Saturday, March 28, 2009

A Day at the Beach





Despite the fact it was a little overcast this morning, we decided to venture out to the beach for the first trip of the year. It was a beautiful, relaxing, and windy day. So windy, that mommy (me) lost control of our brand new Nemo kite and it flew out to sea. That sucker stayed in the air until it was only a speck. I feel awful it ended up out there, but there was just no catching it!
The water was chilly aka freaking freezing, but the boys didnt mind at all, and jumped right in!

Friday, March 27, 2009

Super Savings...a day early

I am so happy to have my coupons organized and running again!

Earlier in the week a friend (Hi Melissa) told me about Kohls coupons you could find online, I ordered 20 on ebay. The coupons was for $5/$5 purchase! After 4 visits to Kohls, I picked up 12 6packs of socks, 2 packs of boxers and 10 shirts for the boys for only the cost of sales tax!! I also got myself 2 necklaces and a pair of earrings!

Thanks to HotCouponWorld I knew that Publix was going to have Goodlife Cat food on bogo, I ordered 16 $2/1 qs from Ebay (there are also $3/1qs but they cost a lot more).
I was able to get @ Publix:
12 bags of Goodlife cat food sale bogo $4.49
used 12 $2/1 qs
4 boxes of Ritz sale bogo $3.69
used 2 $2/2qs
Total oop $9.xx!
I wont need cat food for months!

My actual grocery shopping did not go as well. Note to self, DO NOT TAKE dh and three kids grocery shopping with you at 7pm! Well heres to next week!

Monday, March 23, 2009

Super Cheap Razors @ Walgreeens

So I bit the bullet and clipped and organized nearly all my coupons! It took 2 days, but its done. With my purty and full coupon box I ran out to Walgreen to take advantage of the deals for this week.
Transaction 1
Fusion Gamer Razors sale $8.99 earn 4 register rewards
used $4/1 q
total oop $5.62

Transaction 2
Ladies Quatro Razor sale $8.99
used $4/1 Easy saver q and $4/1 q from this weeks paper
Revlon Nail clippers $3.29
used $1/1 easy saver q and $1/1 q
Awesome steal of the day
2 pack of Walgreen's CRV3 camera batteries normally $15.99
on clearance for $2!!!!
Used 4 RR earned on transaction 1
Total oop $1.28

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Reasons Living in Florida Doesn't Suck


Disney, nuf said.

A January sunset means its about 65 degrees (most of the time, there were a few FREEZING days this winter).

Since our love for being able to breathe out weighs our love of Disney, we take the summer off from going and spend our weekends at the beach. We live about the same distance from both places. I can't fathom living anywhere else!

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

I Think I Should Just Start Over.

Notice I haven't been posting any deals?
I am ashamed to admit, I have no coupons clipped. NONE, zero,zip, zlich.
I am overwhelmed with the giant stack of unclipped coupons sitting on my counter. I went through them and sadly threw away all the expired/wasted ones and the stack is still huge. I did dig through and find my YOGO qs and got some super cheap at Publix.
So here is my dilemma, should I just start over? Start clipping this weeks coupons and organize those and try to get back on track that way? Or take 3 days out of my life to clip and organize a zillion coupons, possibly losing my mind in the process?
Last week I bought a TON of meat on sale at Albertson's so I didn't need any coupons, but we are finally starting to run out of cereal and pasta. I need to get on track.
Anyone have any great deals to get me excited? Or any ideas on getting organized. PLEASEEE.
I have finally recovered from the stress of last week, only to have the littlest get sick tonight.
Seems like I will never catch up, but that's life as a mom!

Friday, March 13, 2009

24 Hours in my life....Update make that 36 hours

Yesterday was my Birthday, after Noah's post op dental appointment the entire family (including my sister) piled in the van headed out to Disney. Noah started to get worked up on the tram ride into the park and was flipping out when we got off. And as we stepped off he jumped on me and BAM I was going down. I managed not to fall on my arse in front of hundreds of people, thank goodness, but I did sprain my ankle and pop my knee out of socket. Thirty minutes, a wheelchair, ice pack, and an ace bandage later we were on our way to dinner. When we got there, we realized we(as in dh)had lost my shoes(couldn't get one on my huge ankle). The evening turned out to be pretty good, despite my pain. My dad and his girlfriend, who I share a birthday with, met us out there.
This morning, I managed to hobble around and grocery shop. I picked up some great deals, which I will post about next.
Flash forward to this afternoon, Noah is once again in a tizzy, because his favorite aid went home sick and he had a sub. The house is in turmoil, as I type this the toilet needs to be taken apart (something is stuck in it) it keeps overflowing, there is bologna stuck to the floor of the playroom, but dinner is actually cooking.
A huge pot of Jambalaya, sans the thyme which one of my dear kiddos poured out in the backyard.
While cooking this dinner, I burned my boob on the stove. Yep, that's right my BOOB.
Is it bedtime yet?
***********Well I woke up this morning to a #2 explosion in the bathroom. I crawled to Ace and picked up the needed parts to repair the toilet and proceeded to spend and hour elbow deep in the #2 sludge, where I retrieved the sparkley bouncy ball from the bowels of the toilet. I am not gasping for breath as a I may have fried my lungs with Bleach trying to clean up the mess.****************

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

2 Years Ago Today **Warning not a happy story

Two years ago today, I was smack in the middle of every pregnant woman's nightmare.

I was almost 5 months pregnant and feeling great about it, after a scare the week before(not being able to find his heartbeat with the Doppler) an ultrasound showed a wiggly very much alive baby. But the relief was short lived...

On March 3th I went to bed feeling achy, pretty common when you are in the second trimester with a 4th pregnancy, but woke up to a soaked bed at about 3 am. I knew right away my water had broken, I rushed to the hospital knowing there was little they could do if it was the case. The ultrasound confirmed my fears, but also gave me hope. My water was leaking, but there was still plenty of fluid and the baby
looked ok. I was to go home and stay in bed til the doctor could see me.

I was at the doctors as soon as they opened... Only to be berated by him.
I was informed there was no way my water had broken, and that due to my weight I had probably wet the bed and didn't know the difference. As I was there the aches turned to cramping, but my concerns were still brushed aside. I left frustrated, terrified, and determined to find help.
I drove to a hospital in Orlando, only to be turned away because my doctor didn't have privileges there and refused to let me be seen.
By then I was almost doubled over in pain, so I went to yet another hospital, this time NOT giving my OB's name, until after I was seen. I could feel the baby kicking much harder than I had before as I lay there, I was also feeling full contractions.
The staff doctor came to my room with tears in his eyes (God bless him, he was a nice man), the ultrasound revealed almost no water and a our little one's heartbeat was only 60. The doctor estimated he would be gone by morning. I was told to see my ob in the morning to discuss delivery options. I was alone for this news, as dh was home with the other 3 kids and it was again the middle of night. I came home and collapsed in bed, numb. I could still feel the baby kicking, but less so. I eventually drifted to sleep. In the morning the kicks were gone, and I knew so was our son.
I was in less of a rush to return to the a$$hole doctors office, but knew I need to go. I refused care of the doctor from the previous day and demanded to see the other doctor in the practice. They did another ultrasound to confirm what I already knew; but seeing him still, with no heartbeat on their 50in ultrasound screen, shattered me.
I couldn't stop sobbing. The in office u/s tech who did all 3 other boys ultrasounds was very sympathetic, but once again the doctors were not.

I was informed I would be induced to deliver him, right away.
I was confused by this as I had 3 previous csections was told under no circumstances should I labor.

Through my tears (or hysterical sobbing), I told myself it would be over soon.
I had no idea how wrong I was. It took 5 days of induced labor, with hemorrhaging, to deliver him. Everyday I begged for a d&c, but was refused.
DH and I were both beyond exhaustion, when our son made his way into the world still.
Though we had known. he had passed on days ago, when he was born I shattered again. He was no longer a part of me, gone forever.
As soon as he was born the nurse* knew why we lost him. It was clear to her, what 6 ultrasounds had missed, he had complete Anencephaly . Our sons brain was missing and the top of his head was not closed. He would have had 0% change of survival. His autopsy revealed no brain tissue. We named him Malakai (Kai) Zachary.
I left the hospital the following morning and the next day (my birthday) was at a funeral home to collect his ashes.

I thought the pain would never end. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't move past his loss. I wrote Kai letters, I questioned every part of my life, I pushed away friends, and seriously lacked as a mom to my other 3 children.

The following months were nearly the end of my marriage. All the books tell you to be prepared; you will grieve differently and that it can cause resentment. Nothing prepares you for the tornado of feelings that the loss of a child creates.

Emotionally, I managed to survive and so did my marriage. My dh should be sainted for those months alone.

When everything settled and my brain resumed function, we resolved to have another baby. I would have never guessed 2 years and 3 more losses later, we would still be without a baby.

The other losses have been hard, but nowhere near the same. I am much stronger person than I was 2 years ago and I have Kai to thank for that.
But, I still grieve on some level, I think I always will.
* the nurses were freaking amazing and super supportive.

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Thanks and if you wouldnt mind...

Thanks to those of you who read this for hanging in with me while I have been a not very consistent blogger. Besides being buried in unclipped coupons, we have had a bunch going on this week. Noah will be having dental surgery on Monday early morning, he needs to have so much done they will be putting him under general anaesthesia. I am a nervous wreck. So for those of you who pray, wouldn't mind praying that everything goes and he comes out of it OK, and I don't lose my mind wait for him. It would be greatly appreciated!
Also, I am on spring break from school the week after this coming one and plan on some serious coupon clipping and organizing... I will be back to my frugal self!