Welcome Jacob!!

So, my second born is here! He arrived safe and sound on March 19th and we have been home now for a little over a week!! He is just precious and I cannot wait to get to know his little personality! Luke has adapted wonderfully!! He's had the occassional meltdown, but he is really sweet with Jake and just eating up his big brother role! Actually, Luke's main issue is that I cannot do the things I normally do with him due to my C-Section recovery. During my surgery it was discovered that I had A LOT of scar tissue from my FIRST section, so I'm supposed to take it extra easy this time around...easier said than done. It breaks my heart to not be able to lift up my Luke into my arms or into his crib, etc. It's hard for him too, but we'll get there.

While I was pregnant, I struggled with the idea of being able to love TWO children and while I still wonder at it all, there is no doubt how very much I love my 2 sons. Still, it feels differnt in the house now...schedules and roles have changed as we are all adjusting to having a newborn in the house again. And while a part of me still misses the alone time Luke and I shared, I am thrilled to be able to share Jake with him and watch as he grows more and more responsible, caring, and helpful towards me and his little bro! My favorite part of the day is when Jake is alert and just watches Luke play...it is very precious to me. And ah, I cannot wait for the day when they play together...of course, I'm sure there will be fights and I'll have to intervene--but I'm really looking forward to that day! Bring it on!

Andy and I feel very blessed to have two wonderful baby boys (Luke will always be my "baby") and we really feel now that our family is complete...which leaves me as the only girl in the house...which is just PERFECT for me! ;-)

The Walgreens Olympics

Let me start by saying that we just recently got a Walgreens in my area, and even then, it is still a good 15-20 minute drive. I would never go there any time other than a Sunday morning, however, due to insane traffic enroute. However, this week they have a Huggies Diapers/Wipes sale I just couldn't pass up. So, four transactions later, here's how I did:

7 Packs of Huggies Diapers
2 Big Refill packs of Wipes
2 Packs of Napkins
1 Bottle of Coffee Mate
2 Boxes of Instant Coffee
2 Lysol Wipes
1 Sambucol
1 Garnier Styling Gel
1 Orajel Toothpaste
2 Bottles of Diet Coke
1 Candy Bar
2 Small Hand Sanitizers
1 Small jar of vaseline
2 Small boxes of Fig Newtons
2 Cans of Butterball Chick Broth
1 Bag of Gerber Yogurt Bites

GRAND TOTAL: Approx $52.00

I am very proud of myself and my wonderful hubby...he helped me do all this craziness! :-)

We also swung by Giant and finished up our grocery shopping...I came in about $9 over budget, but that is okay--THIS TIME! LOL! Once I have Jake, I should be able to shave a few dollars off the budget b/c we are soooo well stocked now! AND, the very best part is, that I don't have to step into a grocery store for AT LEAST 7 more days! Who-hoo!!!

March 1 2008 Shopping Trips

Ok, so to start off, since I'm giving birth in just under 2 weeks, I've been trying to stock up on stuff around the house to prevent the knee-jerk reaction to shopping on virtually no sleep. I mean, who will have time for coupons and reading internet boards just to keep up with the good deals?? Plus, as we all know about me, I'm a germaphobe and not brining my new baby out anywhere for a good few weeks! ;-) That being said, the grocery stores in my area have just started experimenting with high value doubling and even tripling of coupons. You can really get good deals this way for stockpiling if you do your research. As such, lately, I have been spending over $50/week. When this happens, I simply deduct from the next week. For example, I've already spent about $90 this week. So, I'm only going to spend approximately $10 more until March 15. Some might think this is crazy but we don't really NEED anything. Of course, I would never let my son go without, but if I run out of milk, well, there's always oatmeal (which of course, I have a huge stock of!!!).

Target: Total-$14.36

Bloom: $6.16

Giant: $68.77

GRAND TOTAL: $89.29

This includes A LOT of stock up items for Luke in particular, for the week I'll be in the hospital with Jake. Now, as stated, I have only $10 left to spend for next week. I know already that I will be spending a maximum of $15, however, in order to get 4 FREE items at Giant (my total needs to be at least $15 to qualify for the free items!) I don't stress if I go a few dollars above my budget each week, I know I need to be somewhat flexible. Plus, after this final trip for the week, I will have plenty of groceries, to include meat, bread, milk, and OJ for awhile!

I also made 2 trips to CVS this week and I got:

4 packs of diapers (3 pampers and 1 Playskool)
2 boxes of Carnation Instant breakfast
2 large cans of Arizona Iced Tea
1 bottle of Diet Dr. Pepper
4 Reece's Whips (for Andy!)
1 Makeup bag w/ eyeshadow

All for $18--which went on a G/C I got for transferring a Rx! I also earned $20 in ECB's, so a money maker overall. At this point, I am often using ECB's to buy groceries when the budget gets tight. I will typically buy snack foods and milk at CVS using my ECB's.

Shopping Madness!

On any given morning between 0930 and 1100 hours, you can find me out and about, as I like to say! This is the best time of day that Luke and I have worked into our schedule to run errands. Luke has been up for (at least) 3 hours already. We've had breakfast, played, showered and changed and usually about to dive into our morning snack (on the go, of course) and head out the door; or as Luke prefers to call it, "car ride-y". Every day he now requests to go "car ride-y". He does not exactly like to shop, per say, but he enjoys the car trip to various places. He's obsessed with stop signs, buses, trucks, tractors, railroad tracks, and anything loud that moves on the road...a typical little boy. Lucky for me, this breaks up our day and I am able to partake in a pasttime I have grown to love.

I say grown to love, because the shopping we do consists primarily for groceries, diapers, etc. Nothing fun like a new wardrobe type of shopping! So, I drag Luke in and out of CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreens, Giant, Bloom, and Shoppers Food on any given day to score on the bargains. Since staying at home full time, we've really had to watch our budget (and who doesn't these days??) so I've tried to commit to spending only $50 a week on groceries and virtually nothing for diapers, OTC meds, paper products, cleaning products, and various health/beauty items. Each week I'm going to attempt to maintain a log here of what I get and how I do it. I'm a visual person and hate spreadsheets, so I'm just going to wing it here. Besides, I suspect not too many outsiders are lurking here! :-) Of course any and all questions and comments are welcome. And perhaps someday, I'll be brave enough to spread my blog around the internet, but until then, I'll hunker in safety.

Oh and let's hope baby #2 enjoys "Car ride-y" just as much as my Luke!

My firstborn

So, 24 more days until we welcome our second son, Jake, into our home. I'm getting very excited to finally meet this little guy! However, it took me about 7 months to actually get excited...despite the fact that we tried for 10 long months and really want this baby, I felt a little sad about losing my one on one time with Luke, my firstborn son. Sometimes, when I'm playing with Luke and listening to his giggles, I find myself thinking, 'only 24 more days of just the 2 of us'. Ever since I left my job at the end of May to stay at home with him full time, he and I have become even closer! I love our time together and it pulls at my heart to know that I won't be able to give him my 100% attention all the time. Is it really possible to have enough love for two children? Yes, I know it be true, technically, but to experience it myself...well, that is completely different. I've seen my own mother do it THREE times over...it is simply amazing. The following quote perfectly describes my feelings, so I want to document it here...

For Mothers of Two or More...by Unknown

As I walk along holding your 2 1/2-year-old hand, basking in the glow of our magical relationship. Suddenly I feel a kick from within, as if to remind me that our time alone is limited. And I wonder: How could I ever love another child as I love you?

Then she is born, and I watch you. I watch the pain you feel at having to share me as you've never shared me before. I hear you telling me in your own way, "Please love only me." And I hear myself telling you in mine, "I can't," Knowing in fact, that I never can again. You cry. I cry with you. I almost see our new baby as an intruder on the precious relationship we once shared. A relationship we can never quite have again.

But then, barely noticing, I find myself attached to that new being, and feeling almost guilty. I'm afraid to let you see me enjoying her-- as though I am betraying you. But then I notice your resentment change, first to curiosity, then to protectiveness, finally to genuine affection. More days pass, and we are settling into a new routine. The memory of days with just the two of us is fading fast. But something else is replacing those wonderful times we shared, just us two. There are new times -- only now, we are three. I watch the look between you grow, the way you look at each other, touch each other. I watch how she adores you -- as I have for so long. I see how excited you are by each of her new accomplishments.

And I begin to realize that I haven't taken something from you, I've given something to you. I notice that I am no longer afraid to share my love openly with both of you. I find that my love for each of you is as different as you are, but equally strong. And my question is finally answered, to my amazement. Yes, I can love another child as much as I love you -- only differently. And although I realize that you may have to share my time, I now know you'll never share my love. There's enough of that for both of you -- you each have your own supply. I love you -- both. And I thank you both for blessing my life.

Honor thy Mother and Father

...but did the 10 Commandments ever say anything about fathers-in-law??? I hope not, because surely I'm going to be in some big trouble. I just cannot do it anymore. I try. I really have tried. Every time we see him I pray for peace and strength and promise myself that I will excuse every stupid, inconsiderate thing he says for the sake of my husband and my child-soon to be children. But ya know what? I'm sick of it. I'm not going to let guilt consume anymore about this. I don't have to like him. I will never try to keep my husband or children from him--he is their father/grandfather and he is not an evil, bad person. We just don't click and his comments absolutely drive me crazy. The kind of crazy where I just become a different person.

Last night after dinner, he and Andy were going to eat a yummy looking cake that my husband made the night before. I opted to have my carefully measured 1/2 cup of Edy's light ice cream. My father in law looks at me and says, "Ice cream is fattening." I looked right back at him and said, "This kind isn't" and he said, "Yeah it is....there's all that sugar!" Ok, go ahead and keep eating that cake with the pound of frosting on it--much better for you! Argh! I should mention that I am 17.5 weeks pregnant and feeling HUGE....okay, enough with the fat comments to the pregnant lady, okay? Last time I was pregnant with Luke, I was eating a burger and fries at a restaurant and he called me "a chow hound"...This morning he told me I should do some exercises more often! And all he can talk about is how good it is that Luke "exercises" and that we should make sure he keeps it up! IT"S CALLED PLAYING NOT EXERCISING!!!!! Serenity now please! Can you tell I haven't let this stuff go?? Hence, the aforementioned bottled up guilt...spilling out now at a pace I cannot control.

Okay, I feel a little better now. Only a little. After all, I still have one and a half days to go. Please God, grant me strength and oh, just a little bit of that trait I never did find--patience.

Lions, Tigers, Bears, and Apples

Last weekend, Andy and I decided to jaunt on up to Boston for a weekend of apple picking and zoo visiting. Of course, a trip to Boston is far from a "jaunt"; rather it is 9 long hours driven overnight, no less. So, why would we embrace this madness for just 2.5 days?? Well, quite simply, we love the tradition of apple picking--we always get such nice pictures--and it's always so much nicer to do traditional type things with one's family. So, off to Boston we went. And I'm so happy and grateful that we did.

Upon pulling up to my parents' home, Luke started screeching with excitment and calling out his cousin's name, "Nanni!!!!" Once out of the car, it was obvious he had not forgotten the month he spent living there just 3 weeks earlier. He walked up to that door like he owned it! Yes, surviving on 3 hours sleep was definately worth it already.

Over the course of the next 2 days, we would visit a zoo in Providence, go apple picking, and drive 9 hours back home to Virginia! Talk about a busy weekend. While there were no lions or tigers, there was ONE bear and Luke and his cousins simply had a blast at the zoo. It was a perfect, crisp autumn day in New England. Luke just ran around screaming with joy and excitment. Needless to say, his first visit to a zoo was a success!

While our apple picking day almost got rained out, we weren't going to let a few clouds and some mud stop us from consuming caramel apples, cider donuts, and of course, the ardous task of carrying home 20 lbs of apples!

The afternoon only got better when we arrived home just in time to watch the Patriots play San Diego and WIN! What a great weekend...who could ask for anything more? And despite the fact that by the time we arrived in Baltimore, with 2 hours still to go, Andy and I both looked at each other and said, "are we home, yet?", we know we'd do it all over again in a heartbeat...and knowing us, we soon will!!