Let the happy week begin

Praying that this is a happy week for many many out there in the job world! My husband, that he gets a contract extension on his job, that at&t does not strike, or it will put a huge financial strain on my extended family.

Lets make this happy.

Sunday I am thankful for the time we got to spend with a very excited 17 month old that wanted to play outside, even while cold and windy (snow was gone by time we got outside).

Thankful for my husband, daughter and families.

Thankful for a great nights sleep last night (tonight< not looking so good as it is 12:15 and I have to get up in 5.5 hours to get ready for work. LOL)

Thankful for two very very patitent puppies that don't snap at Julia when she climbs on them or sticks her hand in their dog food bowl when they are eating. God BLess then for that!

Thankful My DH cooked the pork tenderloin on the grill (well, at least part of the way since we ran out of propane. He finished it in the oven. YUM.


Prayers and Thanks is how I got through the day today.

we fall down the stairs and then she has her 18 mo check up......

ahhhh, my lovely knee on my left leg gave out on me while carrying Julia down the front concrete steps this afternoon on the way to the ped's office for her 18 mmonth check up. No blood, just scraped up palms, fingers and a little side of her head and Oh my knee. Not so much scraped up knee, but already turning nice yellow and green bruise colors.

The doc looked her over and said she is great, no need to worry about the fall since it was just a wisp of scrape marks on her head and fingers. She must have fallen on my purse for the most part. Nothing better to do this so un-graceful fall in front of the neighbor, who just happened to get out of his suv at the same time I yelled "OH NO" and we went down. He helped check on us both and helped pick up some of the diaper bag items that fell out. Lord knows julia needs her "mimi" (new word for binkie). LOL

I say my MOMMYEGO was just crushed. I had not done anything this bad to our child and hope to never do anything again. No, I won't list the bad things that COULD happen because I don't want to have nightmares about that that has not happened yet.

Julia came in at a slow weight gain, she is now 23lbs 3 oz, which is down to 45% average on scale from the 50 she was at last time. No concerns from the doc though. . let me look back as I think that might be even less than last weigh in, I'll post them later.
Her height on the other hand is 75% at 32 3/4 " tall. I do believe this is much taller. Again, I'll have to go back and check her stats from the last visit to the ped.

Happy 17 month Birthday sweetie

our freebies from today's trips to two toys r us stores

Percy lights and sounds (17.99 retail) and Thomas (12.99 retail). Plus the dvd from little people for their birthday and a coloring page Julia colored there (not in pic). FUN.

We love a freebie.. Thomas the Train.....

TOYS R US.... (no, they are not paying me for this advertisement. )
check out this link to the Thomas the Train FREE wooden train.

http://trus.imageg.net/graphics/coupon/927219.pdf?EDID=PQDXT1-NS2PJ-HIEZCF-ZBA6NE-THM6N-v1

Today and tomorrow only. one coupon per guest , WHILE SUPPLIES LAST.

we are heading there now.

good luck.

consignment sales....... updates

Don't forget there are SEVERAL consignment sale events this weekend..... St. Louis surrounding areas including one in IL.

***********************************
http://www.storklady.net/ShoppersA.htm
Stork Lady's Semi-Annual Sale:
SPRING - SUMMER 2009 SALE
Saturday, March 21st: Open to Public - 8:00am - 5:00pm
Sunday, March 22nd: Open to Public - 12:00pm-4:00pm - 50% off most items
* LOCATION: ST. ELIZABETH'S GYM -1420 S. Sappington Rd - Crestwood 63126 *
**************************************************
http://stlouis.craigslist.org/bab/1079689524.html
MOMMES is having a giant (a whole Gymnasium full) Kids Re-Sell-It sale on Saturday, March 21, 2009 at Metro East Lutheran High School (MELHS), 6305 Center Grove Rd., Edwardsville, IL 62025 from 8am – 12pm. This is a sale you will not want to miss. It is open to the public. Admission is $1.00 per person for all over age 12.

*************************************************
ANOTHER ONE I FOUND ONLINE
Children's Consignment Sale!
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Our mom’s group has over 60 moms from the Metro East as members.
Great bargains will be found for:
Children's clothing and shoes from infant on up.
(pajamas, dresses, shirts, shorts, skirts, pants, coats, costumes, etc.)
Toys of all sizes for all ages
(too many to mention!)
Lots of Baby Equipment
(High chairs, baby swings, baby bath tubs, baby monitors, etc.)
Toddler Playground Equipment
Sports equipment for kids
Maternity Clothes
The sale will be located at:
Whiteside Elemetary School
(Just east of Old Collinsville Road on Lebanon Avenue)
2028 Lebanon Avenue
Belleville, Illinois

Saturday, March 21, 2009
Time: 8 am to Noon
www.metroeastmoms.homestead.com

Mothers and More Chapter #126 serves the Metro East area located in St. Clair County across the river from St. Louis Missouri. Many of our moms are from O'Fallon, Shiloh, Fairview Heights, Belleville, Mascoutah, Lebanon, Swansea, and Caseyville, Illionis areas. Please see our website for more information: www.metroeastmoms.homestead.com
******************************************
The Original St. Charles County Consignment Sale

Spring and Summer Sale - March 19th-22nd

915 Jungermann Rd. St. Peters, MO
http://www.recycledkidssale.com/index.html

THIS ONE STARTS TOMORROW (THURSDAY 3/19/09) check their web site for open close times.
******************************************
apparently I missed the 2009 edwardsville kidmania that is held in Edwardsville IL each spring at the high school. I finally found it online after searching again. Shoot. It was March 7th. Dang it. I'll try better next year to find the date and post it sooner. I bought so many things there last year for when Julia for when she was just crawling and into walking. (Time to sell those items now and buy bigger and better toys. LOL)
****************
huge kids resale. Established location ( we've been there for 7 years) Looking for consigners for a childrens resale in ofallon,mo on Friday may 8 and saturday May 9th. Only 20 percent comission ( not 30 like all the rest!!!). 10.00 holds you a spot in a great sale that is sure to make you some extra cash!! all details including contact info is posted on our website www.momsofmultiplekidssale.com Check ii out!!!

huge childrens resale (ofallon, mo)
Reply to: sale-msfa5-1101584806@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
Date: 2009-03-31, 9:24PM CDT


huge childrens resale friday may 8 from 7-9pm and sat may 9th from 7-11 am most items half price on sat may 9th from 1130-100. Consigners wanted !! We are the only sale in st charles county who only take a 20 percent consigning fee. see our website for details www.momsofmultiplekidssale.com or contact Jhelland8663@yahoo.com

*******************
I also found this on craigslist today.... not sure if anyone else has heard about this, but I'll list it here...maybe they will post more about the sale there soon.


Big Kids Consignment Sale - $7 (Wentzville)
Reply to: sale-htut3-1080005974@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
Date: 2009-03-17, 10:58PM CDT


We are having a kids consignment sale to raise money for the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 323. It's only $7 to register as a consigner and you receive 70% of your sales. For more information, please email us. It is April 25-28 at the American Legion Hall in Wentzville.

lack of words equals more pictures to post of fellow adoptive moms and kiddo's

All three kiddo's here are adopted through the same agency! Thanks to the mommy in the middle having let us know of A Gift of Hope Adoptions just prior to the birth of their son Liam, we signed with that same agency. All 3 of us mommies know each other from attending the former local infertility support group. So glad we met and now have 3 beautiful children to make our lives so full of love!
Landon, Liam, Julia (Richelle, Cindy & myself).



Julia in daddy's truck on the way back from her friend Landon's birthday party sporting her new cool sunglasses from her friend Liam. (ssssshhhhh, we are working on the bottle issue!! I know, I know, she should be off it, but honestly, I think she and I are just not ready. We will get the talk from the Ped at her next appointment in 2 weeks so the breaking of the bottle and bink are coming soon!)

Hockey and Baseball all in one day...

I just sat down to check my email. Prior to that I changed the tv channels to the St. Louis Cardinals baseball preseason game in FL against Atlanta Braves. Sweet. Nice to get into the baseball thinking mode. Then I tuned in the other satellite station to the St. Louis Blues Hockey game. Ahhhhh, no better sports day than this.

We went to a mouse race fund raiser last night and had a blast. The cause is for a great friend of the family that is fighting ovarian cancer. mid-40's and fighting cancer. Just sucks, but she is doing well and was so happy to see us all last night. While participating in the card mouse game and the mouse races (well, actually they were gerbils, LOL) they held an auction. I knew there would be Cardinals Baseball items to bid on. DH and I both looked at each other and set a limit on our bidding since we just got our tax return back. WE WON a split bid on eight Diamond box seat tickets and on field viewing of batting practice with group pictures pre-game. OMG. I am so freaking excited. All we need to do is set up the date with the vp of sales that was there last night at the event. OMG.. I am so excited. We have never bought nor bid on something like this before.

So we have 4 tickets. I wonder if they will let us take Julia and maybe one our nephews with us for our 4 tickets.. if not then we need to talk about who we will invite for the other two seats. My Aunt, uncle, his sister and brother-in-law split the other 4 tickets. I don't know if we can all do the same game, but how exciting as a life-long St. Louis Cardinals baseball fan to be able to do this. I am excited about the 2009 season for the Cardinals so this takes it to a whole new level of excitement.

I truely feel as though we are getting out of the season of cold and into the season of Spring and renewed love of Sports.

GO BLUES. I really hope they can get into the playoffs. shhuuuuu, I know, I don't want to jinx the good run they are having. OH man, the blues almost scored as I am typing this. hinote tried hard. GO BLUES

Oh, the other night we were watching the Blues game and I was telling Julia that this was "Hockey" and she tried hard to repeat the word. She is looking at the screen now and said "hooociiieeee". I love it.

Have a great day.

Time Outs, already?

Julia just has had her first day of time out with her babysitter (Aunt Chris, my sister). J has been hitting, spitting at Aunt Chris and her cousins so I told her to start with the time out corner and she did. First time this morning (sister just called me), it took her 20 tries to get Julia to stay in time out for 1 minute. We use 1 minute for each age of the child that they have to stay in time out before they can leave time out and then say they are sorry and or a full apology to the child or person they did something to. Discipline is good. I like time outs if you really work them for the benefit of the child to understand that they need to pay a consequence of quiet punishment time in time out and to realize what they did was wrong.

So now I am working on a time out place in our house. Wall by the doorway between the dining room and the hallway.

Hitting, spitting and kicking provoked the necessity of time out this past week. My sister and I see a lot alike with our discipline with kids so that helps so much for us as husband and wife to be able to do this at home with our daughter too.

Seeing them eye to eye level after the 1 minute is over for her and discussing what the reason was that we put her there for is so worth it each time plus having her say sorry and in the future to give a full apology to that person she did this bad act to will teach her to not be mean again.

How did you institute time outs?

WOW... pictures of Julia and some links to some freebies...

I am all for freebies..... I often browse other sites so let me share these all with you. I got the links from an email I get often from Money Saving Mom blog

Arby's Roast burger for free with purchase of soft drink: http://www.arbys.com/arbyscoupon/?cid=bn_yahoo300x250030509

Baski n Robbins coupon for one free Sundae:
http://www.baskinrobbins.com/coupon/20090328BOGOSundae.html?cid=469973&jid=12790868&mc=XX&eid=900285&cmpid=email_ext_000016_4

Make sure you use an email you are ok with getting surveys and such from the company if you do fill out your address info. I get free samples from different companies all the time. I love it

HUGGIES diapers coupons... $5 off 1 or $3 off 1... also watch for the Walgreens circular in a week and they have these huggies on sale so you SAVE BIG plus watch what their register rewards are for that week. EVEN BIGGER savings. I love being frugal and this is the way to do it.
I don't usually stock pile, but at great savings like this, you can't pass it up especially if Target is still more expensive after coupons!!!!!!!!!!


Here are a few pictures of my sweetheart 17 month old. I know, you moms all gush over your babies growing up so fast too so I thought I would gush here also. This past week she has started putting 2 and 3 words together. FUN. We had a blast at the zoo yesterday so I'll post pictures from there later this week. Also I'll try and blog about my feelings of late with the adoption side of things. I ache for not having contact with J's birthfamily anymore, especially since birthdays are coming up again. I still have Christmas Gifts here for them too. I am so afraid to mail them off. More on that later this week. stay tuned.

a meme day.. well kind of

I took charge and took Friday off so I could go to the zoo with my daughter, sister, 2 of her kids and my brothers 3 kids. FUN.

Suppose to be 68 degrees and SUNNY. I might have to bring the sunscreen. Bring it on. Yeah. CHarge up the camera. bring some snacks and go have fun. I plan on it.

anyone else going friday?

Pain of endomitriosis

Even after having had my fully involved adenomyosis filled uterus removed in a partial laproscopic vaginal assisted hysterectomy, I still have endometriosis pain. I am near calling the ever so trusting gyn / doc and asking him to consider putting me on the list late summer to early fall for surgery to remove what might be growing in my abdomen again.

You see, along with my doctors recommendation, I agreed to leave my ovaries in after having my LAVH partial hysterecomy in May 2006 after having had 5 miscarriages (including two sets of twins) and two tubal pregnancies. The adnomyosis was so bad after having my uterus removed that my doc told my husband in the waiting room that I just knew my body and knew it so well that I had something major wrong with my ute. Believe me, I am so relieved to not have to go through the monthly god-awful pain and 8-10 day long clot filled menstral cycles. I had proven that I could not carry a pregancy past 10 weeks gestation and I was not going to live my life with a purse filled (VERY LARGE PURSE, mind you) with nearly a box of 40 tampons and at least 7 pads a day. Yes, you read that right. It was that bad. I was done. Take it out and let me begin, with my husbands love and help, to build our family through either surrogacy and or adoption. (Thanks to the love of our daughters birthmother, we are proud adoptive parents now).

Ok, gotta go to bed, the sleeping pill has kicked in. I will promise to continue this tomorrow.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endometriosis

Singing songs and rhymes....

So what songs and rhymes do you sing to your toddlers? I need help. Julia keeps asking me and signing to me "more" once I sing itsy-bitsy spider and you are my sunshine and abc... I have few songs and or singing rhymes I can remember from when I was a kid. Help me remember some and teach me some new things to sing to her.

She hears me sing - rhyme...

itsy-bitsy spider
abc's
old mcdonald
you are my sunshine
I love you (barney... sshhhhh, don't tell the hubby I do this because he HATES barney).
the wheels on the bus
a few songs from swim class


I need some more fun interactive ones for her to learn from me... help!

16 month milestones

Feb 18 2009
16months and 3 weeks

You have 12 teeth (4 molars included) and OUCH they can hurt. Biting mommy is not nice, but I guess I deserved that since I was trying to check for your new teeth.

Your hair is growing longer now. You won't let me put clips in your hair yet, but you think it is fun to have my try and you rip them right out. Don't pull your hair out though. It took you far too long to grow it in.

You said "Fire Truck" the other night when we were reading your Elmo flap book and I pointed to the fire truck and asked you what it was.

When you Einstein video starts and the caterpillar goes by the screen, you have learned to Blink with that sound on the dvd.

You reached your arms up to daddy today (2/18/09) and said "I want up". LOL

you are in a size 5-6 toddler shoe depending on who makes them.
You are rapidly growing out of your 18 month clothes sizes due to your height.

You like cubed ham. You tried steamed broccoli and cheese last week, ate a few small bites, but preferred your cut up grapes instead.

You are sleeping from 8 or 8:30 pm until we have to wake you up on weekdays at 6 am or so. Weekends, you sleep from 8:30 or 9 pm until 8 or 8:30. YEAH.

You love to play on your slide climber outside on the back porch.

We had to give up swimming lessons this sesson due to mommy having new work hours on week nights and so many parties to attend on the weekends. Ugh. I hate that you can't go swimming, but I love that you can see all your friends and family as often. I promise I'll have you in the pool this summer as much as possible.

We went to the zoo on the 8th and had a blast talking to the penguins at the march of the penguins and talking to Raja the elephant.

Your vocabulary is expanding so much these days. I need to keep a log of your recent words. I'll work on that list.

When we say "One Two Three" you actually mimic us now, eventhough it is in your own words, you say it with rythm. We have to watch you because at the time you say three, you either throw something or try to jump off of whatever you are on. YIKES.

this past week at your friends' A and V's house, you said "I'm stuck". Today you said "Ut Oh, That hurt". The words are really coming together. Tonight you said "I see uh(you)" when climbing in and out of your LT tunnel.

each night after dinner you ask say "Bath". I am glad you like baths now because I know from experience it was so hard to get me to take a bath at 5 or 6 years of age. Ahhh, I hope I don't have that struggle with you like my mom did with me. LOL

You love the new ball that mommy got you.

I asked you to give your cousin a hug yesterday and you walked over to her and did so. So sweet.

I love you so much. Time is passing so fast and I want to mark each and every milestone, but at least I can write some down here.

2009 Entertainment book coupons

I am so thankful for having searched craigslist for those that wanted to trade 2009 entertainment book coupons. I was able to trade some for some great restaurant coupons and children's entertainment coupons with another St. Louis couponer. We emailed and discussed what coupons we could help each other with and WOW.. I was so pleased. We said we would keep each others emails incase we come about more coupons we had already swapped.

Do you do this?

I also trade manufacturer coupons with my friends, sister and co-workers.
I get a sunday paper each week and look for the coupons I need and give the rest to my sister and or friends if they need diaper coupons, wipes etc that we don't use. What a great way to help others while they help you at little to no cost.

These are my coupons I search for:

huggies snug n dry diaper coupons
huggies sensitive wipes
Johnson n Johnson baby bath and lotion coupons.
frozen veggie like the steam bags. I am starting to get Julia into tring some of the staemed veggies now. Not going so well yet, but I'll try and rotate them out a few times before I give up.

gogurts (i freeze these and use them like ice cream treats for her)
musselmen's applesauce (I buy the lite because it is made with splenda and I like these!)

tide free
dawn
palmolive dish washer soap
snuggle dryer sheets
cottonelle TP
new york garlic bread (cheese)
tyson chicken nuggets.
cheese its
wheat thins
lots of different types of cereal.
instant oatmeal
progresso soups


What is on your list. Maybe we can help with a trade.

how is the waiting going for those of you waiting for a match?

I want to take a moment and reflect on the days of when I thought the world of adoption prep and paperwork and professionals have forgotten about DH and I. We had gone through the process for fingerprinting, marriage certificate copies, medical records and physicals andletters from friends and family that could paint us as great potential parents ........then a sudden lul in the process made if so fearful we wouldn't get everything together and in the proper hands by time our deadline approached for turning in our profile to the agency. RUSH RUSH RUSH .. wait wait wait .. minutes,.... days..... weeks felt so like an eternity. Then the call. Ok, we are done. All we need now from you is the next check to step you into being active in the profile pool. Ahhhhhhhh, it is only a paper check, yet it represented months and years of working hard to bring our dreams closer to reality. A tell all book about us. but hopefully to being Closer to becoming the parents we had already dreamed of so much in the months and months since we finished pursuing eight long years of heartaches with miscarraiges and many losses..fertility treatments that were at best a day in hell for years. Ahhhhhhhhh... the waiting for the phone calls came next to see if a potential birthmother had looked and and liked us so much that she selected our profile to be matched with. Maybe she wanted to meet up in person to talk about things, but sure, she had made her decision and was also, unbeknownst to us, very scared to meet up with us, the potential adoptive parents.


are you nervous along with me?

WOW.. if you can go, go to the St. Louis Zoo's March of the Penguin event

Let me tell you, I almost skipped this event because of the cold weather, but alas we made it. Julia and I got to the zoo around 12:45. walked straight to the see lion feeding event.


This boy (we'll call him a boy) was so loud and kept barking (seal bark) at the feeder to throw him some fish, Ahhhh, yummy he said


Then we went straight over to the Penguin exhibit and went in. There were not that many people out front so we went in and got some great video of the swimming penguins and puffins inside. Julia was kind of afraid of them when they made their mating calls, but hey, it was fun.
here are the King Penguins outside for the March of the Penguins. They came up so close to us. One even went up to another zoo worker who was bent down and played with her coat string for over 5 minutes. SO FUN. Julia was actually scared of them as they came up to the very front of her stroller and stretched out their beaks in her direction.



Then we saw the hippos. This is Julia's new favorite word "Hippo"

Then Raja the Elephant


SIDE NOTT>>>>>> I won't post x rated pictures here, but I will tell you that Julia and I were privy to two .. COUNT THEM .... ONE and TWO different mating exhibits by our St. Louis Zoo animals. First there were the penguins out front before the march that were GETTING IT ON and I mean REALLY GETTING IT ON. Yes, I happened to get that on video. YIKES. I do want to teach my daughter about how animal breed, but I'll save that for when she is MUCH older. Then, while in line to see the Penguins march out front of the exhibit, we were watching the brown bears and saw two Pigeons getting it on right in front of one of the bears on an upper shelf of rock he was resting on. Well, now we know it is mating season at the zoo so you are forewarned in case your children ask... "Mommy, what are those two animals doing?".... LOL

Do you think she wants a nother puppy?

nope.. mommy and daddy have enough to feed with two dogs already.

Ohhh, baby girl, now I know your in pain....

I am very thankful for having a sister that babysits our daughter full time. This being good today because I had to go into work, but Julia woke up with a 104.5 fever. Tylenol brought it down within 20 minutes to 100.1 so my sister said to bring her over after I called her. We take our children to the same pediatrician also so she said to call the office at 9 am and get the nurse practitioner for first avail appt and she would take Julia in today to be seen. Between my sisters experience and my knowing the pattern of these fevers over the last few days and ear tugging, our self diagnosis was right on with the NP'ers diagnosis too.

DOUBLE EAR INFECTIONS for sweet Julia.

YOUCH.

A great blog for those of you interested in reading about adoption

threeyellowroses
This blog is written by a local Adoptive mother of 3 beautiful children through Domestic Adoption. She leads our local Adoption Support group in town and I can't so enough wonderful things she has helped us with through our transition of infertility to adoption, failed adoptions and successful adoptions and all the ups and downs before, during and after. Thanks D for your web page!

Friday Feature or should I say Fitful Friday....

Dear daughter,

This week you turned 16 months old. You are such a hoot 95-99% of the time, the other % of the time, this is what I got when you didn't get your way. Ahhhh, the fitful days ahead of us are already starting to shine through.



Post fitful Friday last week (pic above), this is you hamming it up for the camera again. You smile the biggest cheesiest smile when we say Cheese and point the camera your way.



You are in love with shoes, see:


This week, your favorite phrases or words are "Ut-Oh" if you drop something and then you say "Ouch" if you bump into something, like your head that is too tall to walk under the tv trays now.

You are working so hard on breaking in your two bottom molars. As of today you have 10 teeth and soon to be 12 when those molars come in. This past week you and daddy and mommy have all been battling colds, fevers, tummy issues. Chlortrimazole is the answer for your rashed bum. Balmex burns, aveeno is too icky so chlortrimazole is the best cure. You hate grape flavored medication of any sort.

You lost one of your earrings last week so daddy took the other one out since we can't get one in the hole that you lost your pretty pink flower from. We will get them pierced again, when? I don't know. I won't torture you again trying to put then in ourselves. I just don't know when we will do the ear piercing again. If it is up to daddy, sooner than later. We did buy some screw-back earrings to see if there is less of a risk of not having them come apart and fall out, so we will see.

tomorrow is going to be our first trip to the Magic House. I can't wait.

Happy 16 month birthday week my sweetheart.