Coupon Craze

I have always wondered why people spend time cutting coupons. How much money could they really be saving? Well, it was me who was wasting time and money by NOT cutting coupons all of these years! With the guidance of my friend, Elizabeth, I have become an avid coupon cutter. Sitting down with the Sunday circulars has become my newest hobby. Now that we are a one income family, it is imperative that we make every dollar count. Nick and I have tried to streamline our finances, but it is hard to transition to one pay check after having two for so long.

I did our grocery shopping this week at Publix and Walgreens. I bought enough food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for seven days (we are trying to eat out a lot less). Here are my totals from each store:

Walgreens

Spent - $30.19

Saved - $18.95

Publix

Spent - $75.86

Saved - $29.83

Total Savings - $48.78

I know a lot of people who probably could have done better than this, but I am SO thrilled with my savings! If I can do this each month, that puts an extra $200 in our pockets.

Here are some of the links to the websites that I have used to get started on becoming a savvy shopper. I hope they will help you save big, too!

Life With the Lyngs

Fiddledeedee

Freebies 4 Mom

Walgreens

Printable Coupons

Happy shopping!!!

Happy Half-Birthday!

Six Months Old Today

Sitting all by myself

Solid food RULES!!!

Okay, so I am two weeks late with this post. Charlie turned 6 months on September 7th, and I apologize for being a bad blogger mommy.


It might just be my imagination, but I swear Charlie has become a different baby recently. He seems like such a big boy all of a sudden. He is now sitting up on his own for a few minutes at a time and can roll and turn in all directions. We have to be careful to keep a close eye on him when he is on the floor now. In a matter of seconds he can make his way across the room. All of this moving and shaking is causing some trouble at night. Charlie moves all over the place and sometimes gets caught with a leg or arm between the bars of the crib. On the plus side, he now wakes up from sleep and is content to play in his crib for up to ten minutes before letting us know he is ready to get up. He has a musical aquarium in his crib that he has figured out how to turn on. Often, I will hear the music click on and off over the baby monitor. What a smart kiddo!


The little guy still loves to talk, and his favorite sounds to make are ma-ma-ma and ba-ba-ba. I love to hear the ma-ma-ma because it means I am getting closer to hearing my son call me mama soon! If he is not making these sounds, he is usually screeching at the top of his lungs. Nick and I are now the couple that you pray not to sit next to in a restaurant. What can I say, the kid likes the sound of his own voice (I wonder who he got that from???).


We took Charlie for his 6 months check-up, and the doctor gave us the green light to start solid foods on a regular basis. Up until now, we have held off because of his tender tummy. Charlie is now eating solids twice a day, and he LOVES it! He has liked everything that he has tried so far, but his two favorites are squash and sweet potatoes. I cannot get the food on the spoon fast enough! It is amazing how quickly he has put on weight since starting the solids. You can already see the rolls forming on his arms, legs, and tummy. This is exciting because he is only in the 20th percentile for weight at 15lbs 13oz. His daddy was skinny until he was a teenager, so Charlie might just be taking after Nick in that regard.


I told Nick the other day that I wished I could bottle Charlie up right now at 6 months. It has been such a precious time, and I find myself constantly laughing at the things that he does. And I think he is starting to realize what makes us laugh. He really is a character. I am posting two videos that showcase some of the funny things that the little guy is doing these days. You will hear my laughing in the background :o)


The next 6 months are going to fly by as fast as the first did, and I am just so grateful that I have been at home with Charlie to soak up all of these special moments. Being his mommy is by far the greatest gift that I have ever received. His presence has made my life richer than I could have ever imagined.

These lips were made for talking!

Blowin' Raspberries

The Best Gift

Today, I celebrated my 29th birthday! I was prepared to mourn the end of my twenties today, but instead I had the most enjoyable and relaxing birthday imaginable. My mom brought me lunch from one of my favorite restaurants and watched Charlie so that I could get a massage. Nick came home early, and we enjoyed a nice family dinner. This past weekend, I spent time with two of my best friends, Stefani and Nicole, and Nick and I had a much needed date night. All in all, I couldn't have asked for a better celebration. But, the best gift of all came about thirty minutes ago when Charlie woke up after being put to sleep for the night.

Normally, I try to get as much as I can accomplished after the little guy goes to sleep. Tonight, I was attempting to do laundry, straighten up around the house, pay some bills, and answer some e-mails. Upon hearing him cry, my heart sank a bit because it meant that I wouldn't get as much done as I had planned. As I went in to comfort him, I remembered a post that one of my friends wrote on her blog. She reflected on the idea that no matter how much we try, we are never truly "finished" with all the work that we have. The "To Do" lists that we write will never really be done, and we will continue to add to them. She wrote about this in relation to her family and how we prioritize as parents. Thank you Elizabeth for your thoughts, because tonight I too realized that I want my child to know that he comes first. The laundry, dishes, vacuuming, and bills will always be there, but Charlie will grow before I know it. He will not always need me to rock him back to sleep the way he did tonight. So, I sat in the dark tonight and held my son, rocked him gently, kissed his head, watched him dream, held his tiny hand, and was thankful for the best birthday gift ever!

On the Road Again

We had another fun family trip over the weekend. This time we took off to Charlotte to visit Charlie's Uncle Andy (Nick's best friend) and his family. We spent our time catching up, eating great food, and playing at the lake. Charlie was passed around by all of the Peterson women on Saturday and felt very loved. Andy and his girlfriend, Amy, were fabulous hosts! We can't wait to go back.

On our way home, we stopped in SC to get gas and feed Peanut. When we were ready to hit the road again, we realized that the car wasn't. That's right...the car wouldn't start. I have to say that I was very impressed with how well Nick handled the situation. He was on his best behavior in front of the little guy. Within 5 minutes of opening the hood, we had three different offers for help. It is amazing what a cute baby can get you! In all seriousness, it was very reassuring to know that when in need, you really can depend on the kindness of strangers.

Uncle Andy...and his cool hair do

Grandma Linda loved kissing Charlie

Tuckered out from a fun trip

Funny Faces

Okay, so I have to admit, I think my child is just about the funniest, cutest, and most advanced baby on the planet. Over the last few days Charlie has started making a very funny face. He sort of smacks his lips together while moaning. He has realized that every time he does this it makes mommy and daddy smile and laugh. What a quick learner! I have tried to capture this silly expression on video, but I am not fast enough. Have I mentioned that Nick and I LOVE this kid?!?!

Fab Five

Am I a cool cat, or what?

Little Bunny Foo Foo

What's up, Pup?

I love my jumperoo!!!

Peanut is five months old. Everyone told us that the first year would fly by, but we never imagined it would go this fast. He is almost halfway to his first birthday, and it feels like he was just born. Charlie is more of a little person every day. One of the biggest changes this past month has been in his coordination. He has gone from batting at toys to picking them up and being able to truly manipulate them. He is getting so close to being able to put his pacifier back into his mouth (a huge relief for mommy). He will work on it for quite a while before getting frustrated. A few times he has successfully popped it back in.

He loves to watch Samson and will lean forward to touch him. Samson doesn't really seem to notice Charlie, but I am sure that will all change once the little man is scooting around the house. Charlie wants everything that we have. He has started grabbing at the phone, remote, pen, keyboard, or anything else that he sees us touching. He is so curious and wants to explore everything. If he hears something, he will twist and bend to see where the sound is coming from. He loves to play, but his favorite thing is being held. He is a people person, and loves to be close to his daddy and me. His face lights up when he sees either one of us walk into the room. Let me tell you, that is the BEST feeling in the world!

A few months ago, I started worrying about Charlie's fussiness and lack of sleep. I brought it up to his doctor a number of times, but nothing really came of it. We tried medicine for reflux, but that didn't seem to make a difference. Once he cut his first two teeth, I thought that his mood and sleep might get better. When they didn't, I decided to go back to the doctor and plead our case. The doctor gave us a new prescription to help with his stomach last week. I am happy to report that since starting the meds he has been sleeping 10+ hours at night. We went from waking on an hourly basis to sleeping the entire night in one day! Not only that, but he is in much better spirits during the day. Needless to say, we are thrilled!

We have realized that Charlie is ticklish on his sides. Here is a video of the little guy having a good laugh.

Small World

Recently I was reading my new friend's blog. As I glanced at a picture that Stacey had posted of the the girls from her bible study, I saw two familiar faces from my past. Meet Abby and her mom, Rose.
I taught Abby during my second year at Big Creek. She is now getting ready to start 8th grade and has grown into a beautiful young lady. I love all of the students that I have taught, but Abby was one of the special ones. She left Big Creek after 3rd grade but always made an effort to stop by to see me and keep in touch. As a teacher, it is the most rewarding feeling to have a former student come back to see you.

Thanks to Stacey, we all got together for dinner to catch up. It was wonderful introducing Abby and Charlie. The little man wasn't in the best mood, but he did allow us a few pictures before he completely melted down.

The last time I saw Rose, I was being fitted for my wedding dress. She was there as a bridesmaid. We realized tonight that she was at the dress shop with Stacey for her wedding. How crazy is that?

You Are My Sunshine

You are my sunshine

My only sunshine

You make me happy

When skies are grey

You'll never know dear

How much I love you

Please don't take my sunshine away

The other night dear

I lay there sleeping

I dreamed I held you in my arms

But when I woke dear

My arms were empty

So I hung my head down and cried

These are the lyrics that I just sang to Charlie a dozen plus times in order to calm him down before going to bed tonight. I sang this song to him a lot when we first brought him home. Now, I sing it whenever he gets upset, and it usually calms him down quickly. I have tried singing other songs to him, but this one seems to be his favorite.

There's a Peanut in the Pool!

I have been holding off on taking Charlie to the pool for a number of paranoid, first-time mom reasons, but I finally broke down and went last night. He loves his bath, so I was curious to see if he would enjoy the pool just as much. He was a little pouty at first but settled into the water quite well. Actually, he was happy watching the bigger kids as they splashed and played in front of him. Our trip was quick, but it was another fun first for our family!

Let me test the water with my toes first

Hold on tight, Mommy!

Look at that POUT!!!

No Sleep 'til Brooklyn

Yes, the Beastie Boys may have written the song, but my son lives it. A few posts ago I mentioned that Charlie was on a sleep strike. Well, things have only gotten worse. Often, Nick will ask me how many times he got up during the night. Because the wakings have become so frequent, I rarely even bother to look at the clock any more. Add that to total sleep deprivation, and it is hard to keep track of the number of times that Charlie and I get up together over the course of any given night. Last night I decided to keep track. I went to bed with a pen and paper next to me. Throughout the night I would reach over and scribble the time down blindly on the piece of paper. Here is what our night looked like:

Asleep at 7:45

Up at 8:35

Up at 10:25

Up at 11:50

Up at 2:40

Up at 4:00 until 5:00

Up at 7:30

Awake for the day at 9:00

As I looked over these times this morning, I realized something; a mother's love is truly unconditional. I am a person who loves/needs/looks forward to sleep. Charlie is the ONLY person who could do this to me night after night and still have my heart totally and

completely :-)