For those of you who are keeping up at home:
Set number two:
Set number three:
Only 3 more to go! ::twitch twitch::
Things to hopefully come: Pictures of Kitten first real “play in the snow day”. She loved it! May include a picture of her very first snow angel, even!
Pictures because I’m fairly lazy.
Here’s one of my favorite outfits that I bought for Kitten. She’s a little big for it now, so I snapped a picture the other day when she had it on. I guess it will have to wait until Thing Two can wear it!
Here’s Kitten dressed up in her Halloween costume. It’s supposed to be a witch costume (I guess, with the pointy hat), but she loved it in the store, and calls it her “fairy costume”. So we went with it. Even now she runs around in her “fairy hat” with her “fairy wand”, declaring that she’s ADORABLE! Heh.
Out Trick or Treating with Dad, so you can kind of get a view of the what the rest of the dress looked like. She looooved trick or treating, although Rob said there were a couple houses that she vocally protested to because they “were scary” and made her “want to cry”. So they skipped those. We did have to do some decompressing in the days after, discussing how some decorations were scary, but it was all pretend, and Halloween was done now, so the decorations would be taken down and the houses wouldn’t be scary any more. I’m grateful that no one tried to do anything terrifying to the kids (or at lease not to my kid), but I can see her point about how some of the decorations could be frightening. The best pumpkin I saw, though, had the symbol for pi carved in it. Get it? Pumpkin Pi (pumpkin pie?) . Heh. I laughed. Out loud. And no, it wasn’t our pumpkin… Although we really should do something with it – it’s sitting on our counter (we didn’t carve it this year). Hmmm…
I am Mean.
Yesterday morning, Belly Bean didn’t wake up when I did. I was sad because usually she kicks me a bunch and I can lay there and feel all the good thumps. So this morning I had a plan.
You see, I use a travel alarm clock. It’s small, palm sized, runs on batteries and is fairly loud. So instead of turning it off right away, I shoved it under the covers and on to my belly. I let it ring for a few seconds then hit snooze (it rings every 4 minutes on snooze). A few times.
The end result is this: Belly Bean hates my alarm clock, but I got all the kicks I wanted this morning. Hee hee!
A Small Brag
The savings includes: things that were on sale, coupons that I used (about $15 was coupons alone), plus the 15% discount that we receive because it’s the first Tuesday of the month. I’m always excited to see how much we’ve saved, but this one surprised me! This was my first major shop using as many coupons as possible (and doing some stockpiling of some things – ie. Crest ProHealth Mouthwash was on for about $4 for the 500 ml bottle. It had a tube of toothpaste that was attached to the bottle. I had a coupon for $1 off. So a bottle of mouthwash AND a tube of toothpaste for $3? Good deal, I say. I got two for that price).
We did buy some things that we didn’t need (ie. pop), but it was stuff that we *like* to have, and if it’s reasonably priced (with sales and coupons), I don’t feel too bad about buying it. The pop in question, worked out to about 25 cents a can. Of course not everything we bought was on sale, either. We had to buy some staples, but I think we were pretty fortunate to get some good prices on some good things, and the coupons that I was able to use made it even more worthwhile.
I’m not done my “grocery tour” for the week, either. I have a few more items to pick up in other places (ie. Superstore had Sidekicks for 97 cents each, and I have 25 cents off coupons. We usually buy off label sidekicks, when we get them, but for 72 cents a piece? I can’t even get the store brand for that price!). I also like to go through the store I’m in to check and see what vendor coupons they have displayed… and pick the ones I want up to add to my stash! 
Unmedicated Child Birth and Other Extreme Sports
One of the most asked questions I get asked when people hear about our decision to use a midwife for this pregnancy is “Can you still get an epidural?” The answer to this question is no, you can’t. The response to that varies between “boy are you brave/out of your mind” and “what if you change your mind?” or “why would you go through that if you don’t have to?”
I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately. I have my own reasons for desiring an unmedicated birth. Some of those reasons are due to anecdotal evidence regarding medical intervention in a process that maybe didn’t need to be intervened in. Some of those reasons are because I had what I feel to be a less than desirable birth process with Kitten. But mostly, I think, it has a lot more to do with extreme sports.
You see, no one needs to run a marathon. No one must climb Mt. Everest. No one is forced to participate in many of the other sports or thrill type pursuits that people enjoy doing. I mean, a person can enjoy running for a mile and then get in a car for an additional 25 miles. A person can climb the hill at the base of a mountain, then ride a horse/donkey/whatever up the rest of the way. A person could ride the kiddy rollercoaster instead of taking the loop-de-loop. People do these things for the thrill of it, for the accomplishment, for the emotional pay off that comes from finishing something that they think is insurmountable – for hitting the “wall” and being able to scale it and say “I did that!”
I’m not likely to ever run a marathon. I won’t ever climb Mt. Everest. I may never ride that loop-de-loop rollercoaster. But I am purposely chosing to have this baby without drugs because I feel like it’s my Mt. Everest – my Boston Marathon. I fully understand that it hurts. I get that completely. I know that I’m going to cry, and that I’ll probably beg for an epidural, and I know I’ll hit a place where I think that I’d rather be pregnant forever than go through any more pain and effort. And I also know that once I stare down my Wall, once I decide that I am the only one who can birth this baby, once I complete the task at hand that the emotional payoff will be worth it. That I will have my baby in my arms and be able to say “I did it, even though I wasn’t sure that I could.” I believe there will be a sense of accomplishment that accompanies my efforts that will make it all seem worth it in the end. Not unlike the satisfaction of crossing the finish line or reaching the peak of the mountain. This is why I know I am not going to change my mind mid process, and why I am ok with the option of the epidural not being open to me.
Knit and Crack
Here’s a pair of pants that I finished yesterday. They haven’t been washed/blocked yet, so they’re not the BEST ever picture, but I do like how they came out in the end. These are medium/largish in size, for a client.
In other news: I saw the new chiropractor today. I think I just might like this new guy – well, husband/wife team. I saw the male doctor today, and he seemed like a good enough guy. We share the same birth day, actually Anyway, he was able to get both hips cracked, as well as adjust my pubic bone (he has an instrument that does it, so he doesn’t actually have to touch me there, thank goodness!). He also wants to see me get in to some sort of low impact activity, like deep water aerobics. Anyone want to join me? Ha ha. I go back on Wednesday for another adjustment and to talk about our action plan. Obviously I can’t be going to him three times a week – we can’t afford to pay out of pocket for that, and our coverage would end very quickly after that! So I hope that we can agree on a schedule, and only deviate as very necessary. I also loved that they were so accommodating to Kitten and I. I wasn’t able to leave her with anyone today, so she accompanied me to the appointment. The female doctor didn’t have any clients, so she came out to play with Kitten while I was getting adjusted – it was so nice to be able to not have to worry about Kitten touching their computers or leaping off the chiro tables! Ha ha. Next time I’m leaving her at home!
The only sucky part of our visit was that today was the first day of the H1N1 flu vaccine clinics, and sadly there is a clinic located in the same building as the chiro. Convenient, except for when the entire south end of my city (well, what seemed like, it, anyway) showed up for the vaccines today. It was absolutely bonkers. I had to park a block away, and across a very busy street. This wouldn’t have been an issue at all, if it were just me, but Kitten walks very slowly and there was much craziness going on from everyone trying to park willy nilly in the parking lot and the huge queue of people standing around outside (and inside the building as well! It was truly shocking to see people line up like that!). I guess some people are really terrified of the flu? I mean, we have enough vaccines in Canada for everyone to get one that wants one (my understanding from what I’ve read and what’s being reported), I don’t really understand why everyone was in such a hurry to get one today.
For the record, I am currently on the fence about whether Kitten and I will be vaccinated. For one, I’m leary of the newness of the vaccine, and I typically deny all vaccines during pregnancy. The issue is that H1N1 seems more dangerous for pregnant women than the “regular” flu, so I’m nervous about not getting the vaccine. Especially because tamiflu (if that’s even available here – I don’t know) is a C level drug and NOT something I’d be comfortable with. Hmmm… I wonder what level the vaccine would come in as, I can’t seem to find the name of the H1N1 drug to look up online. Probably at level C, as there isn’t any ethical way to test on pregnant women. Rob will be getting both flu shots this year, he usually gets the regular one anyway.
Anyway, that’s what’s new. Well, kind of new, anyway. I pulled out all my baby stuff the other day and took pictures of it (minus Mom’s most recent additions!), so I should really get those up! 
Belly Bean
Here’s the latest belly shot:
Funny how different I look from last time. This belly is mostly in front, whereas last time it spread all the way across my body, and not so much out. I suppose it could be just because I’ve already done this once before, but who knows.
Here’s a comparison to last time, for funsies:
Saving a Dime
Lately I’ve been trying to save a bit of money on the things we buy normally. I never really got into clipping coupons – I don’t remember my step-mom doing it (I remember my mom did when we were little), so it isn’t something I think of often. And I kind of feel like coupons are hard to find these days – mostly because they don’t fall in to my lap.
So I’ve been on the hunt for coupons. Here are some place that you can visit to get your own coupons:
save.ca - You have to sign up here to get the coupons, but unless you click the “receive other offers”, they don’t bug you. They print the coupons and send them to you. The only catch is that some coupons can only be printed so often (ie. Pampers, once every 40 days or something like that), and that if you print a bunch of coupons but don’t use them, they get cranky. I’m not sure what they’d do about it, but they don’t get paid for printing and mailing until you redeem the coupon (they distribute the coupons on behalf of all the companies that participate). This site has all sorts of coupons, mostly grocery store items (ie. food, health and beauty products, house cleaning, pet foods). The nice thing about this site is that you don’t have to download anything on to your computer to get the coupons (the Pampers and Huggies websites require downloads, FYI).
gocoupons.ca – This site has far less coupons, and often has multiple coupons for the same company, but different products. I’ve not actually ordered coupons from this website, only because they haven’t offered anything that I would buy right now. I suppose that I might buy some yogurt, but I’m not sure if it’s enough of a savings for me to switch brands.
brandsaver.ca - The link to open the coupons is on the bottom left. This site is a lot like save.ca, only it’s specifically P&G brands (don’t know if that’s true about save.ca or not). The GREAT thing is that there are some great repeat coupons (ie. Pampers) so you can grab one from save.ca and one from here as well. These are only hygiene, beauty, pet food and house cleaning products.
In-Store – These are the coupons that are hanging on the shelves near the products. It’s a good idea to keep an eye out for the products that you like, and the ones that you wouldn’t mind trying. Take ones for products that you do buy – take as many as you think you will use before the expiry date… even if you don’t plan on using it that day. You want to stockpile coupons for stuff that you like and buy regularly, because the coupons aren’t guaranteed to be there the next time you go in. Be kind, though – don’t take 20 of them if you won’t use them (and who would? Usually they won’t let you use more than one of the same coupon). The Real Canadian SuperStore seems to have the most extensive “in store” coupon selection that I’ve seen.
If I’ve missed any order or print online coupon sites (in Canada), please tell me in the comments – I can always use more sites to get coupons! Also, if you know which papers/magazines/etc. coupons come in, PLEASE SHARE! That way we can all get a few more coupons.
Here’s where it gets good: I have smartcanucks.ca in my pre=”my “>feedreader (if you don’t use a feedreader, you can check the site a few times a week to get the lowdown). So I get to know all sorts of good things, just be checking the reader. One of the best posts they do once a week is what is on sale at the major box chains (sadly, they don’t include Sobeys or Save On Foods, but do include the Real Canadian SuperStore, Walmart, Shoppers, and a few others that you may or may not have depending on where you live), and what coupons to use with them. This is GREAT, because you can really double up your savings. So for instance, we have this pizza that we love. Right now, it’s on sale for $3.99 at Shoppers. If you found the coupon (either at Shoppers or other locations – remember, a vendor coupon can be used anywhere – if it doesn’t have a store name on it, it’s a vendor coupon), you will get an additional $1.50 off two pizzas. So you’re looking at a $7 pizza coming in close to $3.24 – less than half price!
Check your flyers if you get them, and READ them. If you don’t get them, or don’t want the paper, check them out online. It can really pay off. For example: This week, Pampers Swaddlers are on sale at Toys R Us for $10 (reg. $13 – FYI, we like Pampers for the newborn stage, and seeing as how these were cheap, I’m buying ahead). I thought that was a pretty good price… but my save.ca coupons came in the mail today, and I had a $2 off coupon in there. So my pack of newborn Pampers was only $8 – that’s almost half price!
Another wonderful thing to do with coupons is to stack them. This was something that I had no idea could be done, but it can, if you play it right. You can’t use three of the same vendor coupons on the same item, and some stores won’t allow you to use more than one coupon on a single item. But you can always try. Anyway, here’s a good deal right now. SuperStore has an in store coupon for $2.50 off Pull Ups (when you’re there, grab a few extra coupons for next time!). If you’re on Huggies mailing list, you will also have a coupon for $2.50 off Pull Ups. Theoretically, you should be able to use both coupons and receive $5 off the package of Pull Ups, getting them for close to $10! Much better than full price.
Are there any other coupon ladies out there? Where do you find them? How do you use them? If we all share what we know, we’ll all save money!
(PS – we’re still cloth diapering, but we like to keep disposable diapers around on hand for emergencies or in case all the cloth is dirty, or for going out. We tend to only really buy them when they’re on sale or we can get a good price on them, otherwise they’re expensive garbage, you know? So don’t freak out, we’re still in cloth!)
I Have Things To Tell You…
First, and most importantly I am sure, we had our ultrasound today. I am sorry to report that I have no pictures for you. Perhaps I will draw on on Kitten’s Color Explosion pad an call it an ultrasound picture… because that will be about the same effect you would have had by being there will us. This baby, if nothing else, has some sort of personality. First, the baby was so incredibly active that the technician couldn’t get a clear picture – Bean ran from that ultrasound wand like nothing else. Second, Bean laid face down, towards my back most of the time, so we got no profile or face shot. We could have purchased a picture of the back of the baby (which included a very impressive spine, a bum and the blob of a head)… but why bother? I was more than willing to spend the money to SEE what my baby looked like, but no. And my technician wasn’t all that friendly, so that kind of decreased the fun factor for me too.
Here’s a friendly lesson for everyone who is pregnant or will ever be pregnant: If you don’t drink enough water long enough before hand, your technician will not be too pleased, and will threaten to use the internal wand on you. Where does it go, internally? You do the math, ladies. They don’t call it the dildo-cam for nothing! I was fortunate that my bladder started to fill by the time she was done, and she could get the shot she needed, otherwise I would have been in trouble! Seriously, it’s better to have to feel like you’re going to pee all over the bed than possibly NOT have enough in your bladder.
I must say, my feelings (AND MY MOTHER! HA HA HA!) were wrong. I am not growing a mini-Rob. We’re having another girl! We are both super thrilled, and Kitten is very excited to have a sister. Well, at least we think she is – she wanders around the house saying “A sister! I’m so happy!” Heh. We’ll see what she says about that when she’s 14 and her 11 year old sister won’t leave her alone!
This baby is very excited to meet her sister, though. Every time Kitten starts to speak near me, the baby wakes up a freaks out! I like to think that she’s excited to hear Kitten’s voice, but I suppose that it’s possible that she’s just trying to fight with her already! 
It’s pretty cute, though. I’m not sure if it’s just Kitten’s height/proximity to the belly, or if it’s her higher voice (that somehow is easier to hear for the baby?) or what… but yes. Much movement when Kitten is around!
The baby wants you to send us all your fresh and tasty pears. Also: apple juice. And good chocolate, but not the cheap halloween crap that’s out right now. And possibly cheesies, but that’s all. My love for all things creamy has all but disappeared, and isn’t actually replaced with a sweet craving – just pears. I’m not sure why, but it’s all I know.
In other news: You all can avoid buying Uggs or fake Uggs this year. I bought some, so OBVIOUSLY the fad is over. I actually bought them because I wanted warmer boots for winter that I could just jam my feet in to and not have to worry about whether I’m all swollen or not. I bought them a half size(ish) too big, so here’s for hoping. If I swell up like a giant balloon, there is no hope, but a little bit of swelling will be fine. If you’re curious, they’re brown, they’re just above my ankles (not quite mid-calf, but not the lowest ones either), and I got them at Walmart for $25. I really wanted the black ones, but they didn’t have any in my size. Oh well.
Last thought… I took pictures of all the stuff I had started to stockpile for the baby. I will upload those for you soon. I think I have some new knitting pictures too, but we’ll see when I get those up as well. Currently, I have a couple of commissions that I’m working on, so if I’m not sleeping during nap time or the evening, I’m knitting. So don’t hate me too much
Elvis the Pelvis
So one of the reasons I haven’t been all post happy in the past few weeks is because I have been in varying degrees of pain. From mildly annoying to “where is my epidural?” So instead of coming here to complain, I’ve been complaining to people on the phone. Sorry about that.
Yesterday, I think I figured out why I hurt so much. What started as lower back pain (which I expected) has moved around to my hips, into my groin and down my inner thighs (no, I have not been working out). I have been suffering with it for about two weeks now, not really knowing WHY I hurt, and why I hurt in those places – I had back pain with Kitten, but not like this. Well, I get those “hey, this is your pregnancy this week, and this is what the baby is doing this week” emails, and one had a link to an article on Symphysis Pubis Disfunction… which is just a fancy set of words for “dude, you have too much hormones in your body, and your pelvis spread apart a tiny bit too much”. Apparently the symptoms are pain in the groin, inner thighs, front of the pelvis, lower back and hips. Hey, I have all of those. I haven’t seen the midwife yet this month, so this is all self-diagnosis, but I do plan on asking the ultrasound tech if she could take a few extra shots of my pelvis and send those along to the midwife as well.
From what I can read online, they recommend rest, keeping your knees together as much as possible (heh), and some people think that the chiro/accupuncture/physio route can help to relieve pain. I’m planning on doing all of those things. Apparently sleeping on my side seems to garner me the least amount of pain… but also the least amount of sleep (woe is me).
So think of me, next time you’re standing around, stepping in to your pants, for I can’t do that any more. I am officially old, and I have to sit down to put on my pants because it otherwise just hurts too darn much. And if you’re sitting on the floor cross-legged? I’m officially jealous – just another thing I can’t do right now.
