WE'RE HAVING A.......

A BOY!!!

HAYDEN JOSEPH LAWRENCE IS DUE JULY 31st, 2012

 

We are SO excited and now we're in suspense no longer!!  Now I've got to get Emma's room ready to share with the new baby!  And since we're having a boy, I've definitely got to paint the pink room a different color! LOL!!!

17 weeks and counting!!

I went to the doctor on Monday of this week and after the baby finally sat still long enough, they found the heartbeat with the handheld dopplar and the HB was 152.  This baby's heartbeat is running between 152 and 176.  Emma's ran very high as well!  They also did bloodwork to run the screening for Downs Syndrome, Spina Bifida, etc.  I spoke with them today and they said the test came back good!!  I'm still feeling tired and a little out of breath at times, my feet aren't wanting to fit comfortable in my shoes anymore and my belly is definitely growing.  And as with Emma, I'm all belly!  From my last appointment to Monday, 1 months time, I hadn't gained any weight which is a good thing.  The sad thing that I found out is that after March, my doctor will no longer be delivering babies:-(  SO, that means I have to change doctors.  Thankfully there are two other doctors in town that are very nice, so they're switching all of my files and paperwork over to Dr. Riley. 

I've been having quite a bit of trouble with migranes, as I have for the past few years so Dr. Watlington gave me a precription for some medicine to help with them, since Tylenol doesn't even phase them.  He also gave me one for Zantac as I have heartburn trouble.  Thankfully it isn't as bad as when I was pregnant with Emma.  Before my appointment was over I asked him if he thought we could do an ultrasound this next week to find out what the baby is, since I'll be 18 weeks on Tuesday.  I was so happy when he said, "I think we could do that!"

So... on Wednesday Feb. 29th, I've got an ultrasound scheduled to find out whether we'll be having Hayden Joseph or Hannah Grace!!  Emma seems to think the baby's a girl and has said that repeatedly since I found out I was pregnant.  She always asks about Baby Sissy and when asked if she thinks the baby will be Hannah or Hayden, she always says Hannah!  Maybe she knows something none of us do?!? 

Today, I'm 17 weeks and 2 days and the weather has been absolutely beautiful!!  Emma and I went to town earlier to run our usual Thursday errands.  We went to the playground to play.  Even with all of the rain we had yesterday, we were still able to play thanks to Mr. Sunshine!  By the time we got there, the sun had dried up most of the water from yesterday!  We were the only people there and Emma had the playground all to herself!  This of course never happens!  We stopped at Lacazona and ate out on the patio!!  Then as soon as we got home, we went right back outside to play!!  We're trying to enjoy every second of the beautiful, warm day today since it'll be the last one we'll see for a while!

13 weeks and counting...

Well, I hit the 13 week mark today and I still feel pretty rough to say the least!  I went yesterday for another check-up.  My doctor told me I could stop taking my progestrone supplement (YAY!).  I was more than happy to hear that because when I take it, it makes me feel as if I'm sitting on a merry-go-round spinning at about 50 miles an hour!  My blood pressure was good and I'm having no issues.  The only issue we're having is that they can't pick up this stubborn child's heartbeat via doppler.  SO, I'm scheduled for another ultrasound in the morning at 9am to just check to make sure that everything is okay.  My doctor isn't concerned seeing as how I've had no problems at all.  The last 2 weeks have been a little rough with Emma and I both being sick off and on and my abdominal muscles stretching apart.  Shew, it felt like someone had fence-stretchers pulling them apart in my stomach.  At times it feels like someone is taking an ax to my lower back.  Other than the normal issues of pregnancy, all is going good and I'm hoping that next Tuesday when I hit my 2nd trimester that I'll get my energy back!!!

Couponing trip: June 13, 2011

Today I went to Wags and got the following

Transaction #1:
Lysol No-touch hand soap dispenser
Dial body wash
2 fillers
Used $3/1 , and $2/1 body wash
Used $5.99 in RR from my last trip
Paid $4.77 and got $5RR
$0.23MM


Transaction #2
Lysol Toilet bowl cleaner (2)
Airwick Freshmatic ultra
Dial body wash
colgate toothbrush
2 fillers
Used $4/1 Airwick, BOGO Wags Lysol TB cleaner, and $2/1 Dial
Used $8 in RR from my last trip
Paid $10.74 and got $7RR
$3.74 OOP

Transaction #3
Airwick Freshmatic Ultra
Dial body wash
colgate toothbrush
2 fillers
Used $4/1 Airwick, $2/1 Dial
Used $10 in RR from my last trip
Paid $5.75 and got $7RR
$1.25 MM


Transaction #4
Airwick Freshmatic ultra
dial body wash
3 fillers
Used $4/1 Airwick, $2/1 Dial
Used $6 in RR
Paid $0.15 and got $5RR
$4.85 MM

My wags trip was a $2.59 MM.
I have $7RR left to use for next time. 

Then on to Rite Aid we went! 

Transaction #1
4- Soft Scrub Cleaners
2- Arm and Hammer toothpaste
Used 2- BOGO coupons for Soft Scrub, $0.75 A&H coupon
Used $3/$15 trip coupon, $4 in +UP rewards
Paid $5.23 and got $6 in +UP rewards
$0.77 MM


Transaction #2
4- AXE body sprays
2- Dial body wash
1- Bayer Advanced
Used 2- BOGO AXE coupons, $2/1 Bayer, and used $12 in +UP rewards from my last trip
Paid $8.85 and got $9.99 in +UP rewards
$1.14 MM
I will get a $1.99 MIR from Bayer Advanced.

I have $9.99 in +UP rewards left to use next time.

Here's my final talley:
TOTAL RETAIL: $168.75
TOTAL SAVINGS: $6.49
TOTAL OOP: $175.24
SAVINGS OF 104%

If you add in all of the extra +UP rewards and RR I have left to use for my next trip, I actually made over $6 and saved 104%.

My couponing trips June 8, 2011

Well, today I went to Wags and Rite Aid to get some more good deals!!  I've been desperately wanting to start a diaper stockpile and opportunity presented itself today!!!  I got a total of 6 packs of diapers and paid virtually NOTHING!!!!!  My first stop was at my FABULOUS Wags store!!

Here's my breakdown:
Transaction #1
- Pampers diapers
- (3) Downey fabric softner
- SOBE lifewater

Used $1.50/1 Pampers coupon, $1/1 Downey and 2- $0.50/1 Downey, and $10 in RR from Monday's trip
Got $4.99 in RR
Total OOP: $3.46

Transaction #2
- Pampers diapers
- Proglide razor
- Filler: $0.49 gummy bears
- SOBE lifewater

Used $4/1 Gillette, $1.50/1 Pampers, used 2- $2 RR from Monday's trip
Got $6.99 in RR
Total OOP: $3.87

Transaction #3
- Pampers diapers
- Nivea men's body wash (2)
- SOBE

Used 2- $2/1 Nivea mens, used $1.50/1 Pampers, used $5 RR from Monday's trip
Got $3.99 in RR
Total OOP: $2.49

Transaction #4
- Pampers diapers
- Fusion proglide razor
- (2) nivea men's body wash
- (2) $0.49 Gummy worms

Used $1.50/1 Pampers, $4/1 Gillette razor, 2-$2/1 Nivea mens, used $3.99 in RR from transaction #3.
Got $8 in RR
Total OOP: $4.88

Transaction totals:
RETAIL: $105.39
TOTAL OOP: $14.70
TOTAL SAVINGS: $90.69
86%!!!!!!!!

My next stop was at Rite Aid!!  We have an AWESOME Rite Aid and have some of sweetest gals working there!!  They just love Emma and I believe that the feeling is mutual!  She enjoys going in there too because they know her by name and love seeing her sweet smile!!  I wanted the Oral B toothbrushes but they were sold out:-(  So I settled for diapers and here's my breakdown:

I bought 2 Pampers cruisers diapers at $8.97 each!
Total $17.94

Used 2- $1.50/1 Pampers, 2- $4.99 +UP, and a $3 off of a $15 purchase coupon

Got $4 +UP

I made $2.04!!!

How awesome is that????  I GOT PAID TO BUY DIAPERS!!!!!!  Seriously people, in this day and age, as expensive as everything is, coupons can really help you to save a TON of money!!!  Since I began couponing 3 months ago, I've saved over $1320 for my family and have a HUGE donation box!!!  The donation items will be going to 2 local shelters and to our Ladies group at church to make baskets for people in the hospital!!!  Lovin' my FUN new hobby!!!!

Couponing trip: June 6, 2011

Today I took Emma and Avery couponing with me!  They only get along about 50% of the time so I was definitely in for it today!  We still had fun even though it was insanly hot:-(  Our ladies group at church is beginning to collect items again for hospital baskets so some of the H&B items will go into my huge donation box that I have at home which is currently overflowing!  Here's how I did today:

Ragu Pasta Sauce-
  I bought 24 jars of sauce
  Retail: $44.20
  Paid: $23.70
  Savings: $20.50  or 46% 
  Not the best savings, but I ran into some issues at Kroger grr..:-(

Pampers Diapers-
  I bought 2 packages
  Retail: $23.98
  Paid: $9.96
  Savings: $14.02 or 58%
  I'm VERY happy with how little I paid for diapers!!  We go through at least 30 every 5 days so the more diapers the better!!!

Ban deoderant-
  I bought 4
  Retail: $11.96
  Paid: $4.96
  Savings $7.00 or 59%
 
Gillette Deoderant- bought 2
  Retail $9.98
  Paid $4.99
  Savings $4.99 50%

Gillette shaving cream- 2
  Retail $7.35
  Paid $4.36
  Savings $3.00

Gillette Fusion Po glide razor
  Retail $12.99
  Paid $0.89
  Savings $12.10 or 93%

Gillette Body wash - 2
  Retail $9.98
  Paid $4.99
  Savings $4.99

For ALL of the Gillette items that I bought I got $10 in RR at Wags:-)  So I only paid $5.23 OOP!!

BIC disposable razors
I bought 8!
  Retail: $47.92
  Paid $7.92
  Savings $40.00 or 83%

All free & clear- 8- 50oz. bottles
  Retail $40.00
  Paid $15.92
  Savings $24.08 or 60%

Suave deoderant- 6
  Retail $7.44
  Paid $2.82
  Savings $4.65 or 63%

Zest Bar Soap
  Retail $12.00
  Paid $7.50, $0.42/ bar
  Savings $4.50
  This isn't that great of a deal but our Ladies group at church is getting baskets together for hospitals and this was the cheapest I'd found this!

Nivea body wash
  Retail $17.96
  Paid $2.00
  Savings $15.96

TOTALS:
  Retail $235.08
  Paid $75.02
  Savings $160.06

I saved a total of 68%!!  Considering that this included diapers and laundry detergent, I'm pretty happy with my total savings:-)  Of course I have to be the one who's allergic to EVERYTHING!!!  and has to use the expensive laundry soap, hence the purchase of 8 bottles!

Walmart trip 6/3/2011

   My husband and I met up at Walmart yesterday to buy a couple of shelves to help with the lack of storage space in our house!  Since my stockpile is building like crazy, we needed a little extra room!  My husband is awesome because he LOVES the stockpile almost as much as I do!  He loves the fact that whenever he runs out of something he always has more waiting on the shelf! 
   Of course I took my binder along and while waiting for him to get there, Emma and I took a stroll through the health and beauty section to see what goodies we could find!  We found some great deals and also found one thing in food that was under $1!

Here's what I got:
* 7- boxes of Curad bandaids $0.96
    used 7- $0.50/1 coupon (? insert 5/22)
    FP: $0.46 each

* 3- bottles of Vaseline intensive hand cream $1.87
    used 3- $1/1 coupon (? insert 5/22)
    FP: $0.87 each

* 2- Skintimate shave gels $1.42
   used 2- $0.55/1 coupon (? insert 5/22)
   FP: $0.92 each
  ~ This particular coupon included the trial size, so that's what I got:-)

*2- Edge shave gels $1.42
  used $0.55/1 coupon (? insert 5/22)
  FP: $0.92 each
 ~ This coupon also included the trial size, PLUS I got a FREE razor with each one:-)

*1- Garnier root lifter $2.86
  used $1/1 Garnier styling product (http://www.coupons.com/)
  FP: $1.86
  ~ I bought this mainly because my hair has NO volume and it needs a little help!   Plus I had a coupon which made this deal even sweeter!!

*1- 3 bar Zest bath soap $2.47
  used $1/1 3-bars (? insert 5/22)
  FP: $1.47 or $0.49/bar

*1- 10oz. Kikkoman soy sauce $1.66
  used $1/1 printable
  FP: $0.66

My total retail price for everything was $25
My total OOP: $13.50
My total savings $11.50

It's only about a 47% savings which isn't as high as I wanted it to be, but I did get several things and only paid more than $1 for 2 items!!