My brain needs a filter.

I cannot go one more day where I start off thinking about something completely innocent like "Wow, Monster 3 will be here soon" to thinking "Dear God, what have I gotten myself into, I can't take care of three kids, and besides, we're doing just fine with the girls, and how did I end up with a boy, I know nothing about boys, we don't have a car that fits this boy, and did I pay those bills, is my credit score going up, will I ever be able to leave my house during the day with my children" and so on and so forth. My brain needs a filter. It's transferring over to my subconscious. The other day hubby captured a massive spider, and for whatever reason didn't want to kill it. Fine, whatever, no biggie. Except then I was either awake thinking about spiders, or dreaming about spiders. Worst sleep ever. Another example? My mom leaves next week for a mission trip overseas. Cool, love it! Except she comes to visit, and then next thing I know I'm having dreams about being on an airplane with extended family and I'm pregnant and dreaming that we switch planes mid air. Then as we walk through the connecting hallway between the planes I start to fall. Care for another? How about when my daughters are playing with their baby dolls and insist on putting them in my room where Monster 3's bed is waiting for him. And next thing I know I'm dreaming that I'm going to give birth to a fat plastic baby that looks like a girl, and my 4 year old takes away from me, telling me I don't know how to make brother happy.
Yeah. This is it folks. The definition of crazy. Living proof that you cannot escape the crazy of being pregnant, no matter how sane you think you are during the day. Except I guess I'm really not sane if thinking "Wow, not much time left" ends up being about how I will be trapped in my house forever unable to leave....

I wonder if you can order a brain filter from Walmart. You can get everything else there.

A mutation in mothers.

I can't help but think that at some point a mother is infused with whatever it takes to keep things running smoothly. I'm not sure if it's a drug slipped into our juice (or whatever beverage we are currently able to indulge in) at the end of the night, or if it is some freak mutation that develops after you give birth to the loin fruit. Whatever it is, I know one thing. It doesn't hit every mother at the same time. 

For instance. Most moms are genetically wired to care for their child. They figure out very quickly the art of changing diapers, burping, and baths. Unfortunately though, as we focus on learning how to do all those things with our new tiny humans, we don't exactly develop the necessary skills in the kitchen, laundry room, and so forth. I did not develop said skills in the kitchen until about 6 months ago. And the laundry room? Yeah, about a month ago is when that hit me. Don't get me wrong, my children were fed, and they had clean clothes, but let me tell you, mastering the art of MAINTAINING is a bitch process. I say that in the nicest way possible, because really there is no other way of describing how it feels to realize that plain and simple You Suck at maintaining your house. 

As a stay at home mom, I have loads of time. I don't have a vehicle during the day, and it's just me and the monsters. I know what you're thinking , "If you're home all the time, and it's just you and your children, well by golly why ISN'T your house clean all the time?" Ha ha. You're funny dear reader. Insanely so. Because there is this little thing that one must overcome, yes even a mother. It's called Motivation. I have zero motivation to clean. I hate it. I abhor the process of physically putting away the clean dishes. I despise bending down every two steps to pick up a toy, or an article of clothing. I cringe at the thought of folding and putting away clothes.  I cannot even look at my daughters' room unless my darling husband is there to help me. 

However. My Mom gene has finally kicked into high gear. No longer is it acceptable that my kids have clean clothes. By George, ALL of their clothes are clean, folded, and put away. As are my clothes, and my husband's. In fact we have run out of room to put our clothes because we have so many clothes, and I have done so much laundry that we are now faced with the fact that We Are Blessed in the clothes department. No longer is it acceptable that I ran a load of dishes and there are enough clean ones to make dinner. My sink only has 5-10 dishes in it, a load is running, my counters are wiped down, and there are enough dishes to eat off of for Two Whole Days. No more do I have to suffer with bending down to pick up every two steps. My floors are picked up and swept. The toys are in the girls' room, and the clothes are in an only Half Full Hamper. 

I totally Rock! And it is Exhausting.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and this my friends, I fear is soon to occur with me. I fear I have run myself ragged trying to become SuperMom, and now all I want to do is sleep. Am I sleeping? Heck no! I'm blogging while my children enjoy the new found activity of using the (completely cleaned off!) kitchen table for a tent. I'm listening to the delightful little giggles and screeches as they play in their "house" with pink sheeted walls. I'm listening to the hum of the dishwasher that I had to literally drag myself up to load. I'm thinking about what I want to cook for lunch so that my girls and I have a balanced day of nutritious food. But what I truly WANT is to sleep. What I WANT is a break from my children. What I WANT is some quiet solace in my own home. What I WANT is for the groceries to shop for themselves. What I WANT is for my husband to be home and say, "Don't worry about dinner and the girls, I'll figure something out". What I WANT is to pretend for just thirty minutes that I have not learned that Maintaining is a Bitch, and to just let it all disappear as I camp out on my couch and eat popcorn and watch Private Practice.

My days never change.

So it has struck my thoughts that when I write about what is going on with me, I am essentially saying the same things in a different form. Because my days never really change. Every day I wake up and start the same basic routine, clean the same rooms of the house, change the same number of diapers, eat at the same times, and watch the same cartoons with my girls. They are in love with the same toys and play with them every day, and we listen to the same music over and over.
In short I am amazed that I haven't stabbed my eye out with a pencil at some point.
Today the monotony of my existence was broken up by an outing with my dad. The girls and I went with him to see a movie because the local theatre has dollar days in the summer. We saw Happy Feet 2, and I'm proud to say my Monsters were fairly well behaved. They didn't get as restless as I thought they would, so they stayed in their seats reasonably long. It was a proud moment for me.
Watching this movie though was somewhat horrifying to me as I thought about all the things that children's movies contain these days. I think particularly about a movie my children love. Finding Nemo. The title alone actually drops my thoughts of colorful fish and leads them to this: This is a movie about an entire family being slaughtered, single parenthood turned nightmare as the only family members left are torn apart by a heartless fish-napping, only for dad to have to continue to be plagued by his own paranoia that the world is out to destroy him.  Poor baby gish has to learn how to grow up from a bunch of strangers, because his own father was to blind to stop sheltering him from the cruel cruel world.
It is incredibly sad when think about it, but is made ok by the happy ending that is slapped on to round off all their crazy trials and tribulations. Oh and did I mention that the baby fish is basically sworn into a cult?? Anyway. Oddly when our children see this all they think is Nemo's dad will save him! Yau happy ending.

I think children's movies have quite a dark side to them.

And now here we are at home once more, having immediately fallen right back into the routine of "Girls it is nap time, close your eyes" and "Why are you out of bed AGAIN???"
Story of my life.
I wish I could go swim across the ocean with turtles and a ditzy fish sidekick. It seems like a lot more fun than conquering nap time again. :)

Oh my God Oh my God OH MY GOD.

I am 25 weeks today. At my next doctor's appointment I will be one day shy of 29 weeks. I cannot believe this is happening so fast. After that appointment I will be going to the doctor every two weeks. And then...Then it will be almost here. The inevitability of this crashing down around me. Do you know how hard it is to get things ready when I can't move and lift things around on my own and I have to wait for help?? I can't force hubby to do these things during the week, otherwise, I fear we'd probably kill each other. But we have 2 weekends gone to traveling before Monster3 arrives, and one Saturday where I will have a baby shower to occupy my time. Not to mention at least two more weekends that will involve birthday parties for my niece and nephew.
I am in shock. Like, complete and utter shock. Because I really felt like we had all the time in the world, and while October 30th still feels like it is very far away, it isn't. I have 12 Saturdays and that's not including if the birthday parties are held on Saturdays. I have 13 weekends left before my little man is here.
Thank God hubby and I tackled our living room and bedroom this weekend, and the kitchen/dining room last weekend. But now we have to tackle the hardest part! The back of the house. I'm not too worried about scrubbing the bathroom down, as I do that periodically top to bottom anyway. But I am very worried about getting rid of some of the girls' toys (they have SO MANY) and getting the baby's room done. It is essentially a storage room right now. A room of unwanted items and piles and miles of laundry and clothes to be sorted through. I'm going to have to get to a laundry mat here soon to get all these big items (comforters and blankets and what not) cleaned! I think I'm going to have a panic attack thinking about it. I have to find a place to store items we don't use every day. I'm going to have to get past my pack rat ways and make a huge trip to the dump or Goodwill. I'm going to have to paint the rooms. Dear Lord why have I not worked harder towards tackling all these things???

Oh yeah, because I can barely bend down, am frequently suffering from shortness of breath, and because I don't have the physical ability to do all the moving and lifting myself. AHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

This has been an "Oh My God" moment, brought to you by the panic induced frenzy of Yours Truly.

Not much to do today.

So last night I got the urge to clean my kitchen top to bottom, and my darling hubby even cleaned up the living room with me, so that I could start my week off right. I love it when I can wake up on a Tuesday morning (miserable because it's the 4 days of nothing to do during the day without hubby) and know that I don't have to add to the misery by having to clean the house top to bottom. The fact alone that this is done already means so far this morning I've been able to: *eat breakfast uninterrupted  * finish a book * talk on the phone *watch cartoons with the girls  *surf around on BabyCenter forums  and now I'm about to start crocheting a baby blanket.
The only real incident I've had with the girls this morning was when they decided to cut up the yarn that was attached to my previously started baby blanket, meaning I have to start all over. which is ok, because I was thinking about restarting anyway.

My girls have only watched two cartoons today, which is pretty much a world record for them. So my house is tv free at the moment, with only the sound of them pretend playing with their toys. I love the imagination they have on them!
Monster1 manages to come up with story lines for their playtime and surprisingly Monster2 seems to keep up! I love their incessant little chatter as they play together.

Now I'm off to work on a baby blanket, in hopes that this time I will stick to it and actually finish one for my little man. :)

Back from ghost town!

Every time I come up with an idea for a new blog post, I'll scribble something down to return to it when I have the chance only to not feel the same way when I go to write! This, my friends, is why my blog has been sitting here, lonely and vacant for so many days. I could almost see the tumbleweeds blowing in the winds across my blogger home screen and decided that even if I had no topic of interest, I was going to write something. So here I sit watching these words fill my page while I frantically try to think of what is going to come next.

I've got nothing...

I could tell you the latest antics of my 4 year old Monster, which I know is always delightful and amusing, but since most of my readers come from Facebook, you've probably already seen them. I'll share anyway.

We've been very focused in our house on the arrival of baby brother, and Monster 1 is oh so eager. Every time I turn around she is telling me how she loves Brother, and asking when he will arrive. The concept of time is lost on a 4 year old, even with the calendar on the wall. All she knows is that we set up Brother's bed in Mommy and Daddy's room today, so of course, he needs to get here so he can use it. 

She wants to cuddle with the stuffed bunny that Grandma bought Brother. She wants to look at his clothes. She wants to help clean out his room. She wants to tell me that Brother will not like pink walls.

In essence Monster is reminding me of all the things I have to get done!! She's so sweet though when she talks to him, and tells me she swears she felt him move. "I did Mommy, I really felt him! Was that his belly??" It's so sweet to realize that my children are old enough this time to fully appreciate Brother. Monster2 shakes my belly and says "Wake up Brudder, wake up!" as though he's going to pop his head out and start talking to her. I'm not sure they understand how small he is going to be, or that he won't really be able to play with them yet, but they certainly know and understand he is coming!

On top of all of this "baby is coming" talk, it is a constant source of worry for me. How many times have I turned to my hubby and said "I want him here mostly so that I know I can handle it, and stop worrying about how I am going to take care of three kids!" I am so eager and so excited to meet him, but am constantly thinking of how my day to day life is going to change from I and my girls are so used to.

This worry however, does nothing to dampen the excitement of having this precious little boy coming into our world. I'm so enthralled with all things BOY and can hardly wait for my baby shower! Being blessed with both a close knit family where I live, but also with an extended church family in my hometown, there are so many people who will be celebrating this with me! I'm anxious to travel home for a shower there and to visit with my Mom. It will be the last time for a long while that I will be able to travel! Both hubby and I have decided that until we can trade our car in for a more spacious vehicle, traveling with all three kiddos might prove to be difficult for an extended trip. So as excited as I am to go home, it's also a little bittersweet knowing it could be months before I can do it again. I'm also just as anxious for my shower here where we live, because unlike when I was pregnant with my girls, my circle of friends has expanded and for the first time I will truly be able to enjoy having more people to reach out to when this baby comes. Not only is our family an amazing source of support and love, so are all of our recently developed friendships!

I certainly never imagined being at this point of my life at just the age of 22, but I am beyond blessed. My children are perfect, my family is awesome, and let's face it. I'm getting my tubes tied in December. I couldn't be happier. :)

The countdown to Declan.

I am sitting here. Staring. At what? My calendar pages for the next 4 months. July-October all laid out, with due dates for bills and what gets paid when. I am realizing how very little precious time I have left before Declan arrives. It seems like October is forever away. But I know the truth. I know how it creeps up on you and before you know it Bam, the time is gone. The waiting game is over. This doesn't stop me, however, from trying to think about his arrival in the shortest manner possible. What I came up with is this;
I have precisely:
3 weeks until my mom goes to Romania and I have to endure 10 without talking to her. (sadface)
5 Weeks until my nephew turns 4.
6.5 Weeks until I go to Lexington to see my mom.
7 weeks until my baby sister turns 20 (!)
9.5 weeks until I turn 23.
10.5 weeks until my baby shower here in Clarksville
12.5 weeks until my niece turns 6 (insert gasp and despair here, she's so grown!)
15.5 weeks until I have been married 5 years, but together 6.
and exactly 16 weeks until my due date.


16 weeks. That is a lot to happen in 16 weeks. Sweet googly moogly...

Saturday mornings in our house.

When I was a kid, nothing was more fun on Saturday mornings than hunkering down with a bowl of cereal and my baby sister to watch Saturday morning cartoons. It's a widely known phenom that kids every where partake in. At least, they used to. Back when cartoons consisted of Recess and Sabrina the Teenage Witch, or even Ah, Real Monsters! Now cartoons are just weird. I know because my daughters watch a wide variety. It's nice to know that they enjoy Sabrina the Animated Series, because it is a throw back to my childhood, but it's not so nice to have to enjoy constant repeats of the new version of My Little Pony. 

Anyway, enough about cartoons. My children break the mold. They don't watch cartoons on Saturday mornings. Ever. Why? Well see, we can watch cartoons any time. Netflix is an enjoyable program for that reason. But we can't always wake up to Daddy being home, and Saturday mornings are the start of Daddy's days off. We love when Daddy is home, and my girls like to start off the break with their favorite game. 

 

Tackle Daddy.

I must say I've always encourage this. Once upon a time it was very difficult to wake my hubby up from his slumber without irritating him. He works hard, and enjoys to sleep in. Unfortunately, it's not that easy anymore now that our children are older. So when Monster 1 was born we started a game. Wake Up Daddy. It began a little something like this. 

"Hey Daddy... Psst, Daddy. There a blonde haired blue eyed babe in your bed, waiting for you to wake up"

At which point Monster would giggle, and drool (she was little when we started this) and proceed to slobber Daddy with kisses. A fun game that has since evolved into "Ok girls! GET DADDY!!!!"

My hubby is one of the best dads I know. He is generally in good graces when his daughters wake him up, and he never ceases to indulge them in their desire to wrestle with him. He's very good at making sure they have a blast without being too rough (although my girls do enjoy that they aren't coddled!). Mommy however, has arrived at the point that I can no longer watch without getting nervous. The three of them rough and tumbling on my bed doing body slams and tickle attacks is hard to watch without constantly saying something like "Daddy watch her head!" as though he is still new to the dad business. So now, I initiate this game and leave the room to clean up or start breakfast. It's a good system that works and inevitably tires out all my loves. 

Moments like these are when I realize that my husband and I have truly developed into parents. It's not just changing diapers, or even rocking them to sleep anymore. It is all aspects of parenting. The good and the bad. We have to sit and give them step by step instructions to clean their room! We play hide and seek, and yes, mommy and monsters have been known to hide in the bathtub. We are instilling in them responsibility by making it required that they help clean up. We are eating breakfast together at the table or lounging in our P.J.s on the couch watching Power Rangers. We talk to them about Brother's impending arrival, and we laugh with them when they tell us the jokes that they find funny and we don't understand. I'm not sure how it happened actually. I almost don't recognize myself or my husband sometimes. I know he is the same way when he catches my eye and grins as our children run through the house screaming as Monster Daddy chases them growling. 

I gotta say though, it's a beautiful life, this crazy life of ours. I wouldn't change it for anything. Yes, that means even when our children misbehave!

A follow up...(For the nursing mommies)

So I realized that in my Breastfeeding 101 post I may not have necessarily covered all the basics that most moms need to know. I had forgotten all about pumping, and the basics of storing your milk for those moms who plan on returning to work! How silly that one of the most obvious breastfeeding issues is the one I leave out.

Anyway, so here we go. We'll start with pumping! YAY for pumps and the ability to make our lives easier. I'll start with a funny little anecdote on why you will appreciate your pump.

     When my youngest daughter was roughly 11 months old I decided that it was time to return to work and help out with the bills. I had been exclusively breastfeeding since day one, and never had any issues keeping up with the hungry little monster. Because I had been staying at home and not pumping I didn't have any milk stored up, but wasn't too concerned because our pediatrician told us we could start supplementing whole milk in place of breast milk. Awesome! I could return to work worry free. I planned that I would feed her before I left, and when I got home. Well, even as a second time mom I let my "planning" get in the way of reality. I forgot that just because I planned on it being easy for her, didn't mean it was going to be easy for me. It didn't happen right away, but it happened soon enough. I went into work one night glad to be out of the house, and still enjoying that I was back at work. There I was working away when I felt it. I knew it was going to happen before it did, which was lucky. I felt the let down. Now even for a mom who had been nursing for almost a year, there is only so long you can ignore the let down of your milk before it starts to leak all over the front of your shirt. At this stage, I had about ten minutes. I rushed back to the office where my managers were sitting and very awkwardly had to explain that I needed to take a few minutes in the bathroom. No questions were really asked, until I grabbed a bowl. Yes, I grabbed a bowl and started off. I made it about three steps before I was stopped and asked what in God's green earth could I need a bowl for  in the bathroom. "Well, I have to go manually pump milk, and I can't very well have my breast hanging out over the sink in our public bathroom...." Needless to say the questions stopped there. But I did spend the next 15 minutes in the bathroom, squeezing milk out of my boob into a bowl BY HAND. It was not pleasant. In fact, expressing milk by hand for more than a minute or two is always uncomfortable.

This, my adoring readers, is why a pump can be your breast's best friend. Find one that works for you and your needs. Some women are ok with a single manual pump, others go all out and feel more comfortable with the double electric pump. I have used both and all will work essentially the same way. 

I've learned the best time to pump is when you are nursing or just finished nursing your baby because you've already gone through the let down process and your milk is flowing!

Anyway, one of the questions I was asked was about milk storage. So I'm going to do this in a Q&A format, asking and answering my own questions. Now, because I don't remember everything off the top of my head and want to give you precise answers, I will be researching this as I write. I urge you to also do this with any questions you have in case I miss something vitally important for you! I just spent fifteen minutes looking for my favorite breastfeeding website, Kelly Mom. 

Q: Can you combine milk from multiple pumping sessions?
A: Even though some say that yes you can if the sessions are close enough together, I don't. I put each pumping session into it's own bag, labeled it with the date and time, and a little L or R to even keep track of which side it came from. This may be unnecessary but my reasoning is this. Even the milk we get from a gallon jug is labeled this way. We know exactly when it was made and when it expires. I prefer this system for my breast milk storage as well. 

Q: How long can my milk be stored?
A: When you store your milk in the freezer or even the refrigerator keep your milk as far back on the shelf as you can. This will ensure that it stays at the temperature it's supposed to be at at all times. Opening and shutting the doors affects the temperature by the front of the shelf. Anyway. Here's a link to the Chart on Kelly Mom.

Q: What kind of container do you store milk in after pumping?
A: There are actually a few different ways to store your milk. Each pump that you can get will come with a "storage bottle". However, unless you have quite a few of these bottles, you probably don't want to freeze your milk in them. Each time you pump, you will pump into the bottle that connects to the pump, and then pour your milk into a different pre-labeled container. I've always used the Lanisoh milk storage bags because they are easy to label. However, in a pinch you can use ANY container that seals completely. I kept masking tape in my kitchen drawer with a sharpie so that no matter what I used, I could label it. There is also the option of special milk trays. Similar to an ice tray (except it seals up) you can pour your milk into the tray where each compartment is 1 oz. This way when you are making a bottle you can just grab as many frozen cubes as you need to thaw out into an exact amount. This is convenient for getting an exact amount, but has never been my preference because it is hard to label when each cube was placed.

Q: What is the point of labeling the milk?
A: This one was something I wondered when I first started out, because milk is milk right? Well, that is true to an extent. Frozen breast milk can be stored for approximately 6 months, but you want to know what order to use them in. There will be a visible difference in the milk you've frozen. While all of it will have a slight yellowish tint (even our 2 % freezes that way), you will know which milk is from the beginning of your nursing journey, and which are more recent. The first couple of weeks that you are storing milk the yellow tint will be darker due to the thick colostrum that you produce in the beginning. Some people argue that this is the most vital part of breastfeeding. Here's the Wiki Link to explain why! Notice the picture showing the difference in the milk. Now, because that is the milk you produce first it's also the milk you want to use first. I noticed with my girls that when they got so far into breastfeeding that they were no longer getting the colostrum in their milk, they tended to reject those bottles when I used my frozen stash. The taste apparently changes dramatically, so of course, it will be harder to get your baby to divert from what they are used to once they are drinking full on milk. However, if you do not use those bottles and feel like you won't, please please consider donating your breast milk to your local hospital! It is commonly used to help develop the immune systems for babies in the NICU whose mothers are unable to breastfeed just yet, especially if their baby is premature or sick. Breast milk donation is quite obviously a very kind and generous act, and should be done because you genuinely want to. If you want your own child to be exclusively breastfed even after you return to work, this may not be the route to go, because you will want your supply to be hefty! It's hard work, but it's worth it!

These are just some of the top questions I've been able to think of, but please feel free to leave a comment if you need anything else answered. I am more than happy to answer your questions or point you in the right direction!

Thanks for reading!

How I grocery shop on a budget...

At some time or another, everyone in this world has had to have a budget. It's one of the cruel and unavoidable parts of life. How many times have my parents told me, "Hun, we've been there, don't worry." ?How many times have my husband's parents reminded me "Things always work out, and you will survive"? This is so true of many of us young people. We forget that the people we can turn to for advice were not always as established as they are now. We forget that it takes time to become established and have a safety net. I won't say this is true for everyone. Some people are lucky enough (or rather perhaps smart enough!) to have established themselves before having children. Some of us (most of us) had to learn the hard way. Some of us are still learning.

Not everyone knows all the personal details of my life, and let's be honest, I'm going to keep it that way. But I will share that my husband and I took a dramatic pay cut when I quit my job to stay at home again. I've been back home with my kids and husband since January, and I have had to make quite an adjustment. When I was working I made roughly $700 a month. That's not a lot, but it is dramatic when you are smacked with the reality of how much money you spent once upon a time. I have had the worst time adjusting actually. For all my talk about how I clean the house, and do arts and crafts, and make my cleaners at home I can honestly say that I have cried before over the inability to spend the way I could when I was working.

One of the biggest hits I've undergone is my groceries. I used to spend $200+ every two weeks, and now I can spend quite a bit less. I've done a makeover on my food options. Some things are not an option; milk, juice, cheese, eggs, etc. I don't mean I made over those things. You have to have those. I will however only spend $50-$60 on the rest of my food.
My list looks a little something like this:

• 2 packages of ground pork-avg $6
• One large container of yogurt- $2.18
• Veggies-green beans, carrots corn-2 cans each at roughly .75c each
• Ramen-I will be the first to say that it is not the healthiest thing in the world, but my kids and I enjoy eating it for lunch. :) 6 packs-$1.20
• Pasta- 3-4 boxes at $1.50 each
• Pasta sauce- 4 cans=$4
• Rice- approx. $2 a bag
• Mac and cheese-4 =roughly $2.64
• Bisquick-$2.88
• Oatmeal variety box- $1.68
• Turkey sandwich meat-$4.98
• Bread- 2@.88c=$1.76
• Hot dogs ( I go cheap on these, sorry guys!) @ .98c each x 3= $2.94
• Frozen veggies-broccoli, peas, corn, green beans (1each @.98c)=3.92
• Tuna-3cans@.88c=$2.64
• Tuna Helpers-3@1.68 each= $5.04
• 24 pack of soda for hubby-$4.98

This list adds up to $59.34 before tax. However, we shop at Walmart, which some of you know my husband works for their distribution center, so we get a discount. So all in all, this list would probably cost after tax approx. $62. It's not always ideal, and sometimes things change, but that is the gist of how I buy groceries. Some of these prices are not exact because as I was making the list I remembered the nifty Walmart To Go website where I can get EXACT prices, but I didn't change the previously entered prices that I had already written.

I should also mention that this list is just the basic meal planning list, and that I have quite a stockpile on the pantry essentials. My kids love chicken noodle soup, so one day I went out and bought a whole bunch to make sure it was always on hand. I also have found that a lot of recipes call for diced tomatoes, so I have probably 20 cans in my cabinets. Condiments tend to last longer, so I don't include those into my lists because I don't get them every time. I also have (thanks to my daddy) a healthy supply of broths that I use for most of my stir fry's or soups.  Alternatively, because I buy groceries twice a month, I feel like I have two different lists. Because I buy in multiples (i.e. hot dogs, pastas, veggies) my list tends to change the next time we get paid and I buy stuff like chicken nuggets, fish sticks, tator tots, spaghetti o's, frozen fruits etc. Now that I mention this I feel like my whole post has misled you and that I should actually write out my second list as well, so you don't think my kids eat nothing but ramen and hot dogs! In fact I think I will.

• 2 packages of ground pork-$6
• 1 box of fish sticks-$3.48
• 1 bag of chicken nuggets-$4.98
• 1lb bag of tator tots-$2
• 1lb bag of fries-$2
• 1lb bag of chicken breasts-frozen-$5.98
• 2lbs smoked sausage-$5
• 2 heads of cabbage-$1.56
• 5lb bag of potatoes-$3.77
• Bread-22.88=$1.76
• Applesauce-$1.98
• Pasta-3-4@1.50 each-$6
• Sauce-4=$4
• Cereal-6 boxes@2.50ea-$15

This list would cost me approx $65. I guess you could say that is my average price although I have gone less, and I have gone more. 

Anway. Now that I have shared that, feel free to admonish my crazy food partaking habits while I go type up some of my tried and true recipes that my family loves. :)

If anyone has any cheap, kids friendly recipes they'd like to share, I'd love to hear them. I will be making a post all about the cheap foods we eat on a regular basis. Some will make you laugh, some might make you cry, and some might just surprise you.

Because I wanted to hit 45 posts. :)

Here I am again, simply because I wanted to hit the 45 post mark. I know I know, I'm a dork. But I can't help it. I have been inspired in the past couple of day to re-evaluate the way I do things! I could just keep going and going. In fact I'm currently trying to think of a way to write about how I make $50-$60 last for two weeks worth of groceries! I can't stop dear readers. I am on fire with ideas for this blog.
As always feedback is wonderful. Leave a comment, even if it's just anonymously. I love to know people are reading and enjoying!!

Cleaning tips and tricks.

With my recent lifestyle changing to where money is Always an Issue, I have found some cheap tricks for cleaning.

Vinegar.
I love vinegar.

*I pour it in my laundry instead of fabric softener. Vinegar kills bacteria and eliminates odor. Now you might say, but vinegar stinks, how does it eliminate odor? Well, here's the thing. By the time it has run through your wash cycle (because I just pour it in with my detergent), your rinse cycle, and your dry cycle you Can't Even Smell It! Now I haven't performed an official experiment or anything so perhaps it's just a figment of my imagination that my towels are softer when I use it.

*50/50 Vinegar and water solution is what I use to clean my bathroom. I use it on the mirror, the counters, the toilet, the sink. The bathtub gets it's pre-clean with this solution as well.

Every so often I will splash vinegar in with my floor cleaner. Not much, just enough.

Baking Soda

*I use baking soda in my kitchen. People always tell you that it is awesome for eliminating odors. I have put the box in my fridge, and noticed a difference. So I suppose that is true. But I also use baking soda on my sink. It scrubs it clean because baking soda is naturally abrasive. Sprinkle it on there, then grab a clean sponge and start wiping. Rinse and wipe with warm water, then if you are worried about water spots on the faucet, wipe dry. Easy cheesy.

*I use it on my glass top oven with this mixture: 4 tbsp vinegar, 2-3 drops of dish detergent, wisk together. Then add 5 tbsp baking soda and continue to mix. This creates a foamy paste that you can spread across your stove. I let it sit for a couple minutes and then took a sponge to it. Some people use a razor to scrape off the cooking gunk on their glasstop, but with this You Don't Have To. It's awesome. After you feel you have pulled up all the residue, rinse with warm water and sponge. Note: You might have to rinse more than once to eliminate the risk of a white film left behind by the vinegar and baking soda. But all it takes is a couple extra wipes with warm water to make that disappear, and your stove top will sparkle.

*Bathtub! Again, baking soda is naturally abrasive and will scrub away all the buildup on your bathtub while also making your faucets sparkle. Sprinkle, wet a sponge, and scrub. Turn your shower on to rinse.

*Teeth. Baking soda can be sprinkled on your toothbrush under your toothpaste and it helps add to the effectiveness of your teeth cleaning routine. My sister in law told me about this one, and said she does it for her 4 year old and he doesn't even notice!

Bleach.

 Bleach is so much fun. I use it in a 1:4 bleach to water solution. For every 1 part bleach, add 4 parts water to make 5 parts of awesome.

*I mainly use this every other week for my floors. NOT my hardwood, but all of my vinyl flooring. I don't do it every other week because well, bleach smell isn't the greatest when you are pregnant, and the smell lingers A Lot Longer than vinegar!

*Bath toys. Fill up your bathtub with HOT water and splash some bleach in there. That's it. You can let them sit in there from 5 minutes to 30. However you prefer. I have a key for my bathroom so I make sure to lock my bathroom door so that my kiddos can't mess with the water. When I am done letting the toys soak, I drain the water, turn on the shower and rinse them thoroughly. Let the toys air dry and bam, safe for little mouths once more. :)

Dish Detergent

I find that the best cleaning solution out there is an age old back to basics Duh. Soap and Water. Dish detergent is great for cleaning basically anything. I use it on my floor, the outside of my appliances, and all my doors and doorknobs. Fill up the sink with hot water, suds up some soap in there and go to town. If it's good enough for you to eat off of, it's good enough to clean everything else. In fact, this is the only solution I will use now for my floors during the off weeks of bleaching them. No mop solution for me anymore!

Now while some of these tips may seem like they are totally obvious you would be surprised how much money is spent on cleaners! I know, because until our income drop, I was doing it. Both of my kitchen cleaners that I have bought leave a residue on my counters. So why spend the money? I guarantee if you try it, you will find it's a lot easier to just use what you have on hand then it is to buy new cleaners.
Also, if you are wanting to go hardcore (which I will be doing this come pay day) here's some recipes for making homemade cleaning wipes:   DIY Cleaning Wipes

Breastfeeding 101 (Warning: I talk a lot about boobs...)

A near and dear friend of mine is about to have a baby (any day now!) and has been the source of multiple conversations about breastfeeding, as she herself is about to undertake this wonderful journey. So today when I was talking about blog post ideas she suggested that instead of just mentioning breastfeeding I should do a post dedicated to it, because she knew people who were also starting out and wondering what the heck was going on with it. So I decided I would. :)

The first thing that I always say when people ask me why I decided to breastfeed my girls is this: It is cheap. It is practically free. 

The second thing I say is how I read that nutritionally it is better. BUT, I feel that no woman should be persecuted for her choice on whether to use bottle or breast. Nothing is worse as a mother than to be shamed for you decisions, and I will not do it. I simply made the choice of what was best for me, and everyone should remember: If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.

The point of me saying that is this. Breastfeeding is not always easy. Between sore nipples, letdown, leaking, establishing supply, and just the pure act of being solely responsible for your child's feeding habits is EXHAUSTING. Mentally, physically, emotionally. Do not force yourself to breastfeed just because someone told you it's better for your baby. Because your baby knows when you are frustrated and having difficulty and in turn THEY will be frustrated. 

Anyway. So the first thing I remember about the first time I ever fed Monster1 was this. She turned blue. Yes, I said blue. I was laying there in the hospital, and this little champ clamped on and sucked away. But while she knew how to suck, she didn't know how to swallow. As soon as I said  to the lactation consultant, "Is she supposed to be turning blue" she popped her finger in Monster's mouth and I had my first lesson in how it feels when they don't want to let go of your nipple. It sucks.

Quickly remedied however, I pushed Monster right back where she belonged and let her eat. And eat, and eat, and eat. She sat there for thirty minutes sucking away and I couldn't tell you how much she got. 

That was my second lesson. You never actually know how much your baby is eating when you are a nursing mom. With formula and a bottle you know if they had 2, 6, or 10 oz. With nursing you know you sat there for an hour and switched sides once.

My third lesson was this. You have to switch sides. Otherwise you look lopsided. If your baby eats on the right side at 2 am, and then wants to eat again at 3 am (which is normal for breastfeeding babies) you should switch to your left side. Not only does this keep you evened out, it helps to establish supply of your milk. Breastfeeding is like shopping. It is all about supply and demand. If your baby isn't eating you aren't making as much milk. If your baby eats non-stop, you are going to have a let down every thirty minutes to an hour. If you are worried about whether or not you are producing enough milk, an easy way to remedy that is to pump and nurse at the same time. When I wanted to freeze milk the first couple of months I would pump and nurse simultaneously. While Monster ate on the left side, I pumped the right. When she ate on the right side, I pumped the left. This keeps both breasts producing milk on the same schedule. But be warned! A Pump Is Never As Good As Your Baby. Your pump will get 8 oz, while your child will probably get 12. Simply because nature determines that your baby is doing what he/she is supposed to: Eat the milk you make. So Naturally, he/she is going to be able to best utilize his/her feeding tools. That's right, your breasts are a machine, tools made for you baby to use. 

My fourth lesson was this. You might have problems. Your baby might not latch on right. For this, I won't even begin to act like I know what I am talking about. I didn't have that problem. But I remember my sister in law crying to me when she did. It is emotional, you may feel like you are doing something wrong. It hurts when they can't latch on properly. My sister in law was determined, and she eventually found a way of holding her baby that he latched perfect every time. So for this section, I will post this link (There are visual accompaniments for this article and you will see some boobs. If this is too much for you DO NOT click on the link. You have been warned) : Breastfeeding Holds so that the information I cannot supply is still accessible for you. I found that the Football Hold and the Cross Over hold worked best for me, alongside the aide of my beloved Boppy Pillow!

My fifth lesson. Mastitis. My sister in law was hospitalized for this more than once. Again, I didn't have first hand experience so I will direct you here: Mastitis

My sixth lesson. You can lose weight while breastfeeding IF you continue to maintain a healthy diet like you would have had while you were pregnant. I lost weight very quickly after having my first, and though not as fast, still fairly well after my second. Breastfeeding causes your uterus to contract, making those muscles work themselves back into place a little faster. Some women say they experienced cramps. I never did but I can see how it's possible. I also have read that women who have c-sections are more likely to experience them because their body heals differently. Do not be discouraged if you aren't losing weight after you have your baby. Rule of thumb is "It takes nine months to put it on, it takes AT LEAST that to get it back off".

My seventh lesson. Your boobs will never be the same again. They will droop, they will sag, they will get stretch marks if they didn't when you were pregnant. Nature has taken it's course ladies, nothing can change that. They will also increase dramatically in size in the first few weeks after having your baby. I mean huge. I mean you shirt will look like the buttons are going to pop. Even when you don't have buttons!!

After these stages you will find whether or not you are comfortable with breastfeeding. Some women use both breastmilk and formula. Find your niche. Do what feels Right To You. Never let anyone make you feel like less of a mother because you do or do not breastfeed. Your baby is special and important and cherished no matter how you choose to feed him/her. 

Please feel free to comment or send me a message if you have questions.

Oh and my eighth lesson. You will cry when you stop nursing whether it's after one month or one year. It's ok mama, let those hormones out.

Back to basics

In all the hoopla over my cloth diapering discoveries yesterday, I decided to head on over to my neighbors patio last night and chat with them. I love the nights where you can sit outside late into the evening and just talk with people who can give you wisdom and insight! So of course I asked them all about cloth diapering. Mr. Roger and Ms. Judy are both in their early 70s and they will tell you how it was when they were kids. I said "So Roger, tell me, did you use cloth diapers on your kids?"
"Well sure enough I did, they didn't have all that throw away stuff they have now. When I was a baby my mama made our diapers out of flour sacks!"
Flour sacks!!! How times have changed. But you know what, he's so right! They didn't have disposable diapers, they didn't have washing machines, yet we as mothers/parents now have no idea about those things our own parents and grandparents survived from! Nowadays,  if you cloth diaper and breastfeed your baby you are supposedly "Self righteous and superior, shoving your beliefs down other people's throats"
I say, Screw that hippie. If you think I'm self righteous and superior, well, I guess I just don't care. This is how it was done! Babies were breastfed. End of story. Bottles didn't exist, formula was unheard of and once just as misunderstood as breastfeeding is today!  Did you know that during times like the Great Depression sometimes ENTIRE families slept in a bed together! What is wrong with co-sleeping with your children? They snuggle, they are warm, and they look cutest when they are sleeping.
I am going back to basics ladies and gents! I will probably be a co-sleeping, boob baring, diaper washing, baby wearing happy mama when Declan arrives.


Now, let me be clear. Because I would hate for anyone to think that this is me preaching about how you should raise your kids. I COULD NOT care less how you choose to raise your own children. I have NOTHING against parents who use formula. I obviously don't care if you throw away your diapers, because I'm still doing it. And I am in no way saying give up your personal space and share a bed with your children.

I AM saying that I as a mother chose to breastfeed my babies. It was Convenient. It was Cheap. It was GRATIFYING for ME.

I AM saying that I as a mother am about to embark on this unknown journey of cloth diapering, because I have made the personal decision not to spend money on something that I can do myself. I am aware it will be more work, and I am OK with that.
I AM saying that both my girls slept in my bed with me for months as infants, and they still from time to time crawl into bed with me now. There is nothing wrong with it, because I enjoy opening my eyes and seeing my little's slumbering face.

I would like to point out that I am able to comprehend the concept of making your own parenting choices. For those of you who think I'm shoving my beliefs down your throat, don't read my blog. I don't trash talk you for using formula, don't trash talk me for using my breasts.

End scene.

Amen.

Cloth Diapers and some helpful tips

After some research I've decided the best way to go about this post is to put links to all the different brands and "packages" that I have found. I've also included helpful tips and pages I have found during my research. Enjoy! Oh, and please please feel free to add your own helpful links in the comments section!

The Products:

Econobum Starter kit

Kawaii Prefold Set

Organic Natural Cotton Prefold - 1 Dozen

Econobum Cover

Thirsties Duo Diaper

The Tips:

What the heck is a Snappi? 







    Picking a prefold

Covers and more

Let's Celebrate!

Because I just hit over 500 page views for my blog! Thanks for reading guys!

The cost of Disposable-Diapers

So upon further investigation about the prices of the different diapering, this is what I've discovered. I've used the newborn size, and size 4 because my youngest is in size 4 now and I will be using NB very soon!

Brand                             Size                            Count                   Price                 Price per

Huggies                          NB                               76                       $19.77                  .26c
Huggies                           4                                 60                        $19.77                 . 33c                                
Pampers                         NB                               36                       $9.47                    .26c
Pampers                          4                                  26                       $9.47                   .36c                    
Luvs                               NB                               38                       $6.97                    .18c
Luvs                                4                                  31                       $6.97                   .22c


These are the top 3 brands that you will find at Walmart, and the prices that it costs to get them there. Now this doesn't take into account generic brands, so there are cheaper disposable options out there.
The fun part is this. Figuring the estimated cost of diapers used per week/month/year. I'll use the numbers I know and even write it all out for you here.
When my daughters were newborns (as breastfed babies, formula might be different I wouldn't know) they averaged about 12-15 diapers a day. So the math on that would be 15per day x 7 to get a week, then x 4 to get the average amount per month.
15x7=105 per week   105x4=420 per month. Wow. Having never really paid attention to that, the number is almost staggering!!
Now it does change as they get bigger and develop, but I'd say this is accurate for the first 3 months. That means in 3 months on average you are going through 1,260 diapers. HOLY HELL.
We'll even use the cheapest price when figuring this up. At .18c per that equals out to= $226.80 for 3 months of diapers! Using Huggies/Pampers that would be $327.60. For only three months worth of diapers!!!!!!
And because I don't want to redo my math, I should point out that some months have 5 weeks, so you could even do (diapers per day x 30 days) which would equal out a little different. 15x30=450, 450 x .18=$81, $81x3=$243 for 3 months worth.
My daughter now is 2.5 yrs old and uses AT MOST 3 diapers a day, so the price does go down even though per diaper price goes up. If I were using Luvs, the total would be $59.40 for 3 months. Using Huggies it would be $89.10 for 3 months. This is crazy when you think about it and hopefully I will find some useful information about cloth diapering that I can share in an upcoming post.

Types of Cloth Diapers

So I'm finding that I have a desire to try out cloth diapering for my baby on the way. While I was interested in it briefly when I had my girls, I find that my new found desire for being frugal has led me to wonder if cloth diapering might be worthwhile now. Having never done this before I'm eager to learn, and wonder where to begin. On the advice of a close friend who is also hoping to try it out, I'm thinking some research is in order. So for now, I'm going to post here all the facts that I find about cloth diapering.

Apparently there are different types of styles for cloth diapering. (The *ed paragraphs are from About.com's info about cloth diapers)
*Prefold Cloth Diapers-This is the type of diaper your grandmother used. The difference is that now prefolds are much more absorbent and you no longer have to fuss with diaper pins or pull on rubber pants. Many people now recognize prefolds as burp cloths. The prefolds that you buy in your big box baby store may not be the most absorbent out there. I recommend families look for a quality Indian prefold or Chinese prefold from a diaper company. They come in sizes, so you’ll want to purchase a selection of each size. You may also want to purchase a Snappi to use instead of pins but prefolds can be trifolded and placed inside a cover. This is the most economical diapering option because it has a bit of a learning curve on how to use them correctly. You will need to purchase a separate waterproof cover to go over your prefolds.
Also known as:
Prefolds
Chinese prefolds
Indian prefolds
*Fitted Cloth Diapers-Fitted cloth diapers are a step up from prefolds in convenience. A fitted diaper is made from cotton, bamboo or another absorbent fabric. Fitteds are not waterproof, however, and require a cover over top of them. Fitteds can have snaps or hook and loop closures. These diapers look more like a disposable diapers and just require the extra step of putting a cover over them. Some fitted diapers have the option of adding additional stuffing. Most fitted diapers come sized but you can also find multi-sized fitteds. Next to prefolds, this is one of the most economical options for cloth diapering.

*Cloth Diaper Covers-The diaper covers that are available today are a long way from your grandmother’s plastic pants. Most are made from an outer fabric and lined with soft PUL (polyurethane laminated fabric) to make it waterproof. You can buy covers that are closed with snaps, hook and loop closures or pull-on covers. Some have leg gussets to help keep in those messy breastfed baby poops. Some covers are sized and some are multi-size, meaning you can continue to use them as your baby grows. There are all kinds of patterns and colors available, making this a very cute diapering option. You also have the option of purchasing or making wool diaper covers. Many are available on www.etsy.com or you can knit your own covers or upcycle a sweater you already own. Keep in mind that wool covers require a bit more maintenance, as they need to be lanolized about once a month.

*Pocket Diapers-Pocket diapers are a convenient way to cloth diaper. In a pocket diaper, the waterproof cover is sewn on the outside of the diaper. There is an inner layer of a soft fabric next to baby’s skin and between those is a pocket where an absorbent pad is placed. This means that you’ll need to fill that space with your choice of absorbent material (called a stuffer or a soaker) before you use the diaper each time. It is also recommended that you remove this before laundering so that the shell and the diaper are not together as one piece in the washer. Many diapers come with a pad that specifically fits in the diaper. You also have the choice of stuffing a pocket diaper with a prefold. One of the benefits of pocket diapers is that you can add stuffers to increase the amount of absorbency for heavy wetters or through the night. Pocket diapers come in different fabrics both on the outside and inside. They have either a hook and loop closure or a snap closure. They also come in different colors, patterns and sizes (including the multi-size style of diaper.) Some pocket diapers have soakers that are partially sewn into the diaper to help with the stuffing and sorting process. Pocket diapers are a bit more of an investment but are great for babysitters and cloth-leery parents. A prestuffed pocket diaper works just like a disposable

*All in One-An all-in-one (AIO) diaper is just what the name says: a diaper with all of the pieces in one. The inner layer, soaker and waterproof outer are all attached to the diaper. This is a one-step process. There is no stuffing, pinning, etc. This is the easiest and most expensive of all of the cloth diapers. Some families who choose other cloth diaper options will choose to keep a few of these on-hand for babysitters and grandparents. All-in-ones come in lots of different styles, colors, patterns, fabrics, sizes, multi-sizes and closure types.

*Hybrid Diapers-Hybrid diapers give families the option of using cloth full-time or part-time. Most consist of a fabric outer that can be filled with either a fabric insert for cloth use or a disposable or flushable insert. This can be a great option for those who are either cloth leery or those who love their cloth diapers but want another option for outings or traveling. Some of the hybrid diapers allow you to snap in the fabric inserts and stick in (with the use of a sticky tab) the disposable inserts. Purchasing disposable inserts can significantly drive up the cost of these cloth diapers. Hybrids are available in different fabrics and styles and come in sized or multisize styles.


So I guess the gist of cloth diapering is the same, but there are in fact quite a few things to look into. From what my friend told me, prefolds are the economical way to go. Looks like that might be true, but more research to follow!

Taking newborn pictures

So one of the joys of having a child is that most people discover how to be an amateur photographer. I loved photography and journalism as a teen and wanted to actively pursue it as a career as an adult. However, I did not develop those skills until I had children. I've always said "I couldn't be an artist professionally, because God made me a mother." All the things I loved to do, and dreamed of making a lifestyle out of are now implemented daily into my life in ways I couldn't have imagined as a teenager. I am a photographer, a painter, a cook, a writer, and a professional planner. All this because I am most importantly A Mother.

One thing that I think every new parent should know how to do is make their day to day pictures look as professional as possible. I want to capture every moment, every smile, and ever milestone without having to pay a bucket load of money to do so. While I will never degrade the work that a professional photographer can do (having done pro jobs myself), I fully believe that if you have a camera, to a degree you can turn your hobby into something beautiful.

I have been fortunate enough to own both a D-SLR camera, and an average point and shoot. The average American owns a point and shoot, so that is what I recommend getting comfortable with before you even attempt an "at home photo shoot" with your little one. If you just grab your camera and click away you will notice that you will see an increase in red eye (a common problem with a P&S), unsteady shots causes images to blur, or even a dramatic light problem due to using flash. *Not to say that flash is bad, it is just not always beneficial.

• Know your camera. The stats are important, even if you don't realize it.
• Settings matter. If you haven't played around with your camera much, do so. The distance on your zoom can be critical when taking "portrait" style pictures.
• Prepare your setting beforehand. I enjoy natural light for my pictures, but find that this doesn't necessarily work as well if you are indoor using a P&S. Keep the light behind your subject!!! To utilize the natural light you want the window/door to be behind you and in front of whatever you are taking pictures of. 

For my daughters newborn pictures I did multiple things. I'm not going to lie, back then I didn't know as much about my D-SLR as I could have, and the pictures were nothing compared to what I can do now. This does not change the fact that I can look back on them with fondness. 

I used different props for her pictures. I had two sheets (some find that fleece fabric is better to use because it doesn't look faded like a sheet can). One black, and one white. I utilized pillows to prop her into the poses that I liked, and then added props (i.e. blankets, stuffed animals, hair bows) around her. I have found that the best surface (for me at least) was a couch or an armchair that I could easily crouch down in front of, all the while making it look like she was on a flat surface. By turning the chair to face the window and opening all the blinds, I got both the light that I wanted and the security of being right in front of her. I guess the best way to go about explaining this is to just show you.

As you can see, my daughter was very happy to post for the camera. These were taken when she was around two months old, and I used everything from fabric wrapped around her to the normal background of our Boppy pillow. 

Notice that there is a difference in the lighting of these pictures. For the ones I couldn't brighten I have found that black and white settings will help to give your picture a more professional look. A basic photo editor program can be used for this.  I use Photoshop Cs3 and Cs5 for most of my photo editing needs, but again most photo editing programs will work to adjust brightness, color, and the tone used for your pictures.

Good luck!

What I love about Family.

My husbands best friend and his wife are about to have their first child, and I couldn't be more excited for them. This, because not only are they embarking on the beautiful and disastrous journey of parenthood, but also because she and I are pregnant with boys who will only be 3 months apart in age! If these boys are anything like their daddies, we have a lifetime of friendship ahead of us, and I couldn't be more excited to meet our new nephew! Yes, I said nephew, because these friends are so near and dear to us that our girls call them Auntie and Uncle, and their little one Cousin!

This morning I spent nearly three hours on the phone with Aunt Angie all about the joys and fears of this new journey. I love when I am pregnant at the same time as someone close to me because we can literally share all of our experiences as we are going through them. Being 4 months behind her means she is past the stages I am in but still vividly remembers experiencing them. Being on my third pregnancy means I can relate to what she is experiencing as far as preparing for the labor and delivery process, as well as bringing her son home.

Can I just say I love that she has sparked at least 3 new blog posts for me, and I'm eager to get on with them. 

I just love family in general. Especially when there are endless things to talk about. :)