Shopping...on the cheap!

Um...what the crap was up with Blogger today? Sooo glad that mess is over!

Today I was having lunch with a friend and we were talking about our calendars and what's going on in the upcoming weeks....and I freaked out. After this weekend, I literally have a birthday party, wedding shower or wedding to go to every. single. weekend. through July! And on some days, I have 3 and 4 parties to attend. Wow. All I have to say is I am sooo glad this baby is coming in the fall when people don't have as much going on!

That said, I have been doing some shopping and have gotten a few gifts at a much cheaper cost that I normally spend. Hey, I'm no Rockerfeller and cannot afford to spend $25 or more on a bday gift when I have 4 bday parties in one weekend!

This is what I got for a friend's little boy whose bday party is on the 28th...for $8. Yes, I know. I'm cheap. But seriously, he's 2. And they go to the beach pretty often so I thought I'd save a buck.

I'm actually going to pick up the same thing for my nephew along with these cuties:

Wanna shop ON? Here a 50% off coupon that I used:

http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Old-Navy-Coupon

(note: it's only good for this weekend)

I also have a few wedding gifts to buy so I'm saving up my 20% off to Bed Bath and Beyond coupons as well.

What do you do when you have tons of gifts to buy but no money to spend?!

Baby Bump

How Far Along: 19 Weeks, 1 day

Size of baby: about 6 1/2 inches, 8 ounces

Total Weight Gain: 6 pounds. And it feels like 66.

Maternity Clothes: A few pieces. I've noticed that shirts aren't long enough for me anymore. I did buy a pair of maternity capris but I still have some regular pants that fit as well. I'm wearing a lot of sundresses and those I had pre-pregnancy are fitting just fine.

Gender: We find out the week of May 20...and I cannot wait!

Movement: Right now it just feels like the baby is tickling me. Or thumping me. I'm just glad to be able to feel him/her!

Sleep: I've become addicted to pillows and basically build a fort around myself every night in order to sleep well. B hates it.

What I miss: Nothing that I can think of...

Cravings: Still fruit! Watermelon, strawberries and grapes. Oranges now give me insane heartburn!

Symptoms: I still get stretching cramps here and there but that's about it. And gigantic boobies.

What I’m looking forward to:
Finding out what we're having. Boy or girl, I really don't care, I just want to know!

Sorry for the craptastic picture but I wanted to share my belly with you all. This was late last night. We had just got home from church stuffing boxes to send to Alabama and I'm looking rough!

Confessions of a SAHW

"What do you do all day?"

What? You don't enjoy cleaning?

This is a question I get asked a lot, by a lot of people. I also get the very snarky, "Must be nice." Well, ya know what, it is nice!

Had you told me 5 or 6 years ago that I would be a stay at home wife with no babies, or perhaps, as the case is, a baby on the way, I probably would have laughed and then been instantly insulted. After all, I had a college degree and I knew exactly what I wanted to do.

Just over three years ago I married my handsome B and I quit my super exciting job working in communications for a mid-sized petrochemical company (note the sarcasm) in preparation of a move to the big city of Shreveport, La (again, sarcasm). Leaving Houston was not ideal but it made for a great way for dear husband and I to become completely debt free.

I was the only 24 year old I knew that had all of my student loans paid off. Nice.

And I always dress like her.

However, I digress big time!, it lasted about a month before I got really sulky and bored. I mean, you can only clean a 2-bedroom apartment so much. So, I became a nanny to the cutest little boy in west Houston until it came time for us to move and for me to work 6 days a week for a boss who had no clue what she was doing.

Fast forward to two years of working and writing later and here I am. Going on nearly nine months of being a stay at home wife. Yes, "working from home", but honestly, who am I kidding. I am a stay at home wife.

And damn proud of it.

So, I have decided to occasionally give you a little confession from a SAHW, dear readers, so that you can fully understand what it is that I really do all day.

Confession #1:

Some days I don't get out of my pajamas.

And then my sweet husband calls and I look like this....

I hurry to change, get cute, and then put my PJs back on after he sees me looking cute.

Don't hate.

Mother's Day

This weekend was a tad bit crazy. We went on a four hour road trip to visit B's grandparents and then headed back at 5 a.m. Sunday morning to see my nephews be dedicated to the church and then to celebrate Mother's Day with my moms.

After church I went with my mom and stepdad to have lunch at a local Mexican restaurant. Even though I ate my weight in food, it was nice to spend time with the family.

After lunch I headed over to my grandma's house to see my stepmom and my dad and the rest of the gang.

Mother's Day has always been a time for my family to get together, eat too much, swim (30 minutes after eating), and just hang out. This year was different to me. Being a soon-to-mommy, I really felt the meaning behind Mother's Day. It was the first time that I felt something more than just "Oh, let's celebrate my momma today."

You see, when my mom was pregnant with me, she was advised by several doctors that pregnancy was not a great idea for her. She had some medical problems and lost 2 babies before me and one after me. I am her only child. While I have always been extremely grateful for her choice, this year was different.

We've always had issues but with me having a baby on the way the way I see things has changed.

She literally put her life up for mine before I was even born. Suddenly, all the "bad" things she did growing up didn't matter. I am so thankful that I do not have to make that decision. I love my unborn child more than I could ever have imagined imagine.

This year, for the first time, I really sympathized with what it meant to be on bed rest for 9 months, to gain 70 pounds and to wish for something so badly to work out.

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Surprisingly, I actually received some great gifts for Mothers Day.

As well as this text that had me sobbing at 7:45 a.m. Sunday morning:

"The moment you started carrying that baby in your

tummy you became a mother. Happy First Mother's

Day my precious Stevy Lou...I love you."

(My name is not Stevy Lou, but this is what my aunt has always called me.)

The first book is from my sister for me to read to the baby. The second is a set of bible studies I got from my own mom.

I got this super cute stella&dot bracelet from my grandma as well as the Willow Tree person below.

The Sea of Magic necklace is from Bobby. He was so sweet and I was beyond shocked. Honestly, when he said he got me something, I was fully expecting a gift card for maternity clothes or something like that. Not a white gold diamond and pearl necklace. But he did good! He went to Jared. ;0)

And this is my beautiful Goddaughter, Amelia Grace. She is absolutely precious and I love that child like there is no tomorrow!

I hope you all enjoyed your Mother's Day!