Why Have I Not Shopped at CVS for Years?

That's right. I have now begun the journey of couponing, and I'M ADDICTED!!! I must say that I've not been a believer until recently. I see these women on tv say they pay pennies or dollars for hundres of dollars worth of groceries, and I say "Impossible!" I still don't see how they do all that, but I do see how couponing can be so worth it. Today, for instance, I bought $32 worth of stuff at CVS and only paid $2.16 out of pocket. Crazy!! And it's actually stuff I need or will need in the future, like toothpaste, toothbrush, floss, and contact lens solution (giving that one to mom). I even was short on a couple transactions (meaning I needed to spend more money to use all my extra care bucks), so I bought two packs of doggie treats that were on sale for $.78. How cool is that?!?!

I do have to give credit to the one who got me into this AND taught me everything I know. My friend Jenny, who has a cutie pie little newborn Kaden Wesley, is the one who convinced me it's possible to really save money couponing. She has spent countless hours emailing me and talking to me on the phone to help me get the hang of this. I'm going to make a trip to Fort Worth soon to get more help from her, too. So thank you, Princess! :)

I leave you with this. It's a pic of me at 25 weeks. Another pregnancy post to come soon. Love you all!

The Life of a Stay-At-Home *Almost* Mommy

Yes, you read the title correctly. I am no longer working! There were a lot of reasons going into this decision, and it actually happened sooner than we planned, but it is true. I no longer work, and I think it could have been the best decision yet that we've made before Kate gets here! It's funny how God works, actually. Two weeks ago I stayed home from work because I was sick (sinus infection). As I was spending time with the Lord that morning, a heaviness came over me as I thought about returning to work when I was better, and especially after Kate is born. And then the tears came. I know these tears were exaserbated by the fact that I'm pregnant, but they were also from a well of emotions I had tucked away concerning my job. Poor Trey came home to eat lunch and didn't realize I'd cry a river throughout the whole meal. Then I called my mom and cried forever talking to her, then I called my pastor's wife and cried talking to her. I cried nonstop that whole day, I'm pretty sure. But boy did I feel good afterward. :)

Long story short, this set Trey and I on a journey of discussion, prayer, and seeking wise counsel on what God's will is for our family concerning me working. We reworked our budget to see if we could make ends meet. We met with our pastor and his wife. We talked. And we prayed. After it all, we decided that I would work until the end of April.

A week later, however, I was still sick and having to cancel and reschedule clients. It is not good to be unreliable as a counselor, even if it is for a legitimate reason. I talked with my boss, and he suggested I take medical leave until Kate is born. Happily I agreed to this arrangement, and now I am free! It's a good thing, too, because I am still not 100% better and probably couldn't work or counsel to my best ability.

I am so energized and excited to think of staying home with my baby girl for at least her first year of life. I know this isn't possible for lots of families, so I am thankful the Lord has made it possible for us. This is a dream come true for me. We will be sacrificing in some ways, and I will be attempting to save us money as much as possible. I am attempting couponing, so we'll see how this works. I also have a friend whose telling me all the cheap ways to buy diapers. I know we can do this, though, because I believe the Lord is our Provider. He owns the cattle of a thousand hills. He can handle taking care of our family!

Week 25 survey

Today the weather is beautiful outside. Trey and I took our dogs to the park and lost track of time, we were enjoying our walk together so much. Those puppies love to run around freely outside, and Trey has been working hard at training them to be obedient so they can run without leashes. I love our walks together and look forward to pushing little Kate in her stroller in just a few months.

We are in the 25th week (I'm 24 weeks 3 days today). I love the second trimester, and I have a little under a month left of it. I have loved it, but I won't mind seeing it go, because that means we will be one step closer to holding our baby girl!

Week 25 Survey

How far along? 24 weeks 3 days

Total weight gain/loss: 17 pounds total? Somewhere around there. Doc says I'm doing great and on track with weight, so that's comforting.

Maternity clothes? Still yes. I attempted to wear a non-maternity top the other day, and that did not work. I know some people are able to do it, but I just looked goofy. Which means I need to shop for some more tops, because I'm sure Trey is probably tired of the same old 5 tops I'm wearing all the time!

Stretch marks? Nope. Mom didn't get them, so I'm hoping I don't, either.

Sleep: Thanks to the sore throat and congestion I've had lately, not so good. But thanks to all for the tips on sleeping from my last survey! I'm definitely using a pillow between the legs, and it helps a ton!

What I miss: being able to wear all my non-maternity clothes!

What I am looking forward to: other than Kate's birth, my next doctor's appt March 11. I will be in the 3rd trimester then!

Best moment this week: A great appointment this past Friday, and the Snicker's ice cream bars I bought on a whim. They are SO GOOD!

Movement: All the time and I love it! This has to be the coolest part to pregnancy.

Belly Button in or out? in, but it's not as deep as it used to be!

Wedding rings on or off? on

Weekly Wisdom: trusting in the Lord daily that Kate is His sweet girl, and He is loaning her to Trey and me

Milestones: celebrating Valentine's Day for the 5th time with my amazing husband. He is the only Valentine I've ever had, and I love it that way. I love you, Trey Holmes, and I look forward to this next adventure in our journey together!

Some Picture Fun

I'm on a roll posting lately! I decided to include some pictures on here of what we have been up to. Enjoy!

First, we start with Dapple. This is after I caught him and his brother tearing their bed apart. Can we say caught red-handed? Or atleast, caught string-mouthed!

And next, Pete and Dapple enjoying the warm laundry sheets on the bed. They slept on the sheet 3 hours before I finally kicked them off so I could finish making our bed!!

Trey and I enjoying some snow cream (snow ice cream) on our day of 6 inches of snow. Yay!

Here is proof that it did snow (sadly, Trey and I forgot to take a picture together in the snow. We were too busy throwing snow balls!). Here are Pete and Dapple traipsing through the snow first thing in the morning. They were hilarious!

Plumber Trey before we took our entire washing machine apart to find out why it wouldn't drain. And I am proud to say I helped him the entire 3 hours he worked on it! I am also proud to say that we saved ourselves at least $100, because we fixed the problem without having to call a repair guy or buy a new machine!

Our first piece of furniture for sweet Kate's room! My friend Jenny gave me this white bedside table. We're still working on the more important pieces of furniture...you know, like a crib, dresser, changing table, etc.

And lastly, I leave you with this video. This is Trey attempting to show my niece Marilee how to do a hand stand. Only...it didn't go as planned for him. The funniest part is Marilee's commentary in the background. And don't worry, no children or small animals were harmed in the filming of this video!

the bump

Ok, ok, I have heard the requests, and I will now post some pics of the baby bump! It's just so much working moving the pictures from my phone to the computer, then finding the time to pic the good ones and load them onto the blog...

Alas, I will post the pics from the bump began to noticeable with a shirt on (though it is tiny to you, it felt HUGE to me!).

16 weeks. We knew we were having a girl at this point!

17/18 weeks. I grew a lot during the Christmas break. Not sure exactly when this was taken.

20 weeks. Took this at work...lovely, eh?

21 weeks.

 

22 weeks. Here are a couple shots of this week:

I am aware that most of these pictures were taken by me. I will attempt to have cuter poses in the future, perhaps enlisting Trey Holmes as my photographer. I just don't ever think about it except in the morning when I'm first ready (and looking a little decent). Hope you enjoyed the pics. Little Kate is growing fast and furiously! According to What to Expect When You're Expecting, she will double in weight this month, from 1 pound to 2 pounds!

Week 21 Survey

Well, I'm clearly not very good at doing these surveys. We are well into our second trimester, and it has definitely been my favorite trimester, by far!!

How far along? 21 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 12 pounds

Maternity clothes? YES. I love maternity clothes. This week I will get my first pair of maternity jeans from the Gap (the only place I can get them long enough), and I can't wait!! I've been using the belly band with my normal jeans, and while it's great, I will be glad to not have to deal with an extra band holding my pants up.

Stretch marks? Nope. Mom didn't get them, so I'm hoping I don't, either.

Sleep: Not so great these days. I have to use the restroom multiple times at night, and then I have difficulty sleeping on my sides so it's hard to get back to sleep. But when I am asleep, it's still good sleep.

Best moment this week: Painting Kate's room the sweetest color pink with Trey

Worst moment this week: can't think of anything

Movement: So much. I love feeling that little girl flutter around in there. Sometimes she jabs, other times it's more of a flutter.

Food cravings: fruit, salad, beef. I actually crave lots and lots of beef. And I love to start my day off with some bacon!

Belly Button in or out? in, but it's not as deep as it used to be!

Wedding rings on or off? on

Weekly Wisdom: working on that little girl's room slowly but trying to get it all done before the final countdown. I don't want to feel rushed and stressed!

Milestones: painting Kate's room

To Marme, Pops, GrandMary, and Papa

This post is especially for the grandparents of Kate. Most of you might think the videos I'm about to post are pretty cool, but you don't want to spend the time watching them in their entirety. That is totally OK with me. These videos are especially for the grandparents. Since they live far away and don't have the opportunity to come with us to an appointment, we have filmed two of Kate's sonograms. The first one is when she was 16 weeks. We had this one only to see if we could determine the sex of the baby. The second two are clips from our appointment this past Friday when she was 20 weeks. It is so neat to see the changes in her growth in just four weeks! She is a cutie pie. She wiggles around so much during the sonograms. I love it! Enough said, here are the videos!

The next video is the first part of our sonogram at 20 weeks. About 30 seconds into this one you can see Kate move her arms around like she's dancing. In the next two videos, you will also see a clear shot of her four-chambered heart, the two hemispheres of her brain, and her little feet. Enjoy!