Happy Wednesday April 27,2011

Happy Wednesday!  The mister and I took our (oldest) baby on a date this past weekend. We went to the caverns and took a one hr tour.  It was nice to not chase after a two yr old and care for a two month old for a few hours.  If anything it was a break for me and so nice to give all of our attention to our Bubba.  I love this boy he makes me proud.

Me and Bubba @ the Caverns

Mommy hood has taken me for a wild ride...

Wow it has been 4 weeks since little D has made his debut into our crazy world.  I can't imagine life without my three babies, but holy cow it is a never ending ride.  Bottles, diapers, washing, cooking, baseball practice, yada, yada, yada.  I am so looking forward to four straight hours of sleep, one day.  

My email is full, facebook messages are even fuller, coupons are sitting in a box expired, I have unopened mail on my dresser, but my kids are fed, clean and healthy.

Update...

I'm still trying to get back into the swing of things.  With a newborn, 2yr old, a 10yr old who is right in the middle of basketball season, little league practice also started last week and not to mention my husband works from home.  My schedule has been crazay.  My blog has taken a back seat (just for a bit).  I have great plans for my blog and can't wait to update/revamp the entire Thrifty Diva Blog.  Oh and my Scentsy friend has a great giveaway I will be posting asap.  

Happy Presidents Day!

Babies Here...With the birth story

Brody checking out  his baby bro Dominic

On Wed. 2/9 after 6pm I began having contractions they were far enough apart that I didn't think much of them. Especially since I have been having Braxton Hicks everyday for the last 2 months.  I went to bed at 10 thinking they would go away or a hospital visit was in my near future.  I woke up throughout the night and realized this was it.  I timed them and they were consistently 10min. apart.  I got to sleep through most of them and about 5am they began to be 5min apart.  My husband and I got the boys ready and headed to the hospital. I got there at 8am at 2cm dilated and 50% effaced.  Since my contractions were 2.5 min apart consistently for 1 hr my doctor decided to break my water at 9am.  I won't go into to much detail. I had an epidural at noon and Dominic was born at 3:16 pm at 8lbs 0oz 20.5in. long. 


We are definitely in LOVE with our baby boy. He is just as perfect as his two older brothers.

Surviving Pregnancy... Hello Week 34

I am officially in Week 34!  Yippee this is definitely the home stretch.  And the pic was taken 2 weeks ago ;) I need to get another pic taken asap.  I'm just not big on taking pics of myself. I have washed every piece of clothing, bedding, etc. that my 2 yr old owned to have it ready for his baby brother.  I still need a few items before baby gets here.  I have been buying and fining great deals on amazon, at target and babies r us.  Most importantly I still haven't gotten the infant car seat.  I can not seem to make up my mind on the car seat.  Another thing I must do is a belly cast. 

Happy Black Friday and so much more

It's Black Friday, but for me it's something way more exciting!  My little turkey turns two years old today! I snuck out to get a few goodies with my mom at 4am we were back by 5:45am.  It's going to be a long day, but hopefully one filled with great memories.

Happy Birthday Brody!!



Happy Holidays heart A Thrifty Diva

I am Thankful for:

• my sweet husband who shows me how much he loves me every single day.

• my two amazing boys who love their momma almost as much as I do them.

• this wonderful gift of life growing inside of me.

• the toddler bed my almost 2 yr old slept in all night.

• Jesus for blessing me with amazing opportunity.

• parents and in-laws who make me smile for a million reasons.

I am loving life and everything in it right about now.  

Baby update...

Just spent my Saturday in Labor and Delivery.  Baby is great, but my kidneys have gone "hydro"(?!).  I started experiencing back pain Friday evening and after a misserable night, I couldn't take the pain, stand upright or be in any other position but hunched over.  I went to the er Saturday morning, since I',m already 25weeks pregnant I was taken up to labor and delivery to monitor baby and figure out why I was in so much pain.  I was given a shot of benzol and demerol.  After a sonogram they discovered my kidneys were very enlarged I was discharged with "hydro"-something kidneys.  I am still in pain and can only take tylenol.  Hopefully the pain will subside.

The Top Tips Before You Bring Baby Home

I just hit 23 weeks pregnant!  Since this is my third baby  I'm feeling a little more seasoned and more prepared for the process of bringing a new little one into our home. Here is my Top Ten Tips Before Baby Comes Home. 


Sanitation
The number one must is to have a sanitized home for baby to come home to.  Germs are everywhere and even when it looks clean we all know it probably isn't.  We have a weekly routine in our home of disinfecting and sanitizing every room top to bottom once a week.  My weapon of choice Lysol Dual Action Disinfecting Wipes.  They are safe to use everywhere and have an awesome scrubbing side and a soft side to wipe up.  My nine year old usually gets this job even if he just wipes an area once I know it is being disinfected from everyday germs.  Making this a priority weekly gives me peace of mind that we are doing all we can to have a sanitized home for our precious baby and us.

Washing
Have all baby's bedding, blankets, clothes, burp cloths washed, dried and ready to go.  I have a drawer dedicated to my baby's linens, burp cloths etc. I also hand all of baby's clothing/sleepers according to the size. I use a detergent that is made especially for sensitive skin and is dye free to wash all of baby's things.  The last month before baby arrives I will solely switch this detergent for everyone's washed items. This helps keep any allergic reactions from a harsh detergent from baby especially since we all plan on cuddling and feeding our little one often.


Baby Equipment
Have all baby equipment assembled and ready for use.  Crib, bassinet, pack & Play, swing, sling and stroller.  As I get these items I set them up.  Since this is my third I do have a few hand me downs from my two yr old.  I have them set up in the nursery and have sanitized them.  The crib is set up with just a crib sheet any other linens or items I plan to use are washed dried and wont get set up until the last few weeks.  

Car Seat
It's estimated 80% of parents use there car seat wrong.  I take my car seat and base to the fire station a month or so before my due date, they install it for me free of charge.  Remember if you don't have background on a used car seat its best not to use and buy a new one.  Car seat manufacturers allow aprox. 10 years safety on their car seats.


Bottles, pacifiers, Breast Pump, Formula
Have your bottles and pacifiers ready and sanitized.  Are you breast feeding or formula feeding?  Either way you will need to have a plan.  Formula feeders I would have a few cans of your preferred brand on hand.  Not to many as your baby may need to be put on a special formula.  I have solely breastfed my children.  I do use a breast pump and would highly recommend any breast feeding mother have a good one.  Even though I am a stay at home mom and can breast feed without any bottles it helps enormously to be able to have someone else bottle feed my child. Or to bottle feed them in a very public place.  Although I will throw a blanket over my shoulder and proudly feed my child at any given moment :).  


Diapers & Wipes
Diapers and wipes oh my!  I don't even want to think about the amount of diapers I have changed and filled our planet with.  It's a scary thought but with one child in diapers I am currently changing about 8-10 diapers a day.  Not to mention the amount of wipes we go through.  I stock up on diapers when I find a "hot deal".  With this child I am going (as my family thinks) old school.  We are cloth diapering.  It's definitely not for everyone either way start stalking up asap.  If you buy them when they are at a low price you can slowly build a stockpile.  My motto is you will never have too many diapers or wipes.  I start out by buying at least 5 huge boxes in each size 1-5.  I do get a small pack of preemie diapers at least for the first week my babies have all been 6lbs and change and can do the preemie size for a week or two.


Menu Plan
Start gathering some fool proof freezer meals. Make 2-3 weeks worth of meals you can safely store in the freezer that can be thawed and heated with no prep needed.  I start this a month in advance! 
Tips 
  Double recipes so that half gets stored for a future meal
  Use a food saver to store meals. Prevent freezer burn
Here's my start: lasagna, casseroles galore, quiche, meatloaf, chicken bake. I also stock up on frozen pizzas, chicken nuggets, etc.


Hospital Bag
The most important items are definitely for you not your baby.  Pack as if you are going to stay in a hotel for 1-2 nights and want to be super warm and comfy the entire time.  Remember hospitals are going to have to necessities, maybe not your favorite brand but if you forget your lotion they have a sample bottle. :)  My bag consists of: Hair ties, makeup/makeup remover, a small bag of mini toiletries, 2 comfy pants and 2 nursing style tops (that can also double as pajamas), comfy velour style jacket and pants (to leave in), 2-3 pair of undies (you never know ;)), nursing bra, cute gripped socks to walk around the room in, camera (charged), video camera, cash/change (vending machine and food).   For the baby: 2 going home options, 2 different style pacifiers, baby nail file, going home blanky, burp cloth and car seat.  The hospital will have diapers, wipes, formula, etc to start out with and to send you home with use there's and take home what ever they leave in the bassinet for you.  Its all meant for you to use and your paying for it.


Keep a Tidy Home
Keep up with the dishes, laundry, bathroom, pets baths, etc.  You don't want to come home to chores because you were not keeping a tidy home.  Believe me the last thing you will want to do is chores once baby arrives.  And don't forget the visitors that may want to stop by.
A couple of my must haves:

Rest...
I know with all the tasks you have to get accomplished before baby arrives it seems as though there is no rest in your future.  I can safely say that if you feel the need to rest its best you take your own ques and prop those swollen feet up and keep yourself sane.   Your number one responsibility right now is keeping you and that precious baby comfy.  

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Lysol® Wee Wisdom blogging program, making me eligible to get a $50 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”

BlogHop Friday

I'm the featured blog this week @ Lets Just Give It Away!!  Super Cool I might add!!  So follow me and check out some other cool blogs ;)


Btw: don't forget to enter  my current TuTu CuTe Giveaway

Happy Friday Fellow Bloggers

 Happy Friday!  Bloggers join me in the Social Parade and Following Friday today!

And thank you for visiting my blog!  Follow me.. there are so many ways check them out on my sidebar ----->
Muah 

18 weeks down ...

 Pregnancy is going far better than I could expect.  The anticipation is getting to us, 14 days and we should know the gender. Yippee!!!

I facebook and tweet

Getting my facebook page up and running tonight. So much I have to learn.  As soon as I have a descent  amount of "likes" I will start posting my very own giveaways and others.   Go "like" me now and suggest my page to friends.  thanks for reading :) 

And before I forget I am also tweeting now too ;)

Happy Birthday To Me

My twenties are now a thing of the past.  Just memories that I will cherish forever.  I turned the big 3-0 today. One of my best birthdays yet :)  Here's a pic of me and my two awesome cousins celebrating our birthday's today.  And of course a cameo by Brody, because he lives on my hip!!

 Matthew (21), Me (30), and Jaime (20).

13 weeks and counting...

13 weeks down and 27 more weeks to go.  Let the countdown begin.  I'm cautiously expecting the next addition to our family.  We are so excited to start the next chapter of our lives.  We had an ultrasound yesterday and #3 is developing great.  Our 21 month old thought it was the funniest thing when we heard the heartbeat. So sweet!!!  I also just realized that in 7 weeks we will know the gender.  With two boys already, I'm very anxious to know if I will be getting the hand me downs prepared or I will get to shop for a girl (I won't hold my breath). But I will do a little dreaming, hoping and praying.  Probably a lot of praying.  Our oldest is so excited and is already telling me how we will arrange 3 kids with two car seats in the back seats. Love it...