Proverbs 17:17(a) and Roll Banana

Second verse down. What a cutie!

Next up?  Philippians 2:14. A parent favorite. If only I could remember it too....




Once E secured the scripture for the week, we started on some other important things.  I'm sure she'll get it before kickoff Saturday.  But for right now, it's TOUCHDOWN BANANA in our house.

3 months

Where does the time go?  Seriously.

This is the first month we haven't been to the doctor, so I don't have any official stats.  Unofficially, however, Robert is, well, HUGE. He's wearing at least 6 month clothes, (and sometimes 9 or 12 months), and my left bicep is growing at a disproportionate rate.  All that size must definitely agree with him because he smiles so much--and laughs some now too!!  He is napping 3 times a day and is very forgiving if I don't bathe him every night, or every other night, or...well, you get the gist.  We're rapidly becoming the household of sponge baths, but personal hygiene is probably best suited for another post--or none at all.

Enjoy the chair pics! We go back to the Dr. at 4 months, so I can't wait to see where he charts then.

This is pretty much how I am most of the time. But sometimes...

I've also started working on my game face. 

(P.S. It helps when you can hold up your own head).

I'm already learning to love my elephant. (Thanks Lauren!) 

ROLL TIDE to all you babies.

I also like to practice my game face with my elephant.  

It is going to be part of my pregame ritual.

Of course, Emma didn't want to miss out. (and hey, she was dressed this time!)

If I don't look at her, she's not really there.

But she just cracks me up all the time!

Except when she pulls out that left hook.

I'm gonna need more than a hug to make up for that.

Happy 3 months buddy. We love you!!

Dancing in the Minefields

A few months ago, (3 to be exact) we celebrated our 7 year anniversary.  Celebrated is a "loose" term, since there were a few things going on that week (i.e., Robert's birth).  So, this post is because I don't want such wonderful celebrations to go forgotten.  The past 7 years (and 2 law degrees, 2 bar exams, 1 apartment and 3 houses, 2 dogs and 2 kids later), have been one blessed rollercoaster of a ride.  But, I'm eternally grateful the Lord chose for us to ride it together.

And since we celebrate all major events in our house with some kind of music, the lyrics below really spoke to me about the times when marriage can be hard, and about the times when marriage reflects the gospel.  Whether full of pregnancy hormones, suffering from sleep deprivation, or just being, I can be one royal pain.  One day I hope to be able to follow our heavenly example and lay my own life down...but J, thanks for loving me even when I more often pick up my own sinfulness and selfishness.  You're the best of all earthly blessings that way.

I was nineteen, you were twenty-one
The year we got engaged
Everyone said we were much too young
But we did it anyway

We bought our rings for forty each
From a pawn shop down the road
We made our vows and took the leap
Now fifteen years ago

We went dancing in the minefields
We went sailing in the storm
And it was harder than we dreamed
But I believe that's what the promise is for

"I do" are the two most famous last words
The beginning of the end
But to lose your life for another I've heard
Is a good place to begin

'Cause the only way to find your life
Is to lay your own life down
And I believe it's an easy price
For the life that we have found

And we're dancing in the minefields
We're sailing in the storm
This is harder than we dreamed
But I believe that's what the promise is for

So when I lose my way, find me
When I loose love's chains, bind me
At the end of all my faith, till the end of all my days
When I forget my name, remind me

'Cause we bear the light of the Son of Man
So there's nothing left to fear
So I'll walk with you in the shadowlands
Till the shadows disappear

'Cause he promised not to leave us
And his promises are true
So in the face of all this chaos, baby,
I can dance with you

Andrew Peterson, Dancing In The Minefields  from his Counting Stars album, available here.

Table Manners

Didn't your mother ever teach you not to play with your food?

Emma's didn't.  Clearly.  This display was the scene when I turned my back after opening the container of cherries.  Thank goodness she put them right back in the container after delicately handling each and every one.  I would have hated for her to actually eat them.  

But did it bother this guy?

Not a chance.

Case of the Mondays

Well, actually the Sundays.  I'm still on a quest for a birth announcement picture for Robert (kinda takes away the surprise when I blog about it, right?)  I tried again after church on Sunday.  Looks like Emma had her own case of the Mondays...

So the quest continues.  Maybe I'll get announcements out before he turns 1...

Back in Business

My recent full price trip to Sam's and a few conversations with friends have encouraged me to get back into couponing.  We are much more adjusted to life as a family of four (and MUCH more well rested) so back in the game I am.

It's been a while since I blogged about couponing. If you're interested and haven't taken the plunge yet, check out this site.  She posts weekly sales and coupon match ups at Publix, CVS, Target and a variety of other stores.   It took me a little longer than normal to get "organized," but overall it turned out to be a profitable weekend.

At Publix:

Total before coupons & sales:  $83.44

I paid: $39.72

Total Savings: $43.72

Ahh yes, but what are we eating this week?  That's the MOST common question I get.  Clearly, we can't live on Juicy Juice and hotdogs all week!  Well, I still have some things in my stockpile from before Robert was born.  Plus, I hit up Walmart (after Publix) where I spent another $35 (including some art supplies for Emma) to complete our menu for the week.

There were also some good deals on diapers this week at Target and CVS!

At Target:

Total before coupons & sales: $44.96

I paid: $39.78 (incl. tax)

Breakdown:

Pampers Big Box Target Sale:  $19.99 (buy 2 boxes, get $5.00 gift card)

              Coupons: -$1.50 off pampers (x2)

                                               -Buy Pampers, get wipes free (x2)

Total Savings: $12.98 (+$5.00 gift card)

I had a few other things to get at the same time, so I broke up my purchases and used the $5.00 gift card towards my second purchase.

HELP: Anyone ever used the Pampers Extra Protection Diapers?  E still wears diapers at night, and we're partial to Huggies Overnights, but the Pampers were a great deal ($.20/ea vs. $.50/ea regular price for Huggies).  BUT are they going to leak, forcing me to change sheets in the middle of the night? Thoughts? Anybody?

At CVS:

CVS was a bit more complicated, but more rewarding.

Total before coupons & sales: $49.45

I paid: $13.96 

(and have $3 ECBs for my next trip)

Incidentally, for those of you who haven't bought diapers in a while, or ever, (or are lucky enough to have kids trained throughout the night, the Overnights are regular price $11.99, so my out of pocket expense for everything was equivalent to one pack of diapers!

Breakdown (variation on deal from southernsavers site.  3 separate transactions):

Hydro Razor:  

Sale price:  $8.97 AND get $4.00 ECB (can be used only at CVS toward any purchase)

                 -$5.00 off coupon from the paper

       I paid: $4.78  (incl. tax) and got $4.00 ECB back

Dulcolax:  (disclaimer: not an item we needed, but it was free + profit!)

Sale Price:   $9.99 AND get $9.99 ECB

                  - $4.00 off coupon from the paper

                  - $4.00 ECB

         I paid: $2.89 (incl. tax) and got $9.99 ECB back

Diapers & Wipes:

Sale price: $6.00/wipes & $9.00/diapers + $3 ECB when you spend $10 on Huggies products.

                  $ .99 (deodorant)

                  $ .99 (soap)

                -$ .50 off deodorant (from paper)

                -$ .35 off soap (from paper)

                -$ .75 off Huggies wipes

                -$9.99 ECB from Dulcolax purchase

      I paid: $6.29 (incl. tax) and got $3 ECB back

Total Savings: $35.49

Grand Total Savings: $92.19

Happy Couponing!

Do You Have Your Party Hat?

Robert does.

It's for his birthday party.  His FOURTH birthday party.  You know, the one Emma is throwing for him today.  Everyone will be there: Baby doll, Belle, Turtle, Elephant, the usuals.  The menu?  Bell peppers and Avocado.  It will be a blast.  Emma said so.

Happy Saturday! 

Proverbs 3:5

A few weeks ago I realized how much unintentional memory work Emma has done lately...songs, the alphabet, directions to our house, stuffed animal names, etc.  I remembered several people, including my stepmother (aka Meemaw), telling me that their children memorized scripture at an early age.  Hoping to begin filling Emma's brain with useful information (instead of so much of the junk I feel floats around mine these days) I  decided to give it a try.

Last Monday, I wrote our first verse on a sheet of posterboard and then let Emma color it.  I hung it in the kitchen where we could read and recite it during mealtimes.  And now:

And of course, the out takes.  She's great on the verse here too, but also manages to squeeze in a snack break with a misguided pea from dinner.  The kid will eat anything.

Next up: Proverbs 17:17.  

Yea, you're gonna look it up, aren't you!