Babies & other links

Maybe soon there will be a time in my life when things don't revolve around babies. But for now, this is my life, so this is what I think about. (Plus when you're so pregnant that turning over in bed becomes a 12-point turn, it makes it hard NOT to think about babies!)

Anyway, my point is that my blogging eye is drawn to these types of posts most often. I love recipe posts too, and this one combines the two. I was drawn to this blog simply because I can't imagine coming up with 365 meals/uses for my crockpot. I am really inspired by this post about making baby food in the crockpot--I can't wait to try it!

Elizabeth talks about setting boundaries for Time Online--this post really caused me to stop and think. Coming from full-time paid work to being a stay at home (and always working!) mommy, it has still been hard for me to "turn it off," so to speak, and just BE with my son or BE in my home taking care of things. It is so easy just to hide away at the computer...a friend & I have been chatting about this and how easy it is to become addicted to checking email or blogs or just plain spending time online when you could/should be doing something else. So this post came just in time! I am definitely going to be pondering this one....and making some hard decisions to keep myself accountable. (I'm sure that having a newborn will help make some of these decisions for me, though!)

And for all you married women out there (or soon to be), check out this post: 12 Things You Should Not Do to Your Husband. After almost 9 years, I definitely still need reminders about how to keep my hubby happy and how to respect him more. I have lots to chew on this week!

While I know I will be limiting my time online in some fashion, I am also so thankful for the internet. Most of the blogs that I subscribe to or visit from time to time are written by Godly women who are seeking the same things I am, and it is so helpful to stay in touch with what others are doing or facing. Just have to keep an eye on the time....

There's just nothing like...

...nothing like watching your son enjoy his first Reese's cup, all to himself. He kept pointing to the peanut butter part & saying, "Look, there's the peanut butter again!" after every bite!

I wonder if God enjoys us experiencing new tastes & sensations (physically, emotionally, spiritually) as much as I as a mom enjoy watching my son experience new things. He probably enjoys it so much more than I do because He knows what else He has created that we can't even imagine yet!

But, sometimes, you just can't imagine that anything could be better than a Reese's cup.

If you love blueberry muffins...

You will LOVE this recipe for Yummy Blueberry Breakfast Cake. I posted a week ago that I was going to try this on my family. We had it this morning & I can tell you, it is Wonderful with a capital W.

It was super easy to put together and smells awesome coming out of the oven, too. Marc didn't have time to eat it before work since it took a few extra minutes to bake, but he took one with him. He said he wished he would have taken half the pan with him, it was that good. :)

The only thing I did differently was cook it a few minutes longer, almost 30 minutes. The middle didn't seem to be done enough at 25 minutes.

I love that there is no muffin pan to wash, you can cut the cake into whatever size you want, and no spooning equal portions into the muffin pan either. Can you tell I liked it? :)

Links to love

Here's a great reminder to all the moms in my season of life that it's okay not to have it all together--Crystal from Biblical Womanhood shares with us. This really helps me, as this week I have literally felt run over by a Mac truck, Z has taken 1 nap out of 3 days, and Marc hasn't been feeling well either. Not much housework getting done here. :)

Here's one for a good laugh. I can definitely see this happening in my house!

I guess I'm out of links for now....I'm out of steam too, ready for bed.

A new perspective

So I was feeling sad the other day.

Last night I had an opportunity for a Girls' Night Out--always fun since I rarely get to leave the house after 8 pm due to hubby's work schedule. A bunch of us got together for some great Mexican food, desserts, and spa treatments. Janna even painted my toenails for me! Super sweet, since I can barely reach them anymore! (They look so cute, I wore dressy sandals out to dinner tonight instead of my usual sneakers.)

But my favorite part of the night was when I got to share my stories. About how God led us to move to TN, how He led us to the right high-risk OB office, how He surprised us with this baby when we had given up on expanding our family. How He provided answers to all the "why" questions we faced with our losses. How He redeemed what the enemy meant for evil and made it turn into good.

I love getting to share what God has done in my life through these trials. I really feel like a different person because of what we have been through, and I know it is only because of His grace. My mind wanders to that popular song on the radio right now "Your Grace is Enough" by Chris Tomlin--I just love the line at the end "Your grace is enough, heaven reaching down to us..."

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On another quite humorous note, Marc & I took Z to a new playground after dinner tonight. I was all dressed up in my jeans & cute dressy sandals & pink toes....sitting on the bench because when your belly weighs 500 lbs, that's what you do at the playground.

This family was there, and the adults of the family sitting under the pavilion were clearly "under the influence" of some sort of liquid concoction, disguised in McDonald's large soda cups. The uncle of these kids who was probably only in his 20s comes up to me as Marc & Z are chasing each other around. He starts asking me how far along I am and whether Z was my son, etc. He's about 6 feet away from me & I can smell the alcohol...

Now I wouldn't consider myself to be a bad looking woman, but neither would I describe myself as "hot..." Especially now, in my 33 week pregnant condition. As a matter of fact, I had to rustle up one of the 3 (count 'em, 3) shirts in my closet that cover this massive stomach just so I would look decent enough to be out in public with my hubby. But this clearly drunk man is looking me over as if I am America's Next Top Model. Poor guy...

I don't know whether to laugh my head off or feel complimented. :)

A moment to ponder

I'm feeling a little sad this afternoon. This Friday was the due date of our last little baby that didn't make it...though I know I'll be giving birth to my precious Kenna in (hopefully) 7 weeks or less, I still think about the four little ones we've lost who are already in heaven being held by Jesus.

It's a hard feeling to explain to those who have never been in our place. Yet in a way, I would never wish that anyone would truly understand because to do that means they would have had to go through the pain we went through as well.

I look at pictures of children of family & friends & think, "oh, this one would be this age by now"...and though I know our losses were early ones, the wondering about these children of ours will probably never end for me--whether girl/boy, what kind of personality they would have, how much joy they would have added to our lives. There is no way to know these things in earth's realm. But I am comforted by this:

The Scripture says, "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." (Ps 139:13-16)

I know that each of these precious children were thought about in the mind of God before they were conceived and were ordained to be a part of our lives for however short a time. All His works are wonderful...

Menu planning & grocery budgeting

Some of you have asked how I keep my grocery budget so low. Menu planning is my #1 tool to keep my grocery budget in line. I do stray every now & then but I really try hard to keep within my $200/month for groceries, toiletries, & diapers. (I do get a little help from WIC with milk, eggs, cheese, cereal--and I am so grateful to the state of TN for this help, but using sale prices this would probably only add about $80/month to my budget--still not too bad considering milk here is $5/gallon!)

I also plan my menus the week of grocery shopping (which I only do on paydays or twice a month) using the grocery store ads so I can maximize my shopping dollars and also be sure that I leave enough room to stock up on something I may be running low on.

So, here is my menu plan to get us through Aug 29th for your viewing pleasure. Many of these recipes are ones I have in my head or have used so many times I no longer look at the recipe, but I can certainly dig them out if anyone would like! Just leave me a comment.

This week through Saturday:

• Veggie stir-fry and fried rice (using leftover rice from last night's dinner)
• Kielbasa, fried potatoes, and green beans
• Beef vegetable soup (in the crockpot since Friday is shopping day), bread
• Grilled cheese/tomato soup (Sat lunch)
• Hamburgers on the grill, homemade french fries, corn on the cob

The next 2 weeks (in random order--I usually decide that morning what to make from my list):

• Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, veggies
• Corn & potato chowder, garlic cheese biscuits
• Kielbasa & veggie soup (Marc's favorite), bread
• Spaghetti & Dad's homemade meatballs (I make extra meatballs & freeze), veggies
• Stuffed shells, salad, bread
• Chef Boyardee cheese pizza, veggies
• Hotdogs on the grill, french fries, veggies or fruit
• Italian sausage sandwiches with peppers/onions, pasta salad
• Chicken noodle soup (using this homemade chicken broth recipe), cornbread
• BBQ chicken breasts, rice, veggies
• Chicken fajitas, mexican rice
• Chicken nuggets, french fries, veggies
• Pinto beans & rice, cheese quesadillas

Most of my meals take from 30 min-1 hr to make and I try to have most of my preparation done before I even start cooking. If I'm making soup, I try to have all my veggies cut up before lunch to make it easier. I also try to plan ahead--if I'm having rice one night and fried rice later in the week, I just make extra rice the first night so I don't have to cook rice twice. Or I shred whole blocks of cheese at once & keep in the fridge, etc.

For breakfasts, Z & I typically have cereal or toast with maybe fruit or yogurt if it's on sale. Marc eats cereal or his favorite, egg sandwiches. 2 Saturdays a month we splurge & have cinnamon rolls and bacon/sausage for breakfast & most Sundays we eat southern buttermilk biscuits with honey or jelly--yummy!

I've found a few breakfast ideas I'll be trying out these next few weeks that just sound great to me. One is Yummy Blueberry Breakfast Cake and the other is Baked Oatmeal (which is enticing since you bake the oatmeal in a large pan & then just reheat throughout the week--I hate to cook oatmeal!)

Lunches are typically leftovers for all of us, with the occasional pasta/sauce or mac-n-cheese thrown in the mix, depending on what's on hand & what's on sale. PB&J is always a plus, too!

This week in shopping, I'll probably go over my $100 a little because I just stocked up on diapers for the new little one at CVS & Walgreens. I put everything away already otherwise I'd take a picture for you, but here's a look at what I got:

Walgreens (total $13.91 including tax):

• 2 bags of Hershey Kisses (to replace the ones my hubby ate while I was gone!), $2.00 ea, $4 total
• 4 packs BIC pens, free after coupons
• Scott toilet paper, 4 pack, $.99 after coupons
• 2 packages size 1 Walgreens brand diapers (56 diapers each pack), $6.98 for both packs (that's $3.49 each pack--ask me how I did this!)

CVS (total around $16 incl tax after sale prices & extra care bucks used):

• 2 packages Huggies newborn diapers (40 diap each pk), $7.99 each after coupons
• 1 Johnson/Johnson baby wash, $1.99 after coupon
• 1 J/J baby lotion, $1.99 after coupon
• 1 CVS chapstick (free gift)
• 1 CVS q-tips, $1.50

I used $7 extra care bucks but gained $5 back. I usually hate to spend this much at CVS but it just couldn't be avoided this trip--I had to use some coupons & extra bucks before they expired & let's face it--we'll need diapers at some point.

Hope you enjoyed a look into meals at our house. I'm tired now, so heading to bed!