Gold's Gym and I are not on speaking terms

Okay, so as I said earlier, I had big plans to buy a "class pass" for Gold's Gym, which would allow me to take classes without actually becoming a member. I was under the impression that I would pay 31.00 and get 20 classes. I figured that I could make that pass last me for six weeks, and I felt like that was a great deal. So, I gathered up two laundry baskets full of pre-baby clothes, and a bag full of shoes, and I headed to Plato's Closet to try to get the 31.00. Well, the workers picked through my stuff and settled on 15 items out of the piles that I brought. When I saw the small pile that they agreed to take, I was sure that it was not 31.00 worth, but they told me that they would give me 42.00 for it!!!! I was, of course, very excited. The story takes a turn for the worse here.

This past week I had a free seven day pass to Gold's Gym, so I have been going to class all week, and Ada has been hanging out in the kid's area. It's been great, and I have already seen an increase in energy. Well, I talked to the worker earlier in the week about the class pass. I really thought that she told me that the pass was for 20 classes, and she certainly never mentioned a registration fee. Plus, Tutti (you remember Tutti, right?) has a class pass, and her's is for 20 classes. Okay, so I go to Gold's Gym today, oh so excited about buying my pass, and the girl tells me that there is a 39.00 registration fee, and that 31.00 will buy 12 classes. TWELVE CLASSES!! Okay, so I mentioned that I really thought it was for 20 classes, and I even asked if they had changed it recently. She said no and I think felt sorry for me because I can only imagine how my face fell in that moment. I came in prepared to pay 31.00 for 20 classes, and they were asking me to pay a total of 70.00 for 12 classes. It wasn't happening, folks. I sadly told her thanks anyway.

So, I got in my car, and I was feeling rather frustrated. It was the kind of frustrated where I felt the need to get a lot of energy out. I even called Scott and ranted and raved for a bit, and he was patient with me as I let out some of the frustration. Then we hung up, and then I called him back and ranted and raved some more. It wasn't my finest hour, ya'll.

But then the wheels in my head started to turn. I knew that I need exercise. I need it for both my mental and physical health--and, let's be honest, the health of my husband and daughter;), so I began to rack my brain. I had 42.00 in my purse, so I headed to Target. And here, the story gets better. I bought a new workout DVD--woo-hoo--The Firm: The 500 Calorie Workout. I spent for-stinkin-ever looking over each of the workout dvds that Target offered, and this seemed to offer the most similar workout to the ones at Gold's. I didn't want some puny little video that left me feeling like I had done nothing but take a stroll around the block. I need to sweat out all of my frustration and anxiety every single day, and those puny 30 minute dvds just don't cut it. But this dvd promises 60 minutes of very hard working out. And it also promises 500 calories burned. So, I snatched it up, along with some new hand weights, because the video said I would need them. And there you have it folks. I am still frustrated with Gold's Gym, but I have come up with a solution. I'll let you know how it goes.

In the mean time, do you have any suggestions for good work out videos? I imagine that eventually I will get tired of doing the same dvd every single day, so suggestions are welcome.

p.s. the reason I need a video is because Ada refuses to sit in the stroller, so running is out. Plus as soon as Scott gets home in the afternoon, I start tutoring, so running is out then too. A video is the best solution I could come up with--after the class pass that is.

Restaurant.com 80% off!!

My friend Ashley Rash, sent me an e-mail letting me know that Restaurant.com is 80% off right now. This means that you can get a 25.00 gift certificate for just 2.00!! Hurry, though, because the deal expires today. Thanks for the heads up, Ashley!!

My Melancholy Self

I have been feeling a bit melancholy lately, and if I take the time to sit down and think through all the reasons why, I am sure I could come up with some, but I hate to complain.

My women's bible study, which is quite the refuge for me every Thursday night, is currently reading the book, Calm My Anxious Heart, by Linda Dillow. It is a fabulous book, and by fabulous I mean kick me in the tail convicting. Yikes is all I have to say. The whole purpose of the book is to join Paul in learning that secret to being content (Philippians 4:11-13), and though we are only in chapter four, I have already figured out that the secret has nothing to do with my circumstances. I am guessing that it is no coincidence that I find myself in this group, reading this book, at this particular time in my life. God has a way of working out all the details, doesn't he?

I have a strong tendency towards melancholy--it has shown up all throughout my life. Let me give a shameful example. My highschool boyfriend had to write this paper for school once where he listed some of his favorite things. One of his favorite things was "when his girlfriend was in a good mood." In other words, those times were few and far between. It was quite the eye opener back then, and that memory has stuck with me throughout my life. I try to ask myself daily, am I more often in a good mood or a bad mood these days? Lately, I must confess, that if you asked Scott that question, he would probably say that I am most often in a bad mood. Or maybe sad is the better term.

Now, we all know that I have not one single thing to be sad about. I am tired, it's true. And I do feel most days like I am running some sort of race and the finish line keeps getting farther away from me rather than closer, but God has promised to be my strength at times like these. And thankfully God has brought me quite far in comparison to that 16 year old girl who often stayed in a bad mood--What He has started he will bring to completion, right? In the ten years that have passed, I have learned practical ways that I can control this melancholy mind of mine. One being exercise. Exercise is quite the miracle worker, actually. Truly nothing improves my mood and energy level like exercise. Keeping that in mind, I am hoping to buy about six weeks worth of classes at Gold's Gym. I have gathered up any clothes and shoes that I know I will never wear again, and I am taking those things to Plato's Closet to sell. I am crossing my fingers that they will provide me the money needed to take the classes. Plus, Gold's Gym has child care, so it would give me an hour a day that is just for me, and Ada seems to enjoy nursery situations.

And the new thing that I plan to try is a meal plan template for every week. With all the tutoring that I am doing, I don't have much extra time on my hands, and I am feeling rather bogged down in the couponing and sale matching and meal planning. I am hoping this will free up some of that time. I am hoping to do something like homemade pizza every Saturday night, brunch every Sunday afternoon, pasta every Monday night, etc. etc., and this way it will reduce the amount of thought that I have to put into meal planning each week. It will also give me a better idea of what items I need to stockpile and what items I can pass up. During this season of life when the funds are tight and time is precious, anything that simplifies our life seems to be key.

I say all of the above just to keep myself accountable and transparent. This melancholy thing has been a sin area my whole life, and it's easy for me to say, "oh, it's just my personality." But that is in no way biblical. I have been around women in much more stressful situations than mine, and joy literally radiates from their face and conversation. I pray that God would make that joy a reality in my life, and that I can join Paul in saying, "I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. (and here is that secret) I can do everything through him who gives me strength," Philippians 4:11-13.

It's Publix time again

Ya'll, I have truly converted. I am such a Publix girl these days. I mean, we run into Kroger every once in a while, but Publix is by far my store of choice. The deals there are so incredible--they blow me away week after week. And I must say, it truly is a pleasure to shop there. The customer service at Publix far outweighs all other grocery stores. Can you tell that I like Publix?

Well, one reason that I adore Publix (I am smitten, ya'll) is that they accept competitor coupons, and this brings the already low price even lower. For example, you can go here to print a 5.00 of 20.00 Rite Aid coupon, and you can use it at Publix!! That's 5.00 off of your total in addition to all of the other wonderful coupons you use. Seriously, it's a bargain. Hurry, though, because it can only be used Friday and Saturday.

And remember check out Southern Savers where you will find a sale list matched with coupons. You will also see a preview of what will be in Sunday's paper. It's looking like a pretty good week--one SS, one RP, one PG!! I'll take it!

Yes, please

All of these recipes sound so great, so my answer is yes, yes, yes, please send the recipes my way. You can post them in the comment section, or e-mail me at laura_rhodes@hotmail.com. Thanks for coming through once again. I am not sure what we would eat for dinner if it weren't for my blog readers;)

I need your help

I am feeling so very organized this morning. Last night, all of sudden, I decided that I must take inventory of what I have in my freezer, pantry, and spice cabinet. Poor Scott got dragged into the project, but he was a trooper, and he wrote everything down as I called it out. I really think this is going to make meal planning and stock piling more efficient. For example, I found out that I still have three packs of boneless, skinless, chicken breasts in the freezer, and I thought that I was out of them. This is great news because there are three different families who I will be delivering meals to over the next few weeks, and I am thinking I will do chicken tetrazzini because I have most of the ingredients on hand. Yea. Anyway...all of this to say, that I also realized that I still have two lbs of ground chicken in my freezer. It was marked down very low one day at Kroger, so I bought it, but I have never cooked with ground chicken. Can you help me?

What should I use this for? What do I do with it? I need recipes, ideas, anything. Please, help me. You all really came through when I asked about pork tenderloin, and now we are major pork tenderloin eaters around here. We love it!! Please, turn us into ground chicken eaters, or at least eaters of what is in our freezer. I will be forever grateful;)

And just to keep my family interested, here is a picture of Ada:) She is really into feeding herself these days, and she really wants to use a spoon, so mealtime is usually a battle and always messy.

Because it is high time for an Ada update

I am wishing I was a bit closer to family tonight. It is hard for me to know that little Andrew is growing everyday, and I continue to sit here in McDonough. It was easier for me not to think about it when New Mexico was a plane flight away, but something in me wants to get in the car and head to Alabama. Because I can't do that, however, and because I know that my family members are probably thinking, "we don't care about the stinkin' coupons," I am going to do a little Ada updating.

Scott and I were saying tonight that this may be our favorite age. Ada is in a very cute stage, or at least we think so:) She is also in the clingiest stage yet. I can't cook dinner without her wrapping herself around my legs and crying very loudly. I have gotten to where I just let her cry and cling because I have to cook dinner. She wants me in her sight at ALL TIMES. I feel loved and smothered all at the same time;)

What is she up to these days...hmmm...

she will repeat most anything that we say and has some signature words--cookie, melmo (for elmo), nummy (yummy), appy (apple), diapy (diaper, something about the y at the end), olie-olie-olie (said really fast meaning she wants to listen to or sing Holy, Holy, Holy), ca ca (cracker, which she asks for all the time), mamen (for amen, said at the end of bedtime prayers), wa wa (waffle), Jeeshus (Jesus), bow, and I could keep going, but I won't. In other words, she's saying a lot these days.

She has a great sense of humor, and a bad temper. I have a feeling the twos are going to be rather terrible because she can already throw a tantrum with the best of them. When she is angry she has this urge to hit something. It used to be me, but after going to time out enough times, she now will hit an inanimate object to get the aggression out. Also, when upset enough, she cries so hard that she holds her breath, and we have to tell her to breathe. She is very, very curious, and has no sense of fear at all, which causes her to get into some rather precarious situations. I don't know what this means for the years ahead--yikes.

She loves, loves, loves music of all kinds, and she has to have it on in the car. Her favorite songs right now are the ABC song, Holy, Holy, Holy, If You're Happy and You Know It, The Itsy Bitsy Spider (she does all of the motions), and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. She likes to dance in her own free style way, and when you combine her dance moves with her wild and crazy hair, she seems to be quite the free spirit.
She has her first little friend, Ruth, who is Tutti's daughter. I like to think of her as Ada's first BFF;) We spend a lot of time with the McCormick kiddos, and I sense that Ada prefers a house full of people.

What else do I think the extended family on both sides might be dying to know....

She's still our little peanut, weighing in at only 20.5 pounds. Her energy never stops, so I suspect that the second food touches her lips, she burns it off, and that's why she can't seem to put on the weight. She just zips around the house quick as can be, and sometimes just runs laps around the kitchen/dining room/family room. She truly is a delight, though an exhausting one, and we are so thankful that God has allowed us to be parents. What an undeserving gift.

What to look for in this Sunday's paper

I have heard from several people that they were disappointed to find no coupons in this past Sunday's paper. The good news is that both Smart Source and Red Plum are scheduled to be in there this weekend. Check out Southern Savers--my favorite couponing blog (thanks, Jennifer!!!) that is putting The Grocery Game to shame--each week to see what to expect in the weekend paper. She also links to a list of the coupons you will find in each insert. It's a fabulous resource for knowing how many copies of the paper you want to buy based on the quality of the coupons.

Also on her site are lists of grocery store sales matched to available coupons both printable and non-printable. It truly is my new go-to site when planning my grocery store trip. Check it out; it's an incredibly valuable resource. And best of all it's FREE.

She doesn't have a Wal-Mart list, though, and I know that my Scottsboro readers really need a Wal-Mart list. I think Couponmom is going to be the best resource for Wal-Mart. Hope that helps all you fellow couponers.

And if you have a favorite couponing resource, please share. I am so thankful that Jennifer shared this one with me!!

Deals are up!!

The Publix BOGO deals are posted over at Southern Savers, and it's looking like it will be a good week. I am especially excited about the possibility of Huggies bath products for less than .20 each. It's baby gift stock up time, ya'll!! I plan to buy as many as I have coupons for. It also looks like there is the possibility of getting Progresso chicken broth for around .50 each, so again, stock up!!!

Here is the full list of deals.

New blogs that are worth reading

I just found this blog (I can't remember how). It is a blog dedicated to very easy, frugal meal plans. It is very similar to e-mealz, which is how I got started meal planning in the first place. Check it out!!

And...my dear friend Tutti, who has been a God-send in my life, just started a blog. Woo-hoo!!! Check it out.

Mission Accomplished

I scrounged and I scrounged and I was successful. Today I am very thankful for the loose change hidden in various corners around my house. And I am thankful for diet coke deals at Sonic. It's the little things, ya'll.

Monday Morning

no menu plan today. Mainly because we are eating things we already have on hand, so it would just be a repeat of the things listed over the past few weeks. Tonight we are having pintos and sausage over rice. It is cooking in the crock pot right now. The budget was extra tight this week due to mortgage and bills all being due in the same week, so the grocery shopping was kept to a minimum. When money is tight, the grocery bill is negotiable, so we make adjustments as needed.

The beach trip is looming ahead, so I am going to try to get in lots of extra online tutoring over the next few weeks so that we will have spending money to use while on vacation. (I love to say that--we are going on vacation!! And vacation it will be!!).

I am also trying to tackle house cleaning/organizing projects. For example, this morning I am going through my closet and getting rid of all those pre-baby clothes I have been hanging on to. If they still don't fit, they aren't going to, and it is time to toss them. Actually I plan to take them to Plato's closet to make a little extra cash. I want to start taking classes at Gold's Gym, and I need an extra 30.00 to get started with that. I am hoping Plato's Closet will provide that extra cash. I'll let you know.

And now, I am going to scrounge around the house, looking for .99 cents for a Sonic diet coke. Cross your fingers for me;)

I've been tagged

I have been tagged by my dear friend Sarah, and it was just what I needed to help me out of the blog hiatus I have been on. (If three days counts as a hiatus) Here we go...

THE RULES:
Step 1: respond and rework—answer the questions on your own blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own invention, add one more question of your own.
Step 2: tag—eight other untagged people.

Make a list of things you can see without getting up: I'm in the living room, and I see Scott lying on the couch, going through my coupons to remove the expired ones (he's a sweetheart that one. He never stops serving me), my diet coke (of course), and piles of coupons on the floor waiting to be distributed in the proper envelope

Favorite football team: HELLO!!! Auburn Tigers. Sarah, I'm a bit surprised at you.

What are you wearing now? black pajama pants, and an old cross country t-shirt that once belonged to my younger sister

What color is your bedroom? a very sad off white. In my head it is gray with yellow accents. We'll get there one day;)

What’s the last thing you read/are currently reading? Jodi Picoult's Plain Truth (for the third time), and I also read my free Woman's Day that arrived in the mail today.

Do you nap a lot? I usually snooze for the last 30 minutes of Ada's nap, which is just enough to make me extra tired when I awake to her crying for me to come get her out of bed.

Who was the last person you hugged? Ada.

What’s your current obsession/addiction? Diet coke. Current, always. And couponing/deal finding, it's always on my mind.

What was the last thing you said aloud? hmmmm...I don't really know...

What Web sites do you always visit when you go online? hotmail, google reader, craigslist, facebook

What was the last thing you bought? diet coke from QT

What are you listening to right now? a commercial on tv

What is something you wish you could do more? go on dates with Scott (I am currently in the midst of a pity party over the fact that tomorrow is Valentine's Day, and it will be like every other day of my life. This pity part is feeling oddly familiar to the pity parties I used to have back in my single days. Lesson learned--I need to get over myself)

What gives you hope? "For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth," Psalm 71:5

What is your favorite weather, and why? Fall, sun shining, leaves beautiful colors, and just cool enough for a light jacket

What time do you usually get up? 6ish. We had a few days when Ada slept until 7:30, and life was good, but it turned out to be a fluke. We are back to 6 am.

What is your most challenging goal right now? stopping the diet coke habit. It is so hard for me, but I am trying. I really am.

Say something to the person who tagged you: Sarah, there is no way I would have survived freshman year without you, my dear friend. Can't we go back in time for just one day--surely we would laugh if we overheard the conversations we must have had back then!

If you could have a house–totally paid for, fully furnished–anywhere in the world, where would you want it to be? no doubt--Rosemary Beach, right on the ocean

Favorite vacation spot? Rosemary Beach

What is your favorite children’s book? Where the Sidewalk Ends

Name one thing you just can’t resist no matter how bad it is for you: fried pickles dipped in ranch, and, of course, diet coke

If you could meet anyone famous - dead or alive - who would it be? I would love to run into Kerri Russell or Scott Speedman at some point in my life

Have you ever met anyone famous? If so who? no, not a single one, and I want to so badly. Though, I would surely make a fool of myself.

If you could have any job in the world , what would it be?Honestly, I am doing what I always wanted to do, and if I wasn't a full time mom, I would want to be a teacher. So... I got to do them--the jobs I dreamed of.

Who is your hero? Off the top of my head, my parents and Scott's parents. I now know that marriage and parenting is not easy, and we give Ada a heritage of generations who stuck it out, and did what they had to do day in and day out. That's no small thing.

Who is the last person you talked to? Scott

I tag: my sisters (that's 3), Bethany (my blog friend who has become my real friend, yea), Jessica, Joy, and anyone else who wants to do this thing(I can't remember if there is a certain number of people that I need to tag)

The Good Life

I have spent most of the week in quite a funk that I just can't seem to shake. And that is why I have been absent for the past few days. I feared that any post might come across as rather melancholy. So on this Friday evening I have decided to post the following pictures as a reminder to myself that in reality I am living the good life, ya'll. It doesn't get much better than the little red head pictured below.

Conquering my fear of chicken leg quarters

I have always been rather squeamish when it comes to raw meat, and chicken especially makes me squirm. Therefore, in the past I chose to only cook boneless, skinless chicken. My mom would always tell me that she wished we (my sister and I) would learn to cook chicken that was still on the bone because it was so much more flavorful. Well, thanks to my new hobby/obsession of finding the lowest prices possible at the grocery store, I ventured out of my comfort zone and bought chicken leg quarters at Publix. At .59 lb, I decided it was worth a shot.

After much discussion with my mother both over the phone and through e-mail, and after googling baked chicken quarters, this is what I did-- I rinsed the chicken off, I placed it in a baking dish, and I poured marinade over it (that I bought for a few cents at Publix, BOGO). I let it sit all day, so that it would really soak up the flavor. I told my mom that I wanted the outside to be crispy, so I put the chicken in the oven for an hour on 350 (I think? mom correct me on this, if I am wrong), and then for the last 30 minutes (?) I turned it up to 425 (?). Really, mom, if you reading, tell me if this is right. It was a hit!! We all loved it. So, I headed back to Publix to buy some more since it was such a great deal.

The second time I cooked the chicken, I used my friend Tutti's method. I browned the chicken on both sides in a bit of olive oil. Then I put one cup of raw rice in the crock pot, I layered the browned chicken on top, and I poured two cups of chicken broth over all of it. I cooked it in the crock pot for four hours on high, and it was oh-so-yummy. The chicken was falling off of the bone, and the rice was very creamy and flavorful. I added some broccoli, and it made for a very easy, nutritious meal.

And to answer your question, Amy, split chicken breasts are still on the bone and the skin is still on. It's cheaper than buying the boneless, skinless, and it really is more flavorful. I baked the chicken breasts, then I took the chicken off the bone, and I used it to make chicken tacos, but it would have been good as is.

A beneficial side effect of the couponing obsession, is that I am learning to cook new things. It is pushing us out of our dinner comfort zone, and the results have been good so far.

Meal Planning

Here is the meal plan for the week. I am so glad to have finally reached a place where I can plan good meals for my family and still stay way under budget. I know that I have readers who are in the process of trying to figure out the whole coupon thing, and to you I say this, be patient. It takes time for it all to come together. I have been doing this for months now, and I am just now able to really see a drastic reduction in my grocery bill. Also, it is essential that you menu plan. You have to do it. That way you don't have to make last minute grocery store runs that destroy the budget. Trust me on this one.

I have a reader who requested that I post a recipe for the chicken leg quarters. I will be back later this week to do that. Until Publix had chicken leg quarters for .59 lb, I was always a boneless, skinless chicken breasts only kind of girl. I am now reformed, however. The skin and the bone add so much flavor and moisture to the chicken, not to mention the drastic price reduction. I used split chicken breasts from Kroger to make the chicken tacos, and again, I don't think I will go back to boneless, skinless. I do have several packages in the freezer, but unless they are at an unbelievable price, I don't think I will buy them again. My mom has been telling me this for years, and I finally understand what she was saying. Anyway...here's the week's budget. What are you cooking this week? I always love a good, easy recipe!!

Saturday night--chicken tacos, pinto beans, mexican rice

Sunday Lunch--leftover tacos, whatever for dinner

Monday night--forgot to take something out of the freezer, so we are eating a stouffer's skillet meal

Tuesday night--pintos and sausage over rice

Wednesday night--chicken in vodka sauce over pasta, bread

Thursday night--leftovers, find your own dinner night, frozen meal

lunches--chicken salad sandwiches, ham sandwiches, leftovers

breakfast/snacks--peanut butter toast, eggs, fiber one pop tarts, nutri grain bars, string cheese

for over 300 more menu ideas, check out this blog every Monday.

Even the rich and famous use coupons

so we are huge Lost fans around here.

we are also huge coupon fans around here. (you never would've guessed, right?)

well, based on the facts listed above, you can imagine how thrilled I was when I found this.

Hurley is a couponer!! I refrained from leaving a comment to tell him that he could have gotten that toilet paper for free if only he knew how to work the system.

Good Day for Saving

I bought all of the above for 31.91, and that is my grocery total for the week. A far cry from the 100 that I used to spend, and it was always a struggle to stick to the 100 dollar budget. I am so thankful for blogging and coupons and all that I have learned about saving money at the grocery store.

Here is what I bought.

At Publix

8 packs of Knorr sides
1 bag of Pita chips

Earth Grains whole grain bread
3 cans of cinnamon rolls

Publix taco seasoning
Mission Flour tortillas

5 boxes of Jolly Time popcorn (FREE!!!!)

4 boxes of Pillsbury Reduced Sugar cake mix(.04 each!!!!!)

total before sales and coupons=43.89

total after sales and coupons=12.10

have I mentioned that I love Publix?

Then at Kroger

Kroger sour cream

2 Pepperidge Farm loaves of garlic bread

1/2 gallon of Kroger milk (marked down to .70!!!!!!!!)

2 bags of Sargento cheese

Guacamole

Kroger black beans

Tyson split chicken breast (.99 a lb!!!!)

2 packs of Hillshire Farms deli Ham

Sargento string cheese

Total before sales and coupons=33.42

Total after sales and coupons=19.81

As soon as we got home from the grocery store, Ada was begging for some lunch. Again, against my better judgement, I sat her lunch in front of her and let her dig in, so that I could put the groceries away while she ate. At least this time her lunch was a bit healthier than spaghettios. Here she is with her pasta, pears, and hummus all mixed together--yummy. After lunch we took her straight to the bath tub. This is becoming quite the trend at our house.

What Today Looked Like

Let me show you how our day went down.

We were both feeling the need to do this all day long.Which obviously was not an option. It did mean, however, that it was an early nap day. And early nap days usually end up going a bit like this...

Ada woke up from her nap at 11:45 am (yes, woke up), and she immediately began to whine--the reason she went down for the nap in the first place. I knew what she wanted because it's a mother's job to learn her child's language--the grunts and garbled words and points and such. So, I realized she was wanting some spaghettios, which I didn't want her to eat. I thought that she wasn't really hungry because she had eaten a lot before her nap, and I wanted to hold off for something a bit healthier. However, her crying and whining and the value of my sanity won me over, and I began to fix her pasta. As she continues to fuss, I hurry just to prevent the headache I felt coming on, and what do you know, I slice my finger on the can. And I do mean slice. It hurt so stinkin' bad. I sort of wanted to cry, ya'll. So it starts to bleed, a lot. And Ada is still fussing. So I quickly get her in her booster seat, strap her in, and, against my better judgement, sit the spaghettios in front of her, while I run to doctor my finger. And here is what happened next.

Okay, so at this point, I snatched her up, and we headed straight for the bath tub. (My finger was tightly wrapped in a bandaid and no longer bleeding, in case you were wondering).

I also managed to take a shower, and once we were both clean our perspective on life was much rosier.

And things began to look more like this. And this is by far our favorite way to spend the afternoon.

Checking In

I am here and alive, and this is me, not my mother;) This is the second time my mom has accidentally posted on my blog. The first time we just deleted it, but I thought everyone might enjoy all the Andrew pictures, so I decided to leave it and give you a taste of my mom. You can check out her blog here.

Anyway, I am back in McDonough after driving all day yesterday and tutoring all last night. It was nice to wake up facing a normal day at home. And I do mean at home. There is no way Ada and I are getting out in that cold if I don't have to!! (Though I do have to tutor some students tonight, so I will be driving to their homes).

It was so much fun to be there as Andrew entered the world. It was crazy!! Ann pushed once, and we saw his head. She pushed again, and he was here. Crazy, crazy. And he only weighed 7 lbs 2 oz. Earlier that morning we were predicting how much he weighed. We all guessed he would be smaller than her first two, but I said there was no way she would have a baby less than 8 lbs. How wrong I was!! Andrew was even smaller than Ada when she was born.

Spending Monday night with her brought on some serious de ja vou (sp?). When Ada was born, we sent Scott home to get some sleep, and Ann spent the first night in the hospital with me. It was all the same this time, only we had switched places.

Anyway, I will be back later to post more, but Ada is currently pulling on my shirt sleeve and saying "no, mommy!!" so I better run.

A post that is on the wrong blog.

Sorry folks, I'm Laura Beth's mom, and this is the second time I've done this. This is post is meant for my blog! Other time, Laura Beth told me how to fix it - but I've just spent all this time downloading these pictures of her new nephew and other fam, and I can't change it all right now - so without Laura Beth's permission, I'm leaving it here and will direct any of my blog readers to this blog - which if I have any readers, I think they all read Laura Beth's blog, too.
Laura Beth is at the hospital helping Ann - so she can post something tonight when she is here at my house with Ada.







Well - I have just downloaded a lot of pictures, beginning with this baby shower at the church. It was Sunday January 25 - and was for the 3 ladies who were all expecting - Ann was due to have Andrew the next weekend. Courtney and Jamie are due in March.

Ellie and Lillie Grace. Lillie Grace is Jamie's little girl, so they are both posing as the prospective big sisters. They both already have one little brother. Lillie Grace is big sister to Gregory, and Ellie is big sister to Luke.

This is Ann and Ellie on Saturday night January 31. We had a pretty good meal that night, and a birthday cake for Ann. We had opted to skip our usual Sunday lunch, since the big plans were to go to the hospital on Sunday night, to have Andrew on Monday.

Ellie with her baby in the carrier, and also Kitty. We are about to leave for H'ville to see Ann who has already reported that the contractions are getting rather intense.

Luke, who would NOT take out his Paa-Paa for these pictures.

Laura Beth and Ellie,

again, leaving for the hospital.

Charlie cleaning his glasses before we leave.

I'm ashamed to put this picture in of me. but oh well. The makeup is looking especially white.

And here is Andrew!!! Fresh out of the oven and not happy about it!!!

It's just the best thing in the world.

Ellie and Luke meeting Andrew for the first time.

Luke's not trusting it yet - the whole thing feels too different. But he did warm up much later and was telling Andrew all about his Cars, 'Mater and Lightning McQueen.

Steve, Ellie, and Andrew

First touch of the little bitty brother.

Ann and Andrew

This is dark, but it's Ellie and Ann discussing the new baby.

This is Laura Beth holding Andrew up to the computer so that Nana and Poppie in Albuquerque can see him - or was it Stephanie and Hollen and Jonathan and Eric in Arizona?

Hanging out on Mom's bed.

.

That's all. I deleted, accidentally, about 3 pictures while I was trying to post these. 2 were of Charlie holding his new grandson. Oh well. I now have many things to do before Ellie and Luke return from Huntsville with Daddy - No time to write anything. It was all so exciting - the birth of a new baby is unbelievable and such a thrill! and intense. Now a whole lot of reality is about to set in.