Today I am 39 weeks pregnant.
I am only 5'1" and very short waisted. 'Baby Bump' just doesn't quite seem to cover what is going on in my midsection. I feel that I am past the cute stage, and have moved into the full blown pregnant lady waddle. In fact, a woman saw me at the grocery store today and gave me her most sympathetic smile and said, "Oh... Bless your heart!" I returned her smile and continued waddling by, because what is there to be said, really?
Upon seeing me, the inevitable question at this point seems to be, "Are you ready?" I don't really know how to answer this question. Can a person really be ready to be a first time parent?
I'm convinced the question that people actually want to know is, "Are you completely sick of being pregnant yet???" To which the answer is...
I'm getting there.
Give me another week.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Friday, March 02, 2012
Our First Adventure at Just Between Friends
Parenting is 'spensive!
Not that this comes as a shock to anyone. In an article released in 200, MSNBC reported that, "A two-parent family that earns less than $57,000 annually will spend about $160,000 on a child from birth through high school. " That's us. Yikes! It is amazing the way that expenses pop up left and right from the moment you find out you're pregnant. (Hey, pregnancy tests ain't free!)
I come from a very frugal line of jewish/german women. Spending money hurts! So from the beginning I have been looking for ways to cut costs in order to raise this kid. We are looking at anything from cloth diapering to making our own baby food. It's not because I'm a crunchy mama! It's because I hate, I hate, I HATE spending money.
One of the things that I was made aware of in early pregnancy was Just Between Friends, a sale that takes place several times a year in locations all over the country, giving families a chance both to get rid of things that they don't need through consignment, and the rest of us a chance to get the things that we need for much cheaper than they would cost new!
Bubba and I attended our first JBF Sale last night. We gave ourselves $100 to spend (easily blown in just a couple of items at Babies R Us...) and were really hoping to find a stroller. Well, folks. The stroller didn't happen, but that is kind of my fault.
One of the ways that I'm trying to cut costs is with the whole stroller/car seat issue. I am not into paying for a new car seat every time our little guy grows 20 pounds, and where on earth would I put all of those unused car seats??? That is why I registered for this car seat which adapts through the three different stages of front facing, rear facing and booster, for children anywhere from 5-100 lbs. Brilliant? I think so. A little more expensive temporarily, but cheaper long term, and again. I don't have to try to find space for unused car seats in our already crowded (and becoming even more so...) little apartment. But back to the stroller issue!
We looked at a stroller that included baby carrier/car bases for $80. That's a pretty great deal, even though it was a little dirty and worn. But when it came right down to it, the regular stroller that I'd registered for was $100. So... $100 for something that I'd planned on using all along, or $80 for something a little dirty, worn, and I'd have to adjust a lot of plans for. It just didn't seem worth it to us. So we hesitantly laid aside our plans of scoring a super-sweet stroller and moved on to see what else we could find.
Here is a list of the stuff that we ended up getting with our $100, ($83.00, actually!) along with retail prices to get them new.
Safety 1st Diaper Pail
Paid $7
Retails $19.99
Baby Innovations Leather Diaper Bag (for Mommy)
Paid $15
Retails $59.99
(I discovered this morning that Babies R Us is actually having a sale on this for $15.98. Kind of a bummer, but it's still a great deal, and I didn't have to pay shipping. I just have to figure out how to make it not smell like a tent! Ideas are appreciated.)
Columbia Trekster Diaper Backpack (for Daddy)
Paid $20
Retails $39.99
Cloud B Sleep Sheep
Paid $8
Retails $28.99
Unopened Melissa and Doug Shape Stacker
Paid $6
Retails $7.95
Fitted Medium Cloth Diaper
Paid $4
Retails $15-$19
BumGenius Cloth Diaper Sizable Inserts
Paid $5/5
Retails $3/6
(Ohhhhhh, can anyone say burned? I was researching other things and should have looked this one up!)
Fisher Price Rainforest Melodies & Lights Deluxe Gym
Paid $15
Retails $69.99
We did get burned/not really a great deal on a couple of things, but if you look at it in the grand scheme of things, we made a steal! Our grand total was about $83 after tax. We made off with $244.90 worth of stuff, had we bought them new in stores!! That's about $162 dollars in savings. Cha-ching!
So what do I have to say about the JBF experience in general? WORTH IT. Sure, you do have to sort through some gross/dirty/junky stuff. Kind of like a big (but extremely well organized!) garage sale. Some items you'll look at and think, $30 for that disgusting pack and play? Are they on crack?! And others you'll look at and think, $15 for that gently used baby gym? Are they on crack?!
Even Bubba had a good time. He's going to be a great daddy and was totally into trying to score some sweet loot for cheap for Caleb. I gave him a hard time as he was contemplating which man-purse (aka diaper bag) he wanted to get, unzipping all the little pockets and percolating about the merits of one over the other.
After we left he said, "I saw some guys in there who really didn't look like they were into that." "Were you?" I asked him. "Yeah! I was way more into that than Babies R Us! That place can die and go to hell." And I concur. If you ever want to have an anxiety attack, do a registry at Babies R Us. Roam the aisles for a few hours. Take in the chaos. It is reminiscent of Parks & Recreations 4th floor of City Hall.
And with that, I'll leave you.
Stay cheap, friends!
Not that this comes as a shock to anyone. In an article released in 200, MSNBC reported that, "A two-parent family that earns less than $57,000 annually will spend about $160,000 on a child from birth through high school. " That's us. Yikes! It is amazing the way that expenses pop up left and right from the moment you find out you're pregnant. (Hey, pregnancy tests ain't free!)
I come from a very frugal line of jewish/german women. Spending money hurts! So from the beginning I have been looking for ways to cut costs in order to raise this kid. We are looking at anything from cloth diapering to making our own baby food. It's not because I'm a crunchy mama! It's because I hate, I hate, I HATE spending money.
Bubba and I attended our first JBF Sale last night. We gave ourselves $100 to spend (easily blown in just a couple of items at Babies R Us...) and were really hoping to find a stroller. Well, folks. The stroller didn't happen, but that is kind of my fault.
One of the ways that I'm trying to cut costs is with the whole stroller/car seat issue. I am not into paying for a new car seat every time our little guy grows 20 pounds, and where on earth would I put all of those unused car seats??? That is why I registered for this car seat which adapts through the three different stages of front facing, rear facing and booster, for children anywhere from 5-100 lbs. Brilliant? I think so. A little more expensive temporarily, but cheaper long term, and again. I don't have to try to find space for unused car seats in our already crowded (and becoming even more so...) little apartment. But back to the stroller issue!
We looked at a stroller that included baby carrier/car bases for $80. That's a pretty great deal, even though it was a little dirty and worn. But when it came right down to it, the regular stroller that I'd registered for was $100. So... $100 for something that I'd planned on using all along, or $80 for something a little dirty, worn, and I'd have to adjust a lot of plans for. It just didn't seem worth it to us. So we hesitantly laid aside our plans of scoring a super-sweet stroller and moved on to see what else we could find.
Here is a list of the stuff that we ended up getting with our $100, ($83.00, actually!) along with retail prices to get them new.
Safety 1st Diaper Pail
Paid $7
Retails $19.99
Baby Innovations Leather Diaper Bag (for Mommy)
Paid $15
Retails $59.99
(I discovered this morning that Babies R Us is actually having a sale on this for $15.98. Kind of a bummer, but it's still a great deal, and I didn't have to pay shipping. I just have to figure out how to make it not smell like a tent! Ideas are appreciated.)
Columbia Trekster Diaper Backpack (for Daddy)
Paid $20
Retails $39.99
Cloud B Sleep Sheep
Paid $8
Retails $28.99
Unopened Melissa and Doug Shape Stacker
Paid $6
Retails $7.95
Fitted Medium Cloth Diaper
Paid $4
Retails $15-$19
BumGenius Cloth Diaper Sizable Inserts
Paid $5/5
Retails $3/6
(Ohhhhhh, can anyone say burned? I was researching other things and should have looked this one up!)
Fisher Price Rainforest Melodies & Lights Deluxe Gym
Paid $15
Retails $69.99
We did get burned/not really a great deal on a couple of things, but if you look at it in the grand scheme of things, we made a steal! Our grand total was about $83 after tax. We made off with $244.90 worth of stuff, had we bought them new in stores!! That's about $162 dollars in savings. Cha-ching!
So what do I have to say about the JBF experience in general? WORTH IT. Sure, you do have to sort through some gross/dirty/junky stuff. Kind of like a big (but extremely well organized!) garage sale. Some items you'll look at and think, $30 for that disgusting pack and play? Are they on crack?! And others you'll look at and think, $15 for that gently used baby gym? Are they on crack?!
Even Bubba had a good time. He's going to be a great daddy and was totally into trying to score some sweet loot for cheap for Caleb. I gave him a hard time as he was contemplating which man-purse (aka diaper bag) he wanted to get, unzipping all the little pockets and percolating about the merits of one over the other.
After we left he said, "I saw some guys in there who really didn't look like they were into that." "Were you?" I asked him. "Yeah! I was way more into that than Babies R Us! That place can die and go to hell." And I concur. If you ever want to have an anxiety attack, do a registry at Babies R Us. Roam the aisles for a few hours. Take in the chaos. It is reminiscent of Parks & Recreations 4th floor of City Hall.
And with that, I'll leave you.
Stay cheap, friends!
Thursday, February 02, 2012
Check out my new tatt...
And I wasn't even drunk!
The above is photographic evidence of what happens when one ridiculous person marries another, they make a baby, and then they go to Wal-Mart and end up with 50 cents in their pockets.
Angry Birds tattoos.
No alcohol was consumed. We are just this fun all the time!
Oh. And I'm definitely not usually one for the bare-bellied pics. I don't normally care to show that much skin. But oh yes. Be jealous of this body. I don't think I'm at risk for causing people to stumble with this goin' on. Because really, who can resist that belly button?
We actually bought two tattoos. One for him and one for me. The other one was the Red Bird.
I do not play Angry Birds. (I know. Whaaaaat? Where have I been for the last 2 years? But I am kicking Temple Run's butt, so...) While I do not have any knowledge of the characters or what they do, red is my favorite color, so I kind of wanted that one.
I asked Bubba which one would be more appropriate, and he said Black Bird. Turns out he was right. Check this description out.
4. Black Bird – One of the strongest birds in this game. Because this one is fat it tends to destroy things on where it lands and after that, Kaboom! It wreaks havoc to its target point so pigs should be warned when this bird is up.
Special Ability – Anti – Matter Bomb (shattering walls and other materials especially evil pigs)
Strength – Strong
Size – Big
Cuteness – Very cute
Strength – Strong
Size – Big
Cuteness – Very cute
Haha! How great is that?
This description came from this website.
So you are all welcome for that!
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