I'm slowly coming back.....

I've been dehydrated now 6 times, I've lost 20 pounds, and I'm 17 weeks now. Wow. Amazing experience. I can honestly say the only way I have made it through the last 13 weeks is that I have been carried through....the only way I can see.

The baby seems to be fine - the doctors only concern is about nutrition. I have to check my ketones daily, and when they're high go to L&D for more iv hydration. The problem is that often even water causes me to vomit, and when I am dehdrated, everything that goes in, if I can get it down, goes right back up. It's an interesting experience. I go back to the doctor in a week - we'll see what he says then!!! :D

I'm getting into something new though - I am doing my best to save $1000 before the baby comes. Now that's only going to come from me spending less out of my cash budget, and selling little things either via garage sale or craigslist. I also am going to see what I can save on bills too - anything less than what we budget allows me to put that extra in savings. I plan on presenting my husband with that $1K right before we have our baby, telling him that it's in part to pay for the delivery. I think he'll LOVE it - it'd be a nice surprise for him.

So what I've done so far today is made a homemade cake for his lunches (deleting the need for prepackaged little debbies) and I had DH string a rope for me from the tree to the swing set for a temporary clothesline and I hung out 3 loads of clothes. In the 95+ degree weather it was a sacrifice, but that alone saved me $1.50 on the electric bill since our dryer typically uses $.50 worth with every load. :)

Also am going to start cloth diapering - anyone have any suggestions there? I'm looking at buying used, and I of course and going with the cheapest method - flats/prefolds with covers. I seriously think this will save tons - maybe not so much now since Ryan only goes through 6-8 diapers a day, but especially with the new little one. I cloth diapered with Ryan for 2 months, but I got caught up in a forum online where a lot of mamas are in the obsession and collecting mode - one mama alone has over $5,000 in just diapers!!!!!! WOW! When you buy the really expensive though beautiful diapers, it's not really saving you money, and that was my peeve last time. Using cheaper options should help this time!

It's time to drag things off the line, so off I go!

I'm FINALLY back!!!

I've been in the hospital, so thats why no blogs in the past little while.

Wendi - I'm getting your shoebox out today, PLEASE forgive me for the delay. I'm soooooo terribly sorry - I feel awful. It's going out. :)

Monica & Carrie - THANK YOU for working with me on this! I appreciate you trusting me.

So the hospital...I've been so very very sick. I never wish this on ANYONE. I've lost over 10% of my body weight in the last few weeks, and I ended up being severely dehydrated and my kidneys almost stopped functioning due to the lack of fluids for so long. My body also had to deal with slight ketosis - it was bad bad bad. No matter what, I'm having to force liquids, no matter how I feel. I've had people in and out of my home, cooking, cleaning, taking care of Ryan, all I while I lay helplessly watching. We have decided this is probably our last baby, as I can't go through this again. I had slight hg with Ryan, I was on zofran until 25 weeks with him. I'm almost 12 now, so hopefully God will see fit to allow me to have a relief sooner than later. The last day or so I've felt decently well, I cooked supper AND ate a tiny plate with my family for the first time in a LONG time. Poor DH, he's been so stressed.

In other news though - all is well. Just had to quickly update before I go unpack the groceries that we desperately were in need of! Last time I went I almost passed out so I've not been going regularly, we've kind of lived strange meals out of the freezer/pantry. :)

Please pray for amy - she has been on the couch for the last few days, unable to eat anything or to even get up without doubling over. The doctor has diagnosed her with Hyperemesis Gravidarum. We're just trying to keep her hydrated for the baby's sake. Please pray. :( She hopes to be back blogging very soon.

Introducing baby T!!!!

Beautiful Beating Heart!!!! - Due 11/19 - Only one baby this time!

I cried when I was laying there watching the little flicker. :)

What hath the Lord done for THEE!!!!

There's an old hymn by the name of my title, and I couldn't help but think of it tonight when DH called from work.



See - he works for Nissan, and through his company we can get an incredible, incredible deal on a car. I in NO way have to have an expensive car - AT ALL, I would be very comfy in something very small and cheap, but our current car even though it's more expensive and nice, it's a bum. Constantly broken. The price of cars right now is insane - and it's just crazy. We have to make payments on this new car, but it's $160 per month at 0% interest, and we're selling our car now and just putting that money in an account that will earn interest, pulling the payment from that money every month. Insurance is only $40 per month as well. Anyway, I don't like the idea of a payment, but we have to agree on this payment to get the deal. anyway - it's a 2008 Nissan Altima!

Anyway, we were really praying that God would work this out if it was his will soon - the car I'm driving just isn't working for us - even though it's only 2 years old and we paid dearly for it. (cash, no debt, just paid more than we should have the night after we had a drunk driver total our other car!) Anyway, they say at his job that these cars since they're deeply discounted take a minimum of 3 months to get it. We are planning on going to church camp in May, and I really prayed that God would work this out before then, knowing that according to his job it wouldn't come in until much later.

Well.........

Tim called a minute ago from work to tell me his letter came today that the car is ready for pickup on April 17th!!!!! That's 8 DAYS, people!!!!!!!!!! 8 days!!!!!

Now what hath the Lord done for THEE!!!! Cause that's a huge huge blessing I Feel - to take 3 months down to 8 days - WOW!!!!!!

In other news, we go tomorrow for my 1st ultrasound with this baby - please keep me in your thoughts. I'm a tad nervous, having lost 3 littles I can't help but kind of cringe inside. :)

Menu Plan Monday - on a tuesday!!!! haha!

I'm late, I know, but pretend its' 24 hours ago, k? :)

Breakfasts

Eggs, Toast

Waffles, Syrup & fruit

Cereal, fruit

Lunches

Subway (my mom provided)

Hot Dog, green beans

leftover bean burritos

homemade lunchables, cheerio mix

out with mama

Dinners

Bean Burritos

Baked Rub Chicken, New Potatoes, Green Beans

Biscuits, Bacon & Gravy

Chicken Stir-fry over Rice

Dinner at Tim's moms house

Grilled Steak, Baked Potatoes, leftover green veggies or salad

Desserts

Amish Friendship bread

Doughnuts

lotsa twinkies and prepkged cakes (my little brother gets them at work from their bread man free!)

OODLES of groceries today!

Publix: $11.68
Shoe Polish: $2.49
12 jello's - $2.99
Caramel Corn Cakes - $1.20
Cough Drops - $.99
Bread - $.01
Flowers - $3.00

Kroger - $43.00
10 lbs Chicken Quarters - $2.49
2 lbs. ground turkey - $1.98
2 pkgs chicken thighs - $2.80
4 cans of tuna @ $.69 - $2.76
Veggie Oil - $2.50
2 liter cola - $.65
Ritz - $2 - $.50 promo = $1.50
Aluminum Foil - $2.50
3 dozen eggs - $5
Gallon of Fruit Punch $2.50 - $.50 promo = $2
vanilla pudding mixes - $.30 for small, $.69 for large - $.99
Frozen stirfry veggies - $1.13
Fritos - $1.50 - $.50 promo = $1
Frozen Waffles (pregnancy craving) 2 @ $1.08 each - $2.16
Sour Cream - $1.16
4 pkgs goldfish - $1 - $.50 promo - $.50 each - $2.00
Pudding Snacks - $.91
2 aussie shampoos - $2.50 each, - $2/2 copuon - $1.50 each - $3
apples & pears - ?
Excedrin - $1 - $3 coupon = $2 overage

Farmer's Market - $7.70
Bananas - ?
Red potatoes (reduced)- $.99
Lettuce (reduced) - $.99
3 red peppers (reduced) - $.99
cuke - $.79
10 lbs. potatoes - $1.99



All in all a pretty good day. I got a lot of meat on clearance - my favorite buy of the day was the chicken for $.249 per lb. :) I did try to buy some Dove Shampoo - things were really busy, I read the coupon as $3 on one, it was actually for 2, so after buying 4 shampoos and losing my coupons I went back and tried to get my money back. I told them I had a coupon and they still gave me full price back. I argued to give them the money overage back, but they refused - so I ended up making $6 on that. NOT my intention, and I feel very guilty with this money, but what do you do? I tried to make it right and the guy told me to forget it - he couldn't get teh coupon to prove, so store policy was to give the full amount. :) Then I got home and PRAISE GOD we had a check for $489 from our home in TN - the overage on the escrow account. What a blessing!!!! Excellent Shopping - Excellent mail day, WOW!!!! Tim slept 16 hours last night - I couldn't BELIEVE it!!!! WOW!!

We had a rather horrible weekend, though - in some ways. Friday night we had to attend a birthday party for a young man in church - he turned 5 and we had a wonderful time. I was sick most of the time, but it was so sweet to see him. At the end of the party though, we got a call that one of our dear pastors was killed in a motorcycle accident. He wasn't our pastor, but the one of a sister congregation. We all fellowshipped together - we still have several campmeetings every year and all the pastors are thought of as OUR pastors, they are so special to us. He is the father of 4 children, the youngest is only 6. That tore us up for the weekend. But...precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.

Saturday Tim went and helped at one of those campgrounds - it's aroun 2.5 hours away, and coming pu in May we will spend a week there. It's not a typical "church camp" where you ride horses and swim, it's an OLD Fashioned CAMPMEETING - services 3 times a day, meals on the grounds, etc. We have plenty of time to play volleyball, games, or just sit and talk with people who travel all over the world to stay in block dormitories - no air at all, in the middle of an alabama summer!! It's truly the HIGHLIGHT of our summers! Anyway, it needs work close to the time, so our men travel several weekends during april and may to help paint, build and clean. The women go next week and the week directly before the meeting. Cannot wait!

Sunday was church, then home where I fixed lunch and napped for a while. This baby makes me very, very tired for sure!

We are planning on finally notifying the doctor that I am pregnant again this week.

Also, Tim JUST called to let me know that yes, in fact we DID get the car we needed - we're going to be driving a wonderful wonderful car soon!!!! Such a blessing!!!

I am also looking in to buying cloth diapers for the new baby - does anyone have any suggestions on the cheapest and neatest ways? Tim is adamant that it doesn't save money when you factor in electricity and washing costs, so I'm trying to respectfully gather information so that I can prove that it will save money - especially with two in diapers! :) Information would be SO appreciated! Please leave me a comment if you read - I really need the encouragement to keep blogging!! I'll be back with Menus soon!