be better people when we wake up in the morning.  And she might (!!!) even stay up longer in the evenings and nap better during the day.  I know it's a normal part of life, to be able to sleep through the night, but I don't know if I'm ready to let go.

Down

The post title refers to a few things in my life right now.

1) My weight.  From last week to think week, I've lost 1.6 pounds.  Woohoo!  I'm right around the lowest I've been since having Baby Girl.  After the first few days I've gotten used to eating less, too, and am not all that hungry.

2) My milk supply.  I'm going to blame it on my impending period (yes, I said impending...she shot off a warning signal on Friday and I've been spotting ever since), but if AF doesn't show by this Friday, then I'm going to blame it on the calorie reduction and will probably go back to eating junk like before.

3) The numbers of hours of sleep we're getting a night.  Baby Girl was doing really well (didn't want to jinx it by blogging about it) and waking once a night, eating, then going back to bed.  We've been struggling recently, though, with the worst in awhile being last night.  We woke at 10:30 and The Hubby was able to get her back to sleep.  She woke again at 11:30, screaming her blasted head off.  It wasn't pretty.  I was determined not to feed her, as I had just finished pumping around 9:45 and knew I wouldn't have much supply for her and didn't want to piss her off more.  But after about 45 minutes, I caved.  I had tried rocking, hugging, talking...everything I had up my sleeve.  She'd doze off, then wake up screaming again, tears streaming down that beautiful little face.  So I nursed her and she eventually (after a LONG time...like 45 minutes of nursing???) fell asleep.  I thought, great, this means she'll sleep for awhile.  Not so much--she was back up at 3:30.  She was, once again, really upset.  I don't know if it was b/c she'd gotten overtired from not napping (even though she went to bed before 6:30) or if her teeth were bothering her or if she was truly hungry because I was producing *that* little milk...but she was pissed.  So I gave her some Tylenol and nursed her and she fell asleep.  She slept until morning and woke up happy.  Who knows.  But I'm dragging ass today.

4) My mood.  Might be partially because of the lack of sleep, but I'm also just getting really bogged down with everything recently.  Baby Girl is really getting grabby (in a mean way--pulling hair HARD, scratching our faces, pulling our noses and lips...she's always done it, but as she gets bigger, she's getting stronger) and is making our interactions not nearly as fun.  Work has been pretty overwhelming.  The Hubby just isn't helping in ways that I want.  I want to go out with friends, but want to spend time with my daughter in the little bit of time I get each day and don't know how to balance that because what if, God forbid, something were to happen and I didn't spend every second with her that I could have?  Of course I can't live that way all the time, but it's the thought I've had a lot recently.  I won't regret spending time with my baby, but if I take time for myself away from her, I just might regret that.  So yeah, things are weighing heavily on my head and heart recently.  And I need to plan her party still and it's bugging me that The Hubby isn't giving me any feedback about our guest list.  I know it doesn't matter as much to him as it does to me, but, damnit, it should!

So yeah, there it is.  I'm down...in one good way and in three bad.  Eh, 25% isn't so bad, right?

Meal Plan 6/13-6/19

Sunday: Quiche (based very loosely on the recipe linked--I didn't use any cheese and had some turkey bacon with some leftover veggies.  This is a great way to use up some extra cooked veggies!)

Monday: Steak Fajitas

Tuesday: Sesame Ginger Lettuce Wraps (I think I try something from Cassie's blog every week!)

Wednesday: Chicken Stir Fry

Thursday: Turkey Burgers & red potatoes (if the potatoes are still good) & corn on the cob

Friday: Either Pasta & Meatballs or Buffalo Chicken Lasagna (never made it last week and all the ingredients are either canned or frozen)

Saturday: I actually bought stuff for 7 meals this week, but just remembered that we'll be visiting with some high school friends and going out to dinner with them, but I won't be cooking on Saturday.

Big Day!!!!

Small news for today...I spy tooth number THREE!  It's the upper left tooth and has completely broken through with no swelling or anything.  She slept like junk last night, so I guess that could be why.  She wasn't upset, though, just tossing and turning a lot and not sleeping well.

But the BIG news is...

Baby Girl took unassisted steps! 

She's been strong enough and had the balance for it for awhile, but she hasn't been brave enough.  We kept thinking that the key would be to get a running start at it--get her walking, then let go and see her continue.  But that wasn't the case at all.  She took those first 3 steps while standing by herself.  The Hubby stood her up facing a friend of ours and when he held out his hands, she took three steps toward him until he snatched her up!  She then did it multiple times later--always starting from standing by herself.  She even took four steps to me earlier this evening--I just stood her up facing me and held out my hands and she took four tentative steps until she could tumble into my arms. 

The task for tomorrow, though, is to capture it on film...let's see if she cooperates!

The Bitch is Back

I hadn't seen her since late October 2008.  But on 9:45 a.m. on June 11, 2010, she has taken back her place in my life.  Yes, my friends, the horrible Aunt Flo is back. 

Shit.

Thrifty Thursday: Shop Around

Welcome back!

I hope you all are enjoying Thrifty Thursdays.  I'm loving discussing something I'm passionate about--saving money! 

Today I want to talk about another way to save on your grocery shopping--shopping around.  There are different degrees of this and it's up to you how much you want to do.

When I'm planning my meals for the week, I go online and get the sales insert for the three stores that I typically consider for grocery shopping--Kroger, Giant Eagle, and Meijer.  I've done shopping at Walmart before, but typically assume the prices will be good there and don't shop according to the sale--gasp!  I then look at the produce and meat sales and see if there's anything that jumps off the page.  If there aren't any fantastic deals, I'll default to Kroger because it's close and easy to get into and out of.  If there are great deals at one of the stores, though, a decision must be made.  Is it worth going to that store just to get that one thing?  Or if I'm going to go to, for instance, Giant Eagle for chicken breast, should I just plan my whole shopping trip there?  Honestly, it depends on the week which one I choose.  If it's a busy Sunday (and which ones aren't these days??) and I just want to make a quick trip, I'll go do all the shopping at one store.  If I have an evening that I will have extra time, I'll go do the rest of my shopping at one store, then get the chicken at Giant Eagle.

I have friends, though, that will always shop at 2-4 stores per week.  No matter how much money I want/need to save, I just don't have the time for it most weeks (but I can't say I've never done it!).  It's totally a personal decision.  You can save a lot of money by shopping at different stores--it's a balance of opporunity costs (the loss of time) and financial costs.  (Wow, I did learn something in Econ 200!)

All that said, be flexible about what store you do your grocery (and, really, any!) shopping at.  Shop the sales and be prepared to go to the store that has the best sales for that week.

Next week: Coupon Match-ups (it's much easier than you think!)

Victories

Two victories I've wanted to post about:

1) Baby Girl finally had her second tooth (both bottom middle) break through yesterday!  Woohoo!

2) My freezer stash (frozen milk) has eclipsed 250 ounces!  When I think about it, that would only meet her needs for about a week or a little over if my milk suddenly completely dried up, but I try not to think about that.  It's a great number, especially since I froze VERY little in the beginning.

Healthy Food Ideas

Now that I'm back on the healthy eating wagon, I've been re-engineering the things that I eat.  I wanted to post two good finds that I came across.

Last night I was at Giant Eagle and found Thomas Bagel Thins.  The Hubby and I had them this morning and I found them really satisfying.  I had a small amount of cream cheese on it and it was a great 2 point breakfast!  There are 8 in the package and I think they were only like $3. 

For dinner last night I planned a vegetarian quesadilla.  The Hubby and I?  We're carnivores.  So something vegetarian doesn't typically go over real well for either of us and we end up needing to go get a McDonald's cheeseburger or something.  But I saw the idea on a blog and thought I'd give it a shot.  I had some leftover grilled veggies from the other night that I thought I could use.  I sauteed a BUNCH of mushrooms and some onion and wilted some spinach, then threw in the grilled veggies to heat them through.  Using these (I think--they were definitely the SoftWraps, which I would change next time), I put one tortilla loaded it with between 1/4 and 1/2 cup 2% cheddar cheese and a pile of veggies, then folded over the tortilla and used my quesadilla maker (hello wedding registry!) to make a tasty quesadilla.  I topped it with fat-free sour cream and some salsa and ate it with about 1/2 c. fat free refried beans.  What an incredibly tasty dinner for just 6 points!  Both The Hubby and I were completely full (of course, he had a two tortilla quesadilla, but whatever...) after this, giving us both a little more faith in vegetarian meals again.  We might try this again soon!

What are your favorite sneakily healthy foods?  Things that don't feel healthy to you, but are? 

Back on the WW Wagon

I know I said about a month ago that I was getting back on the wagon.  That was a complete failure.

Yesterday, though, I started counting points again.  You know what?  It's HARD.  I did it for so long that it became second nature, but I'm having a really tough time with it now.  I've been eating whatever I want since Thanksgiving 2008 (wow...).  Yesterday I went all balls-to-the-wall and had eaten so few points that I needed to have a big piece of cake before bed.  But the cake had gone bad.  So then I was scrambling to stuff something into my piehole...and found the canister of whipped cream.  lol  I still didn't meet my points for the day.

But then today I went out to lunch with a friend.  I got this wrap that I thought would be pretty healthy...it was 12 points alone.  Glad I didn't get any chips! 

I have no idea how I used to do this regularly, especially because I was eating a LOT less points per day.  With breastfeeding, I'm allotted an extra 5-10 points per day (I can't decide how many...the description for 5 is for if you're supplementing with formula or food and for 10 is just for nursing mamas.  For now, I'm allowing myself 7 points b/c I'm still nervous about dropping supply.).  That means if I weren't nursing, I'd be having to have even less points per day.  Geez.

I just had to do something about this body, though.  I can't look in the mirror.  I hate the way I feel.  I still feel like I look like shit a mom who doesn't sleep much most days, but at least maybe I'll be a thinner hot mess.  We'll see if it works.

(And again with the schedule posting not working??!?!!  Ugh!)

Planning

I'm a planner by nature.  I love it.  Then why am I so overwhelmed with the planning going on? 

I'm talking about Baby Girl's first birthday party.  I'm excited to work on the details, but keep getting stuck on the very first task on my list--the guest list. 

Ugh.

If we were to invite everyone we want, we could end up with 75 people in our house.  Our house is NOT made for 75 people.  We're not even sure if our house is made for 30 people.

We'd also end up with 65 people on my list and 10 on The Hubby's.  We can't have that. 

It's the extended family and the friends that are throwing us off.  With The In-Laws, we have five adults and three kids (one 3 year old and 2 almost-four-month-olds).  Then there's my parents (I'm an only child).  Then we need to also include my mom's cousin, her mom (who is like a grandma to me), my mom's cousin's daughter (who is like my sister), and her kids.  If we invite Nan (my great-aunt--mom's cousin's mom...did you get that?), we have to invite my grandma, since she's her sister.  If we invite that grandma, we have to invite my other grandma.  But my mom doesn't think either grandma will come if they don't have someone to come with (they'll have to drive an hour to get her), so that means we need to invite at least one of my aunts from each side.  Well, do we need to open it up to all of my aunts and uncles?  My parents are each one of five.  Then what about all of my first cousins?  And their kids?  And if we invite my aunts and uncles, what about The Husband's?  His mom is one of five and his dad is one of EIGHT. 

You see how it just grows and grows and grows?  And that's without talking about friends.  We're definitely inviting two couples that we're close to and have been since college.  But then I have a group of about 7 or 8 ladies who I'd love to invite--some with kids and some without.  Some of them I'm closer to and some I've gotten closer to recently.  I want them to come.  But if we're cutting the list down, they're the first to go, sadly. 

I just want to share this celebration with all the people who have been a part of Baby Girl's life, whether that's people who love her, the people who loved her before she was even conceived, the people who helped get me through those TTC times, or the people who have helped me not kill her.  (kidding.  mostly.)  I know my friends will understand, but they're not the ones I *want* to understand.  I mean, I do want them to understand the struggle, but I don't want to have to cut them off the list.

Ugh!  How frustrating!!!  Any suggestions on how to deal with this?  The location of the party is non-negotiable--it will be at our house.  We're cheap like that.

(this post didn't post as scheduled...but it's still applicable...I still haven't started any planning!)

Another milestone

Yes, folks, we've hit another milestone today, only this one isn't Baby Girl's.  It's mine.  This marks my 400th post on this blog.  Wow.  I can't believe how far I have come since the inception of this blog.  I would never have imagined that I'd be here--mommy to a 10-month old, pumping between 1 (weekends) and 4 (weekdays) times a days, feeling sort of disconnected from my husband (who used to be, hands down, my very best friend...still is), hating work and wanting to be a stay at home mommy, hovering just under 220 pounds (ugh), enjoying every second I get to stay in my house, and trying to redefine my role in life.

Thank you to all of you, my readers.  You've helped me get here and I hope you'll stick around through baby #2 and baby #3 (if we're blessed with either or both) and through watching me grow into this role of being a mother, wife, and friend.  I appreciate you all, whether you've left comments or just read along with me.  I know there are a lot of you out there who read and never comment, so thanks to you, too. 

Maybe we'll do something special for post #500 (although I'm not promising anything since my whole "ask me anything giveaway" idea completely failed...I still know who my winner is and just need to take the time to get something together for her).  I hope you'll be around to find out either way!

Thrifty Thursday - Buy BEFORE You Need It

(Nope, no nifty little icon today, folks.  You're lucky to be getting a Thrifty Thursday post at all, as I've been home all day with a baby who apparently has an ear infection and has been battling the same cold for the better part of a week.  She's been in bed since 6:25, though, so I've got a bit of time on my hands now)

My tip for the day is to buy non-perishable or freezable items BEFORE you need them.  This may sound odd, but think about when you last ran out of shampoo.  You had to run to the store (or at least pick it up next time you were there) and buy it, no matter whether it was on sale or there was a good coupon out for it at that time.

This is especially true if you're brand-loyal.  Keep an eye out at all stores for a good sale on your favorite brands and keep tabs on the newspaper and printable coupons for coupons for your brand. 

I, for one, am only partially brand-loyal.  I use my specific brand of deodorant, have a few acceptable brands of shampoo and conditioner, but can use any type of toothpaste.  I have a big stockpile of all of these toiletries on hand, waiting for me to run out of the bottle I'm using.

For instance, today I was in CVS and saw that Colgate Total with Whitening was originally priced $2.79, but was $2 off, and I had a $0.75 off coupon.  A tube of toothpaste for $0.04?  That's a 98.6% savings off the shelf price! 

This also holds true at the grocery and sort of feeds off the discussion from last week.  If you use black beans on a regular basis and find them for a great price one week, buy 5 cans!  Why buy them every week and take the chance of it being regular price when you get get them all cheap? 

All this stockpiling, so to speak, does require a bit of storage space, but you could just devote one cabinet or one shelf in a linen closet to some extras, as long as you don't go hogwild (I, for one, have gone hogwild, but that's okay--we've adjusted accordingly). 

Have suggestions for next week's post?  Have any questions for me?  Have any great "buy it before you need it" stories?  Just want to say "hi"?  Post a comment!!!