Chronic Ama

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Monday was Bella's first day of preschool. I thought I was going to cry, but all went perfectly well. Bella was happy and had fun. It was Wednesday and Friday that the tears came, but from Bella's end. It's still very new to her and she's also getting used to the schedule. One good thing is that she's started napping again. Yay! We all need a nap in this house. Some more than others, but at least we all get to take a snooze each day. Bella only has two more weeks before her winter break. Then, when she goes back in January, I'll also be back at work. I'm kinda looking forward to work because I think I need a mommy break, but I will admit that I'm ready for a job change. I'm a little anxious about January, but it's just one more thing to triumph over before we plan for the next best thing. Maybe a good vacation soon enough. Anywhoo... Bella really likes school despite a little anxiety over mom and dad not being with her. She gets to be in the same

Yeah, I've been cooking up a storm again. I think the kitchen is the place I feel best sometimes. Too bad it's messy as hell from breakfast still... But breakfast was delicious!! I bet you're wondering what we had, huh? Well, I guess I can share it with you. I found a delicious red velvet pancake mix at Cost Plus and I whipped up some of buttercream icing "syrup." I'm getting drooly just thinking about it. I hope you've stopped reading and have gotten in your car to go to Cost Plus and pick up some of that red velvet pancake mix. Pick me up another can while you're there, ok? I'll wait for you to come back.... ... .. . OK, so now you need to know how to make the "syrup." It's very simple. You need: 2tbs butter powdered sugar milk/canned milk/coffee creamer (whichever you prefer) Add all ingredients to a bowl and blend with a hand mixer. Add as much powdered sugar or milk as you desire. More milk makes it thinner and easy to pour, like

I had quite a few containers of cooked pumpkin from last year in the freezer and it was time to make room for this year's pumpkin.... so I started experimenting with a pumpkin bread recipe to see if the frozen pumpkin was still good. And it was good, so good. So good that I have made 4 batches of pumpkin bread and muffins. My favorite is the pumpkin muffins with chocolate chips, but the pumpkin break with cranberries (pictured here) was pretty damn good too. My neighbours are getting treats tomorrow when Bella goes trick or treating. I have four more loaves of pumpkin bread cooling as I type.... And here's the recipe if you'd like to try this yummy bread... (PS - it's also a little on the healthy side as I use real pumpkin, not the stuff in the can, so you can serve it up for a quick breakfast) 2 1/4 cups flour 1 tbs pumpkin pie spice 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 2 eggs 2 cups sugar or splenda or half sugar/half splenda 2 cups cooked, pureed pumpkin (or 1 can if y

So it was Monday, September 5th. A day past my predicted due date, and still 10 days 'til C section. I had already spent the weekend with painful contractions and walking around at Walmart trying to speed things up. I got up that morning, made breakfast and then it all went down hill from there. Or, I should say, I went down hill from there. Mark took Bella outside to play and my dad came over to vis it and I laid on the couch feeling like I was going to throw up. My back hurt, my legs hurt, my butt hurt and I didn't want to throw up french toast casserole. I decided to take a shower. On came the lightheaded and dizzy. I r eally didn't feel good. So, I call Mark in to help me get dressed and I break the news that I th ought I should go back to the hospital to see if I was alright. Something was just not right and I couldn't put my finger on it. Mom got off work and picked up Bella and by 1pm we were back in Labor and Delivery. First, they hydrated me since I was dehydra

Seems like September would never get here! And now it seems like cooler weather will never get here... Nine days 'til Bella turns 4. Thirteen days 'til my scheduled C section. Two days 'til the predicted arrival of Baby Mark. I'm leaning toward the 2 day window after the week I've had. I've had contractions all week again, but none that were bad enough to call it a go until yesterday. I was napping with Bella and I woke up out of a dead sleep to the worst pain ever. I couldn't even get out of bed, and when I did, I woke up Bellini. I sat on the sofa for the next hour with Bella bringing me glass after glass of water and cuddling with me. I called Mom to pick up Bella and told Mark to get his ass home from work. Finally, it was time to go to the hospital. I got there around 5 with contractions every 3 minutes that hurt like hell in my back and legs. They decided not to stop them since I was so close to being full term. Today I'm 37 weeks. Instead, t

Today I'm 35 weeks, 5 days as my doctor has me down, or 37 weeks as I'm measuring. My doctor is still convinced that I'm going to make it to September 15th. OK, fine, but what about having to go to L&D last week again for the 5345132156th time thus far? Oh, what happened? Yup, that's what my doctor asked. I let her know that I was having contractions every 2-3 minutes lasting from 30 seconds to 1 minute and the shot of Terbutaline didn't really help much. It stopped them for 20 minutes and then they started again. Plus, I was 1cm dilated. Not much, I know, but still. So, another shot, this time of Toridol. (I may be spelling these wrong, but at least you can still Google the names) It just made me not feel the contractions. The doc on call decided to give me a sleeping pill and send me home, but not until they checked my cervix again. Yup, still 1cm with no change. The nurse there seemed really concerned. She kept telling me that I needed to come back in the mor

Monday is appointment and question day! Oh joy. The unpleasant wait in the doctor's office was set off by some good news at least. My C section date is not set in stone. If I continue to have contractions and/or if my cervix starts to change, they will probably move up the date! That's good news since my irregular contractions have gotten more intense. They hurt now no matter what. And I don't want to be miserable for 5 more weeks. Also, some nights the Tylenol PM doesn't really do the job and I wake up every few hours with contractions that keep me on the miserable side. The bad part is that if the intensity doesn't let up before my date gets moved up or between appointments, I will have to go back to L&D. I really don't want to do that, but I guess it's better to be safe than end up in an emergency, right? I guess until things move along, I'll be resting and bored and resting and more bored. But, at least Bella and I have started some projects to

First of all, I can't sleep right now. I've been getting contractions again and I haven't been able to get comfortable and sleep through them. I'm hoping some Tylenol PM will do the trick. I'd rather like to be sleeping right now. Second, it became official as of yesterday that my C section is scheduled for September 15 th . Now, I said I wasn't gonna think about it or anything, but I'm a little pissed off about it. I've been measuring a week and a half head for about 3 months now and it was confirmed by my last ultrasound. That puts my due date at around September 13 th , two days before my scheduled C section. I know doctors know best, but with all these damn contractions and not being able to work and how big the baby is, I would have liked them to move up the due date, even a little, and schedule earlier. Really, I'm scared shitless of going into labor. Hell, I'm even scared right now that if these contractions keep me up tonight, I will p

I'm bored. I'm tired. I have the blahs. I just don't feel right. So, tell me what's new, right??? Well, I got that ultrasound that I've been waiting for. I was measuring 34 weeks, 3 days, so tomorrow I'd be 35 weeks. Yup, still ahead. And Baby Mark is about 5 pounds, what they've been estimating him at for a few weeks now. With that in mind, I had another appointment today as I'm not going in weekly because of my irritable uterus. The doctor doesn't wait to schedule my C-section until September 15 th . I really, truly don't think I'm going to hold out that long. I just accepted the date, knowing that I'll probably go into labor and have an unscheduled C-section. I'm not worried about it. I'm just taking things a week at a time. I've got things to keep me busy. I can't lie, I miss working, but I guess it's better to be at home in case something does happen. In the meantime, I've got meals to plan, thank yous t

I'm taking an early leave from work per my doctor. I was able to push up my appointment to Tuesday (yesterday) since I've still been contracting and just feeling crappy. I took time to explain my concerns to her and let her know I've been timing, logging and researching to no end. I also expressed that I DID NOT want to keep going to L&D. So... she recommended I stop working and keep resting and keep hydrated and go see her weekly now. They'll be checking my cervix to make sure the contractions aren't opening it too early. She also gave me better guidelines on when to go back to L&D. Of course she couldn't guarantee I'd stay away from the hospital, but at least I'm more comfortable now than I was before. I have an ultrasound scheduled for Friday to see how big baby Mark is getting. Maybe in the next week or two they can schedule my C-section and I can start planning. My goal is to hold out 'til after Bella's birthday party at least. I

Ham dinner under $20!!! I had a ham in the freezer from Easter time and I decided to finally make it and have some family over for dinner. The ham fed 5 with leftovers for lunch the next day and extra servings to freeze for another ham dinner down the road. Plus, the ham bone came in handy for a pot of beans. Here's how I did it: Spiral cut ham with glaze - $8.98 (on sale for $11.98 plus a Fry's coupon for their brand of ham) Mashed potatoes - FREE (betty crocker instant.... on sale for $1 and used a $.50 off coupon that doubled) Gravy - made from scratch.... ham drippings plus butter and flour.... two staples every cabinet should have... the flour was left over from Christmas when it was really cheap and I stocked up and the butter I got for $.79/4sticks on sale 3 packages of frozen vegetables - $2... i mixed brands depending what was in my fridge Dinner rolls - a splurge from Nadines $3/doz, i think So, that brings our total for dinner to 13.98 plus whatever you're out of

After an exhausting weekend with two trips to labor and delivery, I'm on watch. At first I woke up on Sunday morning with this horrible pain in my side that didn't go away no matter if I laid down, walked around or took Tylenol. I called the doctor and off the L&D I went. I got there having contractions, which we thought was where the pain was coming from. The doctor on call chalked it up to round ligament pain and sent me home with percocet. Between Sunday night and Monday morning, I was still having contractions. They were coming about 5 an hour, every hour and weren't stopping. I called my doctor's office to follow up and see if I could get an appointment, but they sent me back to L&D. Not really what I wanted to do, but I was miserable. Turns out I was indeed having contractions, averaging about 1 every 10 minutes and they weren't stopping. This was pretty much what I experienced when I had Bella. At 36 weeks, I started having contractions that really di

I honestly don't know what has sparked the subject matter job this blog. Perhaps the imminent life changing event about to unfold in the next 6ish weeks? Maybe the continued current state of the economy and the looming losses behind a life sustaining staple such as social security? Or may I've just been looking at old pictures and thinking too damn much. It's definitely NOT got Amy Winehouse finally died! Either way, my adult life this far has been filled with milestones that I never want to forget. I have accomplished a lot of the things I've wanted to do in my life so far and I plan on accomplishing more. So, here it goes.... At 18, I met the love of my life. At the time he was just another boyfriend passing through between the time I graduated high school and started college. Little did I know what I was in store for. By this time, I had also already been an assistant manager at two of my jobs and manager at another. Yeah, they weren't really important jobs, but

Fry's has their "Buy 10, Save $5" sale going on this week and Johnson&Johnson baby products are part of the sale. If you buy 10, they are only $2.50ea, plus, some have peelie coupons on them for $1 off, making them $1.50 a piece. It's a great deal since J&J products usually run about $3-$4 regular price. Target brand baby items aren't even this cheap! I stocked up on 20 bottles! Also, you can go to http://www.johnsonsbaby.com/offers to sign up for coupons to use on this deal. Don't forget that Fry's is still accepting competitor coupons, so you can use any Target coupons you have lying around on this deal too. Also great deals I got at Fry's this week... Free Colgate toothpaste... on sale for $1, use $.50off coupons = free Free candy bars (Nestle, 3Musketeers, M&M)... on sale for $.50, use a $.50off 2 $.17 Gerber Graduates Oatmeal... $1.17, use $.50off coupon (these coupons are avail is you sign up for Gerber online. they come in the mail

So, a lot of people always ask me what I do with all the stuff I buy when I coupon shop. Well, I plan out meals and make them with what's in my pantry. I try to plan out a week's worth of meals at a time just by using what's in the freezer and pantry. Also, since baby is due soon, I've been making a lot of simple meals and freezing them for when I don't feel like cooking. Here's some meal examples from yesterday and today... Yesterday: Porkchops (B1G1 free Fry's sale... so about $3.5 a pack or less) Stuffing to coat porkchops ($.50 clearance sale at Fry's. I bought 4 boxes) Lima beans ($.72 Fry's - regular price less Fry's coupon) Rice-A- Roni ($.50 at Fry's... sale plus coupon) Pillsbury French loaf ($.50 at Fry's... sale combined with coupon) Dinner for the 3 of us cost a total of $5.72 and there were leftovers for my husband's lunch! Today: Hamburger Meat ($1.66 price cut at Target) Taco shells ($.50 at Fry's... sale price p

So, that's my "predicted" due date. Hell, it's worth shooting for. The less time I can be miserable, the better. The only thing is, if I'm having a scheduled C section, this date is a Sunday, meaning, I'm going into labor. But, my doctor has assured me that if that happens, I can just walk into L&D and tell them about my scheduled C section and they'll call the doctor and do it then. That's nice, as long as it works out like that. I'm still scared shitless of going into labor. It hurts. These lovely Braxton -Hicks contractions that I've been having are bad enough. They usually raise my anxiety level a few notches. Aside from the still achy back and practice contractions, I'm hot an miserable. My feet and hands are starting to swell and I feel like I'm always in a bad mood. I also am limited in the things I can do with Bella and that has been bothering the both of us. Thursdays have always been our days together since I'm off wo

I should have been prepared when my doctor said it was almost a guarentee that I would have back problems with this pregnancy like I did with my first. But, I guess I thought it wouldn't happen 'til later. Or maybe I was preoccupied with the fact that I am looking to be a week and half earlier. Either way, I wasn't prepared for getting sore legs with pain that slowly traveled up to my butt and then into my back to the point that I was in tears. I finally gave up and called the doctor and was sent to traige in labor & delivery at the hospital. I kinda pleaded with the nurse at the doctor's office a little, telling her I knew it was sciatica or something similar, but better safe than sorry was the only sympathy I got. After 3 hours in the hospital and some percocet, I was feeling better. I woke up yesterday feeling great. I limped around a little bit, but not bad. Then, I got out of my mom's car at the doctor's office and the pain shot through my right leg lik

My 3 days of rest is coming to an end. Well, technically, I'm supposed to take it easy tomorrow too, but I need to get out of the house. Don't worry, I'm not going to run any marathons. Aubrey and I and the kiddos are gonna do lunch. Not sure where yet, though. Guess we'll see what tomorrow's cravings bring. I got a little stir crazy today until I realized that I could watch "Mystery Diagnosis" without having to turn to the score on the basketball game or have to "share" and watch 30 minutes of Dora. That was when I really started to relax. I tried to sleep twice, but Baby Buddy decided to play a game of inutero football. Not cool. This kid is already driving me nuts. Haha! I also got to stay in my pajamas and eat candy without having to hide out to do it. I didn't indulge too much. I'm still trying to get my proteins in, which I did without trying these last two days. I think I'm eating enough, so it's s not that that is weari

No two pregnancies are alike... especially between your first and second. I've heard that over and over and over again, but I seem to refuse to acknowledge it. I made it through my first 12 weeks unscathed, being high risk for miscarriage. In between, I had horrible cramps, which no one told me were completely normal with a second child. Thanks for that memo! As if being pregnant wasn't hard enough as it is... I was released to my regular OBGYN in March, who took over keeping a close eye on me. In April, she decided I could only work 7 hour day shifts at work, which was fine with me. I can't lift or bend or run marathons. Again, fine with me. May 5th we found out we're having a baby boy. Mark Logan Avery is due September 23rd. But, May 9th, we found out, he'd be coming between September 12th and 16th. Wooo! Time to start planning. A scheduled C section is fine with me, but I had 18 weeks to get things out of the way, which is where my trouble began. We planned a yar

I've been feeling great the last two days! It's about damn time! I'm still a little tired and irritable, but I've got my aches under control. I got my hair cut today and I'll probably give myself a pedicure after Bella goes to bed. We also have the new episode of Spartacus to catch up on. Yay! I figured I'd archive some of my recipes as I make them. I've got quite the repertoire going, I think. And I use just about all the things I buy with coupons. I'll try to include prices to see how it is possible to save money and cook yummy. So, for today... This morning we had French Toast Casserole. What you're going to need: loaf of cinnamon bread, white bread or wheat bread (i get mine at the bakery outlet. the cinnabon bread that is almost $3 at Fry's comes out to about $1 at the bakery outlet. I buy in bulk, use coupons, and freeze) 4 eggs (on sale for 89cents a dozen) canned milk or your favorite coffee creamer (16cents a can of carnation or 50cents

Yup, it came as a surprise. I went in for check up with my doctor since I hadn't been since October. It was nice getting through the holidays without worrying about my condition or new prescriptions or anything else. Apparently it was so nice that my body decided to start ovulating on its own and get pregnant. Unfortunately, I'm considered at a high risk for miscarriage given that I have PCOS and had much difficulty getting pregnant. I have to go back weekly for blood draws and ultrasounds. That makes me nervous. I was told to call if I had any cramping or bleeding and was put on Prometruim , a progesterone prescription. Of course, yesterday was my first bad day. I woke up feeling blah. I had felt a little blah on Super Bowl Sunday, but I chalked that up to working past midnight that morning. Monday I woke up nauseous and lightheaded. I didn't want to get out of bed and was cranky. Not that unusual. After nap time, I showered to get ready for work and started to have stabb