22 Weeks & Gender Reveal

A picture of our gender reveal cake. It was beautiful.

Two weeks ago I had my 20 week ultrasound which was fun.   My mom got to go with us which was really special.  We lived too far away at the time for her to attend any of Elijah’s ultrasounds.  The doctor said that everything looks good and the baby weighs 14 oz.   After lots of debating we decided to peek.  It was a very hard decision as I really like the idea of a surprise.  I’m also a very organized person or at least I like to think so.  :)  We opted to find out the gender with a gender reveal cake so that Elijah could really be a part of our finding out.  He is really excited about our little baby coming and keeps asking, “When is the baby coming?”  :)

It was actually Brandon’s idea to do a gender reveal with a cake.  At first I thought the idea was kind of lame to be honest but it turned out really neat.  At the ultrasound appointment we had the technician write down the gender and seal it in an envelope which we took to a bakery.  We actually cut into the cake during my Grandmother’s 80th birthday celebration which made it even more special.  :)

It’s a GIRL!!

We couldn’t be more thrilled to learn that we are having a little girl.  I have a big soft spot in my heart for little boys but for the past 2 months I have felt pretty confident that this little one is in fact a girl.  I woke up one morning clearly thinking this baby is definitely a girl.  Brandon was SHOCKED to learn we were having a girl this time.  He has made a big deal saying that he can’t have girls since his Dad & Grandpa had all boys.  :)  Everyone has had a fun time teasing him.

We were a little surprised!

For now we are dreaming of baby girl names & making lists of things to sew (& purchase).

I had a doctor’s appointment after our ultrasound.  He said the baby is measuring  right on target-not too small, not too big.  I”m always a little nervous about large babies since my mom’s smallest baby was 9 pounds and her largest was 12lbs 10oz!  :)  I am still -2 pounds from my starting weight which I am pleased with.  I’m sure I will actually start gaining by my next appointment.  I’ve been trying to eat healthy and exercise more frequently now that I am feeling better.  (I’m hoping to try a new water aerobics class at our gym soon.)  I have been feeling tons of movement and even some real kicks!  This has to be one of my favorite aspects of pregnancy.  For some reason the baby tends to hang out more on my right side.  Is that normal?

Frugal Things I Did The Last 2 Weeks

A picture of the Loveland Castle we recently visited.

 

Recently Brandon took us to the Loveland Castle located less than an hour from our home.  Admission was only $3/person and Elijah was free!  It was really neat exploring.  We took along a cooler for drinks but did go out to eat at a local restaurant.  We have also enjoyed Storytime @ the Library (free) and a couple of trips to the Sprinkler Park.

The first pot-holder I have ever made was a birthday gift for my mom.

For my mother’s birthday I made her a potholder.  I had never made one before so this was a little bit of a stretch for me.  I used fabric and supplies I had on hand.  For the batting I used 3 layers of Insul-Brite (special heat-resistant batting).  We also celebrated my brother’s birthday & my Grandmother’s 80th birthday recently.  We had separate cookouts for each of their birthdays where I brought side dishes and dessert.  For my Grandmother’s birthday I gave her a variety of jams that I had made over the last year.  She was very excited!  I also gave my brother (who lives on his own) a variety of things I had canned from out garden last year.

I went to another street subdivision yard sale this past weekend.  I purchased some things for Elijah including a really cute pair of pajamas.  I found a nice bag for myself to use for church and a couple of baby items.  Okay let’s be honest I purchased A LOT of baby items. 

Elijah and I went to Aldi after a fun afternoon at the Sprinkler Park.  I try really hard to buy all of our basics there.  Even with food costs on the rise Aldi is still hands down much cheaper than any of our local grocery stores.

More car repairs this week but this time on our gas squeezer car I first bought in high school.  Major bummer and such a squeeze to us right now.  I’m really thankful for the car especially since gas here is almost $4.00.  I also saved $20 on a coolant flush for our van by shopping around.  The cheapest place was actually our regular mechanic.    Unfortunately we learned that our van needs lots of work and wants to eat a lot of parts right now.  We don’t have the money to fix it so it is just going to have to wait a while.

I have been able to work in the garden some when it isn’t raining.  I planted tomato plants, pepper plants, and more green beans.  We love green beans at our house so I usually try to plant them every two weeks so that we have them all summer long.  I purchased a bunch of flowers for just 2.00.  Some I planted in a planter and the rest I planted in a hanging basket I had saved from last year.

 

Frugal Things I Did Last Week

I’m super bad at taking photos of myself with my new camera. I thought this sign was a little crazy that I found on vacation. It read: “Enter at your own risk. Limited Emergency Services Available.”

It was finally dry enough to till the garden!  I have been anxiously waiting for over a month to get the garden planted to I am stoked!  So far I have planted green beans, lettuce, a herb garden, and some peas.  It’s too late to plant peas but I decided to plant some in a shady spot and see what happens.  I’m really hoping to have a nice herb garden this year.

Elijah & I went on vacation with my family. ( Unfortunately Brandon wasn’t able to join us.)  We packed two coolers: a small cooler that fits between our van seats filled with drinks & a larger cooler that contained some larger items (milk & oj).  I did a little bit of shopping for things that we needed: new pajamas for Eli (they were cheaper than I could sew them), shoes/clothes for me, & I even purchased Elijah 2 new pairs of Stride Rite gym shoes at an outlet for $16.  These shoes retail about $50 each so I was super excited about this!  We went back to Dollywood where I have a pass & Elijah gets in free.  We had a lovely time on vacation and I am so glad we were able to go.

When I went on vacation a couple of weeks ago I left a bag of books (oops) at our hotel.  Thankfully I was able to pick them up this week instead of paying $25 to have them shipped.

I watched Downton Abbey Season 1 this past week which I borrowed from the library.  (There is one scene in the first episode you need to fast forward through.)

I purchased a pair of maternity shorts at a thrift store.  Yeah!  They are super comfy and look great.  I also found a gift bag for .25 that is beautiful.  I will be using it for an upcoming wedding present.

A very unfrugal thing happened last week.  My van actually broke while we were on vacation.  Thankfully I was not along an interstate!  After carefully weighing the options I chose to get the van fixed rather than tow it home (we were 5 hours away).  It did okay on the drive home so I am just hoping there is nothing else wrong.  This was a major bummer and I think we will have to tighten our belt of frugality for the next few months to make up for it.  We had just had the van serviced so we were not expecting this in our budget.  :(  The mechanic told me to expect more repairs this summer which is disappointing and a little stressful.

What are your best tips for saving money during the summer months?

 

April Reads

  I can’t believe I am just now sharing what I read the last month.  I guess I will just blame it on being pregnant and the fact that I was blessed to go on vacation twice.  :)  

Journey to Joy: The Psalms of Ascent by Josh Moody.  This is the first book that I have ever read on the Psalms of Ascent and I must say I really enjoyed it.  One thing I really love about these Psalms is the fact that they tell it just like it is.  There is a wide variety of emotions seen throughout these psalms that everyone can relate to.  I loved Moody’s writing style because it didn’t come off as so intellectually deep that you didn’t want to read past the first chapter.  Instead I found myself asking myself questions as I learned so much by reading this book!

Real Snacks: Make Your Favorite Childhood Food Without All the Junk by Lara Ferroni.  I must say I really enjoyed browsing through this book.  The book definitely lives up to its name as it is full of recipes to make all sorts of “junk food” the healthy way.  I haven’t made any of the recipes yet so I can’t attest to their taste but I will say they look great.  A few of the recipes are a little to time intensive for me to tackle like homemade Goldfish but overall a very neat book.

While We’re Far Apart by Lynn Austin.  This was a delightful fiction book that I had a hard time putting down.  This book takes place during the War and chronicles 3 families whose lives intersect each other.  This was my first book by Austin but I will be sure to look for more of her books in the future.

The Guardian by Beverly Lewis.  Lewis is my favorite author when it comes to Amish Fiction and this book certainly did not disappoint.  Jodi is a young English schoolteacher who finds a young Amish girl all alone on the side of the road.  I don’t want to say too much else about the book to give anything away but this book was great!

Dick Raymond’s Gardening Year by Dick Raymond.  This is an excellent companion book to Raymond’s other book Joy of Gardening.  In this book Raymond walks you through what he does month by month throughout the year when it comes to gardening.  Although I grew up helping in our family garden I consider myself still pretty green when it comes to my own gardening knowledge.  This book along with Joy of Gardening have been my go to guides this year.

Do you have any book recommendations for me?  I’d love to hear what you are reading.  

Frugal Things I Did Last Week

We had a great time enjoying the new Reptile Exhibit at the Zoo.

We went to the zoo one day using our zoo pass which is going to expire at the end of the month.  It was lovely and we even packed a picnic.  We have a very nice sized cooler that fits conveniently in the bottom of our stroller.

I mended a bunch of Eli’s clothes including a bunch of underwear.  I don’t know how in the world he gets holes in them all the time.

Thankfully I was able to cook again this week.  It was a busy week for me but I used the Crock-Pot 3 times.  I even used it to make Tapioca one day for dessert.

I made this tote bag for my son this past week. The outside has a pocket that holds 8 crayons.

I sewed a small tote bag for Elijah that is very similar to the one I made for my cousin Anna.  I had all of the material on hand.  I let Eli choose between a couple of different fabrics that I had purchased on sale.  He chose a fun jungle print.  Thankfully I even had some webbing on hand.  I have made tote bags in the past and have used fabric for the handles but I really prefer the webbing.  The tote bag is a great size for a 3-year-old.  It holds a couple of toys, a book, and a snack.

We finally got to go kayaking again for the first time this year!  My husband & I both own kayaks so this is an almost free activity for us.  We usually kayak on a large local lake so our only expense is gas.  We always pack a cooler so we aren’t tempted to stop to buy drinks on the way home.  :)  It’ll be interesting to see how far into the summer I will be able to kayak since I’m expecting.  I felt pretty wobbly getting in this time.  :)

I canned strawberry jam using strawberries I had purchased for 1.00/pound.  This was my first time making strawberry jam and it was definitely a success.  The jam itself is also highly addictive!  I think we ate more peanut butter & jelly sandwiches this week because of it!

We have been keeping the windows open instead of running the air conditioner most days.

My sweet hubby picked up a book for me on Photoshop 11 from the library.  I have taken two 2 classes on Photoshop from our library but I really only know how to do a couple of things in the program.  One of my goals for this year is to learn how to take better photographs & edit them.  Does anyone have any tips on great free tutorials online?

Eli & I went to a street sale.  We had lots of fun together walking around the entire neighborhood.  I purchased a tablecloth, 2 maternity skirts, 3 dress shirts for Brandon in his exact size, a bassinett cover, a book for Eli that I hope to read aloud sometime next year, 2 vintage handkerchiefs  a pair of earrings, and a magnetic game for Eli.  I’m planning on purchasing a cheap cookie sheet and letting Eli play with magnets on our next road trip.  Has anyone tried this?

What frugal things did you do last week?  

 

18 Weeks

Our little “pumpkin” & I standing in front of the Old Mill along the Cades Cove Loop Road in the Great Smoky Mountains.

I thought it might be fun to share a little bit about my pregnancy this time around.  I’m totally copying this idea from my sister-in-law Renee who is also expecting.  Isn’t that fun?  :)  

I’m just now starting to feel a little better.  We are so thankful for this pregnancy but it has been more challenging than we thought it would be.  (Not near as difficult in my opinion as when I was pregnant with Elijah though.)  I’ve had my fair share of morning sickness but I am so thankful that the throwing up is subsiding for the most part.  :)  I lost a little bit of weight and have regained some of it.  I’m currently -4 pounds from my starting weight.  I have been concentrating on eating more fruits & vegetables.  I’m still not feeling most vegetables but I have been making Green Smoothies in order to get my veggies!  Brandon was horrified when he picked up a recipe for a Spinach Green Monster Smoothie today.  Ha, ha!  

Right now our baby is the size of a sweet potato.  I had a doctor’s appointment last week and again we were able to hear the heartbeat (155).   That NEVER gets old!  Brandon wasn’t able to go with me and I really wish I had recorded it for him.  One of the coolest things lately is the fact that our little pumpkin is really starting to move a lot!  I first felt the baby move while on vacation at about 16 weeks.  This week I have really noticed a lot of movement which is so fun.  It’s one of my favorite aspects of actually being pregnant!  

We have our 20 week ultrasound at the end of the month and have to make the difficult decision of whether or not we are going to peek.  I really want to be surprised at the birth but then I also want to spend the next 20 weeks sewing like crazy.  What to do?  Do you have any guesses?  

 

 

Frugal Things I Did Last Week

The Curling Iron/Flat Iron Case I sewed last week.

 

I sewed a mother’s day gift for my mother-in-law using materials I had on hand.  I made a Flat Iron/Curling Iron Case since she does a lot of traveling.  It is made out of special batting (Insul-Brite) so you can actually put your hair tools inside while it is still hot.  I thought it was a pretty neat idea.  I used this tutorial but I attached the bias tape differently than they did.  It was a little tricky but I was pleased with how it turned out.  I may have to invest in a walking foot if I sew another one.

I cooked!  I’ve been fairly nauseated this pregnancy so this is a big accomplishment for me.  I even cooked ground beef one night which is huge for me!  Along with cooking lunch & dinner most days I made Banana Muffins (to use up old bananas) and homemade CrockPot granola.

I received a book from PaperBack Swap that had been on my wish list.

Elijah & I made homemade Koolaid Playdoh one day when it was rainy.  He played with it for almost an hour!

We picked wildflowers to use as our table centerpiece this week.

I combined all of our errands into one morning to save time and gas.  It was tiring (I ran 8) but it was great to get them all out-of-the-way at once.

I hosted Mother’s Day brunch at our home on Mother’s Day right after church for 10 people.  I served: Fresh Fruit with Dip, Biscuit & Gravy Casserole, French Toast Apple Strata, Sausage Bake, Cinnabon Coffee Cake, and we had a Yogurt Bar with different toppings.  For drinks we had Water with lemons, Milk, Orange Juice, Coffee, & Homemade Starbucks Iced Cappuccino.  I think everyone had a really nice time.  I really enjoyed changing things up and serving brunch instead of lunch or dinner.  :)

I watched a free newborn photography class from Creative Live.  Realistically I doubt I will feel well enough to take our new baby’s newborn photos but we’ll see.  I learned so much from the class.  I’m half tempted to borrow a baby doll and practice!  In case I’m not feeling well enough I would welcome a recommendation for a photographer in the area who has experience with newborns.

Elijah & I picked up a free small jar of paint from Lowes.  I had a craft project in mind for Eli’s room so I let him choose the color.  The man at Lowe’s was so kind that he let Elijah pick out whatever color he wanted.  Then he let him go behind the counter and watch the paint get mixed.  I think this was the highlight of Eli’s day!

My aunt came over and worked on our landscaping.  She gave us some perennials to fill in some of the bare spots and even planted them!  I can’t wait until they bloom.

I still haven’t been able to get my garden planted because it will not stop raining!  Does anyone have any advice for speeding up plant growth?