One Frugal Chick

23 Months

2011-07-30T13:38:00.002-05:00

Bryson is ALMOST two!!!
He loves his bath time- and playing with the bubbles. It's been SO hot this summer- we've had to spend more time inside than I'd like. It's been over 100 degrees almost every day, so we can't hang out with the neighbors on the front lawn as much as we'd like.

Milestones:
* Bryson's speaking in more two to four word utterances, at least that's what we can understand! He's talking all the time now 'I got it', 'Bye bye dada', 'Dada mow', etc. He also tries to carry on a conversation, but we can't figure out what he's saying....yet.
* Bryson loves 1. yard work/mowers, 2. airplanes, 3. trains
* He still loves Elmo, Abby and Cookie Monster
* Bryson wants to 'help' as much as possible, with laundry, vacuuming, yard work and cleaning up.
* He's wearing 2T shirts/shorts and size 7 shoes
* Still in size 5 diapers
* We weighed him the other day, and his his clothes and diaper on- he was 32 lbs
* Bryson is very affectionate- loves to give kisses, hugs and high fives.
* He loves to fold his hands and pray- he especially loves saying 'amen'.
* He still eats like a champ!

Sensory Bin

2011-06-28T09:30:00.000-05:00

Look what we played with in speech and occupational therapy this week:

I decided, kinda last minute, to put together a Fourth of July sensory bin for the office! There's pom poms, foil stars, hard plastic red stars, streamers, pinwheels and little American flags inside the box. (not pictured is my little shovel, to assist with digging)

It's been a while since I've updated on the business/Speech Pathology front- so here's the short version. I hired an OT and COTA a while back- and we needed more space. So, we moved out into our own office, and have been booming ever since! I love working hand-in-hand with Occupational Therapy. It's been great to mix more sensory into my speech therapy sessions.

We have other sensory bins at the office, but this one is my 1st 'themed' bin!

Twenty Two Months and Five Years!

2011-06-25T15:10:00.002-05:00

Excuse the photo quality, I took this photo with my phone! Bryson is IN LOVE with all things yard related. He loves to watch Brandon, the neighbors, strangers, etc. mow, weed, blow and sack grass. Every day, he asks Brandon to mow our yard! If Brandon agrees, he runs to get his mower (in the photo) and will patiently follow Brandon around the entire front and back yard.

It's hard to believe that his second birthday is right around the corner! His speech production has just exploded, making his SLP momma very happy! :) He's starting to count 'one, two, three', referring to everyone (family, neighbors, pets) by name and asking for 'help'.
Today at lunch, when we forgot to pray, he reminded us by putting his hands together, bowing his head and just waiting for us to catch on!

Brandon and I also celebrated our fifth anniversary this weekend! It's been a crazy five years, but I wouldn't change a thing!!!! We went out for a date night last night, and it was great just to 'see' where we started and where we are now.

Twenty One Months

2011-05-23T21:37:00.001-05:00

Bryson is turning into such a sweet little boy. With the warmer weather, we've been spending most of our time outside. He loves to follow Brandon and I around, 'helping' with whatever we're doing. He helped wash cars, put laundry in the dryer and make chocolate chip cookies yesterday. He loves to play in the water, specifically his water table and the pool at swim lessons. He's still not quite sure of his Elmo sprinkler.

Milestones:

- He moved up to size 5 diapers

- He's almost completely into 2T shirts

- Still taking good afternoon naps/sleeping well at night.

- Bryson's about to move up to a 6 1/2 or 7 in his shoe size

- He's starting to combine 2 words together. Most of the time it's 'my' or 'mine' paired with the name of the object.

- He LOVES to give hugs and kisses

- Bryson is OBSESSED with Elmo, painting and coloring. He also really enjoys naming all the members in our family and all the animal sounds.

I'm looking forward to the summer, as I'm only going to work three days a week instead of four. We'll be able to spend more time together and play with our friends more! It's going to be a great!!!!

Mothers Day

2011-05-08T21:20:00.003-05:00

What a difference a year makes! Here's Bryson and I on Mothers Day last year......

and then attempting to get the same pose again this year! (It didn't quite play out the way I wanted it to) But, we got a few good photos in either way.........

We had a very busy day today! We went to Broken Egg for an early breakfast, then we went to church and to Target. We all got in an afternoon nap before having to make yet another trip to the office. The business has been growing SO much- and Brandon built some new storage cabinets up at the office to help us out.

Autism 5K

2011-05-08T06:05:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, our office, family and friends all participated in the 'Ready, Set, Run' 5K and Fun Run for the Autism Center of Tulsa. The photo above is from right before the 5K, but we had over 20 people participate! It was a perfect morning- not too hot, not too windy- just plenty of hills on the 5K trail.

My knee has been giving me some trouble, since the week before the cruise. It's finally gotten better with help from an AWESOME chiropractor in town, Dr. Zollner. He's analyzed my stride (while running) and has really helped get rid of the pain and improve my run. I beat my own personal record yesterday, completing the race is 33 minutes and 37 seconds!!

Bryson was a trooper yesterday as well. Brandon pushed him in his stroller through the 5K!

Overall, it was a wonderful day. I'm very thankful for our health, and to have a career that doesn't feel like 'work'.

Twenty.

2011-04-23T21:37:00.006-05:00

It's hard to believe that Bryson will be twenty months old tomorrow!! Today, we walked down to the church's on the corner Easter egg hunt, with our neighbors(we count them as friends too!). Even though it had been raining off and on overnight and into the morning, the rain cleared just in time! Bryson had a blast and was a very well behaved little boy. He was able to 'find' plenty of eggs, we all got free Chikfila for lunch, and Bryson got to spend some time jumping in the bouncy castle!

Twenty Month Old Milestones:

- we're moving up to size 5 diapers just as soon as we finish this last box of 4's.

- we're also moving up to 2T clothing, size 6 to 6 1/2 shoes

- Bryson is talking up a storm. Still no consistent two-word utterances, but he loves to look at pictures and label family members and knows a TON of animal noises.

- Bryson's sleep habits are holding steady. Thank goodness.

- Bryson's ears had a rough month, but allergies have been TERRIBLE here! We've started him back on Allegra in hopes of keeping him out of the doctors office.

- We've had to start 'time-outs' for his fit throwing, and they have worked wonderfully!

- Now that it's warmer outside, we are spending most of our evenings playing with our neighbor friends.

Cruise!

2011-04-12T21:20:00.003-05:00

Brandon and I just returned from an amazing, seven night cruise!!! My parents and my little sister kept Bryson so that we could have a week away.

We departed from Miami aboard the Celebrity Eclipse- one of the biggest and newest ships we've ever been on!

Our ports of call were Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Costa Maya and Roatan. I discovered the website 'cruise critic' a while back, and booked all of our shore excursions based on the recommendations I found on that website.

In Grand Cayman- we booked the 'Stingray, Snorkel and Rum Point' tour through Native Way. We ended up in a group of 6 (including us) and had an AMAZING time. Rum Point was a beautiful beach, we loved interacting with the stingrays and we even got to hold a starfish!

(one of the views from Rum Point)

In Cozumel, we joined up with a group from cruise critic, for the Cozumel Bar Hop. It was a great way to see the entire island, and we had a blast! At sailaway, we met this awesome couple from New York, and we ended up hanging out with them for the majority of the trip.

In Costa Maya, our New York friends joined us for a relaxing day at the beach. We emailed Steve at a beach side restaurant called Tropicante and reserved 2 lounge chairs on the beach. It was wonderful to 'deal' with an American, and he took care of us!! He has a Skype phone, so we were able to call home and check on Bryson while there.

In Roatan, we booked a snorkel tour with Upachaya. Once I get the photos back from Walgreens, I'll post more about this part of our trip.

Brandon and I will be celebrating our fifth anniversary this summer, so this trip was a little bit of an anniversary celebration, mixed with a much needed break from the office and some much needed time alone, as just a couple. We missed Bryson- but it was nice to relax and be a couple! We didn't have to worry about baths, nap and bed times, etc. It was nice (but difficult at times!) to be 'unplugged'- I missed my iphone at times though.

Bryson's been great since we've been home- he really seemed to enjoy himself while we were gone, and he is talking more!!! We are very blessed to have family willing to keep him and to be able to take a week off!

St Paddy's Day

2011-03-17T21:12:00.005-05:00

What a beautiful day here in Oklahoma! The high was in the 80's, the sun was shinning and my work day was light!!

After supper, we brought out the sand and water table for Bryson and his friend Lauren to play in. They LOVED it- I can't wait for summer, when we can spend every evening outside!

5K and other news....

2011-03-13T19:03:00.003-05:00

I participated in my first organized 5K this past weekend- the St. Paddy's Day Run. Over 2,600 runners were there! I completed the race is 34 minutes and 59 seconds, which basically means I was running an 11 minute mile. I've been averaging that on the treadmill at Gold's Gym- although I hoped to run a smidge faster.

Brandon and Bryson came to cheer me on and play on the inflatables. It meant alot to me to have them there in the crowd!!

In other news this past week- I hired an OT (Occupational Therapist) and COTA (OT assistant)!! I'm so excited to be adding these two ladies to the team and for my kids to get the services they need.
Spring Break is this coming week- and then we'll be on our Caribbean cruise before you know it!! I can't wait!

18 Months

2011-02-27T15:10:00.003-06:00

Bryson is now 18 months old! It's been a rough week for him. He's cutting at least three teeth and has become a drooling machine. His nose and ears have started to drain, but we are hoping it's just from all the teeth........

Bryson now weighs 31 lbs and is 33 inches tall. He wears size 18-24 month clothing, with a few small 2T shirts mixed in. I got this outfit he has on at the JBF sale yesterday- I love it on him! He's such a little man now.

Bryson LOVES Elmo. He will bring us the remote when he wants to watch his Elmo DVD's. He's been playing really well by himself lately. He can identify most of his body parts- most recently his tummy. He's talking more and more, and able to follow directions most of the time.

He's still in size 4 diapers, but is slowly moving up to size 6 shoes. He's still sleeping about 11 hours a night, and continues to love his monkey.

Five miles!

2011-02-12T13:32:00.003-06:00

(Excuse the photo quality, it was taken with my iphone!)

I ran my first race today, the 5 mile poker run here in Tulsa. I completed the race in 56 minutes. The trail was pretty clear, with occasional ice/snow patches that forced us to walk to avoid taking a spill.

Erin (on the L in the photo) and I started training back at the start of January with the' couch to 5k' program/app on my iphone. The crazy Oklahoma weather seriously messed with our training schedule, and I doubted if we could even run the entire 5 miles since we were only training for 3.2!! BUT- we did it!!!!!!!

And now, I'm officially addicted to running. I just signed up for the St. Patricks Day run benefiting Special Olympics. I can't wait!

Accomplishments

2011-02-04T14:34:00.000-06:00

We're going on day four of the great blizzard of 2011! And, it just started snowing again- expecting 4-6 inches tonight! We've gone a little stir crazy, and have taken on several 'projects'. Here's what we've done to pass the time:

*replace all the cabinet pulls in the kitchen with silver knobs (used to be white)
*watched way too many Elmo dvd's
*Brandon replaced the lock, knob and kick plate on the front door
*shoveled 3 driveways
*watched several netflix instant watch movies
*some online shopping
*plenty of baby snuggling :)

Here's hoping for warm, sunny days ahead!

Blizzard 2011

2011-02-02T21:11:00.000-06:00

We received over 14 inches of snow here in Oklahoma this week! I've never seen this much snow in my entire life!!! It's so beautiful, but we have to limit our time outside because it is SO cold. Tonight it's supposed to be BELOW ZERO. Insane.

Bryson still doesn't really like the snow. He's fine with it until it touches his skin, and then he's done. We'll keep trying though :) We have some snow drifts around the house- this one is up to the formal dining room window!

For fun, we've made snow ice cream, shoveled our driveway and our neighbors and I've now resorted to pulling some of the toys out of my amazon toy sale stockpile! Brandon's office has been closed for the past two days and will be closed again tomorrow. I've been unable to work because I have to be able to drive to the office/daycares/etc- and well, we aren't getting out of our driveway anytime soon.

Luckily, we've had some wonderful family time and some good times with our neighbors. I'll have to work for the next couple Friday's (my usual day off) to make up these snow days, but I feel very blessed to have this opportunity to stay home with the family!

Seventeen

2011-01-29T18:20:00.003-06:00

Bryson's now seventeen months old! He loves to 'help' with certain chores, such as shutting the dishwasher door, washing the car, rinsing off his toothbrush and occasionally bringing us a diaper.

* He's wearing 18-24 month clothing and depending on the brand, size 5 1/2 to 6 shoes.
* He's wearing size 4 diapers.
* Bryson LOVES Elmo and Sesame Street! He has a great 'Ernie laugh' and favors Cookie Monster.

* He's starting to talk more- saying 'cookie', 'NaNa' (Nannie), 'Papa', 'Stinky' when he needs his diaper changed and so on.

* Bryson's still a huge thumb sucker....ugh....

* The fit throwing has started. When he doesn't get his way and he's mad about it, he'll throw himself on the floor and cry.

* He LOVES to give kisses and hugs. He blows kisses and waves/says 'bye bye' every time we leave school, home, etc.

Bryson is turning into a delightful toddler and I can't wait to see what the next few months hold as he talks more and more!!

Snow Day!

2011-01-21T22:51:00.002-06:00

I've been itchin' for a good snow day. Even though, it's silly to wish for one, because if I don't work, I don't get paid. Nevertheless, I woke up at 4:30AM Thursday morning-giddy-to see the snow falling!

My nephew Asher came over to spend the day with us, as my SIL and Brandon both had to work. The boys only spent a short amount of time outside, but we had a GREAT day. Bryson loves playing with his cousin and Asher does a great job of entertaining him.

Bryson did really well with the snow, until he face planted into it. He enjoyed it from the sled- but as soon as he fell off, he was DONE. He was almost impossible to calm (as it was nap time) so I just put him to bed and let Asher play a few minutes longer. Then neighborhood kids enjoyed pulling Bryson and Asher around though!

Speech

2011-01-17T15:44:00.003-06:00

A friend of mine recently published a book for parents titled 'Teaching Speech the Fun Way". It's basically a 'how-to' book for parents to teach their children proper articulation techniques. If your child struggles with just a few sounds/has just a few sound errors- I'd highly recommend this book!

Right now, it's only $10 on Amazon and qualifies for free shipping! Monica in no way asked me to write this post- I've just recommended it to so many of my clients, I figure why not put it out there on my blog too! :)

2010 in Review

2011-01-04T08:46:00.008-06:00

January 2010- a slow, but long month. Bryson started full-time day care at his current facility and had RSV. Yuck.

February 2010- Bryson is now 6 months old!

March 2010- I joined Jazzercise and lost the majority of my baby weight (still a little bit hangin' on though). Bryson started to crawl, and we finally were able to play outside some!

April 2010- Bryson received his first set of PE tubes for his ears. These tubes (in retrospect) actually caused more problems then they were worth......

Bryson started to pull to stand this month.

May 2010- Bryson took his first trip to the lake and I celebrated my first mother's day. Also, the charter school I contract with was hit by a small tornado, which made for an interesting last week of school. Thank goodness none of my materials were ruined.

June 2010-Bryson got his 1st haircut!!!! We took a Diaper Dolphins swim class, and played outside almost every night with the neighbors.

July 2010- We enjoyed our annual neighborhood potluck/4th of July party and Bryson started walking! Career wise, I made a drastic move and took a leap of faith.....

August 2010- My business partner and I opened our own private practice!!! We celebrated Bryson's 1st Birthday, and he started going to daycare 4 days a week and I am finally able to spend more time with him.

September 2010- I really can't remember much from September! We wrapped up the summer by going to lake Texoma, and we were blessed to find a new ENT who promptly replaced Bryson's PE tubes with the correct set and removed his adenoids. A huge sigh of relief- we saw a great reduction in the amount of drainage from his ears.

October 2010- Brandon's parents came to visit and we had a blast taking Bryson to the pumpkin patch and dressing him up for Halloween. Also, Brandon and I had a much needed getaway weekend to Eureka Springs!

November 2o10- Simply Speaking opened its OWN, free-standing office in Jenks! As a family, we continued to cheer on our OSU Cowboys in football, traveled to Texas for Thanksgiving and got more involved with our church.

December 2010- Simply Speaking really started taking off! We thoroughly enjoyed Bryson's first 'real' Christmas season and watching him open gifts Christmas morning.

I can't wait to see what 2011 holds for our family, Simply Speaking and our friends!

Christmas 2010

2010-12-27T07:52:00.005-06:00

We had a wonderful Christmas, and the celebration isn't over!

Cookie Playdate

2010-12-24T06:15:00.002-06:00

This Christmas season is flying by! A few weeks ago, we had a Christmas cookie decorating playdate with our friends from church, and it was a HUGE success. Bryson was one of the youngest children there, and even he got in on the action. (and ate a TON of icing) Here's a few photos from the event; I hope this becomes an annual tradition.

Everyone signed up to bring different items, cookies, sprinkles, icing, etc- so it was much easier than decorating at home- and clean up is SO much easier when there's 10 hands on deck.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Christmas Family Photos

2010-12-11T08:00:00.003-06:00

My friend Lauri took our Christmas photos again this year. I think they turned out really well. Here's some of our favorites. Bryson definitely doesn't look like a baby anymore!

Merry Christmas!

Lights!

2010-12-04T21:52:00.003-06:00

Last night, we decided to take Bryson to Rhema to see the Christmas lights right after his 15 month shot appointment. Not the smartest move we've ever made, as he wasn't in the best of moods. Once we got the stroller out, he seemed to behave better. Anywho, here's a few of the pictures we took:

Bryson was in awe of all the lights, especially as we pushed him through the lighted tunnel that 'moves' to the Christmas music.

This Christmas season is already turning out to be one of our best yet- It's just so much more enjoyable now that Bryson has joined our family!

15 Months

2010-11-28T20:07:00.002-06:00

Bryson is really enjoying the leaves and we are allowing him as much outside time as possible before winter hits!

Bryson wears size 4 diapers and is moving up to 18-24 month clothing, although the pants are too long.
Bryson says 'mama, dada, leia (yeia), yea, hello, done (du)' and signs 'more' and 'please'
He LOVES dogs. I think his favorite word is Leia. They play together really well; he loves to pet and chase her.
Bryson pretends like he is talking on the phone- he'll use our cell phones, remotes, toys, sock monkey, etc as a phone. He says 'hello', babbles a bit, then hands the phone to us. It's really cute.
Bryson's ears have remained relatively clear for the past month!!

impromtu

2010-11-21T19:55:00.002-06:00

Bryson wore his Thanksgiving shirt to church today, and I wanted a photo on our way out the door. Bryson was actually interested in having his picture taken- for once- so I got some good shots!

My friend Kim made his turkey shirt. I love the way it turned out and he received SO many complements at church today. We're looking forward to a fun-filled Thanksgiving weekend!

Thankful

2010-11-14T16:44:00.003-06:00

Bryson's been on the move so much lately, I haven't been able to get very many photos of him. But, I do want to write down some of the things I'm thankful for:
1. my family
2. my family's good health- Bryson's ears are finally clearing!
3. my business, my business partner and Brandon for helping to make it so successful!
4. my patients and their families- I truly love my job.
5. our friends
6. our church family/Sunday School class
7. Sonic and Starbucks :)
8. sleep!

Halloween Weekend!

2010-10-31T21:10:00.003-05:00

A Halloween weekend, in rewind!
Tonight we went trick-or-treating with our neighbors, and Bryson had a blast!! He actually started to carry his own pumpkin bag and reach for candy by the end of the night. He adores our neighbor, Blake- and is always wanting to hang with him. I love this photo of the two of them!

Even Leia got in on the costume action, and she absolutely hated it. But, here she is- Doctor Leia:

Saturday evening, we had a hayride/bonfire event with our Sunday School class outside of town, in Haskell. It was a perfect evening and Bryson really enjoyed watching the 'big kids' and running around.

Bryson doesn't go to school on Fridays, but we made a special trip since the 'Black Cat Parade' was scheduled. Basically, they parade the school around the circle drive 3x, and all the parents stand around and watch, taking cute photos. Bryson just couldn't quite figure out why all of his friends looked different :)

Overall, it was a wonderful weekend. I feel like we all need an extra day to rest up before starting another week! It's hard to believe that October is actually over, and Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner. Time seems to be going by too quick!

Great Weekend!

2010-10-25T08:37:00.004-05:00

Brandon and I were able to get away this past weekend- to Eureka Springs, AK. We hadn't been away from Bryson for more than 24 hours and we hadn't taken a trip since I became pregnant, so we were long overdo for this weekend away!

We stayed at the New Orleans Hotel and Spa right in the middle of the historic district, on Spring Street. It was a beautiful old hotel. There wasn't an elevator, and our room was on the 3rd floor, so we got plenty of exercise!! We walked almost everywhere this weekend- dinner at Ermelio's, shopping, Mud Street Cafe and several hiking trails.

We checked out Onyx Cave (a tourist trap) and had a couples massage on Saturday.

Overall, it was a wonderful weekend away. We needed the break, but it was great to get back home and spend time with Bryson and Leia again!

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-09T19:29:00.003-05:00

We went to Carmichael's pumpkin patch outside of town today, and had a blast! It's crazy to think how much Bryson has changed in a year....Last year we were able to just prop him up on a pumpkin and take a photo. Now he can walk and climb all over the pumpkins!

We spent over two hours there, allowing Asher (our nephew) and Bryson to roam all over the place and visit the petting zoo portion numerous times. The best part: it was FREE!

We are still going to try to visit to our old stomping grounds- pumpkin town next weekend. But this little pumpkin patch outside of Tulsa was well worth the drive and the petting zoo really set it apart! I'm so excited to start this tradition with Brandon and Bryson!

Fall Recipes

2010-09-28T09:02:00.002-05:00

I have been in a fall-ish baking/cooking mood. I made these EASY pumpkin muffins last week, and Bryson and I have had them for breakfast every morning since. (Brandon prefers good ol' cold cereal)

Easy Pumpkin Muffins (from www.ourbestbites.com)
2 boxes of spiced cake mix
2 cans (medium) of pumpkin puree
1 bag of chocolate chips

Mix the cake mix and pumpkin together. Fold in the chocolate chips. Using a spoon (these don't bake to look very pretty- they keep the same shape you start with) fill the muffin tins.
Bake for 22 minutes at 350 degrees.

This recipe made about 40 muffins, and our best bites reports that these are 1 WW point.

Something about fall makes me love casseroles. And having people over for supper. This recipe makes a TON of food- and its addicting, so share with friends :)

Potato Casserole (from my mom)
2 lb bag of frozen hash browns
1 pint of sour cream
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cups shredded cheese
2 tbsp minced onion

topping:
crushed corn flakes
1/4 cup melted butter

Thaw the potatoes. Mix all (non-topping) ingredients together- and put into a greased 9x13 pan. Your pan will be FULL. Sprinkle the corn flakes on top and cover with melted butter.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes.

Enjoy!

13 Months

2010-09-24T17:24:00.002-05:00

Bryson's now 13 months old. That seems strange to type. When I was in college, I remember people at church saying 'oh, he's 15 months old' and I'd think why don't they just say he's a 1 year old? It all makes sense to me now!

Not too much has changed this past month, but here's some of the highlights:

Shoes: size 5

Clothing: 12-18 months

Interests: Elmo, cars/trucks/trains, books, opening and closing doors

Words: dada, a form of 'I did it!' and 'all done'

Bryson had his second ear surgery this past week. His old tubes were removed, and new tubes were placed that are supposed to last longer. He also had his adenoids removed. He seems to be doing quite well. It appears that he can hear more- we will have his hearing re-checked by an audiologist in October. I'm praying that this new set of tubes will reduce the infections and we'll have a healthy winter.

Fall Cleaning

2010-09-22T18:42:00.004-05:00

I never really get into the spring cleaning craze. I'm so ready to get outside and work in the flowerbeds, that I'd rather put it off until the fall!

I've been struggling with how to organize and keep track of Bryson's toys. They started taking over the downstairs. We toyed with the idea of using the game/media room for its true purpose, but we didn't have a couch for Brandon and I to hang out on.

Our neighborhood garage sale was this past weekend, and our neighbor decided to sell us her NICE, white couch for $75!! So, that kicked my playroom idea into high gear. We spent all afternoon Sunday installing these shelves in the game room closet- total cost: $112 from Lowes.

Floor/1st shelf: Bryson's toys and puzzles

2nd shelf: sensory tubs (rice, beans and noodles), Lincoln logs and speech therapy toys/manipulative's

3rd shelf: my scrapbooking stuff

top wooden shelf: speech therapy games, printing papers, folders and assorted scrapbooking stuff.

I love the way this all came together. Bryson only have a few toys left downstairs now, and we spend more time up here at as family now that we have a couch to hang out on......And, what would a post be without a Bryson photo? He seems to be enjoying the game room now too!

Great Garage Sale Weekend!

2010-09-12T20:13:00.003-05:00

I had some amazing finds this weekend out garage sale-ing. I found this tool bench, with all the parts and batteries included for $20 at this AMAZING garage sale on Friday morning. I ended up spending $44 there- half on this workbench and the rest on 13 items of clothing (all for $1 each), 2 wooden games and a bag of musical toys. My parents neighborhood had their annual garage sale, so my neighbor Amanda and I went late Friday night to just scope it out and see who was setting up. I got these bristle blocks for $4......

and this Schwinn tricycle for $18!! I googled it when I got home, and it retails for $120! Bryson already loves it- he just figured out how to ring the bell this evening :) I can't wait for him to be able to ride it around.

I'm going to keep the trike and the workbench in the attic and pull them back out around Christmas....... This next weekend is our neighborhood's annual garage sale, so we'll see what other goodies I find!!

12 Months- better late than never

2010-09-09T14:36:00.001-05:00

I realized that I never posted Bryson's 12 month photos! It was very difficult to get him to sit still in his rocking chair- thank goodness my friend Lauri took some professional photos for us!

Milestones:
*Bryson's now walking!
*Completely off the bottle, taking whole milk and water through a sippy cup.
*He moved up to the next room at school! Now, he only has one nap a day.
*He eats whatever we eat- and we rarely find a food he doesn't like.
*Bryson weights 27 lbs, and is 30 1/4 inches tall. (90th %iles)
*He's a HUGE thumb sucker- speech therapy, here we come! :)
*He really enjoys playing with other kiddos- we caught Bryson and our neighbor, Lauren, playing peek-a-boo the other night with each other.

Did I even mention.....

2010-08-25T08:50:00.000-05:00

that I'm starting my own private practice? You should check out our website! It's www.tulsaspeech.com

Also, if you're ever curious about speech milestones- check out the 'milestones' tab on the website. It lists what sounds your child should produce correctly by what age, as well as expressive and receptive language milestones.

And- if you live in South Tulsa/Jenks/Sapulpa/Glennpool and need speech therapy- check us out!! :)

First Birthday Party!

2010-08-22T20:24:00.004-05:00

Bryson's first birthday party couldn't have gone any better- it was a perfect evening! We had his party at my parents neighborhood pool. I ordered our cake from Target- I decided not to attempt to make it myself. They even made a smash cake to match the large cake!!

By now, you should be able to tell that Bryson LOVES to eat- and he was not shy about diving into his cake!!

I can't believe that my little boy is turning one! He is becoming more steady and swift in his walking. He is also turning into quite the social butterfly. He was happy to see his friends at the party, and even helped Brandon open some of his presents.

Toys and Visitors

2010-08-12T21:43:00.000-05:00

August is flying by. Between back to school, starting a private practice and planning Bryson's 1st birthday party, we've been quite busy. At the very end of July, we hit the motherload at Target. Twice a year, Target puts about 1/2 of their toy department on sale! Luckily, I was in 'the know' and got there early! Here's what I got- 75% off:

I love working with pediatrics- it gives me an excuse to purchase all these new games, and this sale is a great way to stock up for birthday gifts. Total, I spent $66.22 for everything!

Then, Grandy and Papa came to visit. It was wonderful having them in town and Bryson really enjoyed seeing them. Here's a few photos from our time together:

They spoiled us, taking us to all of our favorite places to eat :) That's what grandparents are for!

1st Birthday Party Ideas

2010-07-29T07:41:00.000-05:00

Bryson's 1st birthday is approaching! We're having a swimming party with a sock monkey/1st birthday theme. I bought these napkins to base my theme off of. I'm going to use orange and green plates/ballons that match........

I'm seriously considering making this cake and MAYBE the cupcakes- we'll see- we might end up with just plain jane cupcakes......

Still trying to decide on the invitation and how many decorations I want to put up, since we are having the party at a neighborhood pool....any ideas?

Evening Fun

2010-07-26T19:30:00.000-05:00

We have such wonderful neighbors; we spend most of our evenings outside, playing with the neighborhood kids. Cousin Asher gave his old push car to Bryson, and he LOVES it! We usually pull him around in his wagon or push him in this car........

After bath time, Bryson likes to play with whatever toys are still out- stalling of course!

The other night he just plum tuckered out before we could even get him to bed!!

It's been a great summer thus far! I can't wait to see how his outdoor play changes as he can walk!

Eleven Months

2010-07-25T07:23:00.002-05:00

This summer is just flying by! I took his 11 month photos after his bath, so his hair was still a little wet- it's really blond though!

Milestones for this month:

* Bryson took his 1st steps this week- primarily on Friday night!! As of this morning, he's taking about 10 steps at a time!

* Still wearing size 3 diapers, but will transition to size 4 this coming week

* wearing some 12 month outfits still, transitioning to 12-18 month clothing

* We're slowly fading the bottle. He's been resistant to taking formula from his sippy cup, but when he's hungry, he will. I hope to pack away the bottles this next week!

* Still sleeping from 8pm-6:30am every night.

* Bryson loves swimming- he's been kicking his little legs in the water and splashing so much more.

* He's been sucking his thumb more, especially when he's tired

His ears have cleared up some, since I've had a job transition this past month and have been home with him more. I'm hoping we're seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. He's scheduled to see an allergist/immunologist this coming week- so if there is any reason for the excess fluid, we should know soon!

Blueberry Banana Bread

2010-07-16T06:52:00.001-05:00

I made this the other day- and it was so moist! I need to find blueberries on sale again :)

Blueberry Banana Bread
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 large ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups blueberries

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, vegetable oil, egg, vanilla and mashed bananas until smooth. Add in flour mixture and stir until just combined and no streaks of flour remain. Fold in blueberries with a spoon or spatula, then pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake for about 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached.
Cool bread in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

Makes 1 loaf
http://bakingbites.com/2010/06/blueberry-banana-bread/

Happy Fourth of July!

2010-07-05T07:43:00.002-05:00

We had a low-key 4th this year. We stuck close to home and enjoyed fireworks with our neighbors. Bryson really enjoyed the show, and even went to bed at 9pm, while the fireworks were still going off. We're so blessed to live in America!

Balloons.

2010-07-03T20:09:00.003-05:00

Sweet little Rance passed away Thursday evening. Today was his 5th birthday. His parents decided to honor this day and have a celebration, even though the outcome wasn't what they hoped for.
I joined several other people from our Sunday School class and numerous other people for a birthday balloon launch and birthday celebration this evening. I can't even put into words what it was like to see such amazing, caring, Godly people celebrate the life of their child.

I hope that if I was ever faced with this situation, I would trust in God and His will as much as they have.

Pray.

2010-06-29T21:17:00.002-05:00

Please pray for a little guy that attends our church. He will turn 5 this Saturday and he is battling a brain tumor. It has caused many physical side effects and he is having great difficulty breathing and swallowing. Please lift up his family and siblings. His name is Rance.

10 Months

2010-06-28T12:56:00.002-05:00

I can't believe how fast June has gone by! Bryson refused to be still for my monthly photo- so this is all I got!

Here's whats happening at the 10 month mark:

*Bryson LOVES to watch/chase/'pet' Leia. He laughs everytime she runs past him.

* He weights 24 lbs and is 30 inches long. He's in the 90th percentile for everything.

* He really enjoys food- he isn't picky about what he eats. He enjoys table food, and taking a 'drink' from a straw.

* He drinks from a sippy cup now- still taking a bottle for his formula though....

* He's dropped his 4/5pm nap, so some nights he goes down earlier.

* We just wrapped up swim lessons and he LOVED it! He's such a little water baby.

* His bottom 2 teeth are in, and he's cutting his top 2, maybe 4 teeth.

* Still in size 3 diapers, but not for long!

* Still wearing 6-12 month clothing...barely....

* He's pulling up to stand and cruising around the house on whatever he can get his hands on!

He's such a sweet boy- if we could just get his ears to not drain, we'd be good! But, he tolerates all the doctors visits and the daily ear drops so well- it's normal to him now!

First Haircut and other events....

2010-06-16T07:41:00.003-05:00

Bryson received his first haircut yesterday! I was slightly more sentimental than I thought I would be- but we both did really well. I provide speech therapy for two kiddos in their home, and their older sister is a hair stylist. So, she came over after speech was completed and cut Bryson's hair.

Here's Bryson before and after:

He was growing a mullet, so the most drastic change is on the back of his head. But, he just wouldn't hold still for that photo!

We've been really busy around the house since Brandon started to rebuild our fence about four weekends ago. Bryson has been missing him- often sitting at the door, watching him work.....

The fence is finally completed and it looks amazing! Its nice to have a privacy fence on all sides now- although I will miss my cute white picket fence :)

1st Trip to the Lake

2010-05-31T07:07:00.004-05:00

We took Bryson to lake Texoma this weekend, ear plugs, ear headband and all! He was a little timid at first, but really seemed to enjoy himself. Here he is playing w/ daddy.....

Chillin' on the boat......

Attempt at a family photo....

The motion of the water/boat moving put him right to sleep! It was so nice!!

Hope you have a wonderful Memorial Day!

Nine Months

2010-05-25T21:41:00.003-05:00

It's a challenge to get Bryson to sit still for these photos! He wants to be on the move, all the time!

Milestones:

* Bryson's bottom 2 teeth are in!

* He can crawl on all fours, pull to stand, sit down from standing and is just starting to 'cruise' around on furniture.

* His ears are STILL infected. The tubes are working really well though. We met with another ENT today and have a new course of treatment.

* He's wearing 6-12 month clothing and size 3 diapers.

* Bryson's eating more table foods and self-feeding more. He can drink from a sippy cup.

* He pulls up on his crib when he's ready for us to come get him up in the morning!

* He's still such a sweet boy- he's been babbling more and has made many 'friends' :)

Back in the Game

2010-05-15T11:46:00.005-05:00

I'm back into the couponing game!!

A new CVS opened down the street (they just opened up 3 in town in the past year) and I decided to test out the Huggies diaper deal now that the $3/1 coupon came out....anywho- here's how I did:

Total spent OOP: $31.92

Total before coupons and ECB: $58.15

3 packs of Huggies diapers

1 pack of Little Swimmers diapers

2 Right Guard Deodorants

1 gallon of milk

eye makeup

2 Crest toothpaste

My first Mothers Day

2010-05-09T20:25:00.003-05:00

Today we celebrated my very first Mother's Day! It was even better than I could have imagined it to be.

As usual, Bryson was up around 6:30am.....Brandon took me out for a dinner date last night (its been so long since we've been to dinner, just the two of us), but we both really like this breakfast place in town- the Broken Egg. Bryson appeared to be in a good mood, so we threw on some hoodies and headed out.
We ran into a friend from high school's parents and they were just thrilled to meet Bryson. We had a great breakfast, but our waitress didn't appear to be in any rush to get us our check. Well, when we asked for it, we learned that her parents had paid for our meal!!! What a special Mother's day breakfast!!

We spent the rest of the day at church and visiting with my family, and then just hanging out at home. Brandon got Bryson's swing hung on the porch- and he LOVES it!

Bryson is cutting his 1st two bottom teeth this weekend. Overall, he's been pretty happy about it- but man, it sure hurts when he gums on us now!

He's still having some ear difficulties....we are going to see an infectious disease doctor soon. The cultures came back from the surgery (from his middle ear fluid) and he has an antibiotic resistant infection, which explains why his ears are still continually draining. This infectious disease doctor is supposed to help us get the right drugs to clear up the infection. I can't wait to have all these ear problems behind us!

So, that's whats new in our corner of the world! Hope you had a wonderful and blessed Mother's Day!

Tis the Season...

2010-04-26T20:59:00.003-05:00

...for garage sales! Last year, I was able to find almost all of Bryson's clothing, from 0-12 months. Since I'm up early anyways on Saturday mornings- I might as well stir out and hunt some bargains.

This past weekend wasn't too amazing- I did spend $22 at one house for 10 baby gap shirts, 3 pairs of gap shorts, a gymboree swimsuit and swim shirt and a baby gap sweater......but this was my best find:

for $8 total!!! I couldn't believe it! It took up my entire trunk, but Bryson has already shown some interest in playing with it...

I can't wait to see what the weekends ahead hold!

Eight Months

2010-04-24T06:25:00.007-05:00

It's hard to believe that Bryson is 8 months old today!

Milestones:

* Scooting/crawling all over the house- as you can tell by the photos, he doesn't want to stay still for long!
* Received our 1st set of PE tubes yesterday due to 6 total ear infections.
* still wearing size 3 diapers
* wearing 6-12 month clothing
* started wearing little robeez shoes
* eating some mushy banana pieces and the pincher grasp is emerging
* Bryson is really wanting to stand and walk- hes just not quite there yet.
* Sleeping from about 8/8:30pm to 6:30am every night.
* Adores wagon rides and basically just being outside.
* He's starting to want to play with Leia- ie follow her around the house

Happy Easter!

2010-04-06T19:36:00.001-05:00

We couldn't have asked for a better Easter Sunday...we had a wonderful service at church, lunch with our family and we were able to spend the day with our happy, healthy son!! Bryson supervised the mashing of the potatoes...

and posed for numerous photos!

Next year, I plan on getting him an easter basket- but at this age, he's just happy to people watch!

Spring Flowers

2010-03-27T12:55:00.002-05:00

Our neighbors, a few houses down have the most beautiful flowerbeds- so, what did we do? We rang their doorbell and asked if we could put Bryson in the flowerbed for some photos! And they agreed!

This next picture was just too funny- Bryson decided to taste test the daffodils.....

I am so happy that Spring has finally arrived! We can get Bryson out of the house more and summer will be here soon!

Seven Months

2010-03-25T19:19:00.002-05:00

Bryson is now seven months old! This monthly photo deal is taking quite a bit longer as he doesn't want to sit still in the rocking chair! :)

I think this is the first full month that he's gone without being sick or on antibiotics. He's now taking Zyrtec every night to help his Eustachian tubes drain properly. Also, this month, he started going to the chiropractor in an attempt to help avoid/treat his frequent ear infections. Thus far, I'm pleased!

Other milestones/Bryson facts:

* He's just started to scoot/demonstrate a slight army crawl.

* He's eating 3 meals a day, plus his 6 oz bottles of formula. All stage 2 baby food and some puree's I've made myself

* He loves watching and attempting to play with Leia

* He's sleeping from about 8:30pm to 7am, but refusing to nap more than an hour at a time. He's taking 2-3 cat naps a day.

* Still drooling. alot.

* Still no teeth.

* He loves to grab. At everything.

* We haven't found a food he doesn't like!!

moving up!

2010-03-23T08:41:00.004-05:00

Bryson's moving up to a big boy bath seat :)

A Day in the Life....

2010-03-08T10:48:00.003-06:00

I'm a little late, but over at Kelly's Corner (www.kellyskornerblog.com) she is doing 'a day in the life' special. So, I figured I'd share our normal routine.

Since I work PRN, my schedule varies, but overall we usually start our day the same way:

5:30am- (4x a week) Jazzercise class
from 6am to 7:30am- Bryson wakes up, eats 6 oz of formula and a jar of fruit- then we play, read and change clothes
9am- drop Bryson off at pre-school
9:30-3pm (to as late as 6pm on Monday's)- I work as an SLP and Bryson's at pre-school
3-6pm- Come home
Bryson plays, I try to do housework, start dinner, etc
5:30/6pm- family dinner
6-8pm- family time
8pm- Bryson's bath
8:30- Bryson goes to bed
10-10:30- Brandon and I go to bed

I can't explain to you how much I love working PRN. It stinks that I don't get paid to take off, don't get me wrong- but when Bryson's sick or has a dr's appt, its no big deal to get off work. I just cancel w/ that client and go! I love the flexibility I have to be with him when I need to be.

I adore his preschool as well- he is FINALLY getting on a nap schedule- which i desperately needed their help to do!!

JBF

2010-02-28T08:03:00.006-06:00

Last year, my mom and I went to the Just Between Friends consignment sale with a 'new mom' pass, thus meaning we got in at 7pm, the night before the sale opened to the public. Well, this year, my SIL consigned some of her son's baby stuff, so I used her pass and I was able to get into the sale at 1pm yesterday! I spent about 3 hrs there- thank goodness Brandon was so willing to keep Bryson, but I found alot of great stuff!

I found this outfit for Bryson to wear for Easter- I just love the little hat!

I got all of these toys for about 75% off retail- the penguin was $3, the giraffe ball roll for $8, the pop-up ball toy for $5, Learning bear for $4 and the push and ride for $5.

The green shoes are from 'see kai run'- I looked them up online, and they retail for $40! I spent $8!!

I also got several summer/fall outfits for Bryson. I think I can do a little better with garage sales, but some of the outfits were just too cute to pass up.

I didn't get this toy at the sale, but I did find it 50% off at Target after Christmas. It's a toy that'll grown with him- right now he just sits and hits the piano keys- but he's just so darn cute when he's playing with it!

I think the key to the consignment sales is to find a way to get in before the general public- I was able to choose from about 20 penguins, so I was able to pick the cheapest one. I enjoyed the JBF sale though, and I'm excited to go again in the fall!

6 Months

2010-02-26T08:28:00.003-06:00

Time seems to be flying by! Bryson is now 6 months old! I can't believe it.

* He's a drooling machine- I try to keep a bib on him at all times

* He's now sleeping from about 8:30pm to 7am every night

* He giggles at almost anything

* Still not crawling, but he likes to extend his hands/feet like 'super baby'

* He's graduating to the next class at preschool this week!

* He loves his food- bananas, squash, sweet potatoes, apples- he's even tried mashed potatoes (just one spoonful) and loved 'em!

* He enjoys playing airplane with Brandon

* He loves jumping in his jumperoo

More to Love....

2010-02-17T19:58:00.002-06:00

I haven't posted in a while! I figured it was time for an update. We'll start with the most recent......this past weekend- Valentines weekend.

Friday night- Brandon and I went to a romantic dinner at The Melting Pot and spent the night at the Hotel Ambassador. My parents (and my little sis) kept Bryson overnight and I'm sure he gave them a run for their money!

Brandon's mom came into town on Saturday for a short visit, so we went downtown to McNellie's for some yummy hamburgers and to hang out with Lindsey and Asher.

Then, on Sunday- actual Valentine's day- we went to church and wrapped up our marriage series. We spent the rest of the day hanging out with our family and just spending a quite evening at home.
(Our good friend Kayla gave Bryson this dog for Valentines and he adores it! He loves to gum on its ears!) Alot's been going on around here- I turned in my two week notice at one of my contract companies. Now, I am just working at a pediatric clinic and a few hours a week at a charter school with about nine speech IEP students. I'm definitely cut out for clinic work much more than home health.
In other, non-me news, Bryson finally recovered from RSV. As soon as he was well, I came down with a terrible ear and sinus infection. Now, Brandon has it! One day, we'll all be well at the same time again!
Bryson is about to move up into the 6-12 month room at preschool. The school sent home an evaluation on Tuesday proving that he had met his developmental milestones and is ready to be promoted. I was nervous as I opened the evaluation, which I know sounds silly, but with my job, evaluations are never a positive thing! It was such a relief to see that he was on track. It definitely gave me insight on how to better handle the evaluation process at work.

So, that's what's going on in our little corner of the world! I'll try to update a little more!

RSV

2010-01-29T07:29:00.002-06:00

I wish there was an 'RSV for Dummies' book out there!

Bryson was diagnosed with RSV earlier this week. At first, I wasn't super concerned- he seemed to be handling it well. He was still playing, 'talking' and sleeping like normal. I started to wonder why children had to be hospitalized and such a big deal was made about the virus.
Now that RSV has hit him full force- I know! It's heartbreaking and just terrible that I can't do much to help him!
So, I figured I'd share, from my experience some RSV tidbits/tips:

1. Do your best to keep fluids up. We stopped offering rice cereal/baby foods. Hydration is key.
2. Sleep- Bryson has slept best upright, chest to chest on one of us.
3. Invest in an battery powered nasal aspirator- this has been a life saver.
4. Breathing treatments are difficult with the mask- switch to the wand. Bryson will gum on the wand, thus getting more abuderol into him.
5. Rotate Tylenol and Motrin.
6. My doctor recommended keep him cool- he hasn't really had a fever (as most children do) but she recommended letting him sleep in light clothing- no footed pj's, etc.
7. Boogie Wipes are amazing. They are wipes w/ saline solution- I believe you can get 'em at Target or BRU.

I'm just praying that Bryson will be feeling better by Monday......I'm ready to have my sweet, playful baby boy back!

Five Months

2010-01-24T14:50:00.003-06:00

Bryson is five months old today! We didn't make it to church since I'm sick- so I didn't take the monthly photos til this afternoon. He's a little more cooperative in the mornings :)

Milestones:
* He now eats rice or oatmeal cereal 2x a day
* He has tried sweet potatoes, peas, green beans and carrots. Peas and sweet potatoes seem to be his favorite.
* He had his 2nd ear infection this past month- not a good milestone. But, at least he recovers quickly.
* He can now sit up, unsupported for over 10 minutes!
* He likes to sleep on his side and on his tummy
* Bryson sleeps from about 8:30pm to 6:30am every night
* He can roll back to tummy, tummy to back with ease
* He laughs alot now- and its adoreable!
* We moved up to size 3 diapers, they are a little large on him, but i got tired of the size 2 leaks.
* Still wearing 3-6 month clothing, but not for much longer! We'll probably start to transition his clothing to the next size this week or next........

Diaper review

2010-01-10T20:24:00.003-06:00

I'll eventually get around to posting the rest of my Christmas photos- but I thought I'd go ahead and share my reviews of two different brands of diapers that I have recently tried.

So far, we have been pleased with Huggies- I have been able to stock up at great prices and haven't had too many leaks. However, Babies R Us has run several sweet diaper deals, so I couldn't refuse a $3 or less pack of diapers!

1. Fisher Price Happy Days & Nights Diapers

These usually retail for $9.99 and appear to be sold only at Babies R Us- at least around here. These appear to be thinner than the Huggies, but thus far they have held up nicely. They have a 'size right indicator' around the waste to let you know when your child is ready to move up to the next size. They didn't have as much printing/designs on the diaper on the Huggies- both of which aren't things I really look at when purchasing diapers. I don't think I'd pay over $3 a package for these, but I am pleased with the way they have held up thus far.

2. Earth's Best Chlorine Free Diapers

These usually retail for $11.99 and up. I was able to snag these for $1.50 and $3 a pack on New Years Day with coupons combined with a sale at BRU. These diapers claim to be environmentally friendly. Honestly, I know I should be more concerned about such issues, but right now I just want diapers that are cheap and fit Bryson well.

These diapers are a little thicker than the Fisher Price diapers. They are plain white and are the diapers we currently put Bryson in for overnight. He has yet to leak out of these!! And he rarely doesn't leak out of diapers overnight. These have extra tabs on the front of the diaper that wrap around like the fasteners- and I think that makes for less leaks.

Overall, I still like our Huggies and I don't think I will switch from that brand unless they drop their $3/1 coupons and Walgreens stops running Huggies sales. BUT, if either one of these brands go on sale again, I will stock up (especially if the Earth's Best price is comparable to Huggies) and I'd recommend them to my friends- hence, this blog post :)

Christmas, Part One

2009-12-26T11:23:00.000-06:00

What a crazy Christmas this has been!

I was so excited by the talk of a white Christmas, little did I know that we would get 7 inches of ice/snow here in Oklahoma! We even had our 1st blizzard warning. I wanted Bryson's first Christmas to be memorable- and it was!

Lindsey and Asher planned on going to our church's Christmas Eve service with us and then dinner at my parents house afterwards. They ended up getting stranded at our house and had to stay the night and spend Christmas day with us! We had a great time though- Christmas did not go as planned, but it was so nice to take it slow, remember the REAL reason for Christmas and enjoy the time with family.

Here's just a few of the photos I've taken:

Out in the Christmas snow....

Christmas fun- opening presents, etc....

Our Christmas celebration is only 1/2 way completed- we're off to see Brandon's side of the family for the rest of the weekend. Hope you had a very merry Christmas.

Four Months

2009-12-25T21:13:00.003-06:00

Bryson turned four months old on Christmas eve!

He has been quite the little ham!

Milestones include:

started and loves rice cereal
now drinking about 5-6oz per feeding
not sleeping straight through the night consistently anymore :(
more consistent napping
LOVES bath time!
doesn't appear to hate car rides, as much as before
has really started to recognize Brandon and I, and he smiles when we enter the room
can roll tummy to back, back to tummy
gums all.the.time.
refuses to take a paci. Would rather gum on his hands or a teether.

new recipe, yum!

2009-12-17T22:41:00.004-06:00

Bryson and I have been watching the Today show every morning. I saw these on the cooking segment, and they looked pretty good. They were really easy to make, and have been a big hit- so I thought I'd share the recipe!

Orange Juice Balls

INGREDIENTS
• 3/4 box powdered sugar
• 1 stick of butter, melted
• 1 pound box vanilla wafers
• 1 6-ounce can frozen orange juice
• chopped nuts
• shredded coconut
extra powdered sugar (to roll 'em in)

DIRECTIONS
Crush vanilla wafers in a food processor or blender to make fine crumbs. Add all other ingredients and mix with your hands. Form into balls and roll in powdered sugar, or nuts or coconut. Refrigerate to set. Store in refrigerator.
(these cookies would be really easy to make with children too!)

Time

2009-12-14T21:15:00.006-06:00

December seems to be flying by. My friend Dana and I were discussing this the other day- I can't tell if it's because I really enjoy my new job or if it's because of Bryson, OR everything combined!
I am really enjoying my job(s). I feel like I have the best of both worlds- I'm able to work and do what I love, but I'm able to spend more time with Bryson. I'm still struggling to figure out the balance of housework/cooking dinner and the above mentioned things, but who isn't?
It's just crazy to think that this time last year, we were just finding out that we were expecting! It's amazing when you realize how much our lives have changed in a year's time.

This past weekend, we took Bryson to Rhema to look at the Christmas lights- it was colder than I thought it would be/prepared for, so we didn't stay long. Here's some of the photos we took:

Bryson seemed to enjoy himself. He wasn't super kick-y or grinning the whole time- it was like he was just trying to soak it all in!

He has really been enjoying his jumperoo and excersaucer lately :) His teachers at preschool have been commenting on how much more content he is while at school. His temperament really seems to be shinning through.

I hope to post again before Christmas- I'm working on some cute little cards for his preschool teachers (all 5 of 'em) that I'd like to share. But, if I don't post- have a Merry Christmas!!

New Obsession

2009-12-05T20:20:00.002-06:00

I have a new obsession.
It's Craigslist.

I adore it. I got an iphone about a month ago, and I tend to look at craigslist in-between clients and while waiting in line at the store! I can go days without seeing anything I would be interested in purchasing and then, bam- something will pop up!

So far, I've gotten mainly toys/games/materials for speech therapy- that Bryson can play with when he is a little older. Some of my best finds thus far?

Leap Frog fridge toys- garage set and animal matching set for $10 total
Elefun for $2
Melissa & Doug puzzles, 6 for $10 total
Melissa & Doug lacing blocks and castle building blocks for $10 total
64 jars of gerber baby food for $10

I've sold several baby items on Craigslist as well- items that we just didn't use and I can't see us using the future.

What do you think of Craigslist? I was a little creeped out by it at first, but I always meet the seller/buyer at the local gas station, during the day time. I also never give out my phone number.

What have you found on Craigslist?

Thanksgiving Review

2009-12-01T08:15:00.002-06:00

We spent Thanksgiving in Texas this year. Bryson was able to meet Aunt Susan and the rest of our extended family- here he is with Grandy & Susan: He did really well on the drive down there, but he had a rough trip home. I don't know what else we can do to make traveling easier for him. Any tips?!

While in Texas, we did some Black Friday shopping. Target, CVS, Michaels and Ikea. Oh, how I wish we had an Ikea up here!
After the embarrassing OSU loss, we headed home- here's Mr. B in his ADORABLE OSU hat-

We finished off the weekend by decorating the house for Christmas and attempting to hang Christmas lights outside. I love this time of year, and I can't wait to teach our traditions to Bryson!

How was your Thanksgiving? Any 'traveling with baby' tips?

Three Months!

2009-11-24T20:01:00.003-06:00

Bryson is three months old today! I'm way behind on uploading photos, so I'll upload Halloween, etc soon!

Milestones:

* still sleeping from about 9:30/10pm to about 6:30/7am.

* better head control

* you love to stand!

* you started using your jumperoo and you like to stomp your legs while 'jumping'

* you are now wearing size 3-6 month in onesies and one piece outfits

* you are drinking about 4-6 oz now per feeding- you still love your food, and hate to burp!

* you've started drooling more, thus you've been wearing more bibs.

* you had your 1st ear infection last week :(

* at your ear infection doctors appt, you weighed 14 lbs 3 oz!!!! You are a big boy!

* you wear size 2 diapers

* you love to smile at those around you, and everyone eats it up!

* you sleep in your crib every night now

* I found this mobile at a garage sale- you love it!

Diapers!

2009-11-09T11:30:00.002-06:00

Walgreens is running a decent sale on Huggies diapers right now. Here's how I used the coupons I had to walk out with some pretty cheap diapers:

4 packages of Huggies diapers- $8.99 each
- $5/25 purchase coupon in this weeks ad
- 2 $3/1 Huggies diapers coupons I received in the mail
- 2 $2/1 printable Huggies diapers coupons
= $20.96, or $5.24 per package

THEN- if I send in the Caregivers Marketplace rebate
- 4 x $0.75 a package

= $4.49 for a package of diapers!!

We have been crazy busy lately, but I'm loving it! I have alot of photos I need to upload, but I've just been enjoying our time at home together as a family. I'll eventually get them up.

Also, we're getting geared up for the 3rd annual Friendsgiving celebration- I can't wait!

Target deals

2009-11-01T09:19:00.002-06:00

I went to Target this morning at 8am (Bryson didn't get the memo about the time change) for the post-Halloween deals. I noticed that Kelloggs cereal was on sale- and I scored big! Here's what I did:

Buy 3 boxes, get 1 free
4 x 2.66= $10.64
-$2.66 (free box)
- 4 $1/1 Kelloggs cereal target printable coupons
- $1.50/3 Kelloggs printable coupon from their website
= $2.48, which comes to $0.62 a box!!!!

Since our school colors are orange and black, I always stock up on the Halloween cups/plates- they are great for tailgating!

Fall Catch-Up

2009-10-27T16:14:00.000-05:00

Football season is in full swing; thus, we have a very busy fall! I love this time of the year though.
Last weekend, we went to OSU's homecoming. The house decks didn't seem to 'wow' me as they have in years past, but it was sure nice to be in Stillwater and participate in Walk-Around. This was my favorite one- can you believe all this is done with chicken wire and tissue paper?!?!

Every year, we have our photo taken at Theta pond- it never turns out as well as I would like, but we still attempt it every year!

In Bryson news, he loves to sit up now- he sat like this for over 30 minutes last weekend! It was just too cute!

And here's our little pumpkin- we took him to Pumpkin Town, which is something Brandon and I have done since we moved back to town. It was different this year to take a baby with us!! I can't wait til he's a little older and can participate a little more, but we still had a good time.

In Leia news: she has adjusted to Bryson! She isn't scared of him anymore and she enjoys giving him kisses from time to time :)

Two Months

2009-10-25T16:05:00.003-05:00

Bryson is now two months old!

Milestones from this month:

* He sleeps from 10pm to at least 6am (sometimes as late as 7:30am) every night!

* He weighs over 13 lbs

* I'll know his length after his 2 month check up- my guess is 24 inches

* He is such a little ham- he smiles at everyone!

* He can roll over from his tummy to his back, but only to the right. He's done it on 7 occasions now!

* He spent the 1st over-night away from us, with MiMi and Grand-daddy

* He really seems to enjoy preschool/daycare. He loves to watch his friends crawl around.

* He now wears size 2 diapers, 0-3 month pants and shirts

* The 0-3 month onesies are getting to be a little snug- Bryson's just too long!

We are so blessed to have such a sweet baby!

Today

2009-10-22T15:47:00.004-05:00

My 11:30 patient cancelled today, so I seized the chance to go to the grocery store and coupon! Homeland has some pretty good deals this week- so I decided to go there. Here's how I did:

Total spent: $24.37
Total saved: $29.66 (54%)

free deodorant- dove and degree
$1 Honey Nut Cheerios
$0.97 Pace Salsa
free colgate toothpaste
parchment paper (for holiday baking)

My total was a little high due to the fact I bought velveeta, chips and a balloon for one of my patients birthday's :) Overall, I was really pleased with my trip. It was nice to go to the grocery store by myself and to not feel the need to rush.

Time flies....

2009-10-12T20:40:00.003-05:00

Time really seems to be flying by right now!

I started back to work last week, thus, Bryson started his 1st week at church preschool. I took these photos at the 6 wk, 1 day mark- his 1st day at 'school'.

During week 6, Bryson started to sleep even longer- on two occasions he slept til 7:15am!! He's also become quite the little ham. My friend Kristen got married this weekend, and I was a bridesmaid in her wedding, so we had quite the weekend. I was so happy that Bryson was well behaved- he even stayed awake for the wedding and reception!

Kristen is one of our last friends to get married; Brandon and I are definitely starting to feel older. For a long while we were in the 'wedding/wedding shower' stage of life, and now we have transitioned to the 'baby shower' and 'early bedtime' stage of life.

Several of our friends are moving away though, and it feels like graduating from college all over again. It's not as easy to make friends now- we're so busy with Mr. Bryson and just life in general. It makes you really appreciate the friends you have!!

Happy

2009-10-04T11:19:00.000-05:00

Bryson started smiling this past week- we love it! He's been haming it up for everyone he comes into contact with, which makes him a very popular baby.

We had an eventful weekend; Friday we attended a bonfire/hot dog roast, Saturday we just hung out around the house and attended a neighbors birthday party and today, we visited a new church.

This afternoon I hope to drag out my fall decorations, make some pumpkin bread and actually clean house.

I start back to work this week, thus Bryson starts pre-school. I'm excited to get us more into a routine...I hope he enjoys his teachers though. They are nice, Christian ladies, I'm sure he'll do just fine!

Garage sale finds

2009-10-03T10:05:00.004-05:00

Bryson and I hit the garage sales yesterday morning and then Brandon kept him home this morning- but we found some good deals! I found this Fisher Price jumperoo for $15!! It retails for $90 online right now......... It was never used either!
I found alot of 6-12 month clothing for Bryson all for $0.50 an item this morning. The same lady had Gap and Old Navy shirts for $0.50- I went ahead and purchased 3 of 'em for myself.
Alot of my old shirts fit, but they are tight across my tummy. These are a size bigger, so for 50 cents they'll work for now :)

I found a few BrainQuest sets to use with my therapy kiddos and a kids nativity set for Bryson to have later!

Have you been out garage sale-ing lately? Have you found anything good?

One Month

2009-09-24T09:37:00.001-05:00

Today, Bryson is one month old! And to celebrate, he slept from 10pm to 5:50am, making two very happy parents.

It's amazing how much he's grown- he's so much more alert!

He's now wearing 0-3 months in clothing, although the pants are a little large. He's still in size 1 diapers. I'm anxious to see his weight at his checkup- I think he's at least 11 lbs now!

We got several packages in the mail this week too- the clothing is from our Aunt Susan and the burp cloth, book and toys are from my Texas friends- the Kidd's.

Overall, its been a good week. Bryson has started on a new formula, and it seems to be sitting well with him. He's on more of a schedule and I've actually started to feel like myself again. I can't wait to see what's ahead!

three weeks

2009-09-14T07:33:00.001-05:00

Our little man is 3 weeks old today! My in-laws were in town this weekend to meet Bryson, so the weekend flew by.

Now that you are three weeks old:

* You have slept from 10:45pm until 5am on two occasions- I hope this is a new trend!

* I found you on your side in your pack-n-play when I left you on your back, so maybe you are trying to roll over?

* You stay awake longer- mainly in the mornings and after supper

* You have outgrown a few of your newborn sized onesies- they are just not long enough!

* You still wear size 1 diapers- you never fit into the newborn ones

* You have 'watched' two OSU football games and been to church twice :)

* We are finally figuring each other out!

Grocery deals

2009-09-09T15:32:00.000-05:00

I saw some good Quaker deals in the Homeland ad this morning, so I thought Bryson and I might stir out sometime this week and attempt the trip.

But Brandon, being the awesome husband he is, encouraged me to go ahead and make a grocery run while he stayed home with Bryson! I jumped at the opportunity!

Here's how I did:

Total Spent: $31.57

Total saved: $57.88

% saved? 67%

* 9 boxes of Quaker granola bars + Cap'n Crunch Cereal, 5/$8 sale

-2 $3/5 Quaker coupons= 10 Quaker products for $1 each AC

* 2 Knorr Lipton rice sides= $0.04 AC

* 4 Ronzoni pastas for about $0.50- $0.75 each after assorted coupons

* Hungry Jack syrup= $1 AC

* Welch's juice= $0.99 AC

* 4 cans of pillsbury grands products- FREE after coupons

* 2 Peter Pan Peanut Butter- $1.50/jar AC

* 2 Pace Picante sauce- $0.94/jar AC

Not too bad for my 1st trip :)

Number 5, baby!

2009-09-08T15:18:00.005-05:00

Our amazing Oklahoma State Cowboy football team is #5 in the AP rankings this week. #5!!!

Whoa.

It's been since before I acknowledged college football that OSU was this good! So, to celebrate, here's some photos of my 2 OSU babies :)

My parents kept Bryson and Leia on Saturday so that Brandon, my sister and I could attend the OSU vs. Georgia game. It was great to be back in the football stadium, and to have some 'adult' time. We sure did miss Bryson- but a Cowboy victory and some Mexico Joes salsa helped console me :)
I'm told Bryson enjoyed his time with his MiMi and Granddaddy, and he even watched some of the game on TV!

Fun faces

2009-09-04T13:45:00.003-05:00

I can't believe how much little Bryson has grown in a week and four days! Here's some of my favorite 'at home' photos- this is from his first weekend home...

And I took this one a night or two ago- He keeps making such serious faces and doing funny things with his hands..he just looks to be in deep contemplation! Brandon was home with me all week, and we made an effort to get out of the house every day. We went to Wal-Mart yesterday and I price-comped a few good deals from Homeland. I didn't get anything for free, but it was still better than paying full-price for watermelon, chinet plates and potato chips!

I'll have clearance to drive again after Labor Day, so I'm excited to get back into couponing and get on a more regular schedule once Brandon returns to work.

Hope you have a wonderful Labor Day!

The lowdown on c-sections

2009-09-03T08:51:00.002-05:00

Our c-section was scheduled due to Bryson's estimated size on ultrasounds. I felt pretty prepared going into the c-section, as I had researched it on the Internet and read my baby books.
BUT- there are a few things that I wasn't prepared for, and I thought I'd share 'em!

1. Swelling
I had no clue how bad the swelling would be after the c-section. I was told it had something to do with the IV fluids, etc. My feet were swollen for over a week, and it was very painful. It felt like my skin was going to rip open. yuck.
What did I do to help reduce the swelling? We started walking every evening for 30 minutes and I've been drinking a TON of water.

2. Gas
Gross, I know- but my whole belly was filled with gas about 24 hrs after the c-section. I had actually read about this, but I wasn't prepared for it to be that severe. If this happens to you, make sure and tell your nurse sooner rather than later! They have medicine that can help!

3. Feelings
I was talking with my friend Kacey the other day about my 'baby blues'. She made an excellent point- and I thought I'd share it. :)
With a vaginal birth, you go through all this pain, but the pain goes away when your child is born. With a scheduled c-section, you have no pain at the beginning. You lay on an operating table and your child is surgically removed from you. Then, you have intense pain right after the birth of your child.
I had amazing doctors and nurses who managed my pain medication very well- and within 24 hours of the surgery I was feeling pretty good.

4. IV's and catheters
I knew I would be receiving an IV and a catheter, but I didn't realize that the IV would be on my wrist. Yuck. It was difficult to hold Bryson and to push myself up in the hospital bed with the position of the IV. The IV was in place for a little over 24 hours. The catheter was in place overnight since my c-section wasn't til early afternoon. It took a while after the catheter was removed to feel like I could use the restroom 'normally'. Enough said.

Overall, I just wasn't mentally prepared (and I don't know if you ever can be) for the birth of our little one. As soon as I prayed about it and accepted that Bryson's birth and breastfeeding experience was different than what I had expected, things got much better.
It was fine for me to have expectations, but I need to learn how to roll with the punches a little more. So much of Bryson's birth and first week home has exceeded my expectations! I can't wait to see what the future holds.

He's Here!

2009-08-28T13:28:00.003-05:00

Bryson arrived on Monday

9 lbs, 11 oz

20 and 1/2 inches long

We are so glad to be home and are trying to figure out each other!

Lots 'O Links

2009-08-23T15:31:00.005-05:00

Since I've had some extra time off while waiting for Bryson to arrive, I've discovered some pretty cool websites. I figured I'd put them all in one place and share 'em with you'all!

Online Shopping:
Both of these websites have daily deals, released at 9am, Mountain time
http://www.babysteals.com/
and their new, sister store:
http://www.scrapbooksteals.com/

I found these really neat 1-12 month baby onesie stickers:
http://www.pickysticky.com/

Photos:
Newborn photo tips- this is actually a link to a message board, but the 1st post is AWESOME!
http://www.justmommies.com/forums/f939-education/1612572-tips-for-photographing-your-newborn-epic-post-lots-photos.html

Post-Partum:
Couch to 5K Running Program- I hope to do this program once I'm cleared for normal exercise at my 6 week appt!
http://www.coolrunning.com/

Show us your life Friday: my baby showers

2009-08-21T07:40:00.004-05:00

Over at Kelly's Korner, it's another 'show us your life' event. I decided to join in! We have been blessed with FOUR baby showers for baby Bryson. I've posted numerous photos of each shower on this blog, but I figured I'd re-post with just a few photos....

The first shower was with the wonderful women I worked with at the elementary school- back in early May. The shower was in the library at 8am! We enjoyed a potluck breakfast, but I didn't get any photos of the food.

Our next shower was at my friend Erica's house. I posted about that shower a while back- most of the photos are on my mom's camera- but here's one of me with my YUMMY cake!

We did something a little different at this shower- I took a photo with each guest and their gift. The pictures turned out really well, and its a nice way to remember who gave you what!

In July, the church I grew up at- Skelly Drive Baptist- hosted a wonderful shower for us. During high school and college, I babysat for a family of 4 children. They are all too big for me now- but my shower was held at their beautiful house and hosted by their mother. It was over the top! Here's the gift table.....And one of the hostesses, Mrs. Bobbi and I by the yummy and beautiful food table!Our last shower was a few weeks ago, at Brandon's office. It was nice to be able to meet all of his co-workers and see how much they love him!

Make sure and check out other baby shower photo tours over at www.kellyskornerblog.com

One last trip...

2009-08-18T21:01:00.003-05:00

I decided to stir out tonight for a last-minute grocery/coupon trip before baby Bryson arrives. I found some pretty cool deals!

At Walgreens, I found the Reach toothbrushes on sale for $1.09 each. I used the $5/3 manf. coupon and picked up some chapstick, mailing envelopes and candy- a total of $2.75 OOP. BUT- I earned a $3 register reward to use on my next purchase- so I actually made $0.25 off my purchase!

Next, I was on my way to Target. I spent about $40 but I found some freebies/bargains:
10 General Mills single serving cereal cups on sale for $1 each
- 10 $1/1 Target GM cereal coupons
= free cereal!

Chef Michaels dog food- 1 Target B1G1 Free coupon and 1 manf B1G1 free coupon
= free dog food for Leia

I stocked up on alot of quick foods/snack foods for the few weeks that Brandon will be home with Bryson and I- pop tarts, Yogo's, etc. I feel pretty prepared; Brandon will just have to run to the store for milk, juice and fresh fruits.

The Nursery, completed!!!

2009-08-17T08:31:00.002-05:00

We finally completed the nursery- and I think it came together quite nicely. Wanna take a look?

Here's the view from the door, as you enter the room- my diaper bag is on the floor :) When I was a teenager, my dad and I refinished the dresser, but it's now being re-used as a changing table and dresser. It didn't show in the picture that well, but on the R side, next to the changing pad is one of the 'Sara Bear diaper caddy's' from Target.

In the white rubbermaid drawers (to the left of the dresser) are our receiving blankets and extra sheets. We're using the multi-colored basket as a hamper.

The top narrow drawer of the dresser holds the swaddle blankets, shoes and socks. The 2nd drawer (seen in the picture below) is 0-3 months clothing, and the bottom drawer holds 3-6 month clothing.Here's what you see to the left of you as you enter the room. I haven't quite figured out where to put the cd player/radio. I love the cubbie organizer (also from Target)! I have our burp rags, hats, some toys and books stored there. Here's Bryson's crib......

His closet....I still can't figure out the best way to store blankets, so right now they are in that white basket at the top of the closet.....And, finally, the view from the window. I still have some Target bags to pick up in the corner :)

And- that's the tour! I'm really happy with the way the room turned out.

This past weekend, Brandon and I rounded up 2 baskets full of stuff from the nursery to keep downstairs to help us during that 1st week home. I figured that would be alot easier than explaining where everything was located- especially if I end up with a c-section and I'm unable to climb stairs.

37 Weeks

2009-08-15T20:27:00.004-05:00

I'm offically uncomfortable.

Brandon's birthday is this coming week, so once we complete that celebration, I'm offically ready! :)

Walgreens deals & counting down

2009-08-12T20:31:00.006-05:00

I heard about some cheap Huggies wipes at Walgreens, so I decided to check it out while I was in Walgreens picking up milk. Here's how I did:
4 Huggies wipes- $2.99 each
- 4 $2/1 Walgreens store coupons
- $0.50/1 Huggies wipes manf coupon
- $0.75/1 Huggies wipes manf coupon
= $2.71 for 4 packages of wipes

Not too bad, huh? If you remember my diaper stash post from a while back, we're well stocked in the diapers & wipes department, but I figure for that price, I just couldn't pass the deal up!

On the baby front- we made some tough decisions at our Dr's appt this week. Baby Bryson has been measuring ahead on our ultrasounds for almost 10 weeks. He's estimated to be close to/at 8 lbs now! He's a strong, healthy baby- but he's stubborn, just like myself :)
We decided (with prayer and alot of wise counsel) to go ahead and schedule a c-section. Its a little strange to know the exact date that little Bryson will enter the world- but who knows, he could surprise us and come on his own before! Which would ROCK!
But, if he doesn't come before the set date, that's ok too! I know that we're making the best decision for us, and that's all we can do.

So, now I have just a few days left to get the house ready, bake some stuff to keep in the freezer, celebrate Brandon's 27th birthday, see as many friends as possible and wrap up my cases at work. I'm going to try to pre-plan some meals for Brandon to prepare. Several friends have offered to bring food over, so I'm going to attempt to get that organized....I also plan on relaxing as much as I can and just enjoying this 'alone' time with Brandon.

I'm excited, yet trying not to become anxious! For the past few mornings, I've woke up with this Bible verse in my head.
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4: 6-7

Baby Shower #4

2009-08-10T11:15:00.000-05:00

Brandon's co-workers/unit threw us a baby shower this past Friday! It was nice to meet his co-workers and see Brandon's new office (since they moved to mid-town a few months ago). We got alot of cute outfits and odds/ends that we needed. Here's an OSU diaper cake that another unit in the building gave us- it was just too cute!

Now, we offically have everything we need for Bryson- he can come anytime! (hopefully sooner rather than later!)

36 weeks

2009-08-08T17:27:00.004-05:00

Maternity clothes? Most of my maternity shirts don't completely cover my belly!
Stretch marks? Nope!
Sleep: Not bad- I feel so tired though....
Best moment this week: going to the chiropractor and my right leg/sciatic nerve is starting to heal
Movement: all over, but there just doesn't seem to be much room left in there!
Food cravings: summer fruits
Gender: for sure, still a boy
Belly Button in or out? In, but it doesn't look as deep...
What I miss: everything!
What I am looking forward to: meeting our little guy!
Milestones: Bryson is now only measuring 2 weeks ahead- Dr. S says he probably weighs 7 lbs.

Stealing Groceries

2009-08-03T16:46:00.004-05:00

I had an amazing shopping trip at Wal-Mart today! (rarely are these words uttered around our house) I was really bummed that neither the Tulsa World nor the Daily Oklahoman had the Kellogg's insert inside on Sunday, but I figured it was still worth running the Kellogg's rebate deals.

For the past two years, I've combined the insert coupons with sales, and then mailed in the $10 rebate to Kellogg's. I thought this year I was just going to have to 'make due' and use the price-matching with the rebate....but....like I said, it was an amazing Wal-Mart trip!

I turned down the cereal aisle, only to find that over half of the Kellogg's cereal boxes had $1/1 peelie coupons on them! I price-matched to the Walgreens sale (2 boxes of cereal for $3 and $1.25/box NutriGrain bars) used the peelie coupons I had found, one 'Fuel for School' booklet I found at Reasors and a few printables I found online for all of this:

Total OOP: $35.09

- $30 (3, $10 rebates)

= $5.09 TOTAL for: 19 boxes of cereal

2 packages of Keebler cookies

1 box of Cheez-It's

2 boxes of Yogos

5 boxes of NutriGrain bars

1 package of Cinnabon cereal bars

1 loaf of store brand bread

1 package of store brand coffee

My total would have been at least $90.22 before coupons & price matching!!!!

I haven't done much couponing during this pregnancy, but this has definately made up for it! Last year, we didn't need to purchase cereal again until December- I hope we can strech it that far this year as well.

(Side note: remember that you can only use 1 rebate form per address/name;

remember to take your Walgreens ad with you to Wal-Mart, and be patient with the cashier! A little bit of kindness goes a long way.)

Reasors deals!

2009-07-30T11:46:00.003-05:00

Reasors (a local grocery store) is having a 12 hour sale this Saturday from 8am to 8pm. Brandon and I usually just stock up on pop, but they have several other good deals this Saturday:

* 12 pks of Pepsi/Dr. Pepper Products 4/$9- limit 4 per person

* Crystal Farms Cheese- 4/$5
-use the &0.55/1 coupon from Sunday's paper= $0.70 per package

* General Mills Cereal- $1.77, limit 2 per person
-$1/2 manf coupon= $2.54 for 2 boxes of cereal

*Seedless Watermelon- $2.99

A Bridal Shower

2009-07-27T20:29:00.001-05:00

On Saturday, I hosted a bridal shower/brunch for Kristen. I should have taken more photos- but I wanted to share some shower tidbits with you'all.
Since the shower was at 10am, I didn't want the traditional cake- it just seems so heavy in the morning. So, I checked with the Target bakery, and they iced 24 sugar cookies for me, in orange and pink, and monogrammed each cookie- all for $10.99! The cookies were a huge hit.

I'm not a huge fan of shower games, but I felt like we needed at least 1 game. I found a 'guess the spice' game online, and it went over pretty well. I filled 8 little snack sized ziplock baggies with different spices (oregano, coriander, chili powder, etc) and numbered each bag. Each guest had to guess which spice was enclosed based on the appearance and the smell. The game took about 10 minutes- the winner got 5 out of the 8 spices correct.

I was a little concerned about my budget for the shower- if I would have had the energy, I could have saved some money on the muffin mix and juice with coupons. Including the invites, stamps, flowers, cookies, etc- I spent about $50. Which isn't TOO bad. I printed the invitations myself on some nice 8 1/2 by 11 paper from Hobby Lobby and another bridesmaid helped with the food costs, by bringing the breakfast casserole and fruit.

Overall, I think the shower went wonderfully- I wouldn't mind hosting a few more at our house! Hopefully, not while I'm 30+ weeks pregnant though!

34 Weeks

2009-07-26T20:04:00.001-05:00

Here's my 34 week photo. I'm starting to slack a little- I took this on Saturday before Kristen's bridal shower that I hosted here at our house.

Maternity clothes? Most of my maternity shirts don't completely cover my belly!

Stretch marks? Nope! But, I this last weekend, I burned my belly on a cookie sheet. So, I'm sporting a nice burn mark under my belly button

Sleep: Great, once I get to sleep!

Best moment this week: going to the chiropractor and my right leg/sciatic nerve is starting to heal

Movement: all on my right side- he's pushing hard!

Food cravings: summer fruits

Gender: for sure, still a boy

Belly Button in or out? In, but it doesn't look as deep...

What I miss: sleeping on my tummy, walking without my R leg hurting, being able to 'keep up'

What I am looking forward to: our weekly appt's start at 35 weeks. Figuring out our birth plan

Milestones: Bryson is still measuring 3 weeks ahead, so making it to full-term is the milestone I'm most looking forward to.

Did I mention....

2009-07-23T14:41:00.002-05:00

I've officially changed jobs! I'm still a Speech Language Pathologist, but I've left the school district.
Back in March, I started to get really sad about the idea of leaving Bryson in daycare 40 hours a week. I started looking around at other SLP options. I really enjoy pediatrics, so I wanted to stay in that part of the field. I found 2 awesome companies, both of which needed a part-time PRN (contract work) position.

Brandon and I really talked and prayed over it, and I've finally made the move. So far, I'm loving it. It was a little stressful to switch my career path while pregnant- but its been well worth it. After my maternity leave, I'm going to work about 13-20 hours a week, giving me more time with baby Bryson.
I'll have to do more work from home, which is going to be a change, but at least I can work with Bryson and Brandon next to me! I'm sad to leave my kids at the school, but I know that I can return to the school system when our kids are older.

Alot of stuff is changing around here, but its all for the better!

Spa!

2009-07-17T11:03:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I was treated to the most wonderful thing- a pregnancy massage! It was amazing! My mom and my sister went to the neatest spa- check it out at www.stonecreekdayspa.com - and they decided that I needed a massage too!

I could easily become addicted to massages! Not very frugal, but a much needed break from work/pregnancy.

Unique

2009-07-14T09:13:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned yesterday, the baby shower over the weekend was amazing. We were given alot of unique gifts, and I thought I'd share some of them.

This blanket and burp cloths are just too cute with his name on them...

One of my mom's good friends, Mrs. Paula put this first aid kit together for us- and it rocks! I'm totally going to copy this idea for future baby shower gifts. It's a Pottery Barn Kids lunch box, crammed full of everything you could imagine needing.........

Inside there's Vaseline, baby sunscreen, little noses spray, gas drops, destin, a thermometer and plastic covers, nail trimmers, medicine droppers, orajel, hand sanitizer, Q-tips and Vick's. Also, there were boogie wipes and rubbing alcohol, but I forgot to add them to the picture!

My mom made a stocking for Bryson that matches ours. Mom gave us our stockings as wedding gift, and now, three years later, we have a third stocking to hang by the fireplace! I love that my mom is so crafty and we have such unique stockings. She makes such neat stuff!

My Aunt and Uncle gave us this blanket- it's from Lands End. It's so soft and light. My picture doesn't do it justice. It's a pale blue with a tractor, truck and other boy-ish vehicles incorporated into the design.

I'm a little addicted to having Bryson's name on things, can't you tell? :)

What a weekend!

2009-07-13T10:25:00.003-05:00

We had a baby shower this weekend, so all of Brandon's family came up from Texas, as well as my sister and some family from Missouri. The shower was more than I could imagine! I had a great time and Bryson will definately have everything he needs plus some!
Here's a few photos from the shower- most of the photos are on my mom's computer. I'll share some of the unique gifts later on :)